Author note: I apologize for any historical/cultural inaccuracies.
The streets were lined with little shops and stalls, selling everything from cheap steamed buns to exquisite formal kimono's for special occasions. The range of flavours wafted about the town over the dusty road, and into the nose of a particularly content member of the Shinsengumi.
Soujiro Okita was cheerfully browsing through the enticing colours of the local sweet shop as he thought about the days events, and a particularly amusing prank he had earlier played on his vice commander. The sugary scent filled his nose with delicious images of sweet moments and happy memories. His gaze moved along the shelves and displays of all the deserts and snacks he could possibly want, but he decided that today he was in the mood for sweet dumplings. He paid the merchant, who was pleased to see such a genuine smile, and cheerily stepped out of the shop with his purchase.
Souji was clad in the Shinsengumi uniform of cyan blue with a white trim. He wore armour over this, and his long, iris purple hair swept behind him in a high, samurai ponytail. He had been on duty until this moment, choosing to reward his own hard work with a small treat. For a man of his age he was mature, yet he behaved with all the curiosity of a child and the elegance of a woman. His soft voice was charming and gentle, resulting in many admirers about the area. He was not indifferent to them, though they rarely held his attention, and he found himself feeling more attached to his Vice Commander, Toushizo Hijikata and other Shinsengumi members.
It was as Souji sat down to indulge in his purchase that he noticed something was out of place. Years of training had improved his reflexes far beyond the average person's ability, however nothing could have prepared him for such a shock as this. To anybody else, it would have seemed as if everything was normal, and that nothing out of the ordinary was taking place. To Souji, it seemed as if the world had been emptied and that something new had taken its place in existence.
A short distance away, in front of a shop across the street from where Souji was sitting, was a young woman. She was plainly dressed, her shock of dark hair loose about her shoulders, but her sparkling eyes were staring back at him. She shifted her position and rested an elegant hand on her hip, before her head tilted slightly, as if this would earn her a better view of whatever she was looking at. Souji followed her line of sight to a shining katana. He could not study it, or the woman well from where he was sitting, but to go to her seemed strange somehow.
Souji sat there for a moment, but as the woman went into the shop, and out of sight, it felt right to get up. Right to leave his sweets where they were and forget all about them, because this woman had caught his interest. It was rare for women to show any interest in weapons unless they were a gift for a man, and this particular woman had looked as if she was knowingly checking the sword for its qualities and suitability. Before long he found himself walking towards the sword shop. As he approached, he could see that the woman was still searching for something. He went in through the entrance and stood a small distance from her. He could see now that she was a little shorter than himself, and possessed a beautifully curved figure. Her face was supple and feminine, framed by a loose strand of her deep brown hair. As she turned to look at him, he caught another glimpse of her dazzling hazel eyes, and he could not understand why they caused him to feel such a peculiar sensation.
The woman had been examining an old wakizashi, but she now seemed distracted by Souji's presence. He was not surprised: Being stared at by an authority was rarely a good sign. Souji smiled to show he was not there on business.
"Excuse me my lady but have I met you somewhere before?" He asked in his most polite manner of speech,
"I don't believe so. Why, do I seem familiar?" She asked. Her voice was silky and rich with intrigue. She did not seem to mind conversing with a stranger, even if most of the citizens knew Soujiro Okita by reputation. It was her voice though, and her lovely knowing expression that reached out to him most.
Koira Tsukino lifted her lashes to look up at the man in front of her. She had entered the shop out of curiosity, yet her mind was entirely focused on the person she was now speaking with. He had approached her, abandoning his snack to find out who she was. She had never seen him before, yet she knew who he was because of his appearance. He fitted the exact description of Soujiro Okita of the Shinsengumi. Famously known for his demonic speed and skill with a sword, and his flowing, deep purple hair. She searched his resolute facial expression, and found no demon there. His eyes were a bright, knowing violet, and he seemed kind, if not gentle. Where had the rumours of his strength come from? Koira wondered. As he stood before her, she could feel the warmth of his presence, and it made something move inside her. She felt a surging need to touch him, to see how he would feel under her fingers. She shoved the thought aside. She could not touch him, not him, and not in public. A man like Soujiro Okita, would surely reject her; surely had many women whom he could choose from already. And a woman such as herself, could not be seen to show physical signs of affection in public. It would never be seen as acceptable.
Koira waited for a response but the man seemed disappointed and apologized before leaving. She watched him leave, and thought that he must have mistaken her for another woman. She tried to hide her own disappointment and continued searching for a weapon that she could use. She had never fought before, and was not sure that she wanted to, but she knew that being able to defend herself would be useful, and so a weapon might be a worth looking into. She had been gazing curiously at katanas and short swords, but knew a kunai or small knife would be more suitable for her purpose. Something she could hide, yet reach for in emergencies. In the end, she discovered that such a thing would cost too much money, and she had only a few small coins to spare. She sighed before leaving the shop, and started walking down the street to head home. What had happened in there? She asked, seemingly to the evening sky above her and to no one else. She thought of her tiny home, the two rooms she lived in. An esteemed member of the Shinsengumi would never approve of such a thing. But what did it matter? She asked again. She should not have to impress anyone, and if she ever felt seriously about someone, then surely they would not care where she lived or how little money she had. She smiled, and told herself that if it was not meant to be, then if was for the best, but if it was, then she would surely see him again. In their utterly brief encounter, she could not possibly have gained such strong feelings. Surely you had to mutually understand each other on a deeper level for anything meaningful to take place?
Koira had almost reached her front door when she was grabbed from behind. She could not see her attacker, but felt his strong, clammy hands grab at her clothing, and another reaching for her hand. Three men restrained her, whilst another stood and laughed, as the others pinned her against the exterior walls of her own home. She could feel the hard wood against he back as she was slammed against the wall, but quickly tried to regain focus. She tried to scream but a bulky, cold hand had covered her mouth. Another man tugged at her clothing, loosening it and pulling it apart so he could gape at her chest. She struggled against them and kicked and writhed about, but they held her steady and one man drew a knife,
"Now if you want to live, you'll keep still, and who knows, you may even have some fun." Koira looked at the floor, breathing heavily and continuing to struggle, not wanting to look up at the faces of the men who held her captive. She refused to give in, she would not loose herself this way. If she was taken, if the men got what they wanted, then that would be it. Her future in more ruins than it already was, her mind, body and reputation soiled. No man would want her, and no one would help her back onto her feet. And after such an ordeal, who would want to get back up? Koira was strong willed though, and she continued fighting even as her legs were revealed and her clothing loosened. She fought to hold it on, fought to keep the man away from her body. But she went cold and still as a long blade ran through the man's chest.
Blood gushed out of the thug as the sword came cleanly out of his body, and was swiftly swung at the man holding her still. Koira's head stayed down: Her eyes choosing to focus on her own feet, so as not to see the splatter of blood that came from behind her. Her ears chose only to hear the blade move through the air, and not the thud of the bodies hitting the floor, one by one. It was when the fourth man fell that she let go. She was afraid, and she was barely managing to hold her mind together, let alone stand up, let alone keep herself covered. Her kimono was loose about her, and she was showing far too much skin. She heard the sword return to its sheath. She fell forwards. She lost consciousness.
Moments later Koira awoke to find herself horizontal. She could tell she was being carried as her body felt heavy, yet her feet were off the floor. She could feel the soft material covering her rescuers strong arms, and the metal of his armour against her side. Her eyes stayed closed, not wanting to look at any man right now, even the man who had saved her. She did not care that her clothing hung loose around her, only covering from her waist, down to the apex of her thighs, her sleeves barely staying on her wrists. She did not move to fix this. She could only focus on something simple. The heart beat of the man who's chest she rested against. She smiled, keeping her ear by his heart, and enjoyed the calming rhythm of the steady beat.
As the man laid her down, she realized it was dark around her. She looked to to the side, to see her futon, and finally acknowledged that she was in her room. The man stood to shut the door behind them, but she grabbed a fistful of his hakama,
"D, Don't go!" She insisted. "I don't want to be left alone." She had never felt more pathetic, more helpless in her life, but right now she needed to be with someone, and this man seemed to be the only person she could trust, even if she could not bring herself to look at his face. She was relieved to hear him return after shutting the door, and felt him kneel beside her. He leant over her, causing her to flinch, before he pulled her kimono so that it covered her properly. His hand then moved to her face, carefully brushing her hair aside. It was probably a tangled mess by now but that was the least of her worries. Instead she focused on the man, finding him so unconnected to what had just happened that his presence calmed her, lulling her into a state of less panic. Her body was still tense, her muscles all clenched and fearful, but her mind was beginning to make sense of what was around her. She had escaped unharmed, she could not have hoped for better. But those men had paid the price. She was not sure if she should be happy for their deaths or appalled at her own weakness. She felt the tears coming and found herself sitting up. Her kimono was still loose, but covered her better now, and she leant against the stranger, allowing herself to sink into him as she quietly sobbed. She felt one strong arm go around her, as the other reached again to tuck her hair behind her ear. He pulled her into a proper hug, and she could just see a lock of dark purple hair behind his shoulder. She allowed herself to finally look up at his face.
Souji's expression was full of concern, how could this have happened, only moments after he had met this woman, she had been reduced to such a pitiful state by some sick minded rogues. He lowered his head into his free hand, in despair of what had nearly taken place. This woman could have been completely ruined, body and soul, if he had arrived any later. There had been commotion in the street, but nobody had stepped in to try and stop the men. He had rushed over but she had already been half stripped. He could only hope that they had not hurt her physically. Her mind would be scarred for an indefinitely long amount of time.
"Are you hurt my lady?" She shook her head, she knew full well what he meant. She reached up a hand to stroke his cheek. Her expression was sad, yet no longer desperate. She was calming down. The crowd must have been right about this being her home. He had been right to bring her in here. He wondered if he should stay, or offer to find one of her friends to look after her. He was about to ask which she would prefer, when her hand moved to his ear. Her eyes seemed to loose focus, but her hand reached behind his ear and played lightly with the smooth skin there. The touch sent rushes of heat through him, causing him to gasp. What was she doing? Had she lost her sanity? He supposed she was in a state of delirium, not wishing to connect with reality yet. He allowed her touch: Let her explore his face and neck with her fingers, until she began tugging at the lapel of his uniform, and he gently caught her hand, "Now that would be a bad idea my lady."
The woman sighed and her eyes seemed to come back into focus, she turned to face him. Her hand flew to her own mouth and she silently apologized. Her cheeks coloured and she turned to face away from him, trying to hide her embarrassment. She fought to find her voice, knowing she had to accept what was happening if she was going to keep a grip on the present,
"I'm so sorry," She began, "I lost myself for a moment-" Souji put a hand to her lips,
"Please don't worry yourself, I am sure you are going through something difficult and unfamiliar right now so I would not expect you to behave normally. Please take your time to recover. If you like, I can fetch someone for you to keep you company, but I must return to headquarters soon." She turned back to face him, her face full of alarm. It made Souji feel uncomfortable to see such a lonely face, "Or if you prefer, I can bring you back with me. You could stay in the barracks for a while until you feel comfortable returning here."
Koira observed Souji's gentle smile, his will to help her and keep her safe. She wondered why he had saved her, and what had drawn him to her in the first place. She nodded, and faintly returned his smile. Maybe, with time, if she could see Souji's smile every now and then, she would slowly return to her old self. Maybe she could even feel hope again.
Comments and critique welcome! Please help me, I would very much like to improve my writing.