ellipsanet | Exploration Knowledge Exchange

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Exploration Knowledge Exchange

[After his and Mukuro's recent hair-raising exploration of one of the newly accessible areas, Hijikata wants to warn his fellow adventurers and exchange other findings besides. He doesn't make open video posts very often (in fact, the last one may just have been when he got eaten whole by an anglerfish will'o'wisp), but now's the time again!]

Hello everyone. Hijikata here. This is a PSA of sorts, I guess... but feel free to add your own. My main message is: Don't go to the 'Heart Will Go On' glacier. There's a door in the ice, but it'll shut and lock behind you, and the place is a nasty, haunted prison with a gateway to hell inside. I'm not joking. Mukuro and I only managed to escape from the demons by teleporting out.

[He's not exactly keen on retelling all the creepy details (though he will if pressed for them), so don't mind him moving on swiftly!]

In other news, I don't know how many people besides the ones we told about it are aware, but there's another magic circle with a ghost guardian in the Winter Segment, in a cave at Wolf's Blood Mountain, like the one near Lake Hange in the Autumn Segment. The ghost told me and my expedition crew about the Knight - yeah, another one of those people. Apparently, he'd been going around burying weird magical items near the old Darkness barrier, and since it reeked of trouble, we went and dug them up to hand in at the Research Centre.

[Let him just casually drop this bomb (for those who hadn't heard of the Knight yet)! It's not like Jean and Mukuro just recently shared information about the Pierrot; what's one more enemy!]

Lastly, if you ever see a big cocoon made of vines in the jungles in the Summer Segment, just avoid it. - Now, what's the most interesting thing you've found out there?

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Affirmative.

[Certainly, Mukuro was in no hurry to go working with this group! She already had people she was loyal to, after all… but had she come into this world without her memories or anyone close to her, she knew there was every chance she could have ended up serving them, had they reached her first.

That was the sort of person she was.

Still, at his comment about her hand, a quiet bit of dark humour slipped its way out; ]

I could just strap a knife onto the stump and that’d do fine.

[Mukuro’s voice still sounded strangely detached. She couldn’t make sense of what happened. It hadn’t sunk in yet.]

…

…It doesn’t feel real.

It really doesn't. You and I both know that theoretically, we could lose an arm or a leg or whatever else on any given mission, but when it doesn't happen for years and years, you don't think it will anymore, right?

[How would he feel if it'd been him? He'd definitely be bitching and moaning about how it'd have been better to die - at least that way, he'd have come back in one piece! Come to think, how much time is allowed to pass in between the loss of a limb and an unrelated death for the person to still be fully restored? It's not like he'd encourage Mukuro to solve her problem that way - Jean and Makoto would send him to the Flower Yard in turn -, but now he can't help but wonder.]

Anyway, we won't just strap a knife to it. We'll get you some kind of T*rminator hand that can shoot missiles. Or one that's like a Swiss knife, with blades and a corkscrew and a lockpick!

[He's coping!!]

Or you can get a phantom hand. Lake Hange will do that. I've seen it work before.

Yeah… I was beginning to think she was the only one who could hurt me in any meaningful way.

[It was Junko. Always Junko. Even she had lost battles before, but the scars she had over her body… they were all Junko.]

…Even in my mercenary days, I barely got scratched.

It doesn’t really make sense.

[And it probably wouldn’t for some time. Mukuro just couldn’t really reconcile how she hadn’t just been able to evade or block the strike somehow.

Maybe she was losing her touch…

Still, she listened to Hijikata’s suggestions- it was hard to focus, but Mukuro was a battle-nerd at heart! She even managed a mumbled suggestion of her own; ]

…built in sniper rifle.

[Hijikata's faint smile tightens at her words. Junko truly left marks on her sister, mental and physical, that are impossible to erase. But he warms his expression again for her, determined to lift her spirits as much as he can.]

A rifle's too long. If you'd lost your whole arm, then it'd be an option, but as it is, we've got to think smaller.

[He really is making shitty jokes about her maiming... alas, he is a Gintama man. This is the kind of crap they'd say to each other back home, even though in their hearts it'd pain them all the same.]

Are they keeping you here overnight, or are you getting transferred? Or no news on that yet?

[Mukuro would never truly heal from the scars her sister left behind, but she at least had her sworn brothers and partner to lean on. Even now, Hijikata was trying to offer her what comfort he could- where Junko would berate and insult her for her injuries.

…At least she wasn’t a disappointment to him.]

True. Need to consider space for ammo storage too…

And I don’t know yet. Probably overnight to monitor me then… either to my guild or somewhere else, can’t remember exactly what the nurse said…

[Mukuro hesitated. She needed to contact Makoto now that her condition was stable, if the nurses hadn’t done so already- and that made her nervous. Jean and Hijikata had been shaken enough by the site of her wounds… how would he take it?

And worse still; ]

…

…Do you think Makoto’ll be disappointed in me?

[He wants to quip that maybe the Magic Reload will work on her new handgun/gunhand, but the question that follows makes him pause.]

...

He won't be. You know him. He'll worry about you and want to support you with whatever treatment route you want to pursue. Whatever Junko would've done, Makoto'll do the opposite.

[After all, he's been the hope to the sisters' despair, hasn't he?]

[She instinctively knew what Junko would do, even in her current state. She'd insult and berate her- or try and finish the job. Or both.]

Junko always said my talent was my only redeeming feature. What if I can't-...

[She trailed off then, not wanting to put the implication into words.

What if, with her injury, she couldn't get back to her former fighting strength? If that was the only value she had, then surely that would be diminished, wouldn't it?

...But she wanted to believe in Makoto. Have hope that he'd still see worth in her, and help her heal. Yes, he truly was the hope that balanced out that deep despair. And even if she couldn't see her own value as a person, he still cared for her.]

[Hijikata's conviction shines through in his voice unmistakably, this time. He may be rattled by what happened, but he's never had a doubt about this.]

She was wrong about that. You're more than just your skill as a soldier. Think about it, Mukuro. That may have been all Junko valued you for, but do you believe that it's the only thing everyone else in your life cares about? We all like you as a person.

[So what if she won't be able to fight like before? If anything, it'll make them all more protective of her - though he can see that being hard for her to adjust to, so he adds:]

I'll fight to your left side from now on if need be, that's a given. But I'll be damned if we can't get you back up to full battle power.

Really...?

[Even as she asked the question, though, she already knew the answer. Recognised that there was truth in his words- and the relief was clear in her voice.

They really did care about her, just as she was. Not just as someone who was 'useful' to them- who served a purpose they had set out for her, or who helped spread despair and death- but as a person who's company they enjoyed.]

I thought that so long as I was useful and not disappointing, that was most important-...

...

...But yeah, I might ask you to cover that side on future engagements, for now.

[His offer did come with a feeling of relief. That she could rely on him to cover her injured side, at least whilst she was recovering and regaining her fighting skill.]

I'm sure you won't need my cover for long.

[He's really trying to believe that. Much as he and Mukuro joked around about her possible enhancements moments ago, there are many options to get her back in shape - not only in terms of battleworthiness, but of feeling whole again as a person.]

...

Out of all the people I could've gone to hell with, I'm glad it was you.

[A little rustling sound, as Mukuro settled back into her pillows. He believed in her, and was willing to support her. That- that meant a lot, even if she couldn't put it into words very well.

Her head still felt fuzzy...]

Mm... me too. I'm glad it was you.

Um-...I'll still...have your back. Whatever happens.

[She just needed to get her strength back!]

I know you will.

[She's his sister, after all! He can see that she's getting sleepy... no wonder, after everything she's been through today.]

You rest up; I'll step out and get some food to tide us over until you get transferred. Any preferences?

[He'd buy her gold-coated truffles if she asked for that! But knowing her, some modest street food will probably suffice.]

[Come to think of it, food probably was a good idea. She needed to eat to keep up her strength, after all!]

I guess the rations I had with me went bad, huh...

[Probably best not eat anything that had gone on a round trip to Hell!]

Um... then, yakitori or... so long as it's not bear shaped. Rabbits are better...

[...Yup, she's this close to outright falling asleep on the phone, with the steadily decreasing amount of sense she was making.]

[Honestly, the rations may have held up just fine - but Hijikata doesn't want her to eat that flavourless stuff when she's not on a mission anymore, and all the less when she just lost a hand. He smiles at her drowsy mumbling.]

Where'd you find bear-shaped yakitori? And here I thought I'd seen it all! Well, I'll make sure there are no bears involved.

[He'll probably end up ordering take-out from Sunwaning, given that yakitori restaurants are far and between in Blossomcrown. That way, it'll take a while to arrive, affording Mukuro time to sleep and still get it fresh to eat with her sworn brothers.]

Get some rest for now. Jean and I are right at hand if you need us.

[He probably should find Jean straight away once this call is over. He's bound to need some comfort after the shock of seeing everything unfold from their escape onwards.]

...mm, rely on you...a little.

[No bears...no Monokuma...good. That was good.

A small smile came into her face at his reassurance that her brothers would be nearby- but despite her relief at realising she could rely on them to help during her recovery, she didn't quite manage to elaborate on that half-formed reply.

Instead, she mumbled something not entirely coherent in response, before there was another shuffle of blankets and the light thud of her device slipping out her hand. Mukuro had fallen into a light doze, getting some much needed sleep before dinner arrived. The rest was sorely needed, after everything that had happened!]

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