recountal | casually descends into sword hell

[UGH SEI WHY DO YOU MAKE THINGS HARD!!

If the creature is surprised by the fact that a human is attacking it, the surprise doesn't show. To be fair, nothing really shows at all... It's a hard-to-read opponent, but only in terms of expression. Someone trained in the art of swordsmanship would be able to read its movements well enough; it blocks the strike, but when her blade bounces off and clips its skin, an unnatural purple flame leaks out rather than blood.

Kashuu's also going to be shoving her out of the way again because he's such a nice guy and all... He arrives in time to block the counterswing, pushing his blade forward with enough speed and dexterity to knock the creature away a little. It's not much, but it's enough for him to be able to turn and face Sei.]

Stay outta this! Humans shouldn't be involved—!

[SEI WOULDN'T BE SEI IF SHE DIDN'T MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT...

She also would not be Sei if she didn't get freaked the hell out by those weirdass purple flames. Blood, she can handle. That? That, she cannot. Her breath catches in her throat and when she gets to her feet again, this time she takes a step or two back rather than charging forward to strike it.

What is that? ...what is he? Kashuu looks human enough, but when he faces her and speaks, it sure sounds like he's not.]

If it's happening here, I'm involved whether you like it or not! Protecting Kyoto is part of my job, now stop acting weird and tell me how to beat that thing!

[She'll panic over him not being human later; for now, they need to take down the more obvious threat before it hurts a civilian.]

[WHY!!! Why. Why she gotta do this man, why.

Kashuu definitely "UGH"s again, but it's not like he has the patience to shoo her away when they're kind of on the receiving end of a seriously strong member of the Retrograding Army's attacks. He shifts his blade just in time to counter a second strike and then dodges forward to slice at its abdomen, drawing forward more of the inhuman flames.

Sei's strike lands as well, but the creature seems undeterred. Kashuu apparently anticipates that, and all of his own strikes seem to be secondary to his ultimate goal: moving closer. At least the reason behind that will become very clear when he shouts over his shoulder with:]

You gotta break its blade—!

[Likewise, he'll deal about the potential shitty repercussions in space-time after they deal with the immediate threat...]

[It's a protag thing.

She swallows hard and starts to inch her way closer and closer as he moves forward. Break the blade? She bites down her protest - breaking its weapon might stop it from fighting, but that's not going to kill it, and if it's some kind of evil spirit it needs to be exorcised right away - and raises her own blade, which hopefully will not end up broken during all of this.

Oh, well. Even if it does, at least it's not sentient.

She lets out a cry and moves forward as fast as she can to strike at it - and when it strikes back, she shifts her sword to block and digs her heels in. On the one hand, it's terrifying. This thing is strong and it could probably overwhelm her given enough time. On the other...]

Get it now!

[...when its blade is clashed with hers like that, it makes a damn good target for Kashuu. And that's what she's aiming for here.]

[That's what she thinks. Imagine Sei's sentient blade friend...

But no, luckily she's not facing an oodachi or something. Tachis are certainly strong too, but as it swings its sword again, it's clear that the weakest points on Sei's blade haven't been struck. There's the sharp ring of metal on metal and there is overwhelming, inhuman strength present in its grip, but--]

On it!

[Kashuu is also there, clearly used to working in a team. Even though he doesn't know Sei at all, covering the backs of someone else in battle is second-nature to him and he can play the role of support flawlessly. He slides in as soon as the opportunity presents itself and, having done this time and time again, he knows exactly where to strike.

The tachi seems to know, too, and makes an effort to pull its blade back - but it's too late. Kashuu swings his own forward with perfect aim and force, sending a splintering crack through the enemy's blade that spiderwebs outward before the entire thing splinters into two pieces. The edge of his own chips a little, and the sharp pain sends him to his knees, but it's fine - the tachi is already beginning to crumble.

Within seconds, there's nothing left of it but dust, the last dying swirls of the flame, and the broken sword it had been wielding.]

Geez...

[Give him a second to catch his breath here and to also try catching his blood?! GET BACK IN HIS BODY...]

[What the fresh hell is going on here.

If Sei looks shocked, that's because she is. As far as she knows, destroying a sword disarms someone, but it's never resulted in the sort of thing she's just witnessed. Kashuu's words echo through her mind again - Humans shouldn't be involved - and she looks between the tsukumogami and where the strange creature they were fighting once stood rapidly, her face paling as she catches her breath.

Dealing with the demon vice-commander is one thing; dealing with actual demons is quite another. What else can it be? A faint breeze stirs at their enemy's dust and her eyes lock on Kashuu's blood as it... it...

She swallows hard.]

What are you? What was that?

[Her voice is more than a little shrill.]

What the hell is going on here?

[Sorry, she's not giving him time to catch his breath or his blood or anything at all.]

Gimme a sec, will you?

[UGH!! Once more, an extra ugh just to really drive home how irritated he is.

...But on the plus side, he really hadn't been faring too well against that tsukumogami beforehand. He should probably be grateful, or at the very least deliver a "thank you". ...He'll get to it eventually.

For now, after taking a few seconds to at least be able to talk without breathing heavily (and keeping his hand anchored firmly at his middle; the other wounds have already begun to close up, but this one is a reflection of his blade damage):]

I'm a tsukumogami, see? Same with that guy, but they're the enemy.

[This entire thing can basically be described as "UGH: The Thread."

Or "Ugh with a side of eek," anyway. The "eek" comes from the small muffled noise that escapes from Sei before she's able to bite down on her lip to keep herself mostly silent, and her eyes widen with shock and a tad bit of fear.

...he's not who she was fighting, but if she turns and runs here, would that also count as violating the bushido? She sure doesn't want to be sentenced to seppuku if Hijikata finds out and decides that it does.]

Tsuku..mogami...

[She's heard stories, of course, but she's never seen one for herself until now. And while every bit of her is screaming to get away from here before she winds up possessed or something, she knows she has to get to the bottom of this.]

Then— Those explosions earlier. Was that because of you or because of that guy..?!

Who d'you think it was, stupid?!

[A NICE TSUKUMOGAMI... But he's not really used to directly interacting with humans outside of the saniwa, and how off-put she seems instantly puts him in an Even Worse Mood, if at all possible.

Still, he doesn't really have a lot of time to fret over things like that right now. He makes an agitated sound and rolls over a little, pulling his hand away only long enough to place it against the ground so that he can push himself upright.]

Geez... I'm not even supposed to be seen by you guys. Why would I go around blowing stuff up?

["You guys" is left somewhat vague, though he's actually referring to people from this time period in general and not just humans. He eyes his blade critically after that, but then--]

—Oi, hey-- wait a second! [UGH HIS OTHER MORON IS MISSING. He turns on his heel so quickly that he nearly loses his balance, heading over to the pile of rubble that he had been blasted into before.] Yasusada! Hey— [And then back to Sei:] You see a guy with blue hair around here?!

[She immediately bristles at that, because of course she does. She never took very kindly to being called stupid even when she spent her days wearing kimono instead of hakama and helping in her father's clinic instead of giving people wounds that would send them to other doctors.]

Who are you calling stupid..?!

[BUT WAIT. More importantly... "Not supposed to be seen by you guys"? He says he's a tsukumogami but that sounds wild and fantastic, almost too much to be believed. But someone who was supposed to move around in Kyoto without being spotted...]

You know, it's pretty suspicious if being seen by the Shinsengumi is a bad thing!

[...and then he's looking through the rubble. Blue hair? Yasusada? She's so confused.]

...nobody has blue hair, that's not natural!!

[HE'S A TSUKUMOGAMI, SEI.]

[YOU!!! is what he would say if he wasn't so busy looking through the rubble for a tsukumogami who is most definitely not in the area...

So she's definitely getting ignored for a bit. SORRY, SEI, but gosh you're useless in this search!! He overturns pieces of the roof, splintered beams, broken cement and rock - but he can't find Yamato's body or vessel which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. Good if Yamato decided to be his usual self and continue pursuing the enemy even after Kashuu was knocked out of commission briefly, bad if he left against his will...]

Ugh, look— [Straightening up and clapping his hands free of dirt-] You're with the Shinsengumi, yeah? Then you know what to look for.

[COME ALONG SMALL HUMAN!! Kashuu turns to leave the area, clearly expecting Sei to follow since he just keeps talking as he goes.]

If blue hair's so unbelievable, then just look for someone wearing the blues and using stances and forms from Tennen Rishin Ryu.

...you just described half the captains!

[HUFFS. But Kashuu is correct in assuming that she's following, because damn it, this is highly unusual and she would be ignoring her duty as a protector of the city if she just let this tsukumogami wander off and potentially blow something up. (She's still not entirely certain he didn't have something to do with the explosion, after all; she always takes people at their word when she shouldn't and doesn't when she should.)

She keeps one hand on the hilt of her sword as she follows him, ever on the alert for any more enemies - but the streets seem pretty empty now. Most of the people who live around here perished in the explosion or evacuated already.]

But - hold on a minute! I'm pretty familiar with most of the people in the troop, and I know we don't have any men called "Yasusada."

[...on the other hand, she does know the names of Okita's swords. Tsukumogami and Yasusada echo in her mind, but she pushes that out of the way, because what are the chances? But then, it would make sense for a tsukumogami of one of his swords to wear the blues...

No. That's absurd.

Besides, with her luck, she'd run into his precious "Okiku" and end up getting jealous over nothing (again).]

Don't worry about it! That guy'll definitely stand out even in an entire crowd of people using that style.

[He doesn't even say it like it's a compliment... And it isn't, really - it's just a statement of facts. Yamato is one of the best when it comes to strength, power and the way his form has been honed. Even someone without extensive training would be able to pick him out as being particularly skilled with his craft.

BUT ONWARD-- Kashuu's not stopping just yet, instead scanning the area and walking quickly as he talks. He's fairly attuned to the feel of Yamato's presence, at least; he's not too worried about potentially walking past him, even with all of the rubble and smoke.]

If you're thaaat familiar, then you should recognize the name anyway! We're not men, like I said. Yamatonokami Yasusada - he's who I'm looking for. We came back here- [A pause as he steps forward quickly to check down an alley.] -together. Get it?

[...absurd, but apparently true. Sei grits her teeth and grabs for the back of Kashuu's clothing, because she is nothing if not obnoxious when she's trying to get someone's attention.]

You expect me to believe that you're looking for the tsukumogami of one of Sensei's swords?

[Her day just got a thousand times weirder, and that's saying a lot, given that creepy-ass purple fire from earlier.]

You expect me to believe you're one of Sensei's swords?

[It's a successful way to slow him down, at least! Not that he's very happy about it, since he's definitely spinning on his heel and taking a step toward her as soon as she stops him.]

Look. [He also aggressively jabs a finger in her general direction like the charming gentleman he is...]

I like, don't care if you believe me or not. I shouldn't be talking to you at all! But I don't have time to stand around explaining something you're not even supposed to be involved in. We're in the middle of a mission, got it? And one of my comrades is MIA. [Jabbing her chestplate!!] You wanna talk, then we'll talk after we find Yasusada. Af-ter!

[She doesn't step back even when he turns on her and jabs a finger none-too-gently at her breastplate, but to her credit, she does look a little chagrined by his chiding. A little. She can understand being worried about a comrade, at least.

(But are tsukumogami even capable of having "feelings"? That's not something the stories she's heard were ever really clear on.)]

Fine, after. But we will talk.

[She wants to get to the bottom of this. The fastest way is probably going to be to help him, so she'll do just that, keeping her eyes peeled for anyone in Shinsengumi blues. That's easier said than done, though; she's wandered pretty far from her division, and Yamato is nowhere to be found.

...after some time, she speaks up.]

You know, if he's really wearing the blues and someone else like me found him, chances are he's at headquarters. [There's a slight pause at that, because if nobody recognizes him, he's probably there as a prisoner, not a guest. Impersonating a troop member is no small thing.] Do you want me to take you to check? They probably won't question it too much if you come with me. ...or if they do, I can come up with something to convince them.

Whatever!

[He may or may not try to weasel his way out of that conversation when the time comes, but for now, he really is focused entirely on finding Yamato.

Of course, his mood certainly doesn't improve as more time passes and his comrade is still nowhere in sight... He makes a frustrated noise before actually speaking, because he certainly knows the dangers of someone wearing the blues without being recognized - and it would still be better than the potential alternative.]

—Yeah. Yeah-- we're not going to find him out here. I can't sense him or anything.

[And it's not like he's got a Yamato radar, but he's not even picking up on the signature of the Retrograding Army at this point.]

Let's go.

[The walk back to Shinsengumi headquarters is as uneventful as any walk through the wreckage of parts of a city that have been blown up can be, which is to say, not uneventful at all. When they finally do come across people again (more evacuees, some of them staring off into the distance where the ruins of their homes and the bodies of their loved ones still remain), there's some uneasy chattering and a few suspicious looks thrown their way, but Sei has long since grown used to those.

(It does still irk her a little bit, though; if they had that kind of power, wouldn't they have just bombed the Choshu rebels off the map already? Or the foreigners, even. God.)

She does stop twice to offer assistance to some of the people who are struggling, but luckily for Kashuu's patience, neither of them accept. Once they're a few steps away from the main gate, Sei turns on him suddenly, her expression a little flustered.]

—Hold on, what should I introduce you as? I can't call you "Okiku," that's a girl's name...!

[Someone help this child. The idea that he might be the sword that was broken at the Ikedaya hasn't even crossed her mind, probably because she hasn't gotten a close enough look at the blade he carries. She'd recognize it by sight if she did, but...]

[THIS DUMB DO-GOODER. Not that he can say a person's wrong for stopping to help out the less fortunate, but still. Every second wasted is a second that Yamato could be moving farther and farther away from them, and that thought doesn't sit well in the least.

He's almost relieved when they come across the main gate, even if it's a little irritating at the same time. He's only familiar with this headquarters because of the number of times he's dipped his toes into the past, not because he was there himself. BUT, before he can really delve into those depressing thoughts, Sei catches his attention by being a dang dingus again.]

Huh? [??? WHO EVEN KNOWS IF KIKUICHI NORIMUNE EXISTS IN TKRB'S VERSION OF HISTORY but it's definitely not his name either way.]

Where the hell'd you get that? Just call me Kashuu!

[Her retort of "Well that's your name, isn't it?!" dies on her lips and her expression settles into one of slightly perturbed confusion.

He's not the Yamatonokami Yasusada, because he's looking for the Yamatonokami Yasusada. He's not the Kikuichi Norimune, either, which Sei is slightly grateful for because while she doesn't know how a tsukumogami's memories work, she sure as hell didn't want the sword to remember how intensely jealous she got when she thought it was a woman that Okita was interested in.

"Call me Kashuu."

Kashuu... Kashuu...]

[The moment where she gets it is obvious.]

As in Kiyomitsu..?! No way! I was there at the Ikedaya, I saw—

[She cuts herself off right and leans over to get a better look at the blade he carries. That... sure looks like Okita's sword, now that she gets a better look at it. She'd seen it often enough before it had broken and he'd gotten himself a new one...]

How..?

[That's not the way to make a good impression, Sei!! Naturally, he stiffens up a little at the mention of Ikedaya, since he absolutely understands where she was heading with that sentence.

As for the "how"-- He puffs his chest out a little, lifting his chin. He really is prideful of his saniwa, but it's slight overcompensation in this case considering he feels like he has something to prove now.]

My master picked me to summon 'cause my performance is top notch! They're super strong and really powerful, so even something like this isn't a problem for them.

Sensei is going to make so many of his stupid jokes when he hears your name...

[She heaves a long-suffering sigh of the kind that only someone who spends the majority of their time with the overgrown child that is Okita Souji can produce, then brings up a hand to brush her bangs away from her face. Right.]

Your master... huh. [She hadn't thought he would have a master. Spirits don't really seem like the kinds of things that are really controlled...] Did your master come to Kyoto with you too, Kashuu-san?

[She would prefer to avoid meeting Kashuu's master because the only thing she can imagine when he says "super strong and really powerful" is a REALLY SPOOKY GHOST or something. Because why would a human control spirits, it has to be a stronger spirit doing it, right...]

[His posture only stiffens further at that, but he's quick to cut in there, at least.]

It'd be better if that guy didn't see me. [Since he can already tell who Sei is talking about...] I should probably go by a fake name while I'm here, y'know? 'Cause I really, really shouldn't be around humans.

[He doesn't want to BREAK THE TIMELINE or something equally stupid... Either way, she luckily won't be having to deal with a spooky ghost any time soon. Kashuu shakes his head.]

Master stays back at the base during sorties and expeditions.

...okaaaay, so that brings me back to my original question.

[SIGH, SPIRITS. Always making things difficult, always freaking Sei the hell out because her imagination runs wild at that - a spirit strong enough to control other spirits from great distances... no, dear, that's not what a saniwa is. Too late, though. She's already coming up with at least five different wild stories to explain it.]

What should I introduce you as?

[This is payback for Sei making things difficult earlier, honestly!!]

Huuuh... I dunno. Pick something! —But make sure it's something that sounds cute, o-kay?

[This is the most important mission Sei will have all day, okay. HE'LL BECOME INTOLERABLE IF SHE PICKS SOMETHING BAD.]

Hmm... [Sei takes a moment or two to think about it, then nods and points directly at him like the rude teenager she is.] You're Kouno-san! Kouno Junichi. You left it up to me, so don't go protesting it now.

[It's her little joke, because there's a way of writing "Kawano" that is also pronounced "Kouno" according to this website I'm on... Kashuu, rivers, it's fitting. Also "Junichi" meaning "obedient one" in the hopes that he will aCTUALLY LISTEN TO HER.

I'm sorry she's a brat.]

Don't go forgetting it, either, or you'll blow our cover.

[SHE'S A TRUE BRAT, UGH!! Kashuu will be extra contrary just to spite her.]

Ugh, I guess there really isn't any name that's as cute as mine already is. [His big fat ego... But Kouno is okay, since it does remind him of the rivers, even if Junichi is A SWING AND A MISS. ...Jun is a pretty cute nickname, though...]

I won't forget, either! What kinda idiot d'you think you're dealing with here, huh?

[DON'T ANSWER THAT. Anyway, they're probably close enough to the main entrance by now for Sei to have been spotted, so Kashuu will just take up his customary position slightly behind the leader. Go shine, friend...]

[He is definitely getting called Jun at some point. At some point when everything isn't going to shit, anyway.

Speaking of things going to shit, there's a shout from some of the men at the entrance as Sei approaches, and she jogs over to them and gestures for Kashuu to follow her. They seem surprised - and relieved - to see her safe and sound, which puts her on the defensive, because why wouldn't she be just fine?

The answer to that comes soon enough. Kashuu, as he approaches, may hear bits and pieces of the conversation - "explosions," "first troop," "injuries." And then, at the end of it -

"No one's been able to find Okita-sensei."

She very nearly loses it right there, but she has enough of her wits about her to question if they've brought anyone suspicious in. The others probably perceive it as asking about if they've managed to catch any suspects in the bombings, but the answer is a negative - nobody has been brought in since their spies brought in a man who had deserted the troop the week before.

When she finally looks to Kashuu, her face is pale and she looks disturbed.]

K... Kouno-san. I'm sorry, I have to go back out on the streets. Do you want to come with me?

[Her comrade's concerned query of "Kamiya-san, don't you think you should get some rest first?" goes completely ignored.]

Edited (cATCHING TYPOS WHEN THE MESSAGE IS SENDING WHHYYYy) 2015-09-17 05:43 (UTC)

[The end is the thing he pays the most attention to - of course he does. Even now, even after trying so badly to distance himself from his past, from Okita, the name is still one that he pays particularly close attention to.

Hearing that he's missing... That makes his heart sink for more than one reason. First, because it's natural to be worried about Okita Souji. It's as much an ingrained part of his existence as his name. Second, because there was never a point in history where the first division captain went missing after an explosion. That is dangerous in and of itself.

His answer comes without pause.]

Yeah, um— yeah. [A glance toward the men at the entrance, but his attention is focused on Sei.]

Let's go now, 'kay?

[He doesn't get a verbal response, but as soon as Kashuu replies with an affirmative, Sei is on the move. She heads straight for the gates, still ignoring her comrade's call - "Kamiya-san, I really think you should get some rest before you go back out there!" It's nowhere near time for curfew and none of the captains have ordered her movements restricted, though, so there really isn't anything they can do to stop her.

...it occurs to her, just briefly, that she'll probably get in trouble later, but she doesn't really care. How can she? Okita might be in trouble right now.

She retraces her steps to put her back on the same route the troop had been on when their patrol was first interrupted by the explosions, and when she comes to the place where she and Okita had parted ways, she immediately begins to retrace his steps. She might find it a little odd that after everything she's still able to recall in such detail exactly where he went, but she's always paid an unusual amount of attention to him, so she supposes she can't really be surprised. Following his route eventually to the hollowed-out shell of what once had been a thriving kimono shop; both the storefront and the attached family home have been reduced to rubble and ash.

There are bodies. None of them are wearing the Shinsengumi blues, but Sei feels compelled to check anyway, just in case.]

Sensei. Sensei—

[None of them are him, thank the gods, but though she should be relieved that he isn't dead, the fact that he's nowhere to be found is more worrying than anything else. Eventually she rounds on Kashuu, her expression mutinous.]

What exactly are we dealing with here..?! I have to know, or else I won't know how to find him and help him!

casually descends into sword hell

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