[WEEK 5: Friday, post-investigation, somewhere; Hajime!]

[nowyouseeit]

[he didn't know why, but for some reason Hajime was the one he was most afraid of disappointing]

[so when he caught a glance of her smile after Dirk's right hook, a smile that wasn't passive aggressive or laced with anger, he seeks her out]

Oooooi.

[he is TOTALLY CASUAL over here as he flags her down with his good hand. also, he may or may not have a split lip now]

Y'know, Dirk has a pretty good right hook.

Comments

[g101]

Maybe not kill, but... [ contain? hajime has an idea, but she's not sure it'd work. she's not sure she can handle it, either, but. ]

That's why tomorrow's going to be important. Pretty much everyone knows but if we don't talk about it, we won't go forward.

[ but, hey. that's dreary and morbid and hajime's not angry. worried, really. absolutely wracked with nerves, but she'll live at least another week. ]

What's your favorite time of day?

[nowyouseeit]

But. . .?

[he can sense that idea, something teasing the frontal lobe of her brain. even if he and the other Hunters had decided their paths going forward, he's so open to other solutions. he doesn't wanna kill people even if it is temporary :(]

[he makes a noise of agreement when she says they need to talk about it tomorrow, because. . . yeah. they do. and he already has that part handled]

Midnight. . . why?

[g101]

Don't worry yourself about my butt.

[ she's just gonna. flip it. ]

Mine's six am! It's the perfect time of day. I like to open the blinds in my apartment and watch the sunrise, and see how the whole world comes alive as people get up for work... and I like the golden rays from the sun. It makes me feel like life is really amazing and will always go on.

[ she can see him as the sort of dope who sits around till the grandfather clock chimes midnight, and then he slips into something mysterious and a little dastardly looking in a romantic sense of the word. and then the world is his, full moon at his back. like a kid playing pretend.

hajime looks for the sun and kaitou looks for the moon... that's probably why she keeps seeking him out, even if it's pick on him during the trials. it's like getting the full picture. can't have one without the other. ] That's why I like six am, and I kind of... miss it! No more calls and just the bright rays from the sun. You probably don't miss the moon much here, though, right? Well, either way, we should see the sunrise together tomorrow, maybe. I think you should try it.

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . HAJIME!1 he's a little dense sometimes though I'm sorry he's missing this one]

You can't just say "but" and then tell me not to worry about it!

[he says with a grump, but she's moving on before he can really press her about it. conversations with her always flow too quickly, like water in a river, and he can't help but let out an exasperated (but still fond) huff]

I'm not much of a morning person, and this place doesn't get much of a sunrise.

[he says with a lilt of wry amusement in his voice. despite his joking, he can feel it, somewhere deep underneath his breastbone, the looming threat that tomorrow might be his last day as a live man in this realm.]

. . . but even so, I'll take you up on your offer.

[g101]

Oh no, you're dense so I'm going to have to say ass now.

[ every time she curses someone laughs and she hates it. ]

I loooove mornings. And I like the nighttime, too! But if you want, I'll watch the moon with you tomorrow night, after everything's done.

[ a pause, and then, she dips a little at the hip. it's hard to not talk with her hands... ] I don't really care if they try to keep you from seeing it with me.

[nowyouseeit]

[OH MY GOD]

[he has to press his hand against his mouth to keep from laughing, honestly]

. . . that wasn't the kinda "but" I mean! You really can take any serious conversation and turn it into something kinda ridiculous, huh?

[okay, a laugh escapes from his lips, and he rakes a hand through his hair again]

Pinkie promise. [he holds up said pinkie, stepping towards her with it extended] The sunrise tomorrow at 6 a.m., and-- well. . . there isn't much of a moon here, either. But we can look for it before midnight. No matter what happens.

[since midnight is curfew!]

But there's one thing I want in return from you for agreeing.

[g101]

You did the same thing! It's a good tactic. I think I'm gonna use it again.

[ she'll take that pinkie promise, though. hajime's movement is a little clumsy, but she's clearly getting used to exerting more strength in her arms. exercise is apparently good, news at 11. ] I'll pick you up! 'Cause Heather would totes kill you and also me.

[ just... saying. ]

Hmmm... Sounds kind of exciting!!! Okay. Let me hear your terms, Splashy.

[nowyouseeit]

[an amused snort. he gives her hand a shake, before allowing his to fall away]

She's mad too, huh? [unsurprising; he saw how Heather went after Yukina at the trial where Ryou died]

My terms are. . . I want you to tell me what comes after "but."

[AND NOT THE ASS KINDA BUTT]

[THE BUT, BUT]

[g101]

[ are you, uh, sure you want to know? well. sure. let's talk about gatchaman crowds, i guess. ]

'Kay.

Back home, my boobs can talk.

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . WELP. HOW DID WE GET HERE]

Eeeeeh?! What's that s'posed to mean! And how's that related to your idea on how to deal with Mother?!

[g101]

[ there's a point!!! ]

It means that someone lives inside me. Their name is Katze. They came to Earth to have lots of fun, but their fun would have hurt people! So I handled them and now my body holds them. I guess when I die, they'll die, too. We're always together. It's fine!

Anyway, I was thinking Mother could just live in me, too. I bet she's nicer than Katze-san...?

[nowyouseeit]

[WOW]

[WOW]





I don't know Katze-san, but Mother is kind of a jerk. She gave me brain freeze for askin' too many questions.

[that's all he can say, because everything else, he has no idea how to react to. her life is definitely on the weirder side of things]

[g101]

Yeah! And Katze-san almost killed my teammate. They're really terrible. It took all of the whole world to stop them.

[ this is why anime was a mistake, kaitou. we won't tell him that he's also an anime. ]

It's okay. I'm used to it. I can control them and even use their powers for myself. If I kissed you, I'd be able to take your image!

[nowyouseeit]

And that's when you stuffed them into your boobs?

[how he manages to say that with a straight face is amazing. also yeah, don't tell him his life is also an anime, and that it's abnormal for teenagers to be phantom thieves gosh]

[also please ignore the way he's blushing again, god]

What does "take my image" mean? I'll have you know, I worked very hard to perfect it and make it unique.

[g101]

We had a date, first.

[ katze never called it a date, hajime is just....hajime. kaitou probably might figure that out by now, though. ] And it was on livestream again, I bet if you look it up you can watch it!

Hmm, taking your image... it's like I become you? It was one of their abilities. They used it to turn people against each other. They framed a bunch of people for murders and crimes. It was totally anonymous and never traced back to them... But I can't do that now, obviously. That's just one of the things they could do.

[nowyouseeit]

People sure do love livestremaing your life, huh?

[but he can't help but laugh at how casually she puts it. she really takes everything in stride. . . in hindsight, maybe it was silly of him to be afraid of her anger]

[his smile fades, though]

That is pretty terrible of them. But I hope you were able to. . . I dunno. Stop them? Maybe make them see they can't do stuff like that anymore?




-- oooooh so the fact that they're in your chest is what gives you your superpowers! Right?

[he remembers the superhero thing. bless him]

[g101]

Nope! What gives me my superpowers is the notebook another alien put my soul in!

[ good guess tho ]

[nowyouseeit]

[IT WAS A NICE TRY]

Why is. . . your soul in a notebook?

[g101]

Hmm, I guess it's just convenient? He talks to all of us in riddles in there... and we can talk to each other... and I love notebooks, so I don't mind it at all!

[ that's a big answer for what amounts to "i don't know, actually" ??? ]

I think I'd prefer a notebook over something else! They're so useful and adorable.

[nowyouseeit]

[HE REALLY WANTS TO KNOW?? but if she doesn't have the answer to that, then. well]

If my soul were going to be shoved into something, I'd want it to be. . . actually--

[he stuffs his hand into his pocket, fingers closing around some sort of object. he pulls it out for her to see-- it's his monocle, glass glimmering in the light]

This, probably.

[g101]

[ hajime's not the sort to hide her emotions, so seeing something like that - she's obviously intrigued. ]

Oh!!! That's so cute! It looks so distinguished.

[ more importantly... ]

Well? Are you gonna put it on?

[nowyouseeit]

Cute? Not handsome?

[he says with a snort as he lifts it up to his face. he looks. . . maybe slightly less rugged now? only slightly]

It belonged to my dad, before he died. It was part of his costume, and now it's part of mine.

[g101]

[ hmm. that certainly gives her an idea of the kind of childhood kaitou might have had. ]

What kind of costume? Superhero? I knewww it!

[nowyouseeit]

[taps the glass of his monocle and smiles at her]

Not exactly.

Phantom thief.

[oh no he's finally honest about the thief thing?? oh no!!]

Phantom thieves are more like the bad guys, right?

[g101]

Depends! What are you stealing and why?

[ so that's what andersen meant. it'd been the wrong time but now they can't say he's going to live through the day. it's the only time they've got. ]

You do look handsome like that.

[nowyouseeit]

[a laugh]

Thanks.

[he plucks the monocle off of his face and twists it in his hand, looking thoughtful]

Jewels, mostly. I'm. . . looking for something. [closes his eyes] To help avenge my old man's death.