Action, around the Amatsu

[willing_sheath]

[Tomoe was usually the picture of calm and control. Unless someone knew her very well one would think she never changed from the neutral baseline she generally showed the world--never overly happy, never overly upset, always just kind of... there.]

[Today is a little different. Her movements are jerky and clipped, her words are shorter than normal with a bit of an edge to them. Something is definitely wrong, though she isn't the sort to advertise the fact. Still, when she is not actively working on something pressing and immediate for the Amatsu she is actively hunting for something. She checks drawers, turns over papers, looks beneath furniture, even turns over rugs in some instances. Whatever she's lost, it is apparently something important, at least to her, and the longer it goes without being found the more harried she seems to get.]



[ooc; one, Okita Souji, swiped her journal and she is freaking out beause there are very personal and damning things written in it.]

Comments

[deadly_oro]

[Kenshin's been walking in a bit of a daze since waking in the cavern. The map says one thing, his senses seem to agree, yet nothing really seems to make sense. His clothes have attracted the usual stares and murmurs, along with the sword at his side and general sorry state of him, but he ignores them all until a suggestion, followed by a few agreements, that he might like it in a place called Amatsu. At least he'd fit in there.

So with directions lined on the map, he makes his way, focusing on not flinching through each portal he has to go through - it's not natural his instincts scream. And yet. He's seem a lot of things, hasn't he?

But they're right. He can see it the moment he wanders, weary and wary, up the slopes of the hills and through the forest. It's much like home. But he can't afford to let his guard down. There's something...

He comes across the inn and stops suddenly, searching for hidden dangers before slowly continuing on. Up the front path, through the gates, and stops at the door to knock politely.

Kenshin does his very best to appear harmless, despite the sword, as he waits.]

[willing_sheath]

[The Amatsu is huge--Ayame was not one for subtlety and since she had the power to create the grandiose multi-tiered Ryokan she simply had. Kenshin is greeted by a young woman in traditional Japanese dress walks to meet him. If she has any thoughts about his unkept appearance she hides it well. Amatsu is rather used to a myriad of arrivals showing up in all states, and it has become somewhat of a focal point to arrivals of the more... historical dissuasion. Either way, all new arrivals had red bills and so it made no sense to treat one different than another when they could all pay the same.]

Good afternoon, sir! How may we help you today?

[She makes no comment about his sword either. It seemed most everyone in Fayren was armed. It was more unusual to see someone without a weapon of some kind than with.]

[deadly_oro]

[He bows to the woman with a polite smile.]

Please forgive me, miss, but I was recommended to come here. [He adjusts his tone a little more as he straightens, adding a bit more 'harmless wanderer' into his demeanor.] I'm glad I was! You have a beautiful inn here, that you do!

I was hoping to work out some arrangement to stay here? I'm good at keeping out of the way, and don't mind doing chores.

[willing_sheath]

Oh, yes, of course! The founder put a work program into place early on for those brought here from the outside. If you'll follow me I'll put you in contact with one of the directors.

[She leads Kenshin away from the main lobby and down a hall lined with rooms that are clearly more organizational than recreational.]

There are a number of positions available, is there anything in particular you are interested in? There are positions with the kitchens, housekeeping and custodial services, [She glances back to him, this time looking at the sword on his belt.] But I am sure there are some security openings as well if that what you are interested in.

[She stops at a door at the end of the hall and raps twice before entering.]

Sorry for the intrusion, we have someone interested in the work program--ah.

[The woman trails off for a moment, glancing through the room.]

Oh... she must be in the kitchens... [She opens the door, steps inside and holds it for Kenshin.]

If you would please have a seat! [She waits for him to enter--the office is very neat and tidy (the polar opposite of the madhouse it had been when Ayame had been in control of it), everything seems to be put in exact order, the epitome of 'a place for everything and everything in its place'.] Thank you for your patience! Ms. Himura will be with you in a few minutes!

[She heads back out the door and down the hall at a bit of a clip, not wanting to leave a stranger in Tomoe's office for too long in case he was the type to poke around and knowing how the woman got when people moved her things. The fact that she had seemed on the warpath earlier in the week because of something she'd lost didn't help!]

[deadly_oro]

[He smiles warmly, relieved, and follows her down the halls.]

Thank you for the trouble, miss, I appreciate it, that I do.

[He looks curiously all around, though has no trouble keeping up with his guide. Her comment about an opening in the security section has him blink back at her before quickly shaking his head.]

Ah, no, I'm afraid I would prefer to do laundry and help cook more than fight! If a battle becomes necessary, then yes, I would of course do my best to help defend, but I would rather it not be my purpose here. Sorry for the trouble!

[He hesitates when the door is held open for him, but figures she'd rather him stay put until the woman he's to speak with about arrangements is found and brought to meet him.

Stepping inside, she tells him to wait, so he does. Only to freeze when 'Ms Himura will be with you in a few minutes' registers. Images of the grave he'd just visited flash, a bouquet of flowers leaning gently against the stone. Memories of a sad smile.

By the time the door reopens behind him, his back is still to it and he remains frozen, lost in thought and memory.]

[willing_sheath]

[He is alone for around ten minutes, Tomoe having gone to the kitchens to solve some debacle involving a botched supply order and the need to adjust primary menu items until the corrected reorder could arrive in three days. It was going to involve some creativity because one couldn't exactly serve Japanese food without rice. It was just a good thing that Tomoe had become a master of making things stretch--whether food or money--at an early age.]

[She thanked the lobby attendant for notifying her of the applicant and made her way back to her office, running over the numbers in her head again as she went, comparing them with the clipboard in her hand and lamenting the fact that this supplier hadn't thought to contact her when this last order was literally a tenth of its usual size.]

[Well. This was the sort of stress she could deal with. The debacle with her journal, while frustrating, was a blessing in a way. At least now her fears of the First Shinsengumi Captain could be put away.]

[She knocked on her own door to announce her arrival, opening the door, beginning to speak while still looking at her paperwork.]

My apologies, you caught me at a bad time... [As it always had, the subtle and sweet scent of white plum blossoms entered the room before her. She took to steps into the room before even looking up.] I hope you were not--

[Red hair.]

[She gasps mid sentence, the grip on her clipboard slackening before it clattered to the floor, the papers themselves fanning out and escaping the metal hold with the force of it.]

Anata...

morning; before kenshin's arrival (closed)

[embracethewind]

[ Early that particular morning, as every other since he was hired, Souji begins his day cleaning the rooms of the inn fast and thoroughly and changing the bed quilts and sheets before helping out at the kitchens. If someone were to arrive at any time everything needed to be prepared for that person's arrival.

Not only that but also offered to clean the staff's rooms and offices as the general assistant he is. One of those rooms is Tomoe's, so he enters with carefulness of not stepping into something he might break or ruin. While cleaning the desk in her room, he spots a sort of personal journal among a few books; it wasn't the first time he sneaked a peek into Hijikata's haiku notebook, important papers and private letters... like Kondo's will sent to Hino village, but when he opens the journal in a random page the name 'Katsura Kogoro' catches his attention, and that's when he opens the journal completely with abruptness.

Reading through the lines, he feels as if his soul leaves him little by little with each discovery he made: 'Hitokiri Battousai'... 'Battle of Toba Fushimi'... 'The end of the bakufu'... 'Meiji Era'...

He slams the journal down, taking a pair of steps back. His body couldn't stop shaking in... anger? fear? betrayal for Tomoe?... sadness about the outcome of the upcoming battle? He isn't sure anymore. Five minutes passed just standing before the desk and staring at the journal, memories of Kamiya, Kondo, Hijikata, his Division, his fellow Captains and friends, all coming one at a time.

Stopping that memory lane and without thinking, he grabs the journal and hides it inside the collar of his kimono before finishing the rest of the room.

The working staff around the inn will notice in his features and demeanor. The wolf that slumbered inside him had finally awoken. ]

afternoon; after her meeting kenshin

[embracethewind]

[ He spent most of his lunch break reading the journal in his room, page after page, not knowing where and how to end.

Silent anger mixed with a heavy tightness are leaving him more exhausted and numb than doing his respective chores or even practicing with his katana at night. At the back of his mind, it is utterly wrong looking into someone else's deep secrets, however... is that the reason why Tomoe acted so distant and indifferent to him at times? Because he is her husband's enemy by allegiance?

After he's done with the journal, once again he tucks it inside his kimono, standing from his own desk. Leaving the room, he proceeds to look for Tomoe, passing through the lobby, the halls, the gardens, the dining areas, the kitchens, until he decides to go to her office at last.

Souji wanted to know the truth of her feelings on words, not on paper, the same way Daenerys has let him know her own once she knew of her fate in Westeros. ]

[willing_sheath]

[Tomoe was used to going mad slowly over time, every little layer of stress building on the last until she finally hit a breaking point. She had spent her entire life caring for others and never learning to care for herself. It was always maintaining order and keeping the family afloat with too little support from a man who couldn't function after the death of his wife. Everything was bottled, the good and the bad, and set aside to be dealt with when it was safe to do so. But it never was.]

[Her first breaking point had been Kiyosatto's death when she had completely lost herself. The second had been when Enishi found her in Otsu... and everything had fallen down around her.]

[And now it had been trying to come to terms with her own death. It had been layering for months, to the point she had considered suicide on more than one occasion because she just couldn't take the pressure inside her own head and the all-encompassing loneliness she felt day in and day out.]

[Kenshin's arrival--or re-arrival was another layer. Whether it was good or bad she didn't know. She was selfishly happy to have him there--but there was the knowledge that it was likely to be fleeting. It was the destiny of any connection she made in Genessia. Eventually they would all leave and she would stay... Wasn't the definition of insanity repeating the same actions while expecting different results?]

[But one thing the arrival had done was utterly distract her from her mad hunt to find her journal. Tomoe had never misplaced it. She was a neat freak--everything was always in order to streamline her work to ensure it could be done quickly and efficiently--and maintain when life eventually fell apart. Because it always fell apart. But the journal was of extra importance. It was the only place she ever relieved her mind of the mess she carried with her--but more importantly, there was damning information in it depending on who might get hold of it. ]

[And there was one person present that worried her more than anything. If a random person were to read it then they may simply think differently of her.]

[If the First Unit Captain of the Shinsengumi read it... depending on how he viewed his presence in Genessia, her presence in Genessia and more importantly the state of Japan back in their world... it could easily end in her execution. And Kenshin's as well now that he was present...]

[But she wasn't thinking of that right that moment. She was concentrating on trying to fit Kenshin into the works of the Amatsu. As always, doing what was necessary first... and dealing with emotions later.]

[The definition of insanity.]

[embracethewind]

[ For many years, Hijikata instructed Souji to have control of his emotions at all times, inside, outside and in the midst of any situation behind any sort of smile. Lately and before coming to Genessia, that control has been affected more than ever.

At first he thought he wouldn't be affected by having Kamiya by his side... but every step taken to turn her into a bushi, into a "man", affected his own duty and inner peace as a man with purpose. Now, it is thanks to a woman again that his mental state is being affected by many unexplained events, in historical matters and in personal struggle on her part. Then, there was that other woman ... the Dragon Queen. He couldn't know how to help her, but she didn't seem in high spirits to want to see reason as he expected. How to blame her? She had been betrayed mostly out of love, having achieved so much in her way... And it was precisely love that ended Tomoe's life, which motivated her to seek revenge at first instance.

Love, always love ends with the duty and dreams of a man or woman. For others, perhaps it is happiness and salvation of their soul. For Tomoe and Daenerys, the best thing would be meeting with those they love in Heaven, or starting a new life in a place like Genessia. For him, without sensei in either worlds, death or nothingness is better. Returning home or waiting for them to come, that isn't in his own power.

Souji Okita... the man with the most kind and sincere smile, only keeps a straight face and unhappiness in that office, sitting behind the desk and posing his gaze on the door, or more specifically, on nothing. ]

[willing_sheath]

[When Tomoe enters the office she is distracted and understandably so. Although the meeting was nothing like the first time when her amnesic memory came back in a crippling flood it was still enough knock her legs out of beneath her for several hours. Somehow she had gained enough control over herself to intermediately go through the motions to add Kenshin into their systems, find a job placement for him (though she certainly had enough to support both of them easily regardless of what he did) and show him to their room.]

[She freezes when she sees Okita, eyes that are still red and slightly puffy from crying going wide.]

[She had completely forgotten about locating the journal...]

[embracethewind]

[ Considering his present face for the situation, Souji's aura emanates a heavy atmosphere in the room.

He doesn't even know where to start, holding back from saying a single word and just... slipping the journal from inside his kimono and placing it on the desk, all without taking his eyes off of her. ]

[willing_sheath]

[Her expression pulled back into her usual schooled expression. Her heart hammered against the inside of her chest and she felt as though she was back on that side street in Kyoto. You truly make the bloody rain fall... She straightened to her full height, setting her shoulders and her head. She could at least hide the sudden wave of fear behind an unmovable wall.]

Will I truly meet one of the wolves of Mibu now?

[Okita Souji. First Unit Captain of the Shinsengumi. The strongest sword among them--who couldn't hold back or be stopped once he'd begun a fight.]

[Maybe she would find out just how permanent death was in Genessia after all.]

evening; action for the oro man

[embracethewind]

[ He's told about the arrival at the inn. A new employee, they said; still, he didn't have the chance to properly welcome him as a co-worker.

The description offered by the staff helped to recognize him more easily, heading towards the main hall. ]

Ah--! Excuse me, sir!?

oro man reporting for duty!

[deadly_oro]

[Part of Kenshin is still reeling. Tomoe, alive, here. Another, just for having been brought to this strange place.

He's rather glad to have something to do with his hands, even if it is sweeping. He'll get to the laundry later, or maybe- the hail has him pause, straightening with a wordless sound of confusion as he turns.]

Are you looking for this one, sir?

yeeeeeesh!

[embracethewind]

[ 'This one'... This man uses the rōnin speech, which surprises him entirely. Back into the moment, he stands before the newcomer with an apologetic smile. ]

Yes! I've heard there was a new assistant so they told me how to know who you were. [ He bows politely. ] Welcome to Amatsu!

^w^

[deadly_oro]

[One hand stays on the broom's handle, but he bows politely to the other man with
a matching smile. His sword is in the room Tomoe told him he could share with her- there's no need of a sword while doing chores!]

Thank you, that's very kind of you, that it is! [He tries for harmless, as always, despite the hint of bandages around his chest under his kimono, and his arms peeking from under tied sleeves.]

This one is called Kenshin Himura.

:3< also i'm so sorry! ;;

[embracethewind]

[ Just when he's about to introduce himself, the name hits hard inside his head like a hammer... or like a blade, as the bushi he is.

He feels a sudden beat and leaps backwards in a defensive position. Not having his daishō with him, he draws a kozuka from inside his kimono, all the features of his face giving a menacing look. ]

Himura-san from the Ishin Shishi under Kogoro Katsura from Chōshū? The Hitokiri Battousai...

NEVER BE SORRY this is beautiful XD

[deadly_oro]

[EEP

Kenshin immediately leaps back in answer, broom handle shifting to a defensive position. He frowns, focused.]

That is who I was. [His tone has changed to match, serious and focused.]

I am not here to fight, that I am not. [For one thing, Megumi would kill him if she arrived and found out he was fighting again. For another...He's just plain tired of fighting.]

What is your name?

[Action]

[wontdieifkilled]

[Since Kiritsugu owns the inn now, Shirou has reason to drop by every now and then and see how things are going. He usually checks the kitchen to make sure that the food is being cooked properly. Today, though, he's just hanging around the premises, and in the process of doing so, runs across Tomoe in her low-key frantic search.]

Ah? Ms. Tomoe, is something the matter?

[Action]

[willing_sheath]

[Tomoe doesn't want to call attention to the matter at hand--the last thing she wants is another set of eyes potentially reading the words in that book, so she deflects.]

Good morning, Shirou-san... [She pauses to look at him.] It has been a troubling morning. The latest supply shipment was ordered incorrectly and is drastically short. [That may explain her stress, but not why she appeared to be... searching for something.] We will probably need to go directly to Genessia for supplies over the next several days...

[Action]

[wontdieifkilled]

Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good.

[It does seem off to Shirou, though, because she's not really acting like that's the problem. It's more like...]

What else? Did you lose something, too?

[Action]

[willing_sheath]

No. I am surprised the suppliers didn't question the order and bring it to my attention. [You know. Since they ordered A TENTH of the amount of rice that they normally get...]

[And... damn it... She pauses for a long moment and... to hell with it.]

I've misplaced my journal. It's a simple black book, approximately this size [she holds the dimensions up with her hands]

...

Please don't read it if you come across it.

[Were it simply embarrassing tidbits that others might write about--crushes and the like--it wouldn't matter. She didn't particularly want everyone and their brother knowing that she was dead or just how low here mental state had gotten not long ago.]

[And there was that whole thing with a Shinsengumi captain living and working in the same building as the wife of a Choshuu assassin. She really didn't need that one getting out...]

Re: [Action]

[wontdieifkilled]

[Shirou listens attentively as Tomoe talks and then describes the book she's missing. He takes a moment to register its size in his head. It's not quite the same without being able to perform a structural analysis, but he can still remember its approximate proportions based on her description.]

OK. I promise I won't read it if I find it. Where did you put it last?

[In another visual novel time and place, Shirou would read a girl's diary. It ended poorly for him. And he only did it because Shinji roped him into his scheme. So he's not inclined to do it now.]

[Action]

[willing_sheath]

[She sighs heavily.]

I thought I left it on the desk in my room. I usually put it in a drawer when I'm finished writing... but I was called away over the supply order. I don't think I took it with me... but I don't have much more of an explanation for its disappearance.

[That isn't true... and she has a sinking feeling about it.]