Unfliltered

[nicotinized]

[Toshi's mental voice sounds a little anxious - he's trying to hide it, but he has no idea when he is, just that finally there are other people around and some of them look familiar]

Hey, what did I miss? Is Souji still here?

[there's a pause, and then he sounds a little calmer, and a little embarrassed]

I got stuck in some weird patch of liminal space where time was all fucked up - watch didn't work right or anything.

Comments

[nicotinized]

Well, could've been in a worse situation, I guess. And easier to do here than in person.

[Given that the other Hijikata looks like his younger, prettier brother. And doesn't have a metal arm]

[fridgeninja]

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it in person. But when it's all at the speed of thought...

[nicotinized]

Yeah, true. Harder to catch a slip-up.

[fridgeninja]

Still.

We could color-code you two, too.

[nicotinized]

Metal arm, no metal arm. We don't need colors.

[fridgeninja]

Hagane no Hijikata...

[nicotinized]

....What?

[fridgeninja]

'The Hijikata of Steel.'

[nicotinized]

Oh. It's an alloy actually, but I guess that's close enough.

[fridgeninja]

Roger.

[nicotinized]

Uh, anyway - I'll let you know about the shirt when I'm not having to dodge cars every thirty seconds.

[hakodate]

No.

[fridgeninja]

On second thought, it's probably better to say you're Chizuru's Hijikata and the other one is Hagane no Hijikata...

[hakodate]

[Why is he on the receiving end of the possessive...]

...I can live with that.

[nicotinized]

I guess it's a little better than colors...

[he is still really confused though]

[hakodate]

Still not sure when I became a trophy husband.

[But you know. Better than finding out if he'd be stuck being Pink Hijikata.]

[nicotinized]

I think we all knew who was in charge there already anyway.

[tealeafs]

.. E-eh?! It's not like that..!

[ SHE WASN'T LISTENING IN AT ALL.

NOPE, SIREE, NOT AT ALL. Don't worry, both Hijikatas, she totally wasn't listening in, except for the fact that she obviously was and it started flustering her enough that a thought just slipped out... ]

[nicotinized]

[Toshi just laughs a bit]

It's okay - he needs someone with a headstrong personality to talk sense into him.

[tealeafs]

Well, that is.. I don't know if I'd describe myself as that..

[ Technically you might be a woobie, Chizuru, but you're stubborn as hell. It's just something she doesn't really consciously realise herself. ]

I'm just trying to help him the best I can.

[nicotinized]

[there's the impression of laughter] You're always polite about it, but you never give up - that's headstrong enough.

[hakodate]

Did you have to say it out loud.

[nicotinized]

Well, technically I only thought it. And... Black Souji is the one who thought it first.

[hakodate]

Thinking might as well be talking here.

[nicotinized]

True. [but you're not actually denying the charge, Hijikata] Still wasn't me first, though.