Hello all!! We meet again! And wow, 28 reviews already! Again, many hugs and kisses go out to all the lovely reviewers who kindly took the time to comment about my story. Thank you all so very much! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic. It's a little short, but well…on to the story!
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Love seeketh not Itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives it ease, And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair. --William Blake
Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always some reason to feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release,
The memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty, oh weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight
In the arms of the angel, fly away from here
From this dark cool hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage,
Of your silent reverie
In the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
So tired of the straight lines
And everywhere you turn,
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting
Keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference,
Escape one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness
Oh this glorious sadness, it brings me to my knees.
In the arms of the angel, fly away from here
From this dark cool hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage,
Of your silent reverie
In the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here.
The storm had stopped raging, and in the deep of the night, all was still. Ever conscious of the warmth that lay against him, Okita watched her sleep. She had staunchly refused to let him to fully put out the light, so he left one lamp burning, bathing the entire room in a gentle glow.
Her eyes were closed and her face was finally calm. Her long lashes cast delicate shadows over her fair skin, making her look all the more fragile. Funny, she'd always looked…larger to him somehow, not the petite figure wrapped snugly in his haori. Even her waist was tiny, he realized with a jolt. How could anyone be so tiny?
Granted, she was taller than Tetsu-kun by at least a head or more, but he wasn't sure if she weighed more than him.
Nonetheless, he absently brushed a few stray strands away from her face, careful not to wake her. In the position he was in now, it was impossible to get sleep, and there was that insistent, annoying little thought that kept reminding him of how close he was to her, and just how little layers separated his skin from hers.
So he contented himself by turning his attention outside, but it was so dark out, and the thought of her lying in his arms was so distracting, he felt his gaze falling back to her, memorizing every feature of her face. She was a beautiful young woman. Not in the conventional sense, of course, but she had a strange sort of innocence around her that he found difficult to resist. He gazed at that face and felt his heart clench. What kind of horrors had she witnessed? How many foul men had tried to destroy that face? How many times had she been violated in the worst way possible?
As if in answer, she whimpered, her brows knitting.
Okita tensed as he heard her mumble something, her words feverish, tears spilling down her cheeks. What is she seeing, even now? Kami, why are you doing this to her? Wasn't what she faced before enough?!!
He touched her cheek tenderly, wiping away her tears as she squirmed against him, hoping that wherever she was, she would feel it, and the comfort that he willed into her with all his heart. "Shhh, Jarenna. It's all right. It's all right."
She jerked a little, but then relaxed, accepting his touch. He relaxed slightly, stroking her cheek as he whispered to her, willing her to be free of those blasted nightmares that plagued her even now, and feeling a slow boil of anger at the helplessness he felt. It was as if nothing he did would ever be good enough to help her. Never before had he felt as if he was such a lie. What good was a tensai swordsman if he cannot do something as simple as protect the one he loved?
If only those nightmares had form. If only they existed in the physical world…he would hurt them as much as they hurt her and made sure they never got back up. If only all her demons were the ones he could fight, he would gladly die for her.
He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in despair. I'm sorry, Jarenna. I'm sorry that I can't help you. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it. Just tell me…
…
I…I love you.
The words rang repeatedly in his mind as he continued smoking his pipe, more of habit than anything else. He hadn't seen her face as she'd said it, but he remembered the tone very well. It was almost…resigned. And he knew then, that there was a very good chance that he would never see her again. Absently, he glanced over at the futon.
That was where she lay barely three hours ago. That was where he'd loved her with all his heart and soul. And that was where, he knew she would never again return to.
And she loved him. Him.
He could hear the faint sounds of the men practicing and talking outside, and realized that Souji had not returned from his patrol since last afternoon. In his distraction with Yanagi, he had forgotten about that. And--
A shadow passed by his shoji before stopping in front of it. An all-too-familiar shadow. It knocked. "Hijikata-san. Are you awake?"
Souji. He sounded almost weary.
Hijikata tapped his pipe against the ashtray before muttering in the affirmative. The door opened, and the young swordsman stepped in, still dressed in his Shinsengumi uniform. Even the pig was missing. So he'd been out the whole night, then?
But Okita, currently, was momentarily distracted by something else. He watched Hijikata-san closely, then said with a small smile. "Tsukino-san came back last night?"
Hijikata stared at him. "How did you know?"
"She left a bag of sweets for me in my room," he nodded with a bright smile. "I just found them. And you're in an exceptionally foul mood on such a beautiful morning."
He chose to ignore the latter statement. Souji had always found his mood after Yanagi's departure highly amusing. "You've been out the whole night?"
"Yes," came the slightly less than chirpy reply. It was obvious that something was weighing on his mind. "There was a storm, and we couldn't go back, so we rented an inn for the night."
"Who?"
"Jare--Yukijurou-san and I."
So he was with her all night. Interesting. Very interesting, indeed.
"You should address her as Takagi-san now, Souji," he replied casually. Briefly, he wondered if the girl had told him what had happened between her and her father.
"She hates that name, Hijikata-san," Okita murmured, distracted by memory. Hijikata had never seen him look so disturbed…and angry…before. "I suggest you refrain from calling her that."
He raised an eyebrow. So she had told him, after all. Clearly, he was the first person she'd gone to after running out of that place. "She told you everything?"
"Hai." He sighed. "Yukijurou-san has had a very sad life. She couldn't stop crying."
Hijikata was silent. For a moment, he wondered if he'd gone too far. Showing Yukijurou to her family when it was obvious she hadn't yet fully recovered from the ordeal. He remembered Yanagi's first words to him last night, and suppressed a wince. Hurting an innocent young woman so badly just to know more about the man. Takagi Kojuurou was not worth that. But there was no use thinking about that now. Instead, he asked. "How's the girl?"
"She's back in the kitchens, doing her chores. Hijikata-san?"
"Aa?"
"Is Takagi and his daughter still here?" His voice had gone strangely flat.
"They're at an inn somewhere. I took the liberty to put as much distance between them and her as possible." Even he was not as cold-blooded as to allow Kojuurou to stay here. There were rules for treating innocent women, too. He'd crossed it yesterday, and he did not plan to do it again, unless the situation called for it. Okita looked mildly relieved. Then he stood up with a smile.
"Arigato, Hijikata-san. I'd better go for breakfast before Nagakura-san and Harada-san finish all the food. Again. See you later!" he gave him a small wave and headed out.
…
Yanagi nodded briefly to the servants as she entered the sprawling compound. The place was just as luxurious as she remembered, every inch crafted to impress rather than intimidate.
"Shall I announce your arrival to the Master?" A rather meek looking maid asked as she escorted her to where Shikeda Mashiro would be.
"It will not be necessary," she replied shortly, waving the maid away as they reached what Yanagi knew to be their private room, a place where not even the servants were allowed in. This place had always excited her, but right now it held none of that.
Pushing open the shoji door as silently as she could, she slipped in stealthily. She could hear faint grunting sounds from within the inner chambers and smiled faintly. A good time to catch him in, indeed.
She quietly slid open the inner door--
--and neatly plucked the kunai--that had been arced straight at her face--out of the air.
She hefted the weapon casually and toyed with it, careful not to let it cut her fingers. She had missed him so. "What, that's the greeting I get after you send me on a mission to try to get myself killed?"
Mashiro feigned a disapproving expression as he abandoned his quest to knock down the wooden dummy in front of him. "You're late, Yanagi. Made a detour to your lover's abode for a bit of a chat, perhaps?"
She placed the kunai back into its holder, taking a split second longer than usual. Feigned or not, Yanagi knew that he disapproved strongly of her relationship with Hijikata Toshizou.
If you could call it a 'relationship' to begin with, she thought absently. "Yes. I suppose that since it's most likely the last day of my life, I might as well make it count."
Mashiro sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was then that Yanagi caught the flash of weariness and sadness in her mentor's eyes. "I wish the prophecy would not come true, I really do. But--"
Yanagi held out a hand, cutting him off. Her face was closed-off once more, hiding the terror that lay deep within, and the terrible knowledge that she was marching to her death. "Let's go, Mashiro-san. If I'm going to die, I will take him with me. I am the Slayer, after all.
If this is my fate, then so be it. But I shall go down fighting every step of the way.
She stepped out of the room swiftly, not wanting to stay in there any longer. It was a place where they'd spent countless hours researching demons, training, and everything else a Slayer should know, and she could not bear to see it. Her mortality suddenly seemed so close at hand. Maybe, she mused hopefully as she waited for her Watcher to prepare. Maybe in my next life, Toshi and I will have the future that has been denied us.
"Mashiro-san."
"Aa?"
"Will you…will you be training the next Slayer?"
Mashiro paused at the question. The answer was affirmative, but he had no plans to train a new Slayer just yet. As a matter of fact, he was not ready to take one on, in the light of Yanagi's death. He loved her like a daughter; she was so different from the others. After her eventual death, he knew he would never train another Slayer again. "Why do you ask?"
A small shrug. "Just a question."
Unknown to her, her Watcher slipped a book into his haori, a determined look crossing his features. He would deny her her destiny tonight.
No matter the cost.
…
Well then, back to work, Jarenna thought to herself as she set the bucket of water and her cloth down. The dojo was currently empty as the men had gone off for lunch or patrol, which was a very good time for her to clean it. She'd purposefully kept herself busy the entire day, from making breakfast to taking over Kimiko's pet-feeding and cleaning chores to cleaning out every room in the compound. She needed the distraction.
When she'd woken up that morning, she was dumbfounded by the realization that she was bundled in Okita's Shinsengumi haori and leaning against him, no less.
Even though they were doing absolutely nothing else, the level of intimacy both unnerved and excited her, unnerving because something like that should only be shared between couples, and excited because…well, because it was Okita, and she'd been in love with him ever since he'd rescued her.
He'd woken up then, and whatever she felt in those precious few seconds were quickly dispelled by a bout of embarrassment. Things were mildly awkward between them, mostly due to the fact that last night had indeed been an emotional night. Jarenna had broken down in his arms and had finally let go of what she'd kept inside for so long, and to her surprise, she felt as if a weight, however mild, had been lifted from her shoulders. The past did not terrify her as much anymore. It was still horrible to think back on, but she felt…better. She was not alone in this. Okita himself had reminded her of that fact when they finally separated to their respective duties. Before she went to the kitchens, he'd simply smiled at her and nodded.
And he had walked away, leaving her with a smile on her own face. It was obvious that he cared for her.
Maybe he cares too much, she thought as she rinsed her cloth. Who was she, to make him care so much? And there was Kimiko, after all. She would be a much better fit for him. Carefree, happy…
Pure.
The term came to her from out of nowhere, and it hit her hard, like an iron punch to her stomach. Yes, that was what had been plaguing her all along.
Kimiko was pure, unsullied. Jarenna did not have that; she was no longer a virgin. No man would want her, much less Okita-san. She felt her face burn in silent shame as she started to clean the floor. He'd always taken her as a friend. What would he think of her now that he knew everything?
Stop thinking so much, she chided herself, inwardly annoyed. They would never be together, and that was that. Who was she, but a lowly maid? But then again, why did it hurt so much when she thought about it? Shaking her head, she continued her work. There were many other things to do after this.
"BUKIBUKI!!!!" Jarenna barely had time to react before the small pig knocked her onto her back with a running tackle, which, in all honesty, she never saw coming.
"Itaiiiiii…!!!" She winced as Saizou glared down at her from its spot on her chest.
"BUKI!!" It said accusingly.
"Saizou…" she muttered as she took hold of it, sat up and tucked her legs under her, rubbing the base of her spine. Kami that hurt. The little guy definitely had a lot of momentum going there. Then she realized that the pig had brought something with it.
The book she'd read to it yesterday.
The pig stared expectantly up at her. "Bukibu."
For a full ten seconds, Jarenna just stared, goggle-eyed. Did the pig just take the book from her room?! And it even knew which book it was! Granted, it was a bright green color, but still. Kami-sama…this pig is smart.
Said pig cocked its head to the side, curious at the strange expression on her face. "Buki??"
She shook her head apologetically. "Gomen, Saizou, but I can't read to you today. I've got a lot of things to--"
Before she could finish her sentence, it jumped onto her lap and began pressing it's snout into her ribs, making her giggle. "Bukibukibuki…!!" If it was trying to make her feel better, it was definitely doing a good job.
Maybe I should get a pet one of these days, she thought as she picked it up and cuddled it. "Arigato, Saizou! You just made me feel a little better."
A familiar, soft laugh sounded, making her heart skip a few beats. "Well, I'm glad. Wearing a frown all day will make you look like Hijikata-san, you know."
"Buki!" Saizou, glad to see its master again, leapt towards him.
The pig was snugly tucked in Okita-san's arms, and the man in question was grinning down at her. His smile was so infectious, and she couldn't help but return it.
"Okita-san. Good afternoon."
"Buki!!"
"There, there," Okita said tenderly as he set his pig down and let it scamper off before turning back to her. "You're smiling again, Jarenna-san. Good, good!"
Jarenna was surprised at the change in name and nodded gratefully. "Thank you for helping me, Okita-san. I guess I really…lost it last night."
"Now, didn't I tell you not to keep saying 'thank you'?" He feigned a frown. "Must break that habit, Jarenna-san."
Jarenna nodded, feeling a flush creep to her cheeks. She remembered that just after he'd told her that, he'd kissed her. And that kiss had been wonderful, soft and tender and setting off fireworks in her brain.
The swordsman had obviously remembered that too, because she saw the same faint flush work across his cheeks. He was a handsome man, Okita Souji.
…
Saizou trotted over to the side and lugged the treasure with him before sitting his little piggy self down firmly on it. It would not do to lose the treasure, especially after the time spent bullying the noisy little ahou into getting it for him.
The Girl-Pet had promised to read him a story of a pig and his brothers, but had not gotten through with it because some new humans entered and she looked upset. The Girl-Pet even dropped her treasure, which annoyed him greatly. Weren't treasures meant to be taken good care of?
He couldn't understand why the Girl-Pet left and never returned to find him even though he waited patiently for her till dinnertime, or why she looked so sad all day today.
Ah well. Humans were crazy creatures, and he supposed the Girl-Pet, like the rest of them, was half mad, too.
Saizou, on all counts, was a very lonely little pig. All his other relatives seemed to think that eating, sleeping, and playing tag in the mud patch was all there was to a healthy, fulfilling life. He, for one, was a modern little pig and knew there was much more to life. Like playing Tag And Bite The Noisy Little Ahou, for instance, or listening to his pet read to him. Or looking for the Girl-Pet and making her play with him, but she was always busy doing things.
He liked her, because she was gentle and kind and had a pretty voice. He especially liked snuggling up to her, because his pet was nowhere as soft and comfortable as she was.
Well, his pet was here, and he knew that they would be ignoring him for a good while. His pet always did that when he was around the Girl-Pet. Very annoying, but he understood and left them alone. The Girl-Pet still looked sad. For that, he would stay here and wait patiently until she was finished. The Girl-Pet might be half mad, but Saizou knew his own pet loved her, so he would try to make her feel better.
…
There was a silence for a moment before he spoke, his smile fading. "Does it still hurt?"
Jarenna appreciated that he had not used the more common term of 'Are you all right?'. The others, including Junko-san, who'd heard about what happened, had bombarded her with those questions this morning, and she wasn't sure how to answer it. How 'all right' was all right? If she said yes, she was lying, and if she said no, it was bound to lead to a lot more questions she wasn't yet ready to answer, and quite frankly, if anyone else asked her that again, she was going to scream.
It had also been one of the main motivations for her taking on more chores than usual. The less she associated with people today, the better off she would be.
Jarenna turned her gaze to the floor and started to clean, more to occupy herself than anything else. What had happened last night was deeply imprinted in her mind. The helpless way she depended on him last night, the way she cried and told him her entire story…she already caused him too much trouble, and quite frankly, she didn't deserve his attention.
"I'm fine, Okita-san. Don't worry about me." her voice had taken on a false cheer, and she winced at how fake it sounded.
Apparently, Okita had felt so too, and she felt his eyes on her. "Are you sure?"
Don't care so much for me, Okita-san, she thought miserably as she felt the concern in his voice. Who am I to have something like this? "Of course! If you'll excuse me, Okita-san, I must start cleaning."
"Oh. Of course. Take care, Jarenna-san." The surprise and disappointment was apparent in his tone as she gave him the brush-off. She hated herself for doing so, but she had to. She had taken too much from him already, too many things that she did not deserve. His promise rang in her mind, the words he'd said to her last night, and she felt even worse. She did not have the right to lay claim that, she realized it now. Who was she kidding, when she actually entertained thoughts that the both of them would have something together?
He turned away, and Jarenna finally looked up, her eyes fixated on his lean back as he walked away from her. For a moment, she allowed her longing for him to surface. Just for a moment. I'm sorry, Okita-san.
She was alone, after all. She would always be.
Listen to the silence, Jarenna. It's all over. You've lived it, and I won't allow you to live it again. I'm here now. I'm here, so stay with me, Jarenna. You don't have to stay in that darkness. Stay with me…
Help me…please?
I will.
…
"Jarenna."
Jarenna tensed at the voice, her blood running cold almost immediately. The cloth she held was squeezed painfully in her fist. She was not ready for this. Not now, not ever. She squeezed her eyes shut. This is a dream. This is just a dream. When I open my eyes, he'll be gone.
The cold, clammy feeling in her stomach spoke otherwise, and when she opened her eyes, she heard his voice once more, a faint edge in his tone. "Daughter."
Go away. Go away!!
"I have no father," she said coldly, getting as far away as possible from him. "And I am certainly not your daughter."
"Jarenna, won't you let me explain?"
"Save it."
"I had no choice! The family situation back then was terrible. We barely had enough to live on, and we had no choice but to sell you! Please, believe me, Jarenna. Those slave traders promised me they'd take good care of you, which was why I agreed to sell you to them, and they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. If it hadn't been for that, our entire family would've perished long ago! Surely you don't want that, do you? Surely you understand?"
She whirled around to face him, her eyes blazing with fury and hate. "No. No, I don't. You sold me to them for pittance, you never wanted me in the first place, and you expect me to believe your lies? I don't know why you did it, and I don't care. I just want you to get out of my life!!!"
He stared at her. "I am your father, Jarenna. What good will it do me if I lie to you now?"
"I have no father. You don't deserve that name!!"
"For years I've tried to find you, but there was nothing more to go on except your name, and even then, Japan is so large, you could've been anywhere! You could've been dead for all I knew! It hurt me very much to finally give up the search, because there were no clues anywhere, and now, I've finally found you, and I'm trying to make you understand. Why won't you give me this chance?"
Despite herself, Jarenna hesitated, sensing the pleading in the old man's voice and seeing the pained look in his eyes. This was her father, after all. And in those days, selling daughters to save the family was a common thing, but…
"He gave me a hundred ryo for you, daughter. It was hardly pittance." He paused for a long moment and took a step closer. "Without the money, all of us would've starved to death…we had no choice…" he lowered his head in shame. "I-I know you have suffered very much, and I am very sorry…I know this is useless to you, but I am sorry…"
A hundred ryo…not twenty mon, then.
Shaking her head, she turned away. He was the cause of her misery, but he hadn't known that horrible things would happen, would he? And he only did it to save the family…But what about me? They're living in the lap of luxury while I suffered. He became an important Bakufu official while I was in Hell. "You're right, father. It means nothing to me. Did you think an apology would suffice?! That it would make everything I went through go away like that?"
"That is why I'm here, my daughter." His voice was gentle and sad. "I want to make it all up to you. For all the years you've suffered, I want to compensate for it, at least a little. I never wanted to sell you. You are my daughter, and I love you." He fell to his knees. "Please…forgive your father."
Jarenna was stunned speechless. She'd always wanted to hear from him, to hear his reasons, and now that she had, it was difficult to hold on to the hate any longer. He had his reasons, and to see him like this, apologizing to her, kneeling at her feet…it was all too much. She wanted to forgive him, but she couldn't…not immediately. A large part of him was still furious, but she was beginning to realize that it was not totally his fault. He couldn't possibly know that she would be raped or beaten or…
And he was still kneeling before her, begging for forgiveness…it would take a lot of pride for someone to be able to do that, she knew. Besides, it was all over now. What else could she possibly do about it? Kill her father? What good would that do? What was done could not be undone. Moreover, he had said he'd come to make it up to her…perhaps that would be the closure that she needed. She'd held on to the past for so long, maybe now was the time to let go.
But it was just too fast. No matter how much she wanted to, she knew she would never be able to fully forgive him. But maybe, just maybe…
…
Just outside the dojo, Okita watched, hugging Saizou to him, his smile growing. Maybe now, those shadows would be forever gone from Jarenna's eyes, and she would feel better, no matter what she'd said to him earlier. Her capacity to forgive astounded him. He knew that if it was him instead of her, his father would definitely have had a much harder time, but then again, he supposed Jarenna was just tired. She had been through so much, after all, things that no one person would be able to bear alone. And to hold on to that for so long…it's going to hurt more than anyone could bear.
He coughed suddenly, stifling it as best he could so that no one knew he was there. It was gone as fast as it came, but it always made him feel breathless and shaken. Ignoring the little nagging feeling at the back of his mind, he walked away.
Maybe Tetsu-kun would be up for a friendly sparring match today.
…
Okita made his way soundlessly towards the kitchen. All was silent and unmoving; everyone else was asleep, save for the men on watch. He glanced outside. An hour to sunrise. Good.
It had been awhile since he'd done this, and briefly, he wondered if Jarenna would be there. She'd been avoiding him for the entire day; he hadn't seen her at all after her father went to her. And it hurt, especially since he knew that he'd done nothing wrong. Why had she refused to see him? Was it because of the kiss? Was she still thinking about that? He'd thought that they'd grown closer that stormy night in the inn, but it seemed like it was all a bout of wishful thinking on his part.
He stopped as he saw the familiar light in the kitchen, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Was she in there? Would she be smiling at him when he entered, like before? Maybe now, he would finally tell her how he felt for her. He could not stop thinking about her after that first kiss and had decided that whatever it took, he would have her, no one else. But he had momentarily shelved those plans because of the fiasco with her father, and now that it was dealt with, he was free to act, to tell her he loved her. No time like now, he thought as he pushed open the door.
"Jare--" His words died when he realized who it was. Struggling to keep his disappointment in check, he forced a smile in response to the brilliant one he received. "Kimiko-san?"
If she'd picked up on his crestfallen tone, she didn't show it even as she bustled around looking for the various pots and pans. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Okita-sama! It's a surprise to see you here!"
Finally! She thought, overjoyed. For the past few days she'd specially woken up early in the hopes of seeing Okita-sama and spending time with him. Once he got to know her properly, she was sure, he would like her. Who didn't? Even Toudou-sama and Nagakura-sama liked her. And now that Jarenna was not around to spoil things--for some reason, she was gone for the whole day yesterday, and when she complained about the extra workload she had to bear on top of her punishments, Junko-san even scolded her, which was terribly unfair!--she felt all the more lightheaded. This was a dream come true, indeed!
Let Jarenna keep her lady status, she thought disdainfully. I've got Okita-sama right where I want him.
She'd been green with envy when rumors circulated that Jarenna was actually the daughter of a Bakufu official, but had gotten over it quickly. So what if she was a lady or something? Okita-sama was never one who went for status, so no worries there. And besides, she'd heard awful things about Takagi Kojuurou from the other maids, and it was just as well that she was not the old twisted pervert's daughter.
"O-Ohayo." He was immediately distracted. "Kimiko-san, is Jare-Yukijurou-san still asleep?"
"She said she wanted to go for a walk early this evening. I never saw her sin--"
Okita was out of the door before she could finish her sentence.
…
A/N: Haha, what do you guys think?? It's kinda funny and sad at the same time, though. I don't really know exactly how a person should react when a father kneels on the floor. I mean, even the most hard-hearted person will have trouble leaving the father there, no matter how evil he was or anything. Don't worry, though, that is not the end of it. I'm so sorry that there aren't more on Saitou/Tokio. It'll be coming soon, I promise!! And stay tuned, Okita's FINALLY gonna tell Jarenna how he feels for her in the next chappy! How will she react, especially when she's acutely aware that she's not fit for him?? Hmm….
Angel of The Deceased: Hey! Of course Okita and Jarenna would be together in the end, but I'm not gonna reveal too much on that, lol. And yeah, I went to Egypt, visited the Cairo museum and all that. Damn it was hot, but I had lots of fun there. I don't know why, but I'm obsessed with all things ancient Egyptian, like ancient Pharaohs, Nefertiri, Isis…lots more! You should go there soon, it's fantastic. Hmm, France is fantastic too, though. I'm not sure, but I heard somewhere that the Eiffel Tower in Paris stands for a giant foot phallus. Fascinating piece of news, which also cracked me up. Thank you so much for bothering to read my story and reviewing, it's very, very appreciated, and makes me want to write some more, haha. And yeah, a STRAIGHT Okita pairing. I mean, dammit, I don't think he's gay! Historically, he's got a bunch of wives on the side! Which part of gay is that?? But in this story there's only one, though, lol.
And hey, everyone writes well, so don't go undermining yourself, ne? I'm sure you write very well too, and I shall go check out your story ASAP, haha.
Hyper-Sloth: Thank you very much for your reviews. You normally read shounen-ai? Wow, thanks for reading mine, then! I admit, it's nowhere as good as some of the shounen-ai fics, but your comment means a lot to me, lol. I shall keep on writing, then!
Akayama Kaoru: Oh, so THAT'S what it means. A very nice name, I must say. Quel poetic, lol. So glad to see your comments once more! I'm SO sorry I've got to stop it there! ::whimpers as tomatoes are thrown at her:: Jarenna's father reminds you of your friend's step-father? Oh…that bad, huh? What an asswipe. ::annoyed:: She should just kick his butt! People like that deserve to be shot, I tell you!
Kiristel: Hello! Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you liked it!
Aznfangurl: Haha, of course, there'll be more on Okita and Jarenna in the next chapter. Stay tuned for it, ne?
Jade eyed neko: Hey there. Thanks for reading this chapter of Yukijurou, too! At first I intended this to be RK, but when I saw the PMK show…wow. And so here it is!
Icy Blossom: Hey, thanks for your nice reviews! I like writing end messages to people, 'cause they're fun, lol. Sad bits will always make the happy ones happier, ne? I don't think anyone would be really interested in a story that's happy all the time, or the other way round, really. A good dose of both is healthy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!