[Shows up soaking wet and wearing absolutely nothing but a fluffy white towel wrapped loosely around his waist and his eye patch over his right eye.]

Ah! I was taking a bath and I found out we're out of shampoo! Does anyone have any??

[Looks around hopefully and innocent.]

It's actually kind of nice in it's own way, once you get over how weird it is at first... [Just wandering around, thinking out loud, etc]

I almost wonder if we can touch the stars... [Seems to realize how stupid that sounded] Uh, well--! I guess they just look a lot closer here, huh? Right?

Or maybe it's just me? It could be just me! So... !

Big deal. Th' stars ain't no different back home 'cept they're closer here. An' you don't see the colors much but that's from being on the ground and the sky's too far from the ground. I guess there's a point to 'em, but I don' see it. I'm not into that romance stuff like Missy is t' see anythin' here.

So this part of th' machine, right? Th' reason why I got dragged back? Not that I'm complainin' 'bout that, I jus' gotta know, alright? So I'm not feelin' like ditchin' this place for somethin' a lot more entertaining than a bunch of stars. I've got things to do and people to get in touch with. I can't be messing 'round here all th' time.

[sucks in his breath and stuffs his hands in his pockets]

Right. So how th' hell do I get back?


[ooc; And say hi to the wolfwood, he won't bite unless you're vash but that's another story. Also he won't know anyone so confusion ftw? I'll be poofing off soonish and will answer tags after work.]

[Minato's holding a small notebook with pen]

Ah... Anyone in Coil Dennō Detective Agency that has questions for the Twins: I'll ask them for you.

... Anyone else with questions about the astral plane can ask me to ask them, too.

[Hei appears on the Astral Plane, momentarily bewildered until he notices what is around him. Galaxies, planets, and stars, countless stars. The sight makes him stumble, and he can't take his eyes from the glow.]

N-no way...

[Looks around, no longer attempting to keep his face expressionless. Shock? Amazement? Horror? Wonder? There's no one here to see him being so irrational, emotional, so it doesn't matter.]

Stars...real stars...

[Think, you're a Contractor, be rational. There's a logical explanation, must be.]

No, no, this is impossible. This can't be real. Am I inside the Gate? Is this...? But I was miles from the Gate...unless I never left...then was everything since then just an illusion? Damn it.
If this is the Gate I have to get out. But it's...something's off. It doesn't feel like the Gate.

[Fiddles with his earbud] Mao? Huang? ...Yin?

[No answer. A long pause, nothing but silence. His gaze eventually returns to the stars and nebulae wheeling around him.]

The Twins and that woman. The shop. Contractors, I bet. They've either trapped me in the Gate or this is some kind of illusion. Shit.

[Another long pause, eyes half-lidding as he stares at the starlight. Whispering,] They look so real...