New Year's Day (Japanese New Year, 1866)
Day 1 of VerasPromptChallenge for January
Harada sat on the edge of the engawa, his long legs stretched out in front of him and his back to a pillar. Heisuke and Shinpachi were allegedly having a snowball fight, but there wasn't all that much snow and the whole thing had devolved into Shinpachi chasing Heisuke around in circles, looking for all the world like a large dog bounding along after a particularly colourful puppy.
"First match of the new year?" Sōji inquired laconically of the indigo-haired man who sat drinking tea not far from Harada.
"Īe. Not today. Today is for reflection and for reaffirming one's purpose, so that the rest of the year can be approached with a clear mind and a settled spirit."
Sōji laughed, and even Saitō had to smile a little: Shinpachi had finally caught the nimble Heisuke and was performing the age old ritual of washing the smaller man's face with snow. Heisuke's howls and Shinpachi's gloating ended abruptly when Heisuke suddenly slipped from his tormentor's grasp, and shoved a handful of half-melted snow down Shinpachi's pants
None of the watchers evinced surprise when Vice Commander Hijikata came storming out onto the porch, scowling and cursing.
"Happy New Year's, Hijikata-san," Harada said politely. "Chizuru-chan will be bringing out freshly heated sake and tea, so you can choose your poison if you care to join us."
"We would be pleased to have your company, Vice Commander," Saitō added calmly, as though Shinpachi weren't bellowing like a man on the verge of murder just ten feet away.
"Or feel free to go back to your work and skip trying to get any fun out of the day," Sōji suggested, green eyes gleaming. "The world might end if you took a break you know."
"Morons," Hijikata muttered, eyes still fixed on his Second and Eighth Division Captains, who were now wrestling in the muddy slush. "But what the hell, since I'm forced to listen to them, I might as well get some fun out of it. Heisuke's hanging in there not too badly, all things considered."
Before Sōji could comment on the likelihood of Hijikata obtaining fun from anything other than work and abusing his subordinates, a soft gasp interrupted the conversation. The eyes of all four men on the porch swivelled to the newest arrival, a petite young woman clutching a large tray of steaming drinks. Her own eyes were fixed on Shinpachi and Heisuke, which proved to be a mistake—her feet went out from under her as a result of her abrupt stop. Hijikata and Sōji watched appreciatively as Harada gallantly saved Chizuru from sliding off the porch, while Saitō deftly rescued the drinks.
"Oh—thank you Harada-san!" Chizuru smiled up at Harada, who grinned down at her. "And thank you, Saitō-san! I can serve the drinks now, if you like?"
"I will do it," Saitō responded, carrying the tray over to Hijikata and Sōji.
"But why were Nagakura-san and Heisuke-kun fighting?" inquired Chizuru, still looking a little worried. She watched doubtfully as Shinpachi helped Heisuke up off the slushy ground.
"They were reflecting on and reaffirming their purpose," Sōji told her in solemn tones, "so as to be able to approach the rest of the year with a clear mind and a settled spirit."
Chizuru shook her head at him, her eyes twinkling slightly. "I believe you must be mistaken, Okita-san. Those are Saitō-san's objectives for the day." She turned her shy smile on Saitō, who unaccountably smiled in return, before quickly turning away and taking a long sip of warmed sake.
"They're just being idiots," said Hijikata, impatiently.
"Not at all, Hijikata-san!" called Shinpachi, striding over to grab a cup of sake and a place beside the brazier. "We were just channelling all this new year energy into training! Right, Heisuke?"
Heisuke looked undecided on the point until Chizuru handed him a hot drink and patted his shoulder. "Are you okay, Heisuke-kun?" she asked gently.
"Oh—oh sure, Chizuru, I'm just fine! Would take more than that lumbering oji-san to damage me!"
"I'm not that old!" protested Nagakura, suddenly looking annoyed.
"Well, we're all a year older as of today, even Chizuru-chan," commented Sōji.
"Then let's have a drink to everyone's health," proposed Harada, lifting his cup. "To your health, Chizuru-chan and gentlemen."
Everyone followed suit, including Hijikata and Sōji, rather to Chizuru's surprise. She cautiously raised her own cup (of tea, not sake). "I wish you all the best in the new year. Thank you for looking after me."
There was a quiet pause, as everyone sipped at their drinks. There was trouble on the horizon, but it was a good day to make the most of the current peace.
A/Note: Working on some drabbles and ficlets that have been floating around in my brain. 1866 was the best year for the Shinsengumi in many respects, although not perfect. The bulk of their troubles were internal, with Itou Kashitarou's group becoming more and more disruptive to the Shinsengumi as a cohesive organization, especially toward the end of the year. That said, I like to imagine 1866 as the year that friendships matured, Chizuru's relationships with the various captains (and Hijikata) solidified, and the Shinsengumi were able to operate more as the police force that they were intended to be (having become better known in 1864 and 1865). One can always dream! ~ Imp
