damned_institute | Night 62: M61-70 Hallway

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Night 62: M61-70 Hallway

[M63]

Dinner had been quiet, with Okita staying as silent as possible while Guy slept. It was concerning, actually, how long the man had slept this past day. Even as he finished his meal and the lights turned out along with that ominous message, Guy didn't stir. Okita had heard such things happened sometimes - people slept for longer and longer and then... The swordsman shook his head as if he meant to shake the very thought from his mind. Guy was stronger than that, stronger than a lot of them. He wouldn't go out like that. Not at least without a reason, a goodbye, some measure of warning.

The lights grew dim and winked out. The head doctor gave his little speech and Okita watched the speaker box on the wall with gradually waning interest and growing fear. People were going to grow sick, change, become horrific creatures, and those unaffected had a very clear choice at hand: kill their former friends or find a way to help them. Knowing Martin Landel, however, finding a cure would mean risking certain death for at least one person. Dropping his gaze from the wall, he knew he would volunteer if such a mission came.

His eyes fell onto Guy's sleeping form again and Okita finally got up, turning his head away as he coughed a few times. The sound seemed to echo in the room and he frowned, looking down at his hand. The napkin from his dinner tray served him well enough in cleaning up the red dots he saw and he quickly disposed of the offending thing in his desk drawer, locking it. Then, he made his way across to where Guy was, sitting down on the floor next to him. Maybe he shouldn't disturb the man's sleep in case something terrible had happened, but...

Okita reached out and gently shook Guy's shoulder. "...Guy-san? Guy-san, are you alright?"

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Guy's sleep was disturbed by a number of things. The first thing that broke through the haze was a familiar voice, one that he had grown to hate. While his sleep-addled mind only caught a few words, they were worrying ones. Monstrosity... symptoms... infected... hunt...

Though it was the sound of someone's coughing that truly drew Guy from his sleep, stirring slightly as he watched through blurred vision as Okita walked over. While his roommate's face was a welcome sight, it wasn't what he was supposed to be looking at right now. If anything, a nurse should have woken him up, but normally Guy got up on his own in the mornings.

Okita's hand gripping his shoulder and shaking it finally forced Guy's eyes all the way open, and he drew in a breath as the waking world started to register. "Okita..."

Guy gently pushed his roommate's arm away, sitting up as he dragged a hand through his hair. He felt groggy, like he'd slept far too long, and the untouched meal on his desk made it clear that that was exactly what had happened. How could he have slept for so long? This really wasn't like him at all.

Though the last thing he remembered was finding the treasure in that forest. At this point, Guy was fairly certain that the Landel they'd met there had been some sort of decoy, especially since he had just heard the man speaking over the intercom like he was fine.

Trying to sort through so much when he'd just woken up was a bit disorienting, and so Guy decided to focus on one thing at a time. Okita had been coughing, which seemed to be happening more and more lately. It was enough to worry him, but he wouldn't touch on that just yet. "How long have I been asleep?" He hoped it was just a day. Any longer than that, and he could have really worried some people.

He felt a swell of hope when Guy sat up out of bed, looking groggy but very much alive. He'd heard that others, even if shaken, would not wake up and so the moment Guy sat up, Okita felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Perhaps he'd just been tired from his excursions and needed a day of rest. Okita did that sometimes. ...But then again, he had different reasons.

Scooting back, Okita remained on the floor, tucking his legs under him as he looked up at Guy. He seemed well enough, just sleepy, and so Okita smiled, trying to remain as frank as possible. "Just the day. I suppose the night has been very difficult for you?"

He pushed himself from the floor then, reassured that Guy wasn't going to disappear, and went to his friend's desk to pick up his tray. It was likely that Guy, now that he was awake, was going to want to run out the door to meet Claude and his other friend, but before that, Okita had to make sure he ate. Bringing the tray back, he sat on the edge of Guy's bed and held the food out to him. It was unfortunate that it was a little cool now that time had passed, but getting something into his stomach was important. "And you probably have a busy night ahead of you, too. Make sure to take something before you go?"

Thankfully, the time he'd missed wasn't too extensive. While Guy was still troubled by the fact that he'd slept through the entire day, it could have been a lot worse. He wondered if his friends had noticed his absence. Knowing Claude and Anise, at least, they probably had.

At the same time, that probably meant that they would be looking for him tonight, so he would be able to put their worries to rest before long. While it was worrisome that he'd slept so long in the first place, he felt fine now that he was awake, so that was one thing. And it wasn't like he'd been carted off to the medical wing for some strange tests, either.

Okita was quick to bring him his food, and while eating was more or less the last thing on Guy's mind at the moment, he gave that a second thought when he saw that salmon was on the menu tonight. After a pause, he reached out for the plate and set it in his lap. "Thanks. And... my night was kind of busy, I guess, but there's no reason I should have slept so long." He was sure that Okita knew the implications as well as he did, so he didn't say more about it than that.

"How are you feeling?" he asked next, even as he took a bite of the food to appease Okita. He doubted he'd get a direct answer, but it was worth a shot.

Guy took the plate and Okita smiled at him. It was always a bit strange to mother hen someone who could obviously take care of himself, and was possibly the same age or older than him, but Okita had spent most of his life doing the same for Hijikata and it was just second nature to him by now. Make sure the man slept, make sure he ate, make sure he got out of his room, aired it out after spending all night smoking, all the small things that Hijikata would forget if left to his own devices, Okita kept tabs and so he naturally did it for others as well. Guy was going to eat, however, and so Okita stood from the bed, going over to the metal case sitting on his own bed to start the process of changing.

"Perhaps you simply needed the rest. It happens," he replied nonchalantly as he pushed the top of the case open. His uniform lay inside, no traces of the blood on it from last night and he reached for it.

"How are you feeling?"

His fingers stopped, hovering just over the cloth. Had Guy heard him when he was sleeping? It was possible that the sound had bled into the man's subconscious. It was possible, likely, terrifying, and Okita grabbed his uniform, pulling it out as if nothing was wrong. He shook the haori to get the non-existent dust out and smiled at Guy from over its shoulder.

"I'm just fine. Why do you ask?"

In a way, it was nice to have Okita act like it was no big deal, like it was just something to brush off. Guy knew that his roommate was just trying to make him feel better, but he was tempted to just assume that a lack of sleep had finally caught up to him and leave it at that. The problem was that in Landel's, it was hardly ever that simple, and he couldn't stop himself from speculating about the whole thing. What if they'd been testing something on him while he slept? What if this meant he was doomed to be "released" from this place soon?

At the same time, he didn't want to worry his friends for no reason. He'd just explain to everyone that he'd slept through the day and then leave them to make their own conclusions about that. And with any luck, it really was just a case of needing to catch up on some sleep.

Unsurprisingly, Okita tried to brush off his question. Guy frowned as he took another bite of the salmon. While it was a little cold by now, that wasn't stopping him from enjoying it, and he was pretty starved after sleeping the whole day. "I heard you coughing, that's all. Speaking of which, I think I also heard Landel talking. What did he have to say this time?" From the few phrases he remembered, it had sounded pretty ominous.

He wanted to brush the statement off. It would be so easy to tell Guy that it had been his imagination, some vestige of a dream barely remembered. He could lie and lie forever, but Guy wasn't Hijikata and it wasn't likely that he'd want to hear the lie and ignore the truth as they were doing. Still, he couldn't bring himself to let the secret out and instead he smiled and shook his head.

"I had something stuck in my throat."

Silently, he apologized to Guy and turned away, getting dressed. The Western clothes were quickly discarded and replaced with his white kimono, but Okita took his time matching the lapels and folding the material around his body. Lucky for him the kimono filled him in and still fit well despite any weight loss lately. Looking over to Guy as he reached for the blue obi, Okita frowned.

"Ah...Yes, today many people were beginning to get sick apparently. It seems that some of us may become ill and among those..." He paused to tighten the obi as he wrapped it around his middle. "...some may be changed in the coming days into the creatures we fight at night. It may be true and it may be a lie, but it's likely he's watching to see our reactions and whether we help or try to kill one another out of fear."

Something stuck in his throat. Guy might have believed that if he hadn't noticed Okita coughing consistently over the past few days. While a cough was nothing to worry about under most circumstances, the fact that Okita wouldn't say much about it was what caused Guy to worry. He'd spent enough time around people trying to hide serious illnesses that he couldn't help but wonder.

Not that he could spend much time worrying about it. Okita already looked like he was getting ready to head out, and Guy was going to have to follow suit. He got up from his bed, setting his half-eaten food aside, and went over to his closet to grab his shirt, vest, and leggings.

As he changed, he listened to Okita's explanation, frowning as the final point was made. People getting sick and turning into monsters? That wasn't something that could be easily ignored, and Landel didn't often make empty threats. And with Okita coughing, was it possible that...?

Guy himself felt fine, except for oversleeping. That could be a sign on its own, but he was going to wait to see how he felt over the night before he made any assumptions. "We'd better be prepared for the worst, then. Make sure you take care of yourself, Okita," he said with a pointed stare.

Once dressed, Guy gathered his usual items -- his sword, flashlight, and radio -- and gave his roommate a lingering look. "Thanks for waking me up, by the way."

Take care of yourself. The pointed stare that came after those words was enough to seal Okita's determination to conceal his illness from Guy as much as possible. If, in the worst case scenario, it came to moving rooms, he would have to do so. He'd do whatever it took to keep Guy from knowing - and thus from suffering under his knowledge - of what was going to happen. On the inside, he felt himself trying to detach from the feelings of camaraderie created over the past month and a half. On the outside, he tied his obi and smiled as pleasantly as ever.

"Of course," he replied, keeping his voice light as always. "Living here, we always have to prepare for the worst - and you don't think I'd let you sleep the entire night away, do you?"

He laughed a bit, tucking the ends of his obi into itself and tugging it slightly to make sure it wouldn't slip anytime soon. He reached for his sword, despite knowing it wasn't likely to get much use, and pulled it from the box, smiling back at his friend. "Take care, Guy-san. I'll see you in the morning."

Preparing for the worst was definitely something Guy had become used to doing here. Not that he hadn't taken those cautions back home as well, but the potential danger hadn't been quite as constant.

While his concerns about Okita were far from laid to rest, there wasn't much that he could do about them now. It was clear that Okita didn't want him digging any further, but Guy had to admit that he was starting to feel guilty for not trying harder to uncover the truth. It was a thin line to walk, though.

"See you then," he said with a nod as he exited and moved down the hall. Now, to see if his friends were already looking for him. Claude should be just down the corridor...

[To here.]

It was certainly not the end of the discussion. Okita could feel that in the way Guy looked at him, but it was enough of an end for today that he could move on with what he needed to do. As the door closed after Guy left, Okita let out a heavy sigh. How could he keep something a secret from someone who was essentially living with him? Sharing space was one thing when one had their own private quarters, but a complete lack of privacy meant things would eventually come to a head.

He had to find a way to leave before that happened.

With his sword as his side, Okita stared at the box with his uniform still sitting inside. He could put it on, go on patrol, see to it that he knew who was sick and who was not for the next day... Or.

Before he knew it, he'd closed the lid with the uniform haori and hakama left inside and had gone down the hall one door. A familiar scent of smoke came creeping up from under the door and a quick listen told him that someone was still inside. Considering Hijikata's injuries, it wasn't unfathomable that he would stay in today. And that suited Okita just fine.

[to here]

Edited 2012-03-27 06:42 (UTC)

He was weak. And despite knowing of his own weaknesses, Seishin had still given into that same weakness. Sotoba and its people, its expectations that were pushed upon him, had been the fuel to such resentful fires of hatred. He had been trapped, and after he had finally attempted to escape his prison he had been thrown into another. The comparisons of Landel's Institute to his birthplace were not far off, were they?

Even so, the similarities to Sotoba were more alarming than he thought. The meaning of the announcement was clear enough; people were going to grow sick, were they not? They would change, become one of the horrific creatures that wandered these corridors during the night.

When the Shiki had been exposed, Sotoba had shown its true colours. The villagers had seen the world without its shades of grey, as they always had, and had condemned and hunted those they perceived as a threat. Was it wrong to fight for survival? Was it wrong to kill?

All death was equal.

The lack of nuances had led to a bloodbath. They had failed to perceive the Shiki as a person, instead seeing them as a monster, driving stakes through the hearts of their former loved ones.

Would the people here act differently? Probably not.

To the head doctor, this was but a mere game -- as though the man was a spoiled child smashing his toys until they broke. An interesting experiment, most likely. Did he wonder what those unaffected would do? Or would the monsters end up on the operation table, waiting to be dissected? Considering the man's words, it was probably the former. Yet another cruel game of his, wasn't it?

Seishin felt sick at the mere thought. Sick, and disgusted -- but all that was visible were narrowed eyes.

When the lock clicked audibly, Seishin rose from his seat. The former priest hadn't quite bothered with making any plans, but he pulled out the hatchet and the flashlight regardless. With a polite farewell to his roommate, he headed out into the dark hallway.

[To here]

With his roommate out of the room, Hijikata hauled himself back out of the chair and over to his closet. He took the time to change into his kimono, leaving the rest of the outfit hanging where it was, and then rummaged around in the box until he found his cigarettes and lighter. He left everything else where it was--with the state of his leg and arm, there was no point in going out. Instead, he stopped at the desk again, grabbing the journal and a pen, before retreating to the bed. With the pillow propped up behind him, it was possible to lean against the wall and spare himself the continued discomfort of sitting in the hard, Western-style furniture.

With a cigarette lit, he stared down at a blank page, trying to come up with just the right words to properly express his hatred of that stupid plant.

[from here]

He waited for a moment at the door and contemplated how best to enter after their morning awkwardness. Knocking would give Hijikata enough time to compose himself, but it might also give away who was at the door, meaning things might just be more awkward once it opened. Calling out Hijikata's name might go unheard or ignored in case the doors were too thick. Simply walking in might get him attacked. After carefully considering all of the options, Souji decided on the best and most unalarming entrance possible. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself, checked to make sure his clothes were neat and tidy, and turned his sword around at his side so it wasn't in a threatening position.

Then without knocking, he threw the door open and bounced in.

"Hijikata-san~! I came to see you~!"

Hijikata was minding his own business, trying to decide just what sort of seasonal theme was appropriate for a haiku whose sentiment was basically 'I wish I could stab your flowery corpse over and over again' when the door to his room flew open, scaring the ever-loving crap out of him.

It also startled him into dropping his cigarette, which proceeded to burn a hole in his kimono, and then his leg, before rolling merrily off onto the floor. Hijikata cursed, loudly, and then glared when his brain finally had enough time to get over that sheer amount of sensory overload to realize what had actually happened.

"Souji."

Well, at least one part of the captain's plan had worked. There were definitely no awkward feelings. Just one big mass of 'what the ever loving hell?'

Well, that had gone over well. While Hijikata remained shell-shocked for the moment, Okita set his sword by the closet and bumped the door closed with his hip. It wasn't until his friend cursed loudly that he turned his head back to him - just in time to see one of those white smoking sticks roll to the ground.

Oops.

The way he was patting at his kimono meant that the embers had probably burnt him a little and, while Souji did feel a little bad about that, it was somewhat Hijikata's fault for smoking in bed. Sweeping forward, he knelt by the bed and picked the offending tobacco up, holding it out to Hijikata with a smile. "Hello~ You dropped this."

Hijikata greeted that smile with a scowl and reached out to snatch the cigarette from Souji's hand. After a cursory glance to make sure it wasn't tainted in any way, he stuck it back in the corner of his mouth.

"Only because you decided to forget your manners." After another moment of annoyed silence, he added, "I saved you dessert." And waved to the plate sitting on the desk. He'd thought it would be a nice thing to do, but now he couldn't be bothered to make any sort of production out of it.

"You would have had time to prepare if I knocked," he replied, popping to his feet when Hijikata removed the cigarette from his fingers. The smell of this tobacco was different and he nearly sneezed, holding his nose with one hand while the other waved the lingering smoke away. He could put up with Hijikata's usual brand, but this was new and he wasn't used to it.

Thankfully, Hijikata provided a more than welcome distraction and he turned, noting the dessert on the desk. Instantly, he perked up, clapping his hands together by the side of his face. "Aah! Thank you!" It didn't take long for Souji to scoop the plate up from the desk and take his first bite. It was luscious and delicious and just about the only thing in the future that Souji didn't mind one bit. Desserts and sweets were so much better.

Rather than sit at the desk, however, he turned and climbed up onto Hijikata's bed, sitting by his feet. "Are you sure you don't want to try some? It's really good."

Hijikata was not particularly offended when Souji decided to avoid the smoke from his cigarette... it wasn't good for him, anyway. Instead, he inspected the hole scorched in his kimono while Souji exuberantly went to retrieve the dessert. At least he'd been right about just how pleased Souji would be by it. It might have been almost cute, had Souji not been both an adult and a Shinsengumi captain. Still, he managed not to roll his eyes. If Souji was happy, he supposed it didn't matter just how silly the thing making him happy was.

"I'm sure," he replied as Souji came back around to sit by his feet. "All that sugar would just be wasted on me." He really hoped this didn't turn into a repeat of breakfast, with Souji trying to feed him again.

"Only because you never try it first," the captain retorted. He took another bite and then got up on his knees, scooting between the vice commander the wall. There wasn't a good deal of space on these beds, but Okita wasn't a very big person. It didn't take much finagling to wiggle in between the two and once he had his position established, he lie down on his stomach, keeping himself propped up by his elbows. The plate was balanced on the bedclothes in front of him and he smiled up at Hijikata.

"You keep saying it's only for kids, but have you seen all the adults here who eat it?" He took the fork and dug into the dessert, considering it. "Even my roommate eats it." Turning the fork around, he held it out for Hijikata. "You sure you don't want any?"

"I never try to make you eat things you don't like," he grumbled as Souji proceeded to crawl all over his bed like it was perfectly natural. For just an instant, he felt a stab of nostalgia for their days before the Shinsengumi, when things had been so much simpler and this sort of time together had been almost common.

He shoved that feeling down hard. They'd made the right choices. There was no reason to linger over the past. "They're all foolish foreigners," he complained. "I don't expect sense from them." He paused to tap some of the ash from his cigarette onto the floor, for lack of an ashtray. "And yes, I'm sure. Just eat it."

"That's because there are few foods I don't like." He wiggled a little closer and stuck the fork in his own mouth instead. Unlike breakfast, desserts were precious commodities and letting even one bite go to waste would be an utter crime. This dessert was some sort of cake, very light and fluffy, but with a deep taste of plum running through it. Plum and something else that Okita couldn't identify, but enjoyed nevertheless.

With his fork hanging from his lips, he sat up a bit, bringing his face closer to Hijikata's. The man was in a particularly huffy mood, possibly because he'd been burned, possibly because Okita had burst into his room and caused him to be burned. Whatever the reason, Okita knew how to make him feel better. He brought his face as close as possible, peering up at him like he was searching for an answer. The fork was removed and he tilted his head to the side, keeping there for a moment.

"Guy-san is an alien, not a foreigner. It's different. You have ash on your sheets." Then he pulled back and lay on his stomach, taking another bite of his newly acquired dessert. "Oh, and how are your injuries? Do the bruises still hurt?"

Thankfully, Hijikata was well used to Souji's behavior by now, otherwise he might have been a little put off by the way he got right up in his face like that. He arched an eyebrow, nut otherwise made no indication that he found the habit somewhat annoying. It was Souji. It was just how he was.

"I don't care. It's all the same to be." Foreigner, alien. It didn't matter. They weren't Japanese, and thus lacked sense until proven otherwise. He'd yet to be proven otherwise.

He ignored the remark about the ash. It would just turn into nagging about his smoking habit if he did. "No, they're fine." And truth be told, it wasn't really the bruises that hurt the most. As long as he didn't put pressure on them, they were only a dull ache compared to the less visible injuries he'd suffered from being thrashed around like that.

"You should get to know him, he's interesting." Okita would leave out the part where Guy had thought he was a woman on their first night, causing him to scream and fall from his chair. Somehow he didn't think that would raise his roommate's value in Hijikata's eyes. It had been hard enough for Okita to become accustomed to the alarming number of foreigners here, so he knew how it would take time for Hijikata to warm up to them, too. Then again, considering the man had a hard time warming up to his own recruits, perhaps it would be best if Okita just tugged Hijikata along and forced him into socialization.

Actually, that sounded fantastic. Maybe a bit of a chase around the Sun Room some morning after breakfast or another post of haiku (which would eventually lead to the same thing) for the next day. Yes, that definitely sounded like a wonderful way to get Hijikata to participate with the patients here. Against his will, but the results were the same.

Rolling onto one elbow, Souji reached out and poked at Hijikata's legs and stomach. "And your injuries are fine, so that's why you're lying here and not going outside?"

"I'll take your word for it." Although it would be nice to find out just how someone managed to survive being Souji's roommate, to be honest. Not that he would say so. Not if he wanted to avoid some sort of abject humiliation via prank.

He grumbled and grabbed hold of Souji's wrist when he started poking at him. Morning awkwardness be damned, he wasn't going to sit there an be poked just because he wanted to avoid giving the wrong impression by touching him too much.

"I didn't feel like going out," he grumbled in reply. "That's all." It wasn't as if he were postponing any plans by not going out, anyway. If he didn't feel like playing that irritating doctor's games for a night, that was his business, and had nothing to do with the fact that walking was somewhat akin to agony at the moment. Nothing at all.

"Hmmmmm....?" The hum came out in the tone of 'Is that so?' and he left his wrist in Hijikata's grip, stretching his fingers as far as they could to try and poke at him again. It wasn't exactly unusual for people to stay in at night, but it was a little strange to see how sullen Hijikata was about it. His fingers relaxed and Souji rolled toward Hijikata, taking care not to put too much weight on him, but making sure to put just enough that Hijikata could definitely feel the pressure.

"Hijikata-san has an honest face," he teased, moving his free arm now that he wasn't using it to prop himself up so he could finish the last few bites of his gifted dessert. "Were you thinking of something before I came in?"

Hijikata twitched a little bit as Souji rolled into him, but it was only momentary. He dropped his now spent cigarette onto the floor--he could clean it up later--and snorted a bit at that question.

"Nothing important," he replied. The last thing he needed was Souji prying into his poetry writing again. "Talked to someone today who was looking for a good sword. I told him I'd investigate getting one." Which was true, after all. He hadn't made any promises to Kurogane, but since Souji was here anyway, he might as well mention it.

Nothing important was code for 'Nothing I want Souji to know about' and that meant Okita was definitely going to pry a bit more. Or he would if he hadn't been distracted by Hijikata's mention of someone looking for a sword. Weapons were one thing the History Club had in abundance, but they were a stockpile reserved for their members. Moreover, Okita wasn't even sure if he was still in charge of the group. He had, in effect, given control to another, hadn't he?

And he still hadn't told Hijikata.

"Oh? The best place is upstairs, but that is still a club secret," he mused, leaning a bit further onto Hijikata. The alchemists were gone now as well... So perhaps a few missions? Those seemed to do well in getting people what they wanted. Or getting killed. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea then. With his dessert finished, he picked the plate up and held it over his head. He couldn't very well get up and put it on the dresser himself since he was wedged in against the wall and he wanted to see if Hijikata would do what he thought he might. "Perhaps we can look below for something. I've heard people get things down there sometimes. Who is it you talked to?"

"Hm." It was true, they had the key to the area upstairs, although given their last encounter up there, Hijikata was none too eager to go back up there. Even if they weren't confronted with guns again, he really wasn't sure it was worth the risk, especially for a relative stranger, even if the man was willing to come along and help.

"He said his name was Kurogane," he replied, taking the plate from Souji and setting it aside. Better that than Souji deciding he needed to climb over him or something in an attempt to put it away. It certainly wouldn't have helped his attempts to hide how injured he actually was, though just setting the plate down pulled uncomfortably at sore muscles. "He didn't want anyone to put themselves at risk for it, though." It was a sentiment Hijikata shared, quite frankly.

Kurogane. It was a name Okita had heard before, but not someone he had met as far as he could recall. It was certainly an unusual name and one he'd have to remember should he ever meet this person in the Institute. What sort of sword did he want though? Katana were strong, good for many things here, but not everyone knew how to wield one. Guy, for example, had wanted a Western type sword and Homura had used that strange...curved sword. Okita still had it hidden away in his locker, along with Kenshin's sakabatou, the most curious weapon of them all.

With the plate taken from his fingers, Okita rolled onto his side, facing the wall with his back pressed up against Hijikata's side. It felt strange to be so close to him like this, but at the same time, the younger swordsman needed comfort and this was the only way he knew how to get it without asking. It wasn't often that he even looked for reassurance and comfort, but after yesterday's happenings and with today's lingering fears, he stayed where he might not normally.

"We all have to risk things if we want to gain anything here," he said quietly, drawing his hands up to his chest to adjust his kimono. "You don't agree, do you. That going upstairs is worth the risk for the rewards it has?"

It wasn't like Souji to stay so close. He'd never been afraid to invade Hijikata's personal space, certainly, but that was usually in the guise of teasing him in one way or another. This was something else, something that tugged at that worry he'd been carrying around for long enough now that it seemed to be a part of him these days.

He wanted another cigarette, suddenly. Just to have something to occupy his hands so he wouldn't be tempted to try and offer some sort of comfort he wasn't entirely sure was wanted, or even needed. He might have been the demon vice-commander the men of the Shinsengumi feared, but when it came to Souji, he lost all his resolve.

He sighed, instead, and focused on that question, worrying at the tiny burn hole in his kimono to keep himself distracted. "I'm not entirely convinced of the benefits, no," he finally replied, being more candid than he might have been with someone else. "It went badly last time."

They could have all been killed, quite easily. It had been pure luck that none of them had even been seriously injured. "Weapons do us no good if there's no one left to use them." They couldn't drive blindly after resources, ignoring the costs. It wouldn't get them anywhere.

"And no one will be left to use them unless we get the weapons to protect those we're capable of protecting." Okita wasn't convinced that runs up above were a complete bust. He'd seen a good one before, been part of it even, and had been able to pass the benefits on to the rest of the club. Yes, perhaps he'd ended the night unconscious, but he felt it was a worthy sacrifice. Reaching up over his head, Okita used his close proximity to his advantage and poked a finger against Hijikata's side. "Besides, we survived, didn't we?"

Rolling over onto his stomach, he wiggled forward and raised himself up on his elbows and forearms, crossing his ankles behind him. Hijikata was being strangely cautious and it bothered him. It was understandable, of course, to be a little wary when the battlefield was unknown and the stakes so high, but the Shinsengumi had never made a reputation for themselves by playing it safe. They were fierce, headstrong, sometimes reckless, always ready for war, and holy terrors when confronted. Propping his chin in his hands, Okita kicked his legs in the air, looking up at Hijikata curiously. What could make him so hesitant?

"......" Taking conversation down that path was a terrible idea, however. He'd come in here to keep Hijikata company, to distract him and himself, and to see if he was going to go out tonight. The stubborn way the man seemed melded to the bed suggested otherwise, which left the other two goals for the evening. And what better way to distract him than to tease? Souji pushed himself onto his hands and scooted forward until he was almost even with Hijikata's face, smiling faintly. "Hijikata-san. You know, seeing how we're already here in your bed..." He paused, letting his words hang in the air. "...Will you tell me a haiku? I'm sleepy and need to wake up."

Hijikata frowned a little at that line of reasoning. Saying people would die without something to protect them seemed logical, but the truth was, they'd be no worse off than they already were now. And you could just as easily die from something no weapon could protect against. Hadn't they just learned that lesson, all too painfully?

"I'm not concerned with protecting anyone else," he replied finally. It was blunt, but there was no point in sugar-coating the issue. He might have been stuck here with all these people, but he didn't have a duty to protect them. He'd been cooperating with the history club for Souji's sake, not because he cared much what happened to the others. He wanted out of here, yes. Wanted to get back to the battles he was supposed to be fighting. It was of no benefit if either he or Souji got themselves killed trying to help out someone else.

He continued to stew over the issue silently while Souji apparently decided it was time to wiggle around and poke at him. He winced a little and tried to cover it with a scowl. "It was luck that we survived it." They'd been up against weaponry they had no means of defending against. Even the greatest swordsman was ineffective against guns and explosives.

Of course, he couldn't expect Souji to see any solution besides fighting. It wasn't in his nature, really. Hijikata had no qualms about heading into battle when the cause warranted action, but they didn't even have a real target here. The man who needed to be hunted down had proven irritatingly elusive, and it seemed like all they would do was wear out their strength trying to chase after him in the manner they had been thus far.

He arched an eyebrow as Souji seemed to abandon the topic of conversation at hand in favor of invading his personal space some more. And one eyebrow shot up at that lingering remark...

Until he finished the question. "No," he replied flatly. "If you're tired take a nap."

There would be no haiku sharing. If he did, it would just have ended up shared around somehow, knowing Souji. He was not about to make that mistake.

The flat truth of the matter came out and Souji sighed mentally even as he tried to keep the happy mask from slipping. Hijikata was still focused on getting home while Souji, having been here a month and having seen what had happened - what could happen in such a short time, was more willing to cooperate with the others here. Group survival for personal gains was probably a better way to define his particular sense of solidarity with the patients at Landel's Institute, but such was the way of things. Hijikata had always been gruff, ready to toss aside anyone who was detrimental to those he deemed as his inner circle. Souji, on the other hand, would pick up just about anyone and use them to his advantage so he could protect his own circle. He wasn't sure which was worse, but he was fairly certain that Hijikata's method was far more honest.

After all, to Souji, anyone with a sword in hand and with a debt to the History Club was just another pawn used in the final game.

He huffed at the refusal to read him poetry and flopped over onto the bed again, face down into the linens. "But I'm boooored and you're not moving," he whined. Although, with his voice muffled by cotton it sounded more like a slightly high pitched buzzing of frustration. For a moment, he went still and then he raised his head, chin resting on the bedding. "You know if it hurts that much, I could give you a massage. Or get you something for it. A compress or salve."

It seemed like the previous topic had been abandoned entirely as Souji proceeded to flop around in his bed some more. Just as well. It was clear they had differing views on the matter, and he just did not feel like debating it. It was exhausting enough to do when he didn't care about the feelings of the person he was debating with. It would be even more so if he had to keep Souji's happiness in mind.

"It's not my job to entertain you," he grumbled. He dug out another cigarette and stuck it in his mouth, but didn't light it. Not with Souji so close. The last thing he needed, Hijikata was sure, was a lungful of his second-hand smoke. He scowled at the offer--he knew Souji was really trying to help, but there was no way he was going to let down the facade of strength he was clinging to. "You don't need to do that."

He wasn't fine, but he knew he'd recover with time. It wasn't worth fussing over.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Night 62: M61-70 Hallway

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