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Hmm.
[ as if on cue, souji's own pocketwatch pings and he reaches for it in his coat. ... which is not where he left it, what the hell. did saitou get up at some point and put it away? he sighs at the effort it takes to retrieve it, eyes glossing over at the message he's received before sighing yet again. ]
—It looks like I have somewhere to be, too. I'll be back.
[ he makes himself presentable and leaves out the door without another word. time to see what ivan wants from him.
and come back for more sleep later, because he's going to need it. ]
[ as if on cue, souji's own pocketwatch pings and he reaches for it in his coat. ... which is not where he left it, what the hell. did saitou get up at some point and put it away? he sighs at the effort it takes to retrieve it, eyes glossing over at the message he's received before sighing yet again. ]
—It looks like I have somewhere to be, too. I'll be back.
[ he makes himself presentable and leaves out the door without another word. time to see what ivan wants from him.
and come back for more sleep later, because he's going to need it. ]
[As if Saitou could've managed to get up and put it away with Souji draped all over him like a solid, heavy lump.
He doesn't answer that, only nods briefly and returns his attention to the screen of his watch; he's got a lot to say and not enough to say it with, and it's going to take his attention.
Souji can manage himself, Saitou's sure. He's an adult.
He's got a good arm.]
He doesn't answer that, only nods briefly and returns his attention to the screen of his watch; he's got a lot to say and not enough to say it with, and it's going to take his attention.
Souji can manage himself, Saitou's sure. He's an adult.
He's got a good arm.]
[ Sometimes Kondou forgets about propriety, but it's nearly impossible to with Saitou. He knows that no matter how much he encourages him to try and feel at ease, there's simply no changing years of habit. So when he hears him approach, Kondou's attention turns immediately to him. ]
You may come in.
You may come in.
[Propriety is what Saitou does best...and after his (somewhat embarrassing) loss of it with Hijikata several days ago, he's perhaps a bit inclined to overcompensate.
So he slips into the room quietly, stopping just short of Kondou, and patiently waits for what he has to say.]
So he slips into the room quietly, stopping just short of Kondou, and patiently waits for what he has to say.]
[ Of course, once he's actually inside, Kondou hesitates in regards to how he should proceed here. After all, there's actually a lot that he has to ask of Saitou right now, but one of those questions seems far more important than the rest. ]
I wish to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.
[ ... that makes it sound so much more serious than it actually is, but he knows that if he doesn't get Saitou's word on this, he may simply avoid giving the full picture to Kondou in order to try not to concern him. ]
I wish to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.
[ ... that makes it sound so much more serious than it actually is, but he knows that if he doesn't get Saitou's word on this, he may simply avoid giving the full picture to Kondou in order to try not to concern him. ]
[ "I'm fine" is the biggest lie ever told. Kondou knows that, too, because he's used it more times than he can count. Right now, however, his focus is Saitou - and whatever Saitou is expecting him to say, it's likely not this. ]
Are you faring alright?
[ Because guess who knows about your disagreement with Hijikata? Also the death part. That's important too. ]
Are you faring alright?
[ Because guess who knows about your disagreement with Hijikata? Also the death part. That's important too. ]
["I'm fine" isn't a lie, in Saitou's mind, so much as something that needs to be repeated and asserted to become the truth. He needs to be fine; if he says it enough, he'll believe in it.
All things considered, though...it was a rough week, and Souji was one of the only bright spots, because Souji is one of the few people Saitou can feel at ease being not fine in front of. But this, perhaps, is another bright spot: Kondou didn't ask Saitou about this until now. Because at least Saitou can honestly say -]
I am faring much better, now that my sword arm has returned.
[It's not, technically, a complete answer. But it's a perfectly true one. Going a week with no use of that arm was easily the worst thing Saitou's ever experienced; even the blow Kazama struck to his ego couldn't really compare to knowing that he wasn't just useless against Kazama, but against anyone.
Kazama's still at the center of his current worries, but everything else does look quite a bit better, when he knows he can at least face it fighting.]
All things considered, though...it was a rough week, and Souji was one of the only bright spots, because Souji is one of the few people Saitou can feel at ease being not fine in front of. But this, perhaps, is another bright spot: Kondou didn't ask Saitou about this until now. Because at least Saitou can honestly say -]
I am faring much better, now that my sword arm has returned.
[It's not, technically, a complete answer. But it's a perfectly true one. Going a week with no use of that arm was easily the worst thing Saitou's ever experienced; even the blow Kazama struck to his ego couldn't really compare to knowing that he wasn't just useless against Kazama, but against anyone.
Kazama's still at the center of his current worries, but everything else does look quite a bit better, when he knows he can at least face it fighting.]
I see... That is indeed good to hear. It must have considerably raised your spirits.
[ After all, they all remembered what had happened to Sannan, the way that losing the use of his sword arm had changed him considerably as a person. As samurai, they had nothing else; if they could not fight, then they had little other purpose. It was something that Kondou understood all too well. ]
Is there anything else on your mind?
[ After all, they all remembered what had happened to Sannan, the way that losing the use of his sword arm had changed him considerably as a person. As samurai, they had nothing else; if they could not fight, then they had little other purpose. It was something that Kondou understood all too well. ]
Is there anything else on your mind?
[There's a long pause when Kondou asks that. Because as much as it's Saitou's instinct to brush it off, say he's fine -
Kondou did ask for honesty. And while Saitou's lack of honesty about his own condition is usually more a lack of honesty with himself than anything, he's self-aware enough to realize that he does have an issue right now.]
...
Kondou did ask for honesty. And while Saitou's lack of honesty about his own condition is usually more a lack of honesty with himself than anything, he's self-aware enough to realize that he does have an issue right now.]
...
You may speak freely, Saitou.
[ Does he need permission, or is he simply not used to having to speak with others in this kind of fashion? Kondou is sure there are few people in this world he feels as though he can speak frankly with... But this may turn out to be a problem. ]
[ Does he need permission, or is he simply not used to having to speak with others in this kind of fashion? Kondou is sure there are few people in this world he feels as though he can speak frankly with... But this may turn out to be a problem. ]
...the vice-commander had not told me that Kazama was in Zelien.
[It's a little more quiet than the tone he's been using. Because for all that he's angry about it, it doesn't really feel right to let what he's upset with Hijikata for bleed out onto Kondou.
Or maybe he's just had more time to feel hurt about it than angry, after that first day.]
[It's a little more quiet than the tone he's been using. Because for all that he's angry about it, it doesn't really feel right to let what he's upset with Hijikata for bleed out onto Kondou.
Or maybe he's just had more time to feel hurt about it than angry, after that first day.]
And you're upset that he had not told you sooner. Do you think that you would have been better equipped to deal with it, if the news had come earlier?
[ It's not an accusation but a question, though a difficult one at that to be sure. Kondou may not know as well as some what that fight cost Saitou, but he can guess. It's why he wants to try and help smooth this over however he possibly can. ]
[ It's not an accusation but a question, though a difficult one at that to be sure. Kondou may not know as well as some what that fight cost Saitou, but he can guess. It's why he wants to try and help smooth this over however he possibly can. ]
[ having a good arm didn't prepare souji for what ivan had in store. he comes back in what feels like hours later (and maybe it really is, he doesn't know how long he stood outside under all that rain), looking much worse than how he was when saitou ran into him a few days ago. it almost feels like he's back in square one, but really, right now, all he cares about is falling back to sleep.
he wraps his fingers around the door knob, ready to turn it, but he seems to daze out halfway through the motion. what he'd learned... even just thinking of it makes his limbs feel heavier than they really are.
his head presses itself against the door, hand still poised to open it but now he doesn't feel like it at all. maybe he should go somewhere else? clear his thoughts for a bit, then come back then.
... no.
this is where he wants to be. ]
Hajime-kun? Are you still there?
[ if he receives no answer, then he'll go away for a while. ]
he wraps his fingers around the door knob, ready to turn it, but he seems to daze out halfway through the motion. what he'd learned... even just thinking of it makes his limbs feel heavier than they really are.
his head presses itself against the door, hand still poised to open it but now he doesn't feel like it at all. maybe he should go somewhere else? clear his thoughts for a bit, then come back then.
... no.
this is where he wants to be. ]
Hajime-kun? Are you still there?
[ if he receives no answer, then he'll go away for a while. ]
CONTACT: yuuki.kuran@compass.net
MESSAGE: saitou-san
okita-san knows what chivalry means, right?!
MESSAGE: saitou-san
okita-san knows what chivalry means, right?!
Edited 2014-03-06 23:33 (UTC)
WEEK 16, DAY 7 { 6:53 AM (because i'm just doing all these upsetting tags rn so why not)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
demarcates
2014-03-07 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
CONTACT: toshizou.hijikata@compass.net
MESSAGE: you were right.
i'm sorry.
i'm sorry for not trusting you with the information.
MESSAGE: you were right.
i'm sorry.
i'm sorry for not trusting you with the information.
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