Thank you so much for your reviews. I love Sanan, he's such a complex character and very realistic in his struggles.
Summer took over Kyōto, and I found myself gaping like a fish out of water whenever I trained. High temperature and humidity didn't suit me at all. Even if they had traded kimonos for yukata of similar colours, I wondered how the commanders managed to keep breathing, fastened in their layers like a set of sausages. In my room, I couldn't even stand the Juban.
I now slept next to naked, hoping that no emergency would arise. If so … well, I wouldn't be the first half naked woman they saw.
Patrols resumed, as usual, and I only kept to the rooftops way after sundown. The dark tiles kept the heat radiating for hours after sunset. Shinpachi talked at length of a Festival supposed to happen on July 17th. Funny; it corresponded to my mother's birthday. For a moment, my thoughts drifted to my parents, blisssfully oblivious that their only daughter roamed the rooftops of Kyōto in the year 1867.
How could they, when my absence had not happened yet? When they were not born yet? They would only ever realise it if I didn't make it back. Which, until now, had never happened. Patrol went fine this evening, but excitement was in the air. Tomorrow, a procession of wooden floats would occur in Gion, starting from the Yasaka Shrine. Could I find a way to witness it? Perhaps Yamazaki would give me a hand and find a disguise.
For the first time since I'd landed at Shinsengumi headquarters, the need to escape, to regain my freedom, burnt deep in my stomach. I wanted to go out, to see people, to be able to watch someone in the eye or even have a conversation with a stranger in the street. Wanted to see the light outside of the Captain's courtyard. After all, hidden between thousands of people, I might manage, right?
People would wear their best yukata. Colourful banners were already hanging from the main street, and many stalls sold yakitori, dango, and other Japanese sweets that I yearned to taste. The atmosphere, so stifling with heat, buzzed with life and anticipation. My heart basked in the mood; the girl in me was giddy. Not that I had money to spend, mind you. But I wanted to witness this display of life. Something told me I might never see it again; I never ignored my intuitions.
"Kitsu ! Descends." (Get down)
Harada wasn't looking at me, but I knew his voice by heart now. And he was the only one who would order me in French anyway – I was teaching him a few words, it gave us unfair advantage in battle. We were an efficient team; he watched my back, and I watched my team in return. I landed beside Chizuru, causing her to jump with a squeak.
At once, a folded straw hat landed over my face, keeping my hair and upper face from view. My dark attire blended in the night, and no one quite gave me a second look thusly concealed. All eyes were on the wall of lanterns that faced us, and the magnificent wooden raft that stood behind it. A golden frize bordered its lower ridge, so detailed that it seemed like a piece of unmoving nature. Birds, sunrays and leaves intertwined, carved with such incredible skill that I gaped.
"C'est superbe", I whispered.
"Uh?"
"Superb. Beautiful", I translated.
Harada nodded, filing up the word for later. The colours, the music, the mood … even though the flutes kept playing off-tune to my occidental ear, and the tones strangely upsetting, I couldn't help but marvel at the richness of the float.
Harada and Shinpachi grabbed Chizuru's hand to drag her further in. But before they pulled her in the crowd, Harada offered his other arm to me. Touched by the gesture, I allowed my bare fingers to touch the skin of his forearm. The captains led us, ladies, in the heart of the future festival of Gion. There, I ate my first dango, and tasted a Yakitori. There, I smiled, truly, for the first time to Shinpachi who seemed to brighten at my consideration. There, I laughed, and hummed, danced a few steps, even, after a few cups of sake.
When we decided to retreat, night had settled for a long time over Kyōto. The laughs and music could still be heard from before the temple, and I sighed contentedly. This night, Harada was returning to his wife, but not before he dropped us off at the compound. Given the Oni's obsession with Chizuru, they weren't taking any chances with her safety. I heartily agreed to that.
When we passed the door, though, a demon of our own appeared out of nowhere. Nostrils flared, Hijikata seemed livid.
"What do you think you are doing, returning at his hour!"
My ever patient tenth unit captain – God bless Harada – set his naginata upon the ground, and gave his commander a puzzled look.
"But", Shinpachi asked with his usual lack of subtlety. "Didn't you ask us to take Chizuru to the festival?"
"I said Yukimura, not her!", he yelled.
Chizuru shrank upon herself, and I gestured for her to scurry away; it didn't concern her. The young woman hesitated for a second, before the sigh of a furious Hijikata decided her to flee.
"Kitsu-san is part of my men, Fukuchō."
"Men who returned on time, if I recall", came the cutting retort.
Well, this was spiralling downwards fast. At this rate, Sanosuke wasn't about to see his wife anytime soon. So I stepped forward, and crossed my arms as I gathered the courage to counter attack.
"I tagged along, my responsibility, so there's no need to yell at Harada-san."
I was very proud of myself. Even though I had not managed to think any of them as – san, or – kun or whicherver suffix they deserved, I still managed to insert it in the conversation. And one look at Hijikata, pointing his finger at me, caused my inner sense of satisfaction to flee through the window. He looked positively murderous.
Uh Oh.
"You!", he started.
Darkness swirled around him like a cape of anger. And, to be truthful, he was impressive, the Oni no Fukuchō. But I was fed up with being bullied, and protecting my friend. And, despite the fact that I felt my feet trembling in the sandals, he was far too beautiful to resemble a Nazgûl. If I could outlive a wraith of the ring, I might survive an angry Fukuchō.
"I know who I am, thank you very much", I responded with faux-calmness. "And stop pointing that finger at me. It is plain rude."
Shinpachi's boisterous laugh didn't help my case. At all. But at least, someone was having fun. For my part, I braced for impact. I was about to get the tongue lashing of my life, if not more. Hijikata's head dipped, his dark eyes falling on either side of his face, hiding the clenched jaw that I could guess by the way his words seemed to hiss.
"How dare you !", he growled.
That was it! The moment I snapped. He wanted confrontation? I was about to give him the confrontation of his life without a fucking sword. He'd not yelled, this time, his voice low and dangerous. But I did.
"I dare because I'm fed up with your grouchiness!", I shouted, well aware that my outburst was carrying over the whole court. "I've met the grumpies of grumpies, and he had a better excuse for lack of civism! I'm so done with your fucking temper!"
My shouting shocked them all into silence. For a moment, everything had frozen in the courtyard, even the odd insect that awaited for the storm to pass. Livid, Hijikata gave me his more threatening stare. When words didn't suffice, would he dare hitting?
"Not afraid of an Oni, Kitsu?", he growled, the sound barely human in the silence. I could barely discern his eyes, two gems hidden under the darkness of his hair. They flashed dangerously in the night. A shiver ran up my spine. Yes, I was impressed. Very impressed.
But not as impressed as I was angry. I took a step forward; my heart stuttered. Another step, ignoring the warnings that shot up my spine. My breath caught as I went into his personal space, finding myself so close that, when he angled his head down, our noses nearly touched. My voice lost an octave, laced with menace as I spat those words in his face.
"I've battled Orcs, Uruks, wizards, Kings, Princes, ghosts and French on a bad day. Try your best."
I didn't wait for his reaction; my whole body screamed 'danger' his presence. The swirling anger hummed against my chest, both our frustrations mingling, amplifying until I had trouble breathing. I extended my senses to detect the barest of moves. Muscles coiled, I was ready to react. A cat about to pounce. Hijikata didn't move an inch, his glare simmering.
So I took a step back and left with dignity, exhaling slowly. Behind me, the world had stilled.
"Do what you will with your life, I don't care", Hijikata eventually spat.
I didn't turn around to grace him with a response. If I had, I would have found a very grouchy commander, surrounded by two mouth slacked captains.
As I lay awake, this very night, heart beating too fast to slid into slumber, I wondered why Fukuchō had not retaliated. Sleep eluded me as my brain imagined all kinds of scenario. Would I had to perform Seppuku?
Breakfast, the next morning, was slightly awkward. But no punishment came my way. I didn't dare skipping it for fear to look weak; I guess Hijikata had the same idea. So, eventually, the meal went on, and despite avoiding each other's gaze, everyone survived. Okita, though, seemed in a cheerful mood, which aggravated our Fukuchō even more.
As soon as the commanders left, though, I found myself cornered by an overeager Sōji.
"I heard you squared off with our local Oni.", he stated as walked upon the heated engawa. I frowned; did news travel that fast?
"Who told you?"
"Heard. As, probably, half of Kyōto."
I groaned, digging my face in my hands. Okita started to laugh by my side, only for it to turn into a cough. The sun shone brightly today, and for once, the slight breeze brought relief from the constant moisture. Yet the wrenching, wet sound of Okita's lungs got me wincing. And it just didn't stop. The captain turned aside, and eventually wiped his hand upon a cloth he hid at once. Not fast enough for me to ignore the trail of red. Blood.
The bulb in my head eventually lit up; consumption, or lung cancer. Seeing my frown, Okita suddenly stood, and choked a goodbye. I grabbed his hand and yanked, hoping he would sit again. The captain grabbed my wrist fiercely, just short of a hold; the warning was clear, he could break it in a heartbeat.
"Kudasai", I pleaded. "I need to talk to you."
"Then talk."
Gone was the easy-going prankster; I now faced the ruthless warrior who could take a head with one swift move.
"I'll be blunt, then."
A smirk lifted the corner of his lips, causing his greenish eyes to flash dangerously.
"Please do, Kitsu-san. Your failings at the most basic ceremonials are always refreshing."
The remark hit a sore spot – I was doing my best – and I was about to retort when I realised the captain hoped to side track me. What a cunning little brat.
"Well played. But I'm not buying. You have heard consumption, I presume?"
The captain froze, his hand releasing my wrist as if he'd been burnt. And if his face didn't show any panic, his reaction betrayed him. His mouth thinned, barely a line upon his chiselled features.
"I should have known… You will excuse me, but I have people to kill."
Okita started striding away, and I jumped to my feet. Damn, he thought that Chizuru had sold him out. Or Sanan, maybe? I needed to set things rights before he left, so I ran after him.
"No one said a word. I just put two and two together because I studied medicine."
He paused, eerily still. So impredictible … he was more frightening, standing in the sunrays with a blank expression upon his face, than Hijikata-san about to implode.
"If you talk to anyone of this", he started.
I lifted my hands up with a smile. "You'll kill me, I know. You guys really need to start being creative with your threats. Thanks for the confirmation, though."
I left a slightly unsettled Okita behind me as I hurried to Sanan's lair. The captain had no way to know that the diagnostic of consumption was better news than lung cancer.
It took me a little research to understand what Gion festival was about, but I'm pretty happy with out this scene turns out. Frances and Hijikata can't help butting heads either, eh ?