“Ah, can’t you get him to come out here? I have a delivery for Fujita-san…” I lower my voice to the clerk. “It’s a medicinal product. Stinky, stuff, this Ishida sanyaku. But old guys swear by it…” I shake my head. “I can’t leave my pack long – can’t you tell him to meet me in the alley? I left my poor horse in the shade there.” I look around the place. Pretty nice, these Meiji governmental buildings.
“And who are you again?” Great prospects, Hajime-kun, I think, as the young man with dull eyes tries to summon up the ability to listen -and- write at he same time. But then again we had some lesser members of the Shinsengumi. They can’t all be quality.
“Yamaguchi Jiro. Medicine peddler,” I say, tipping my hat. “Please tell him that I can’t wait too long – I have other old men who need their medicine.”
(OOC – Souji is outside, waiting for Saitou at the precinct)
Hajime:
So whoever this is knows my name. I can’t quite a reject a person who is well acquainted with my history can I? But I’m at the ready, with a new old stock sword no less. It can be any of the Goryo-eiji or just about anyone whom I failed to kill in the past. I stub out my cigarette as soon as I get into the alley, which is far from prying eyes in case I have to cut down anyone here.
“None uses Ishida Sanyuku anymore.” I say at the smaller man but at once I know who it is. “So you’ve come.”
I cross my arms and stay just enough out of his reach.
None uses Ishida Sanyuku anymore
“Aw, he’d be so upset to hear that – you know he thought it was a miracle cure-all – although it didn’t cure my affliction,” I say, watching my old friend. With a sword, this time. Much better.
He states the obvious, all while standing pointedly -away-. “It was nice to drop word about the Battosai’s location – I still don’t forgive you for butting in, all those years ago. It should have been a duel for the ages, instead, what? A -draw- between you two?” I shake my head. “But I’ve been scouting around. I left a note, as we always used to, but he’s very slack – I was able to find his boy, take him out for a while for some treats and return him to that shabby dojo, all without him getting on my trail.” I shrug. The boy was certainly happy-go-lucky.
“And even so, he still had just his woman picking up the boy today at that school. Oh! And I saw Yagi-san and what must have been that girl of yours there, too.” I shake my head. “Yagi-san looked terrible. I would have thought, after that big scene and all of that -drama-, she’d be fine again.” She has a way of bouncing back, probably because of how she just lives in a cloud of denial. Some things never change.
Then I look at him. Really -look-, even here in the shade. That, and I know that ki about as well as I know my own and it’s not what I remember from just a few weeks ago. We can mask it, we can control it, but something of it always shows to those who know it well. When you’re sneaking up on an enemy, it was…. oddly reassuring to feel your comrades behind you – or to be aware of when one will betray you. I tilt my head. “And I thought you’d look better, too… but you’ve changed, haven’t you?” He’s less of a mess but… hmmm. Interesting!
Hajime:
“Aw, he’d be so upset to hear that – you know he thought it was a miracle cure-all – although it didn’t cure my affliction,”
“I’m sure he’d be more upset to hear you blame his miracle cure for your inability to get -better-.” I tilt my head observing him. There was once a time I thought we’d be old comrades again in the wilderness.
“It was nice to drop word about the Battosai’s location – I still don’t forgive you for butting in, all those years ago. It should have been a duel for the ages, instead, what? A -draw- between you two?”
“Okita, forgiving someone means they -asked- for your forgiveness.” I smirk, “But ah you know I never liked seeing the Shinsengumi lose so I butted in.. You do understand don’t you?”
But then he starts talking about the boy, I think his name was Kenji? Makoto’s classmate. I never thought Okita would go that low… But I watch that I don’t drop my grin. If he knew I cared and I could care less about that brat, he’d use it against me. “The Battousai was always sloppy. The only reason he got away was because of the Ishin’s clean up crew was pretty good – no traces.”
And he talks about Hide, how he saw her at the school. That my woman looked terrible. “Ah she got bounced around a bit that time – -I’m the love her life now you see and I had a temporary life crisis. Some might call it a mid-life crisis? She’ll do better from now on, now that -I’m- here.”
“And I thought you’d look better, too… but you’ve changed, haven’t you?”
My grin goes wider, “You see I was a mess before but thanks to you, you’ve set me straight.” I could settle the matter right now just like what he’d want but I… I’m better than that. I’m a man of bushido after all.
“So tell me “friend”. What brings you here? Where’s -your- “woman”?”
“Oh, I’m of no doubt that Toshi would be displeased at how any of us turned out. Shinpachi-kun is what, a prision guard? You’re some muzzled cop. And I’m somehow still alive, instead of having died young and tragically, a true -legend-.” I grin slightly. Who wants to be that sort of legend? But I suppose better that than what the second and third captains are.
“I could have had the Battosai, that night. You know that,” I say, irritated, shifting out of my good mood. “But that’s you. You wanted your epic duel, but it was my -fate- as the strongest of the Shinsengumi. “And of course he was sloppy. Why else did he end up with a scarred -face-?” I do wonder how torn up he is now, though. His shoulders don’t seem to have the same strength in them as they once did. Can he even still perform the gatotsu? I’ll have to keep that in mind.
I could laugh as he describes it. Bounced around? Even before I got to her, she was left bleeding and crippled, stolen out from under his very nose. And she’s still crippled? For all that -work- they did, he let he come back like that? Did he want to remember it every time he looks at her?
“For all your grinning… you’re not much fun anymore – I used to be able to touch a nerve over something.” I shrug. “And I’m not sure that you’ve set me straight. After all, I nearly -executed- that woman of yours, my old love, the defective draft of the woman who keeps me content… and you just stand there, grinning away.” I laugh. “I’d think that you didn’t really care, despite all of that boring speechmaking. Maybe I should see to her before the Battosai, and finish yet another thing you interrupted? After all, from what I know from my woman, Yagi-san can’t seem to hold onto you – you just keep slipping away from her – again and again.” I laugh again. “Midlife crisis? Oh, that’s a good one… you -surrendered-, old friend. You’re no better than that ghost that tried to fight me back there without a sword.”
“As to why I’m here…” I shrug. “I don’t want to get too much older without having settled some scores. And as for my Hide-san… she’s safe. She can chose when, or if, to reveal herself. It may surprise you that she has a good deal more -sense- than dear Yagi-san when it comes to these things.” That’s why I’m glad I ended up with her, after all.
“Ah so the legend still thinks highly of himself.” I once told Battousai, ten years was a long time and now twice that? But I no longer care for Okita Souji as I once did.
“I could have had the Battosai, that night. You know that,” “But that’s you. You wanted your epic duel, but it was my -fate- as the strongest of the Shinsengumi.
“Think that if it makes you feel better.” I shrug amused at this man who still acts like a brat. He blew hot and cold back then, sometimes a true comrade, other times no more than a spoiled brat.
you’re not much fun anymore – I used to be able to touch a nerve over something.” I shrug. “And I’m not sure that you’ve set me straight
And he ends up complaining that I’m no fun anymore. I can only take that as a compliment. “Why thank you Okita-kun but it was never my responsibility to set you straight.”
After all, from what I know from my woman, Yagi-san can’t seem to hold onto you – you just keep slipping away from her – again and again.”
And he threatens Hide. Does he really think he can go through me? I was lulled into the safety of this world I had created for her and I but I’m no longer the fool that he thinks. “Glad to hear that amongst your new hobbies, you’ve added voyeurism and gossip.” I go ahead and light a smoke. The man before me won’t draw. He’s content with mouthing off words and words from him for me, means nothing.
“Midlife crisis? Oh, that’s a good one… you -surrendered-, old friend. You’re no better than that ghost that tried to fight me back there without a sword.”
I blow out a smoke and chuckle. Unlike him I -can- fight without a sword, it was part of my police training but I don’t tell him this. Besides I surrendered to no one except to myself. What did they say, only compare yourself today to yourself from yesterday?
“I don’t want to get too much older without having settled some scores. And as for my Hide-san… she’s safe. She can chose when, or if, to reveal herself. It may surprise you that she has a good deal more -sense- than dear Yagi-san when it comes to these things.”
“Ah so still the same hang ups? Then get on with it already – you’re boring me.” I sigh a little.
“But you’re right with Hide. Your Hide is probably more sensible.” And I can’t help but think back to the events of the past week, the reasons why I stand here today instead of him.
Suddenly I grin a wicked one at him “Well at least, I can probably still make my woman scream my name. Instead of cowering back like an idiot.”
Maybe.
I hold up my hand as a gesture of goodbye. I have better things to do than listen to him whine. He’s just as bad as the Battousai.
(OOC: Saitou is leaving unless he’s stopped.)
Oh, he really does think he’s getting somewhere with this? I am amused. How my once-supposed best friend has fallen… He’s also not making any move to defend himself, or strike first. I shrug. “Suit yourself,” I sigh. “Once, back in the Wilderness, I thought you would turn out fun… or even back when you did your little trick with the Goryo Eji – Saitou-san the traitor, who knew! How surprising!” Of course Yagi-san had to come in and step on that moment, too, with her obsession about feeding people.
“Well, go back to whatever it is that you do in that dusty building of yours – paperwork? How vital!” I laugh. “But we did make an agreement, so I’ll take down the Battosai first, then you. As for that woman you still won’t marry…” I stroke my chin. “Well, my Hide-san still wants her judgement carried out, so I’ll see about fitting that in.”
I can probably still make my woman scream my name. Instead of cowering back like an idiot.
I look at him again. I’m certain that Yagi-san blabbed all about that certain time so he’s probably trying to wave -that- sword around as well. “Do you think so? I’m sure you have some little cutie stashed away somewhere, a hot blooded man like you – you always did – like the one you “bought” back in the old days. But if you want to show off with Yagi-san…. go on enjoy sullying her while you can.” I shake my head. Really, those two. He calls me a voyeur, but the way Yagi-san can topple over our lives just because she wants to keep things -nice-… well, we do have to watch what trouble she’s going to bring us next.
He waves and I’m done here too. He’ll probably try to interfere, but he’s not going to actually -be- a problem. Hollow men always fall easily.
(OOC – Souji is leaving unless stopped.)
He talks about the wilderness and the Shinsengumi. The -Past-. And disparages my job today. This man or is should I say man-child? Has never moved on. A -pity-.
“Well, my Hide-san still wants her judgement carried out, so I’ll see about fitting that in.”
Surprising. “So she only wants -one- Hide? A shame. I once thought of her a friend, helped and respected her even.” I glance back at the man child, “Well I let her go once to return the favor. If we meet again as enemies I’ll treat her like I’ll treat you.”
He seemed peeved that I found out about his cowering. I must’ve hit a nerve. I wonder, has he even tried touching a woman since then?
“Oh I -do- and Hide knows all about it.” And she doesn’t give a damn. I ended up with a smug smile. “She was as gracious as Kondou-san’s wife Tsune-dono was so I think I’m -safe-.”
Dealing with children, whether mine or not is tiring so I decide to go and get an afternoon snack. Soba.
(OOC: End. Saitou will go home later)