[It's not only the general possibility of being met with a derisive response along the lines of "What do you know?" (which Saya, in fairness, has given him absolutely no reason to expect from her) that made him hesitate, it's also the opposite - pity. Hijikata doesn't want pity for his shoddy adolescence.
Her simple response isn't that, it's just sympathy - something he can easily accept. He smiles again, running his own hand over hers for a moment (a bold move from him). His life has been a lot better for quite some years already.]
Well, you know what they say: What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
[They both found people who accepted them, after all.]
[He makes a small amused sound under his breath. In Saya's case everything made her stronger, he reckons, for lack of the alternative option. He returns the hand squeeze.]
I'm glad, too. I'm going to have to get a lot stronger still, if I want to keep up with you and Rosen.
[He knows he won't be able to ever reach either of their level, but the same stubbornness that prevents him from ever asking Rosen to give him a break is making him think "But what if?".]
[That man..! Of course he'd be intrigued by a woman who can beat his ass. Hijikata still can't help but feel somewhat pleased about the two of them being in a relationship. Even on a purely visual level they stand out from the crowd, tiny pretty Saya and tall flamboyant Rosen. What a glamour couple!]
Don't tell him that you handed my ass to me like this, alright? He'd laugh at me.
[He's clearly joking - if Rosen does find out and tease him he'll just retort that apparently he didn't win against Saya either.]
[ "Glamour couple" indeed. Hijikata hasn't even seen her prettiest form yet. ]
You're not telling me what to say to my own partner, are you? [ Her tone is obviously teasing. ] He'd better assume I beat anyone I fought, or he'll be in a mess of trouble.
...I am glad he has so many he's getting close to. If I'm asleep for fifty years, I want him to be all right.
[He snorts, but as she speaks on he turns serious.]
If that happens...
[No one can stand in for Saya. Well, she's not expecting that, anyway. She just doesn't want her loved ones to be alone while grappling with her long absence... her loss, really; the loss of the Saya they knew.]
I'll do my best to keep an eye on him.
[It's a bit of a flimsy promise - just how well can a human keep an eye on an arcana -, but he will do his best, and if he sees Rosen suffer he'll try to be there for him, like a dog would be there for its tiger friend, bringing in bones that are too small to make for satisfying chew toys. Hopefully it won't have to come to that.]
[ Normally Saya doesn't think she's all that important to people, nor should she be, but she knows better with Rosen so Hijikata is spared her low-self-esteem-babble on the subject. ]
Thank you.
You should do that even while I'm awake. Goodness knows he likes being looked at, and rightly so. There's a reason we get along so well.
Well, I can't spend all my time admiring him. I've got other obligations.
[This is silly banter, but between his police job, all the quests he tackles, and the dependents(???) he somehow managed to amass he really is busy - and Rosen knows, of course, having gotten him stressed by keeping him up at work before.
His eyes wander to Saya's sewing hands... she works fast!]
Do you have to mend clothes often?
[If doesn't seem far-fetched, given her love of a good battle.]
Don't we all. Thankfully I work at night, it gives me plenty of time to admire whoever's available. [ There's a reason she'd need three extra hands to count up all her partners. ]
Often enough. I have to alter my clothes to make them backless. I never know when I'll need my wings in a hurry. And then there's all the fighting.
I used to do more of it, both practical stuff like this and other needlework. Back in the day that was something all women were trained to do.
[Wings... Hijikata tries to imagine what it would be like to be able to grow them at will, but then he realises that he, too, can technically have that experience (or a similar one, at least) via partial animal transformation. He wonders if he'll have to transform his arms... back on Avalon he got "extra" wings via familiar fusion with his tengu partner, but here on Ellipsa he'll have to make do with his own abilities.
Something else about what Saya said made him curious, though.]
What do you work as?
[He somehow didn't expect her to have a regular job!]
[ It's kind of a Story. And it's evident that she's slightly embarrassed about it. ]
Venti took me to this club with a goth theme. I didn't really appreciate the style much, just because it's such a vampire stereotype. But the manager spotted my eyes and fangs and cornered me and wanted me to work there. I said no way, he said he'll make it worth my while, I said definitely not, he said what would it take to get you to agree, I named an absolutely ridiculous set of conditions and a salary that no one would ever agree to, and he said "Done".
So basically I work at the bar a few hours a night and get paid ludicrously well for it. ...Strictly look and no touch, of course. Occasionally I have to toss someone out on their ear. And all my friends get free drinks, that was one of my conditions. [ It keeps Venti well buttered without her entire paycheck going to wine. ]
It's sort of exploitative, but it lets me pay for my share of the expenses and save some money so that after I'm asleep there will be something left for my housemates.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 12th, 2023 04:01 am (UTC)Her simple response isn't that, it's just sympathy - something he can easily accept. He smiles again, running his own hand over hers for a moment (a bold move from him). His life has been a lot better for quite some years already.]
Well, you know what they say: What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
[They both found people who accepted them, after all.]
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 12th, 2023 04:05 am (UTC)I'm fairly sure the calculus is different when you don't die, but I catch your meaning.
And I'm very glad you're stronger instead of the alternative.
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 12th, 2023 12:50 pm (UTC)I'm glad, too. I'm going to have to get a lot stronger still, if I want to keep up with you and Rosen.
[He knows he won't be able to ever reach either of their level, but the same stubbornness that prevents him from ever asking Rosen to give him a break is making him think "But what if?".]
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 13th, 2023 03:29 am (UTC)[ She needs both hands for sewing, alas. ]
But for the record, I beat Rosen pretty handily. I think that's part of why he was interested at first.
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 13th, 2023 09:00 pm (UTC)[That man..! Of course he'd be intrigued by a woman who can beat his ass. Hijikata still can't help but feel somewhat pleased about the two of them being in a relationship. Even on a purely visual level they stand out from the crowd, tiny pretty Saya and tall flamboyant Rosen. What a glamour couple!]
Don't tell him that you handed my ass to me like this, alright? He'd laugh at me.
[He's clearly joking - if Rosen does find out and tease him he'll just retort that apparently he didn't win against Saya either.]
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 13th, 2023 09:24 pm (UTC)You're not telling me what to say to my own partner, are you? [ Her tone is obviously teasing. ] He'd better assume I beat anyone I fought, or he'll be in a mess of trouble.
...I am glad he has so many he's getting close to. If I'm asleep for fifty years, I want him to be all right.
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 13th, 2023 11:45 pm (UTC)If that happens...
[No one can stand in for Saya. Well, she's not expecting that, anyway. She just doesn't want her loved ones to be alone while grappling with her long absence... her loss, really; the loss of the Saya they knew.]
I'll do my best to keep an eye on him.
[It's a bit of a flimsy promise - just how well can a human keep an eye on an arcana -, but he will do his best, and if he sees Rosen suffer he'll try to be there for him, like a dog would be there for its tiger friend, bringing in bones that are too small to make for satisfying chew toys. Hopefully it won't have to come to that.]
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 14th, 2023 02:06 am (UTC)Thank you.
You should do that even while I'm awake. Goodness knows he likes being looked at, and rightly so. There's a reason we get along so well.
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 14th, 2023 11:00 am (UTC)[This is silly banter, but between his police job, all the quests he tackles, and the dependents(???) he somehow managed to amass he really is busy - and Rosen knows, of course, having gotten him stressed by keeping him up at work before.
His eyes wander to Saya's sewing hands... she works fast!]
Do you have to mend clothes often?
[If doesn't seem far-fetched, given her love of a good battle.]
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 15th, 2023 08:37 pm (UTC)Often enough. I have to alter my clothes to make them backless. I never know when I'll need my wings in a hurry. And then there's all the fighting.
I used to do more of it, both practical stuff like this and other needlework. Back in the day that was something all women were trained to do.
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 16th, 2023 08:05 pm (UTC)Something else about what Saya said made him curious, though.]
What do you work as?
[He somehow didn't expect her to have a regular job!]
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 16th, 2023 08:48 pm (UTC)[ It's kind of a Story. And it's evident that she's slightly embarrassed about it. ]
Venti took me to this club with a goth theme. I didn't really appreciate the style much, just because it's such a vampire stereotype. But the manager spotted my eyes and fangs and cornered me and wanted me to work there. I said no way, he said he'll make it worth my while, I said definitely not, he said what would it take to get you to agree, I named an absolutely ridiculous set of conditions and a salary that no one would ever agree to, and he said "Done".
So basically I work at the bar a few hours a night and get paid ludicrously well for it. ...Strictly look and no touch, of course. Occasionally I have to toss someone out on their ear. And all my friends get free drinks, that was one of my conditions. [ It keeps Venti well buttered without her entire paycheck going to wine. ]
It's sort of exploitative, but it lets me pay for my share of the expenses and save some money so that after I'm asleep there will be something left for my housemates.
(no subject)
Date: Jun. 17th, 2023 02:30 am (UTC)[This is news to him!! Venti doesn't look the part at all!]