[CLOSED] old man wants a tea break

[kikuichi]

Who ⬤ Norimune and you!
What ⬤ July catch-all for closed starters.
When ⬤ Throughout July.
Where ⬤ Around the city.
Content Warnings ⬤ N/A.

Contact me via PM or Sonica for plotting and custom starters. Open to both new and current CR.

Comments

[kikuichi]

I expected as much. That man... you can say he's quite important to me in a way.

[He's been thinking about how to start this. The basics should be fine. Norimune watches the drink being made. Once he start to speak, it's almost like he's getting lost in his words.]

That man was Okita Souji, a well loved and genius swordsman, as well as Captain of the Shinsengumi's First Unit. He's kindhearted and gentle to the people, yet frighteningly strong to his opponents. Because of how well loved he was, the people continue to spread stories about him.

At one point, a most curious story start to spread in popularity. Do you know what it is, Mr.Shylock?

[breweries]

[ a shake of his head. ] I come from an entirely different world where Japan does not exist.

[ said simply, while putting the final garnishes of norimune's drink and sliding it over to him. ]

And thus, we must start from the beginning. What is the Shinsengumi?

[kikuichi]

Uhahaha, forgive me.

[He catches the drink easily, wrapping his fingers around the glass.]

The Shinsengumi were the special police force under the government at the time. Kind of like the Enma's law enforcement, just with a name for their organisation.

[The Enma's police are just... "the Enma police". Why don't they get a nifty name for themselves? Well, not like it really matters.]

As the police, they had all the typical law enforcement duties, along with handling unacceptable elements.

[Good ol' assassinations.]

[breweries]

[ yeah, how come the enma police doesn't have a nifty name of their own? might want to bring that up to your captain, nori. ]

Ah. The unsavory types that the typical government wouldn't wish to touch.

[ the vigilantes... ]

It must be quite an honor to be owned by such an well-beloved and talented swordsman, in that case. Unless... you don't feel the same way.

[kikuichi]

He was never my master.

[He take a sip, savouring the flavours.]

Remember when I mentioned he got a curious story? The greater one's fame, the more likely the people will start imagining what his life was like. At one point, someone's novel about the Shinsengumi spread a rather popular yet fictitious idea.

[His eyes look down at his drink, before they slowly raise.]

"Okita Souji owned a Kiku-Ichimonji."

[breweries]

[ he locks his gaze with norimune's. oho, this is interesting. shylock only had hizen's story as reference, but he didn't think that there are other variations between a relationship between sword and owner. in norimune's case -- ]

Forgive me for being blunt, but... you make it sound as if you yourself are fictitious.

Am I wrong?

[kikuichi]

[He gives Shylock a smile. He have consider his words carefully, and compare them to how he feels about this. It's a topic most Touken Danshi don't discuss, for a number of reasons.]

Do I seem fictitious to you?

[He chuckles, and take another sip.]

The blacksmith Norimune did make a number of swords under his name. Those swords truly do exist.

[His answer is carefully worded, and carefully avoiding to give a clear answer. It could mean either way.]

The Ichimonji family do acknowledged me as their former patriarch, and continue to show me respect despite my retirement.

[breweries]

Not at all. You are a living, breathing beacon of humanity.

[ his smile mirrors norimune's as he listens more to this sword's tale. ]

That does sound nice, Mr. Norimune. But be that as it may, it does not explain your animosity towards your master. Did he not treat you well? Did either of you meet each other's lofty expectations during such tumultuous times?

[kikuichi]

Oh? Am I?

[Humanity... he wonders how "human" he is, for what he is.]

He was never my master. But to be more precise, he never owned me in the first place. All I knew of him are the stories imposed upon me. I never know what it's like to fight by his side.

[Seeing that vision of Okita wielding him... gave him a lot of complicated feelings.]

[breweries]

Fufu. Of course not. But you are fighting for humanity, I assume, just like how I and the other wizards are fighting off the Calamity for similar reasons.

[ there's more nuance than that, but for now it's easier to say that they're both fighting for the same goal. ]

...Did you always want to fight him? As in against him or with him?

[kikuichi]

Uhahaha, yes. We are fighting for them. It's only natural for us to. If I have to leave my retirement for a while, I try to do my best for them.

[For better or worse, given his nature as a sword.]

... Hm. [He close his eyes for a moment.] I'm not sure. As a warrior, I am a little curious about fighting him. But I do know some who used to be his, so I could spar with them.

[The real Okita Souji's swords, unlike his fictionalised "life" with that man.]

As for "with him"... I don't know how to feel about it.

[breweries]

You were clearly conflicted, judging from that fight last time.

[ said matter-of-factly. norimune made quite a blunder during that one-on-one, and shylock is sure there's more to it than being merely caught off guard by such a talented swordsman. ]

Do you think he'll come here someday? In hell. Will you be happy to see him in these throes?

[kikuichi]

It's certainly not my best performance.

[Regardless of his emotional state at the time, he should've fight better. At least Okita was just an illusion... He takes another, longer sip of his drink. The flavour and texture dancing on his tongue, spreading throughout his mouth inside.]

I did ponder the possibilities. And how with so many of us hailing from different places, he might not even be the one I know of.

[The possibility of a world where Okita Souji genuinely and legitimately owned him. That may exist somewhere.]

... I don't know how to answer that. Whether I'll feel happy or not to see him.

[breweries]

...There are other versions of him out there?

[ hi hello he's not aware of the multiverse theory??? ]

But I do hope in due time you'll be able to figure it out. Love and hate are opposite sides of the same coin, so either emotion you'd feel for him is no less valid than the other.

[kikuichi]

Is that surprising for you? Being here brought up the possibilities to me.

[Meeting and speaking with Ryouma was quite enlightening. And gave him that complicated feeling over potentially meeting any form of Okita.

But Shylock's words got him to pause for a moment as he thinks. Love and hate, two opposite emotions yet they're intrinsically linked. Feeling such emotions (whichever they are) is different from observing humans during his missions.]

Thank you for listening. I still need time to figure it out... and I guess being here gives me plenty of it.

[Until they return home, they're stuck here for an indefinite amount of time. He finishes off the rest off his drink.]

It's a curious thing, feeling these emotions.

[breweries]

I might be able to recall a certain philosopher friend of mine who would've come up with an idea like that centuries ago... But it's lost to time now. Perhaps one day I'll think about those possibilities.

[ although, he's lying in a way. for there were plenty of murrs back home that take form of the shattered fragments of his soul -- surely there might be one shard who would love shylock back?

fufu. such a frivolous thought. ]

Swords weren't meant to feel emotions, after all. But it is a blessing, at the very least. Certain people would kill for even an inkling of emotion that you're experiencing at this very moment, Mr. Norimune. [ certain people who'd do some wild shit just to feel something... ] Take your time, is all I'm trying to say.