Night 43: F-A Block Hallway

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[from here]

Beatrix did not pause as she passed through the junction of the prisoner hallways. She was alert for snakes in the grass, so to speak, but she had a feeling the day that bitch decided to take her revenge she wouldn't be subtle about it. As it was, the Bride had let her be far too long. Tonight would be the first step toward her desired outcome.

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With Himura and his friend gone Ayumu found it somewhat easier to regain control once more. For the moment her anger turned inward, becoming shame for her rash and foolish actions. It was for good reason that a ninja must avoid emotional attachment; her flaw had led to the undoing of a great deal of work, with even more potential repercussions in the future should Himura decide to spread word of what had happened. It was a betrayal of all she had been taught, of who and what she was, and it would take considerable effort to atone for it.

She drew in a breath, willing at least an outward calm before she reached to accept her weapon back again. "My deepest apologies, Okita-san," Ayumu said, with a bow. "My actions this evening were inexcusable. It will not happen again."

As she straightened again she slid the skewer back into its previous place of concealment, her voice taking on the detached tone of an official report. "Susumu was brought here this afternoon as a visitor. He claimed, however, that he was not in fact Yamazaki Susumu, as the real Yamazaki Susumu fell in battle against Choushuu forces in the year 1868."

And the information had been sufficient to unsettle her in a way that nothing should have been able to do. If nothing else it was a sign that she needed to eliminate the weakness she had allowed to grow under Tetsunosuke's influence; he was not here, and she had other people to think of besides herself.

[notachick.livejournal.com]

He didn't want an apology, he wanted answers. He knew just how deeply this place could shake a person and he'd wanted to protect Ayumu from that. That she potentially ruined a great deal of her work by revealing herself to Himura was of no consequence. Okita had seen things that didn't sit right with him between Yuffie and Himura and he had constantly worried about Ayumu's safety in this matter. Now that it was over, she could turn her focus to more important places - Lelouch, Robin, or elsewhere as she was needed.

Right now, however, work wasn't what mattered.

He listened as she confirmed his fears that Susumu had come to visit her. And worse, that he had told her about 1868. Did she know that they lost? Did she know the way things were going to be? Himura had told him what he needed to know before and it had nearly destroyed him - shot in the back on the field of battle in Ezo. So far away. With so few of his friends at his side. Alone, with no one to walk with him - and he did not want that happening to her. It seemed, however, history was inevitable. It would find a way to dig its claws into them and rip them apart, no matter how far they ran.

"Then save him," Okita said quietly, stepping to turn to the side. He faced the wall, not wanting to stare at her anymore. It would only make her uncomfortable. "If they can bring us here, it means we can go back - we can change what the future holds. You know how he falls; so save him." Prevent the move to Ezo, stop the Choushuu from banding together, route them at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. They had to do it because no one else could. "This place...does things to those on the outside, Ayumu-san. It changes them, makes them believe and spout lies." Michael Sugiyama was the lie Hijikata wore now. Okita would save him. "He is alive now and that is what matters. It means you have a chance."

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That she wanted to save him -- had to, would do so, no matter what it took or what she had to give -- remained forever true despite whatever resolve Ayumu might make, and hardly needed to be spoken. The only question that remained, the only choice she had left to make, was whether she needed to do so there or here.

Even if she chose not to accept the opportunity that had been offered, to give in and accept the pretty lies and thus allow Susumu the chance to live as she'd always secretly wanted him to, the fact remained that he was here. Here, now, though believing himself to be someone else. She simply couldn't return to Kyoto without him.

And a return to Kyoto was a return to her interrupted mission, and the near-inevitable end to it. Even if she'd managed to survive that (which Okita certainly would not confirm even if she'd asked him outright) there was always another job, always danger for one such as she, and even if -- when -- she returned home with Susumu it would still likely fall to Okita to change the future that they now knew.

Still, she spoke none of this, allowed none of her thoughts to show. Now that her careful control had returned she'd not allow it to crack again. Not this night.

"As you say, Okita-san," she agreed calmly, brushing a hand across her waistband to test the placement of the skewer she'd hidden within it. "I thank you for your timely intervention, but I'm certain I'm keeping you from your assignment for the evening?"

[notachick.livejournal.com]

Although Ayumu seemed calm, Okita knew the truth. There were things she would never tell him, thoughts that she would never let anyone know, but that was precisely why she was good at her job. And precisely why Okita wasn't leaving her on her own tonight. There was no telling what the shinobi might do without a mission and with the weight of the new-found knowledge crushing in on her. And no matter how she looked, he knew how she was feeling. She wasn't the only one who had thought those things, wondered who could take the message back and who to save. Returning to their time meant death for them and for anyone who came back with them.

Reaching into his sleeves, he pulled out a small package wrapped in his old sling and then held it out to her. "And it is now your assignment. Keep your armaments close and follow me. If anyone who knows you sees you with me, tomorrow the excuse is that I came upon you in the halls and could not leave a woman behind." You're in no state to be alone, Ayumu-san. I know how it is. I've seen him here twice. He waited for her to put her newest weapons away and then turned to start down the hall. "Keep close."

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The package was greeted with a look of faint curiosity and one uplifted brow, then the other rose to meet the first as Ayumu actually opened it and found her gift. So this must be what he'd mentioned on the bulletin earlier in the day - somehow she'd managed to completely forget about that, as well as the small present she'd picked up for him in town the day before. Ah, well, there'd be time to get that to him later; unlike a gift such as these it would be easy enough to slip candy to him even during the day.

She'd also neglected the board during the last shift, since after her "visitor" had left she'd only left him a message and then gone back to her room until dinner. Which meant, of course, that she'd completely missed vital information, such as what the so-called History Club was planning to do this evening. Somehow, though, that didn't seem as important as it should have been - being given an assignment meant that she had something to do tonight. Something to focus on that didn't involve chasing her thoughts around in circles.

And so she merely nodded slightly in acknowledgement, murmuring thanks for the gift before distributing the new weaponry about her person. It was at times like these that she dearly missed her normal clothing, in which it was so much easier to hide items such as these. But still, she did her best before moving to follow Okita, keeping close as ordered.

Hopefully they'd not encounter anyone else that she knew before they arrived at their destination, but just in case she resumed her attitude of the frightened noncombatant attempting to be brave in a dangerous situation. As nervous as she seemed outwardly, inwardly she was still alert to her surroundings. It took enough concentration and focus that she could not think of anything else for now, and she welcomed that.

[notachick.livejournal.com]

She had apparently forgotten that he had mentioned a gift for her earlier today. Considering that she had such a stressful afternoon? Okita didn't blame her. He honestly would have forgotten if he were in her shoes, too. As he waited for her to finish hiding the knives in her clothes, Okita straightened his uniform, checking the ties at his waist and the knot in his bandana. He had never been a big fidgeter, but tonight they were going up against those things again. People would be hurt again - possibly all of them.

It would be a taxing night to end the day with.

Once Ayumu was ready, Okita turned and started forward - knowing that she'd follow.

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