[closed]

[iaijutsu]

Who: Saitou (iaijutsu) & Hijikata (demarcates)
When: Backdated to a couple days before the murdertrain event, I guess?
Where: the tech shop
What: Serious adult men shopping for Cybuddies.
Rating/Warning: ...serious adult men shopping for cybuddies.

---

[He'd been avoiding this.

Saitou had seen the Cybuddies at the job fair when he arrived, of course. But cute things were far lower on the scale of importance than the immediate concerns of securing housing and a means of supporting themselves, of rounding up those of his comrades who'd also arrived and regrouping, of figuring out just what was going on here, because CERES was clearly untrustworthy in his mind -

(And he of course had no idea what everyone else meant when they gave him knowing looks and asked about the things, because of course Saitou has no weakness whatsoever to cute things. That would just be ridiculous.)

Hijikata thought they were important, though, and when Hijikata thinks something is important, that's enough.

So they're standing in the tech shop, looking down a line of adorable cuddly animals that - as he understands it - are not really animals, looking perhaps a bit uncomfortably out of place, because for all that they are Serious Men on a Serious Mission, it's hard to feel like that's what this is when confronted by a sight like that.

...there's one that looks like a cat sitting near the end.

Oh.]

Comments

[iaijutsu]

[He's not going to turn and look at Hijikata talking to the cat, but it does make him wonder if he ought to pick the cat for Hijikata (though a little guiltily, because he definitely wasn't thinking about getting that cat for himself or anything -). After all, the fact that after only a couple of minutes in the store, and Hijikata's actually talking to the thing...maybe there's a different cat Saitou can set his heart on instead and it'll all work out -

But then he stops, face to face with a jet black wolf.

Oh.]

...what do you think of this, sir?

[demarcates]

[ Hijikata steps away from the cat to come take a look at the wolf. He gives it a once over, before giving a nod.

It's just an outward appearance as far as he knows and a wolf is always welcome in the company of a pack, even a little robot one. ]

All right, I'll get that one.

[ probably could have given him anything here, but hey ]

[iaijutsu]

[s-sob don't you want to like. Look it over more closely, sir...]

[demarcates]

[ what is he looking at it for it's kind of just staring back at him with really big eyes because it's tiny o it's more like a wolf puppy than anything fierce. Its tail wags, too, welp... ]

[iaijutsu]

[look, this is a big responsibility you've entrusted him with.

He's just going to go stare at that kitty again.]

[demarcates]

[ he doesn't know what is even going on here??? what is happening!!

Hijikata doesn't say anything, letting Saitou go back to the cat, Hijikata just lingering a moment as he observes the Cybuddy. Against his better judgment he reaches out to scritch behind its ears, but upon contact he jerks back rather suddenly as if he just got a nasty shock.

For a moment he looks about as confused as he is slightly horrified but the puppy makes a small whine as if wondering why it didn't get ear scratches like the ones that had seemed to be in its future. Refocusing on it, Hijikata reluctantly reaches to touch it again, and this time settles his hand on its head without problems. Its quite happy, too, its tail thumping a little bit eagerly at being acknowledged.

Well, it's a good natured... Robot or whatever they are. ]

[iaijutsu]

[Saitou glances over, hearing the puppy whine, but when Hijikata touches it and its tail starts wagging, that seems to be good enough for him, and he turns back to the cat. After a moment, he reaches out, holding a hand for the cat to sniff...

...and it gracefully hops onto his arm and starts making its way up to drape itself over his shoulder.]

[demarcates]

[ the real hesitation from Hijikata is in picking it up but eventually he and the pup have come to a deadlock—they seem to both know he knows it wants to be picked up (especially because cat friend over there got to get off the shelf?!) but Hijikata isn't really sure if—

—true to pup form, it decides that it will try the cat's method that had been executed with Saitou. And true to its form, it doesn't seem to recognize that it's a lot bigger and clumsier than they are. Oh well, it's a minor setback when it leaps at Hijikata and basically gets all over him trying to perch on his shoulder.

Hijikata grunts in surprise but tries to keep it mostly to himself until the Cybuddy is practically on his face and either going to suffocate him or poke his eye out. Just like a damn kid— ]

Hold on, goddamn it—
[ he manages to pry the puppy off, holding it up in front of him and takes a deep breath. The pup's hind legs wiggle impatiently along with its tail but Hijikata holds it still. ]

You can't just go climbing all over people like you own them. [ tail wagging suggests this has not registers and Hijikata sighs a little in defeat, bring it closer now that it's in his hands anyway to inspect it.

Which succeeds in getting himself licked on the nose unexpectedly. ] you can't just do that, either...!

[ tsuntsuns at robot wolf pup; a Hijikata Toshizou life event. ]

—Saitou, are you doing okay picking another one? [ can they leave before this turns even more embarrassing for him... ]

[iaijutsu]

[It's okay, Hijikata-san, your secret is always safe with Saitou.

Saitou, who has that much calmer cat now draped around him and its claws tightened in his scarf. Saitou, who is perhaps looking slightly bashful at the fact that Hijikata just remembered to notice what he's doing, but who otherwise looks perfectly at peace with this cat, who (for now at least) doesn't seem all that different from Saitou himself in temperament.

It's like some kind of match made in heaven.]

It would seem to be decided, sir.

[The cat picked him, more like.]

[demarcates]

[ well, he's glad they seem more two accurately matched in personality than he is with his but the wolf pup's attempts aren't something he's not used to. They're almost comforting, even... In an annoying sort of way, but, hey, he'll take what he can get at this rate. ]

All right, good, let's pay for them and leave. I need to get back to work. [ that could mean anything, though, since all he does is work. But at least saitou understands his dedication... Even if in an entirely unhealthy way by getting himself overworked. ]

[iaijutsu]

[Saitou is the last person with a leg to stand on about other people's working habits.

So he simply nods, moving to follow behind Hijikata as they approach the register. You know, like a good puppy.]