Captain Souji Okita (souji_okita) wrote in the_tardis_trap, @ 2014-07-13 00:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | souji okita : souji-okita, von pinn : teach-restraint |
Who: Souji and OPEN (preferably a character connected with the school but that isn't a requirement)
What: A teacher's work only ends when one is dead.
Where: The Temple School.
When: Now.
Warnings: Some angsty foreshadowing, I suppose? Other content depends on the second character.
Despite the encroaching night and warm stillness which had settled over the school like summer humidity Souji had yet to remove the 'working' ribbon from his long hair. There was no shortage of work in any classroom. Tatsu would have been beside himself at the chaotic state of the bookshelves. No matter how many times Souji organized them things seemed to inexorably shift in unobserved moments. He had wondered recently if this was a peculiarity of the TARDIS rather than the handiwork of his wilful charges. Surely paper was easier to jumble than walls. As the load of the shelves increased so too did its disarray. The mismatched salvage furniture had not always lent itself to a child-friendly purpose. Most of the bookshelves were of the tall and narrow variety, which was not only frustrating to the smaller students but also to Souji. Even on tip-toe his small frame could not reach the higher compartments. Most of the items which needed to be accessible were on the lower sections and the highest were being used for storage of projects and damaged equipment. Unfortunately, that meant the head teacher was often forced to climb shelves like some ill-behaved toddler. He was quite mindful of limiting furniture scaling to hours after the students had gone lest they become inspired to escape authority in the rafters. One seldom knew what to expect in this place. Especially with stubborn nobles under the age of sixteen.
Currently the young captain was straining to tip a thick sheaf of practice sheets onto a middle compartment just beyond the limits of his reach. Bare feet overextended on the soft tatami mat that carpeted the classroom. Saizo nudged his master's heels encouragingly with his snout as if trying to boost the human up. It was very thoughtful of the piglet, really. Huffing uncharacteristically, Souji pushed off in a shallow hop that bridged that tiny gap and sent the papers thumping neatly onto the shelf. Coming down did not overbalance or shock his athletic body but an uncomfortable tightness curled around his lungs. Exertion was bleeding into even small acts these days. He had been increasingly forced to augment the speed and frequency of his movements. It was deeply unsettling in a warrior and had manifested physically in aching lactic acid build-up. Thankfully, his natural grace and serene aura tempered how obvious the pain was. He had always been fragile-looking and pale, as well, and that masked some of the decline. The last thing he wanted was for someone to deem him unfit for work or worse.
"Oh. Hijikata would not approve." Souji confided a little breathlessly to his pet.
But the round suid was preoccupied with a fascinating bit of something brown on the floor. Smart as he was, Saizo was still a piglet. Even toddlers could never resist investigating (or eating) debris on a surface. Souji suppressed a chuckle at the simplicity of such a life. He dimly recalled one of his sisters whacking him with a fan after his four-year-old self ate a piece of charcoal.
"Sai-zo! Don't eat that! It could be... plee--- ah, play--- plastic!" These modern words were difficult to remember and even harder to pronounce.
Furious oinks filled the air as the mystery rubbish was deftly stolen. Despite the noise Souji's senses snapped smartly to attention at the approach of someone in the hall outside. Desire to free his hands and seize something suitably sword-shaped rippled up his spine. Yet the urge was rejected; alone in the school there was no one in need of protection. Violence would never stain these sacred walls. Instead the samurai reached up to tighten the white ribbon binding his hair. No doubt more work was upon the threshold.