pachintoki | Cerealia Inbox

[He'll . . . wait then. He was waiting for something calm yet snappy to come back at him, and when it doesn't, he only waits, and waits for the bath water to finish filling, too. Gintoki has pretty much styled his bathroom like the one he had at home, with a separate bath and shower, only adding a little extra luxury where he'd never had any.

He'll lift a brow at Zura's sudden declaration.]

You think so, huh? Did it take you all this time to think of that?

[That comeback was still just a little cautious. He'll turn on the water now, making sure it's just the perfect temperature when--]

May what? May you what? You wanna take a bath too? Don't you have a bathroom? I know it's a mess, there was pudding everywhere. [huffff]

I couldn't even eat it.

[such a pained expression wow.]

_{[ Although a bath would do Katsura good, he's not sure if bathing with Gintoki is something he wants to do. ]}

Ah. It's just your hair. It needs to be washed.
_{[ maybe if he told Gin what happened this would make more sense but ah.. he doesn't really want to. It's still such a shock he's alright. ]}

May I?
_{[ and he is going to cook for you too after this so be nice. ]}

[. . .weird. And a pain. This was seriously a pain. . .

But just this once -- for now -- he's not going to reply with some sharp insult, or tease Zura anymore. Yeah, enjoy this, because all Gintoki's going to do is hand him the shower, lose the strawberry boxers and sit himself down on the stool there, within reach, at least, of Zura. He'll rest his elbows on his knees.

And then he's not going to mention another thing about it. Something was definitely off with his wiggy friend, he had all the earmarks of been through some crap and It wasn't as if Gintoki couldn't enjoy it anyway. So the next things out of his mouth are really casual.]

Oi oi, don't forget that I don't have miles of hair like you do. Don't use so much shampoo.

_{[ He should probably tell him.
It's difficult, though, and Katsura is still in a bit of shock, but he gives Gintoki room and time to get comfortable. All of this is nothing he hasn't seen before, but for some reason, he's really looking Gintoki over and it's a good thing he doesn't notice-- right? Right.

Yep. That's a scar there he remembers-- oh, and that one too. It really was genuine Gintoki.
He lifts the shower and runs the water carefully over the top of Gintoki's hair and then down his back, mulling his thoughts together in an awkward silence.
He finally responds. ]}

I won't-- and I won't get it in your eyes. I don't want to hear you complain about it.

_{[ he lathers his hands up with some shampoo and begins to scrub carefully into Gintoki's hair. It was almost too delicate-- almost like Gintoki was a fragile thing that could be lost at any moment. ]}

.. Gintoki.
_{[ He's been saying his name a lot. ]}

I want to go home.

[The water feels great; he's more than glad to get all the sticky pudding mess off of himself, so he'll relax. It was Zura after all, and if he couldn't trust his long-time friend, there was nobody he could really trust.

He's got a little water in his ears; he'll give his head a bit of a shake, just in time to hear Katsura say those words. The sigh that follows them is long, but he'll speak up after. ]

Aah. Don't say that like I can do something about it.

[There's just a bit of defeat in that voice, something in his quiet tone that could almost sound like resignation. Gintoki, as good as he was at adapting, didn't want to adapt to this. Thinking about the Yorozuya and the others there was too painful, and he just plain didn't want to right now.]

You can't just play with it, you gotta wash it already, wash it good. There's lots of hair there.

[aaaand that's sulking.]

_{[ He gets that sigh. Katsura, actually, gets a clue when Gintoki gives off thee vibes. He doesn't realize he has just been playing with Gintoki's hair as his thoughts gradually got lost in various things, but it's true. ]}

Oh. My mistake.

_{[ his fingertips scritch into Gintoki's scalp as the shampoo suds up even more. He still cannot muster up enough strength to tell Gintoki what traumatized him so much, but-- ]}

I lost.

_{[ A little grunt of disapproval.]}

In the ViViD session that we all walked into.

[Zura's fingers actually felt pretty good, too, and it's a welcome distraction for a moment as the other focuses more on the suds and less on being so damn morose.

He'll listen closely after that though; seems like Zura was going to tell him after all, or at least open up a little. That wasn't too surprising; after all, Gintoki was pretty certain there wasn't going to be anybody else here Zura trusted as much as him, except maybe Tatsuma. Likewise, Gintoki didn't have anybody he trusted more, either.]

So we did just walk into it? It just started happening no matter where you were, didn't it? So you got a game over?

[He'll give a little swallow, then finger at some soap near his ear. That had some more serious implications then he cared to admit, considering the bruises he still keenly felt from their little video game fun times.]

But you're still here, so what happened, huh.

Typically, your coding regenerates. I have witnessed several deaths. The fact that you are injured and not revived is more mysterious than the fact I lost and I am here.
_{[ Katsura goes back to merely playing with Gintoki's hair as he falls into some more thoughts, looking at the little curls along Gintoki's neck still trying to spring back into place when he disturbs them. ]}

..But this.. ah.

_{[ He feels himself choke slightly and places his palms on Gin's back, falling quiet for a long time. It was a little awkward, but he finally musters up the right words to say, and he speaks them quietly. ]}

My punishment. I had to watch you die before my eyes.
_{[ His hands leave Gintoki's back all together, Gin's hair still a shampoo mess since he hasn't rinsed it out yet. ]}

I .. saw it. And then.. I saw your ghost.

[He'll notice when Katsura is just messing with his hair, which is a little odd in itself. . . it's just that he hasn't done that in a really long time. Still, it's with quite a bit of patience that he'll wait as Zura talks to him in those broken sentences, only glancing backwards, just over his shoulder from the corner of his eye, when he feels soapy hands on his back that linger for a long moment.

. . . there are a few things that admission is going to tell Gintoki. One, this place really, really, really sucked. What the hell were they trying to do here?

Secondly, he knew that he was important to Zura, like the other was important to him, and their other comrades too. He wasn't naive. Watching any of them die, even Takasugi, would be traumatic. No wonder the other was acting so weird. He wasn't sure how he felt, yet, about the reminder that he was still that important to his old friend.

Thirdly, though, he didn't remember dying at all. It was probably fake. He hoped so, at least.

. . . so that was it. He'll sigh a little, shifting, the muscles in his back tensing some, then relaxing as he finally speaks up after all that quiet.]

Hey.

[are you listening, Zura. He wants to make sure.]

I guess if you gotta keep poking at my hair to make sure I'm not a ghost, you can. Poke at whatever you want, but don't get soap in my eyes. It stings and I hate it.

Edited 2015-07-13 22:06 (UTC)

_{[ Hearing Gintoki respond like this makes Katsura feel eased, even if it isn't the response he would have preferred. Gintoki has never been the comforting type when it came to their relationship-- emotions have always been distant for him and Zura understood that. Hearing something like this just re-emphasizes the fact that he is real and alive as ever.. which is what Katsura needs right now.

The shower lifts and warm water spills over Gin's hair. His other hand ensures that all of the soap is getting out of Gintoki's hair as he rinses him clean wordlessly.

When it's over, Katsura stands from his seat. He, himself, could probably also use a shower, but he'll make do until Gintoki is finished.
Zura makes a turn to leave. ]}

.. Take your time in here. I'm going to make something to eat for you.
_{[ he's so nice and pleasant sometimes, isn't he? Gee, you should "die" more, shouldn't you?
With that, Katsura forces a very, very small smile as he gives Gintoki one last look before disappearing out of the bathroom.

When something precious is put in danger, he cannot help but feel joy when he knows for certain that he is alright. ]}

[Gintoki tips his head back slightly as Zura starts rinsing; the other had done a good job, he probably didn't need to wash it twice. Eyes closed, he'll relax into the warmth of the water and the fingers in his hair. He was pretty easy to please, usually, and this felt great.

He'll give his head another slight shake when Zura finishes, handing the shower head back to Gintoki who takes it and starts running the water over his shoulders and chest idly as he listens. ]

Hnn- Oi, you don't have to--

[But Zura's gone before he can really protest. He was just hungry, anyway, and he didn't even remember what he had in the fridge. Hopefully something, he usually kept a few staples. Gintoki's staples, though, being strawberry milk and other sweet things.

Hopefully he had some meat. He couldn't remember, but Zura will find some thin sliced beef that was probably a little old. Gintoki had some basic seasonings, too.

He'll sigh, continuing to wash all the crap off himself. After he's done he'll sink in the bath, relief flooding into his achy frame as he took a good, long soak. He just had a few cuts, but the bruises were what were really sapping at his stamina right now. He almost wants to skip the meal and head straight for the sofa, once he finishes and wraps a clean yukata around himself, towel still over his neck and shoulders.

But he'll wander into the kitchen. There's a small table and chairs there, so he'll sit in one that faces Zura, and then rest his arm on the table, laying his head on it, dozing a little.]

_{[ Too bad. He is going to. He does discover the meat and find some rice, after sifting through his food and ingredients, much to his disdain. Zura tsks at all of the sugar he finds while preparing Gintoki the best meal he can with the limited items he has.

He's exactly finished when Gintoki wanders in, Katsura's back facing him. He sets the utensils down. ]}

A warrior can't live on sugar alone. You know this.
_{[ He turns with the plate of seasoned and grilled meat with a side of rice and places the dish in front of Gintoki before he also sits.
A hand places on Gintoki's head, ruffling that damp hair slightly, and after a moment, his hand withdrawals. Looks like Katsura has a dish for himself too. ]}

Samurai eat simple foods without the rich sugars.
_{[ a little nudge of his-- you should go back to living life as a fighter, regardless of Edo's laws, because you were so strong. ]}

Edited 2015-07-15 16:02 (UTC)

[He's half-asleep until the hair ruffling. That has him forcing himself to sit up with a sigh, one arm still stretched out over the table while he rubs at his eyes with the back of his other hand. The admonitions drift somewhere through his thoughts as he gives the meal a once-over, then starts in on the meat immediately with a few large bites. He'll put the food away at a pretty good pace without retaliating over the sugar comments.

Except---]

Mmm, wasn't there strawberry milk in the fridge?

[He's gonna get up to check, pulling out a few single-sized milk boxes for himself and sitting down with them. Was he listening at all??? Probably, but this is clearly what he thinks about Katsura's diet tips. He'd defended his strawberry milk habit to Zura more times than he could remember.]

_{[ Katsura is a slow eater-- he's pretty conscious of eating habits, and eating too fast can cause other problems ( though, he does seem to pick up the pace when eating a good dish of soba ).

He does narrow his eyes in mid-bite when Gintoki goes for the strawberry milk and sits down. ]}

...You've always been like that. We all knew it was you would sneak bites off of other plates when we got a treat at school.

[He'll be steadily eating his rice now. Zura though, gets a slight frown at that reminder.]

I told you guys, it was only the spirits. You were being punished for being selfish and not sharing, so don't blame me.

[slurrrrrp oh yes this milk was good.]

_{[ don't slurp like that oh my god.
Katsura drops his wrists to the table, making a slight noise, and straightens up his posture to give Gintoki a look. ]}

I never believed that. I always knew it was you! And our classmates believed me-- some of them would!

[slurping and a good smack of lips too, because that's how you drink something delicious, Zura. He'll finish his dinner up pretty easily. It was good - good enough, and even a little bit actually good, too - and he'd needed it. ]

Well if you didn't know it was me, you'd be pretty gullible and stupid. I guess it's good you knew.

[Just a dead fish expression, but then--]

Hey.

At least you still know what's real and what's not.

[suddenly going back to the situation at hand, surprisingly.]

I'm not gullible and stupid, I'm Katsura.
_{[ He simmers down as he finishes off his food, standing up to take his and Gintoki's dishes, instantly going to the sink to clean them off. Isn't it nice to have a housewife here, Gintoki? ]}

... I do, now. It's not telling what could happen in the future again.
_{[ he's already seen so much shit here and he's only been here for nearly 5 months. ]}

[He'll watch, resting his head on his arm again, which is stretched out across the table. His tone as he speaks again is deceptively uninterested. ]

Zura. Oi, listen to me.

If you're that worried, why don't you come over the next time something happens, huh? It's better than you getting all worked up over something fake, right?

[DID HE JUST but anyway his face is buried in his arms right now. Not like Katsura is going to see what kind of expression he's wearing just now.]

_{[ Instantly, Katsura seems to brighten up at the invitation. Gintoki should have seen that coming. ]}

You want me to come over more often?
_{[ Gintoki said nothing that implies that, but Katsura is going to take Gintoki's words and interpret them how he feels. ]}

Ah, I'm awfully busy— I'm not sure if I could regularly make time for that.
_{[ He resumes cleaning the dishes and then puts them away. ]}

Perhaps for a longtime friend I can.

[Just a frown that says should say all he's thinking right now. Yeah Zura, that's totally what he said. He wants you to come over all the time.]

[aaaand a biiig yawn]

No no, you're busy, you're a busy guy, so never come over again.

_{[ and he just brightens and brightens. ]}
Gintoki. I don't know how to feel about all of this-- it's embarrassing.
I'll do my best to come and see you as much as I can, I thought you'd never ask!

_{[ guess who is still hearing what he wants to hear and not what Gintoki is really saying. ]}

Hnnhngh.

[Just this grumbling growling groan. He'll slump onto the table, face in his arms. And he'll keep slumping. . . and more slumping. . . slump, slump. . . aaand slumping right onto the floor. He'll slide right off the chair onto the ground, rolling over and once again burying his face in his arms.

Was something wrong? Is he okay? Was this sulking? Is it possibly the laziest tantrum in the world? Maybe somewhere between all of those. He was still pretty tired. . . kami-sama, he didn't want to move another inch. Even laying here was exhausting! Why was Zura still here! ]

_{[ Katsura is accustomed to this kind of behavior from Gintoki, so he doesn't exactly respond right away, allowing Gintoki to pitch his little fit all the while humming pleasantly while he finishes up some more of the dishes.

Anyway, Gintoki is showered and has eaten so he guesses it's time for bed.

Once he is done, he makes his way over to the other male and wordlessly bends over ot pick up his ankle--
--and drag him across the floor. ]}

I suppose it is past your bedtime.
_{[ He'll say this almost too fondly.
Can you blame him, though? A few hours ago he thought he had lost somebody important to him. ]}

[When Katsura picks up his ankle, Gintoki makes his leg as heavy as possible, refusing to budge a muscle. Zura was still here, he was still weirdly fussing over him, and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted the other to get out or not. It must have been this place, this weird place where he didn't have all the things he was used to. Once he starts getting pulled a bit, he'll roll over onto his back with a drawn out complaint.]

Stoooop it, stop. I don't wanna move, I'll sleep here. I don't wanna go a centimeter from this spot. Oi Zura-- [Pause for a big yawn; he'll give a good stretch too, letting his arms flop down over his head.]

You're not listening! Oi, stop being weird and go home already!

[more and more though, it's something he feels like he should say, rather than something he feels like he means.]

Edited 2015-08-17 00:44 (UTC)

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