So I lied. The writer's block suddenly disappeared. Hurray?
Disclaimers and spoilers and stuff insert here: ( )
It was a dreary Monday night, rain pattered down not in a relentless manner or a light spit, it was the type of rain that was the most annoying. The kind that showered down with no signs of ceasing. The kind that had been pouring on for almost a week. The kind that sets the stage for dramas like the Monday night dramas.
On this particular night Shimura Tae had gotten caught up at the snack house, there had been a fight (no she was not the cause . . . simply a . . . contributor) and it had taken awhile to break up. Then Otae had been demanded to clean up the mess (that she did not cause . . . she only . . . contributed) and by then it was nearly midnight. Otae was feeling down in the dumps and nothing cheered her up more than Bargain Dash. So she headed to the nearest convenience store with her goal set in her mind. However once she arrived she was displeased to hear that the cashier had no idea what Bargain Dash was. She promptly introduced to him the punishment for not providing proper customer service. Of course then he said weakly, "Oh . . . that Bargain Dash . . ." and with a slight limp he slouched over the ice cream freezer and took out a "Bargain Dash" (no that isn't just Haagen-dazs crossed out and rewritten with a marker as Bargain Dash. It's Bargain Dash. It is.)
As a way of preventing rain water from dripping through out the store there is often a bucket or rack placed at the front entrance to allow customers to leave their soaked umbrellas. However when Otae finished her purchase of the Bargain Dash she turned to see that someone else had taken her umbrella. What was left in the rack was a lonely rattled umbrella that was torn, covered in gapping holes, and rusting. What was Otae to do? It was pouring outside with no sign of stopping, she didn't plan on waiting in the convenience store for the endless rain to stop. And if she did leave she would be drenched immediately, not only that her Bargain Dash would melt. Then she looked down at the tattered umbrella. Beggars can't be choosers.
"What are you doing?"
Otae turned, the broken umbrella barely standing straight in her hand and her Bargain Dash protectively hidden in the sleeve of her kimono. She smiled that same smile,
"Oh shouldn't I ask what you are doing, stalking an innocent girl like me in the middle of night? Did that gorilla send you to stalk me, Hijikata-san?"
Shinsengumi's Vice Commander Hijikata Toshiro stood holding an umbrella and hanging from the corner of his mouth, a soggy cigarette.
"I don't do errands for Kondo-san anymore,"
"Ah is that so? Then, tell me Hijikata-san, what are you doing—" she was interrupted as Hijikata took a step forward, shortening the distance between the two, and then offered the umbrella to Otae. She blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to speak but Hijikata interrupted again,
"Your Bargain Dash will melt, take the umbrella." Otae stared at him for a few moments but smiled softly and accepted the umbrella. Hijikata in turn took the broken umbrella from her hand, turned away, the rain pattering down through the holes in the torn umbrella and soaking him in seconds.
"Hijikata-san!"
"Hmm?" he looked back, the soggy cigarette in his mouth quickly dissolving away. Otae began to speak but she stopped and then smiled,
"Never mind."
So I finally got to use a few phrases that I have been wanting to use in a story for quite awhile! A) 'Beggars can't be choosers' and B) 'took a step forward, shortening the distance between the two'