damned_institute | Day 40: Recreational Field

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Day 40: Recreational Field

Kio's breakfast ended on a much happier note than it had started. However, for once the announcement truly surprised him. He blinked as his nurse came to pick him up. Recreational Field? But.. but if they had a greenhouse, he wanted to go there. The prospect of gardening was a truly liberating one, an island of joy in this hellhole. He thought about going to the Sun Room and lying down, but it occurred to him that he hadn't had proper fresh air since being here. With a cheery goodbye wave to Honey, he followed his torturer outside.

It was much better than he had expected. The sun wasn't too hot (what time of the year were they in, anyway?), so he walked slowly along the walls, fascinated by the size of the field. He wondered if Sou-chan was alright. He hadn't even checked the board. Well, if Soubi wanted to apologize, Kio would be willing to listen. The place was so crisp and clean. He had to think if anyone had ever gone over the walls. What was out there? Freedom? Or a different sort of monster?

Leaning against one of the walls, Kio took as much advantage of the sun as he could. He desperately wanted a lollipop. One was quietly nestled in his pocket, but he would need to wait until the nurses were busy with other patients before he tried anything. Soubi had gone to some trouble to get them, the least he could do was make sure they didn't get confiscated. So with bated breath, Kio waited for a shift in the mood. He was, for once, content. Not happy, but not going crazy either.

[Sou-chan! Team Loveless deploy!]

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Honey enjoyed bringing cheer to others and he could only hope that he'd been able to help at breakfast. Lots of people here were sad and it was his duty as a host to make them happy again! Or at least try his hardest. He still needed to track down Hikaru or Kaoru about their assignment, but the nurse ushered him and Usa-chan outside before he had time to go visit with either of them. It was a pity, but it would have to wait.

There were lots of games to play or things to do outside and it was really nice to get a breath of fresh air. Outside was way better than cramped up inside, he always thought. He started wandering toward the far end of the field, where it looked like they were bringing out some toys to play with.

[Waiting for Okita! :D]

After speaking with Yuffie and seeing the bulletin board, Okita wondered if he'd managed to recruit someone or just...well, he wasn't sure what. The conversation had been interesting - that was for certain. There was no guarantee that she would work with them, but there was no reason for her to go against them either. Their goals aligned, Himura was still with them, and they could help her get metal for a price, of course. Okita would have to discuss the details of the exchange with Homura later, but for now he could relax. The demi-god was off with Allelujah and Kaito was apparently making his meeting with destiny.

Giggling a little to himself, the swordsman took the opportunity to walk about the field. The beginnings of that 'soccer' game caught his eye, but before he had a chance to go over, someone else grabbed his attention. A young boy, blond, with a pink bunny - a child. Okita had seen children around in his days here, but he rarely had a chance to get near them since the adults and the youngsters were separated so often.

Clapping his hands together in front of him, he hummed to himself as he wandered after the boy, putting a little more speed into his step to catch up to him. It took a bit, but once he'd drawn closer, Okita leaned over and smiled at him. "Hello there. Are you going to go play?"

It wasn't long before he was joined by a tall stranger. At least this one was smiling and cheerful; Honey always enjoyed company, but it was even better when they were in a good mood too. He smiled back, toting Usa-chan along in one arm.

"Hi!" he replied with enthusiasm, "I was gonna go see if there's any good toys to play with, do you wanna come?"

What a cute little boy. Okita smiled warmly at him and nodded. He did love to play and if his memory served him, this boy was much more than just a playmate. He could just be that Honey person Okita had spoken to on the board - someone else who could fill him in on the details of the war. He could possibly give Okita a little more information to take back; something that could help them end the war in their favor instead.

"I'd love to, thank you." He straightened and walked along at the boy's side, his gaze falling to the rabbit in his arms. "Do you and your rabbit have names? I'm Soujirou."

Soujirou was nice and even asked about Usa-chan! Honey's smile widened and he let out a pleased giggle as he held up the rabbit.

"Mm! This is Usa-chan and I'm Honey!" he chirped. Would it be okay to call Soujirou by a nickname? He couldn't call him Sou-chan, since he already gave that one to Soubi. Maybe Jirou-chan? Or Rou-chan? Hm, but those didn't sound quite right.

"It's nice to meet you Soujirou-kun," he settled on the full name for now. At least until he could figure out what he could change it to.

When they reached the shed, there was a variety of sporting goods to be found, though they all looked kind of used and worn.

"Do you like baseball?"

Reaching out, he shook Usa-chan's paw and laughed a little. "It's very nice to meet you, Usa-chan!" What a lucky break, too. Okita's smile brightened as he bowed to Honey - the exact boy he'd been looking for! "And it's very nice to meet you, too, Honey-kun."

Although, now that he'd realized who this boy was, perhaps it was time to have a little fun. Soujirou was a good name to go by when he was talking with children who had no idea who he was, but it was even better when he needed to get information out of people. Who would think twice of telling someone random information about the 'Bakumatsu'? No one, that was who.

"Baseball?" Looking to the equipment in front of him, Okita crouched down and poked at the bats and balls of different shapes. He had seen the black and white one being used by the 'soccer' game, but the others weren't familiar at all. "I'm afraid I've never played it. Perhaps you can teach me?"

So-chan might work, even if it was a little short. Or Souji too. Honey put it from his mind as he tucked the plush under one arm to inspect the baseball bats. Soujirou was Japanese and had never played baseball? Even if he hadn't played it, he must have seen it. It was pretty popular. Unless maybe he grew up outside of the country. Or like Sen-nee and was from a different time.

"Mmhmm, it's really fun, but we'd have some trouble getting a whole team together I think. For today we can just play catch and I'll explain how it works, okay? That's the basics."

Honey poked around the supplies, "here, I'll find you a glove and we'll get a ball. Are you right-handed or left-handed?"

Playing catch seemed like a fine way to spend the early morning. It would make talking a lot easier, too, and might even open the door to talking about the things Okita needed to talk about. Right now, he needed to figure out how to segue into the past, possibly without giving himself away. Then again, it did seem a little unfair, seeing how Honey had been looking forward to meeting Okita Souji, rather than Soujirou.

Okita stood and wiggled the fingers on his right hand. "Right-handed. And am I correct in thinking that Honey-kun is the same one as the boy in charge of the Cake Club? I saw your advertisement on the board - it sounds like a great club."

It didn't take him long to find a couple of gloves and a worn ball that still looked like it could take a few hits. He held up the larger mitt to Soujirou and tucked the child-sized one on his left hand. There were plenty of open spots on the field so he started walking toward one that was near the fence and out of the way of any soccer or football games.

"Mm! That's me. It's short for Haninozuka, but I think Honey sounds much better and it's a lot easier to say," he explained, setting Usa-chan at his feet so he could use his arms to play. "I'm glad you like it! People keep saying it doesn't make sense to have one, but I think there's a lot of serious clubs already. We need some that are fun too. You're welcome to come if you want!"

Soujirou seemed like a pretty pleasant person to be around and he liked the idea of the Cake Club, which gave him bonus points. "Okay, so in baseball, you have two teams," he started the explanation, doing his best to keep it simple. Once he'd outlined the basics, he held out his gloved hand, wiggling the fingers and demonstrated how the ball fit nicely into it when catching. That said, he took a few steps back and gave the ball an easy lob at Soujirou.

Taking the mitt from Honey, Okita waited to see how Honey put his on before doing the same himself. If he threw with his right hand, it meant he'd have to catch with his left. Interesting concept. Shifting the large glove on his hand until it felt comfortable, Okita followed after Honey. They reached an open spot and then the swordsman listened carefully as the boy explained about himself and his club.

Haninozuka - definitely Japanese and yet he had blond hair. What an odd combination. Perhaps he was half? Brown hair he could understand. Darker hair, he could see past, but blond was and always would be a foreign color to him. Smiling pleasantly, Okita patted the glove and nodded in agreement. "There certainly are a lot of serious clubs here." He should know. He was apparently an officer of one of them. "But a fun club is exactly what this place needed. People are faaaar too serious here, don't you think? If I ever get a free night, I may just show up at your doorstep, Honey-kun."

And now it was time to really buckle down and listen. Baseball seemed like an easy enough game. Two teams, hit the ball, run around bases, try to tag the other person out - easy enough, right? Okita nodded along with the explanation, keeping any questions to himself for now. He wasn't all that interested in the game itself, but rather in Honey and what he would say. Establishing trust and openness was vital to getting Honey to talk about the past later.

As Honey moved back and tossed the ball to Okita, the swordsman followed the ball's trajectory like a hawk. He had to remember to catch it with his glove though and nearly fumbled the catch in his attempt to grab it with his free hand. The ball bounced off the edge of his glove and Okita scrambled to grab it before it hit the ground - and just barely made it.

"Haha! I got it! You're a good teacher, Honey-kun. This seems like it'll be fun." Straightening up, Okita tossed the ball back to his newfound friend, smiling at him. "And if you don't mind me asking... how old are you?"

Honey had to jump up to catch the ball, but managed it, somewhat more used to the equipment, even if it wasn't name-brand.

"Well, back home, my friends and I were already in a club kind of like that. We ran the Host Club at our high school. But anyone is welcome to come! Last night we even made it to the kitchen and Wonka-sama was able to make some sweets! So just let me know if you want to come too Soujirou-kun!"

With that, he lobbed the ball back, still at a beginner's pace to give Soujirou some time to adjust to playing. He shouted some encouragement to the other boy and smiled brightly back. It was hard to be in a bad mood on such a nice day.

"I'm eighteen," Honey replied. People sure asked about his age a lot. He knew why, but it seemed to happen here far more than back home. "How old are you?"

When Honey jumped, Okita had to restrain a giggle. The boy was just far too cute for his own good. He would have been the apple of someone's eye back in Kyoto or in Edo, pampered and sheltered away from all the nasty things going on in the capital. Of course, none of that mattered seeing how Honey was from the future.

"Host Club? Are you, by any chance, friends with a Suoh Tamaki then?" The tall blond was still in Okita's sights for his journal. Lately, he hadn't been making so many appearances, but Okita was certain the boy was still around and that meant his journal was still up for grabs. Okita jumped back a bit and caught the ball, finding that the second time was easier than the first now that he rememebred to use the glove. "If I ever get a free night off, I'll be sure to let you know."

Okita was about to toss the ball back when Honey's age gave him pause. Eighteen? It had been bad enough when he mistook Tetsu for ten years old, but Honey? He could have sworn the boy was at the most Tetsu's age, at the least - eight. Well, fair emough. The smile on his face brightened back up and Okita readied for the next toss. "Technically I'm twenty-one, but considering my displacement at the moment, I should say I'm closer to one hundred and twenty-one." The swordsman laughed and finally threw the ball back to Honey, a little lower this time so he didn't have to jump after it. "I'm from the 1860s. Do you know anything about that time?"

Soujirou seemed to be getting the hang of things and Honey clapped when the boy caught the ball the second time. He smiled and nodded enthusiastically when Tama was mentioned too.

"Mm! Tama-chan started the Host Club back home. He's me and Takashi's kouhai. We're really good friends!" he assured Soujirou, just in case there was any doubt. He'd known Tamaki for a while now and he was sure the boy made as many friends here as he had back home. He had charisma that was hard to ignore. But Honey was pleased that Soujirou was thinking of visiting with the Cake Club. They could use more members, even if they only came once in a while.

"Ooh!" Honey's eyes widened for a second or two when he heard about the time Soujirou was from. And he'd just talked to someone else from the same time earlier today! It didn't escape his notice that this Soujirou person might very easily be the Okita Souji, but he kept it to himself. "So that's why Soujirou-kun didn't know about baseball! It makes sense!"

Honey caught the ball easily and threw it back a little harder the next time, still smiling just as impishly as ever. "I got the top scores in my class for History," he replied. "So I know it pretty well!"

So Honey was older than Tamaki, even. The saying that warned against books and covers certainly rang true with them. Honey apparently had a friend named Takashi, too, and combined with the now absent Kyouya Otori, that made five. Filing that bit of information away for later, Okita nodded and conceded his ignorance on baseball. "Yes, being from so long ago is why I didn't know. But this game is fun, Honey-kun. Thank you for teaching it to me."

The boy's eyes widened in recognition at Okita's time period and the swordsman smiled. That was exactly what he'd been hoping for. As Honey had said before, he knew everything there was to know about the 'Bakumatsu' - and perhaps he'd be a little more willing to tell him about things, like Hikaru had been. "Do you? Maybe you could tell me what you know and I could tell you how much time has changed things? I'd be interested in hearing what the future has to say about us."

"It's no trouble at all!" Honey was quick to reply. Souji or Soujirou, he was still nice and still enjoyed playing, which was always a plus. It was harder to find nice playmates here, too many people were angry or too serious or any number of different things.

"Sen-nee asked me about that today too," he said, thinking over the question. It made sense too if he thought of the bulletin board. Okita wanted to ask him about the past also.

"I told her all about the Ikeda-ya at breakfast. Do you know Sen-nee-chan?" he asked.

"Sen...?" Okita blinked, looking at the ball in his hands. That last throw had been harder - perhaps he should toss it back just as hard in order to cover up his pause. If Ayumu knew about the Ikedaya, then she knew she hadn't been there. It was entirely possible that she knew she was dead then, and if she knew that, things changed. Hopefully, Honey hadn't gone into too much detail as to the days leading up to the Ikedaya for her sake. Rolling the ball in his glove for a moment, Okita pretended to think as if recalling the name was difficult for him. "Sen... Ah! Yes, I believe I've met her once, very briefly here. She's from the same city as I am, but we never had the fortune of meeting before coming here."

That sounded plausible. Taking the ball, Okita threw it back to Honey with a little more force than before. "And the Ikedaya was a terrible thing - the fighting woke everyone in the neighborhood up. The wolves of Mibu were rather frightening that night, or so I heard. Do you know what happened to them after that? I talked to someone here and they said they all died."

"She's really nice," Honey decided, giggling when the ball was thrown back just as hard. Even if he hadn't played before Soujirou had pretty good coordination.

Unlike Sen though, Soujirou was from a little bit later, at least that's what it sounded like. And the first thing he asked about was the wolves of Mibu. It was kind of suspicious, but Honey kept it all to himself. Maybe he could ask Takashi about it later. Still, if it was Okita, he really wished the boy would tell him. He really, really wanted to meet him! Even if it was just to see if Haruhi's cosplay had been accurate. Then he'd know what to fix when they got back home.

"Hnnnn," Honey thought for a second, throwing the ball into his mitt a few times before answering. "Well if today is more than a hundred years later, they'd all be dead I'd imagine," he replied. "But um... you mean like, right after the Ikedaya though?"

He'd paid plenty of attention in History class, but it was a small detail when compared to the rest of their lessons. "Well, that incident is what made them famous. After that, they had to leave Kyoto. Most of the famous ones were killed in battles that took place after that. They retell a lot of the stories about Shinsengumi in tv dramas um... like plays. People like those kind of tragedies I guess."

He wound up this time, "it's coming faster, okay?" was all the warning he gave before throwing again.

Okita laughed and nodded. "Well, since it's a hundred years later, I expect everyone is probably dead - not just them. I guess I lucked out, huh? Oh, and Sen-san, too."

Information that they left Kyoto was interesting. Okita wondered just where they went. To Ezo, as Himura had said? Or someplace else? Where was the turning point that Okita could use to change the entire war? Sakamoto Ryoma? Who did he have to kill to save Yamanami from committing suicide and Kondou from being executed? What could he do to keep the Shinsengumi in Kyoto and away from Ezo? Honey mentioned that their story was a tragedy and Okita smiled, the expression not quite reaching his eyes. Perhaps there was nothing they could do. "I suppose people do."

Honey wound up and threw the ball again and Okita had to step back in order to catch it. The force of the throw was a little surprising and his hand stung in the glove from the impact. At eighteen, Okita should have expected such force, but for it to come from such a small body - Honey was something else. Holding the ball in his ungloved hand, Okita leaned down and smiled. It was time to end the charade. "Honey-kun knows who I am, doesn't he."

Soujirou took it all pretty well. If Honey met someone from the future, he wasn't sure he'd be able to do the same. It didn't seem all that fair, but that could be said of a lot of things here. And when the other boy smiled, even though the news was sad, and asked, well, stated that Honey knew the truth, it was harder than he'd thought to look Soujirou in the eyes.

He wasn't just a line of text in a history book. He was a real person. It was easy to forget that when he was cramming names and dates and just trying to pass tests.

"Can I call you Souji-...chan?" he asked in a voice that was much tinier than before. He looked up, hoping the other boy wouldn't be too upset with him. "Is that okay?"

It wasn't hard to face the truth. Okita had been dealing with it since he first met Himura Kenshin in his first few days here. Speaking to people over the bulletin, meeting those who spoke of Tokyo and those who said they read about him in textbooks - it was all the way time flowed, and Okita had come to accept that. Of course, it didn't mean he liked it. He wished with all his heart that he could change things. Maybe if the country hadn't closed itself off for 200 years, they could have held the foreigners off better. Maybe if they'd all pursued Dutch studies and taken their weapons from them, they could have prepared for the shifts in power. So many maybes, all brought about by one little boy who was having a hard time looking him in the eyes.

Okita smiled, pushing back his thoughts so Honey couldn't see them in his eyes. "You'd be the first, but I don't mind." Reaching out, he dropped the baseball into Honey's glove gently and then patted him on the head. Not many people would be so bold as to call the child prodigy and demon killer Okita Souji, '-chan.' It was refreshing, to hear his name spoken with something other than reverence or outright fear. "Perhaps someday you can tell me more about what happened to my friends, hm? When I go home, I'd hate to be out of the loop with all that has happened."

Honey was really glad that Souji was so nice about everything. They definitely hadn't mentioned that in any of the textbooks. People had made assumptions or written him in different ways for plays or movies or television, but it was another thing entirely to know the real person.

He looked down at the ball, and when he heard that Souji might want to see him again later, a smile broke across his face and he looked up at the other boy, suddenly cheered. "Mm. I'll do my best Souji-chan. I'll try to remember as much as I can if it will help."

Even as far out as they were in the field, he could hear the distant mumble of the PA system and saw the nurses beginning to round the other patients up. "Let's play together again soon, okay?"

If only Okita could be truly described as nice. He knew he wasn't doing this for altruistic purposes. He needed information and Honey had it - and Okita Souji would do anything to get it. He did love playing with Honey, but their conversation was what was most important. He hoped that next time they met, Honey could volunteer more details about the battles he would face or the people he would need to kill in order to save the Bakufu and his friends.

The smile on Honey's face was returned easily and Okita straightened, waving as the the nurses drew them apart. "Of course, let's play again later. I'll be waiting for you, Honey-kun."

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Day 40: Recreational Field

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