In every breath, life or universe

by FallenAngelItachi

A collection of multiple takes on the relationship of the same two people: Saitou and Tokio. AUs galore. Each take will span a couple of chapters, maybe three. Credit to legalronin, she did it first. Just wanted to try my hand, too.

8. The Priestess and the Grump, Part four

A/N: Hello peeps! How are you? How have you been? Look, look, another update...in the wrong story. I mean, I really love this story and I want to write it and apparently so does my muse but damn I write this so much, I have no energy left for the other one. I am sorry; but mostly in the sense I am delaying the other story, not for writing this because this is easily turning into one of my fave AUs and I can't wait to get the rest of it out there.

No proofreading coz my eyes hurt so much right now...

Anywho! I love you and I hope you bear with me well, lovelies. Thank you for everything.

Title: The Priestess and the Grump.
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Humour, Romance
Alternative Universe: Fantasy, Pathfinder

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"Good morning, Saitou-san!"

He groaned. "Do you have to be so obnoxiously loud?" He'd barely set foot in the mess-hall tent, it must have been some sort of crime, giving him hell so early.

"It's not everyday we get to see you hangover," Nagakura defended the short, beaming man "let us enjoy it."

"You don't look as terrible as we'd have expected," Toudou comforted him, the pat on the back feeling like regular assault to his overwhelmed senses.

He snorted; they hadn't seen him when he opened his eyes. "That's because I drank a horrible concoction the minute I woke up and ate the world's most unappetizing ration."

They chuckled. "Where did you find them?" Harada wondered out loud.

"I saw Tokio-chan sneaking into his tent, holding something that looked a lot like that!" He laughed. "Well, not sneaking in exactly; she kicked the poor door open, since her hands were occupied. I was sure you'd wake up at that, but nope, you just kept on snoring." A shrug. "Half a moment later she was out."

Saitou shook his head, which he regretted when he felt the entire world dance around him; he still had time to catch the glares and wistful sighs of the four men next to him. "I'm so jealous," Harada admitted a second later.

"I'd get drunk twice as bad, if it meant she'd kick into my tent, bearing gifts," Nagakura lamented.

Usually, he'd scold them or be sarcastic at their stupidity, but, be it the drink or the overall mood of victory that still did not and would not any time soon wash away, he smirked at them and decided to make them even more jealous. For some reason, it irked him they were behaving like this, too and decided to be extra mean. "She even left little notes with instructions; one said: Drink me all at once and the other: Eat me slowly."

A sound one should not make so early in the morning, and definitely not in the presence of so many men, came out of Toudou's mouth. "I would let three Jabberwock snack on my intestines if I could get Tokio-san to speak those two little sentences to me personally!"

"Hey! You have Umi-chan for the week," Harada snubbed, slapping his shoulder "leave Tokio-chan alone."

But then Okita slapped Harada's shoulder. "Only I can call Tokio-chan, Tokio-chan; if you wanna call her something special, find your own."

Nagakura slapped Okita's though. "You don't have exclusivity on honorifics, squirt; if you think it's special you have no real imagination."

Then Toudou slapped Saitou's shoulder and everyone looked at him funnily. "What, he was the only one out of the loop."

"Idiot." For good measure, he hit him upside the head, a little harder on purpose. "Now go, let me eat in peace."

Okita clicked his tongue in distaste. "We were about to go anyway...!"

As they walked out of the tent, still arguing about what is the best, cutest and most original thing to call Tokio, he had to massage his temples to even attempt and put his thoughts in order. So focused that he was, he never noticed the soldier leaving a plate of food in front of him – with a chuckle no less, what an asshole – he just started eating out of habit. Try as he might, he could not distinguish fiction from fact. Apparently he engaged in a drinking competition with Tokio and lost; but had he really talked to her? Had she really said that...? He could not remember if it was true or not—it felt too otherworldly. Why would she risk her life for their sorry asses? They did nothing but underestimate and underutilize her, especially him. Why should she care—and why did she bring him food in his tent?

Wait, wait, wait. They weren't spiked with magic, were they? He only just now realised, as he was munching down his strip of bacon, the noises all around him and even outside only increased and ye, he was feeling...fine. No headache. No burning need to slap all men in a five metre radius. He gobbled down his breakfast – eggs, bacon and cheese with a slice of bread – washed it down with his tea and took off!

He ignored the looks he received from the men inside the tent, or outside, as he was all but stomping and running into people, trying to locate her. When he couldn't, for the life of him, do so, he wearily turned to the closest person who would be able to provide him with that information: the snake. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl.

"Takeda."

He knew he'd find him in the command centre, poring over maps. Not that he did anything more than plan escapes with the knowledge, but even that was useful, in case anything went wrong—the sole reason he never kicked him out.

"Acting vice-commander," he bowed; ever since Saitou was given his current rank the snake had been too cordial with him "what can I help you with?"

The request died on his lips when he saw Tokio right there, in the tent with him, who just then snatched away whatever the snake was holding in his sweaty palms, a triumphant "aha!" escaping her. He watched the exchange with interest. He decided to ask for something else, see if his instinct was correct.

"Is there any correspondence for the unit?"

"Yes," he was vexed to admit, glaring at Tokio who was now happily reading away at the piece of paper in her hands "all of these." He gestured to the table behind him, usually maps laid out on it, but this once he could only see letters; envelopes; missives; rolls of parchment; and all bore the seal of a different house. "And, should Tokio-sama relinquish it, the one she's reading as well."

"This was addressed to the unit's commander; in Kondou and Hijikata's absence that's Hajime and myself; why shouldn't I read it?"

"This letter was sent by Hijikata-sama himself!"

"All the more reason then..."

Saitou decided to bring their little argument to an end and effortlessly took the paper from her hands, seeing he was that much taller and Tokio was not expecting such a sneak attack; she instantly turned her attention towards him, pout immediate and impressive on her face. He shook his head. "Leave us, Takeda," was the only thing he said and waited till the man left to do the two things he wanted: a) confront Tokio and b) read this letter...and then all the rest. So, raising the piece of paper even higher, way out of her reach, he dangled it.

"Did you spike my food and drink with anything?" She was taken aback. "Answer truthfully and you shall receive this letter."

"I did not," she spoke through chuckles "I simply gave you Darren's cure-all-hangovers brew; it's a disgusting thing that, when combined with greasy food, much like the eggs and bacon I asked the cook to give you, is a surefire way to keep all bender's consequences away."

"Is that so?" She nodded, innocent and expectant. He shook his head and almost handed it over, but then he found what didn't quite click. "Who's Darren?"

"Darren is a very good friend of mine, met him when I traveled to the West." Her smile transitioned to nostalgic. "He's dependable, but also convinced he'll die before turning thirty...so, he drinks a lot, to cope." A giggle. "It was in his company that I started I developing my high tolerance."

"Doesn't sound all that dependable," Saitou commented, a little too critical; he had no idea why but this casual mention of her life before the unit, and with such a fond smile, displeased him.

"He was, he was," she assured, patting his shoulder "almost as much as you, but he lacked the ethics, too."

He growled, unappreciative of her comparison. "Whatever it was, it worked; thank him, I guess."

"Well, that is almost impossible right now; he lives in Sandpoint." He didn't seem to understand her issue. "Avistan." There it was, recognition. "Besides, and most importantly, he's married to the easiest to get jealous woman of the entire continent! For good reason, I suppose; when they first met he'd flirt with anyone that'd sleep with him." She shrugged. "Then he finally fell in love and settled down but she doesn't seem to get it."

"I wouldn't blame her."

Suddenly, her face became a far cry from the warm nostalgia it was, turning a little sour. "It was in that man's presence I finally learnt how low the human race is willing to stoop, in search of a nightly partner."

"So dependable," he repeated, sarcasm almost palpable. She slapped his chest.

"Shut up, he was strong; he was really strong. Well, as far as that time of my life was concerned; my standards have changed now."

"Right; now you kill mythical creatures all on your own."

Her eyes lowered guiltily at that, but didn't leave. "I, uh, know I owe you all an explanation, I sort of promised, yesterday night, too." A sigh. "But it isn't anything terrible or convoluted really..."

She just said she sort of promised yesterday night—so it was true. He did confront her about it. And she did tell him that she almost... "Then what is it?"

"It's a long story that starts with me going to the west to escape the Regent. Do you really want to hear it?"

"Yes."

She had really hoped he was deterred and when she saw that wasn't the case, she almost pulled on her hair! "Just sit down."

She gestured to the chairs around the table; she dragged the one to be opposite the other and sat across from him, stealing the letter in the process. "The whole truth is I myself influenced my father to send me so far away, instead of just stashing my somewhere in Tian Xia as he'd originally wanted. Not only would I be truly out of reach, but, my second and third goal would be better served: hone my skills as a cleric by adventuring and, most importantly, search for the true successor of the throne." Surprise marred his features and she was almost proud. "It was revealed to me that the heir was a woman as well as her family had hidden in Avistan.
It took me a year to actually get there; it was a very difficult journey, we almost didn't make it. But we persevered and once the Crown Jewel was behind us, all became easier—forces of nature are harder to contend with than people. No matter, I got to Avistan and found myself facing a dilemma: start looking for her immediately, or make myself stronger first? A man in the caravan, whom I still traveled with, helped me then; he said,I'm going to Sandpoint. That's where adventurers are made; I followed.
There I met a young woman of Tian descend, too, I was so exited...! We became fast friends. She was a little older than me, but you know, when you find someone like you...!" She shook her head for getting distracted. "Anyway, she owned the Rusty Dragon, quite the famous joint; that's where all the adventurers gathered for a drink or to discuss jobs. She urged me towards the right direction, I made some connections and I got to work.
Naturally, when one is so removed from their home and environment they try to adapt, yet, at the same time, I held even tighter to my roots: I'd pray twice a day to my unheard of in these parts God and try to be as compliant to our customs as possible." A smile escaped her. "Then I met four crazy people, with whom I started building friendships and bonds. We became a party, went through so much together—Darren was one of them—and no matter what, we always returned to the Rusty Dragon for a drink and catching up with the woman who reminded me so much of home.
Yet the more you spend away from home, the more you demystify it your head; I stood back and looked critically at things. I incorporated their customs to ours and threw away what I felt was unnecessary. It didn't take long for my skills to really shine after that! Not to mention, we undertook quitethe project with the party, we had to get better at everything or die." She shrugged. "By the end of that, we were one party member short."

He noticed how she paused then, face bowing to something unseen and kept her silence for a little longer before going on. "Two more died after her, but those two, I had the power to save." She sighed. "It's never a good experience to lose people you care about...anyway, the deed was done, the job was successful, beaten and tired, we returned to Sandpoint to tell our friend all about this crazy ordeal.
Thing is, she was gone! The beautiful owner of the Rusty Dragon and a party of additional seven members, had left Sandopint...and were heading to Tian Xia."

Tokio closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I have no idea how I could have been so blind; nor why I never mentioned my true goal of being there but, turns out, the beautiful bar owner of the Rusty Dragon, Kaijutsu Ameiko" when Saitou's expression changed to that unmistakable I-knew-it grimace she realised she didn't need to go on, but did anyway "was in fact Amatatsu Ameiko, last rightful heir of the Jade throne and the only person who could bring an end to the Jade Regent's tyranny and save Minkai."

Groaning, she covered her face with her hands, shaking her head. "Two years! I spent two years of my life in her company. How did I not see it? How did I let her go without me!?" More dying cat noises came from her, shame overbearing; he almost smiled. "She had been convinced to come back and take her rightful place while I was too busy liberating Avistan from another potential tyrant." A cry of frustration was soon to follow. "Which I don't regret, don't get me wrong, the guy needed to go away, but...but...ugh! That was my biggest goal and I missed it! Right under my nose..."

She finally let go of her face, her shame and regret and stood straight. "I bid goodbye to my party members, then, took a day to gather all the essentials and immediately took the way home. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was nothing like what I was before; I knew I'd reach Minkai before they ever did—it had barely been a month since they left. So, I took a couple of detours, got mixed up in things maybe I shouldn't have and when I came back, lo and behold...I was right. Her Majesty had not yet arrived. So, I holed myself up in some tower and patiently waited for her arrival."

She shook her head entirely too disappointed in herself. "But I was proven wrong once more; the Empress's party never came by the place I was staying and when she emerged, I had no idea; I only got wind of it when I heard about turbulence in the capital." A sigh. "I was late to the fray, but, hey, in the end I joined. And although it wasn't that first decisive battle which dethroned the Regent, I helped with everything else—cleaned up some of the provinces, too." Suddenly, she giggled. "You should have seen her face when she saw me again, barely recognised me behind all the armour. But was too quick to utilize me, to her credit. After that, I asked her to make me her personal healer...yet without me actually being there."

"Pardon?"

"Those beads are handy; I made ten for her Majesty. They, too, instantly transport me to her, should she break them. I told her, I'll be doing my own thing, away from the palace, but if you ever need me, I'm one bead away. She agreed, gave me her blessing, some credentials, and I went on my merry way."

Saitou was confused. "Why the deception?"

Her smile was scolding. "I didn't want to go back home, Hajime; my father and I would endlessly argue about my duties to the family and myself and how, according to him, I should go back, get married and start my own family; he can't argue with the Empress though!"

He clicked his tongue. "You really are manipulative..."

"My family has no clue as to my true power and I prefer to keep it that way, unless something terrible happens and I have to step in."

"But now we know."

"Yes; but you won't tell, will you?"

Her smile was wider and her story finished; he could tell because her fingers fidgeted with the letter – that she was itching to read – as well as the arms of her chair. But she still gave him time to digest all of it, knowing it was too much to take it, and remained until he posed any questions. "So, you're best friends with her highness?"

She burst out laughing. "That's what stayed with you out of the entire tale?" Running a hand through her hair, she calmed herself. "We are still friendly but naturally, the terms have changed; she's the Empress and I'm the strongest cleric of the land."

"So, when she asked you to come join us, what were you doing?"

"Adventuring, around Tian Xia, long past Minkai. She broke a bead, I showed up and she asked me to heal her; once I did, she told me of her plan. Knowing my desire for absolute independence, she assured me I'd get a piece of land for myself."

"Oh, no money?"

"Please," she wasn't even kidding with her dismissive tone "I have enough of that saved to build and sustain a city half the size of Minkai for five years. Adventuring is profitable, especially when you have the ability to bring rich people back from the dead." She chuckled. "Don't worry; I made sure I knew the entire story—I didn't accidentally bring back any Jade Regents..." She shrugged. "But I knew what I wanted and I knew what I had to do to get it."

"Your inheritance?"

"That's safely back at my family home; I never touched it, other than those first funds to leave the continent. I don't need to, really."

He was both impressed yet annoyed. "And to think I called you a spoiled daddy's girl..." He snorted. "If I were you, I'd have punched me in the face."

"W, well," she started through chuckles "you and I are not the same; and you were half as terrible as you think, simply because I didn't pay any attention to you."

"Hey!"

"It was either that or I would actively try to win each and every battle you ever participated out of you."

"...fine, you win. It could be worse."

He started getting used to her laughter and distinguish its moods; if it was something she thought was hilarious, it was boisterous and she'd throw her head back. If it was self-induced, there'd be small hiccups in there. If it was something funny but a little insulting, she'd cover her mouth and look down, making it as silent as possible. And, much like now, if it was something like this, she would shake a little, make some sound but ultimately cough to stop. "Anyway, that's my long-winded story," she finished then, absently realising she ruined her hair from their bun "I ask you not to share any controversial details, like my relationship with her highness or my amassed personal fortune."

For some reason, she knew she didn't even need to say it. There was no way he'd talk or let something slip—the driving force behind her sharing it with him. Likewise, he knew she'd ask him to keep it a secret, but even before she sat him down, he had no intention of telling anyone anything. If anyone ever asked, he'd say something in the lines of "she's had more experience than us" and be over with it. It felt like this was...something special between them and if he did share, he'd spoil it. After all he'd put her through, too, it felt all the more special she'd confine in him, so, just to make up for all the awfulness, he would never spill.

Just as she was about to leave her chair, a last question stopped her. "You never answered one thing though." She looked back doubtful. "Why would you risk your life for us?" Her expression never changed but her cheeks, gaining colour with every second that went by without an answer, betrayed her state of mind. "Don't expect me to have forgotten because I was drunk when you let it slip." Her traitorous cheeks burned brighter. "Why?"

"I...could not live with myself if anything happened to you."

"But you just said you can bring people back from the d—ead, hey!"

She hit him on the head with the back of her hand. "I'm a cleric; the best way to keep someone healthy is to heal their wounds not let them die and bring them back. Besides, what if your souls were judged before I could get to you? What would I do then?"

"...we are under your care, but not your responsibility." He stood from his chair and she was way too close because she had to lean back not to collide with him. "If there's ever the choice of us or you again, choose you." She looked down, ready to reject him in her own, delicate way but he pressed on. "You owe us nothing, no matter what." He took a step forward, causing her to stumble and fall back in her chair. "People who have goals in their life should work hard towards them. Don't let a false sense of duty take that away from you. Besides," he put his hands on the chair's arms "if anything happened to you, many people would cry; no one will cry for us, priestess." She swallowed. "We are expendable; the very reason we were sent on this quest. Why the Empress thought it'd be a good idea to send you with us I don't know, but don't be an idiot. You have to outlive everyone."

"She didn't send me," she finally cracked under the pressure and couldn't help but looking away "she only told me of her plan and I demanded to be put on your team, otherwise you'd all die. It isn't right, for anyone to consider themselves dispensable. Nobility or not, you are people; the same things that make you up, make all of the rich and famous up, too—I should know, that's what I do. I didn't know how you'd react but I hadn't cared. I don't care for tradition that treats people as objects to begin with. So, if you tell me I shouldn't have given up my one life for all five of you, I find that extremely sad. If you're telling me I shouldn't have given up my life because that automatically means that more deaths could not be prevented down the line...that I accept. But it's the only argument I shall accept."

She flicked her hair then, slapping one of his two hands in the process. "I shall read the letter now. Why don't you start reading, too?"

He slowly moved to the pile, deciding to pick one from the bottom. His eyes slid to her just for a second and then went back to his letter. "You are impossibly stubborn." She hummed absently. "And quite...nontraditional. I do not approve."

She snorted. "Of course you don't."

"At least not wholly."

"That's fine; I don't expect you to agree with me. I just want you to understand." He said nothing further and she took it as a sign of agreeing.

Some time passed; they sat there in silence and they were surprised to find it wasn't at all uncomfortable. "I am finished with Hijikata's letter," she informed, standing up and moving for the pile herself "you may read it, too."

She just noticed he never moved the chair from opposite her but somehow she hadn't seen or sensed him sitting there. He had about ten letters in his lap, two of them opened, thus read. At her suggestion, he groaned, never looking up; well, she couldn't blame him! They had many letters to go through. "Just tell me the important parts, unless there's something that I have to read, too."

"He says he's confident the meeting will finally be over in a day or so, so we shouldn't leave before he returns; he congratulates us on our victory and thanks us because now he has bragging but most importantly bargaining rights."

Good old Hijikata. "He also praises us for our excellent judgment and unprecedented patience since we're both still alive, from what he gathers." Something between laughter and crying escaped the man, hand on his forehead. "And that's pretty much it; I'll go grab half the remaining letters now."

"Be my guest," he muttered darkly. She patted his shoulder; they'd be there for a long time.

The more letters they read, the worse their nerves got; most of these were pompous letters of thanks but many incorporated requests for favours and odd jobs here and there. They were all lords or some sort of nobility, thus, they assured, had the money to pay for their services. Still, they weren't mercenaries who did this for fame, so it was a little troublesome to think they suddenly had so much work to do. It wasn't as if Hijikata wouldn't milk this for all it got...

But then, the second to last letter held something of interest. Saitou's eyebrows rose the more he read and he seemed to be genuinely surprised. "What," Tokio asked suspiciously when she noticed he almost smirked.

"This is a letter of thanks...addressed directly at you." She gave him the most owlish stare; he did smirk in the end. "The writer claims you're the best thing since wrought iron" she giggled; she bet that wasn't the way it was phrased, but how he chose to phrase it himself "calls you the bravest person in a bunch of ways, assures you your beauty is absolutely on par" she laughed at that "and extends an invitation to attend a festival that will be held in our honour."

The more he paraphrased, the less decorum was upheld; he inflected, nearly mocked until he finished, hard pressed to sound serious. "Naturally, there will be a dinner held for us, too-"

"How grand," she commented.

"-at his private estate...which, his son will be organising." Silence. "Oh."

"I think—are you sure this was addressed to me?" He nodded mutely. "I think this person's son wants to formally court me."

"I think so, too."

She shrugged. "Tough; I have no intention of being courted by anyone."

"It's not like I approve of this but...you can't say no. They will hold a festival in our honour; and a dinner." He looked at the letter again. "In a day, after they receive our response."

"Where are they located?"

"Close, if they not only know but even wrote to us about the beast and we have it in our hands; basically, in two days from now."

"I am flattered but I cannot attend such a gathering; I have managed to slither away from a dozen of these things back in the capital! I won't be outdone by a country bumpkin with a large fortune."

"We can't say no, Tokio, don't even think about it. Instead, think what Hijikata would say."

It was her turn to groan now. "Fine," she started and he pat her back once in approval but he was too soon to celebrate victory because she wasn't done yet "but one of you fine lads must come with me."

"...it's not unreasonable."

"Perfect! I'll tell the snake to draft the reply." He gave her a nod. "Do tell though Hajime, which one of you will join me?"

"Whoever, I don't care." He considered for a moment. "Maybe Okita; I don't trust Harada around you too much—or Toudou." A moment. "Especially Toudou," he reconfirmed, remembering their talk that same morning. "Okita or Nagakura it is. Meh," he said then again, cutting the list even shorter "not him, either. Just Okita; take Okita."

"Glad to see you don't care about this at all..."

She had to laugh at the way he looked up at her, a look that escorted her all the way out of the tent.

.

"What part of take Okitadid you not understand?"

"Yes, but, we both didn't think of one little problem, which Okita picked up on in an instant" he leaned a little forward, seeing she was building up suspense on purpose "what are we going to wear to that thing?"

Saitou's face fell and the letter in his hand almost followed; it was the answer to their reply—turns out, the city was four hours worth the trip on horseback and just as soon as their messenger arrived, the father and son duo grabbed him and did not let go until after they had read their reply. Overjoyed, they wrote back that they were expected tomorrow at five, both her and her escort,Saitou Hajime; they would meet them at the gates half an hour earlier to show them around before the festival.

Hence, they'd have to wear something nicer than armour to the damn thing, as both father and son would join them for the entire day while they had no time to go shopping for a new garment. So "someone who already has something to wear should escort you."

"And that is," she urged him to go on.

"Me." She nodded morosely. "Damn it!"

"On the flip side," she tried to find something positive "you will be able to meet with a local lord; getting your name out there is a great thing."

"If Hijikata thinks that's my reason, even for a moment, I'll end up as the stable boy." She was not amused. "It's more likely than you think," he defended himself.

"Whatever; we're going. If one of you doesn't come, I'm not going."

That was obviously non-negotiable. He muttered a couple of dark things under his breath then, about lords and their need to flaunt their wealth and went on his way. "Nagakura will be left in our stead," he barked before he disappeared; she did not refuse him.

.

.

"Tokio-chan, Tokio-chan; can I come in?"

"Yes."

Okita's head came in first; then followed the rest of him, slowly and steadily. He was the first man to enter her tent and he could not help but feel very satisfied with himself for it. He was going to strut at first, but then he saw the grandeur of the inside of her tent and he was too impressed to do anything more than numbly walk inside.

There was a large circular carpet, that covered every inch of the ground her tent sheltered. It was emerald, with golden dragons and red details that were supposed to be the dragon's fiery breath. To the direct left of the tent was a wooden mannequin that donned her armour and next to it, a small wooden structure, fairly simple, where all of her weapons stood. On the right, there was a beautiful, carved table made of dark, almost black wood; it had cravings of vines and beautiful flowers. Behind it, a modest chair. On top of it a bunch of things he didn't know and some letters. But then there was a relatively small bookcase, filled to the brim, a match to the desk with identical carvings and the same colour scheme; a black settee, with a green cushion and gold-trimmed details, stood after the bookcase.

To the far end was a matching closet and a traditional Minkaian bed, futon and everything all laid out. A ricepaper screen with a wooden sceleton stood close to the edge, next to the closet; it was the one thing standing between her and any prying eyes.

"I have never seen so much luxury in one room before."

"Is that why you came here this time of day?" Half past twelve, in fact; she had just finished dressing and she was looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Hair were up in an elaborate bun, jade pin to secure the entire do; no make up but a single application of red lipstick, and of course, one of her favourite, simpler dresses: a three layered kimono, barely scraping the ground at her feet. Okay, maybe dragging a little, but still, it wasn't too much—perfect for a festival. The first layer was black, only the collar visible; then there was a red layer, only collar visible again, as well as a little bit of fabric at the bust; then the final and the impressive layer came, an amazingly threaded plain green kimono, same jade as her pin, with golden hibiscus leaves and stems that led to the blossom of the same flower, only that one was red.

"No, silly! I need to ask you—oooh." Just then she stepped out behind the mirror and Okita whistled; she laughed. "Looking good, Tokio-chan!" He wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm starting to regret my decision to forgo the invitation."

"Too late now," she feigned the drama in her voice "your choice has been made."

He sighed. "Sadly, I know; which is why I came here on the first place. Saitou-san requires your assistance" he announced brightly; the confusion in her eyes made him chuckle. "He has the clothes to wear, but not the know-how."

Of course.

She should have known. There was no way that man had ever wore anything like that, even if he did have it with him. Any respectable young lord, disowned or not, would have; but she could bet both her hands it was Hijikata who convinced him to keep it. She tried not to laugh too much at the idea. "Alright, I'm going."

Okita didn't trouble himself with escorting her, and she reached the tent in record time; she made herself known as she entered the tent by quipping "Tokio to the rescue," cheerily. "What seems to be the problem?"

His back was turned; he was struggling with one of the two obi this thing had. "This damn thing is a goddamn puzzle; I've been fightling with it for half an hour."

"That's because," she tried not to laugh too much "you're doing it backwards." She noticed how committed to the task he was, still not turning to her. "Let me help."

Her voice came from too close and he finally turned to see her, just as she had began inspecting him. She shook her head "you're hopeless. Hold out your hands, please..."

Just then, she realised he wasn't compliant; she looked up to see his face for the first time, sensing his gaze on her and was quite startled to find him simpering. As if that was his cue, his smirk became even more crooked and he said "I thought you said you weren't looking for a husband," in a very pointedly teasing way.

She pouted. "I am not."

"With sleeves so long and shoulders exposed like this?" She pursed her lips, hands tying in front of her chest as he shook his head. "How misleading."

"Do you want my help or not?" was all she said in return and he had to chuckle.

Giving in then, he extended his hands on either side as she had asked him; she instantly turned her eyes to the clothes. "This is quite easy, you know," she continued as she examined him "the problem is you've put the first layer last."

"But that is the—"

"—basis, so it has the largest collar, hence, it remains popping even after all the layers fall on top of it."

He made a face as he took off layer after layer, a pained expression on his face; she was helping him along, fingers nimble on dark blue and black fabric "now, put this on first; then this—see how it ties around?" Her eyes stayed focused on his back or chest, depending which side she was on, voice firm. "Now second and third layers are interchangeable, but I am quite fond of this blue, so let's make that dominant." She inspected him. "There! Once you tie the second obi, we're done." The first, the big one, was white; this one was black. "Ah, here's the haori" she gave him the last, most colourful layer "and we're done."

"And if I don't want to wear it?"

She felt her eye twitch. "You're wearing it."

"But I don't—,"

"If I'm dressed like this, you're wearing the damn haori." She was absolute.

"Oh, so you admit you're overdressed?"

"I am not; but if we don't both look formal then Iwillbe regarded as such. You're wearing it." He was still not convinced. "Do you feel suicidal?" He nodded no. "Then you're wearing it."

He actually laughed at her threat, just before giving into her orders. For the past five minutes she'd been manhandling him, too in her effort to dress him properly, fingers weaving in and out, going around as she pleased; saying yes felt natural. It didn't feel too bad, being fondled by a pretty woman in an effort to get him into his clothes, after all.

She took a step back, admiring her handiwork. "Not bad at all! These colours suit you very nicely, make you look like a lord, too."

"As if I care."

Her smirk came easy. "Oh, I don't know. Last time I checked, only daimyo used other people to dress them. And they called them servants." She shook her head. "And to think I am the rich one in this unit..."

"Pissed, priestess?"

"Not at all; how could I ever be mad at you admitting you need my help?"

"Leave," he half-barked, half-laughed "I'm coming once I find my swords."

Ah, right.

She complied, leaving the impressive haori on the table, a mix of black, blue and white in swirling patterns that formed dragons at the edges and exited the tent. She was surprised to find a crowd had gathered in front of it and, although seeing her, they did not flinch or pay her much attention. Ah. They had gathered here for their captain! Suddenly, an idea came to her and a wicked smile formed. She stood by the red fabric that served as the door, on the right; then she raised her hands towards it, as if displaying something. After she was sure she had everyone's attention, she cleared her throat.

"Gentlemen, I present to you your new lord: Saitou Hajime-dono."

She timed it perfectly; the moment she finished speaking his name, he emerged. There was a split second of absolute silence as the man took pause at the large number of people, and the people took in the captain's appearance.

Then all men broke out in roaring laughter!

Coupled with Tokio's "presentation", it really was hilarious. Even Saitou couldn't deny it, despite being so fed up with this entire ordeal, he was this close to snapping; still, he endured, taking a deep breath. Then his eyes slid to Tokio, as lethal as his blade, and his head followed, but slower, in a scary way.

"If you're done ridiculing me, let's go."

"Aww," Okita cooed "but you look so handsome, Saitou-san."

"Traitors are not allowed," he snubbed his short friend as Okita laughed in his face. "We're good to go; there's a carriage waiting for us at the gates—the man sent it to us, arrived an hour ago."

She rolled her eyes appropriately, him agreeing. "At least we won't be inconvenienced any more than we have to."

He had to agree with that, too. "Where's your holy symbol?"

He had instinctively looked at her waist, where the pouch with the ingredients usually was, to find it there, only swapped out for something far more expensive and stylish. The driver opened the door for them at the same time, but his helping hand was thoroughly ignored as Saitou simply pushed her inside the carriage, firm hand on her back. In fact, he wasn't thoroughly ignored—he received a passing but mighty glare from the Saitou, who found it quite reprehensible, a driver offering his hand to the lady.

"It's right here," she pointed at the elegant, gold chain that hang low, just as she settled in her seat; it ended in an intricate and far more aesthetically pleasing image of her usual holy symbol "I never go anywhere without it."

The carriage began to move. "And the ring?"

"Oh this? It's a fail-safe; it's quite expensive so I can smash it to procure diamond dust, in case the amount I have proves insufficient."

Wow, she was far more prepared than he'd think, despite not bringing even one weapon and leaving all of her armour behind. But he had to tease her. "Expensive rings, gold necklaces...how lavish of you."

She shook her head. "I knew you'd be like this."

"Rich people," he breathed but she caught it.

"You used to be rich, too from what I heard."

He stiffened, just a little. "Not that rich; and I never liked that lifestyle."

She tried to sound as non-confrontational as possible when she hummed; and then she followed it up with a question that left him staring at her hard, trying to decide what to do or say. "Is that why they disowned you?"

"No," he finally made up his mind "it was more of a necessity."

He could tell she was curious, she kept looking at him every half a second; he could also tell she was trying to be cordial and not pry any further. Sighing defeated, he realised he was going to be sharing this whether he liked it or not. "You canask, you know," he allowed her.

"Why did they disown you?"

He heaved a long-suffering sigh, very different than the one before; he averted his eyes. "I was the one responsible for my wife's death; my Jade Regent-friendly wife, two years before the Empress was crowned."

"I see...I am sorry for your losses."

She bowed in that graceful way and he had to click his tongue. "Don't be. Although I did love my wife, her allegiance lay somewhere mine couldn't follow and that was why she was ultimately killed; as far as my position is concerned, please." A snort. "I was the third child, second son. I didn't lose much, in terms of future prospects—only the cushy life I never even wanted. Besides, it was all scripted; they too were anti-Regent and my disowning was only a smoke-screen, to cover my enrollment to the Shinsengumi." He chuckled. "We're on good terms, actually.""

"I see." A beat of silence. "How was your wife killed?"

"Hijikata killed her." Her shock was too obvious. "I'd found out she had made a contract with an oni, whatever contract an oni can uphold anyway, and she was persistently trying to get me to do the same. I told her to stop, she didn't listen. Eventually, when I decided to join him and his men, she attacked...and Hijikata stopped her."

"Sounds terrible."

"Looked worse."

Her face was the perfect expression of empathy. "Did it hurt?"

"Yes, but it was inevitable; I loved her and she loved me, too but we were both very focused on our individual ethics. And when those don't match, it's very difficult."

"I am so sorry."

"Don't be, really." She tried, but couldn't find something to say. "Let's change the subject." But what to say? He wasn't one to start conversations...think; what has she ever talked about? Oh right. "You said you wanted to have your own family registry once; what other plans do you have for the future?"

Now it was her who averted her eyes. "...I told you I have enough money to build my own city yesterday, but...truth is, that ismy goal: build a city of my own where everyone is allowed, as long as they stick to the rules I'll have set, while no sick or injured would go unattended." She looked outside idly. "I have the funds to make it a reality; now I only need the land."

"That's why you took this assignment," he finally put it together. He stopped to look at her. "I respect that."

"It was one of the reasons," she pointed out.

"No need to get defensive, princess."

"I am not a princess; that title remains empty to this day."

"Pffffff, this Empress won't be giving us any heirs from the looks of it; the Empire will fall into a state of chaos and anarchy."

"Or,maybe, things will happen as the people will them for once. Maybe Shizuru, in her infinite wisdom, will give her blessings to a new order of things, where the people govern themselves...! Or at least choose their rulers, or even have the chance to become rulers themselves."

She was calm, like commenting on the weather, as if she hadn't just proposed one of the most revolutionary concepts in the entire continent of Tian Xia,. She turned to look at him, sensing his eyes on her once more; she found him staring quite incredulously. "Yes?"

"You...speak of forbidden things with a very straight face. Also, please don't speak of these things in front of Shizuru followers."

"Shizuru followers such as yourself?"

"Maybe, but never say any of that in front of Hijikata. Maybe he already knows, but if he doesn't, and he hears you...I don't know how he'd react."

She waved him away. "I won't but if Shizuru wanted me to stop, she would have shown me a sign a long time ago."

"That's not how these things go."

She gave him a look. "Of course it is."

"Right, I forget; you're a cleric. You have a different way to communicate with the divine. "

"Well, no; yes, but no; anyway, never mind."

After that, they fell into silence that lasted quite a while. She was looking out the window, trying to ignore the heated looks, sometimes calculating and others troubled, Saitou was sending her way. Other than that, he too would look out the window, but sitting opposite her he couldn't help but sneak glances her way. The revelations, the attitude, the clothes...he couldn't stop looking at her really. But for none of the reasons he would have ever imagined, not one of those glances was it tainted with dislike or annoyance.

"Tokio," he said after a long time "what type of God is Qi Zhong?"

The way she looked at him made him feel bad about himself; she was so disbelieving but exited at the same time...when she was certain she heard right, she became a ball of energy, bouncing all over the place without even moving from her seat! It appeared she was expecting someone, anyone to make that question. And now he did and her chest rose with every breath and it was quite cute to watch it all go down.

He was treated to a thorough explanation of Qi Zhong's agenda, beliefs and doctorines: God of magic, knowledge, good and healing; the God who raised another god from the dead, Tsukuyomi, Shizuru's lover, just so that the two gods could meet again, even once every four or five years during the eclipse. He was a god who thought one ought to protect those around them, especially those who were weak, above all others and his followers adhered to that as a rule. There was no one in suffering that they did not have a moral obligation to help, unless it somehow impeded with a greater good directly.

He was not surprised she was a devoted follower of the certain god, an agent of the god actually, if he was allowing her to use his divine powers in his name. "You know," he started then "I must admit, I misjudged you." She gave him a keen look. "You're nothing like I expected."

A soft chuckle later, she said "that's because you were biased for I am a woman; and a rich one at that."

"True."

"But I appreciate you telling me; it takes a lot to admit to that."

He grunted in an odd way, making her giggle; he clicked his tongue. "Too girly today, aren't you?"

"Can't help it, not in this attire."

"Idiot."

"You should act formal yourself, now that we're almost there." He waved her away and, shrugging, she went back to her window-watching.

They had introduced themselves to the self appointed king of the very large village, or small city, and his son the moment they set foot in town, with them first giving them a small detour, but Tokio was proud to say she managed to avoid both for most of the night. Instead, she alternated between participating and spectating the various games and competitions. That is, until dinner-time came. Thankfully, it wasn't held behind closed walls, but in the city square, next to the fountain. The city's most important personalities were invited, making it a table seating approximately one hundred people. And, of course, food stalls and makeshift barbecues were set up all around them, in an effort to make the rest of the townsfolk feel included.

But the beauty of the festival was unlike any other; it bore an unfamiliar feeling compared to theirs, in the capital or the large cities, being a northern region. It had many familiar elements and wasn't too exotic, but at the same time everything was different; the booths were plenty and their food delicious. The games were all new and they enjoyed partaking in many of them, even if they deliberately lost, to give money back to the community. But what was truly mesmerising was the fairy lights; so long you stood a good distance from the stalls, they were almost otherworldly.

"We hold accomplished women to a very high esteem around these parts, Tokio-san" the father informed her, nodding imperceptibly towards his son "enough to make them queens."

"With all due respect," Saitou started after just a glance at Tokio's polite nod, dislike to whatever was going to follow blatant, but too well mannered to speak out "she has much better prospects by her birthright alone; besides, if she ever chose to be used for political games, she'd pick a bigger power than you."

If Tokio was having a drink, she would have spat it out; the two men gave him a similar look, as if not quite believing he was sane and said all those things. She motioned for him to stop, but he went on, despite clearly seeing her. "Though I doubt a woman of her status and caliber would allow to be used; her skill set alone makes it a shame for her to be tied down by big or small town politics. Her healing capabilities should be accessible to everyone."

"She's still human," the son protested "she needs a companion."

"That's for her to decide, but sure; still, she doesn't need someone as grand as a king. If anything someone like that would hinder her path in life."

"And you presume to know the path of life she has chosen?"

"I do not; I imply we have talked about it and she seems to favour the adventurer's lifestyle."

They all turned to her. "Yes," she admitted with a challenging smile "at least for now; sharing my gifts with the world before I find, or even make, some place to settle seems ideal."

"You have self-centred plans, Tokio-san," the son commented awkward.

She blinked. "Are you saying my plans for my future are too focused on me? Or do you imply my wish to help others at the best of my ability is selfish?"

"No...of course not. I said something stupid, forgive me."

"I accept your apology."

She inclined her head in that gracious way she always moved and the back of her neck was exposed; Saitou blinked. What was that? He could swear he saw a tattoo peeking out of her skin. Was it there before? No, he'd have seen it when she first wore a kimono, he wouldn't miss such a fancy thing: a dragon comprised of flames and wood, black, but...changing colour? What was that? Wait, he was staring too long; he had to look away. Any moment now, come on; any moment...but she caught him staring now, so what's the use? He scolded himself but that damn thing was entrancing, he felt compelled to look at it. Right; that's the excuse he'd use later that night.

No matter, the conversation effectively ended after that which was a success as far as Tokio was concerned, who ate like she was at home. The man would glare both at his son for the poor handling of the situation, as well as Saitou for taking it that far. But after the actual food was consumed, they had no reason to linger any longer and the carriage that brought them, took them home.

"Tokio, do you have any tattoos?"

Her eyes snapped to his knowingly. There was an indistinguishable feeling floating around her face and he couldn't tell if he just said something very right or very wrong. It was all decided when she opened her mouth again. "You saw." But then she went ahead and asked the most ridiculous thing she could have. "What did you see?"

"What can I see other than what it was?"

"Just answer me."

"It was a dragon made of fire and vines with thorns; it was as big as two of..."

The moment he spoke of it, the exact image popped up in her face! No, to be precise, the dragon appeared slithering our from her neck, ascending to her face; it settled in profile and her eye became the eye of the dragon. He stared. "How did this happen?"

"What happened?"

"The tattoo just appeared on your face."

"Oh, it did?" She seemed happy and he was completely lost. "That's great."

"Tokio, what is that?"

"I've had that for a while now, maybe two years."

"I'd have seen it before."

She shook her head. "It does not rely on sight; it relies on...perception. And one's perception of me, mostly."

"Pardon?"

"The dragon travels wherever it wants; it usually prefers my shoulders."

"Is it a curse?" The way she laughed told him no. "Is it a blessing?"

"Of some sort; but not for me, for the ones who see it. The problem is, it's capricious. It won't reveal itself to many. You're the first in the entire unit."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "My body is its home; you did something truly nice about me, so it appreciated it, I guess."

"Is it a parasite?"

She sturuggled with that question. "It's something divine but I can't tell you its exact origins. It just appeared one day." He was very distraught at her lack of curiosity about this thing living inside her. "It's not sentient but at the same time it is; don't worry, if it was anything harmful, I'd have known. Like I said, it has only helped people."

"How? By making them stare at you?"

She giggled; "no, but that's the way it makes itself known. Once you look at it for a long time, next time you'll be able to benefit from it—how, you'll know when the time comes."

"Wh...why does this even exist?"

"I don't know; I didn't ask."

"So what does this mean?"

"I guess it means you accepted me as your comrade and it thanks you."

He was about to say something back, but then he realised...he didn't want to. The dragon thing was right. He stayed there silent, sitting in his seat. So many things he had no idea how to respond to kept happening around him; he was confused. And he was tired. He didn't want to fight anymore, so let this be the beginning of a new era! One he'd be accepting and kind...at least, for his standards.

.

.

"Knock knock. Is Tokio-chan decent?"

"Come in," the woman responded through laughs; he knew that was Okita's voice at her tent's door, in the middle of the night. Why he hadn't gone to sleep already, she had no idea. "What is it?"

"Aw, you look cute in casual clothes, too."

"This is my nightgown," she managed between chuckles.

"Oooh, good to know." She smacked him. "Anyway, you must be wondering what in Shizuru's name I am doing here...well, the reason is the exact opposite from this morning. Saitou-san needs help taking his clothes off! Just like a giant baby."

"Oh, I for—ha ha ha, no, he's not a giant baby. I did something to the," she showed the back "so he can't," she waved Okita away "I'm going, I'm going."

"I'm coming in," she announced mere moments later as she walked in Saitou's tent.

"Why are you here? I asked Okitato—..." He shook his head. "What are you wearing?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's late; no one saw me in my oh so shocking sleepwear."

"Okita did." Obviously; why did he say that? He had no idea why—it just felt like it needed to be said; for some reason, it bothered him.

"Yeah, so do you, now; this isn't the dramatic situation you make it out to be." She came closer, turning him around just as he was about to complain some more, despite knowing she was completely right and had no reason to keep this up. "You can't take this off because I put a safety pin there, otherwise it would sag."

"Ugh, I hate it when they sag."

"I figured; this is how I always do it for dad...and brother, when he was still alive." A small smile he missed flashed and then she patted him twice on the back to let him know he was ready. "You can undress now; goodnight commander."

"Vicecommander," he corrected her again and she chuckled. "Acting, too."

"You know what they say: act the part long enough..."

"And what part are youacting, exactly?"

Just like that, the mood changed; it wasn't hostile, as she would have expected, but it wasn't normal, either. It savoured of something heated. It reminded her of that night so many moons ago that he had the decency to escort her to her room. But he wasn't grabbing her now, nor was he aggressive; he was just...intense. The way he was looking at her felt like he was actually grabbing her, it was very intrusive. No, it was something diffirent; something she couldn't distinguish yet. Or, she didn't want to; no matter, she decided to end this stalemate and break the off staring contest, even if it meant losing because it did something weird to her temperature.

Sighing, she headed to the exit. "You are always second guessing me, Hajime..."

"There were too many revelations these past three days, I don't know what to think anymore."

"You should have made up your mind by now; oh, and a warning:" just as she pushed the door to the side, she turned to look at him "if you complain about my kimono again, I'll start wearing my old adventuring garb, I swear to Qi Zhong. See how you like it then." He looked like he had no idea what she was threatening. It made her smile. "Consider yourself warned."

.

.

"Hijikata-sama." All the captains bowed deeply to the man who emerged from the carriage. But then their eyes widened as a second figure walked out. "Kondou-sama!" Their bow became a bent knee – with the exception of Tokio – and they waited until both men were out of the carriage to rise again.

"It's a blessing you both returned, welcome back," Tokio saluted them, leading everyone to the encampment.

It had been too long since Kondou had set foot there, it was quite different: his tent had become a full-fledged operations centre while other places were expanded and refined; the little circle of captains remained, but it spread out while at the same time growing closer with the men's tents. And of course, Tokio's tent was moved further away from everyone, becoming even bigger if possible.

"We have loads to tell you!" Okita started exuberant once they were safely out of earshot, but he was stopped by a frowning Hijikata.

"They will have to wait until we are done informing you of some changes." The two men looked at one another and once Kondou nodded, Hijikata sighed, but continued. "We have new orders."

Oh no, the collective looks of the men could be translated as. "We are no longer meant to fight the oni of the west...but eliminate the growing threat of the north, going by the name Shishio Makoto."

For a single, solitary moment there was silence.

"What?"

And then it started.

But to everyone's surprise, it was Tokio who spoke. "Why would our orders need to change to take care of him? He is not that big of a deal that we need to only concern ourselves with him! Hell, we can deal with him on our way there, just as we had originally—!"

"This comes from her Majesty herself," Kondou cut her off; Tokio's expression of furious disbelief was comical. "There is no changing it."

"She was the one who wanted us to fight the oni!"

"Yes, and now it's her again that has decided this; only she can overrule her own decision, you know that," Hijikata scolded her but she could tell he was bitter about this, too.

So why wasn't anyone reacting? He might have been bitter but said nothing! And the men—she turned around in search of support but all she saw was crestfallen, defeated men. She fumed! "This is unacceptable," she stated then, trying to speak up for everyone. "What did she promise this once? Unclaimed pieces of land that belonged to Jade Regent's rich supporters?"

"Yes," came Kondou's awkward admission "how did you know?"

She actually clicked her tongue at that and everyone looked on scandalised as she so openly criticised her highness as well as her decisions. "What else would she promise? This is ridiculous! We are supposed to go help those poor people in Chu Ye, not take a trip around the countryside; I won't stand for this."

The titular commander was in shock. "Tokio-san, what are you-?"

"I do not accept this turn of events! This is immoral, not just to the people of Chu Ye but to you, too. You cannot possibly-!"

"Her majesty has her reasons," Hijikata intervened, a little taken aback at the woman's tongue.

"Yes, indeed; she worries too much for the public opinion, thinking it can be swayed against her easily—but she tends to forget she has the Goddess's blessings! The court can't kill her or make her disappear; she's not her father nor is she weak. She must be more decisive than this if she is to rule for a long time. She can't be disappointed in us, for we only have three months to show for our efforts—three months fraught with achievements and people's cheers! We have been successful so far and—,"

"—and it isn't our place to have such strong opinions for her Majesty's decisions," Saitou reminded her, as less confrontational as possible "we only need to carry out her orders. We are soldiers. "

"Youare; and how can you live like this!?"

"That is our lot in life," Okita casually agreed "and the fact we have such high prospects waiting for us, it's a kindness on her part."

"This is ridiculous," she repeated, but her anger had mellowed out in volume...which only meant it started building up as an emotion. Saitou knew that expression, she was about to say something very stupid. "I won't stand for this, not so easily." She turned to them all. "Excuse me gentlemen, I need to leave for a little while; please all of you wait for me here."

They watched dumbfounded as she turned around and walked out the tent in an instant. After gaping for about an entire minute at her antics, Saitou recovered first; he shook his head. "I'll go...reason with her." He did not wait for the okay and just followed after her.

He was the best choice really; he was the only one who knew why she was that upset—her dream would not be realised as well as it could have; Tokio was annoyed by her highness and the fact they were friends only made it easier for her to be angry. But to act like that in front of so many people, how uncouth. He never quickened his pace though, trying to appear casual – and not give anyone the impression he was running after her, for whatever reason – so it took him longer than her to reach the tent. When he did, and was about to make himself known, he heard her voice.

Wow, did she sense him? Just as he was about to announce himself all the same though, he finally strung what she said together...and she wasn't talking to him. Then to whom?

"Why would you change your mind for no reason!? You know we have invested in this!"

Saitou remained staring at her door; was she...speaking to the Empress? "Come on, Ameiko," came his answer in the form of her righteous indignation "there's no need to be coy!"

Curiosity won out in the end.

Disregarding the splendour he found inside as his head emerged behind the door, trying not to pay it any attention for now, he turned to the place where the big black blob of armour was: hunched over the table, at the right, shouting at something stationary. He walked inside, but she still did not hear him. She kept glaring and talking to the...mirror, it was a mirror, flat on the wooden surface, with drive and attitude. "We have had our orders and they were satisfactory; you know yourself we could have eliminated Shishio as a side quest, too; no need to bump him up to main goal status, for no other reason than pleasing the old men of the council."

"People started getting antsy over your victories; not to mention the killing of that Jabberwock brought many emotions to the surface. Those who are against you started panicking and those in your favour nearly reverie you now."

"So address them; you are the Empress, you can do whatever you want. I think you forget I helped you eliminate all the actively Jade Regent-friendly adversaries; those who remain are only those who hope to stir up trouble and them we have under control."

Saitou was approaching without a shred of stealth, but neither woman noticed him; he saw the Empress's face in the mirror, looking up at the cleric wearily. "If my word is so absolute then why do you so vehemently try to refute it?"

"The men were promised a different path; so was I. What I set out to do is very different from cleaning up after people's messes. Shishio, you know as well as I, is a remnant of the Regent. I can take care of it, but that's not my end game."

"It is now."

"But-!"

"You defeated a mythical creature; defeat a tangible threat, too and you'll be loved by the public enough to make the unit a part of the army."

"So, you think closing a minor case will have the same impact as liberating a country?"

"Results matter; and no matter what, defeating an enemy in our own country will be much more appreciated than other people's problems."

Tokio pinched the bridge of her nose hard. "We are going in circles. This is not why I contacted."

"Right." An imperceptible smile appeared on her highness lips. "Your sole purpose was to change my mind."

Tokio smirked back. "You do seem to change it so easily, after all..."

"Tokio, I beg of you; I haven't had a drink in days, too so my patience is wearing thin. Do not challenge me on this, just this once."

Heh; even the Empress herself was at a loss with this woman's stubbornness. He was very glad he wasn't the only one. But Saitou didn't miss the way Tokio's eyes became smaller at that, nor the obvious curiosity in her eyes.

"Tokio, I want you to help these men defeat Shishio; I am not confident they will make it on their own. But, if you are so averse to the idea of leaving the Chu Ye objective behind...then you have my consent: break off the unit and pursue the original goal on your own."

Saitou stared, speechless; Tokio looked on shocked.

"But make no mistake, they will not follow. Their new mission is Shishio Makoto; their reward will still be land and a home of their own, as well as the right to bear a noble name, and yours, I will make sure it is the same. Simply, the way you go about it will change." A pause. "So, what will it be?"

For one long moment, Saitou could feel the pit of his stomach drop and disappear to the void of his anxiety. He could not see her expression, he couldn't be sure of what she was going to say or do next; he only knew that the Empress was offering her exactly what she wanted and she'd have to be a damn fool not to accept. It was what she always wanted, offered with open arms. There was no way she would not take the offer. No way she'd stay with them, to babysit their useless asses.

His heart slowed down a bit, just as he had felt like he ran a marathon. Disappointment mingled with something bitter, came to his lips. He never expected that to be the case but he was actually...sad she'd be leaving. It affected him. Although he was the number one naysayer. He tried not to linger too much on these thoughts and made to leave. That's when he heard her sigh defeated and he stopped dead in his tracks; whipping his head back to take a proper look at her, he discerned defeat at the shake of her head, the staring match with her Majesty thusly coming to an end.

"You know I can't just leave them; they'd be dead in a week." The Empress laughed but Saitou felt his mouth going dry. "Stupid men, always rushing into danger...besides, now I'm attached. If I found out one of them died because of my absence, I couldn't live with myself." She clicked her tongue. "You're playing dirty your highness; wipe that smirk off your face."

"I got what I wanted so why should I?"

"Because you're hiding something." Saitou, after the initial shock, could see how the Empress tried to play it cool, but what Tokio said affected her. Interesting.

"If I am, I have my reasons."

"...so I shouldn't pry?"

"I will tell you anyway, so let it be a mystery a while longer."

"Fair enough. Goodbye your highness."

"Bye bye, cute Tokio-chan."

And just like that, the mirror went back to showing Tokio's reflection. "You know I hate it when you call me that!" the cleric bellowed, despite her highness not being there to hear it anymore and let out an impressive howl. "Why do I always have to do what other people want?" she started murmuring to herself, a little disappointed. "I can never establish myself, how pathetic; I'm such a pushover. "

He tried not to smile. "You are definitely not a pushover."

She jumped so high, he had to laugh; she pouted. "Why are you here? And how long have you-?"

"Long enough to watch you talk to her highness through that handy mirror."

Instead of losing her colour as he had expected, she sighed. "Great; one more thing you have to keep quiet now. I don't do anything shady with it, but I feel if anyone knew, they'd treat me differently."

"And then you wonder why won't anyone do as you like...you won't use your bargaining chips."

"Hush you; you still haven't answered why you're here."

"Oh, I came to reason with you, but no need now; the Empress did it for me." She pursed her lips annoyed. "Let's go tell Hijikata you'll be posing no more problems, before he snaps and storms your tent."

"I'm sorry I lost my temper, but this came a little left field...but, you know, this doesn't have to be the end."

They started walking to the exit then the command centre. "What do you mean?"

"Once the festivities of defeating Shishio die down, we can always return to our original goal."

"What if the Empress has other plans for us?"

She shrugged. "If this mission's stipulations have changed and it's considered finished with Shishio's downfall, then it will be much shorter than anticipated; and you will be rid of my persistent presence earlier than expected."

"What do you mean?"

She gave him a funny look. "Hajime, I am with you for the duration of this particular assignment; I am not a real member of the unit." He stopped walking, quite taken aback; her expression became curious. "Once our common assignment is finished, I will go my own way; that was the deal."

"You'll just leave?"

"Well, if her highness decides to allow you to go to Chu Ye, I shall escort you, seeing that is also my goal, but if not, then yes, I'll have to." A nervous laugh escaped her. "It was you who protested to my appointment on the first place, why are you looking so upset all of the sudden? That was always how it was supposed to go."

"Yes, but...you've proved the most useful member of the team. And if you leave, we won't have a cleric again and we've gotten used to you."

"Huh; you aren't wrong." She considered. "I am sure I will be able to convince her highness to allow you two more healers on a regular basis, especially if she plans to make you a special unit of her army."

"They won't be as good as you."

"Few are as good as I am and I am notflaunting, I'm just trying to warn you; but, there are many more weeks to come until that happens, we'll see who we'll be able to recruit—,"

"I don't want you to leave."

He blurted it out before he could stop himself.

Damn that tattoo that suddenly appeared on her face, making him stare longer than necessary! And did it compel him to say stupid things, why was his mouth spewing such nonsense? The way her eyes became a little bigger than usual at the admission made him feel like a damn fool, too shit; stop looking at me like that. He had to say something...

"You're one of us, now; we shared food and drink. No one else is acceptable."

"That's...not how..it goes, Hajime..."

She wanted to stand by what she said, she really did; but the way he was peering at her face, the unguarded tone of his voice just a second ago and his disarming honesty made her mumble, nearly as convincing as she wanted to appear.

And then he said the last thing she expected to hear. "I don't care."

She stared.

"I mean it. Your main concern is the land, right? That's why you were so upset. Well, should we defeat Shishio all of his land falls in our hands; if you take half of whatever Shishio has under his control as we speak, you can easily have an entire fiefdom of your own. So, take it; take the biggest share, I don't care; take mine, too—all I want is a home and a name of my own. But this way, even if the Empress doesn't send us to Chu Ye, you have no reason to leave. And if she does, then, we do our good deed and come back all the same." She tried to speak many times but each and every one, she would close her mouth, even more shocked than the previous. "You are one of us now; you can't leave."

"And what will my rank be if I stay?"

"Whatever the hell it is now."

She snorted. "No one listens to me now."

"Are you—? Everyone listens to you." She gave him a look, but he continued flabbergasted.. "I listen to you and I am by far the most difficult one. Or do you think Hijikata wouldn't take your council seriously if he was fully aware of your skills as well as your relationship with her highness?"

"You don't listen to me," she countered.

"I don't always listen to you."

"Yes, but—"

"If this is about your father being close enough to make your life miserable, think again; you have enough to build and sustain your city for five years. It's the logistics that's always the most difficult part but you have it all down, it's clear you want it. Your father's protests are inconsequential, especially if you, too take your own name." A pause. "There's no downside to this, Tokio; none at all." He compelled her to look at him. "So, stay here, with us."

She regarded him for a very long, moment; confused, defensive, maybe a little breathless, too. She felt her heart beat quicken yet slow down at the same time. "Why...do you care?"

His shoulders twitched, almost shrugging, but he didn't want to complete the motion, so he caught himself; he didn't want this to be dismissed. He did care about how this would play out, even if he didn't want to.

"I just do." He had no idea what he wanted to convey, other than it was consuming; somehow, she seemed to understand it and decided to step back. "Tokio...stay."

He said it one final time before moving again; he passed by her and headed for the tent, causing her to hurry along. But both walked all the way there silent; none would say or show anything on their faces, feeling a little numb. They'd sneak glances at one another regularly but say nothing. What else could he say? What could she say in return? This needed to be thought out.

"Oh no," Hijikata almost cried out when they returned "you fought again."

Like snapping out of something, she realised she must have looked a new brand of pathetic; but she didn't mind, she was thinking hard. A soft smile later, she waved his worries away. "Not at all; I was just mulling over what Hajime told me...I am sorry, Hijikata-sama, Kondou-sama; I have overreacted. If you're willing to pretend this never happened, I am more than willing to help you once again."

"That is a relief," Kondou admitted, smile finally returning "thank you Tokio-san."

Good job, Okita mouthed to Saitou who just nodded curtly; Hijikata still caught it though and appeared troubled. He had left Saitou and Tokio in his stead and Okita as a mediator; but now it was Saitou who acted like the one to calm her spirits down. What happened while he was away? This had everything to do with the Jabberwock, he could bet his head on it.

"Is there anything else we should be informed of right now?" Tokio asked, her desire to leave a little too obvious.

"No; we'll stay here for one more day anyway. Let us rest and assess the situation at the encampment and we'll form a battle plan tomorrow." It was Hijikata who answered her, knowing Kondou hadn't put much thought into it yet. Still, this gave her a chance to catch her breath, so she was appreciative, despite her opinion that they needed to move soon. And then the most desirable words were heard and she was out the door in a split second: "You are dismissed."

.

.

"What's wrong Tokio-chan? Did you not like the plan we came up with?"

"Not at all; I think it's very wise to scout first and stir even more trouble before facing him. Information are always important and welcome. As is, making a name for ourselves."

Harada chuckled. "Then why do you sit there with such a stern frown on your face?" It was quite uncommon of her, she was always such a ray of sunshine. Now, she resembled, dare they say it, Saitou Hajime of all people.

"No reason; I'm just being silly." The smile returned effortlessly and everyone sighed a breath of relief. "Overthinking, too I suppose."

"Overthinking what?"

Saitou's deep voice snapped every person at attention – mostly Toudou who was standing a little too close to Tokio – as no one expected him back so soon; they supposed Hijikata's training would take much longer than a measly hour, but it didn't; and Saitou was too observant and caught the way Tokio averted her eyes from him, even if only for a moment before looking back to pretend it was all smooth sailing. Did no one else notice she was really forcing herself, why was everyone harping over her? Still, she waved them away, as if it was nothing and they bought it.

But it wasn't.

It was affecting her deeply, in fact. Why had that small conversation stuck with her so much? Why did it feel so important? Why did she fear broaching the subject with the rest? Why did it feel so...overwhelming it was Saitou who asked her to stay with them? He wasn't wrong in saying he accurately determined she was useful and needed—and yet, him so unabashedly asking her to stay had such a profound effect on her. She couldn't, wouldn't stop thinking about it. Why couldn't she just stop thinking about it?

Her mind was made up, damn it! She'd leave once the assignment was over, only join them if they ventured to Chu Ye; she would never admit it to anyone, at least she wasn't planning to, but it was her influence that convinced Ameiko to make this expedition a reality—her plan was to settle there, establish a new capital and slowly make the entire country a good aligned one and it was perfect. Just because Ameiko cancelled didn't mean anything—she could still do it on her own. It'd just have to take longer, without the very convenient bunch of samurai to help.

So why was it that one simple request from Saitou easily threw her head into such disarray? Why, for the life of her, was she actually considering this? They would never disobey Ameiko; and Ameiko would hardly part with such good troops and leave them at her disposal. Thus, it was impossible for them to stay together.

Then why was she considering it!?

She couldn't wrap her head around it, she really couldn't. She had so many plans for that country; she didn't fashion herself an Empress, but she did like the sound of Reformist; help the people see the error of their ways, defeat the evil creatures and guide them to a brighter future. That's what she literally lived for—help defenceless people and show them the better path. Then why was she faltering? Why did it feel like she was inclined to listen to him?

"Ah, never mind; I need to go anyway."

She was running away, perfect; he knew exactly what she was thinking about. Saitou decided not to pressure her; if she was thinking about it this hard, it meant she was considering it, steps in the right direction already. So, he decided to change the subject. "Is this one of your healing expeditions?"

"Yes!" The way she brightened up the moment she spoke, made her previous smile look too fake, even the rest noticed finally. "Since we'll be staying here for another week doing the odd jobs Hijikata wants us to, I have no reason to stop visiting; the rebuilding is going perfectly—Daichi has been helping a lot. Well, many men have, but he's the one leading them."

Saitou snorted with laughter; what a guy, Daichi was. First he duels with Tokio, proceeds to lose to her miserably and then nearly worshipping her; now, he does exactly what she wants without her even asking. If anyone who didn't know him noticed, he'd think he was in love but that's just his way of showing respect. What a guy, really.

"And he's been keeping you updated?"

"Ah, no; I visit regularly. I split my time between the town being rebuild and the village we protected. So! I'm going; today is the village, in fact, and I have a lot of checking up to do. If anyone is interested in going there, too, you're welcome."

"Actually," Okita started, a smile already on his lips "other than Saitou-san, who must finish his training with Hijikata, no one else is occupied. We can all come."

Saitou smirked. "Are you so annoyed Hijikata preferred me to you that you are actively trying to leave me behind?"

"I might..."

"Well, my training for the day is over; and I have nothing else to do, too. Though I don't think going to a pub so early is any good," he strictly reminded everyone, despite the humour in his voice "we could always go and do one or two things around the village—it's too big of a village anyway, too many people; too much drama."

"You can say that again," Harada agreed, with an odd look on his face, giving him the impression he either must have seen or been caught up to something.

"Exactly. There are many things we can do before getting drink, so let's."

"Yessir~!" Okita happily saluted and they all headed to the horses together.

.

.

Three days later, their routine had been all but ingrained into all of them: the lower ranking men would do odd jobs here and there, the five of them would take on more dangerous missions, sometimes Tokio would join them if they were too much and Takeda, classic Takeda, now that Kondou was back, he'd persistently hang around and suck up to him infuriatingly. Tokio had noticed this and expressed her disagreement; there were some very pointed looks between these two as well and no one knew what was that about, other than her disapproval.

No matter what though, once their official duties were finished, not too late in the day, they would go either to the town or the village, help around and then visit the closest to their location bar and have a couple of rounds to drink and eat, free of charge – seeing all of their help was also free of charge – . Sometimes Tokio would join them; others, she'd have been too busy and meet up with them directly at the stables when they were supposed to leave. All in all, they had a schedule and it consisted entirely of the six of them. It was a comfort, in their ever-changing lives.

It was also detrimental to Saitou's mental health.

For some inexplicable reason, ever since they had that conversation – in which he pathetically asked her to stay with them, but he would never repeat that, even if it killed him – Tokio consumed him. She was everywhere: in his company, in his line of sight, in his thoughts...the idea she was going to leave soon – "soon" – was overwhelming. He couldn't help it but go back to that, mind looping endlessly. When he broached the subject with Hijikata one day, while training, he was fully aware of the fact, he'd said. Although the vice commander's stance had changed drastically from "good riddance" to "she'd be a great plus" he had made no mention of it to Tokio herself. When Saitou had revealed he talked to her about it and asked her to extend the time of her stay, the man congratulated him for being so insightful and praised him for his initiative but...how could he ever admit it was an impulse, an instinct, really; he just didn't want her to leave.

And he reacted.

The fact no one wanted her to go but it was just Hijikata and Saitou who were aware of her imminent departure drove him mad, too. The vice-commander had forbidden him from talking about it to the others because, if Tokio didn't change her mind and left all the same, the blow to morale would be much greater...so, to cut losses, everyone was kept in the dark. All but him that is, and his own morale plummeted to the ground, the more he thought about it.

Now, the fact he had no idea why his first instinct to her leaving was "please stay" also drove him absolutely crazy. It started showing in his face, worry lines forming a little too soon, as well as his every day life: missing blows he'd otherwise succeed at – if the battle was inconsequential enough to be distracted during it – or glance her way a little too much; he'd been having much less sleep lately, too another reason his performance was slipping. He'd be snappy for no reason, too – but not to her, given he had taken to avoiding her again; only this once it was a polite and out of your way avoidance – and the men would tease...

The men would tease a little too much. Whenever she wasn't around, they'd call him moody, or star-struck; he was still in relative awe of the woman for her accomplishments but at the same time jealous and his ego was too confused on how to react so this was the result.

And then there was Okita.

Shizuru help him, Okita had a way of getting under his skin instantly. Only when they were alone and only after a couple of drinks, Okita would look at him with a co-conspirator's grin, slyness in his eyes. He'd tease and make all sorts of comments in the line of Saitou needing to get laid or have a woman pay attention to him that wasn't their cleric. And that irked him. But nothing shook him so much as his one and only comment, after one drink too many for both, when Saitou looked a particular shade of pitiable:

"You're having a crush, Saitou-san. How adorable."

His entire life was put in perspective with a simple sentence. He was not having a crush. He was a fully grown man of twenty three years; he did not have crushes. Hell, he had gotten married to a woman he loved and never had a crush. This was not it.

Then what was it?

Could Okita be right, in the sense that...his interest was less on the professional and more on the personal side? Could it be Saitou came to like this person enough to want her around just for the pleasure of her company and he was simply coming up with reasons to keep her to the unit? It...was not unheard of. Especially because their relationship had been so rocky to start with.

Still, "manly Saitou-san is taken by impressive Tokio-chan," was the general consensus of the captains, one Hijikata unabashedly supported, by offering coy smiles whenever that was mentioned. Bastard.

To their credit, they never did it when the woman herself was present, but undoubtedly it had made the rounds by now, so, there was no way it hadn't reached her ears. But to her credit, she never made any mention of it. In the end, Saitou was forced to recognise these claims true; having a drink with just Okita and Nagakura, Harada and Toudou long gone with Umi-chan and friend, Tokio was mentioned. It had been harmless. It was just a throwaway line, a guys being guys type of thing. Yes, maybe a little inappropriate had she been there to hear it, but she wasn't. The very reason they said it. Still, Saitou was half-way insulted. The other half of him felt like slapping both. He was...protective of her. Her, that could easily kill them all and no one would have had much chance of putting up a fight.

Not that they hadn't improved themselves after the Jabberwock, but not to her level, no way.

So, he stopped just before he made a fool out of himself, catching his ire before it spread and grew; he swallowed his words along with his drink, bottoms up. He then looked to the two men at his table, who seemed to fully comprehend his issue, for some sort of help.

"Why don't we go to the red-light district after we're finished with everything tomorrow?" Nagakura graciously offered, his own solution. "It always works wonders when the mind is troubled: beautiful woman pouring your drink and caressing you at the same time. What can go wrong?"

Well, Okita did elude to it all the freaking time, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. He shrugged, deciding to give it a shot.

.

"You look mighty displeased," an impressively dressed yujo teased him, layer upon layer of meaning laced in her silky voice "would you like my help?"

Tonight was the only night Tokio wasn't present by default; once they told her their destination, she lightly chuckled and kindly wished them fun. Okita tried to invite her, the idiot, but the way she shook her told them she saw through his ridiculousness. She made no further questions of their plans and left them alone.

They had arrived at this particular establishment no later than eight. All of them, even Kondou and Takeda joined, claiming it was a very traditional thing for men to do altogether—even Hijikata indulged, for the sake of union. But it was nearing nine and Saitou was the only man who hadn't left the common room. Everyone else had picked a beautiful woman and headed off to a private room, but he just didn't. No one had caught his eye.

And there this pretty woman was, trying to seduce him – and his money – promising all sorts of things with those expressive eyes.

He snorted. "I doubt you can help."

"I doubt I can't, actually." His utter disbelief made her chuckle. "No man who enters my room troubled leaves the same way...you can ask Harada-san; or even Hijikata-sama." That did capture his interest; silently, provocatively, she nodded. "What makes you think your case is too special?"

"...but what if you can't, in the end?"

"I'll wave my fee."

"That's of no consequence to me."

She considered. "Then I shall help you any other way I can..."

"That sounds to my liking," he assented.

"You're quite used to getting your way, Saitou-san," the woman noted, surprised.

"I was." A self-depreciating snort later, his stare turned to her, calculative. "Let's just go before I talk myself out of it."

"Hmm," she mused aloud as she guided him to her room "what is it you're really looking for?"

"Oblivion," he immediately answered "to drink so much I can't walk away; I wanna get scolded by my superiors; be made fun of by the rest...do something out of character."

"From the looks of it, this is already out of character enough for you...but, so be it. I will grant your wish dutifully."

Natsuko, her courtesan name from what he gathered and not the real one, was very good at making him forget his problems. But not all the time; only moments. Some very precise moments, in fact, when the drink in him was finally enough to allow her to touch him; touch him with her hands in places he rarely exposed to the weather; places he hadn't allowed anyone close since his wife's death. She touched him with her lips, too that had the capacity to render you completely numb for two seconds, ten, twenty, a hundred...but no more.

Maybe he wasn't build the same way as other people; or maybe he was just too stubborn. But he highly doubted her plan, or Nagakura's plan for that matter, was to confuse him, make him feel worse for good measure, after the confusion ebbed away, and yet that was exactly what happened.

He opened his eyes, looking at the dishevelled, nearly naked woman on top of him and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Saitou-san?"

"This isn't working," he finally admitted and felt as bitter and defeated as he looked.

He extricated himself from her and sat up, breathless and half naked. He looked at his hands and he felt them twitch with desire...for another's skin. Shocked, he buried his face in them.

She came to rest her chin on his shoulder. "But I thought you enjoyed it."

Did she have to guilt him even more? Yes, he was responding to her advances with his own, maybe he moaned some there, too but...it wasn't because of her; maybe some of it came from her efforts but not her. And that's what finally drove the point home. He now knew what was the problem: "I am in love with the worst possible person."

The woman blinked, taking a step back, trying to cover herself; now that the festivities died down, it was a little chilly. "Is it a man?"

"I wish...! No, it's a woman; the most infuriatingly headstrong, independent and smart woman I have ever met." A derisive snort. "The most unattainable one, too." He was nearing desperate now. "I am sorry, but this is not what I need right now."

This was maybe the exact opposite of what he needed, in fact; it was all well and good, until he realised his mind wasn't following properly. Her caresses had proved most distracting at first, enjoyable, too; feather-light but lingering touches; deliberate grazes of nails on his neck, his back, his chest...

Suddenly all he could think of was that day Tokio came to dress him; her own dexterous hands moving in and out with amazing precision and speed, but grazing him all the same: on his shoulder-blades, his back, his chest. But now it wasn't so accidental, and he felt electrified; a pleasant shiver ran down his spine at the thought, mixing with memory and in his mind's eye, he could clearly see their healer's hands circling his neck, sliding her hands underneath his hitatare, taking it off. Kissing his neck, slowly tracing his naked abs with those tormenting fingers, before going behind him. She took the hitatare and threw it on the floor, untangling him completely from the fabrics, kissing his shoulders and then moving back to the front, straddling him with no effort. He couldn't help his own hands from tracing her figure, sounds he never thought would ever come from him again so soon escaping...

But then his eyes cracked open; it wasn't Tokio. It was Natsuko. He could tell because the figure he ran his hands up and down didn't have the shape he expected; this woman was thinner, no muscles to speak of, or those sumptuous curves the men would admire from afar. Somehow his brain did a weird thing and, and...

He was at a loss. What was he even doing? How did he think this was a good idea? All he got out of this was a conclusion he hated to come to. Because, shit, what was he supposed to do with this information? He couldn't tell her! But he was...him; he couldn't sit still, either. Damn that Nagakura!

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"And say what?"

She shrugged, now fully but sloppily dressed. "Anything you want. Keeping it in hasn't helped so far, has it?" She wasn't wrong, he hated to admit. "Besides, I'd like to hear about her; it isn't every day a man comes in here and actually asks me not to have sex with him. Now I'm interested."

"She's...very kind. She may be the most caring and generous person I have ever met, too. Even if you hate yourself, she'll always find one good thing about you to make you feel better. I mean, she actually likes me and I was horrible to her when we first met." He shook his head. "To think she actually risked her life for us, how stupid. But not to her—she'd gladly do it again."

He chuckled.

"I don't get her. I was never the self-sacrificing type, at least not when it wasn't the best choice. I don't know how she even exists, but she does and she's the most gentle yet unbending woman I have had the chance to meet. Because don't let her height fool you, she'll stand up for what she believes in as if she was a giant; being soft spoken does not mean she won't fight you, tooth and nail. But what she wants is hardly selfish, so you can't say no to her; if you do, you're heartless, or at least an asshole. And for some reason, although she can crumble you with ease, if you say no, she won't force you to change your mind. She just accepts it. She could pull rank on you, status, level; but no, not her. Despite being the strongest, she won't act like it. I am in a state of permanent confusion because of her." A sigh. "She makes me want to be better—a better person, a better fighter, someone who'll be able to protect her, even if she doesn't need protecting." There, he started sounding a little sour. "She doesn't need anyone, she does it all on her own and she's actually amazing at it, too. The best."

The woman smiled in an odd way. "And her name is Tokio."

He gave her a look at first that questioned everything and everyone; why would she know her name and all that...until he remembered Tokio was famous. And if this woman was half as smart as Takeda, she would have figured out he was talking about a woman in his unit—they all knew they were all men save for Tokio, so yeah, he was an idiot to be suspicious. Instead, he hang his head, fingers now intertwined, supporting his forehead.

"Am I so obvious?" She tried to comfort him with a pat and a smile. "Try pathetic, I get it."

"No, just...I have met Tokio-san myself. I agree with you. I find her compelling."

"Huh." He wasn't expecting that answer.

"She's too good to be real, I swear...! She treats women like me as if we were the local tavern owner, no prejudice. She's so bright, sometimes I think I can't look at her."

To think he would ever relate to a prostitute about a woman, he never thought it possible, but there they were. "She has sort of taken me and my friend under her wing, teaches us things; she tells us a lot of stories, too and I sort of knew who you were when I talked to you. I...wanted to meet you I guess," she revealed "see who was the man who thought so little of her, even for a short period of time. And then I met you and, well, this was the only thing I wasn't expecting to hear from you." She giggled. "But it make sense, in a way; boys tend to be mean to the one they like. A little immature, but not unheard of."

The way he glared made her giggle again. "You don't seem the type, but if the shoe fits..." She chuckled at his disapproval. "Whatever; all I'm trying to say is, you should treat her right. If not, then I will come and steal her away from you."

He was confused again. "Pardon?"

"You said you loved her, yes? And I know for a fact you are right, she likes you. Now, love from like is different, but not too far away. If you play your cards right, you could make her yours. But! If you don't treat her right, I will take her from you without hesitation."

"You'll..." His eyes grew smaller. "Natsuko, do you prefer women?"

She nodded vigorously; he looked taken aback. "What? Just because I'm a whore I can't love women?"

"No, by all means. I just wasn't expecting competition from a woman."

"Heh! Competition indeed. And don't forget, I'm a woman; I know exactly how to please one." He couldn't help the disbelieving laugh that escaped him then. "So, if I so much suspect you aren't treating her right—"

"—you'll steal her away, yes, I heard you the first time." They exchanged an amused look. "So, in the spirit of this night going nothing as I thought," being an understatement "what do you wanna do? I am supposed to be here for another hour." She shrugged; he was thoughtful. "Got any cards? I wouldn't say no to poker."

"Oh yes! I definitely have a deck stashed somewhere, I'll go look for it."

That must have been the most bizarre night he had ever had in his entire life, he mused as he left an hour later, with his pockets and his heart much lighter, but it was all good. Now that the fog had lifted and he knew exactly what he wanted, as unapproachable and distant as it may have seemed, at least he knew how to go about doing one of two things: forgetting about it, or going after it. He was conflicted again, yes, but, at the very least, now he had full knowledge of what he was getting himself into. And for the record, Saitou Hajime was not a quitter.

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A/N: Second to last chapter, done, aaaaye! Next one shit hits the fan big time, you're warned. You'll be surprised by the ending though, I think. Maybe the middle, too lol. Hope I do not disappoint. See you next chapter sweeties and as always, reviews are much appreciated. I love you all.

Kisses,
FAI~!