Memory
Returning home after training for a few hours with the dummies at the dojo, Rain was just thinking about how nice a cool shower was going to feel as he arrived at the back door of the Spa. He had not expected that whim to be catered to the moment he pushed open the door, and while his quick reflexes enabled him to dodge the metal bucket that suddenly fell down from above him, the ice-cold water it had contained proved impossible to avoid. The bucket landed on its side on the floor with a dull clang and Rain stood there, drenched from head to toe, silhouetted in the open doorway and glaring daggers down an empty corridor.
He was vowing to himself that someone was going to get smacked hard for this when something rolled out of the bucket, and he glanced down at... a memory crystal. Thoughts of vengeance abruptly discarded, Rain picked it up by one of its outer rings, moved the bucket out of the way against the wall, and made his way to his room to get dried off - and then to use the crystal.
---
As the memory began, the feeling of the ground beneath him, cool and solid, was the first thing he became aware of. He was crouched down on one knee, a subordinate position, and there was fabric loosely draped around his neck - probably a scarf - and something tied across his forehead. Sound was the next sense that made itself apparent, as his sharp ears picked up low, indistinct voices around him that blended together into a faint background noise. There was the intermittent crackle of a small fire not far in front of him, and it was at this point that it occurred to Rain that he couldn't see or smell. No matter - he was speaking now. He needed to pay attention.
"They will strike early. We are trying to discover their meeting place, but have no leads as of yet." His tone was official and no-nonsense - this was clearly serious business. "This afternoon a runner with a sortie request was sent to Kurodani, in the Aizu han. No troops have answered the call as yet. The communications are most likely delayed."
"Souji." A rough voice that Rain recognized from previous memories came from directly in front of him - the vice commander. "How many soldiers do we have for sortie?"
"We have thirty-four." Okita, also right in front of him, answered.
Rain heard and felt himself continue. "According to Furutaka's confession, there are around forty roushi hidden in the city. Even if they aren't united, it's a large number." He paused for a brief second. "I believe we should wait until the appointed time for reinforcements to arrive."
We're preparing for battle...
"Thirty-four men?!!" a loud, brash-sounding voice exclaimed nearby, and there was the sound of heavy fabric being moved. "When did the number drop?! What are we, cowards?"
"Why are you yelling at the soldiers that are here?" a second unfamiliar voice piped up. "C'mon, man."
"Honestly?" That was a third unknown voice, this one sounding rather unimpressed. "If another Japanese man deserts because he's got a cold, I want him to stand here first and show me the place where his balls should be."
"Toudou-kun..." That was the second voice again, managing to sound both snide and amused at once. "Are you forgetting that Yamanami-san also caught a cold?"
'Toudou' responded in a chagrined voice. "Even if I die, never, ever tell Yamanami-san what I just said."
"So? What're we gonna do, vice commander?" The brash voice spoke up again, calmer now. "The guys are all riled up, having orders after being idle so long. The tenth squad is bursting at the seams. They're all short-tempered like me!" The amused voice laughed loudly at that.
"Let's go, Toshi." Yet another person Rain hadn't heard in any previous memories approached from the side. Again, there was the movement of heavy fabric, followed by a few footsteps. "Shinsengumi aren't patient. It's been a long while." The voice sounded good-natured and slightly older than most of the others... and it occurred to Rain that this was the first mention of the Shinsengumi that he'd heard for himself as opposed to learning about them through Okita.
The vice commander exhaled slowly. Rain wondered if he was smoking. "I was hoping you'd say that," he responded a moment later.
There was a beat of absolute silence, and then, "Ye... Yeah!!" The amused voice was positively ecstatic. "That's right! If we don't go, we're not Shinsengumi!"
The brash voice wasn't far behind, and was equally enthusiastic. "Now that that's decided, let's strike while the iron's hot! All right men, it's time to move out!" A loud shout, many voices in unison, rang out in response.
"Hang on! We need to explain the squad's duties!" amused-voice called out with a light laugh. "Get back here, Sano!"
"Whaaa?"
Rain heard someone step closer to where he still knelt, followed by the vice commander's voice speaking calmly. "Defense of headquarters will be left to the investigators."
"Yes, sir," he answered. He then felt himself stand and begin to walk away... but he hadn't taken more than three steps before he heard the vice commander speak again.
"Yamazaki-kun."
He stopped, and turned. "Yes, vice commander?"
"There's one more thing... I need from you."
---
Yamazaki. His name. The rest of it, rather - he had his full name back now. Yamazaki Susumu. And a few other names in addition... he'd need to speak with Okita, but that could wait until tomorrow. He had a lot of notes to record and update right now. He was wearing something that he hadn't been wearing before, something with a hood pulled up over his head, but he paid it no mind just yet as he fetched his notebooks and a pen. It was comfortable enough.
The memory had certainly cut off at an inconvenient point, though. He just hoped that, whatever it was that the vice commander had needed from him, he had been able to accomplish it.
[The scene is from Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker chapter 23, here. As punishment, he'll find himself stuck in this glorious article of clothing for four days.]
He was vowing to himself that someone was going to get smacked hard for this when something rolled out of the bucket, and he glanced down at... a memory crystal. Thoughts of vengeance abruptly discarded, Rain picked it up by one of its outer rings, moved the bucket out of the way against the wall, and made his way to his room to get dried off - and then to use the crystal.
---
As the memory began, the feeling of the ground beneath him, cool and solid, was the first thing he became aware of. He was crouched down on one knee, a subordinate position, and there was fabric loosely draped around his neck - probably a scarf - and something tied across his forehead. Sound was the next sense that made itself apparent, as his sharp ears picked up low, indistinct voices around him that blended together into a faint background noise. There was the intermittent crackle of a small fire not far in front of him, and it was at this point that it occurred to Rain that he couldn't see or smell. No matter - he was speaking now. He needed to pay attention.
"They will strike early. We are trying to discover their meeting place, but have no leads as of yet." His tone was official and no-nonsense - this was clearly serious business. "This afternoon a runner with a sortie request was sent to Kurodani, in the Aizu han. No troops have answered the call as yet. The communications are most likely delayed."
"Souji." A rough voice that Rain recognized from previous memories came from directly in front of him - the vice commander. "How many soldiers do we have for sortie?"
"We have thirty-four." Okita, also right in front of him, answered.
Rain heard and felt himself continue. "According to Furutaka's confession, there are around forty roushi hidden in the city. Even if they aren't united, it's a large number." He paused for a brief second. "I believe we should wait until the appointed time for reinforcements to arrive."
We're preparing for battle...
"Thirty-four men?!!" a loud, brash-sounding voice exclaimed nearby, and there was the sound of heavy fabric being moved. "When did the number drop?! What are we, cowards?"
"Why are you yelling at the soldiers that are here?" a second unfamiliar voice piped up. "C'mon, man."
"Honestly?" That was a third unknown voice, this one sounding rather unimpressed. "If another Japanese man deserts because he's got a cold, I want him to stand here first and show me the place where his balls should be."
"Toudou-kun..." That was the second voice again, managing to sound both snide and amused at once. "Are you forgetting that Yamanami-san also caught a cold?"
'Toudou' responded in a chagrined voice. "Even if I die, never, ever tell Yamanami-san what I just said."
"So? What're we gonna do, vice commander?" The brash voice spoke up again, calmer now. "The guys are all riled up, having orders after being idle so long. The tenth squad is bursting at the seams. They're all short-tempered like me!" The amused voice laughed loudly at that.
"Let's go, Toshi." Yet another person Rain hadn't heard in any previous memories approached from the side. Again, there was the movement of heavy fabric, followed by a few footsteps. "Shinsengumi aren't patient. It's been a long while." The voice sounded good-natured and slightly older than most of the others... and it occurred to Rain that this was the first mention of the Shinsengumi that he'd heard for himself as opposed to learning about them through Okita.
The vice commander exhaled slowly. Rain wondered if he was smoking. "I was hoping you'd say that," he responded a moment later.
There was a beat of absolute silence, and then, "Ye... Yeah!!" The amused voice was positively ecstatic. "That's right! If we don't go, we're not Shinsengumi!"
The brash voice wasn't far behind, and was equally enthusiastic. "Now that that's decided, let's strike while the iron's hot! All right men, it's time to move out!" A loud shout, many voices in unison, rang out in response.
"Hang on! We need to explain the squad's duties!" amused-voice called out with a light laugh. "Get back here, Sano!"
"Whaaa?"
Rain heard someone step closer to where he still knelt, followed by the vice commander's voice speaking calmly. "Defense of headquarters will be left to the investigators."
"Yes, sir," he answered. He then felt himself stand and begin to walk away... but he hadn't taken more than three steps before he heard the vice commander speak again.
"Yamazaki-kun."
He stopped, and turned. "Yes, vice commander?"
"There's one more thing... I need from you."
---
Yamazaki. His name. The rest of it, rather - he had his full name back now. Yamazaki Susumu. And a few other names in addition... he'd need to speak with Okita, but that could wait until tomorrow. He had a lot of notes to record and update right now. He was wearing something that he hadn't been wearing before, something with a hood pulled up over his head, but he paid it no mind just yet as he fetched his notebooks and a pen. It was comfortable enough.
The memory had certainly cut off at an inconvenient point, though. He just hoped that, whatever it was that the vice commander had needed from him, he had been able to accomplish it.
[The scene is from Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker chapter 23, here. As punishment, he'll find himself stuck in this glorious article of clothing for four days.]
