thefarshore | Heaven's BBS

Heaven's BBS | Video

[Hello, this is Souji leaning in close toward the camera with an intensely thoughtful expression.]

So! I have a really important question.

[He's clearly thinking very seriously about it, whatever it is. So it's probably pretty important, right?

Wait for it.

Waaaait.]

Do you think kittens would get along well with ducks?

[Yeah.]

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[He remembers. He remembers he way he acted after he lost his parents and was sent away by his sisters, the way he used to shrink away under Hijikata's aggressive, critical gaze, small and silent, tiny shoulders hunched defensively, all the emotion shuttered out of his eyes.]

[It honestly can't be helped. At the end of the day, the situation now is that Souji's going to be upset if he doesn't let him keep them, and that he's already promised himself that he's done letting Souji suffer when he can do anything at all about it.]

...Tch.

How many are there?

[And there goes the wide eyes and delighted smile, even as the kitten in his hand twists free and starts trying to climb (clumsily) onto his head.]

Four of them. I haven't given them names yet.

[Yet.

The kitten slips and dangles from his hair.]

[Hijikata sighs, and reaches offscreen for an open pack of cigarettes.]

They're your responsibility.

[Souji makes a happy little sound, starting to disentangle the kitten from his hair.]

Thank you, Hijikata-san! I promise I'll take good care of them.

[Except those are famous last words and they both know it, and Hijikata is going to end up with kittens all over him.]

Could you come over here with a box or something? I don't really want to put them back in the sack, you know?

[They do both know it. Hijikata makes a little irritated face when Souji thanks him, lighting up his cigarette.]

There’s probably a box out behind some store or other near you, if you’re in a town...

[And the humans won’t fuss about him taking something out of the recycling.]

[Souji will just absently stick out his tongue at that irritated face, and then promptly ignore it a moment later.]

Well, yes. I just... mm, I don't want to leave them alone. What if something happens? And I don't think I can carry all four of them at once.

[Look at these big, pleading eyes Hijikata. Look at them.]

They’re small enough, I’m sure you could manage.

[But this, too, is a token argument, more meant to keep Souji from getting his way too easily than to actually stand in his way.]

They wiggle, Hijikata-san.

[Souji laughs, holding up one as an example. It does indeed wiggle and try to squirm free, and Souji ends up almost dropping it.]

Now stop being stubborn and come get me a box, okay?