[Back home it's much of the same for Hijikata - being inattentive for just a moment in a dimly lit backstreet or even in a crowded marketplace could mean death for a man with as many enemies as him. Part of him probably is always alert, but he certainly doesn't do it as consciously as Ayato. Regardless, he's confident that even here his instincts would snap him into taking the right action in case of a sudden attack.
He dries himself with the towel he grabbed from his bag - he's always prepared for a swim if he knows he'll be near the Great Ocean Lake! -, observing Ayato's water magic.]
Sheesh, you're so subdued in everything you do.
[It's more of a gentle tease than anything else. Once more Ayato's mannerisms remind him of the shogunate officials back home - elegant, but oftentimes corrupt people who'd prefer to let the Shinsengumi do the dirty work for them. Luckily Matsudaira, who oversees all police activities in Edo, has a good (if trigger-happy) head on his shoulders and won't let anyone else except the (frankly overly sheltered) shogun himself give them any missions. Granted, Ayato has proven by now that he doesn't at all deem himself too good to get his hands dirty, so the comparison doesn't feel very fair anymore.]
Yeah, if we stop here once more before we leave tomorrow that'll be great.
[They will find that no more lava monsters will approach the Great Crossing anymore during the remaining daylight hours - the cool air rising from the soaked soil keeps them at bay. It'll probably take until the midday heat of the next day for the ground to be fully dried by the sun. But that isn't to say that the creatures won't try to take the long way around! The Lava-Ridden Lands extend quite a bit eastwards, after all. Still, between Ayato's ability to turn any soil into a swamp and the comparatively "safe" beach's proximity to the dangerous lake their presence constitutes a significant stronghold, considering they're only two people.]
no subject
He dries himself with the towel he grabbed from his bag - he's always prepared for a swim if he knows he'll be near the Great Ocean Lake! -, observing Ayato's water magic.]
Sheesh, you're so subdued in everything you do.
[It's more of a gentle tease than anything else. Once more Ayato's mannerisms remind him of the shogunate officials back home - elegant, but oftentimes corrupt people who'd prefer to let the Shinsengumi do the dirty work for them. Luckily Matsudaira, who oversees all police activities in Edo, has a good (if trigger-happy) head on his shoulders and won't let anyone else except the (frankly overly sheltered) shogun himself give them any missions. Granted, Ayato has proven by now that he doesn't at all deem himself too good to get his hands dirty, so the comparison doesn't feel very fair anymore.]
Yeah, if we stop here once more before we leave tomorrow that'll be great.
[They will find that no more lava monsters will approach the Great Crossing anymore during the remaining daylight hours - the cool air rising from the soaked soil keeps them at bay. It'll probably take until the midday heat of the next day for the ground to be fully dried by the sun. But that isn't to say that the creatures won't try to take the long way around! The Lava-Ridden Lands extend quite a bit eastwards, after all. Still, between Ayato's ability to turn any soil into a swamp and the comparatively "safe" beach's proximity to the dangerous lake their presence constitutes a significant stronghold, considering they're only two people.]