onifukuchou | [action] | Introductions

[action] | Introductions

[One moment there's a nice empty spot on the floor of the tea house - and the the next moment it is filled with a rather tall, grumpy-looking man, with wings as black as his hair. He is also wearing just the white cloth pants of new arrivals, which affords everyone around him a good view of a rather spectacularly toned set of abs. Unfortunately, he looks like he might bite.

He glances around, rubs his eyes, glances around again to find that nothing has changed, and that this doesn't look like any teahouse in Shimabara he can remember. Which doesn't rule out that he's been here, just that it wasn't while sober. His hand goes for where his katana should be - and then he realizes that it, along with his clothing, are gone.]

...The hell is going on here?

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[Going upstairs to get tea was one of Okita's jobs since he worked in the Welcome Center anyway, and since they were getting low at the house, he'd been on his way up when he heard a thump. He couldn't remember if anyone was manning the station at this hour, but the voice that came just after said thump is enough to freeze him in his tracks on the stairs.

It couldn't be him. It's been too long since he was here and it was simply not supposed to happen again.

Okita climbs further, peering over the edge to see if he can get a glimpse of this mystery person. And he gets an eyeful of a most familiar sight.]

[With his head barely showing over the edge of the floor, Souji speaks up.]

It isn't a dream, you're not dead, and this is a different world called Luceti where they give you little wings you shouldn't pull out unless you want to be dead, and once a month or so the people who kidnapped us run funny experiments to see how we react.

[He peeks over the edge, waving slightly.]

Hello, Hijikata-san.

Souji.

[Something is weird CLEARLY IT'S YOUR FAULT.

He sits up, and then his face tightens a little in pain, because it feels like someone has been beating him across the shoulders with a bokuto, and he feels like he'd remember that much. He reaches over one shoulder, carefully, and brushes against the edge of one of his wings, which immediately pulls away from his touch and makes him hiss a little in pain]

I think this is worse than being hung-over.

It's probably because you're not hung over.

[He takes one step further up the stairs, so Hijikata can see his face clearly now. Souji smiles and drums his fingers against the edge of the floor.]

It will seem strange, but everything I just told you is true. I've been here for almost three years, you've been here twice and forgotten twice, and~

[He tilts his head back and thinks.]

Oooh, right, I have your poetry book. Bye~

[With that he turns and pads off down the stairs.]

[That last bit is enough to get him up and moving, at least, despite the pain in his back.

Unfortunately he encounters a problem in the form of one foot on a journal someone has happened to have left on the floor, and one foot not.

....

So much for grace or class. Now he hurts even more :|]

[Hearing the thump, Souji pops his head up over the ledge again.]

Oh, yes, you have a journal you can use to talk to people like an instant vocal letter. That one is probably yours. It should have your name on it.

[And as an almost afterthought, he'll add:]

Are you alright?

[On closer inspection, the book he slipped on does appear to read 'Hijikata Toshizou Yoshitoyo' on the cover. Huh. Not that this makes him any less annoyed at it or the situation at hand.]

I'm fine.

[Mostly just a bruised dignity]

[Slinking down a step because Hijikata seems to be in a bad mood.]

I lied about the book. [No he didn't.] There's a guide to this place in your book. It talks though, so be careful.

[Have a glare as he picks himself back up]

And you expect me to believe that?

You don't have to, of course.

[He pulls his book from his sleeve and sets it on the edge of the stairs, opening it and pressing the play button. Instantly a random voice entry starts playing.]

But it'd be fairly silly considering.

[To his credit, he doesn't actually jump at the SUDDENLY TALKING BOOK, but he does give it a look like it might grow legs and teeth and try to eat him]

What sort of magic is that?

I don't really know, but it's strange isn't it?

[In fact... He pulls the book back and writes a note private to Ayumu:

Ayumu-san, he's returned. If you would see to airing out Hijikata-san's room, I'll be bringing him to the house soon.

That should do it. He closes the book and smiles at Hijikata.]

And it's very handy. I just sent a message to the house that you'll be coming by.

[Still looking skeptical, though he relaxes a little. Just a little]

Where you live, I assume?

Yes. Where we all live.

[He pauses, glancing up at Hijikata as he walks up the steps to finally emerge fully onto the second floor.]

....She's here. And she's doing very well.

[Hijikata knows a lot of 'she's, though he can only think of one who Souji would know too. Except that can't be possible - he saw Yamazaki Ayumu's corpse, saw what had been done to her.

He tries to hide the twist of guilt in his stomach at that thought and answers gruffly-]

'She'?

...

[Yes. She. Souji walks forward and shows Hijikata his book, open to a page where Ayumu has an entry.]

She's safe here, Hijikata-san. I know it seems impossible, but the Malnosso - our captors - can take us from anywhere and anytime; even after that.

[the book is talking at him again, but that voice - it's hers, can only be hers - Susumu could mimic his sister's appearance, but he could always tell their voices apart, at least. And this one is like a knife to the gut. He had failed her as a leader, and now he'd have to face that in person.]

[He doesn't let it play for long, closing the book soon after seeing Hijikata's face. He knew it would be hard on him. It was always hard on him and nothing would ever ease the guilt of what had happened - what was going to happen. Souji walks forward and puts a hand on Hijikata's arm.]

It wasn't your fault, Hijikata-san, and now she's very happy here. It's like it was before and as long as she's here, it always will be.

[Damn you, Souji, for being able to read him like a book. He's quiet for a moment, internally composing himself so he doesn't sound too emotional or embarrassing]

That's... good.

[He pats Hijikata's arm once, a soft smile on his lips.

Then he decides that all this heavy atmosphere is bad for both of them. He reaches up and pokes Hijikata in the cheek, laughing lightly.]

You'll need to work on your usual grumpy face, you know. I'm taking you back there and I don't think this is how she'll want to see you.

[Well, that was a fast way accomplishing that task, Souji. The grumpyface is back, as he swats the hand away]

Stop that.

Stop what.

[He reaches up with the same hand, poking him in the ribs.]

[He doesn't actually jump, but he pulls away from the poke because GODDAMNIT SOUJI your hands are cold and he doesn't have a shirt on.]

Poking me!

Oh. I'm sorry.

[Okay, so no poking. He'll just put his cold hands right onto Hijikata's lower back.]

[Okay he does actually jump a bit at that, though he immediately tries to pretend he didn't]

Where the hell is my clothing?

I stole them.

[He turns and runs off down the stairs.]

You look much better like this!

Souji!

[And someone is following him. This time with 100% less slipping on journals, as he now has it in-hand]

Aha ha ha ha~~~

[Just going to run toward House 50 now.]

[One moment there's a ninja wiping off tables and chairs in the absence of customers.

The next she has dropped her bucket and rag because no one in this village is good enough to sneak up on her like that. ...Maybe Ayumu. ~~Some of the other ninja are but she won't admit it!~~

Great. Now there's soap and water all over the floor and a half-naked new feather. And she may have...shouted just a little.]

Geez! Since when do they get creative? [Your new arrival does not look friendly Sheena.] Uh...hey, you okay? I mean, besides just...appearing in the middle of my tea shop.

[Hello, Sheena. Hello, Sheena's tits. You are not helping his impression that he is still in Shimabara somewhere and probably hungover as fuck]

Where the proprietor of this place?

[because he is pretty sure it's not you. Ahhh, 19th century misogyny....]

[You know, she doesn't wear that purple robe all the time around here. And she definitely sees where you're looking, new guy, eyes up here.]

Standing right here in front of you. [Her tone has become much more 'what are you gonna do about it?' - of course he doesn't and wouldn't know she owns the tea shop. It's the chest thing. That riles her up.]

[Oh.

It's that look Ayu use- used to use. The one that meant the reciever was either going to be going without dinner or was going to end up impaled on the nearest surface, depending on context. One he'd never been personally on the recieving end of, because he wasn't stupid enough to hit on one of the resident shinobi.

...Oh. Well, that's certainly a possibility in this case, anyway.

A more polite man, in this situation, would probably apologize for thinking the strong-minded lady in front of him was a prostitute. Hijikata Toshizou, however, is not that man.]

...This isn't Shimabara, is it.

Nope. [The name makes her curious, though. It reminds her of home.] This's Luceti. I've gotta say, no one's ever shown up in here before.

[It hasn't been open that long, either.]

Can you read? [Having met a few people who can't - it's rough to give them the guide to look through.]

[He bristles a little]

Of course I can read.

[He is a SAMURAI. Not some illiterate peasant farmer. Only he sort of was.]

Hey! Some people who show up here can't! Gimme a minute.

[She will disappear into the kitchen, and return with a largeish towel and her journal. The towel she tosses to him, in case he's cold or something, or has a thing about being without a shirt (doesn't seem to, though). The book she opens, flipping through a page or two before handing it to him, text-first.]

You might wanna read that. It's faster than asking me questions and me trying to explain everything and make it make sense.

[He kind of throws the towel across his shoulders - and then winces a little as it hits the new wings, but he'll live. He has no compunctions about shirtlessness, but it is a little cool.

He takes the book, and skims over the text with a somewhat skeptical look. It does take a bit, but when he's done, he glances up at her again]

This is all true?

Pretty much. I've, uh...I've been here for all of that stuff. It's been a while since I've read it but I think it's pretty good on details.

[He looks a bit surprised at that]

You've been here that long?

Four years, four months. And a couple extra days.

...You want some tea?

[...He is getting the sense you are not a woman to be fucked with, Sheena]

Tea would be good.

[Good sense! Good sense. Granted, she's willing to brush his ogling her aside because whether she likes it or not that is a common first-meeting reaction with men.]

Great. Back in a minute. ...You might wanna find a chair. I don't really- okay, no, I do care if you're on the floor.

[After a quick duck into the kitchen, she comes back with a teapot and cup, pouring it for him at the seat of his choice...or the seat of her choice if he didn't manage to get off the ground.

It's plain, simple green. Seems like his type.]

[He does actually pick himself up off the floor and take a seat while she's gone.

And mmm, perfect choice, Sheena. He does manage to find his manners along with the tea]

...Thank you.

Sure, no problem. I have some food and stuff too but New Feathers usually aren't hungry.

[He shrugs, takes a sip of tea]

I'm fine.

[Though thinking about food, that brings another question to mind.]

What time of day is it? And... I suppose, what season?

It's morning. Kinda. Really late morning. ...Early spring.

[Ah. That would be why it felt like he just woke up - right time of day for it, even. He nods slightly]

...Strange that it seems to match what I expect. Though I suppose the second month of the year counts more as 'late winter'...

You're just a little off. It's the third month.

...You can hang around for as long as you want, but there might be other people from your world here, if you wanna look for them.

[He nods, mutely, and finishes his tea.]

I suppose I should. Thank you for your hospitality.

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[action] | Introductions

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[action] omg you just. you win. all the points.

[action] it was Kaze's idea. I think.

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