minutemen | 6 ❀ Summer Citadel

6 ❀ Summer Citadel

Beach. Everyone has been working so hard lately so why not take a break and enjoy the beach? You can make sand castles, play in the water, and there are even umbrellas for those who'd rather just relax in the shade. There's a nice row of water melons ready to be smashed later in the day and when the sun goes down, that's when the sparklers come out.
Suffering. It's the hottest time of the year and the citadel doesn't have central air conditioning. The few air conditions that were installed have given up on life after being used so much and now, we really have to make do with what we can while the Konnosuke try to fix it. There's a limited number of fans, plenty of ice cream to go around, and the citadel should be built to circulate air, right? ... Right?!
Spooks. In Japan, summer is a time for horror. Gather around the camp fire and hear some spooky ghost stories or maybe head out into the woods just outside the citadel for a good ol' fashioned test of courage. It's all good, harmless fun! Of course, with so many spirits gathered in one place, what's to say a stray or curious outsider spirit won't join the mix...
Rain. Summer is also known for sudden and torrential downpours of rain. The clouds always seem to grown and darken suddenly and the next thing you know, it's raining sheets and the ground is shaking from thunder. Once it starts, it never seems to stop. Maybe you were caught out in the rain or maybe this is day 7 stuck inside.
Other! It's summer and there are tons of things to do. Go to the general store and stock up on ice cream, wake up in the middle of the night uncomfortable with heat, or run around screaming because cicadas are dying and flying at your face.

Izuminokami, what did he do this time to make you blush...?

Tying off the braid he'd been working on, he nods both to finishing that, and to acknowledge Izuminokami.

"Good. And now that Mikuniguro is looking splendid, I should make the stable follow suit. Would you lend me your assistance?"

(He's wearing Tonbokiri's yukata, and his hair is tied back. He is completely prepared to work!)

On one hand, Tonbokiri was asking him to help him with chores. And he reeeeeeally didn't want to do chores. At all. Just because he didn't feel as hot as he did before, didn't mean he still felt like he wanted to do chores!! But... on the other hand, Tonbokiri was asking him for help. And that filled him with a sense of pride in a way. They were conflicting feelings, but that smile on Tonbokiri and the prideful feeling he was feeling ultimately won.

"Fine fiiiine, I suppose it'll go a lot faster if we both work on it."

His smile becomes even brighter. "That's the idea. There is not much to do, as we're just giving whomever is on stable duty a bit of a hand." (Yep, he's not even assigned it right now.)

"If you would please check all the water troughs? It's hot for us, and it's hot for them, as well. We'll top off their water, and let me know if any stable needs mucking out." He'll at least take on that part himself. "And finally we'll sweep up."

Not that he likes to show others how much he struggles with that particular chore, but it must be done.

He really couldn't back down after seeing the way Tonbokiri's face lit up. It was actually pretty sweet... Darn it...! He really was a softy sword on the inside wasn't he?

"Fill up their water, you muck out the stalls, and then we sweep. Got it. That really shouldn't take too much time."

Or maybe it wouldn't if Tonbokiri didn't have Izuminokami on his side to help him in this. But still he did make a promise so he wouldn't halfass it at the very least.

(Yep, total marshmallow on the inside :3 )

Tonbokiri can't help but grin at the way Izuminokami repeats it back like he's the one giving the orders. It's very much him, isn't it.

But, time to get down to business! With a practiced motion he ties back his sleeves with the long strip of fabric for that purpose, takes up shovel and broom, and starts looking into horse stalls. Of course, it doesn't take long to find one that needs tending.

He keeps an eye on Izuminokami as he works. Knowing the prim sword doesn't like chores much, Tonbokiri hopes that he'll not have much trouble with this relatively clean and straight-forward task. At the least, he knows that once Izuminokami had agreed to it, he will give it a worthy effort.

(shhh he doesn't want people to know that )

While it's true he didn't like to do chores (much like a teenager), he still didn't want to let Tonbokiri down. So he decided he wouldn't be slacking, at least not much anyway. As long as he didn't have to muck out the stalls, he was going to be a lot more helpful.

So off to work, Izuminokami goes, with his sleeves tied back similarly to Tonbokiri's and for a while it seemed like they were really on a roll. It wasn't until maybe twenty minutes later there was a loud splash and the surprised yelp of one younger sword.

(Twenty minutes? You're a little slow, Izuminokami. ~~Not everyone can carry as much water in one go as you, Tonbo.~~)

Cleaning the stables has been going smoothly, and Tonbokiri is on the last one when he hears that very telling sound.

Poking his head over the stable wall to look towards where Izuminokami is he calls out, "Are you all right?" It can't be too bad, though. It's only water he's working with.

(Have you ever tried getting a baby sword to do anything before Tonbo? You're lucky it only took him this long)

When Tonbokiri pokes his head around the corner he'll be greeted with a rather embarrassing sight. Well, embarrassing for Izuminokami anyway. He was sitting awkwardly in the water trough for the horse he was currently working with, looking completely soaked.

The horse seemed to think it was a great time though because it was neighing cheerfully at the huffy sword.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up."

(Fair point.)

Tonbokiri stares at Izuminokami's situation for a long, bewildered moment before guffawing into his fist.

Although Izuminokami's irate comment was directed at the horse, Tonbokiri at once apologizes as he quickly comes over.

"My apologies. It is just... I do not think anyone has gotten into such a situation before."

It takes a lot of skill... the wrong kind of skill.

He offers his hand to help the sword up and out of the trough. "Here, are you all right? I'll get you some towels. They are for the horses, but they are clean and dry."

He takes the hand Tonbokiri holds out to him with a tiny huff in his tone. It was so embarrassing being caught in this situation and honestly it really did seem like it was just his luck for this to happen too.

"I'm fine. THe only thing hurting right now is my pride..."

"A grave injury, indeed. But the horses won't remember it for long, and nor will I."

In other words, news of your wounded pride won't leave these walls.

Once Izuminokami is on his feet again, Tonbokiri gets the towels. As promised they are clean and dry, but they have horse hairs stuck to them and might smell a bit like horse, too. Sorry.

"It's a shame the yukata is all wet after you'd just changed into it, though. Mm. Do you want to dry it out as I finish the chores?"

It's still hot as heck. Although it'd make it stuffy they can close the stable doors for a little while for privacy. Surely the cotton will dry quickly.

"I can't very well let you do them all yourself. I did agree to help you, didn't I?"

With the towel handed to him, Izuminokami ignores the smell and begins to try and dry himself off the best he could. It was lucky that Tonbokiri had decided to put his hair up high before coming out here. Otherwise his hair would have been soaked as well.

He glanced around the stable with a thoughtful frown. He might catch a cold if he walks around in wet clothes no matter how hot it was... but he didn't want to just sit around and watch Tonbokiri do everyone on his own....

"You did," Tonbokiri agrees with a small grin. It's admirable that Izuminokami won't back down in the least from his promise, even when given a valid reason to sit it out. So he nods to the sword encouragingly.

"Well, then. As you shouldn't wear the wet yukata, which would you rather do in your small-clothes, filling water or sweeping?"

Izuminokami's eyes dart toward the horse who still seemed rather pleased with himself for startling him into the trough. With a tiny huff he turned his head to the side.

"I'll start the sweeping. You can handle the water filling."

"Very well." He nods his agreement, but before leaving the stall he gives the horse a clout on the shoulder and speaks in a low voice, "That was not polite. You're in time out."

Really. The horses and the swords need to get along better. If they can't, it will influence how they work together in their missions for Aruji.

Shaking his head, Tonbokiri resumes his work. He can leave Izuminokami to his own pace, but he keeps an eye on him to see if he needs any help... Well, when it comes to sweeping though, chances are good he'll be better than Tonbokiri at it.

Luckily for Izuminokami, he knew Tonbokiri was no where near the kind of man that Mikazuki was. (Meaning he wasn't some kind of pervert) So he didn't have to worry about the older man staring at him as he slowly slips the yukata off and hangs it somewhere to dry. He was still wearing a little bit underneath so it wasn't as embarrassing, but it certainly would have been if he were here with anyone else.

So he gets started on the sweeping, going about it slowly at first, but then once he got into the movements, he started to work a little quicker.

"We should be paired up together more often. We make a wonderful team."

Tonbokiri thinks nothing of Izuminokami's state of undress. It is simply what had to happen, given the situation.
He does take a moment to close the stable doors, though, to give a sense of modest privacy.

He appriciates how Izuminokami seems to pick up on the sweeping, and how he is making good progress.

He chuckles at the comment. "I would think it is natural, after the time we spent together on missions. But I agree, it would be good if we were assigned together more often. ... Despite what happened, stable duty really is very enjoyable."

Finishing the water chore promptly with no mishaps, Tonbokiri takes up a broom and starts sweeping also. ... As best he can. Only going at the slowest pace and making the most careful movements can Tonbokiri do this chore. Otherwise, somehow, the debris just keeps escaping from the pile and floating back around the floor.
(The struggle is real.)

"I suppose stable duty is better than farming duty. Being out in the sun for hours, getting scolded by Kunihiro for getting so muddy when you had to prove to the children you weren't afraid of getting dirty..."

He says children as he he wasn't pretty much the youngest sword in the whole citadel... Not to mention those were pretty much only his experiences. Kunihiro didn't scold everyone out there.... probably. Well Maybe he scolded the rest of the shinsengumi swords, but that's because he was their mother.

(As a team father, he can understand you, Kunihiro...)

Tonbokiri looks up in surprise, his sweeping pausing.

"Well, it can't be helped, getting dirty while doing chores..." Although the reason for it-- He's grinning at the idea of Izuminokami having to prove that he isn't afraid of getting dirty. He does have that air about him.

"But field duty is very honourable. The warriors of Mikata also worked the fields." He beams proudly.

"Sure it's honorable and what not, but it's not fighting. My time could easily be used for something more useful than field work!"

He complains, but his former master came from a farming family and if someone were to point that out to him, he would probably change his tune a little bit. But he couldn't help being a little bratty sometimes when it came to chores.

... You cannot dismiss it or call it 'whatnot' in his presence.

"Izuminokami Kanesada. What is more useful to a human body than a full stomach? All your training and your will to fight will evaporate before hunger. If your time is being used for something else, then at the very least be deeply thankful towards those who are doing the field work in your stead."

Izuminokami honestly felt like a child being scolded right now. If it were anyone else it might not bother him as much, but the tone he had, it was upsetting. It was one of those 'I'm not mad just disappointed' tones and honestly that as the worst kind of tone someone could ever use.

He bit his bottom lip, staring at the ground in hopes to avoid seeing whatever look Tonbokiri had in his eyes.

"It's not like I don't appreciate it or anything..."

Seeing Izuminokami avoid his gaze, Tonbokiri knew he was embarrassed by the reprimand. But hopefully, it also meant the young sword was taking it to heart.

"I am glad to hear that, but if that is true, you should say it more clearly." And not with a double-negative. He shakes his head and his tone becomes more mild. "I know you have it in you to do so."

This is the one that gathered up the nearly dissolved Second Unit of his own initiative, after all. But for all his spurts of maturity, there are also times he shows how brash and young he is... Well, both those parts are what makes Izuminokami the sword he is. Yet Tonbokiri can't help but want to lend him his strength so that he can grow even further.

"I'll... show my appreciation more for the task... and for what it helps provide for the rest of us."

Honestly, this somehow felt even worse than being scolded by Horikawa, and he's his closest partner. It was probably because he held such a high respect for Tonbokiri and hearing such disappointment in his voice was like being stabbed in the heart a couple times.

He lowered his head even further, until he fell to his knees and the lowest of low bows to Tonbokiri.

"I was merely acting foolish, and spoiled on top of that..."

(Nooo, he didn't mean to stab you-! A couple times, even? ;A;)

Ahhh, ah, ah. He is taking it seriously, indeed. Tonbokiri is surprised that the sword has gone so far to kneel low before him-! But he puts one hand firmly on the young blade's shoulder.

"That you feel such remorse shows how much you will be able to change. I accept your reflection and resolve Izuminokami Kanesada-dono. Rise, and pour pride into the task in front of you now."

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