That was him, I remember him, and that tall friend of his… not that they talked to me, back then.
I keep my head down, and move through the busy streets. I have to figure out a way in, but the man said there was no Okita Souji at the jail I visited. He laughed at me. “Sir, don’t you know that he’s dead?”
Saitou-san, what have you done with him? He can’t have… and then she made him come out in the -rain- yesterday. She knows what rain does to him, to his illness!
But I’m not ready to face him, not yet. So I keep moving, but hopefully he’ll stay at that old dojo and talk longer.
(OOC – “Young”/IC Hide is walking through the streets, dressed in her Hidejiro garb)
Yukiko:
I’m going home from the school. The children were quiet today, even Makoto-chan. I hope whatever is hanging over Uncle and Auntie resolves soon… Children have a way of instinctively knowing there’s a problem with my parents. It was the same way with my father when he was raising me up all alone.
I guess I was caught up in thinking that I almost run into a young man.
“Oh I’m sorry. Please excuse me.” I bow and look up and I’m struck at the uncanny look this young man has. The shape of his face and the features almost looks like… Yagi-san.. But this one is obviously a man right?
A young lady bumps into me.
Oh I’m sorry. Please excuse me
“Ah, no, excuse me – I was looking behind me and not in front.” I realize that I was not adjusting the tone of my voice, nor my words, to sound like a man. “Ah, you should be more careful, miss,” I say, trying to sound deeper.
I miss Okita-san… it always made him laugh when I tried to talk manly. But he said, if anything ever happens to him, to dress like Hidejiro in case -they- come looking in a place I can’t protect myself. Just because she hated being Hidejiro doesn’t mean that -I- did.
But she’s staring at me? Then I realize that this must be the niece. From the watching I’ve done I hear more than I see… but there’s a family similarity, after all… “Please excuse me,” I say, bowing slightly. I don’t want to run into any of them, I just want to see Okita-san and maybe somehow get him -out-.
Yukiko:
“Ah, you should be more careful, miss,”
I smile a little and bow again. She has such a deep voice now or is she a he? I try not to stare but with the hair tied back like that it’s almost like Auntie with her hair short.
“Please excuse me,”
“Uh ok.” I move out of the way and let him pass. I watch from behind, she’s dressed like a boy. Wait isn’t he a boy? I don’t know. A boy that looks like my auntie. Now that’s random! I smile, thinking Auntie would never be caught in men’s wear.
I go on home. I have to help prepare for afternoon snacks when the children comes home. Maybe that will perk them up a little. We have some bananas… Sugary bananas should be good.
(OOC: Yukiko goes home)