[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."