cannotcrossdress | ✿001 [Video]/[Action]

[Chizuru had fallen asleep to the sound of waves. She had gotten used to the unsteady rocking that the boat subjected them too for the past several days. It wasn't a long journey, from Osaka to Edo, but it was just long enough to get used to the bouyancy of the water before having to subject yourself to re-acquainting yourself with the durability of hardened soil.

When she'd stepped off the boat, she was light-headed, and her eyes were barely capable of staying open. From all the crying, seeing Yamazaki off to his watery grave, her eyes had nearly swollen shut, and she still had yet to sleep a wink since they said their final farewells. Perhaps she had fainted, and that is why she found herself curled up in a ball on a soft patch of grass. She woke with a start, gasping when she'd realized what (she thought) had happened.]

Oh, no! I'm so sorry! I must've just-- [Chizuru rolled onto her hands and knees frantically, spurting out awkward apologies to pretty much anyone within a listening distace, when she realized that...wait. Since when did the arbor have such lush greenery? Edo wasn't nearly as developed as, say, Osaka, but...the ports at the very least would have...

..but wait. Chizuru froze, holding her breath as she listened. There was no sound of the waves breaking against the rocky shores, or the flapping of canvas as the masts yearned for the wind to catch them. Instead, there was only the soft hum of insects and the occassional chirp of a bird, the gentle rusting of feathers.

Feathers...really close. Chizuru sat back and sighed.] ...did I wander off somewhere? [She looked up at the sky, wincing but also in awe at the brightness of the sun.] ...wasn't it Winter...? For it to be so hot...

[There was that rusting sound again. So close, was it the sound of silk robes brushing against itself?!] Who's there?! [Chizuru cried out in a more panicked voice than she would've liked...but it was then that she realized that...] Oh, no...

[She was alone. Alone and lost, yet again.]

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Chizuru? I like that. [He's going to offer a cold and robotic hand to her.] How about we get you to town? There might be some folks who know you.

[Chizuru gives his hand a skeptical look...it looks like it could crush her little hand in an instant.]

Uhm...[Nevermind that you like her name, that hand looks a whole lot more like a weapon, if you ask her!] I can get up! [That's right, she doesn't need help like that...maybe she couldn't fight, but she could at least carry herself that far...]

I would appreciate it if you would direct me to where 'town' is...[She politely bows a bit] I know at least one of my friends is looking for me, so I'm hoping I'll run into him.

[Alright, fine. She can get up for herself. He's a little insulted, but he masks it well. And he understands. He already knows that he looks like a monster.]

Sure. Just follow me. The town ain't far from here.

[He'll turn to lead her away. He doesn't have wings like her though. Or. He does. But they're in a metal casing under the armor on his back.]

[Sob. Sorry Cyborg. Forgive the sheltered mid-19th century Japanese girl that's never seen a non-Japanese man before.]

Thank you very much. I apologize for interrupting your day like this...

[She folds her arms defensively over her chest.] Uhm...say...do you know what might've happened to my clothes? I wasn't dressed like this before. [So immodestly, for one.]

The Malnosso probably dumped them in the clothing store, like they do for everyone else. Same with anything else you had with you.

[Though he hardly considered it immodest. She looked pretty darn cute, dare he say hot, dressed in that number. But given her reaction thus far, he doubted that would earn him any points to say.]

[Chizuru nods.] Then that's where I need to head first, once I find Heisuke-kun.

[She glances back to Cyborg, still not quite used to his appearance. Give it time.]

...uhm...so are you...from around here? [To know so much...]

Nah. I'm new here, just like you. I just got a few days on you, that's all.

[Heisuke-san, then. He'd be keeping his eye out on anybody who looked Japanese.]

You're really well-adjusted for someone who's [You're not 'just like her,' that's the problem. ;A;] only been here a short time.

[Maybe he's just really adaptable, or maybe he comes from someplace a lot like this.]

Do you come from a place...like this..?

Like this? Nah. Where I'm from's way more exciting. For one, we'd be surrounded by skyscrapers and not trees. And I'd be taking you on a trip in the T-Car and not on foot. It's just I've gotta lot of experience with weird things happening. Hey, I got turned into this, didn't I?

[Normal teenage boy to robot man.]

[For a moment, Chizuru just stares at Cyborg. It was like he was speaking a foreign language. Unsurprising, coming from someone who was so obviously a foreigner.

But at least one thing made sense.]

So...you weren't always like this?

[He shook his head, still carrying on ahead. He didn't like talking about his accident. But while most people would easily assume that this wasn't something he'd just do to himself, he didn't figure she was someone who quite understood, well, any of it.]

I had an accident a few years ago. All of this was to save my life.

[Chizuru let that sink in for a moment. It wasn't unlike the ochimizu then, was it? When faced with life or death, sometimes becoming something inhuman didn't seem all that bad a consequence, was it?

Looking ahead, a pensive frown tugs at the corner of her mouth.]

I can understand that. I'm sorry you had to make that choice.

[There's a hollow 'hah' at that. His reply is tainted with bitterness.]

I didn't. It was made for me.

[Chizuru peers to the young man through the corner of her eye. When she wasn't distracted by the technology on his face, she noticed that he was a few years younger than her, wasn't he?]

Would you have chosen differently?

[Even the rasetsu corps...in spite of the drawbacks, they were happy to be alive. For the time being, at least.]

[He rarely talked about it. And honestly, he'd never been asked that before. He'd grown to resent his parents for turning him into a monster.

Maybe I wouldn't have. But at least it'd have been my choice.

But he sees the village ahead, one of the tall community buildings over the treeline. He changes the subject abruptly.]

The town's just ahead.

Oh! [Chizuru jumps to attention.

And so it was!]

I can take it from here! [Right? It's safe enough, right?]

Thank you so much! [She offers a small bow to the boy.]

I'm sure we'll meet again, right? [It's not like he would be hard to lose in a crowd.]

[A bow, huh? He awkwardly scratches the back of his head before giving a sort of nod-bow in turn.]

Uhh, sure. You don't need me to show you around?

I don't want to be a bother! [And besides, once she ran into Heisuke, she'd need to know what he was doing out in the daylight, being rasetsu and all.

That was top secret information about the Shinsengumi she shouldn't be discussing with those not already in the know.]

And there might be other newcomers needing your help. I can manage from here.

[Well. He couldn't argue with that.]

Alright, if that's what you want. Seeya around, I guess.

[He'll just. Go his own way then.]

See you around!

[Oh, and how rude of her!]

Uhm...and thanks again! Once I'm settled in, if you ask around for the Shinsengumi, you should be able to find me? You'll have to join us for dinner sometime!

[At least then, surely she wouldn't be the only one weirded out by him, right?]

[Dinner invitation, huh? He could go for that.]

Alright, but ya'll better make plenty, cuz I got a big appetite!

[She was used to that sort of response. It struck her as rather nostalgic. She eagerly nods and smiles.]

You got it!

[A wave and he's off on his own way.]