Friday | Post-Investigation

[Sanji hasn't had a chance to interact with Souji since earlier this week, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been watching. His reaction to Hijikata's death had been... startling, frankly, Sanji not even realizing how close the two men were, and all he can think about afterward is that the man's fragile health will undoubtedly take a hit from all of this.

It's why eventually Sanji will seek him out in his bedroom, a small meal in tow - just soup, a little bit of bread, tea... foods that will be gentle on the stomach and hopefully easy to digest.

Knock knock, Souji, you have a visitor.]

Friday | Post-Investigation

[If Reyna's looking for him, Sanji won't be that difficult to find -- kitchen like always, because he is very bad at dealing with grief if it's not paired with action of some sort. There's not a lot he can do about the fire damage, so instead he's cleaning up what he can with a soaked rag, taking inventory of what's inside the cabinets, doing anything to keep his mind busy.

... It's not really working, but hey. No one can say he didn't try.]

There was hardly anything missing...! The fuck start a fire in here.

[He can't cry if he's too busy complaining!]

Friday | Post-Investigation

[It's been, what, a day since he and the "younger" Ion have last seen each other? But boy, what a difference a day makes in this castle.

Which is why Sanji does not look particularly happy to see him, or happy to be here -- nothing personal, of course, he just hates everything about his current existence and it's not getting better. The crueler truth is Fitz' death hasn't even blipped on Sanji's radar, either, besides what this could mean for the sickly boy if he doesn't get paired to anyone come Sunday.

... A humbling thought, the longer he dwells on it. Wherever he crosses the boy's path, Sanji chooses to make a small attempt at conversation, even knowing both of them probably don't want much to do with it.]

... Yo.

[A pause]

How you holding up?

Friday | Post-Investigation

[It's a sad, sad day when Sanji can't even encourage himself to cook.

Thankfully, the responsibilities of a chef offer plenty of mundane substitutions, perfect for someone looking to distract themselves from the ugly reality that is their current existence. Thank you, rag, for this gift, as Sanji diligently buffs away as much of the soot and smoke as possible. Occasionally the silence is darkened by a couple of swears, Sanji seizing up as if the truth might bite him if not careful --

And then he moves on quickly, busying himself with something else that will not require thought.]