- Shinsengumi -

A morose ambience fills the hall just outside of the office. The prim and proper Reiji sits straight, and takes great effort to appear as formal as possible. Next to him, however, the rabid wolf Hijikata slumps back into her chair with her head facing the ceiling and moans.

“Aggh… annoying…” she cries,

Undeterred, Reiji politely speaks;

“Hijikata san, it is impolite to the host to have improper posture.”

“Haah?...” the wolf sighs in an annoyed tone. Reiji, having worked with Hijikata long enough, knows that she is begging for something to push her over the edge so she can relieve her stress aggressively.

“Mmh,” he mums himself.

Again, awkward silence fills the air until the office door opens. A woman of modest height invites the pair into her office. Two long elongated fox-like ears twitch curiously in the air. They share the same color as her silver hair which flows down to her fine dark blue kimono with a large haori, the Shinsengumi mark emblazoned on its back. Her long delicate limbs and small figure look ever smaller in the imposing garments.

The head of the clandestine division, Kon Isami, sits politely at her desk with a pipe in one hand. Without opening her delicate eyes she sternly asks,

“So… tell this delicate beauty what happened?...”

Not acknowledging the odd remark to herself, Reiji neatly takes out his notebook and flips through the pages. He notices however that Hijikata beside him has suddenly taken a keen interest in sitting straight in front of their commander.

“The subject of the arrest was Genichiro Asami, a veteran of the Thousand Years War turned vagabond mage upon its cessation. An anonymous tip alluded to the illicit collection and distribution of the illegal substance known as ‘Mage Seeds’. Upon investigation, a substantial stash was discovered in his apartment. Evidence had collected and stored the material, though the culprit himself had yet to return from his collection."

“Cut to the arrest please.” she impatiently demands.

“Yes, ma’am.” Inukai continues, “We waited in his apartment until dark to perform the arrest. Upon his arrival we successfully apprehended the culprit and removed all the fingers from one hand.”

“All?” the fox woman squints at Hijikata, who squirms in her chair.

“Yes ma’am, at Hijikata san’s discretion. A safety precaution." He continues oblivious to the daggers that Hijikata glares his way, “Upon transporting the criminal to this precinct, we were ambushed by another vehicle, causing a front end collision. There three men attempted to rescue Genichiro. In the pursuit, two enemy casualties occurred and upon cornering the criminals, Genichiro and his friend opted to self-immolate to avoid capture.”

“I see.” She gracefully lights her pipe with one hand and blows a puff from it. “Do you have an official report completed?”

“Report?!” Hijikata stammers. “It happened less than an hour ago!”

“I'd love to see it before I leave, captain,” she smiles ominously, “Especially the finger removal process…”

“Eek!” Hijikata yelps like Reiji has never seen before. “But that's in two hours isn’t it?!”

“Then I'd get started if I were you…” Kon's piercing amber gaze could be seen through the slit of her smile.

“Y-yes, ma'am! Excuse me!” The woman bolts from the office to make her hastily written report.

“Now, Reiji kun,” she begins, Inukai jumps at his mention. “Something on your mind?”

Reiji thinks for a moment. Kon examines his face with an unreadable expression.

“The culprit… Genichiro, he mentioned something strange in the car ride as well as his final words. His actions confuse me as well but…” Inukai explains, “He said: I lived. But his implication is that I haven’t or will not? I don’t understand the meaning behind his actions..”

Isami sits back in her chair and takes another drag from her pipe.

“All that is borne, life flows through them.” she quotes, Reiji’s ear perks up at mention.

“That is the koan pertaining to mana from the Book of Mages, one of the unalienable truths of this world,” Kon wistfully says. “It's true. We aren't born from this word through conventional means, and thus lack the “life” as they call it. But it is just a colloquialism meant to unnerve or garner sympathy. Does it bother you?”

Reiji neither nods nor shakes his head, he appears mesmerized by the swirling smoke that Kon produces.

“We are less than human. Yet, in other ways: more,” she continues undeterred. “Do not forget this, Reiji kun. We of the Shinsengumi are not the same as them.”

He takes a moment to digest the words.

After some time, Kon changes the subject.

“Putting that aside, you have been partnered with Tomoi for three months now. How is she?”

“Are you referring to Hijikata san, ma'am?” he asks.

“Mhm.”

“She shows good combat judgment, physical prowess… however…”

“She's unwieldy?” she finishes his sentence. “Like a rabid wolf before meat?...”

Reiji hesitantly gives a polite nod in affirmation.

“You must forgive her; she's brutish, uncouth, dangerous, childish, sadistic, unlady-like…”

Kon continues with the laundry list for some time, a few entries seem to include personal anecdotes as well. Reiji awaits for a “but” that never comes.

“Ma'am?” He interjects her long tangent,

“Ahem… it’s unbecoming for a beautiful woman in the prime of her youth to fixate on such things…” she recomposes herself, “Which brings me to my point. I have need of another assignment that requires a bit more… tact.”

“You're sending me alone?”

“Not quite. You’ll have another partner: Okita Sosuke. He usually works alone but do try to get along. Be a shoulder he can rely on."

Kon takes out a thin slip of parchment from her kimono's sleeve and carefully hands it to the young officer.

“Details,” she states, the officer politely gets up to leave, “And Reiji kun?”

“Hmm?” he turns,

“Glory to the emperor.”

“Glory to the empire.” Reiji responds.