My second chapter begins now.
Chapter 2: Hospitality
Soujiro walked beside this strange girl named Tomoyo. She had asked him to walk back to her home with her. She went on about how she was going to get him some new clothes to wear as thanks for saving her. He smiled back at her, assuring her that it was nothing and that she really didn't have to do this for him.
She insisted however and he felt it would be rude to push the matter any further.
"So are you supposed to be a samurai?" she asked.
"Actually I'm more of a wanderer," he replied.
"Oh..." she nodded with understanding, "but it wouldn't ruin the image if you had some new clothes would it?"
He scratched the back of his head and laughed a bit, "No, I suppose it wouldn't."
She smiled, "That's good." There was a brief silence, "I haven't seen you at school, do you go to Toemada?"
He glanced at her. She was smiling happily as she walked, as though what had happened to her didn't really occur. -She must think I am another student, dressed like this for the festival she keeps talking about.- "Uh...no, I don't really go to school. You see..."
"You don't go to school?" she asked, "Why don't you go to school?" She was looking at him curiously now.
"I'm kind of a wanderer, you see. In real life. These are my real clothes." -I wonder how she's going to react to this.-
She got a very confused look on her face. He was trying to think of another way to explain it to her when she smiled again, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry."
Soujiro wasn't sure that he understood this girl. She didn't want to know about him, but she wanted him to come into her home, and to give him some new clothes.
They didn't talk for a while and Soujiro let his thoughts wander back to the strange energy that brought him here. He had been walking near Tokyo, in the 12th year of the Meiji (approx 1870 I think), when suddenly a vortex of energy unlike anything he had felt before surrounded him.
When he awoke, he found himself in this place. He managed to figure out that this incredible place was indeed a part of Tokyo, what the residents referred to as a 'suburb'. And he was certain that he was somehow in the future, but he still wasn't sure when exactly. After wandering around in this place, and nearly being killed by these fast moving carriages people called cars, he found himself in this relatively quiet area. As afternoon wore on, he stumbled across three men assailing a helpless girl. Trying to hold true to what Himura-san had told him, he decided to help her. Suddenly he found himself in the company of this girl named Daidouji Tomoyo.
"I would like to explain things better, but it might take a while. I'm still a bit confused myself." he said to her.
She turned her head slightly, and nodded, "I'd love to hear it. Oh, here's my house."
He looked and saw the huge mansion before him. He almost passed out. "That...that is your house?"
She smiled back at him as she walked through the gate. He followed with wide eyes.
The next few moments flew by so fast, he wasn't sure what had happened. They ended up in a large room, with more furniture than he had seen in one place in his life.
Daidouji turned to him, still smiling, "You can change in here, they'll be in with something for you in a few min...." she stopped, twitching her nose a bit. Soujiro, arched an eyebrow, wondering what the problem was. "Ummm.....I feel bad for asking but.....when...uhh..." she blushed a bit, "...when was the last time you took a bath?"
Soujiro smiled and laughed a bit, then he thought for a moment, "I think it was about four days ago."
She looked sad, "I'm sorry...."
He was a little surprised at her apparent concern, "Why?"
She put her hands over her face, "I didn't realize you were homeless!"
Soujiro couldn't help laughing at that, "I am a wanderer!"
She ran to another door. He stopped laughing abruptly. Was she going to throw him out? He couldn't blame her. Wealthy people seldom helped people off the street like this even in his own time. She opened the door and turned back to him, a look of concern in her eye, "Please, you can use this bathroom to clean up."
He was sure the look of surprise on his face was obvious. Then he smiled warmly at her, "Thank you for your kindness."
She blushed a bit, "It's nothing."
Soujiro removed his kimono and began to unlace his shirt, then he looked up at her. She still hadn't moved, and she was looking off to the side sheepishly. He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure what your customs for bathing are."
She almost looked startled when he spoke, and when she looked at him her face turned red and she ran out. He was confused but smiled and got ready for a bath.
It took him a while to figure out how to operate the knobs. When he accidentally turned on the shower, he thought he had done something wrong. Eventually, he figured out the contraption and managed to get the water a perfect temperature. It was bliss. It was almost better than the hot springs Shishio-sama loved so much.
He emerged from the bathroom to find a new set of clothes set out for him. The pants were an off white as was the shirt, the kimono was a dark blue. He felt the colors were a bit strong, as he was used to his faded clothes, but they were very well made. He put the new outfit on, laced his old shoes up, and put his light tan bracers on. He was starting to slide his sword into his belt when an older man walked in.
Soujiro didn't really jump per se, but he looked up quickly, tensed, to see a man who looked like some sort of western house servant. He smiled at Soujiro, who smiled back realizing the man was not an intruder. "Do you find your new outfit to your liking? Miss Tomoyo would have made one for you, but she didn't have enough time. This was all we had that might fit you."
"It is very nice. Daidouji-san honors me too much!"
The old man's smile faded a bit as he looked at the sword at his side. "Perhaps you should leave that here, sir. I promise no one will touch it while you are away."
Soujiro was a bit concerned, but he reluctantly agreed. He slid the sword out of his belt and placed it carefully on the bed where he found his clothes. He then turned, smiling, and walked to the servant who was motioning him out. "Perhaps you are right. What with the anti-sword law, I don't want to get into trouble with the police." He walked past the man at the door, and laughed lightly, "Darn Meiji government!"
Soujiro didn't see the perplexed look on the servant's face behind him.
I hope you guys are liking this so far. I would really appreciate hearing what you think of the story so far. Cheer me on!!! (or something like that…)
Chapter 2: Hospitality
Soujiro walked beside this strange girl named Tomoyo. She had asked him to walk back to her home with her. She went on about how she was going to get him some new clothes to wear as thanks for saving her. He smiled back at her, assuring her that it was nothing and that she really didn't have to do this for him.
She insisted however and he felt it would be rude to push the matter any further.
"So are you supposed to be a samurai?" she asked.
"Actually I'm more of a wanderer," he replied.
"Oh..." she nodded with understanding, "but it wouldn't ruin the image if you had some new clothes would it?"
He scratched the back of his head and laughed a bit, "No, I suppose it wouldn't."
She smiled, "That's good." There was a brief silence, "I haven't seen you at school, do you go to Toemada?"
He glanced at her. She was smiling happily as she walked, as though what had happened to her didn't really occur. -She must think I am another student, dressed like this for the festival she keeps talking about.- "Uh...no, I don't really go to school. You see..."
"You don't go to school?" she asked, "Why don't you go to school?" She was looking at him curiously now.
"I'm kind of a wanderer, you see. In real life. These are my real clothes." -I wonder how she's going to react to this.-
She got a very confused look on her face. He was trying to think of another way to explain it to her when she smiled again, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry."
Soujiro wasn't sure that he understood this girl. She didn't want to know about him, but she wanted him to come into her home, and to give him some new clothes.
They didn't talk for a while and Soujiro let his thoughts wander back to the strange energy that brought him here. He had been walking near Tokyo, in the 12th year of the Meiji (approx 1870 I think), when suddenly a vortex of energy unlike anything he had felt before surrounded him.
When he awoke, he found himself in this place. He managed to figure out that this incredible place was indeed a part of Tokyo, what the residents referred to as a 'suburb'. And he was certain that he was somehow in the future, but he still wasn't sure when exactly. After wandering around in this place, and nearly being killed by these fast moving carriages people called cars, he found himself in this relatively quiet area. As afternoon wore on, he stumbled across three men assailing a helpless girl. Trying to hold true to what Himura-san had told him, he decided to help her. Suddenly he found himself in the company of this girl named Daidouji Tomoyo.
"I would like to explain things better, but it might take a while. I'm still a bit confused myself." he said to her.
She turned her head slightly, and nodded, "I'd love to hear it. Oh, here's my house."
He looked and saw the huge mansion before him. He almost passed out. "That...that is your house?"
She smiled back at him as she walked through the gate. He followed with wide eyes.
The next few moments flew by so fast, he wasn't sure what had happened. They ended up in a large room, with more furniture than he had seen in one place in his life.
Daidouji turned to him, still smiling, "You can change in here, they'll be in with something for you in a few min...." she stopped, twitching her nose a bit. Soujiro, arched an eyebrow, wondering what the problem was. "Ummm.....I feel bad for asking but.....when...uhh..." she blushed a bit, "...when was the last time you took a bath?"
Soujiro smiled and laughed a bit, then he thought for a moment, "I think it was about four days ago."
She looked sad, "I'm sorry...."
He was a little surprised at her apparent concern, "Why?"
She put her hands over her face, "I didn't realize you were homeless!"
Soujiro couldn't help laughing at that, "I am a wanderer!"
She ran to another door. He stopped laughing abruptly. Was she going to throw him out? He couldn't blame her. Wealthy people seldom helped people off the street like this even in his own time. She opened the door and turned back to him, a look of concern in her eye, "Please, you can use this bathroom to clean up."
He was sure the look of surprise on his face was obvious. Then he smiled warmly at her, "Thank you for your kindness."
She blushed a bit, "It's nothing."
Soujiro removed his kimono and began to unlace his shirt, then he looked up at her. She still hadn't moved, and she was looking off to the side sheepishly. He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure what your customs for bathing are."
She almost looked startled when he spoke, and when she looked at him her face turned red and she ran out. He was confused but smiled and got ready for a bath.
It took him a while to figure out how to operate the knobs. When he accidentally turned on the shower, he thought he had done something wrong. Eventually, he figured out the contraption and managed to get the water a perfect temperature. It was bliss. It was almost better than the hot springs Shishio-sama loved so much.
He emerged from the bathroom to find a new set of clothes set out for him. The pants were an off white as was the shirt, the kimono was a dark blue. He felt the colors were a bit strong, as he was used to his faded clothes, but they were very well made. He put the new outfit on, laced his old shoes up, and put his light tan bracers on. He was starting to slide his sword into his belt when an older man walked in.
Soujiro didn't really jump per se, but he looked up quickly, tensed, to see a man who looked like some sort of western house servant. He smiled at Soujiro, who smiled back realizing the man was not an intruder. "Do you find your new outfit to your liking? Miss Tomoyo would have made one for you, but she didn't have enough time. This was all we had that might fit you."
"It is very nice. Daidouji-san honors me too much!"
The old man's smile faded a bit as he looked at the sword at his side. "Perhaps you should leave that here, sir. I promise no one will touch it while you are away."
Soujiro was a bit concerned, but he reluctantly agreed. He slid the sword out of his belt and placed it carefully on the bed where he found his clothes. He then turned, smiling, and walked to the servant who was motioning him out. "Perhaps you are right. What with the anti-sword law, I don't want to get into trouble with the police." He walked past the man at the door, and laughed lightly, "Darn Meiji government!"
Soujiro didn't see the perplexed look on the servant's face behind him.
I hope you guys are liking this so far. I would really appreciate hearing what you think of the story so far. Cheer me on!!! (or something like that…)
