[If Cliff meant to hit Souji hard, then he hit his mark straight on. Rather than flinch or bite back at him, however, the swordsman went completely quiet, staring down at his friend dispassionately. TERRACE was a memory he wanted to forget, even if it was one that eventually saved his life. Remembering TERRACE made him remember home and the last time he spent time with Hijikata alone, when he was alive and well and not trapped in this place that kept ripping him away again. Right after the raid, when Souji was too weak to walk on his own, blood still on his lips as he tried to reassure his friend that he wasn't dying.
No one liked it when they were lied to, but sometimes the lies were the only things that kept them going.
Still he didn't want to hurt Cliff either, and most of the responses that were flying to the forefront of his mind would do just that. "You can talk to me about how much it hurts when you see a future you can never have because you and everyone you loved is already dead" was the main one. That wouldn't do anything but make Cliff angry and so he held his tongue and waited as his rationality caught up to him. It was clear that Cliff was dealing with everything far better than Souji was, and the last thing the swordsman wanted was to be a burden. He'd been told before that if he lost his usefulness, he'd be left behind.
He'd always wondered if that was why all his friends had left him.]
If you hate being lied to, you shouldn't be friends with me.
[He gave the man a small, tired smile and leaned down to pick up the water bottle - his constant distraction from everything else.]
I'm not hurt, Cliff-san. No more than you are. And the things we could talk about are things I doubt could ever be changed. I've come to accept that over the years.
August 19, afternoon
No one liked it when they were lied to, but sometimes the lies were the only things that kept them going.
Still he didn't want to hurt Cliff either, and most of the responses that were flying to the forefront of his mind would do just that. "You can talk to me about how much it hurts when you see a future you can never have because you and everyone you loved is already dead" was the main one. That wouldn't do anything but make Cliff angry and so he held his tongue and waited as his rationality caught up to him. It was clear that Cliff was dealing with everything far better than Souji was, and the last thing the swordsman wanted was to be a burden. He'd been told before that if he lost his usefulness, he'd be left behind.
He'd always wondered if that was why all his friends had left him.]
If you hate being lied to, you shouldn't be friends with me.
[He gave the man a small, tired smile and leaned down to pick up the water bottle - his constant distraction from everything else.]
I'm not hurt, Cliff-san. No more than you are. And the things we could talk about are things I doubt could ever be changed. I've come to accept that over the years.