Trying to find an exorcist to look at it. He might be able to figure out what was on it if he knows what to look for.
(He's pretty deadpan the entire conversation like.... he didn't just mention getting shot? Like he isn't recovering from it right now? It's all business. He came here to get information.)
[ okay? does it hurt? all sorts of normal things to ask in this situation. instead, he just smiles quietly and sighs, sitting back down properly because at some point he'd gotten up a little and officially started leaning over the table.
what is he going to do, give hizen some sort of lecture? considering he'd picked what he's wearing because he didn't have to mess around having to stretch in ways that make his arm hurt where he'd also gotten hurt, ryouma already realises he has no business saying so. ]
I know an exorcist, so that could be arranged. We're all looking for the same answers anyway.
(Ryouma gets up and Hizen ignores it, instead, focusing on his meal before it cools too much and becomes cold. Ah, but it turns out he actually didn't need to stuff his face to keep from answering any questions because Ryouma doesn't ask after all.
He slows and looks up to speak again.
He'd run into two exorcists (that he knew of) and he wonders which one Ryouma means,)
[ ryouma tries eating again now that his food is slightly less piping hot and doesn't mind hizen's extended silence because that gives him time to actually eat. ordinarily, eating is somewhat optional since he relies on mana, but getting injured puts a real strain on his reserves. ]
One.
[ technically he knows another but he's trying to keep this thing as close to home as possible, so ryouma is naturally going to stick with the one he knows runs with his faction. ]
So I guess ya already know one too anyway. Hell's a funny place t' find exorcists, so they stick out...
[ now he's talking with his mouth full, so his accent slips. ryouma is happy hizen decided to share this since he could've just gone directly to the exorcists in question and cut him out of this entirely. ]
Anyway, figure there's gotta be something unique about those rounds since the way I'm hearing it, you're not supposed to be able to take out a powerful youkai with regular bullets. Hurt just the same though, huh?
[ laughing in having been shot. that's normal, right? ]
( That moment when Hizen has run into three whole exorcists… maybe a fourth. Hell is a weird place to find so many at once and the fact that he keeps stumbling onto them is weird. )
That guy.
( The exorcist with the bad eye. As in, the eye that makes him feel uncomfortable.
His next move is to stab one of is gyoza and he scowls, pointedly switching to an almost perfect accent,)
Of course it hurt. ( it fucking hurt!! It hurt him physically and it hurt his pride!! ) It wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for this stupid body either.
Mm. Then I'll see about setting that up if you haven't already.
[ which is his way of offering indirectly to handle the social aspect of it since he figures hizen might appreciate it. ]
But I didn't mean it like that! I only meant that I can relate seeing as I got pretty lucky myself.
[ the way he pats his left arm is supposed to be reassuring (somehow), but he just ends up wincing instead. seemed like a better idea than it actually turned out to be, well, oh well. ]
Was that s'posed to sound like me? It's pretty good!
[ he grins and, as usual, remains unbothered by this commentary. it's!! endearing!! ryouma eats another gyoza and washes it down with more sake. no wonder he's like this. it's only going to get worse. ]
(Even if he hates socializing and dealing with people, he can do his own jobs.
Ryouma mentions getting shot and pats his arm. Hizen freezes and there's that initial pang of concern and worry but he shoves it all away. Ryouma is clearly fine. He'll be fine. There's no reason to worry so he'll save his energy. As for who he was mocking exactly... it doesn't matter either. )
It's weak. A real pain. (He's finished most of his gyoza already. If he had better company, he'd probably order more. As it is, he'll likely leave once he finishes his meal.) Especially here.
(He pauses, wondering for a moment if he should explain more. Ryouma is different. He was a human before he became a spirit. All of the burdens of humanity were things he'd picked up naturally over time whereas Hizen... Just thinking about it makes him tired and he sighs. No, he changes his mind. He really doesn't want to explain.)
... You wouldn't get it.
(Drinking. He'll focus on other things instead; the things that can be easily understood,)
If you insist~ [ he's not going to argue the point or anything, so he just has another bite of gyoza instead. ] Matoba Seiji.
[ he remembers the name from when they exchanged information at some point. ]
"A real pain"...
[ he repeats the words but thoughtfully, not mockingly, and pours more sake for hizen out of his own. he doesn't want to talk about it any more than hizen wants to hear it, so ryouma is happy to spare him. maybe he doesn't feel the weakness directly like hizen does, but the loss of oryou makes him feel less than whole in a way he doesn't know how to shake. ]
Maybe. Maybe not.
[ vague, nebulous as he can be. ]
But we're in this place and I'm still what I am and you're still what you are. It's not like... wherever Izō went before he came here. [ meaning they didn't all get turned human or into something else entirely. ] Maybe it's an adjustment period? Maybe the local magic has to sort things out, who knows? Might not be like this forever.
(Finally. He's been trying to track down this exorcist for the last day or so. It's been annoying trying to find him in a city full of so many people.
He watches as Ryouma shares his sake with him. Clearly all a ploy to get him to stick around longer... well, it's working. Something in the air seems to have shifted. Ryouma's doing that thing... where he's hard to read. Serious? Hm. The least he can do is listen in return and ah--
He wishes he hadn't. He sits up straighter in his seat and makes a point to look away from Ryouma. Instead, he focuses on his cup, on the sake inside, and... well, he's always scowling but now, his brows knit closely together and his mouth makes a tight line. He needs to talk to Izo, too. About that place... but when Izo is ready. Hizen has never been very good at starting conversations. He needs to apologize too, for hitting him, or rather, hitting Karasu. He might not say anything; talking to Ryouma is difficult enough without talking about difficult topics like Izo but it's clear enough from his body language-- he's thinking about Izo. He's worried about him. He cares a lot more than he'll ever admit outloud.)
's already been too long.
(Without his strength. Without his ability to heal.)
Can't do anything if you're weak. (Can't protect anyone. Can't fight. Can't change anything. Nothing. It's only here that he glances up at Ryouma,) So don't go more making trouble when you can't do anything.
You remember it when you got here, right? Time's sort of funny around here too. Besides, you and I both know I did plenty with less once upon a time, so I can't stop now. Like it or not, that's the job bein' a Guardian.
[ it's true that's all very much in question right now — what with not knowing where his pact with the world stands in comparison to his contract in hell — but ryouma has done the job long enough and embraced the idea of existing for a purpose his entire life before and since anyway. why should he think any differently now? ]
Besides, who could get upset at someone for throwin' a party? Or making everyone more money? That's always been the ticket.
[ it's not like these are some kind of trade secrets, but he's talking with the thought in mind that hizen, like izō, wasn't there to know how things were in the end. however else hizen has come to learn anything through his own experience, ryouma doesn't know, so he can only guess. ]
The one thing everyone knows and understands is money, especially around here. That's obvious just looking around. How could that be trouble, huh?
[ oh, he knows how people can be about money, but again he refuses to let worries like that stop him. ]
(Ryouma gives one of his typical speeches. To be honest, much of Hizen's impressions are all second-hand. He knows the version of Ryouma that influenced Izo's story and the story of Ryouma that allowed Mutsunokami to manifest the way that he is.
And like this, he can see... this is Sakamoto Ryouma.
Motivational, optimistic, light-hearted, and minimizing how much trouble things really are. A job's a job! Everything is fun. It's all about money. He has a plan! And if he doesn't? He'll figure it out. He'll figure everything out. He makes it sound so easy and simple that even a fool could follow it.
If Hizen were more naive, he'd probably be charmed. He isn't naive though and when he looks at Ryouma, eyes dark and hollow, it's like he's trying to cut through all of the distractions and leads,)
People like you are easy to hate.
(People that kick up a fuss, stick their noses in place they aren't supposed to. People who aren't afraid to speak their minds and have personalities that can draw people to them, growing in number and strength.)
'S why people like me have jobs.
(Because when you hate someone enough, you'll pay to have them killed.
And he reiterates again,)
Don't be stupid.
(Don't cause trouble. Not when he's too weak to get out of it. Not when the people who would drag him out are also weak.)
You already know what I'm gonna say though, don't you?
[ his tone and his smile remain the same and ryouma drinks his sake with the same enthusiasm as he has been, but he feels entirely too perceived right now. hizen is already privy to more than he should have let on about — with him or anyone else — because ryouma's problems have always been best kept to himself. that's how he sees it anyway. ]
I've never been able to just sit and watch.
[ how could he? the place and the people are different but the problems sure feel familiar. it's impossible for him not to feel for the plight of the smaller tribes and he barely knows them. ]
Besides, this is the first job I've had in a very long time where I can do whatever I like and the end result isn't just a lot of meaningless paperwork. I guess I'll just have to make enough money to be able to pay double.
(It's the answer he expects and not the one he likes. Ryouma keeps that same look on his face and Hizen can't look at it anymore. It's annoying. He hates it. Really, it just makes him want to knock it off his face and yell some.
Instead, he eats his last pieces of gyoza and picks at some of the pieces that had broken off from the fried lace. He's going to clean his plate. And really, picking at a few shards of oil and starch with a pair of wooden chopsticks is more than an acceptable distraction from Ryouma.)
... Can't stand you.
(He really can't. With nothing else to eat, he can only drink. Nothing tastes as good as it did when it first came out, though.)
Go do something stupid then. Not like I can stop you.
(Or anyone. No one ever listens to him. He's annoyed. He's disappointed. He's tired.)
Heh, well, I'm not trying to rush into anything stupid if I can help it! I might even sleep tonight.
[ at some point eating all this gyoza and washing them down with sake is going to intersect with his flagging mana reserves and knock him out and he really needs the rest, honestly. ]
I'm not looking to make an enemy out of you or who you work for, for what it's worth?
[ everything is at any time potentially a new partnership. he wants to strengthen the bonds between the various tribes that comprise the alliance but he's already thinking bigger than that. ]
Well, those're your words, not mine! I just figured we'd get on peacefully as allies, but if ya took that as me meaning friends maybe I should be aiming higher...
[ congratulations, he's taken it as a suggestion instead. ]
(This is clearly not what he meant and it shows! He leans back in a mix of surprise and annoyance and scowls. It's something like a cat pulling back, fur on edge, ears back, hissing... but without the actual hissing.
Truly, the ability to take his words and turn their meaning into something else entirely against him has to be some sort of super power.)
That's not what I meant! (How? Does he do that? His hand twitches around his cup. Don't tempt him.) You know what I meant, too!
[ look. he didn't broker an impossible deal once upon a time for nothing. his ability to destabilise people is just a thing. ]
You're not wrong. I'm also not telling you to do anything you don't want to do. You've been good company for dinner though and I'm not taking that one back.
That might not have been the reason you did it, but it doesn't mean it isn't still true. Sometimes it's easy to feel totally alone even in a city like this, so good company is valuable.
[ and that's the closest he'll get to admitting that he was feeling especially lonely and unsettled after everything and so coming out here served as a very welcome distraction that'll help him get through the night. ]
[ ryouma can't not ask. sure, he's quite possibly just latching onto anything at this point but that's sort of how it is when you're a little desperate. he doesn't figure hizen is the type for platitudes, but even that coming from someone who isn't himself would be better than nothing. ]
[ it takes him a second but then it clicks and he has to bite his tongue before too many questions start rolling out. ]
Well, that is a nice thought, isn't it?
[ and with the way hizen looks like he's going to melt out of his seat, it obviously isn't easy for him to say so. ryouma appreciates it more than he knows hizen would appreciate him to express, but he's never been good at controlling the look on his face in times like these. ]
...'Course there's two ancestral Sakamoto treasures an' all.
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Inside me.
(And he just goes back to eating for a moment,)
Trying to find an exorcist to look at it. He might be able to figure out what was on it if he knows what to look for.
(He's pretty deadpan the entire conversation like.... he didn't just mention getting shot? Like he isn't recovering from it right now? It's all business. He came here to get information.)
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[ okay? does it hurt? all sorts of normal things to ask in this situation. instead, he just smiles quietly and sighs, sitting back down properly because at some point he'd gotten up a little and officially started leaning over the table.
what is he going to do, give hizen some sort of lecture? considering he'd picked what he's wearing because he didn't have to mess around having to stretch in ways that make his arm hurt where he'd also gotten hurt, ryouma already realises he has no business saying so. ]
I know an exorcist, so that could be arranged. We're all looking for the same answers anyway.
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He slows and looks up to speak again.
He'd run into two exorcists (that he knew of) and he wonders which one Ryouma means,)
... One with four eyes or one with one?
(Glasses or a covered eye.)
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One.
[ technically he knows another but he's trying to keep this thing as close to home as possible, so ryouma is naturally going to stick with the one he knows runs with his faction. ]
So I guess ya already know one too anyway. Hell's a funny place t' find exorcists, so they stick out...
[ now he's talking with his mouth full, so his accent slips. ryouma is happy hizen decided to share this since he could've just gone directly to the exorcists in question and cut him out of this entirely. ]
Anyway, figure there's gotta be something unique about those rounds since the way I'm hearing it, you're not supposed to be able to take out a powerful youkai with regular bullets. Hurt just the same though, huh?
[ laughing in having been shot. that's normal, right? ]
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That guy.
( The exorcist with the bad eye. As in, the eye that makes him feel uncomfortable.
His next move is to stab one of is gyoza and he scowls, pointedly switching to an almost perfect accent,)
“The gun is mightier than the sword.”
( —じゃ。 —Jya. It’s clear he’s mocking someone. Ryouma?
C’mon, sir, why would a sword find this funny? )
Of course it hurt. ( it fucking hurt!! It hurt him physically and it hurt his pride!! ) It wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for this stupid body either.
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[ which is his way of offering indirectly to handle the social aspect of it since he figures hizen might appreciate it. ]
But I didn't mean it like that! I only meant that I can relate seeing as I got pretty lucky myself.
[ the way he pats his left arm is supposed to be reassuring (somehow), but he just ends up wincing instead. seemed like a better idea than it actually turned out to be, well, oh well. ]
Was that s'posed to sound like me? It's pretty good!
[ he grins and, as usual, remains unbothered by this commentary. it's!! endearing!! ryouma eats another gyoza and washes it down with more sake. no wonder he's like this.
it's only going to get worse.]What's wrong with your body? Looks fine to me.
[ but did you die? it'S FINE. ]
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(Even if he hates socializing and dealing with people, he can do his own jobs.
Ryouma mentions getting shot and pats his arm. Hizen freezes and there's that initial pang of concern and worry but he shoves it all away. Ryouma is clearly fine. He'll be fine. There's no reason to worry so he'll save his energy. As for who he was mocking exactly... it doesn't matter either. )
It's weak. A real pain. (He's finished most of his gyoza already. If he had better company, he'd probably order more. As it is, he'll likely leave once he finishes his meal.) Especially here.
(He pauses, wondering for a moment if he should explain more. Ryouma is different. He was a human before he became a spirit. All of the burdens of humanity were things he'd picked up naturally over time whereas Hizen... Just thinking about it makes him tired and he sighs. No, he changes his mind. He really doesn't want to explain.)
... You wouldn't get it.
(Drinking. He'll focus on other things instead; the things that can be easily understood,)
Everyone's weaker here.
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[ he remembers the name from when they exchanged information at some point. ]
"A real pain"...
[ he repeats the words but thoughtfully, not mockingly, and pours more sake for hizen out of his own. he doesn't want to talk about it any more than hizen wants to hear it, so ryouma is happy to spare him. maybe he doesn't feel the weakness directly like hizen does, but the loss of oryou makes him feel less than whole in a way he doesn't know how to shake. ]
Maybe. Maybe not.
[ vague, nebulous as he can be. ]
But we're in this place and I'm still what I am and you're still what you are. It's not like... wherever Izō went before he came here. [ meaning they didn't all get turned human or into something else entirely. ] Maybe it's an adjustment period? Maybe the local magic has to sort things out, who knows? Might not be like this forever.
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He watches as Ryouma shares his sake with him. Clearly all a ploy to get him to stick around longer... well, it's working. Something in the air seems to have shifted. Ryouma's doing that thing... where he's hard to read. Serious? Hm. The least he can do is listen in return and ah--
He wishes he hadn't. He sits up straighter in his seat and makes a point to look away from Ryouma. Instead, he focuses on his cup, on the sake inside, and... well, he's always scowling but now, his brows knit closely together and his mouth makes a tight line. He needs to talk to Izo, too. About that place... but when Izo is ready. Hizen has never been very good at starting conversations. He needs to apologize too, for hitting him, or rather, hitting Karasu. He might not say anything; talking to Ryouma is difficult enough without talking about difficult topics like Izo but it's clear enough from his body language-- he's thinking about Izo. He's worried about him. He cares a lot more than he'll ever admit outloud.)
's already been too long.
(Without his strength. Without his ability to heal.)
Can't do anything if you're weak. (Can't protect anyone. Can't fight. Can't change anything. Nothing. It's only here that he glances up at Ryouma,) So don't go more making trouble when you can't do anything.
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[ it's true that's all very much in question right now — what with not knowing where his pact with the world stands in comparison to his contract in hell — but ryouma has done the job long enough and embraced the idea of existing for a purpose his entire life before and since anyway. why should he think any differently now? ]
Besides, who could get upset at someone for throwin' a party? Or making everyone more money? That's always been the ticket.
[ it's not like these are some kind of trade secrets, but he's talking with the thought in mind that hizen, like izō, wasn't there to know how things were in the end. however else hizen has come to learn anything through his own experience, ryouma doesn't know, so he can only guess. ]
The one thing everyone knows and understands is money, especially around here. That's obvious just looking around. How could that be trouble, huh?
[ oh, he knows how people can be about money, but again he refuses to let worries like that stop him. ]
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And like this, he can see... this is Sakamoto Ryouma.
Motivational, optimistic, light-hearted, and minimizing how much trouble things really are. A job's a job! Everything is fun. It's all about money. He has a plan! And if he doesn't? He'll figure it out. He'll figure everything out. He makes it sound so easy and simple that even a fool could follow it.
If Hizen were more naive, he'd probably be charmed. He isn't naive though and when he looks at Ryouma, eyes dark and hollow, it's like he's trying to cut through all of the distractions and leads,)
People like you are easy to hate.
(People that kick up a fuss, stick their noses in place they aren't supposed to. People who aren't afraid to speak their minds and have personalities that can draw people to them, growing in number and strength.)
'S why people like me have jobs.
(Because when you hate someone enough, you'll pay to have them killed.
And he reiterates again,)
Don't be stupid.
(Don't cause trouble. Not when he's too weak to get out of it. Not when the people who would drag him out are also weak.)
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[ his tone and his smile remain the same and ryouma drinks his sake with the same enthusiasm as he has been, but he feels entirely too perceived right now. hizen is already privy to more than he should have let on about — with him or anyone else — because ryouma's problems have always been best kept to himself. that's how he sees it anyway. ]
I've never been able to just sit and watch.
[ how could he? the place and the people are different but the problems sure feel familiar. it's impossible for him not to feel for the plight of the smaller tribes and he barely knows them. ]
Besides, this is the first job I've had in a very long time where I can do whatever I like and the end result isn't just a lot of meaningless paperwork. I guess I'll just have to make enough money to be able to pay double.
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(It's the answer he expects and not the one he likes. Ryouma keeps that same look on his face and Hizen can't look at it anymore. It's annoying. He hates it. Really, it just makes him want to knock it off his face and yell some.
Instead, he eats his last pieces of gyoza and picks at some of the pieces that had broken off from the fried lace. He's going to clean his plate. And really, picking at a few shards of oil and starch with a pair of wooden chopsticks is more than an acceptable distraction from Ryouma.)
... Can't stand you.
(He really can't. With nothing else to eat, he can only drink. Nothing tastes as good as it did when it first came out, though.)
Go do something stupid then. Not like I can stop you.
(Or anyone. No one ever listens to him. He's annoyed. He's disappointed. He's tired.)
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[ at some point eating all this gyoza and washing them down with sake is going to intersect with his flagging mana reserves and knock him out and he really needs the rest, honestly. ]
I'm not looking to make an enemy out of you or who you work for, for what it's worth?
[ everything is at any time potentially a new partnership. he wants to strengthen the bonds between the various tribes that comprise the alliance but he's already thinking bigger than that. ]
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("I'm not looking to make an enemy out of you or who you work for, for what it's worth?")
If you're looking for a friend, look somewhere else.
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[ congratulations, he's taken it as a suggestion instead. ]
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Truly, the ability to take his words and turn their meaning into something else entirely against him has to be some sort of super power.)
That's not what I meant! (How? Does he do that? His hand twitches around his cup. Don't tempt him.) You know what I meant, too!
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You're not wrong. I'm also not telling you to do anything you don't want to do. You've been good company for dinner though and I'm not taking that one back.
[ so too bad. ]
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Just stop talking!
(He hates this. It's getting weird.)
I didn't ask you out for company!
(He just? Wanted to share some information? Gather some information for himself? It's all business!)
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[ and that's the closest he'll get to admitting that he was feeling especially lonely and unsettled after everything and so coming out here served as a very welcome distraction that'll help him get through the night. ]
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(Drinking and mumbling into his cup.)
's not like you're really alone...
(As long as he has his sword with him.)
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[ ryouma can't not ask. sure, he's quite possibly just latching onto anything at this point but that's sort of how it is when you're a little desperate. he doesn't figure hizen is the type for platitudes, but even that coming from someone who isn't himself would be better than nothing. ]
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Ya know. That guy. Even if ya can't see him or anything...
(He's slouching horribly now. It's barely even sitting,)
An ancestral treasure... 's like having family with ya...
(Mumble, mumble.)
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[ it takes him a second but then it clicks and he has to bite his tongue before too many questions start rolling out. ]
Well, that is a nice thought, isn't it?
[ and with the way hizen looks like he's going to melt out of his seat, it obviously isn't easy for him to say so. ryouma appreciates it more than he knows hizen would appreciate him to express, but he's never been good at controlling the look on his face in times like these. ]
...'Course there's two ancestral Sakamoto treasures an' all.
[ just gently pointing out the facts. ]
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(It's Mutsunokami's. Who probably got it from Ryouma or something. As for that last point? He's quick to snap,)
One. I've got nothing to do with you anymore.
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