[ it's surely something, realizing that for the first time in a while, he's afraid of death and everything else in between; no, he's not just afraid — he's terrified, to the point where he feels as if something could very well snap within him. hijikata has always made threats of a particular nature, threats that tsurumaru would usually dare him to follow through with. so given this situation, it's not unlikely that the robot would execute those same threats; he's sure that the robot wouldn't hesitate to cut him up, slowly, until he bleeds to his own death, and much to his own surprise, that doesn't excite him at all.
it also scares him, not knowing where hijikata is, or whether he's okay or not; all he knows is that hijikata is alive somewhere, but that doesn't do anything to ease his worry. so in these next crucial moments, he gathers up all of the hope that he has and wishes, fervently, that if a higher being exists out there, to see him one more time. but maybe, everything in the universe aligns at once, because suddenly, there's the noise of tearing paper from behind him, and then there's — ]
Hijikata...
[ — looking far more disheveled than he'd thought, but he's still too exhausted and shocked to cry — either out of joy or relief — or to feel any kind of happiness, so for now, he stares at hijikata blankly, as if it would help him process the current situation any further. but there's not a single part of him that doubts that hijikata will win over the robot; because he's hijikata, and he doesn't lose.
but the sword... yes! the sword... that much, he understands. reaching forward, he'll pluck the wakizashi off of the ground, holding it out to hijikata with his uninjured arm. ]
we Hecked up
it also scares him, not knowing where hijikata is, or whether he's okay or not; all he knows is that hijikata is alive somewhere, but that doesn't do anything to ease his worry. so in these next crucial moments, he gathers up all of the hope that he has and wishes, fervently, that if a higher being exists out there, to see him one more time. but maybe, everything in the universe aligns at once, because suddenly, there's the noise of tearing paper from behind him, and then there's — ]
Hijikata...
[ — looking far more disheveled than he'd thought, but he's still too exhausted and shocked to cry — either out of joy or relief — or to feel any kind of happiness, so for now, he stares at hijikata blankly, as if it would help him process the current situation any further. but there's not a single part of him that doubts that hijikata will win over the robot; because he's hijikata, and he doesn't lose.
but the sword... yes! the sword... that much, he understands. reaching forward, he'll pluck the wakizashi off of the ground, holding it out to hijikata with his uninjured arm. ]