. all you have's your axe to grind . closed

[shikomizue]

Who: Takasugi Shinsuke (shikomizue) & "Friends" | Closed
What: Catch All For April-May-June
When: Over April / May / June
Where: Mostly Wyver, some Thesa and Olympia
Warning(s): alcohol + graphic violence + bang + will edit as needed

[ closed starters in the comments ]

Comments

[unos]

[ There's no doubt he's correct. Katsura knows Takasugi better than he knows almost anyone else. Years of friendship followed by years of a nebulous not-exactly-rivalry can do that to a relationship.

Takasugi's reprimand (that may not be exactly what it is, but it feels like it) earns him a tired look from Katsura. ]

I'm sure you'd find it terribly convenient if helping myself ended up helping you.

[ Seriously Takasugi, just ask. More pressingly, however... ]

I'm more concerned about the ones that can't leave.

[ That is to say, all of their friends in pods. He bets Takasugi hasn't even dropped in to say hi, of course. ]

[shikomizue]

[A reprimand and a conversation go hand in hand, with them. Not once does Takasugi remember an exchange with Katsura that didn't include at least one of them attempting to lecture the other. It's expected from the honor student, a duty-driven samurai always seeking to imbue others with his wisdom.

But Takasugi had always sought to put a dent in all of that. See, Katsura, there's no honor here.

There's no one worth helping, here. Except him, of course. But he'll never ask.]

Oh? Are the Natha holding one of yours hostage? [He sure hasn't even stepped foot into the stasis chamber. His crew is likely in there, he knows, but they were all willing sacrifices from the start.

As for Gintoki - he's up and around, so far as Takasugi knows. And Sakamoto is no doubt still gallivanting around the stars.]

[unos]

If it was only one it would be easier.

[ They both know Gintoki and Takasugi can shake off damn near anything - hell, sometimes Katsura gets mad enough to just want to leave them both there. But Elizabeth, Shinpachi, Kagura...

Well, he's sure Takasugi doesn't care - and he's not about to bring up Sensei. Though now that he thinks about it... ]

I'm surprised you haven't demanded they wake Gintoki up just so you can pick a fight with him.

[shikomizue]

[Considering everyone from Earth to be a comrade is nothing but altruistic posturing, even for Katsura. But that's what Takasugi hears when the man bemoans his situation - he's satisfied with the conclusions he's drawn himself.]

Hm? [Why the hell would he want to see Gintoki? Takasugi's smile doesn't fade, but his lips grow taut. His eyes narrow.]

He's awake.

Haven't you seen him? [Three times, Takasugi has encountered the man. That's three times more than he had in a decade - more than enough to believe the idiot's still out there, wasting space.]

[unos]

[ 'He's awake'? That's clearly news to Katsura. He crosses his arms; his komono sticks to him and he's reminded, once again, that he really needs to shower. ]

I've seen him asleep in the pods.

[ More importantly: ]

You think he could go three months without either of us hearing anything about him?

[shikomizue]

[Maybe Katsura saw Pakuyasha? The guy from Idaho who looks a lot like Gintoki but isn't? Takasugi doesn't know, but he remembers a bright gleam interrupting his vision multiple times.

It'd left him with a headache.]

I do-

Heh.

Even gravitating towards him, you can't figure out where he's going, huh?

[That makes two of them.]