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You know...

[It may be a voice some haven't heard for a while... because, well, obviously he was Infiltrating all this time. But maybe you're partying with pirates or so on after everyone's gotten on the island when you hear this.]

...for once in my life, I'd like a normal tropical vacation. First it was bears an' crazy robots an' killing and now it's pirates and krakens an' me bein' a mermaid or Thalassian or whatever all this time... Which is weird, oi, and I don't got my normal legs back completely. And my body's still sore from that stupid squid flingin' me around. Tch.

[It'll be fine by the time they leave this place, right...? He hopes so. But there's a thread of that uncertainty in the mental tone of voice. He shakes it off in favour of excitement, though.]

But this is a good end, yeah?! We did an all right job?!

Hey, someone should get me a coconut, by the way. I seriously wanna eat one before we get dragged outta this place. An' it ain't easy to try and climb trees with these legs.

[And, in a quieter mental aside:] Is it seriously okay to hang around with pirates...? It'll be fine, right...?

Comments

[tealeafs]

Eh.. you turned back already?! [ Sure, it did happen last Jaunt around too, but Chizuru's memories had returned rather rapidly last minute rather than more gradually like this. But she knows that if she can hear Souda in her head, then he must have gotten back to normal already. ]

You're alright, aren't you?

[ In case he.. hit his head or something and that caused him to regain his memories?? Is that what's up here.. ]

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Hah? 'Course I'm all right.

[Souda sounds rather pleased with himself even if he did... nothing... to bring back his own memories or anything. Who knows why he's getting all proud.]

Lucky for all'a you, the great mechanic Souda Kazuichi's finally returned! [gross] You doin' all right?

[tealeafs]

[ Don't worry, fortunately (or.. un.. fortunately... everything considered) Chizuru will always be just as proud of him as he is of himself. Even if he doesn't really do anything. Otome protag indulgement, really. ]

Yes, I'm fine..! [ Tired, sure, and still washed up a little from the storm.. but she could be doing a lot worse. She's endured worse during Jaunts than this, especially since most people are relatively doing okay. ] I was just a little surprised to see you already remembered.. I wonder if that means everyone else will turn back to normal soon too.

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[Chizuru pls be careful with your otome protag-ing, you don't want to accidentally trigger his route.]

Eh, what, does it usually take longer?

[And then he pauses, and with some revelation:] Oh yeah, right, some people don't seem to remember at all right until the end, huh? No, I just remembered everythin' all at once. So hopefully everyone else is gonna do the same.

[tealeafs]

[ She has to avoid Sonia-ing, clearly.. ]

Well, I guess it doesn't really matter.. If you already remembered now, then we'll probably go back soon. [ Because she can't recall any other Infiltrator ever remembering who they were halfway through a Jaunt, but at the end is at least a little believable. ]

.. that means we're going to have to enjoy it here quickly, right? Since you seemed pretty excited about the island just now.

[ Just watch, Souda gets excited about something and he's just booted out a few moments after.. even if it's thankfully not that bad this time. ]

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[She does... Avoid it to the best of her strength...]

Quickly... there ain't any way you can relax and enjoy somethin' like this quickly, is there?!

[...] Though I guess, ehh, you're right... we will go back soon. So it can't be helped. We gotta go full throttle and enjoy as much as we can!! Who knows the next time I'm gonna get a chance like this.

[tealeafs]

[ At least despite the tiredness, this impromptu "party" going on here has put Chizuru in a much better mood, so she even (mentally) softy laughs a little. ]

So are you going to get your.. um.. coconut, then? [ Whatever that is, hence the momentary slight hesitation in her tone.. the secluded 1860s Japan life, really. ]

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Yeah! I already got some people offerin' to get me one!

[He sounds immensely pleased.] What about you? You gonna have one? You gotta have one, oi.

[tealeafs]

[ Wow, Souda, you sure are popular though, having people just line up to bring you a coconut.. but Chizuru supposes he really deserves it after everything he'd been through. ]

I didn't really think of it yet.. [ Mostly since she doesn't even know what a coconut is. ] Are they that good? I've never heard anyone be this enthusiastic about them.

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[No, maybe it's because deep down they realise... that he'll pester and pester until he gets a coconut. Or they pity him and his dumb fin.]

Yeah! They're good! You've never had anythin' with coconut in it? Sometimes it's in desserts, or other stuff, and coconut milk, of course...

[tealeafs]

Not really.

[ Although she sure is getting a weird impression of coconuts now with the way Souda talks about them.. Chizuru's basically imagining some all-coconuts diet right now. Three course meals solely consisting of coconuts used in various ways.. what kind of coconut world do you come from, Souda!! ]

We didn't have them where I come from. There aren't a whole lot of things Japan gets from outside of the country..

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Well, I'm from Japan too...

[But not a lot they get from outside the country, huh? Hmmmmmm.]

But there's still stuff with coconut in it, even if it ain't the same as... yankin' a coconut off a tree and stuff. Havin' a coconut on a tropical island is a whole other vibe.

[tealeafs]

[ CHECK YOUR NON-BAKUMATSU PRIVILEGE, SOUDA...!! Although it's true that it's a little hard to realise with his bubblegum pink hair. Even in Chizuru's anime version of Ye Old Japan most of the hair colors aren't that weird. ]

Souda-san's heard of these kind of places before? [ Because, you know.. Chizuru had hardly even left her house, let alone her city, before she got involved with the Shinsengumi. Tropical islands are a whole different kind of beast, it's too far away from her bed for her to really have thought about it before. ]

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[At least his hair is actually dyed!! And his eyes are just coloured contacts!! He's not like Pekoyama who has red eyes and silver hair for some reason...]

'Course! Jus' from books and TV and stuff. Everyone [not everyone] dreams about goin' and vacationin' on a beautiful tropical island... bein' surrounded by beautiful girls in swimsuits...

[...he didn't need to tack on that last part...]

[tealeafs]

[ WHAT IS THIS MYSTERIOUS DYE AND CONTACTS YOU SPEAK OF...

At least she does know what TV is (thank you, other Jaunts) or this only would have gotten more complicated. Although she's still pretty surprised by the statement.. so this is what people from the future are like, huh. (No, Souda's just the worst person to pick to represent a whole group..) ]

Um, so.. [ p.. ause.. she's way too gullible for this shit. ] .. did you find any beautiful girls in swimsuits here yet..?

[ She probably doesn't even know what he means by it, hence why she can ask it so innocently. ]

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[Souda really is not the ideal... example... of the future generation. Sorry Chizuru...]

Ah... well...

...not really. The mermaids don't count. [Enjoy the sound of a wistful mental sigh.] Maybe if Sonia-san were here... [Or she might, you know, wear a wetsuit like the last time.]

[tealeafs]

[ She actually feels a little sorry for him when she hears that, especially with how wistful he sounds.. and mostly because she doesn't really understand the implications and intentions behind it. Partially since 1860s, and partially since Chizuru is just so.. Chizuru...

So she's quickly thinking and-- ]

There are a lot of beautiful girls and women in our group though, right? [ And she actually doesn't mean herself with that one - not like she thinks she's anything special ever. ] Can't they cheer you up again, Souda-san?

[ She has no idea of what she's suggesting.... no idea at all. ]

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[Chizuru oh no don't encourage him this is terrible he's a bad person sometimes who ought to be smacked in the head at times like these.]

I guess... some of 'em are, but...

[RELUCTANT TONE OF... voice. Mind voice.]

...it just ain't the saaaame... Too bad Sonia-san isn't here.

[tealeafs]

[ Maybe one day she will Understand and speak up about it.. but alas, for now she's still an innocent flower from Ye Olde Japan who doesn't understand any of this modern stuff.

Instead, she seems to draw a different conclusion altogether, her gasp practically even mentally audible. ]

You and that Sonia-san love each other so much that you even just long for each other when you're apart, that no one else can fill the void.. your love just be so deep! [ welp. ]

1/a couple??

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Nrhghfjgdfg--

[There's a strangled mental sound that's impressive but exactly what goes through Souda's brain.]

H-HAH?! What are you...!?

2/??

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We-- well, it's true that Sonia-san is my ideal kinda girl and a perfect blond princess, but, y'know, even I--

3/...5?

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...do I even got a chance with someone like that...

4/5

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No, no, I'm seriously gonna be depressed if I think about it like that...!

5/5

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A-anyway, it's not love (yet)!

But I'm gonna keep workin' so Sonia-san will fall in love! Yeah!! [Souda... stop... Chizuru look at what you've done you've encouraged him.]

[tealeafs]

[ IF ONLY CHIZURU KNEW..... alas, through obliviousness people end up encouraging the weirdest and worst things. As in this case, since Chizuru totally thinks this sort of thing has got to be mutual with the way he's talking about..

(Little does she know just how few steps Souda is below Kazama on the This Is Not How To Try And Woo Someone ladder..) ]

If she likes you too, then I'm sure she'll notice soon, Souda-san..! You're such a kind and energetic person, I'm sure you can do anything when you try!