(no subject)

[concasse]

[It's become a weekly tradition to check up on Eichi, seeing as he rarely participates in investigations. This might be the first time Sanji has to work up the effort to see him, however -- not for lack of want, but lack of...

Mm.

He's tired, okay? The death of kids doesn't ever sit well in his stomach.

But eventually he'll knock on the other's door, sometime in the mid afternoon, once the shock of it all has had time to settle for everyone.]

Comments

[finethanks]

Not me, but him. I told him I'd leave it to him to deal with, so I wouldn't have to worry about it. He promised me that no matter what, no matter how deep I crawled into hell, he'd find a way to send my soul to heaven.

[He lets out a quiet laugh, both at that and Sanji's last words. Not at them, just thinking.]

If there is anything like a God, then he must hate me. [Bluntly.] Because of that, I'm not sure what to think. Is there an afterlife like my dreams, where I won't feel pain at all? Will we be stuck to live through our suffering again and again? Or do we just cease to exist?

All I know is that the dead most certainly don't come back to life. Even the living struggle with living itself, you know, so... [This is such a depressing topic.]

I'm sorry. I ended up rambling again, didn't I? About such a strange topic, too... Normally I'd be scolded for it, so it's okay to say "don't talk about things like that" if it becomes too much, you know.

[concasse]

No harm in rambling. [Actually smiling for once, though it quickly dies.] I asked you a question, you answered it. I'd be one hell of an asshole to cut you off in the middle of it.

[And it helps, in its own way, reorienting Sanji back to the ways of the world. All this magic got him hoping, but sometimes it's best to cut off that hope before it turns to cancer.

The dead don't come back to life. It's the living they have to concentrate on.]

Well, in any case, no point in talking about damnation early. [Switching back on track] We might not have a sea, but we got candles... I think I'll light one for 'em tomorrow.

[The dead who can't come back.]

[finethanks]

...I'd like that, and I think Natsuo-kun would, as well as those others who have died.

[It's such a kind gesture. Eichi himself has been worrying this whole time about not having someone here for his funeral, but the truth is, no one has anyone right now. He gets that now.]

I feel a little more relaxed, thanks to you, Sanji-kun. I don't know what I'd do without you here.

[concasse]

[Mouth tilting into a slight smile. Sanji's human, after all, and hearing he's done his job -- to pull Eichi out of his dark thoughts and give him something to smile about -- is relieving to hear]

Happy to help.

[Staring up to the ceiling again]

I know how easy it is to start feeling helpless in this place, like we really don't have any power to change shit.

[finethanks]

It truly is. When I heard that you'd stumbled back into the castle as injured as you are now, I'd felt a pit in my stomach that still hasn't left. Even being stuck in hospitals for my whole life, I can't do anything helpful like treat a wound.

[He doesn't know a thing about it. He could watch youtube videos for an hour and learn, strangely enough, but they don't have that here SOOO]

Since I can only protect one person at a time, each week... Could you please be a little more careful?