It's a bit depressing, how much "things go horribly, horribly wrong" is such a familiar refrain that it might as well be just another day in the life of Hijikata Toshizou, but even given that - this feels a little exceptional.

Usually, after all, he has plenty of memory of what went wrong and what he ought to regret not being able to do about it.

The first thing he does when he sits up is look, gaze moving swiftly, but carefully, across the room as his hand drops to the hilt of his sword. It's only once he's satisfied that there is no immediate threat in the vicinity that he finally looks down, his expression darkening as he pushes up his sleeves to eye the scars on his own skin.

Interesting.

Because his power's been dampened in this world?

Or because someone just happened to know exactly what to hit him with?



(ooc note - I am equally down with brackets or prose and am happy to change and match others' prefs.)