lucetilogs | It's easier to run replacing this pain with something numb.

Entry tags:

It's easier to run replacing this pain with something numb.

Who:

ahappylie
What: Getting Okita out of the house.
When: The evening after the draft announcement.
Where: House 50
Summary: Okita's been a homebody, and Homura's intending to do something about it. He'll just do it now, since he's up for the draft.
Rating: Probably PG at absolute most.
He'd intended to give Okita more time after seeing a certain entry from his journal on the network. Whether it had to do with the effects of the most recent experiment or not, Homura is concerned for a man he considers a friend. If Okita has truly been so deeply wounded by the Malnosso's further attempts to "examine their emotions," Homura can at least offer to listen. He suspects otherwise, however, given what he knows of Okita's personality. He simply seems to resilient to go into hiding over something so simple as forced love.

The announcement that followed shortly after the experiment's end, however, gives Homura a more immediate deadline. One way or another, the demi-god knows that he will have to focus on preparations for the coming battle, either individually, or in a position of leadership. So he heads toward House 55 as evening falls, knocking firmly on the door. If Okita is firm about not wishing to be disturbed, then it's likely someone else will answer. Regardless, he will be seeing the other man; Homura isn't one to be easily deterred.

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Someone at the door? Ayumu pauses at the sound of a knock, spoon still poised over the pot on the stove as she glances in the direction of the door. She hadn't been expecting company, but that certainly didn't sound like someone who was merely lost, or at the wrong door, and... well, especially considering the state of affairs in the house right now it apparently falls to her to respond. With a faint sigh she turns down the heat under the pot (hesitating for a moment to make certain it actually worked; even after several months she still doesn't quite trust the thing), then leaves the kitchen for the door.

By the time she reaches it she's prepared with an open, friendly smile, her expression showing nothing but surprise at receiving a visitor. Even as she opens the door, though, one hand remains just slightly behind her back where she can reach a weapon should one be needed. "Yes?" she asks, with a quick and assessing glance over the stranger masked by a curious head-tilt. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Homura's smile widens at the woman who answers, and he nods his head slightly at her prompting. "There is. Are you Ayumu, by chance?" Homura recalls the name from the journal, and it makes sense that this woman would be the one to answer the door given Okita's request. "I know he asked not to be disturbed, but I was hoping to speak with Okita. I'm a friend."

"...yes, that's me?" Her eyes widen slightly with apparent surprise at being addressed by name, and she blinks at him with more open curiosity. If he saw Okita's message then yes, it would make sense for the man to connect the dots and realize who she was, though she hasn't met him before. He isn't entirely unfamiliar, which means he's been around for at least a little while, and the way he carries himself... interesting. She could believe him a friend of Okita's, certainly. If he's telling the truth.

She purses her lips thoughtfully, looking a little indecisive. "Mm, well, if he didn't want company I wouldn't want to disturb him...." Ayumu hesitates a moment longer, then sighs and offers an apologetic smile. "I could go see if he'll answer, I suppose. Might I ask your name?"

"Homura." He recognizes her concern, and respects the hesitance she shows to a degree. He'll still see Okita, one way or another, but he'd much prefer to do so in a manner that doesn't cause unnecessary friction among Okita's friends. So before the woman can turn and head off, he'll address her again, taking the opportunity to hopefully discover a bit more about whatever it is causing the man's depression.

"Do you know why Okita's secluded himself? He didn't say in his entry."

Ayumu bows her head slightly in response and starts to turn away, but at the question she pauses, glancing back at him with one brow slightly upraised. "I'm afraid I couldn't say, Homura-san," she replies, still with nothing in either tone or expression but simple, polite concern. "If you'll wait here just a moment, I'll go see if he wants to talk."

And with that she closes the door again and moves down the hall to Okita's room. She has no doubt that he's listening; knowing him, even if he'd been asleep when she approached he wasn't by the time she stopped outside the door. And so she gives a sharp rap on the frame and calls quietly, "Okita-san? There's someone at the door who wishes to speak to you. He says his name is Homura, is he a friend?"

Ayumu was right to assume that Okita would be awake by the time she came to his door. When he heard the knock at the front door, he'd woken up and now that footsteps are drawing close to his door, he's up, dressed, and putting away the bedding. It's been three or four days since Hijikata left and Okita knows that if he stays cooped up much longer people will begin to worry more than they already are.

When the rap at his door alerts him, he heads over, listening to what Ayumu says through it. "...Yes, he is." And one that is currently a bit confusing. "Is it urgent that he speak with me?"

"Mm. He seems concerned about you." As though she isn't herself, and wasn't entirely relieved to actually get a response after his days of seclusion. Ayumu hesitates briefly, considering, then suggests, "Dinner isn't ready yet, but if you'd like I could invite him in for tea?"

There is still a selection of sweets in the kitchen that need to be eaten before they spoil, after all, since Okita had refused them with every meal. Not that she's going to point that out, of course.

Concerned? Perhaps he shouldn't have written anything at all since his one message seems to have upset a few people. But Okita could just get out of this by saying there's nothing to be concerned about. Or he could have if Ayumu hadn't made that suggestion.

With a silent sigh, Okita looks back at his room and then puts a hand on the doorknob. "Yes, we shouldn't be rude to a guest." He opens it a moment later, giving Ayumu a small smile as if nothing were wrong.

Once the door opens Ayumu looks him over with a small, thoughtful frown, not bothering to hide it. He can pretend that nothing is wrong, but she's still going to be concerned for his welfare no matter what he says. There are so few of them left now, after all, and she has her duty to fulfill while there is someone still to watch over.

Her regard lasts but a moment, though, before the smile is back in place and she nods agreement. "Of course not." And with that she bows her head and turns away again, heading back toward where Homura waits, inwardly cataloging what she has to serve to the guest with his tea.

Homura has been resisting the temptation to simply walk in, instead leaning against the doorframe to the house with his arms crossed over his chest while Ayumu presumably speaks with Okita. Despite his eyes being closed, he is aware of her presence when she finally starts to return, the corners of his mouth turning upward slightly.

"Did you manage to convince him to come out?"

"Hm, it seems so." Now that he's been identified as a friend of Okita's her outward demeanor toward the man has warmed somewhat, and Ayumu offers Homura a small bow and smile. "If you'd like to come in, he'll be out in just a moment. Would you like some tea?"

The change in the woman's demeanor is slight, but Homura can appreciate the effect. It seems he's no longer under such heavy suspicion. "Good." Homura moves inside at the offer, although he shakes his head at the mention of tea. "It isn't necessary." He'll simply follow Ayumu inside the strange house.

Okita is in the common living room area, having left his room as Ayumu had said. In the short time Ayumu was occupied, Okita has managed to drag the giant panda out of his room again and has it sitting in the living room. Currently, he's trying to get Saizou to come out from under it. The pig looks both upset that the demon toy is back and terrified of coming out since that would mean he'd have to see it. "Saizou! Come out here. We have guests."

Ayumu pauses to survey the changed living room, giving both panda and owner a somewhat dubious look before she sighs and shakes her head. "Okita-san? Tea?" Maybe if she pretends that giant plush thing isn't sitting out again he'll get bored and put it away. The fact that he brought it out, though, makes her wonder all the more about Homura and how the two of them know each other.

"...You have an interesting object there, Okita."

Homura smiles when he sees the massive doll Okita is struggling to get his pet out from under. On the surface, the other man seems to be acting normally enough, and Homura supposes that's a positive sign. Still, it doesn't provide a reason for his dismay beforehand, nor does it negate what happened during the last event.

"You had me rather concerned when I saw your message on the network."

"It's a panda." He doesn't seem all that flustered by Ayumu's sigh or the way Homura is talking. Instead, he focuses all his attention on Saizou who is still refusing to come out from under the stuffed animal and is making unhappy grunting noises.

"And yes. Tea, please." Just to make sure that Ayumu doesn't think he is ignoring her. He turns to look over his shoulder and smile at both her and Homura, then kneels down, reaching under the panda to try and coax Saizou out. "You don't need to worry, Homura-san. I apologize for concerning you."

If Okita had been flustered or serious then Ayumu would have known that something was even more wrong than she already knew about, so, receiving much the reaction she'd expected she merely nods and moves on into the kitchen. Life still continues in the house, after all, no matter what changes they're adjusting to, and she still needs to finish dinner. After making tea, of course, but she'll just leave the two men to talk while she attends to that.

Homura watches Ayumu leave the room, giving Okita a few moments with his pet. The man seems content to brush off the matter as if it had been nothing, but Homura isn't so willing to leave it be. He'll walk over to where Okita's crouched, still observing, then speaks in a low voice.

"What happened, Okita? I doubt your seclusion was inspired by the aftermath of this last experiment."

Okita keeps his attention on his pet, although his calls to the pig stop and Saizou stops grunting in return. He's glad he has his back to everyone else or they'd see his smile slip. Okita knows he shouldn't be so upset that someone has gone back, but the idea of Hijikata being there without him, of Susumu being without his sister again is just too painful.

"You're right about that."

He crouches down a little lower and Saizou pokes his head out.

"My friends were sent home."

"I see." Homura almost regrets asking when the silence comes, the playful facade of Okita fetching his pet so quick to fade away. He doesn't need to see Okita's face to know what he'd find in the man's eyes at that moment. He understands all too well the feelings of the ones left behind.

He glances toward the kitchen where Ayumu has departed, then back down to Okita. It seems strange on some level to feel a hesitance toward touching the man, given the events of the prior week. Yet Homura does feel some lingering reluctance as he lowers himself down to a knee, and rests a hand on Okita's.

"I am sorry."

He jumps a little when Homura is suddenly so close, but smiles and shakes his head. "You don't have to apologize. They're back where they need to be."

And this is a topic Okita feels uncomfortable with, so as soon as he's able, he pulls his hand away politely and makes a lightning quick grab for the pig. Saizou squeals and starts flailing as Okita pulls him out from under the panda, laughing. "Got you! Now say hi to Homura-san. Homura-san, this is Saizou."

"Perhaps, but I doubt you'll find much comfort in that thought." Homura notices the tension in Okita's body--how could he not, when it is something so completely new? So he doesn't resist when Okita pulls away, once again distracting himself with his pet. Homura smiles faintly, and nods at the introduction.

"Yes. You showed him to me once before, remember?"

"He likes meeting new people." Homura will note that Okita isn't replying to his first statement. Now that he's come out of his room, he doesn't really want to think about what sent him there in the first place. Instead, he'll lean back against the panda and play with Saizou's hooves.

"Oh, yes, I did. Have you been doing well, Homura-san? I realize things are...a little different now."

Yes, Homura does note that very thing. The denial is concerning to say the least, and his instinct is to push Okita out of it, and force him to confront the issue. Yet he is aware of just how quickly the days will pass between now and the moment to report for war, and of what he'll need to do during that time. So Okita could considering himself fortunate, if he knew--at least until Homura returns.

Or perhaps not. He glances toward the kitchen, wondering just how difficult it would be to have a moment alone with Ayumu. From how she acted toward him, Homura can only assume the woman cares for Okita, and perhaps she can be used.

"You mean now that we aren't in love with each other?" He grins as he says it, though he's not at all comfortable with how easily their emotions have been toyed with, again. "Well enough, though I'll be busy in the coming days. I've apparently been drafted."

"Drafted?" Ayumu emerges from the kitchen apparently just in time to catch only the last part of what Homura says, glancing at the man with a curious expression. "You mean the... when they take people to fight for them?"

She moves over to the pair, setting her tray down on the table before she continues. "Okita-san, you're not going, are you?" Not that she didn't already know the answer, of course, but she busies herself by setting a cup before each of them (despite Homura's earlier refusal) and adding a plate of sweets to accompany the tea.

Aha. Yes, that. Okita just laughs a little and looks down at Saizou who is trying to bite his fingers so he stops messing with his hooves. Ayumu returning to the scene saves him from having to say anything, and he nods at her, putting the pig down so he can stand up and go over to the table.

"Yes, that's what he means, but no, I am not going." Not that he wouldn't go. The appeal of blocking out everything he is thinking by throwing himself into battle is undeniable, but the stress he'd place on everyone outweighs all. "When do you leave for the draft, Homura-san?"

Homura notes the return of the woman with a raised eyebrow; her timing is convenient, given that her presence allows Okita an excuse not to respond to what Homura brings up. Or it would, if Homura actually possessed any sense of modesty. Fortunately for his own purposes, he threw that away a long time ago. "In a few days. Which is also part of why I wanted to see you now. I wanted to make sure that nothing has changed between us."

Homura stands as well, but he doesn't follow Okita over just yet, instead speaking to the man's back. That much of a hiding place he's willing to allow the other man. "I wouldn't want to lose your friendship in the aftermath of emotions inflicted on us against our wills. I realize the timing is poor, given your losses, but it is important to me--and in turn, I've been handed a deadline, so to speak."

Amazingly convenient, indeed. Not that Ayumu was listening in the kitchen for a cue to enter or anything of the sort, of course. She just gives Okita a relieved look and a nod; she is glad that he isn't going on the draft, especially not so soon after the others had left. It's one less thing for her to worry about at a time when she already has more than enough.

As she rises to her feet again with the now-empty tray, however, she pauses to look over at Homura with a curious expression. "Emotions inflicted on us against our wills", was it? She files that away for later consideration, but for the moment only glances from him to Okita, shifting from curiosity to mild concern.

To make sure that nothing has changed? Okita seats himself at the table and Saizou quickly scrambles over to await the inevitable scraps coming his way. He keeps his back to Homura and looks up at Ayumu with a calm smile, the sort he always wears. He doesn't want to worry her anymore than he already has and dumping the strangeness of the past week on her would only do just that.

He doesn't look to Homura again until he hears mention of 'friendship' and feels a slight twinge of relief. He has no idea if Ramirez will feel the same way, but for now Okita is reassured that Homura at least won't be acting strangely. "The Malnosso often do things to play with us," he says, motioning to the seat opposite him at the table. "I wouldn't be a very good friend if I let something like that hurt our relationship, would I? Please, sit. Ayumu-san went through all the trouble of making tea and it would be a shame to let it go to waste."

"Perhaps not," Homura moves to the seat, noting that Ayumu has provided a second cup despite his earlier refusal. He slides the object toward him, tracing a finger around the rim before continuing. "It would make you a normal person, however."

He takes a slow sip of his drink then, not wanting to waste it, as Okita said. He nods to Ayumu after with a faint smile. "Thank you. And you have my sympathies as well, given your losses." Though he and Ayumu have only met, and she denied knowing earlier about what had driven Okita into seclusion, he suspects it to be false. Most likely, it's another effort to shelter Okita by keeping secret information she isn't sure she wants others to know. And since they seem close, it isn't unsafe to guess that Okita's friends might be hers as well.

"Would either of you be willing to tell me their names?"

Ayumu had experienced more than enough strangeness herself, the week before, and it had distracted her enough that she hadn't paid enough attention to what Okita was up to, though she'd guessed there was something going on. Confirmation was always nice, however, as was finding out just who he had been with during the experiment. She returns Okita's smile with a small one of her own; he doesn't want to worry her, but she'll still worry nonetheless, if only because her task is to watch over those of the Shinsengumi still present.

To Homura she gives only a small shrug, absently crossing her arms over the tray held against her chest. "I doubt you would have known them, Homura-san," she replies, with nothing but polite friendliness visible in her expression.

He just laughs when Homura says it would make him normal. If anything, Okita is the farthest person from normal, but he won't say that. It's nice that someone thinks he could be normal somehow. "I suppose you're right, but it's still a silly thing to do."

And if Ayumu isn't giving names, then Okita won't either. Homura met "Hijikata" when Okita was switched as him, but otherwise, the man had never met their friends as far as Okita knew. And if he had, it would likely have been under aliases, so it is better not to give away such information. "When they come back, I'll introduce you then."

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It's easier to run replacing this pain with something numb.

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