Ookurikara didn't like this. He didn't understand his racing heart, and why he couldn't just fall asleep. It didn't help that Tsurumaru decided to change the locations of various objects and furniture––quiet enough not to wake anyone, but loud enough to keep Ookurikara awake––as his usual surprise.
For once, Ookurikara slipped out of the room while Tsurumaru's back is turned. He walks along the veranda, hoping the evening atmosphere would settle this feverish excitement. It turns out he wasn't the only one struggling with insomnia.
Mizu sits on the veranda, ignoring the pain as she continued sketching. Ookurikara was fascinated by the shades of gray that escaped from the graphite of her pencil and how focused her moonlit eyes were–
"Ookurikara-sama," Mizu turns to look at him. "What're you doing up?"
"Shouldn't you be resting?"
"It doesn't matter too much. Come here; I want to show you what I'm drawing."
He obliges, wood creaking underneath him as his weight shifts. When he observes Mizu's work, he's astounded by the ethereal abyss of the ocean, with anemones, corals, and fish brought to life by this simple technology.
"That's amazing, Mizu-sama," he comments.
"This is... a familiar place, but I can't place it," she lets out a long sigh, "but I know it has to do with my past."
For a while, they sit in silence. After a bit, Mizu's calm aura seemed to soothe him, his breathing like waves going in and out of the sand. He begins to understand Mizu a bit more; her distance is the coping mechanism for her amnesia.
When her head rested on his shoulder, he froze like a deer in headlights. He pulls the sketchbook and pencil from the sleeping uchigatana, setting it securely on the veranda. Some of the worries eased off his chest. He didn't know this tsukumogami too well, but he desired to know her better.
Deciding that the veranda wasn't a decent place for an injured sword warrior to sleep, Ookurikara picked her up, before picking up her drawing materials and navigating into Mizu's room. He lays her down on the futon, sitting down to draw the blanket over the slumbering tsukumogami. He pulls the golden locks from her face, noting the pale scars across her face.
Ookurikara doesn't remember falling asleep in Mizu's room, but you'd never get him to confess that he enjoyed it. Understandably, he didn't feel like returning to his room; Tsurumaru usually has late night surprises, and as much as Ookurikara loves Mitsutada, he can't stand his snoring sometimes. He falls asleep next to the uchigatana, oblivious to the enlightenment the god(s) had given him.
Mizu didn't realize she passed out on Ookurikara, nor that the usual lone sword had the compassion to take her to the room that she supposedly sleeps in. She was even more unaware of how she snuggled up against Ookurikara, or how he played with the strands of her hair like he sometimes does with Mitsutada's or Taikogane's hair when they're asleep. She had no knowledge that this soothed her touch-starved body, not ever knowing of what love or comfort felt like.
Tsurumaru wasn't the only sword warrior who was surprised to learn that of all ken (swords), Ookurikara and Mizu were found together sleeping in her room. Iwatooshi, Mikazuki, Ishikirimaru, and Monoyoshi were shocked to find that going into Mizu's room to check up on her because they understood that their trip to Toba wasn't easy, especially since it was where aruji-sama had been put into a coma.
If looks could kill, the glare Ookurikara sent in their direction would've slaughtered them in milliseconds. Mizu shifts a little, groaning. Mikazuki's eyes glittered with a smirk.
"Let's give the two touken danshis some privacy, shall we?" Mikazuki was in dangerous waters now.
Monoyoshi smiles, laughing lightly. They quickly exit, Iwatooshi, Ishikirimaru, and Monoyoshi conversing in low voices. Mikazuki smiles, feeling his heart settling more. At last, aruji-san has gotten something to hold onto.
Ookurikara sits up, gently freeing himself from Mizu's arms. Mizu mumbles and shifts.
"I don't want to move..."
Ookurikara lays her back down, slowly exiting the room. When he closes the shoji, he comes face to face with the government official from last night. She marks something down on that damn clipboard of hers.
"What do you want?" He snaps.
"I need to speak with miss Gekkou," she informs him.
Miss Gekkou? Ookurikara stares at the official, who cleans her glasses impatiently with a square cloth.
"Don't you mean mister Gekkou?" Ookurikara hisses. "And by the way, he is sleeping."
The shoji slides open and Mizu pokes her head out, her face having regained some of its' color. The woman slides on her glasses, pulling out her pencil. Mizu looks over at Ookurikara and her face turns red. The woman strides inside, smirking. Mizu grabs the collar of Ookurikara's shirt and pulls him in.
"Who are you, Mizu ni Gekkou?" Ookurikara meets her gaze, but he already begins to figure out the answer.
Taikogane stretches, wearing his usual flashy attire. He joins his two brothers Monoyoshi and Kikkou on the veranda, greeting each other cheerfully.
"How's Mizu coming along?" Taikogane inquires.
"Very fortunately," Monoyoshi chuckles. "He seems to be recovering well."
"Did you happen to see aruji-san?" Kikkou inquires the wakizashi hopefully.
"I did not," Monoyoshi confesses.
"Hm. I hope aruji-san is okay; she's really cool," Taikogane folds his arms behind his head. "I really enjoy playing chess with her. Aruji-sama is really incredible at it as well."
"I simply enjoy being in her presence," Kikkou smiles.
"She is a usually pretty happy sage," Monoyoshi adds.
The three Sadamunes share a heartfelt moment. The morning sun held warmth and newfound hope. Kikkou shifts his glasses back up his nose, humming to himself. Taikogane is smiling, wishing for this feeling to last, and for the rest of the citadel to be even more lively. Unfortunately, even Monoyoshi's good fortune couldn't keep the rest of the day like this.
The creature pins the saniwa's arms to their sides. They struggle to move, desperately attempting to free themself.
"Finally," the kebiishi grins, glowing. "Your abilities can no longer overpower mine!"
Mizu tilts her head up to Ookurikara, eyes showered with guilt. Ookurikara stares at her with a hard and calculative gaze.
"I'm sorry, Ookurikara. Since I have no memory of my past, I have no recollection of my smith, or why I'm like this, but that doesn't mean I don't get glimpses of my time in the ocean," she explains.
"Don't apologize," he states. "I understand why, but that doesn't mean it's not a shock."
"Wait––" the official cuts in––"you didn't know that she is a female sword warrior?"
Mizu turns to glower at the government official, clenching her fists. Before Mizu could try and lash out, Yagen slams open the shoji, panting.
"Aruji-sama is awake," he pants. "But they're possessed by a kebiishi."
A/N: Hahahaaa I just realized that I've been writing chapters but not typing them up into Wattpad and publishing them. I'm sorry, but I'm probably going to make you guys suffer in angst for a week until I publish chapter 6. Special shoutout to my lovely beta reader, toukenranbuswordboys on Tumblr!