Victoria J Rose started as an 18-year-old American girl currently serving her last year in high school as an exchange student in Japan. She's absolutely in love with the Japanese culture and everything that goes along with it. This includes the anim...
After the bad news that Emperor Iemochi had died the Shinsengumi had been really busy trying to keep peace in the city, patrols were more frequent and it was easy to see how tiresome it was becoming. Soon after, it was September of 1866, a sign had gone up on the Sanjo bridge claiming the Choshu as the enemies, it was constantly being targeted by the rebels and the Shinsengumi were therefore tasked to guard it. "Welcome back" Chizuru greeted as Shinpachi rolled in, plopping himself down on the stairs in exhaustion. I stood alongside her waiting for said Captain's return. Sanosuke stood waiting as well, it would be his turn coming up soon. "How did it go?" Sanosuke wondered as he watched his fellow captain yawn tiredly. "I'm so tired I could drop. I don't mind crossing swords with those Choshu guys but I can't get worked up about protecting a notice board" The three of us gave him an understanding look but it was interrupted when another voice interjected. "Now that the entire Bakafu army has lost to the Choshu domain I honestly don't think having killed some rogue samurai will change anything at all" We all turned our heads only to find Itou-San standing there with a soft yet calculating expression. His eyes flickered to me dressed in a light yellow yakuta adorned with white & yellow flowers and a dark purple obi.
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Due to the warm weather, I wasn't wearing any tabi socks with my sandals so my feet were bare. I also wore little makeup because I wasn't hiding from Itou anymore.
He knew I was a foreigner and I was assured by Kondou-San that Ito couldn't touch me so I was relieved in that sense or so at least I thought. "My my, what a lovely flower..." Itou drawled walking up to me and running his fingers against the petals of the white orchid kanzashi in my hair.
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I nearly flinched, feeling very uncomfortable with his proximity. I nervously chuckled. "Oh-uh thanks" Itou hummed quietly. "It brings out the vibrant colour of your eyes, as clear as the sky, how refreshing" He monologued. I turned my head away from him which seemed to bring him back to reality. "Oh pardon my rudeness, I should've been more aware of my actions, forgive me, Tori-Chan, was it?" I merely nod not looking him in the eye. When he put distance between us I all but let out a sigh of relief. I could see Shinpachi and Sanosuke giving Itou a hard look from where they stood. Sano, being less tolerant of the Imperialist spoke up in a firm tone. "Itou-San do you have some kind of complaint with the duties of the Shinsengumi?" The question, in turn, made the samurai feign offence. "Heavens no. Protecting a signboard is an important duty in itself" He finished rather dismissively. You could tell he hardly meant any of his words. Ito was a man that looked down on others around him especially ones who didn't share his ideals.
