. First RuroKen fic. It's about my current favorite character, Seta Soujiiro. The manga, which is one of the best, says that Soujiiro was abused by his family regularly and that's why he's so strange. There are maybe four chapters devoted to him. He's a pretty cool character with a lot of growth.
Kenshin: Oro?
Sano: How tall is Soujiiro?
Me: Probably anywhere from 5' to 5'4. He probably didn't get any nutrients as a kid and never got the chance to grow. Likewise, his bones probably aren't that strong from not getting vitamins.
Soujiiro: (Smile)
Me: (Hug)
Yahiko: All Sesshi-chan owns is this story, barely even the idea for it, since its canon-based.
"How old are you?" Yumi-donno asks curiously, fixing her silk kimono. Shishio-sama is out, addressing some of his swordsmen and he left Yumi-donno to watch after me. I shift, body tense from her gaze and lift my blue eyes to hers, a smile frozen on my lips.
"Eight." I answer honestly. "I think I am eight years old." I never knew for certain how old I was. They didn't care enough to tell me. The only way I know is because sometimes when they punished me they would say how long they had cared for me for. She frowns, her lips twisting downward.
"Children your age are supposed to be innocent, not killers." She says firmly, shaking her head, her eyes uncertain. There is sadness in her face, and I wonder if she too lost herself at a young age.
"I'm not innocent." I say. It's true. There is no innocence in me. It's dead, dead and buried. I have no soul, I am no one.
"All children are innocent inside." She insists. I shake my head politely.
"I'm not innocent." I repeat. I lost my innocence long ago. I don't even remember the exact day it died. I think it was the day that I knew no one would come for me. No one was interested in the slave-child huddled in the shed. On the day I realized that the world had no place for the unwanted like me, and that no one would save me from my hell. That was the day I lost my innocence, that was the day that the last thing I had was ripped away from me, leaving me with this empty smile.
"You once were innocent?" She insists again, wanting to believe it. I just shake my head, my smile not even slipping.
"Once." But no more. They destroyed it. My innocence died from what they did to me. It died from the hateful words, the hurtful glares, doors slammed in my face, being forced to sleep out in the icy rain, no food or even clean water, rest a luxury I never received, friendship never present in my life, let alone love, whipped and beaten and left to lie in the dirt with wounds festering everywhere on my body. This was the world that took my innocence away. This is the world that turned me into the soulless killer I am today.
"I'm sorry." She offers. I make no response, trapped in the pain of my memories. When they tied me so I couldn't run before they beat me. When they broke my legs for being disobedient. When they tied me to a post for days to learn servitude. The laughing jeers of my jailors as I bled. I remember it all.
"Child?" She asks nervously, as I begin to shake, eerie smile never fading. "Child? Are you alright?" I straighten.
"I'm alright." My voice is flat, empty, like my smile, it has no meaning behind it. I am just a mask.
"You don't seem alright." She points out. "And what's your name exactly? I can't just call you Child."
"Soujiiro." The words are blank and without feeling. "My name is Seta Soujiiro." She smiles faintly.
"I'm Yumi." Her smile falters. "Welcome to the base, Soujiiro?" She adds uncertainly. I nod, merely a formality.
"Thank you." What is with this woman? She asked my name? No one cares about my name, I don't even have an identity. They just called me "Mistake" or "Pathetic Brat" or "Slave", they never called me Soujiiro. She called me by my name? Why? I don't let my confusion show on my face. I cannot show anything but a blank smile. If I relax even a little, I will be punished and they will come and beat me to bloody ribbons once more. I must keep my guard at all costs because I am not strong enough to take a another beating.
"Come on," She says good naturedly. "Let's go, Soujiiro." My eyes widen before I seal off my face again. She turns and gestures down a hallway.
I pause. "My name is Soujiiro." I whisper, my quiet voice carrying down the hallway. Then I turn and follow Yumi-donno down the hall.
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