concasse | Luceti Appointments Post

[It's not until he finally sits down that the walls begin to crumble. Burying his head in his hands, he just sort of slumps, the emotional strain of the day's events manifesting itself in a physical form at last now that he's out of the public eye.

He just looks tired, defeated. And, though he says nothing, the unspoken question is obvious: Why is this happening to me?]

[It'd be nice if Sanji could give him an answer, even one born out of sympathy rather than truth. He's often wondered how he'd react if Ginko ever came back to Luceti, the same as always but utterly different, with no memories of their time spent together: a stranger again.

He never dwells on the question long; watching Richard crumble reminds him of why.

Some of the sternness melts from Sanji's face, with raw sympathy left in its wake. He takes a seat next to the man and pours himself a glass of wine, not saying anything. For now, his presence will have to be enough. There's nothing he can do to make this better.]

[Richard doesn't move for his own glass just yet; instead, all of his focus goes towards trying to steady himself. As good a friend as Sanji is, he'd really rather not break down into tears in front of the other man again if he can help it. Once was more than enough on that front.

But it's hard, harder than he'd expected, because this time there's the knowledge that this Naoki won't remember, CAN'T remember. It was like talking to a stranger with the face of someone who meant so much to him and...

It's one of his greatest fears, though he doesn't even realize it himself.]

[Sanji hadn't even been in a somber mood before, but Richard's continued silence thickens the air into a heavy cloud of depression. The chef glances at the dark liquid in his glass, tilting it by the stem in circles and watching the wine swirl in turn.]

... Have you talked to Isamu about it yet? [He lowers his voice into a murmur, and even still it seems to shatter against the quiet]

[He shakes his head, at last breaking his silence with an exhaled sigh that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding in. Talking with Isamu had been the last thing on his mind given the events that had transpired between them just a few short weeks before, one of the few times they'd ever had anything even remotely resembling a quarrel. After that... he wants to keep Isamu as far separated from his romantic life as possible.]

No, not yet. I just... I had to get out of there for a while.

[Sanji is no fool. Surely he's picked up on Richard's feelings towards Isamu now, and why this situation would be even more awkward than it was the last time. While his feelings for Isamu were there the last time Naoki returned, it's been almost a year since then. He and Isamu have grown even closer over that time.]

[As he's not exactly in a position to tell Richard what to do... well, that still won't stop Sanji's eyes from narrowing as he continues staring into his glass. They can have their lover's quarrel, or whatever, but Sanji hadn't missed that unfiltered conversation between Naoki and Isamu. If a fight or argument breaks out, the chef's already made peace with whose side he'll take, and heaven help the Demi Fiend if gets any ideas.

Sanji still holds out hope it won't come to that. The kid's a strong opponent; stubborn, too. And damn, he really doesn't want to be thinking about this yet. Abruptly he shuts his eyes and takes a steep drink.]

Alright, but don't hold off too long. I don't think Naoki and Isamu are gonna get along this time.

[Now Richard raises his head to regard the chef, confusion and concern plain on his features. They won't get along? Why? This Naoki doesn't remember what happened between them the last time he was in Luceti, so shouldn't they still be best friends?

He doesn't understand.]

What do you mean?

[As that was not at all the reaction Sanji anticipated, he turns his head sharply and just stares at him.

Does this mean he doesn't--

... Shit.]

You didn't see the conversation between the two, did you?

[He shakes his head.]

I closed my journal as soon as I'd finished talking to Naoki.

[Needless to say, he's starting to regret doing so now, because from the sound of things, this isn't a conversation he should have missed.]

... You got your journal on you?

[There's no kind way to sugarcoat this, so Sanji doesn't bother; besides, with the secret out, he suspects Richard would find the conversation later to survey the damage for himself.]

[Richard shakes his head; he left it at home so that his housemates couldn't bother him for the evening. He may get scolded for it later, but right now, he just wants some space.]

[Wordlessly, Sanji sets his drink aside and slowly makes for the counter where he'd left his journal, not at all looking forward to this. After he flips it open, he just as silently hands it over to Richard.]

[And silently, Richard listens to that conversation. Though he doesn't say anything out loud, the way his expression shifts from surprise to horror should make his feelings clear.

This was... Naoki...]

...

So, what will you do, Richard? [It's such a blunt, almost heartless statement to make, but the look of horror doesn't reveal the full span of Richard's thinking, even if Sanji's aware of how much harder this situation will be on the king than himself.]

[Richard is no stranger to having the weight of the world on his shoulders. It's part of his job, after all, and he always takes it seriously, devotes his entire being to it.

But this is different. This isn't his country; it's being forced to choose sides between two of the most important people in the world to him. He knows what his answer will be, whose side he will take. But that doesn't make it any less painful to him.

He just droops, sliding forward until his head is buried in his arms on the tabletop, his thoughts a litany of Why? Why? Why?]

... I don't have any intentions of starting shit with Naoki so long as he behaves.

Otherwise... [He lets his trail-off speak for itself. Sanji doesn't just defend; he lashes back if he finds it justified. Naoki can keep his grudge as long as he wants, and to be frank, he probably deserves to feel what he does.

Things just happen to be far different than the Demi Fiend could've imagined. Time passes. People can change.]

I don't want to fight him.

[It's plaintive; more of a wish than anything else. This may not be his Naoki, but it's still Naoki, and the last thing Richard wants to do is hurt him. He doesn't want to be in this situation at all. Conflict is something he's always hated, and when it's between people he loves... it just hurts that much more.]

No one wants to, but I don't know what he might do to Isamu, either, if given that shitty chance.

[They might fight again. And he remembers now, painfully, so vivid that it almost makes him sick again, the few times he'd seen them fight before, how he'd taken that blow meant for Isamu during the Halloween experiment that one year.

He didn't regret it then, nor does he regret it now. He'd do it again in a second if it were necessary.

As much as he's trying to remain controlled on the outside, the slight shaking of his shoulders is a dead giveaway that he's anything but on the inside.]

He attacked Isamu once before, when the Malnosso caused us to hallucinate. I was there to intercept it that time, but...

[Unconsciously he raises a hand up to the shoulder that had been injured. Even though any traces of the injury disappeared due to his return home, he still swears he can feel it throb at the memory.]

[Hearing that, Sanji shifts on his feet, his eyes drawn to the subtle quake in Richard's shoulders. He knows what it means to take a hit from Naoki when he's serious, both physically and emotionally. A wound like that you don't get to just brush aside.]

I'll keep anything from happening in Seventh Heaven. [He volunteers, not so much for Richard's sake as it just being something he'd do regardless.]

Your house mates should know what's going on, too. [After a second, he steers himself back over to the stool next to Richard, flopping back and extending his body out until he's slouched in his seat, head tilted back and staring at the ceiling]

He's gonna need you, Richard.

... I love him.

[It may seem like a strange revelation, especially one to be revealing now of all times, yet at the same time he somehow feels that it's important to say. It's likely Sanji has already guessed this. But he needs to make very clear just WHY this position is so awkward for him now-- he is, quite literally, torn between two people he loves. And not just loves, but in Isamu's case, would do anything to protect.

He doesn't know how else to make this as clear as it needs to be without the outright confession.]

[...]

I know.

[He knows you know that he knows. And his tone of voice says that doesn't at all change the basis of his argument here - that running off to lick your wounds when Isamu could be in very real danger is not the wisest course of action, no matter how much it hurts. You work with the hand life gives you, even if it's a losing one.]

That's why I know if anything happens to him, you'll never forgive yourself. [And despite the tough exterior that makes up Sanji's personality, he doesn't deal in the lives of his friends unsympathetically. It's all or nothing for him, too.

Don't make him watch you destroy yourself, Richard.]

[Self-destruction is no longer a conscious path for Richard at this point, merely the culmination of a life that has never allowed him more than brief moments of happiness before they are stolen away again and conditioned him into believing that wanting anything for himself instead of for the good of his people is a selfish, deplorable action. While he's shoved it aside in favor of helping those he cares about, it's a temporary distraction more than anything else. And, in this case, the distraction just makes things even worse.]

I won't let anyone hurt him, not even Naoki. I'll fight Naoki myself if I have to.

[There's conviction in his voice, because he does mean what he says, at least that part of it. He may not want to fight, but he'll do it if it means keeping Isamu safe. He'll just have to deal with the emotional aftermath later-- which means "not at all," knowing him.]

[Well then. That's good to know - even if the first thought to hiss pessimistic dissent in the back of Sanji's mind says you can't always control who harms whom, especially not in a place like this.

He doesn't think Richard's in a position to appreciate that truth, and Sanji wouldn't blame him for that, either. So he skips the thought completely.]

Like I said... [Sanji returns to staring at the ceiling, voice a mask of calm] Just make sure you talk to him about it. Eventually.

... And let me know if you ever need any help.

Luceti Appointments Post

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th] 1/2

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]

[Action, January 11th]