Dawn of the Shinsengumi » Places

         

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█
║█

Akumi sat in the middle of her floor, her Tsubaki tree intertwined with the wood of her walls. Considering she was a tree yokai, she had been allowed a few odd accommodations such has having her host tree as a literal part of her room. The gnarled roots covered a portion of her floor and its branches sprawled above her and curled down, heavy with its burden of blossoms. Half of the tree bloomed just outside the walls, getting all the sunlight it needed. The velvety violet blooms could be found in the grass and all over her floor. She was often very careful to walk around the blossoms to avoid crushing them even if they were drying and snapped at anyone who tried to step on them. Thankfully, the branch that extended across the ceiling and draped down generally loosed its burden in one location.

The Tsubaki yokai also had various paintings decorating the walls that she had created herself, little bits of memories from her past. Most often, they were half remembered faces and events. A couple of spots had obviously missing portraits but she didn't mind. Shigeru-kun had mentioned his desire for them and she had happily parted with them to brighten his room and see him give that rather contagious smile. All of her painting supplies were neatly ordered in one corner of the room and a half painted canvas waited for her but she had much more important things to do today. She had warned the clan of an attack on the town and like most of her visions, they came to fruition.The clan had gone out to defend the citizens and she wanted to check her vision again. All the previous times she had sought answers, none of those she was close to had met their demise but she wanted to be sure now that most of the future would be set in stone revolving around this particular event. Perhaps she could offer assistance if things had changed and warn her family of the dangers.

Akumi leaned over to pick up one of the blossoms around her, her long dark hair pooling in her lap. She caressed the delicate petals, her amethyst eyes watching the lines intently. It wasn't long before images began to flash in her mind. As before, she saw the battle and their victory over the would be invaders. Makoto and Asuka were both safe. But oh, the future did change. A stranger entered her vision and lured Asuka away from the safety of the fortress which was troubling but even following this vein, Asuka's life remained a strong thrum. The stranger would target Shigeru then. The battle between the stranger and Shigeru was disconcerting. Shigeru was taking on a bit of damage but ultimately, he was victorious, landing a well-placed ki attack on the stranger at a vital point and killing the stranger instantly. Reassured that her family was safe, Akumi pulled away from her vision. With a smile on her lush lips, she stood with the blossom in hand and straightened the black kimono she wore with cerulean lines threaded through that created an elegant floral pattern.

Akumi rested the blossom delicately on one of the various shelves she used to keep the blossoms she had used for visions as a reminder, the visions still etched into the faded petals. She heard a sword fight not too far away from her then and tilted her head to the side. The fight between Shigeru and the stranger must have just started. She hurried to leave her room so she could catch the fight. She stopped a good distance away and watched as the two fought each other relentlessly. And then Shigeru hit the stranger with the ki move that Akumi knew would kill the stranger, as it had in her vision. Her eyes widened when she saw the man still very much alive and running towards the front gate. "Impossible..." she muttered. Unless Shigeru happened to not hit a vital point this time. There was a chance that something like that could happen and it was one of the few ways that her versions failed, but it was still unnerving. The stranger didn't get far however. As soon as he tried to rush past the gate, the rest of the clan was there waiting and Asuka punched the human hard enough to get him to fall. It wasn't long before the stranger was detained.

Akumi shook her head before she approached Shigeru and looked him up and down. She even reached out to pull his arms up to look at the ripped clothing where blood had already stained the fabric and was quickly drying, making it a nasty brown hue. She moved closer to turn his face and frowned at the bleeding cuts there. "My, that stranger did a number on you, Shigeru-kun," she called to him. "You should get your wounds checked before they get infected." Then she turned to Shugo. "And you? Did you get hurt when you tackled that trespasser?" she asked worried eyes searching him.