[ of course, he doesn't think that the gumis share everything between them, but he's still a little surprised, hearing him speak of them that way... or maybe it's just because hijikata is a wrinkly old bean that sucks at socializing. ]

I was "offered" to — hmm, a ruler before your time. Names aren't too important, though.

[ but after hijikata's finished with his... rather pitiful attempts at comfort, tsurumaru is silent for a while, his expression unreadable. did he just make things worse? did he make him angrier? is he going to start crying? who knows! in the next few seconds, it's completely impossible to tell.

and then, at the very last second — he bursts out laughing. not in a way meant to mock hijikata derisively, but because he sounded so honest, admitting when he doesn't understand certain things and not bothering with excessive fluff words (although, isn't that just because hijikata doesn't know how to make fluff words?), that it tugs at the center of tsurumaru's heart.

with his other hand, he wipes a tear from the corner of his eye, and he's even smiling, just a little. ] You're so bad at this, you know?

But I can see how hard you're trying, even though you're still awful at it — and that makes me really happy.

[ as for his own wispy creature, its job is currently done here! so it's going to get out of the way, waddling over to a corner of the room for a tiny bird nap. ]