POINT OF DEPARTURE: N/A ABILITIES: Ibuki is embarrassingly human. Even as far as human standards go. I mean, he once almost ended up destroying the kitchen where the Shinsengumi stayed because he’s that terrible at this having life skills thing. In all seriousness, while he has a katana, he doesn’t really know how to use it (and has no desire to learn, either), but he does know that he’s supposed to stick the pointy end in the enemy. If he were ever able to get to that point. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, here. He is also a pretty decent amateur artist, as showcased in Saitou’s route. While it doesn’t come up in Okita’s route, it is still a general talent that I include in my characterization. INVENTORY; Ibuki will have his clothing (including an empty medicine box attached to his sash), as well as his katana. ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW? No really, this kid is a loser, but don’t let me talk more about him, because I will not shut up.
S A M P L E S; FIRST PERSON: Right. Okay.
[Short sentences. To the point. Frustration very much evident in the tone.]
I guess I should be grateful for getting out of Kyoto some…how…but this whole thing of getting forced into a kind of life I didn’t choose is getting really old. So uh…
[Welp, here goes.]
This is probably a dumb question and I’m not gonna like the answer because half the time I never like the answers to questions I ask, but how the hell can I get out of here?
[A pause.]
...There’s no way to get out of here, is there. Well that’s just great. I don’t wanna be here in the first place, so why can’t they just find someone else who’s willing. Or even good at something. Whatever they need around here. Because I’ll be honest, I’m probably not that guy.
I mean, I can draw, sort of. If that’s helpful. Um…yeah.
THIRD PERSON: Niimi was dead.
This in and of itself didn’t particularly bother Ibuki. He had never been close to Niimi, or any of Serizawa’s faction, to be honest, and besides, Kyoto was a dangerous place. People died every day if they weren’t careful.
No, Ibuki wasn’t upset over one man’s death.
What did put Ibuki on edge was the manner of his death. Seppuku, it was reported. Except with the way Serizawa’s faction and Kondou’s faction never worked well together, Ibuki wasn’t convinced that internal assassination was out of the question. Hadn’t Okita killed Tonouchi all those months ago, after all? But still, Niimi was dead, Serizawa’s right-hand man, and surely that only meant one thing.
Serizawa was next.
This thought bothered Ibuki a little bit more than Niimi’s death had. He didn’t like Serizawa, not by a long shot, but the man had saved his life and Ibuki hadn’t yet paid him back yet. At this rate, if his theory were correct, then he never would. And yet… With Serizawa’s life on the line next, it would be more than clear that Serizawa’s faction was in danger of being completely wiped out. And Ibuki himself was, by association, part of Serizawa’s faction. He would be targeted, too.
As Ibuki holed himself up in his room after the announcement, his thoughts went to that little detail. Of course, nothing was certain. Maybe by some miracle they’d spare his life. Maybe Serizawa would wake up one day and decide Ibuki had done enough and let him go. Maybe –
Ibuki laughed to himself, shaking his head as he rested on his futon. Who was he kidding? He’d been with the Shinsengumi for half a year and knew too much. No one would let him go after he had seen the secrets of the ochimizu and the rasetsu. One wrong word slipped to one wrong person and the Shinsengumi – as well as the shogunate – could be screwed.
He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, as if curling up would be more comforting. It wasn’t, but Ibuki didn’t move, only looked around the dark room to rest his eyes on his sword. If push came to shove, he wouldn’t go out without some fight. But then again he wouldn’t be much of a challenge for anyone in the Shinsengumi, especially if he ended up in front of the wrong side of Okita’s blade.
Okita. Ibuki wondered if he had been involved in getting rid of Niimi, or if he had done it all on his own. It would be right up Okita’s alley, embracing the rush of combat and killing, as well as getting rid of one of Kondou’s threats. Why it even mattered to Ibuki, he didn’t really know anymore. Okita had accepted his role of becoming a sword for the Shinsengumi and nothing he could say would change the other man’s mind.
Ibuki was a threat to the Shinsengumi, too. How fitting would it be for Okita to kill him?
None of these thoughts were pleasant, but Ibuki couldn’t get them out of his head. He couldn’t change anything. That was his life, though, wasn’t it? Bad luck seemed to follow him wherever he went. But gods, maybe once, just once, he’d be able to escape that bad luck and make his life worth something somehow.
That night when he finally curled up to sleep, he didn’t let himself get his hopes up.
no subject
ABILITIES: Ibuki is embarrassingly human. Even as far as human standards go. I mean, he once almost ended up destroying the kitchen where the Shinsengumi stayed because he’s that terrible at this having life skills thing.
In all seriousness, while he has a katana, he doesn’t really know how to use it (and has no desire to learn, either), but he does know that he’s supposed to stick the pointy end in the enemy. If he were ever able to get to that point. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, here.
He is also a pretty decent amateur artist, as showcased in Saitou’s route. While it doesn’t come up in Okita’s route, it is still a general talent that I include in my characterization.
INVENTORY; Ibuki will have his clothing (including an empty medicine box attached to his sash), as well as his katana.
ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW? No really, this kid is a loser, but don’t let me talk more about him, because I will not shut up.
S A M P L E S;
FIRST PERSON: Right. Okay.
[Short sentences. To the point. Frustration very much evident in the tone.]
I guess I should be grateful for getting out of Kyoto some…how…but this whole thing of getting forced into a kind of life I didn’t choose is getting really old. So uh…
[Welp, here goes.]
This is probably a dumb question and I’m not gonna like the answer because half the time I never like the answers to questions I ask, but how the hell can I get out of here?
[A pause.]
...There’s no way to get out of here, is there. Well that’s just great. I don’t wanna be here in the first place, so why can’t they just find someone else who’s willing. Or even good at something. Whatever they need around here. Because I’ll be honest, I’m probably not that guy.
I mean, I can draw, sort of. If that’s helpful. Um…yeah.
THIRD PERSON: Niimi was dead.
This in and of itself didn’t particularly bother Ibuki. He had never been close to Niimi, or any of Serizawa’s faction, to be honest, and besides, Kyoto was a dangerous place. People died every day if they weren’t careful.
No, Ibuki wasn’t upset over one man’s death.
What did put Ibuki on edge was the manner of his death. Seppuku, it was reported. Except with the way Serizawa’s faction and Kondou’s faction never worked well together, Ibuki wasn’t convinced that internal assassination was out of the question. Hadn’t Okita killed Tonouchi all those months ago, after all? But still, Niimi was dead, Serizawa’s right-hand man, and surely that only meant one thing.
Serizawa was next.
This thought bothered Ibuki a little bit more than Niimi’s death had. He didn’t like Serizawa, not by a long shot, but the man had saved his life and Ibuki hadn’t yet paid him back yet. At this rate, if his theory were correct, then he never would. And yet… With Serizawa’s life on the line next, it would be more than clear that Serizawa’s faction was in danger of being completely wiped out. And Ibuki himself was, by association, part of Serizawa’s faction. He would be targeted, too.
As Ibuki holed himself up in his room after the announcement, his thoughts went to that little detail. Of course, nothing was certain. Maybe by some miracle they’d spare his life. Maybe Serizawa would wake up one day and decide Ibuki had done enough and let him go. Maybe –
Ibuki laughed to himself, shaking his head as he rested on his futon. Who was he kidding? He’d been with the Shinsengumi for half a year and knew too much. No one would let him go after he had seen the secrets of the ochimizu and the rasetsu. One wrong word slipped to one wrong person and the Shinsengumi – as well as the shogunate – could be screwed.
He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, as if curling up would be more comforting. It wasn’t, but Ibuki didn’t move, only looked around the dark room to rest his eyes on his sword. If push came to shove, he wouldn’t go out without some fight. But then again he wouldn’t be much of a challenge for anyone in the Shinsengumi, especially if he ended up in front of the wrong side of Okita’s blade.
Okita. Ibuki wondered if he had been involved in getting rid of Niimi, or if he had done it all on his own. It would be right up Okita’s alley, embracing the rush of combat and killing, as well as getting rid of one of Kondou’s threats. Why it even mattered to Ibuki, he didn’t really know anymore. Okita had accepted his role of becoming a sword for the Shinsengumi and nothing he could say would change the other man’s mind.
Ibuki was a threat to the Shinsengumi, too. How fitting would it be for Okita to kill him?
None of these thoughts were pleasant, but Ibuki couldn’t get them out of his head. He couldn’t change anything. That was his life, though, wasn’t it? Bad luck seemed to follow him wherever he went. But gods, maybe once, just once, he’d be able to escape that bad luck and make his life worth something somehow.
That night when he finally curled up to sleep, he didn’t let himself get his hopes up.