Peace and Quiet and...Tea? [Complete]
WHO: Shinomori Aoshi, Okita Souji
WHAT: A tea ceremony, but really Aoshi's way of attempting to be slightly more personable.
WHERE: Meet up at the docks, and move to the park.
WHEN: Late morning, early afternoon.
( Aoshi most certainly did not fidget. Ninja didn't fidget. )
WHAT: A tea ceremony, but really Aoshi's way of attempting to be slightly more personable.
WHERE: Meet up at the docks, and move to the park.
WHEN: Late morning, early afternoon.
( Aoshi most certainly did not fidget. Ninja didn't fidget. )
Although, was it really an odd thing? Souji enjoyed tea and he enjoyed meeting people, so perhaps not odd but more of a break from what had become the normality of the orphanage. It was quite alarming just now normal his life had become in this entirely unnatural town.
Having little to no idea what a trench coat was, he kept a look out for anyone who stood still and looked to be waiting for someone. After passing through the usual mismatch of people milling about the port area he saw (what he assumed to be) the other waiting, with the sea breeze whipping through -what Souji figured- was his trench coat.
He suddenly felt a little under-dressed. Everyone in Rivelata seemed to have such varied forms of clothing, Souji had just slipped on what he had arrived in; a white hiyoku undergarment and a grey yukata on top. Well, at least it was clean this time, unlike when he had met up with Tatsunosuke and had been covered in dirt and dust.
The first thing Souji had noticed was that the man was armed, this however wasn't a bother, he was used to weaponry being a daily part of life. Personally he never carried one unless on duty, however here in Rivelata current events were beginning to make him wonder whether it would be worth investing in one.
He approached with a smile, "excuse me, but are you waiting for someone?"
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With the instinct born from long training, he decided he'd been right about this one. His speech was soft, polite, and the simple - but traditional - garments did quite a bit to boost Aoshi's opinion.
Turning, he gave a respectful bow, then started back down the docks. "There's a park that may be more comfortable," he offered, by way of explanation. He'd never really been one for words.
Though, he did make an effort to slow his strides for the other. Six feet and two inches of height gave him quite the ground-swallowing stride. Whether or not his courtesy meant anything...well, that was anyone's guess.
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He knew it was rude to stare but he was so curious. The man had an undeniable presence that the young captain couldn't help but respond to, without a word, without even a name he had commanded that kind of respect from Souji. Souji smiled despite himself, how like Hijitaka-san this man was.
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He cast his eyes down and to the side, just catching the smile before he glanced away again.
"Your name?" he asked, perhaps a bit abruptly, but he was a little unnerved by this situation. There was so much of her in this other, and how long had it been since he'd thought of Misao?
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He looked around curiously, wondering if it would be too much to ask for a small clearing, or something of the sort - a place that was relatively closed off to the hustle and bustle of everyday life, which Aoshi had had quite enough of at this point.
He walked in silence, searching for the right spot, some small part of him realizing that this was the point at which he was supposed to make small talk, some kind of informal, comfortable conversation.
Problem was, Aoshi had never quite had the chance to learn that. So he simply held his tongue and moved silently through the park.
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"I thought I ought to thank you for inviting me," for a moment he stopped and fiddled inside his belt, when he'd finished he presented Aoshi with a small, white square sachet. "It's powdered green tea." Orginally meant for Hijitaka-san but, that had never happened and keeping it was...it was silly, tea should be drank. "It's very good, despite that though."
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"I need no thanks," he said, as he spotted what he thought might work - a small clearing ringed with trees in full bloom, shedding pale pink petals in the gentle breeze. "But I appreciate the tea."
He shook out a thin blanket from the box and spread it in the center of the clearing, settling himself on one end, knees tucked under him, weapon in easy reach.
As he began pulling things from the box - teacups, a small kettle and stove, the bamboo whisk - he gestured to the other side of the blanket without a word.
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It would be rude to offer a hand, but he felt restless just sitting there. "Do you come to this park often, Shinomori-san?"
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"I just happened to see it. I haven't been here long - and I don't intend to remain any longer than necessary."
He could sense the restlessness in the other, but wasn't sure what to do about it, and his hands slowed for a moment, uncertainly.
"Did you want - ?" he asked awkwardly, not even entirely sure what he was offering.
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His hands slowed further, then paused. "If...if you'd like to..."
He really didn't know how to handle people. Too many years as Okashira, and not enough as a normal teenager. He understood weapons, and killing, and moving in the shadows. He understood barking orders and being obeyed.
But this? Casual interaction and kindness to strangers? Completely uncharted territory.
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The young man smiled, eyes falling for a second onto the sheathed blade; Aoshi was a man that was highly tuned in to everything around him, including the movements and agitations of other people, an art that wasn't easy to learn, but had to be taught if you were to survive, and only the good ones did.
Aoshi may not have said very much but Souji was steadily learning new things about him all the time. The social awkwardness, the to-the-point, brisk, and silent nature of this man, yet on top of that a meticulous and precise tea ceremony.
Souji watched the man's hands with a fondness, if he closed his eyes he could almost smell Hijitaka's pipe smoke. And for a moment let himself think if only...
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Hands moving automatically, comfortably, again, he glanced up to see the other with his eyes closed, and took the opportunity to study him a little more closely. Souji had fine, delicate features, and had so far moved with an easy grace. But Aoshi knew quite well that exterior appearance often led one astray from inner strength. He'd learned that lesson in about the hardest way possible.
Taking up one of the cups, he leaned forward slightly to present it to Souji, his large hands and long fingers looking almost comically awkward around the small cup.
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Aoshi wasn't Hijitaka. Souji would never be flustered around Hijitaka (it was usually the other way around when Souji had his way). He was being silly, comparing this man to the vice-commander.
He just...really missed him.
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With a mental sort of shrug, he took up his own cup, settling comfortably back on his legs. And though he waited for Souji to take the first sip of tea, he couldn't quite stop the soft sigh that escaped him - simply from the warmth of the cup against his hands, and the delicate aroma of the tea.
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