[Even in spite of the transformations he's undergone, it's easy to see a resemblance between the sword whose vessel he's carrying and the man who opens the door. Hijikata is tall, though not quite so tall as Izuminokami, and has similar long, dark hair and sharp, handsome facial features. His taste in clothes is a little more... subtle, but all the same, he takes good care of his appearance with Horikawa's diligence and a hint of Izuminokami's vanity. Hell, thanks to the mountain, he's even got his "masters'" marks on him like the swords seem to -- the Tokugawas' seal raised in gold above the red-jade scales on one hand, and Kondou's on the other.]
[(It's strange, even now that they're gone, to think of all the things about his swords that were like him, the ways they seemed shaped around him. He wonders vaguely if that's what it feels like to see your sons as grown young men.)]
[He opens the door wide enough for it to be a clear invitation.]
Hijikata. Thank you for coming all this way.
[He can be blunt and rude at times, but that doesn't mean he can't show it when he's grateful.]
no subject
[(It's strange, even now that they're gone, to think of all the things about his swords that were like him, the ways they seemed shaped around him. He wonders vaguely if that's what it feels like to see your sons as grown young men.)]
[He opens the door wide enough for it to be a clear invitation.]
Hijikata. Thank you for coming all this way.
[He can be blunt and rude at times, but that doesn't mean he can't show it when he's grateful.]