practicality

[Rain sits as well, in seiza, at Daitou's side with a little more than an arm's length between them. He watches the other man at the edge of his peripheral vision.]

How so? [A rather prying question, but it was Daitou's idea to discuss this with him to begin with, so Rain's expecting to receive some answers before he offers any.]

You mentioned the samurai code. [That's probably a good place to start. It's something they seem to have in common.]

In my memory, I showed a document to a younger boy - maybe thirteen or so. The laws of the Shinsengumi. [A code for demons - he was still not sure if he had meant that literally or metaphorically]

The first of the trespasses listed was 'disobeying the samurai code in any way'.

[Disobeying the samurai code was against the laws of the Shinsengumi... perhaps the Shinsengumi was some sort of samurai organization? It had to be something closely connected with them, at the very least. And if Rain had ties to this Shinsengumi, it would explain why he had felt so compelled to obey the code despite not being a samurai.]

[He remains silent in thought for a moment, recalling the details of that particular memory.]

Was the punishment for trespasses stated?

[Rain nods slowly.]

That's consistent with what I've remembered. [So they're probably talking about the same thing. Interesting.]

[Rain frowns, and is silent for a moment. He's never discussed his memories with anyone else, and he still has no intention of sharing any personal information. But what little insight he has on the samurai code... that much, he is willing to offer, now that he's starting to strongly suspect that he and Daitou may be from the same place.]

According to the samurai code, after a failure, one is expected to commit seppuku. [He pauses, and glances away.] I don't know the full definition of 'failure'. But it seems that... receiving a back wound is counted as one.

[Daitou watches Rain, sees that glance away - so he had failed, at some point in his past.]

I...was justifying my reasoning for killing a man.

I don't know. Though after that memory...I think, maybe. I'm good with a sword - even my dream was fighting.

[He ticks each one off on a finger as he speaks. Now that he's seen them, it seems almost impossible that he couldn't remember them.]

Leaving the Shinsengumi. Raising private funds. Engaging in private litigation. Engaging in private fights.

[Daitou is silent for a moment, then nods]

Even if it was against our will. I suppose we'll face the consequences whenever we return home...

I hope so.

[Daitou's eyes had fallen at the thought of what awaited their return. He wanted out of this place, but that was a hard price to stomach. He glanced up at the question, though.]

No, only the boy. And...there was someone else's name, but I missed it, I think. The person who wrote the code.

[He frowns slightly]

Blocked, maybe. The memory-me said something that sounded as if it should have had a name at the start.

The boy in mine was upset, too. Angry.

[Daitou can hear the first two names just find, but there's a roaring sound, like a sudden wind, over the last name. He frowns]

What was the last name you said? I couldn't hear it over the wind.