reunion;;

[derepressed]

Yukimura Residence.
Edo, Japan, January 1864.

[The years have stretched on and on, agonizingly slowly. Part of it is because Chizuru lacks the child-like lack of perspective that makes time fly by so quickly in the earliest years; mostly, it's because the Nagumo are so very cruel. Time flies when one is having fun, but among that clan...

This is the first opportunity she's had in years to even consider a visit to Edo, and though she might pay for it later, she doesn't care. There's something she has to do here, and so here she is, dressed in the finery one would expect of the wife of the young master of the Nagumo. Perhaps it's strange, to see such a finely-dressed young lady in front of the humble Yukimura clinic.

She doesn't care. She just doesn't care.

She is stopped, outside the house, because it's both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The house looks mostly the same, but the subtle differences, are they there because it's not her that's living there? All the touches of a young woman are gone. Chizuru has never lived here, but Kaoru has, and -

The differences are Kaoru's touch. That eases the knot of tension in her gut the slightest bit and gives her the courage to move forward, to call into the house as though she's a patient and this is a perfectly normal visit.]

Excuse me? I was wondering if perhaps I might speak with Yukimura-sensei...

[He won't be here. She's sure he won't, sure she's remembered the timing because her memories are all that's gotten her through the years at the hands of those horrible people, but that's okay. He isn't the one she is here to see.

She's depending on the fact that it will be Kaoru who will answer her call.]

Comments

[souredsweet]

[there is only silence for a few moments, and it may seem like no one is actually around... the clinic hasn't gotten many visitors in the past month, after all, and Kaoru doesn't do much upkeep besides sweeping and dusting, or shoveling away snow if it builds up too much. luckily the path has been cleared this morning, indicating that someone is around - and soon enough, from the interior of the building, there's a clattering noise. something that may or may not be a stack of papers falling over in a grand whoosh follows soon after, and then the muffled sound of someone yelping in surprise behind a closed door somewhere. not more than a few seconds after that, her assumptions will be proven correct.

Kaoru slides around the corner, in a rush but still somewhat graceful. he's holding a pen in one hand, dressed in comfortable clothing in shades of muted blues and greys. his hair is cut short, but frames his face in a way similar to hers.

in comparison, he's a much plainer person to look at. he seems aware of it, too, immediately spouting off an apology. kimonos like that are expensive! disappointing a wealthy customer would be a pretty terrible thing to do.]

I apologize! He isn't available at the moment, but—

[...and then he actually has time to stop and look at her.

in the castle and even before then, Chizuru may have noticed that no matter what sort of expression Kaoru ever made, there always seemed to be some measure of distance in his eyes. that seems to be gone now; his expressions seem genuine, as does the quiet shock present now. after all, unlike aPPARENTLY EVERYONE ELSE SANS OKITA, he's a perceptive person. coming face to face with someone who looks exactly like you is definitely a surprise; it stirs silenced memories tucked away in the back of his mind, leaving him gaping for a few seconds.

he speaks up again eventually, in a much more subdued tone, but in a way that makes it clear he's trying to present a good business front while attempting to work out exactly what's going on here.]

...He isn't available. If you need a prescription though, I could check the files...