A tender history left to rain and rust. [Timeline, Soul Campaign]
A tender history left to rain and rust.;
Timeline of Takasugi-Relevant Events
October 22
✖ First day in Death City, and it's already looking bad. Nevertheless, Takasugi gets down to the bottom of the situation as quickly as he could. Questions were asked, and asking what he is.
✖ Once the tour is over, he spends the rest of his day checking the city and its residents out. Some of them look strange. Others probably can't be trusted. More network trolling leads to bizarre encounters with more trolls ( one, two and three) talking animals ( pony, dog) and a self-proclaimed demon lord. There are more normal conversations too, though, like these ones. And one that digs a little deep.
✖ He makes his own post in the evening. It's fruitful enough - he even meets Okita Souji, a swordsman who'll take him on as his partner in the days to come.
✖ ...And whatever good he's feeling over having a potential friend in the city is swept away by the fact that Gintoki and Katsura are in Death City after all. It's not the Gintoki and Katsura he knows. And they're both keeping things from him.
✖ Sleep comes easier than it should have. Exhaustion always, always wins out.
October 23
✖ He had every intention of going to morning training, if only because he had promised Okita he would. After the shocks of the previous evening, however, he hadn't been able to bring himself to leave until much later. Thankfully, they ended up running into each other anyway.
✖ Straight to the network, after accompanying Okita on his patrol route. Conversations of note: learning more about the twisted shit BREW can do, talking about talking animals, learning about contemporary technology, dealing with mermaids and running into a real dragon.
October 24
✖ Accompanying Okita on his patrol route has convinced him to go and check the Watch meeting out. He's set on signing up, and that does help... up until he runs into Katsura, anyway.
✖ It's not all bad, though. Okita introduces him to softdrinks, and they do get to talk a bit, and it's... well, it's nice. Oh, and he has his first close encounter of the Protoss kind.
✖ Conversation of note on the network, of course, happens with Lili.
✖ Last order of business for the day: signing up for the Watch.
October 25
✖ Time to say hello to his new homies in the Watch!
✖ Apparently, there is talk of a trip to some place called Maldives on the network. Sounds fascinating enough... and going there might just help.
✖ Highlights on the network: meeting Miss Merryweather, bitching Kanaya out, figuring out exactly what a cruise is, bugging that dragon again and making a new friend.
October 26
✖ And so, a good majority of the guests take up Shibusen on their offer and sail to Maldives.
✖ The Good: bonding yet again with Okita, and figuring that they might as well try this partnership thing out. Geeking out with Temeraire. Befriending Enma and later doing shonen things for him (hello there, Rhode). 'Exploring' with Lili. Building sandcastles with Merry.
✖ The Dumb: throwing rocks at stupid assassins. Chaperoning a talking pony.
✖ The Sad: Running into Gintoki. Talking with Aqua.
✖ And the Interesting: Learning More from Master Tassadar. Meeting a new guy. Talking zombies.
October 29
✖ Nothing of interest to report, really. Things have been lonely quiet since Maldives. At least he's getting used to his duties with the Watch.
✖ Small highlights: a meeting on first aid for Watch members, and Feferi bugging to be had on the network.
October 30
✖ Okita and Takasugi decide to go for a mission. They do, indeed, make a good team.
October 31, November 1, November 2
✖ ...What's all this fuss about Halloween? Takasugi would rather be working!
✖ At the stroke of midnight, the witches attack. Madness sweeps over the city, and it's all everyone can do to stay calm and defend themselves.
✖ In spite of everything - in spite of the silence and the secrets - he's got his heart in the right place. Thankfully, Okita understands. Things don't end well at all, though.
✖ The entirety of the next day and a bit of the second is spent doing what he can for the Watch, and worrying about his partner. Okita's coughing was... worrisome, to say the least. Oh, and then there's the fact that Katsura's in the clinic.
November 3
✖ Takes him forever and a day - okay no, just a day - but he finally decides to visit Katsura for himself. He was hoping to sneak in, take a peak while his comrade was out, and leave. Fate, however, had other plans. Thanks a lot, Gintoki. ._.
✖ So now they've promised to talk. Now he'll have to trust them both.
November 4
✖ Dawn apparently brings better things. He can, for one, talk normally to his comrades, like so. Of course, that also means being bullied by them...
✖ And after an enjoyable day with Gintoki and Katsura - the first the trio's had since Takasugi arrived in Death City - it's back to trolling the network. Nothing much going on, beyond Temeraire wanting in on the Watch and getting some unfortunate news.
November 5
✖ And it's back to the routine. Sort of. Only not, since he and Okita Talk. Comrade woes and all. ...At least it's bringing them closer together as partners?
✖ Here's something closer to the routine he knows: teaming up with Gintoki, kicking ass and taking names. Maybe things are looking up after all.
November 6
✖ Inquiring minds need to know.
✖ Mission time means dango time.
✖ Network conversations of interest, from checking the backlog after serious business was had: Yoruzuya talk with Gintoki, Watch pimpage to bored fighters, denying weirdos, making new friends and greeting new guys.
November 7 & 8
✖ Killing time's best done with patrols and talking to people on the DEMISE. There a LOT of newbies to greet (Case in point: this blond kid, some idealistic little girl, a demon dude and another talking pony), and friends to catch up with, like Temeraire and Enma.
✖ The days should go by normally. Then they don't. Looks like Gintoki and Katsura are ready to talk. It doesn't go well.
November 9
✖ 'Feeling like shit' would be a supreme understatement. He's so out of it, in fact, that he forgets to filter things.
November 16
✖ The past few days have involved distractions in the forms of working himself to the bone and studiously avoiding Gintoki and Katsura - it's a miracle he manages to given how close they live to each other, but one would be surprised at how tenacious Takasugi can be. The war's not getting any better, though. After a lot of ominous news, Death City finally gets another taste of witch hospitality, and gets attacked at midnight.
✖ Even while all hell's breaking loose, and even if he thinks he ought to stay away, he can't ever stop caring.
November 17
✖ Really: they've got to stop talking in the clinic like this. Katsura, stop getting injured!
November 18
✖ One comes across the most interesting things on the network. Suffice to say, it has him wandering around the city for the rest of the day. Fresh air's in order.
✖ Death City is full of weirdos.
✖ Tsubaki is just the nicest person ever.
✖ Beyond Okita, Aqua is probably the closest Takasugi will have to a friend here. ...Scratch that, maybe she's even more special than a friend now.
✖ Oh, speaking of Okita...
✖ And here is someone he definitely doesn't want to see yet.
November 20
✖ Gintoki and Katsura corner him yet again. This time, though, they manage to work things out.
November 21
✖ Network trolling: Based on this conversation with Enma, it looks as though Rhode needs a talking to again. Also: it's the bro thing to do.
✖ Trust in Lili to totally molest him in a maid uniform.
November 22
✖ While the day's all about reconnecting or almost making friends, the evening's devoted to Watch things.
✖ Operation Arizona sounds intense. Katsura is pretty confident that things will work out, though. And there's no such thing as too much Okita-san.
November 23
✖ Looks like some new guys came in again! Some of them are interesting; others are a bit too young. Then you get the bitchy ones and the weird ones and the assholes.
November 24
✖ Just when you think things are fine, a sadist shows up to ruin your day.
✖ Did somebody order a distraction? Playing helpful stranger to damsels in distress and dudes alike also helps.
✖ So much for that possible friendship. At least there are people (and dragons) to bitch to about it.
✖ Looks like the Joui boys have more talking to do in the future.
November 25
✖ Today's the day they go to Arizona and kick some serious witch ass. Before that, though, there's the usual patrol, and the usual network trolling. Like so.
✖ Old battlefield habits die hard, and brotherhood never fades.
November 26
✖ Okita, Takasugi, Katsura and Gintoki find themselves assigned to the same place for the duration of the operation. They make a good team, but it looks like Okita's health is, indeed, failing him. Takasugi's going to have to talk to him about that eventually.
November 27
✖ The day after an operation as big as the Arizona mission was is all about licking wounds.
✖ No, Katsura, Takasugi isn't being overly fussy at all! Its totally NOT about Okita, nope! Yeah, who are we kidding.
✖ He was content, before, with ignoring Okita's condition. Arizona, however, spooked him a bit.
November 28
✖ With Okita under house arrest recuperating, and everyone still tense in the aftermath of the operation, Takasugi feels that he's got to work double time to make things work. It follows, perhaps: the boy's always been too serious for his own good.
✖ Morning training goes horribly wrong. Thank you for that, Sougo. Thankfully, Gintoki is a good bro.
✖ The Watch has a blond puppy following it around today... opinions on him are mixed. Oh, and much was learned in this latest attempt at mining information.
✖ Takasugi, of course, figures that it's time to approach Naomi about Okita. It's not very successful.
✖ Looks like Okita and Takasugi have a date soon, with Sasuke and Naruto in the future. Takasugi's also got dinner with a dragon tomorrow.
✖ Aqua has got to stop doing this.
November 29
✖ Them trolls sure are strange. Takasugi still thinks that sea creatures are best served in sushi.
✖ Mission, get, with Katsura this time! He's excited up until they see the burned villages. Then it all reminds him just a bit too much of the past.
✖ The day ends with good dinner and odd musings with a stranger.
November 30
✖ Gintoki picks the weirdest business partners. Highlights: the bros have got to stop treating him like a kid! Yeah, really do! Also, he may be able to help Gintoki with, uh, accounting. And the future is a scary place.
✖ Okita-san is looking better, so it's mission time for them tomorrow! And there are new friends to bug in the Watch, it seems.
December 1
✖ There's no better way to spend one's day than talking smack and killing kishin. Takasugi's got a pretty good handle on his partner now, though. Things might just be all right for real.
December 2
✖ Say hello to your newly minted Zone Leaders, people.
✖ Takasugi takes his job way too seriously, doesn't he? It's good to know, though, that the people under his command are serious too.
✖ Network trolling: on smithing and flying.
December 3
✖ Stubborn as he can be, it's hard to just let go of people, isn't it?.
December 4
✖ Those new communicators are pretty tricky to use, in Takasugi's opinion. Far and enough that he had to learn all of this tech upon arrival... thankfully, Fabiola is just as irritated by them as he is. They spend part of the day figuring it out. Let it be known that she makes wonderful coffee.
✖ There is no better way to spend one's evening
December 6
✖ The entirety of this day was taken up by a mission to the Alps, with Sasuke and Naruto. The madness wave made things... interesting.
December 7
✖ No rest for the wicked, and all. BREW has spat out new people. Takasugi volunteered to help receive them in the Kishin Chamber. He'd learn to regret that decision in the future.
✖ There was one familiar face in the crowd for Takasugi. Enter Mary Weather Hargreaves, from the very first month he ever spent in Death City.
✖ He won't think much about this encounter until later, when he realizes who this person is in the future and what his older self did to him.
✖ Watching Rinzler on the network had been interesting. Now it seems as though there's another program in town.
✖ Lightning Farron has apparently been here before. Takasugi's going to remember her well.
✖ The first nail in the coffin was definitely this one. Kijima Matako, Red Bullet of his Kihetai... he's not sure what to make of it. And he's definitely worried.
✖ Apparently, BREW saw it fit to complete the foursome. Sakamoto has arrived!
✖ Matako was one thing. Kawakami Bansai is quite another. Katsura unfortunately showed up too, and things got pretty tense.
✖ Personal shit aside, he's still got a job to do. BREW likes them injured people, huh? After that, it's time for a cigarette. Even that break is short-lived, though. Then there are three others ( a king, a monkey boy and a quiet woman) before he's calling it quits.
✖ He decides to hide from the world for a bit, especially since the Shinsengumi and other people from Gintoki and Katsura's future are on the prowl. That doesn't stop him, though, from poking around a bit on the network. He had promised to check up on Mary Weather, which he did, and that program posted too. Then there was Enma, Selendis and Karkat, and some guy named Kanda with his tip-offs about that Rhode Kamelot brat.
December 8
✖ In spite of all the shit, there is something to look forward to. Thanks for that, Fabiola.
✖ He had thought, at first, that beyond Sakamoto, all of the people from his future were folks he had to avoid. Tsukuyo, however, quickly proved to be different. Here's to the start of a beautiful relationship?
✖ He didn't quite feel like going home yet, after talking with Tsukuyo. Good thing, too, because his wandering brought him and Sakamoto back together. Rely on a drunken idiot to be the best guy to talk to when you're down.
Timeline of Takasugi-Relevant Events
October 22
✖ First day in Death City, and it's already looking bad. Nevertheless, Takasugi gets down to the bottom of the situation as quickly as he could. Questions were asked, and asking what he is.
✖ Once the tour is over, he spends the rest of his day checking the city and its residents out. Some of them look strange. Others probably can't be trusted. More network trolling leads to bizarre encounters with more trolls ( one, two and three) talking animals ( pony, dog) and a self-proclaimed demon lord. There are more normal conversations too, though, like these ones. And one that digs a little deep.
✖ He makes his own post in the evening. It's fruitful enough - he even meets Okita Souji, a swordsman who'll take him on as his partner in the days to come.
✖ ...And whatever good he's feeling over having a potential friend in the city is swept away by the fact that Gintoki and Katsura are in Death City after all. It's not the Gintoki and Katsura he knows. And they're both keeping things from him.
✖ Sleep comes easier than it should have. Exhaustion always, always wins out.
October 23
✖ He had every intention of going to morning training, if only because he had promised Okita he would. After the shocks of the previous evening, however, he hadn't been able to bring himself to leave until much later. Thankfully, they ended up running into each other anyway.
✖ Straight to the network, after accompanying Okita on his patrol route. Conversations of note: learning more about the twisted shit BREW can do, talking about talking animals, learning about contemporary technology, dealing with mermaids and running into a real dragon.
October 24
✖ Accompanying Okita on his patrol route has convinced him to go and check the Watch meeting out. He's set on signing up, and that does help... up until he runs into Katsura, anyway.
✖ It's not all bad, though. Okita introduces him to softdrinks, and they do get to talk a bit, and it's... well, it's nice. Oh, and he has his first close encounter of the Protoss kind.
✖ Conversation of note on the network, of course, happens with Lili.
✖ Last order of business for the day: signing up for the Watch.
October 25
✖ Time to say hello to his new homies in the Watch!
✖ Apparently, there is talk of a trip to some place called Maldives on the network. Sounds fascinating enough... and going there might just help.
✖ Highlights on the network: meeting Miss Merryweather, bitching Kanaya out, figuring out exactly what a cruise is, bugging that dragon again and making a new friend.
October 26
✖ And so, a good majority of the guests take up Shibusen on their offer and sail to Maldives.
✖ The Good: bonding yet again with Okita, and figuring that they might as well try this partnership thing out. Geeking out with Temeraire. Befriending Enma and later doing shonen things for him (hello there, Rhode). 'Exploring' with Lili. Building sandcastles with Merry.
✖ The Dumb: throwing rocks at stupid assassins. Chaperoning a talking pony.
✖ The Sad: Running into Gintoki. Talking with Aqua.
✖ And the Interesting: Learning More from Master Tassadar. Meeting a new guy. Talking zombies.
October 29
✖ Nothing of interest to report, really. Things have been lonely quiet since Maldives. At least he's getting used to his duties with the Watch.
✖ Small highlights: a meeting on first aid for Watch members, and Feferi bugging to be had on the network.
October 30
✖ Okita and Takasugi decide to go for a mission. They do, indeed, make a good team.
October 31, November 1, November 2
✖ ...What's all this fuss about Halloween? Takasugi would rather be working!
✖ At the stroke of midnight, the witches attack. Madness sweeps over the city, and it's all everyone can do to stay calm and defend themselves.
✖ In spite of everything - in spite of the silence and the secrets - he's got his heart in the right place. Thankfully, Okita understands. Things don't end well at all, though.
✖ The entirety of the next day and a bit of the second is spent doing what he can for the Watch, and worrying about his partner. Okita's coughing was... worrisome, to say the least. Oh, and then there's the fact that Katsura's in the clinic.
November 3
✖ Takes him forever and a day - okay no, just a day - but he finally decides to visit Katsura for himself. He was hoping to sneak in, take a peak while his comrade was out, and leave. Fate, however, had other plans. Thanks a lot, Gintoki. ._.
✖ So now they've promised to talk. Now he'll have to trust them both.
November 4
✖ Dawn apparently brings better things. He can, for one, talk normally to his comrades, like so. Of course, that also means being bullied by them...
✖ And after an enjoyable day with Gintoki and Katsura - the first the trio's had since Takasugi arrived in Death City - it's back to trolling the network. Nothing much going on, beyond Temeraire wanting in on the Watch and getting some unfortunate news.
November 5
✖ And it's back to the routine. Sort of. Only not, since he and Okita Talk. Comrade woes and all. ...At least it's bringing them closer together as partners?
✖ Here's something closer to the routine he knows: teaming up with Gintoki, kicking ass and taking names. Maybe things are looking up after all.
November 6
✖ Inquiring minds need to know.
✖ Mission time means dango time.
✖ Network conversations of interest, from checking the backlog after serious business was had: Yoruzuya talk with Gintoki, Watch pimpage to bored fighters, denying weirdos, making new friends and greeting new guys.
November 7 & 8
✖ Killing time's best done with patrols and talking to people on the DEMISE. There a LOT of newbies to greet (Case in point: this blond kid, some idealistic little girl, a demon dude and another talking pony), and friends to catch up with, like Temeraire and Enma.
✖ The days should go by normally. Then they don't. Looks like Gintoki and Katsura are ready to talk. It doesn't go well.
November 9
✖ 'Feeling like shit' would be a supreme understatement. He's so out of it, in fact, that he forgets to filter things.
November 16
✖ The past few days have involved distractions in the forms of working himself to the bone and studiously avoiding Gintoki and Katsura - it's a miracle he manages to given how close they live to each other, but one would be surprised at how tenacious Takasugi can be. The war's not getting any better, though. After a lot of ominous news, Death City finally gets another taste of witch hospitality, and gets attacked at midnight.
✖ Even while all hell's breaking loose, and even if he thinks he ought to stay away, he can't ever stop caring.
November 17
✖ Really: they've got to stop talking in the clinic like this. Katsura, stop getting injured!
November 18
✖ One comes across the most interesting things on the network. Suffice to say, it has him wandering around the city for the rest of the day. Fresh air's in order.
✖ Death City is full of weirdos.
✖ Tsubaki is just the nicest person ever.
✖ Beyond Okita, Aqua is probably the closest Takasugi will have to a friend here. ...Scratch that, maybe she's even more special than a friend now.
✖ Oh, speaking of Okita...
✖ And here is someone he definitely doesn't want to see yet.
November 20
✖ Gintoki and Katsura corner him yet again. This time, though, they manage to work things out.
November 21
✖ Network trolling: Based on this conversation with Enma, it looks as though Rhode needs a talking to again. Also: it's the bro thing to do.
✖ Trust in Lili to totally molest him in a maid uniform.
November 22
✖ While the day's all about reconnecting or almost making friends, the evening's devoted to Watch things.
✖ Operation Arizona sounds intense. Katsura is pretty confident that things will work out, though. And there's no such thing as too much Okita-san.
November 23
✖ Looks like some new guys came in again! Some of them are interesting; others are a bit too young. Then you get the bitchy ones and the weird ones and the assholes.
November 24
✖ Just when you think things are fine, a sadist shows up to ruin your day.
✖ Did somebody order a distraction? Playing helpful stranger to damsels in distress and dudes alike also helps.
✖ So much for that possible friendship. At least there are people (and dragons) to bitch to about it.
✖ Looks like the Joui boys have more talking to do in the future.
November 25
✖ Today's the day they go to Arizona and kick some serious witch ass. Before that, though, there's the usual patrol, and the usual network trolling. Like so.
✖ Old battlefield habits die hard, and brotherhood never fades.
November 26
✖ Okita, Takasugi, Katsura and Gintoki find themselves assigned to the same place for the duration of the operation. They make a good team, but it looks like Okita's health is, indeed, failing him. Takasugi's going to have to talk to him about that eventually.
November 27
✖ The day after an operation as big as the Arizona mission was is all about licking wounds.
✖ No, Katsura, Takasugi isn't being overly fussy at all! Its totally NOT about Okita, nope! Yeah, who are we kidding.
✖ He was content, before, with ignoring Okita's condition. Arizona, however, spooked him a bit.
November 28
✖ With Okita under house arrest recuperating, and everyone still tense in the aftermath of the operation, Takasugi feels that he's got to work double time to make things work. It follows, perhaps: the boy's always been too serious for his own good.
✖ Morning training goes horribly wrong. Thank you for that, Sougo. Thankfully, Gintoki is a good bro.
✖ The Watch has a blond puppy following it around today... opinions on him are mixed. Oh, and much was learned in this latest attempt at mining information.
✖ Takasugi, of course, figures that it's time to approach Naomi about Okita. It's not very successful.
✖ Looks like Okita and Takasugi have a date soon, with Sasuke and Naruto in the future. Takasugi's also got dinner with a dragon tomorrow.
✖ Aqua has got to stop doing this.
November 29
✖ Them trolls sure are strange. Takasugi still thinks that sea creatures are best served in sushi.
✖ Mission, get, with Katsura this time! He's excited up until they see the burned villages. Then it all reminds him just a bit too much of the past.
✖ The day ends with good dinner and odd musings with a stranger.
November 30
✖ Gintoki picks the weirdest business partners. Highlights: the bros have got to stop treating him like a kid! Yeah, really do! Also, he may be able to help Gintoki with, uh, accounting. And the future is a scary place.
✖ Okita-san is looking better, so it's mission time for them tomorrow! And there are new friends to bug in the Watch, it seems.
December 1
✖ There's no better way to spend one's day than talking smack and killing kishin. Takasugi's got a pretty good handle on his partner now, though. Things might just be all right for real.
December 2
✖ Say hello to your newly minted Zone Leaders, people.
✖ Takasugi takes his job way too seriously, doesn't he? It's good to know, though, that the people under his command are serious too.
✖ Network trolling: on smithing and flying.
December 3
✖ Stubborn as he can be, it's hard to just let go of people, isn't it?.
December 4
✖ Those new communicators are pretty tricky to use, in Takasugi's opinion. Far and enough that he had to learn all of this tech upon arrival... thankfully, Fabiola is just as irritated by them as he is. They spend part of the day figuring it out. Let it be known that she makes wonderful coffee.
✖ There is no better way to spend one's evening
December 6
✖ The entirety of this day was taken up by a mission to the Alps, with Sasuke and Naruto. The madness wave made things... interesting.
December 7
✖ No rest for the wicked, and all. BREW has spat out new people. Takasugi volunteered to help receive them in the Kishin Chamber. He'd learn to regret that decision in the future.
✖ There was one familiar face in the crowd for Takasugi. Enter Mary Weather Hargreaves, from the very first month he ever spent in Death City.
✖ He won't think much about this encounter until later, when he realizes who this person is in the future and what his older self did to him.
✖ Watching Rinzler on the network had been interesting. Now it seems as though there's another program in town.
✖ Lightning Farron has apparently been here before. Takasugi's going to remember her well.
✖ The first nail in the coffin was definitely this one. Kijima Matako, Red Bullet of his Kihetai... he's not sure what to make of it. And he's definitely worried.
✖ Apparently, BREW saw it fit to complete the foursome. Sakamoto has arrived!
✖ Matako was one thing. Kawakami Bansai is quite another. Katsura unfortunately showed up too, and things got pretty tense.
✖ Personal shit aside, he's still got a job to do. BREW likes them injured people, huh? After that, it's time for a cigarette. Even that break is short-lived, though. Then there are three others ( a king, a monkey boy and a quiet woman) before he's calling it quits.
✖ He decides to hide from the world for a bit, especially since the Shinsengumi and other people from Gintoki and Katsura's future are on the prowl. That doesn't stop him, though, from poking around a bit on the network. He had promised to check up on Mary Weather, which he did, and that program posted too. Then there was Enma, Selendis and Karkat, and some guy named Kanda with his tip-offs about that Rhode Kamelot brat.
December 8
✖ In spite of all the shit, there is something to look forward to. Thanks for that, Fabiola.
✖ He had thought, at first, that beyond Sakamoto, all of the people from his future were folks he had to avoid. Tsukuyo, however, quickly proved to be different. Here's to the start of a beautiful relationship?
✖ He didn't quite feel like going home yet, after talking with Tsukuyo. Good thing, too, because his wandering brought him and Sakamoto back together. Rely on a drunken idiot to be the best guy to talk to when you're down.