Kenshin's breath came in short gasps, and when he saw that Okita wasn't going to be getting up any time soon, he sheathed his sword. Blood dripped down his arm and pooled on the floor, mixing with the blood from his leg. It wasn't the worst he'd ever been injured, not by a long shot, but if they had dragged it out for any longer, he might have been in trouble.
He watched Okita for a moment, clutching at his wounded shoulder. Okita had been trying to commit suicide-by-Choushuu. Now that Hijikata was gone, he thought that this was the only way. And Kenshin could empathize with that, to some extent. The coughing was a clear sign: Okita was dying. It would be a long, slow, and painful death, completely devoid of the glory and honor that he'd been working towards all his life. Still...
"There's no such thing as an honorable death," he said gently. "Not really. An honorable life is so much better. Use...what time you have to carry on the proud traditions of the Shinsengumi, even here. If that means killing this one, so be it. Defend the Bakufu." He knew what it was like. You were so empty inside that you wanted to die just so that you could feel something again. He'd felt that way after Tomoe.
What Okita really needed was something to drink, but during nightshift, that was hard to come by. And he didn't need the person he was just fighting to the death to take any more pity on him than he already had.
Instead, Kenshin sighed and leaned against the wall, still out of breath.
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Kenshin's breath came in short gasps, and when he saw that Okita wasn't going to be getting up any time soon, he sheathed his sword. Blood dripped down his arm and pooled on the floor, mixing with the blood from his leg. It wasn't the worst he'd ever been injured, not by a long shot, but if they had dragged it out for any longer, he might have been in trouble.
He watched Okita for a moment, clutching at his wounded shoulder. Okita had been trying to commit suicide-by-Choushuu. Now that Hijikata was gone, he thought that this was the only way. And Kenshin could empathize with that, to some extent. The coughing was a clear sign: Okita was dying. It would be a long, slow, and painful death, completely devoid of the glory and honor that he'd been working towards all his life. Still...
"There's no such thing as an honorable death," he said gently. "Not really. An honorable life is so much better. Use...what time you have to carry on the proud traditions of the Shinsengumi, even here. If that means killing this one, so be it. Defend the Bakufu." He knew what it was like. You were so empty inside that you wanted to die just so that you could feel something again. He'd felt that way after Tomoe.
What Okita really needed was something to drink, but during nightshift, that was hard to come by. And he didn't need the person he was just fighting to the death to take any more pity on him than he already had.
Instead, Kenshin sighed and leaned against the wall, still out of breath.