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casually descends into sword hell
[The streets of Kyoto are not safe.
These days, they're never safe - which is a large part of why the Shinsengumi does what it does. Protecting the ancient city is their task, and they patrol the streets faithfully every day. But there is only so much they can do when their orders from the Shogunate to investigate the use of a concoction called the ochimizu create greater threats to the city's peace, and even less they can do when threats come from powers much higher than their own.
But most of these things are not known to the average person, nor the rank-and-file soldier. The rasetsu and the demons are one threat; those who would rewrite history are another. It's unfortunate that they've intersected in such a way, but such is fate.]
These days, they're never safe - which is a large part of why the Shinsengumi does what it does. Protecting the ancient city is their task, and they patrol the streets faithfully every day. But there is only so much they can do when their orders from the Shogunate to investigate the use of a concoction called the ochimizu create greater threats to the city's peace, and even less they can do when threats come from powers much higher than their own.
But most of these things are not known to the average person, nor the rank-and-file soldier. The rasetsu and the demons are one threat; those who would rewrite history are another. It's unfortunate that they've intersected in such a way, but such is fate.]
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[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).]
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[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?
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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?
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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!
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(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.
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[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.
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(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...]
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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!
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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...]
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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..?
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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.
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[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...]
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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.
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[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?
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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.]
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[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.
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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...]
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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.]
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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?
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...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!