[12/8] Saturday Evening, Park

[kusuriuri_san]

There was a colorful stranger in the park today, staring out across the lake through lowered carefully made up eyelids. A purple bandanna held back most of his hair back from his face to reveal two very pointy ears and assorted jewelery and bangles adorned his person and the teal kimono he wore was nearly as elaborately decorated as the man himself

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[1st_unit_cptn]

Okita had been sleeping in the park (he had no money, and the letters 'YMCA' meant nothing to him), using the haori of his uniform as a blanket. It wasn't the best of sleeping arrangements, but he'd certainly had worse. Unfortunately, something had caught Saizou's attention, and the small pig had managed to wake his master in the process. Rubbing his eyes, Okita got up, sword tucked into the ties of his hakama, and went to investigate.

[kusuriuri_san]

The ducks quacked, ruffling their wings nervously as the new arrivals approached. Kusuriuri raised his head slightly, glancing without actually turning his head to investigate, towards the disturbance. He did not seem at all surprised to see either of them, the pig or the samurai, and merely sat in silence, waiting. Either he would be addressed or he would go back to feeding the birds. Time would tell.

[1st_unit_cptn]

"Saizou! Ducks aren't for chasing!" The (fairly rumpled looking) samurai ran after the pig and finally caught him, despite squeals of protest. It was only then he realized why the ducks were up and awake at this time of night in the first place. He looked the odd person on the bench over for a moment, trying to decide if A) they were male or female (and the irony of that quandary did not escape him) and B) whether they were with a theater troupe of some kind.

And then he caught sight of the box.

"Oh! It's a medicine box, right?" Hijikata-san's had been similar, though not as elaborately painted.

[kusuriuri_san]

A particularly bold mallard flapped its wings at the restraining pig and quacked reproachfully. The medicine seller turned his head slowly to face the speaker, causing moonlight to illuminate his colorfully painted features. "Yes," he replied simply and the deep languid tone of voice no doubt, at least, solved the mystery of gender for Okita. His eyes moved over the samurai musingly and paused at the small pink mass of squealing fury that was Saizou. The corners of his mouth quirked upwards slightly. "Your pig seems very upset."

[1st_unit_cptn]

"The vice commander used to have one, but his was smaller. Which is kind of funny, since he's a whole lot bigger than you are," he replied. Okita moved over to the bench and sat down, keeping a firm grip on Saizou. "He's very headstrong. He'd get into all sorts of trouble if I didn't stop him."

[kusuriuri_san]

"Ho?" My, but the samurai was a long way from home, wasn't he. But then, of course, so was he. "I see." Medicine seller canted his head to the side, seemingly having a staring contest with the little guy, and then, much to the dismay of the lingering ducks, reached out to offer it what was left of the bread.

[1st_unit_cptn]

Well, that earned him a little piggy friend for life. Or at least the next five minutes. Saizou immediately stopped his squirming in favor of eating.

"Pardon my asking, but are you with a theater troupe or something?" He couldn't help his curiosity. He couldn't really think of any other reason for a man to be wearing a woman's obi, after all. Then again, maybe he just liked cross-dressing, like Yamazaki-kun.

[kusuriuri_san]

A smile flickered across his painted features at the creature's reaction and he held his hand steady, palm upward, while Saizou made short work of the bread.

"No," he replied, blue eyes moving to meet Okita's curious gaze steadily and the tips of two very sharp small canines were visible for a moment over the top of his bottom lip before he continued, "Just a simple medicine seller."

[1st_unit_cptn]

"I see." He leaned back on the bench and swung his feet at little as he scritched Saizou with one hand. "Have you been in this village long? It all seems very strange to me." He'd just sort of wandered around, staring in befuddlement at everything, culture-shocked to talk to anyone other than the man he'd met of the road.

[kusuriuri_san]

"I have only just arrived as a matter of fact." There was a subtle rattling noise from the cabinet. If medicine seller noticed, he paid it no mind and merely continued to watch Okita calmly. "You are a long way from home, are you not?"

[1st_unit_cptn]

Okita tilted his head slightly at the noise, but decided it wasn't worth worrying about at the moment. "It certainly seems that way. And I might be stuck here awhile, too." Which he didn't really like the thought of. He wanted to be back at headquarters, playing with the village children and tormenting Hijikata-san.

[kusuriuri_san]

The medicine seller studied him for a long moment in silence. "Is that so bad?"

[1st_unit_cptn]

"I like Kyoto," he replied. "My friends are there! Hijikata-san and Kondou-san and Tetsu-kun... I'm the first unit captain. They need me!" He sighed a little. "I don't like being alone here." That last statement, finally, sounded like it was coming from someone his actual age, and not a frustrated child.

[kusuriuri_san]

The man bowed his head politely. "I see..." He did insofar as he understood how one might feel that way anyway. As far as the medicine seller was concerned, home was wherever his enormous box was as a result of him having carried it there. And he was used to being alone. Mostly.

[1st_unit_cptn]

Okita comforted himself by looking at the moon for a bit and cuddling Saizou. "I've known most of them since I was a boy," he said finally. "It's difficult knowing I might not see them again. I don't know this place, or these people, and I don't know how I'm ever going to get home. I don't even know how I got here, really."

[kusuriuri_san]

The medicine seller followed his gaze upwards, looking thoughtful. "Such as the nature of this place is, I would not be surprised if you are not the only one," he commented softly. The veil between the worlds was particularly thin here. It was what had drawn him here in the first place.