(Untitled)

[sadoslash]

Characters: Okita Sougo and Kondo Isao
Location: Training area
Rating: PG-13 and up because...gorillas and sadists.
Time: January 10th
Description: "So, it's about time we demote Hijikata-san, right?"

Comments

[sadoslash]

The words were a comfort to him. And it reassured what he figured from the start -- as much of an idiot as Kondo may have been, he would never abandon them. Sougo braced himself for Kondo's attack, skidding back a step but managing to hold his ground. He kept their weapons locked tightly together so that he could look the man in the eye.

"Then...what would you do if the Shinsengumi were to ask you to abandon her?" They wouldn't, of course. Not when they knew how much Kondo's stalking was vital to his character. But really what Sougo was trying to get at here was if Kondo thought it was possible to maintain a balance in the most imbalanced of situations. The man was an optimist, after all. It was one of the qualities they all admired most in him.

Sougo could use a little bit of that optimism right about then to go along with his selfishness. Because while he wanted to pursue things with Lucy, he couldn't help but think that this place was going to rip them apart, BREW would return one of them prematurely, or in the worst cast scenario...one would ultimately die.

[harrasses]

He was a lot of things, ultimately. A stalker, a gorilla, a self-proclaimed romantic, but naturally he was or held true to a lot of the unsaid factors of his character. His loyalty was something unquestionable and he was entirely aware of his men realizing that simple and slender fact.

Kondo being a straightforward individual (except when it came to hair stylists) makes it a point to deliver a fair amount of eye contact. Held within that position, he pushes in more strength, his eyes locked on him carefully. “While I believe in Otae-san, I believe in the Shinsengumi we’ve created together.” The last bit tinged with a bit a smile, but before he could leave it too open-ended, he continues.

“And even if my love were to be rejected, I’d fight to let it be accepted,” he skids back quickly and repositions himself, he nods as if to invite the other to come in to attack. “I’d never give up on either. I’m a surprisingly selfish man, Sougo.”

“But, I suppose bad influences like us just have to stay together.”

[sadoslash]

There were those rare moments when Kondo caught him off guard. This was one of them. Sougo studied him in momentary surprise which allowed Kondo the advantage and caused the first division captain to stumble back under the strength of the push. He steeled himself, calmed his breathing, and the corner of his lips flickered to show the faintest of smiles. It was just what he should have expected from the man he called a commander.

Light on his feet, Okita sprang forward to launch himself into attack again -- rapid blows being aimed at the man, mainly to distract himself from the next set of questions...because those were the toughest. He opted to remain focused on Kondo, gaining his advice and insight through what he would do with his personal situation. This would at least help him determine whether or not he should get into specifics. In many ways, the conversation was what Sougo was focusing his battle tactics on -- not necessarily the spar itself.

"What if you met her here and she came from a different world? At the end of it, you know that your only choices are either to leave her and return home to the rest of the Shinsengumi or stay behind and abandon us? Can you still say that you wouldn't give up on either?"

[harrasses]

“You never fail to impress,” he offers these words before preparing himself.

Sougo’s sheer speed was something that always wedged in the middle of his nerves, something that hit him with a bit of pleasant surprise. There were no exceptions here. He shifts a little, trying his best to register the attacks and deliver the blocks. Though, with this sort of speed, it was a hit or miss thing, something he left half to his natural motor response, and half with reactions to practice. Blocking to what he felt was fit, close calls were definitely made, but he made sure his stance didn’t waver in the least. After all, he was their commander (even if there were an ample amount of moments in which his actions said otherwise), and he’d hold firm to this position, if only for the sake of his men. Especially in their time of need; and though he couldn’t perfectly pull out what Sougo truly looked for in a response - or even what the current issue at hand was, he’d do his best.

He could tell that much. Foolish or not.

And another question rolls out as he pushes his block out, making a clean, straight slash across. “I still wouldn’t give up. Because, regardless of right or wrong, or impossible or possible, or even the sheer amount of…” ass hairs in the way, he says, in between his second attack, though his frontal trusting and sword against sword maneuvers are loud enough to drown it out. But, he continues on, catching his breath between his words, “Everything is over once you give in.” It was something obvious and yet … he couldn’t find himself escaping or side-stepping from this inevitable sentiment. “Anyway,” he breaks out in a more quizzical expression, “…like you said, isn’t this one of those shows where you gather the 7 balls and make your wish?”

[sadoslash]

He didn't respond, but there was a sense of pride that always came from Kondo's praise. Kondo was his teacher, his master...and while Sougo had practiced hard (and even harder when Hijikata came into the picture so that he could hope to stab him one day) -- he would always see the the man as being above him. Even now, the sheer amount of blocks that were being made and warding off his attacks were far more than what most people would have been able to deliver when up against Sougo. He was ruthless, always going one step beyond a spar -- always pushing his opponent until they broke and surrendered.

But today he was distracted from it -- playing a back and forth of questions and answers with his superior. He wasn't giving his all into these attacks, and he was sure that Kondo could tell that as well. Kondo was an idiot, after all, but he was surprisingly keen at times.

So after getting the answer, Sougo withdrew momentarily -- swiping the perspiration from his forehead on the sleeve of his shirt. "No. This is Bl**ch on drugs -- with a necrophilia fetish." He slowly got back into stance, holding the bokken up to guard himself as though that would completely guard his emotions...because now came the part he was dreading. "I always thought you were an idiot, Kondo-san, for allowing yourself to get distracted by some woman. I always thought she would be the downfall of the Shinsengumi -- not that I minded the unsupervised time off when you would disappear for weeks on end. But ultimately Hijikata-san and I were always there to hold the fort because we didn't have those distractions." He hesitated before saying the next part. "That's changed now, Kondo-san."

[harrasses]

The propositions that Sougo so perfectly crafted and laid out mentally were entirely accurate. Something that Kondo would reconfirm a million times over, were it required. What made the Shinsengumi the Shinsegumi... were the men who were indefinitely involved in all of their not-so-well versed endeavors; the men who were at his side from the start and those who accumulated over time and constant supervision of the government. Hijikata and Sougo were irreplaceable in many definitions of the word and that was no internally created secret.

However, there was one key point that Sougo has skipped over, something that made his throat itch with ironic laughter and so he does. He succumbs himself to some light laughter, defocusing his eyes from the boy in front of him. “Sougo,” he starts off carefully, the humor subsiding from his eyes, “it’s the same. My duty hasn’t changed and I’m sure the feelings of all our men haven’t altered in the slightest.” ….envy aside. After all, unpopularity with the opposite sex or relationship strife seemed to be a “thing” within the Shinsengumi (… as far as he was concerned, anyway. It was easier to group the others in the same category. … surely he couldn’t be the only one with such shoddy luck?!)

“I’d never hold any of you back. Relationships or not… the most important things will remain. Our bond.” There’s fondness in his voice as he speaks. “…it’s that alone that brought us this far. Before we even had a proper swords or a name to go with them.” Kondo was passionate about this, his guarding pose slightly dropping at his speech.

Kondo never said it, but he thought it - that, no matter what, Sougo would always be the same brat swinging that empty log in the dojo… “Nothing’s changed,” he mused to himself, with an almost finality before rebounding back to the other topic--

GOGO secret two-parter!

[harrasses]

(the unimportant one, they could have entirely skipped over, even!), his serious expression almost entirely wiped (it was the ending of the serious scene, after all). “… Bleach, huh…”

ilu <333

[sadoslash]

Sougo arched his brows slightly when Kondo started to laugh. He really didn't see what was so amusing about what he said (as a matter of fact, it was pretty alarming to him! Liking someone and all. That never happened before!) But as the man continued, his initial offense faded. Those simple words spoken by a simple-minded guy were enough for now.

It didn't help the situation in the long run because as optimistic as Kondo was, Sougo was a pessimist. But it did let him know Kondo's stance, it let him know that no matter what Sougo decided to do, Kondo would accept that -- the way they all accepted him as their commander. And that was a comfort. Amusement tinged his lips briefly. "I guess that's all I really need to keep in mind."

He lifted his sword and took advantage of Kondo's distracted musing over Bleach -- racing forward to deliver a powerful blow toward his commander's stomach. Just because they had a good conversation doesn't mean Sougo's going to go easy on him. This was a spar, and naturally he wanted to win!

ilu2, my sweet! <333

[harrasses]

Seeing that Sougo seemed satisfied by his response (somehow and strangely), he seems to smile to himself; almost proud of his words, however optimistic or unsophisticated they were. Though, naturally between his musings of Bleach and Otae-san, he didn’t realize the boy’s stance and the up and approaching attack. “Sougo,” he seems to yell in a last minute response, but --

Taking on the full hit, he falls to the ground, ass hairs up. … so this is what happens. Maybe Death City was more like home than he thought; that is, as long as his men were there. His future was looking pretty grim...

[sadoslash]

Sougo appeared satisfied, flicking the bokken up and letting it rest against his shoulder, "Thanks for the spar, Kondo-san. When you can actually get up, tell Hijikata-san I want to take him on next."

He lifted his hand over his shoulder to offer a wave before racking his weapon once again and heading toward the door. When Sougo thanked Kondo for the spar, however, what he really meant was 'thank you for the talk.'