i want us to continue this dying conversation.

though takasugi cuts himself off, tatsuma can kind of guess what the remaining words in the sentence were. thinking, i guess that's just how it is when you're best friends, he smiles, fond in spite of his jealousy. to have someone that you can argue with one moment and have them watch your back in battle the next is a priceless thing, a privilege, though it may not seem like one on the surface. takasugi, for one, will probably call him an idiot if he says it out loud.

but his current proximity to them is also a privilege in its own right. not just in the physical sense, but emotionally as well. while climbing up the ranks had been his goal from the beginning, he quickly comes to the conclusion that being part of the generals' inner circle might not be feasible. terrible first impression aside, the bond between those three is deep and inseverable, even someone as ignorant and inexperienced in the matters such as himself can tell, and he is captivated by it, a moth to a flame.

but before he knows it, they've grown closer somehow; even—or, unbeknownst to him, especially—with takasugi, whose emotional wall seemed to be the tallest at first glance. of course, what he has with them is not the same as what they have with each other, and he suspects it never will be, but even this is more than he ever thought possible. no longer is he an outsider looking in, he's now close enough to fully bask in the warmth, for it to chase away the loneliness that has long resided within him.

“ahahaha, i was the one who miscalculated when to fully step in, so i share some part of the blame!” he replies, even throwing in a grin for extra reassurance at takasugi's guilt-ridden gaze, “i see now why zura didn't even bother trying. but you were starting to scare the others, so i had to do something.”

in lieu of an apology, takasugi offers to get him some ice. not that he was waiting for one to begin with. his intervention had promptly ended the argument, and that's all that matters.

"Always so keen to take the blame," he says more so to himself; maybe that's another way they're alike, yet his words still come out in an incredulous whisper. "Those piss poor calculations of yours are sure to get you into more trouble." Yet as coarse as the words are, there is a poignant warning bleeding through. But him of all people lecturing him over recklessness would be rich, wouldn't it?

Tatsuma's next words make him falter, though; they settle into him uncomfortably, like moving with a blade lodged into the gut. And just as he would suppress the pain from such a thing in combat, he manages to conceal his dismay.

( They were starting to scare them, and Takasugi had been too absorbed to notice. )

As a commander, there's a part of him that feels ashamed of frightening his subordinates instead of rousing them—-and as a son, there's an even more tender part of him that feels disgusted. Violence is such an easy language, and though it likely seems like one Takasugi is fluent in, like one he has no problem communicating with, he bears it with a heavy tongue, as if it were poison. A poison he is more than acclimated to, in the circumstances of his childhood, and yet he cannot escape it, despite all his efforts. Sometimes it feels as if he's more like his father the more he tries not to be.

He fights away the emotion, perhaps a little too well, gaze dulling as he looks off into the distance.

"I see," slips past his lips, suspiciously even. "I'll apologize to them before our next debrief." And though apologizing is hard for a stubborn man like him in most cases, in one such as this it's much too easy. His words gape like a wound, tender and solemn before he welds it shut. "...thanks, Tatsuma."

The faraway look comes to an end as he stands up, absently resting a hand along his shoulder in equal parts gratitude and regret while walking past him. He's quick to grab some ice in his handkerchief, before pacing back deeply in thought, feeling particularly pitiful. He sighs to himself, head softly shaking to push the thoughts out of his head.

"Waiting is easy. Let's see if you'll manage not to squirm." His deriding tone isn't quite as sharp as he wants it to be, but this is fine, he thinks. He pulls his chair closer to the other before sitting down, arm raising to coax Tatsuma forward.

❥   𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍     [   𝐀   𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋   𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄   ]  .

designed  for  muses  with  a  bit  of  unresolved  tension between  them ,   but  can  be  used  for  any  circumstances you  see  fit !!  

♡   𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄  :    add   ‘  + 🔁  ’   to  reverse  the  roles .

📖  :    my  muse  discovers  your  muse  reading  a  diary  entry  that  my  muse  wrote  about  yours .

💅  :    your  muse  paints  my  muse’s  nails .

👕  :    your  muse  helps  my  muse  get  dressed  after  my  muse  sustains  an  injury  or  illness .

🛏️  :    our  muses  are  forced  by  circumstance  to  share  a  bed  for  the  night .

🧼  :    your  muse  bathes  mine  after  my  muse  sustains  an  injury  or  illness .

🙏  :    our  muses’  hands  brush  as  they  walk  side  by  side .

💢  :    your  muse  picks  mine  up   &   carries  them  over  their  shoulder .

👁️  :    your  muse  is  watching  mine  sleep ,   when  my  muse  suddenly  wakes  up   &   catches  them .

🚬  :    my  muse  steals  a  cigarette   (   or lollipop   )   from  your  muse   &   puts  it  in  their  mouth .

🎐  :    our  muses  slow  dance  together .

🧦  :    your  muse  walks  in  on  my  muse  changing  clothes .

🎀  :   your  muse  brushes  my  muse’s  hair .

💍  :    our  muses  are  mistaken  for  a  couple  by  someone  else .

👔  :    your  muse  notices  that  my  muse’s  shirt  is  open   &   goes  to  ‘  fix  it  ’ .

👗  :    my  muse  sees  yours  all  dressed  up .

🪑  :    my  muse  is   ‘  forced  ’   to  sit  on  your  muse’s  lap   (   due  to  a  lack  of  chairs ,   faulty seatbelt ,  etc .   )

Left in the Kaienmaru's captain quarters is a small box, with a new gun model Tatsuma had apparently been admiring, the second time Takasugi has done such a thing; it's been commissioned to shoot faster rounds, and been made with an even lighter metal, in consideration of any potential strain in his arm. Tucked beside the gun is a holster and a card, with a new calligraphy set underneath it.

The card is anonymous, but the handwriting and contents are more than telling:

"Wasting all your time making letters for Gintoki when he's too lazy to ever write any back is pathetic even for you, don't you think?

You know where I live. Or is a new pen not enough to bribe even a greedy old merchant. You're getting old, though. Better hurry while you can still use one.

Happy birthday——I'll treat you to a bottle of booze and a song, if you can make it back alive. I heard the party your crew is throwing you might get a pretty wild.

So come visit soon, Tatsuma. As much as space might miss you...mine is too quiet without a voice like yours to fill it."

( ... ... .... ♨️ )

Unsigned, sealed, and delivered.

Having the box passed along to Matako and then Mutsu makes it worse, somehow; he has to stew in it from his place in Yoshiwara, and can't even see the bastard's reaction. He's making a fool of himself, perhaps, but it's...worth the risk. With Tatsuma, it's easier to convince himself of that.

After much chainsmoking, he'd changed his mind about adding sunflowers, though——Mutsu didn't include them with his gift box after he realized his lapse of judgement.

( *Except a bouquet was included, after the two women conferred about it privately. )

he sighs dejectedly as the door to his office slides close behind him. apparently, he's been ordered by mutsu to stay in his quarters until the dining hall is done being decorated. he tries to tell the two subordinates escorting him that he doesn't care for such ceremonies. let him help! then they can finish faster and start the party earlier! but they both simply shake their head and reiterates that they have to obey mutsu's command. how come the vice captain's words carry more weight around here? sure, he sneaks out of his obligations sometimes, but he's still the captain of this company and vessel, both in name and in practice!

but the two men plead for him to stay put, so he has no choice but to agree. and now he's confined to his room for the next hour or so.

it's only then that he notices the box and bouquet of sunflowers on his writing desk. someone must have put it in here while he was attending to his duties somewhere else. most likely mutsu, who does have a master key for all the rooms in the kairinmaru, and the gun he finds within the box, one he's been contemplating on purchasing and—more importantly—one that mentioned to her some time back, only lends more weight to his suspicion.

though he is slightly miffed that she chose to snuck into his room instead of just handing it to him directly, for example during his literal birthday party that's happening soon.

however, once he gets to the card that came with it, he immediately realizes his guess is not 100% correct. yes, mutsu most likely was the one who put these gifts in his room, but she's not the one who sent the gifts.

tatsuma would know that handwriting anywhere. he's had more than a decade to familiarize himself with it; seen it on parchments detailing battle strategies, covert mission correspondences, and shopping lists for the market, and later, new year postcards that would come weeks to late because the postal service often has a hard time pinning down his location.

and then there's the content of the card itself: the diction, mention of their mutual friend, the inside jokes... and the invitation at the end.

his body feels warm all over. he brings the paper close, as if the writer's scent would still linger on it, though of course it isn't. but it's a scent that he knows so intimately that his mind is able to easily conjure it up, anyway. his other hand caresses a sunflower's petals, a poor substitute on the thing he actually wants to touch.

he snaps himself out of it after a moment, and goes to pick up the last items remaining in the box, the calligraphy set, and a letter paper. after all, he has an hour to burn and a shinsuke to inform about when his next earth visit will be.

(  various  dialogue  prompts  to  send  to  your  worst  enemy  (affectionate).  feel  free  to  change  how  you  seem  fit.  )

❛ oh great, it's you again. ❜

❛ you? kill me? that's funny. ❜

❛ for being someone you hate, i'm sure on your mind a lot. ❜

❛ you're the last person i wanted to see, actually. ❜

❛ do us both a favor. stay away from me. ❜

❛ you really are an asshole, you know that? ❜

❛ i'm the asshole? what does that make you then? ❜

❛ sometimes i think you must hate me. ❜

❛ i thought you said you never wanted to see me again. ❜

❛ if you want me to go, then you have to tell me to leave. ❜

❛ well, someone's cranky today. ❜

❛ well, someone needs to shut the fuck up. ❜

❛ just stay out of my way. ❜

❛ of all the idiots in the world, i'm stuck with you. ❜

❛ what is it you want this time? ❜

❛ sometimes i wonder if you're in love with me. ❜

❛ do you honestly think this is easy for me? ❜

❛ why would i ever want to be friends with you? ❜

❛ can we please just talk? ❜

❛ there is nothing for us to talk about. ❜

❛ you can yell at me later. just let me help you. ❜

❛ touch me, and you're dead. ❜

❛ oh, so now you care? ❜

❛ there is something deeply wrong with you. ❜

❛ i know i'm the last person you probably want to see, but... ❜

❛ you don't think we could be friends, do you? ❜

❛ i'm tired of fighting against you. ❜

❛ don't pretend you give a shit about me. ❜

❛ you're an idiot, but... i trust you. ❜

❛ oh, don't be cute. ❜

❛ wait, did you just say that i'm cute? ❜

❛ we're not good for each other. ❜

❛ if i say yes, will you shut up? ❜

❛ don't you have to be stupid somewhere else? ❜

❛ maybe we should kiss just to break the tension. ❜

❛ i'm sorry i can't turn off my feelings as easily as you. ❜

❛ maybe there's a universe out there where we're friends. ❜

❛ how can you be so smart yet so dumb at the same time? ❜

❛ don't think this changes anything between us. ❜

❛ you look ridiculous in that outfit, by the way. ❜

❛ if you die, i'll kill you. ❜

❛ is that a challenge? ❜

❛ ah, so you're not heartless after all. ❜

❛ i don't think i've ever seen you smile. ❜

❛ you never cared about me, so why now? ❜

❛ why didn't you kill me when you had the chance? ❜

❛ i don't even remember why we started fighting. ❜

❛ i don't have time for distractions right now. ❜

❛ you're not as bad as everyone says you are. ❜

❛  are you always so competitive?  ❜ ❛  are you okay? are you hurt?  ❜ ❛  are you sure you can do this on your own?  ❜ ❛  are you thinking what i'm thinking?  ❜ ❛  can you go take care of this, please?  ❜ ❛  can you show me how to fight?  ❜ ❛  can you tell me more about your adventures?  ❜ ❛  do you believe in ghosts?  ❜ ❛  do you ever think about anyone other than yourself?  ❜ ❛  does it really have to be like this?  ❜ ❛  don't you think you've already done enough damage for one day?  ❜ ❛  has no one ever given you a compliment before?  ❜ ❛  have i ever told you how beautiful you look in the glow of the moonlight?  ❜ ❛  have you noticed anything different about me lately?  ❜ ❛  haven't you ever wondered why i never talk about my childhood?  ❜ ❛  how can you just go to sleep like nothing happened?  ❜ ❛  how many more people have to suffer before you realize your madness?  ❜ ❛  is there anything else i can do for you?  ❜ ❛  is this really how you want this to end?  ❜ ❛  isn't it ironic?  ❜ ❛  what are your plans for today?  ❜ ❛  what else do you want me to say?  ❜ ❛  what else have you hidden from me?  ❜ ❛  what happened here? where is all that smoke coming from?  ❜ ❛  what has happened in your life that made you like this?  ❜ ❛  when were you going to tell me?  ❜ ❛  where are we supposed to go from here?  ❜ ❛  who will be able to stop them now?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just act like a normal person?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just leave me alone?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just stay focused?  ❜ ❛  why does everything always have to be so complicated?  ❜ ❛  why should i believe you now when you've told nothing but lies?  ❜ ❛  why won't you just tell me what i did wrong?  ❜ ❛  will it ever stop hurting so much?  ❜ ❛  will you go out on a date with me?  ❜ ❛  will you just shut up and kiss me already?  ❜ ❛  will you please text me when you get home safely?  ❜ ❛  you're completely out of your element here, aren't you?  ❜

numbers: ( 1 - 32 ) link to generator: here content: foreign lyrics translated to english warnings: n/a 

“they love me cause i’m hot.”

“they love me cause i’m cold.”

“try to guess the answer.”

“a rush that makes your heart beat faster.”

“i do everything in the way i want to.”

“everyone knows i don’t care.”

“there’s nothing i am unsatisfied with, don’t expect too much.”

“don’t be fooled by my smiling face because i’m dangerous.”

“‘cause you’re the one who makes me dance.”

“you’re the star of my heart.”

“frankly speaking, i wanna give up.”

“oh right, i want to be in love. no i rather make money.”

“you cannot tell with my face.”

“which one? actually i don’t know either.”

“there’s nothing i’m afraid of.”

“i’m always anxious.”

“i wanna be a child forever.”

“even if i act rudely, people are always kind to me.”

“yes, i will live silently as death.”

“i want you to like me.”

“can i be a little nasty?”

“the moment i meet your eyes, my heart’s already blue.”

“i can’t take my eyes off for even a moment, you’re beautiful.”

“it’s okay if you tell me a lie.”

“i know how easily you speak of love, but i’m going to pretend like i don’t know.”

“i can’t go anywhere; i might die before i could.”

“pick me up, and release me to the sky, with your great power.”

“today, my love is in mourning.”

“today, i know that you no longer love me.”

“when you’re sad, i feel like i’m dying.”

“what do they have that i don’t? why can’t i have you?”