葛藤- 兄弟喧嘩( Saga+鼠ドル, private) [Warning:Twincest]

[鼠ドル]

葛藤- 兄弟喧嘩

(つづらふじ - きょうだいげんか)

The year is 1548 in Kyoto, Japan.

Two brothers, twins, are both in position to succeed as shinsengumi after their father Takashi(隆), who is lying on his deathbed after a victorious albeit fateful battle. The brothers, before close friends, are now turned into rivals.

Who will be able to take their father's place?

 

Name:

Personallity:

Interest(s):

Likes:

Dislikes:

Background:

 

[鼠ドル]

 

 

Name: Shouya [勝]

Personality: Seemingly cold and uncaring about others, but beneath the surface is a passionate man who does things whole-heartedly. Those few who know him well knows that as much as he is serious he still has a playful side to him.

Interest(s): Training; both mental and physical. A follower of Jin (Bushido).

Likes: Peace, silence.

Dislikes: Disorder, injustice.

Background: During the latter years of his 25 year long life has been devoted to Jin. A compassionate warrior seems like a contradiction, but is how Shouya strives to lead his life. His ambition to become shinsengumi comes from a want to stabilize the country and keep the peace within it. He loves his brother dearly, even if outsiders might think otherwise, but will not give up his dream of successing their father.

[Saga]

 

 

Name:

Harada Sanosuke ( 原田左之助 )

 

Personality:

Harada is one of the types that would not forgive easily. He is loyal and calm. Very harsh on people when he doesn't want to face his own doubts and feelings. He puts family first,then all the rest. Sanosuke is pretty much like a cherry blossom tree, he falls yet people wait for his come-back. He is good at hiding his real thoughts.

 

Interests:

Anything that has a point,all that he sees as meaningless is worthless his attention.

 

Likes:

Nature, drinking hot sake, teasing his twin and spending time in practicing with the katana.

 

Dislikes:

Cowards, loud people, his father

 

Background:

Sanosuke never actually liked the all heir thing going in all clans. The opposite of his twin brother,Harada lives pretty much a carefree life. He is rarely serious about ....anything. But when he gets serious is like one hell of a sight. Although master with his blade,Sanosuke never has drawn his blade out. It is because of their beloved mother that has died by the merciless coldness of a blade.

 

The 25 years old man is not interested in the throne,but is rather after something else. Will he get it though,one god knows.

[鼠ドル]

(OOC: That's great, Saga dear~ I think I like where this is going already *chuckle*)

As per usual an early morning, Shouya sat by the small lake, meditating as the sun rose over the clear water. For merely an hour more the household would be fast asleep and the air was quiet - only the chriping of a few birds were heard. He enjoyed the peace of moments like this. In silence he welcomed the new day gratefully.

 

[Saga]

(OOC: You bet. -laughs- )

 

BAM-DAM-THUD!

It was just when the sun got to get in contact with the blessed by the gods earth and Harada was back from the usual ritual for each of his nights - drinking. The man flopped then slid down against the bamboo wall of their house. Some mistress was giggling next to him,as her arms were around his waist.

-''Harada-dono~,you said you can hold your liquor~''.

-''Pha,I do'',he paused and chuckled,''but before your beauty I had to get on knees. Though now you should help me up.'',sweet talking as always,the male just avoided the situation through joking.

 

When the both got up,she started nuzzling into his chest,but his gaze was elsewhere,far where the lake by their household was shining brightly. The wind was calm and gentle,it carried a fragrance he always wanted to capture. The scent of his other half that was missing,a divine split in two. There his twin was standing,focused and calm,it was one of the most beautiful sights that Harada has seen. Not only once,but he enjoyed it every day as for first time.

-''What are you looking at,Harada-dono?'',the curious mistress nudged the man.

-''Nothing. Thinking that I should change this floor. It's so damn hard.'',he rubbed his butt,as if it hurt because of his tripping.

[鼠ドル]

And, as every morning, Shouya heard the drunken laughter of his brother as he stood deep in thought.

Over and over again he had to reciet his mantras to return to a state of meditation. It annoyed him that his focus would be shattered so easily by his twin brother. What annoyed him further was the silent jealousy which he felt every morning when his brother returned from his drinking binges. Was he jealous of how the other managed to be liked by the elder men in the clan even though lacking discipline? Was it the beautiful women? Shouya didn't know himself, nor did he want to acknowledge these feelings.

[Saga]

-''Ahahaha,you surely know how to fall.'',the brainless girl,yet beautiful tried to joke. But Harada didn't pay much attention to her lack of brain cells. The male pushed his arm to half inside the opening of his summer kimono,letting the elbow dangle down. It was a typical pose for shinsengumi in their calm state.

-''Go make tea.'', his voice a bit more serious.

-''Eh,I never knew you like tea.'',surprised by the so well known a drinking habit of his,she couldn't imagine him with an ochawa of tea.

-''Not for me,but for my twin.'',he turned around,lowering his upper half as he had to enter the house. The main entrance was a typical oval entrance and one had to lower down. He gave orders to his mistress and so she had to do as said.

 

She frowned a bit and headed for the kitchen. It was not easy to find the tea box in such a huge kitchen,but she managed to find it. A few minutes later she headed to where the lake was,more exactly where Shouya was.

[鼠ドル]

"Excuse me" the woman spoke hesitantly, making Shouya reluctantly open his eyes and face her

"I brought you some tea, Harada-dono thought you'd enjoy it"

"Thank you" he said in a quite cold manner "but I am in the middle of practise"

"I-I'm sorry" the girl looked quite scared and small as she stood with they tray in her hands, not quite knowing what to do next.

"Well, it seems like meditation has been cut short today anyway" he sighed "Might as well drink tea with my brother."

The thought made him smile bitterly. The day had an unusual start, and he wondered what would follow.

[Saga]

Today indeed was an unusual day. Today the clan had to gather,to have a banquet. It was one of those banquets where all strongest males would gather.

 

Harada laid over his futon,staring up in the ceiling, in thoughts lost like forever. The shinsengumi sighed and rolled to his side,closing his eyes. He would spend the day in sleeping,but before he would spend it with his brother during tea ceremonies and what not. May be that was the reason behind the same as his brother's bitter smile.

 

Falling asleep,he had the sweetest dream,dream from long ago when he would help his brother climb a tree,to get some peaches for the household.

 

••••••••••''Onii-chan, can't reach it.'',little Shouya would pout,jumping for an attempt to grab the luring juicy peach. Although twins,Harada was with a few minutes older,may be that was the reason behind being called big brother.

''Jump on my shoulders,then.'',Sanosuke knelt down,offering the shoulders. It made little brother so happy. Everything was so perfect back then,when they could be themselves.••••••••••

 

-''HARADA!'',the old man's voice echoed through the household. Once again,their father was mad at Sanosuke,but what was it this time?

[鼠ドル]

Ever since that fateful battle where their father got badly injured, things had changed between them. It wasn't Shouya's intention, but the brother's were drifting apart. They had both known that their father would pass away, but never expected it to come so soon. He was doing sword-practise when he heard the old man shout on his onii-chan. Wasn't it always like this? For some reason the other would always get in trouble with their father, yet could aways talk his way out of it. He chuckled quietly as memories from a better time flooded his memories, from a time where things where simpler. When his brother still was his only friend, not his rival.

[Saga]

Harada sighed heavily,then opened his eyes. How fun,once again he had to argue with his father. It wasn't nice,especially since he had to be careful with his words. The old man was in no state for shaking nerves due to his bad health.

Although slowly walking,their father made his way to Sanosuke's room.

-''Get up now! You went to drink again,didn't you!?'',the man started shouting again.

Harada kept silent and sat up,yawning.

-''Why aren't you training? Tonight you know you have to fight with your brother as our tradition is!'',the strongest may be not anymore,but wisest man now their father was.

 

The tradition to see the young heirs fight was every next decade when the moon was biggest. If they would skip it,might be not their father witness the young tigers fight.

-''I will not draw my blade out,even less against Shouya.'',even though those words he'd never speak in front of his brother,he admitted the reason to his father. Else,in front of his little brother,he left the impression that the other was no good and had long way to go.

-''Look,your mother sacrificed her life to save you two during the local war in our capital. You know that the shinsengumi life is to be given for the sake of Japan. She took the right decision. Even the emperor acknowledged it.''

Harada gritted teeth out of anger,to stop his poisonous words.

-''I will not fight my brother.'',Harada went out his room,passing by his father,all mad.

-''YOU WILL,OR I WILL TAKE YOU OUT OF SUCCEEDING THE CLAN.'',once again the man went mad.

Sanosuke paused,smiling bitterly as his gaze stopped on a cherry blossom tree.

-''You know why cherry blossom flowers scatter,dad? It is because wind is tempted to swish them off the tree. However, the flower in their moment of death are the most beautiful sight and Japan sees it as hope. The tree itself though is never noticed. Give birth to Japan's hope and put Shouya as the one. I will scatter sooner or later off this clan.'',Harada moved his gaze towards his father and smiled with closed eyes.

-''Sano...'',his dad sighed and shook head,''I'll be waiting tonight. If you don't come,the clans will think I chose Shouya due to my own preferences. If you want to lose the fight,so it be. But don't make your brother lose his own war.'',with the last words for this afternoon,Harada's father left.

[鼠ドル]

Shouya gripped his sword tighter as he listened to his brother and father argue. He could not tell the exact words, but he figured it was about tonights duel. He gritted his teeth in anger; he didn't wish to participate either - but he needed to prove himself worthy. If his brother refused to fight him it would be yet another thorn in his side; it would basically mean Shouya was not a worthy opponent and the elders would laugh at him.

He lashed out with his sword, doing the excercise with more vigor than before. Though hard-working he didn't have the natural talent with the katana as Sanosuke had, but he was set on proving everyone that he, indeed, had what it takes to be shinsengumi. Taking a deep breath he sheeted his sword and walked to his brother's room.

[Saga]

Lost in thoughts,Harada sat in his room,playing with a fan. He would open it,then close it - repeating it over again. It helped him focus when he was a mess. Not even once he used violence,yet people would wonder how he managed to gain this respect if not through the sword.

 

The last snap of the fan he did made him chuckle. He heard his brother's steps coming his way. The shinsengumi put the fan aside and took out a sake cup,pretending he was drinking.

[鼠ドル]

"Drinking again?" Shouya scoffed. Although upset, he could sense something was wrong with his other half.

Without waiting for a response he walked into the room and sat down opposite Sanosuke

"It's easier to just obey the old man's wishes, you know" he muttered "we both know he doesn't have much time left"

Tying up his sleaves and making himself more comfortable, he continued "Why won't you fight me, brother?"

[Saga]

Sanosuke didn't reply to the slightly upset question that his brother darted at him. The male lowered down his gaze. It was frustrating to look at what he desired,yet not able to lift a single finger.

The one who actually was weaker wasn't Shouya,but Sanosuke. The brown haired male grinned at the next question,

-''Why you want yourself beaten so badly,Shou?'',sarcastically the shinsengumi glanced quickly over his twin,to eye the katana set on the small tsukue. He could draw out the blade in less than a second,but why should he?

 

Harada poured down some sake in his cup.

[鼠ドル]

"If you are going to continue mocking me, you might as well give me some sake first" Shouya said meaningly, trying to not get upset by his brother's teasing. "I know you do not like to fight, but must you disrespect me in front of the elders?"

Shouya eyed his brother for any reaction to his bitter words.The sly grin always made his heart race, but he couldn't figure out as to why.

[Saga]

Sanosuke knew his brother's reflexes. He threw a glance over the other male's eyes and grin even wider. In a split of a second he slid the sake cup against the small table,right towards his brother. The sake cup danced on the table,ready to be caught by Shouya who was one of the fastest males in the whole clan,rather in the whole town.

 

Harada used the chance to test his brother. If he was to go catch the cup,the fan that Sano put aside would be against his neck,proving that he would be no match to his older brother. But would he be able to dodge the trap of his brother who was as fast as him?

[鼠ドル]

Shouya watched his brother's grin grow with interest.

'What are you planning?' he thought as the other reached out for the cup.

Instinctivly he caught the cup just as it was about to slide off the table and because of his senses being on edge he was just barely able to dodge Sanosuke's attack with the other hand, catching his brother's wrist a few centimetres before the fan would hit his neck. Without releasing the other he put the cup to his lips and drank a mouthful of the liquid.

"Thank you" he said and smiled wryly.

[Saga]

Feline like his brother barely managed,but still not only dodged,but caught the small attack. Sanosuke grinned and retreated his hand,setting the fan on the table.

-''You've grown up.'',he commented and took out another sake cup,to pour some liquor to himself.

 

It's been months since they have been alone,talking to each other.

Harada took a sip from his cup and set it down,his expression unusually serious.

-''To fight you,huh? Is that what you want?'',the brown haired shinsengumi lifted gaze up to the other,his eyes unwavering to any doubt.

 

He was sure that the one losing tonight would lose the chance to become the new leader.

[鼠ドル]

A silence lingered a small moment before Shouya replied with a simple "yes".

He noticed the seriousness as concern and took another moutful of the sake before continuing

"If I lose to you, then they are right in their decision to make you shinsengumi and not me".

Shouya relaxed his pose and brushed some loose hair from his face, finding comfort in their solitude.

These words would not have been uttered if they weren't alone and he suspected the other knew as much.

"Shinsengumi or not, you will always be my brother"

 

[Saga]

The silence was continued after he heard his brother's words. Sano turned back at his brother,putting arm inside the opening of his kimono. He closed eyes and spoke,

-''So it be. I will fight you.''

 

The male made it clear and so he expected his brother to leave the room. He couldn't bear it anymore. The flesh,the scent,the gazes and the smooth movements - it drove him crazy.

He would do something he'd regret if he was to spend more time with his twin. Harada drown the atmosphere in silence and kept his breath away.

[鼠ドル]

"Thank you, onii-chan" Shouya said with a gentle smile upon his lips. A small moment passed before he rose from his seat and walked over to his brother, embracing him from behing for just a couple of seconds.

"Let's do out best" he said quietly, inhaling the scent of his borther.

 

Shouya knew that the evenings fight would be fateful in one way or another but he was determined to give it his all. Though he didn't openly admit it his brother, his other half, was the most important thing in his life. He left the coolness of the room behind in favor to the warm breeze in the garden where he'd prepare for the fight.

[Saga]

''Do our best,huh?'',he repeated when the other left,with a slight bitter chuckle. Sano knew,he has lost to his brother long time ago,long long ago when he fell in love with his own flesh and blood. The male ran hand through his hair with a heavy sigh,decided to lose tonight on purpose. He didn't want any of the things he could have as a heir. He didn't need anything at all. All seemed meaningless when he didn't have the only thing he needed the most.

 

The afternoon passed quick by the clan,the crimson moon was up high in the sky. Illuminated by it,Sanosuke fixed his kimono,taking in hand his katakana. He drew it out. Ah,that sound it was a while since he heard it. How long was it? Years,ages,decades,he laughed in a sigh.

His unrealistic green eyes gazed in the reflection of his sword.

-''Pitiful.'',he drew back his katana and took a breath. It was time to head for the main wing of their household,it was time to face his other half. The half of his that could drive him crazy,down to the bottom of despair.

-''Saa...'',by low voice he spoke and headed to there.

[鼠ドル]

(ooc: sorry I haven't been able to post, ごめん～)

 

It was almost time. Shouya gazed upon the crimson moon through the open door of his room. It took more willpower than expected to walk out the door into the night, the air heavily scented of the garden's flowers. There was a tension in the air, so thick you could almost cut it. He brushed the hair out of his eyes as he spoke to the moon

"Everything changes tonight"

He smiled bitterly to himself as he walked to the place he would have to face his brother.

[Saga]

(No worries. I was busy too,sorry for the late reply. (: )

 

Walking slowly,but with confidence in his decision,Sano made his way to the banquet. There were many people,actually enough to annoy the man.

 

He wasn't from the type to want attention,but yet tonight together with his twin,they were on the spotlight. The green eyes glanced up,as he stood in front of his brother. Oddly,but true - deep as forest,Sano's gaze was cold. Colder than any other night in those mountain forests around.

 

Whispers started lingering around. All important people witnessed for first time both of them together at one place. One against one,facing each other. That would be worth the watch,all of them thought.