6/8: eichi

[randori]

[ He promised nothing would happen. He wouldn't let anything happen. Please don't let anything have happened—- ]

EICHIIIIIIIIIIII!! EICHI!! EICHI EICHI EICHI!!!

[ screams his name up and down the castle trying to find him, leaping up the stairs two or three steps at a time, flinging open bedroom doors at random without a care for privacy, frantically searching everywhere he can for Eichi, one hand cupped at the side of his mouth as he shouts.

There's something else clenched in his other hand, a tight fist that he doesn't relax throughout the entire time. ]

Comments

[randori]

[ He'd be more assured, if "as healthy as ever" didn't mean "shit health." But he's a little more relieved to see Eichi at least standing, even if he doesn't seem completely put together. ]

I'm okay! I'm totally okay! What about you? You didn't see that suit of armor, did you?

[ Eichi can barely breathe, how is he supposed to win a dance-off?? ]

[finethanks]

S-suit of armor?

[What did he MISS... Eichi pushes himself away from the wall, even if he's not the most stable, stepping closer to Natsuo.]

I haven't seen anything like that. I left just recently to see what had happened, and after I realized... I came right back here. [He felt sick.]

[randori]

[ He's not even going to explain— it might be better if he did, give Eichi a leg up on what's happening- but explaining that would mean explaining everything else, and he's not ready to relive it yet. ]

Good. Just- don't go downstairs, okay? Just until we get rid of it. I dunno if it can even climb stairs... But stay here! Just stay here, and I'll stay with you too!

[finethanks]

[Hm. Eichi stumbles a little with his next step, catching himself by grabbing onto Natsuo's shoulder as he coughs into his other hand. Sorry. He stays like that, even when he's done.]

I'm glad to see you're alright, Natsuo-kun. I was worried, you know?

[randori]

[ Natsuo hurries to throw Eichi's arm over his shoulder so he can carry that weight, although it'll still be a lot of Eichi leaning on him, with the height difference. Should he just carry him? He should carry him... ]

I won't worry you anymore, so you gotta take care too! Here- let's go to the kitchen and get water or something. Where were you? Somewhere dusty? Did you have to run from something?

[finethanks]

It was nothing like that. I walked down to see Gi-Gan-san in the case, and came back up... Ah, my body is so weak that, at times, it's impossible for me to even walk a few steps without getting winded, or lift a spoon.

[He leans on Natsuo a little, but this is a huge height difference, so not too much. He lifts the hand not around his shoulders to show him something.]

I have a special talent for detecting the health of someone by the color of their fingernails, my own included. See this color? It means my body isn't doing so well overall. Perhaps it's the stress, or however we were taken here.

[randori]

[ He can't even lift a spoon but he can knock somebody out in one hit, hmm.

He stares at Eichi's fingernails, though, squinting a little, trying to see if he's BSing him. ] Is it better or worse since we came here...? Ah- [ sticks his hand in front of Eichi's face too ]

What about me?! Do mine!

[ Healthy, for the most part? Sure has a lot of hangnails though, ]

[finethanks]

[It depends on the DAY, NATSUO]

It's about the same since I arrived here, but it's much worse than I was before. [But alright, he'll gently take Natsuo's hand. Hmm.]

You're fairly healthy, but you should take better care of your hands, Natsuo-kun. [His own slender, beautiful fingers are unfair, but at least take care of the hangnails...]

[randori]

[ He will rip them off when they get too annoying, don't worry.

but he looks surprised at the deduction- ] Yeah, I'm healthy! It's amazing you could tell!! [ It's something you could tell just by looking at his face, or hearing his voice, but. Also the fact about not taking care of his hands- the knuckles are rough, a little scratched up, like he's used to fighting. ]

[finethanks]

[Well, good thing it's a Real talent of his and it's fucking weird]

Fufu, if there ever comes a day where this becomes useful, I wonder if I'd be of some help? In the meantime... [Still holding his hand, gently like the prince he is, he runs his thumb over those knuckles.] I'll ask again that you take better care of your hands.

[randori]

[ He could look at people's fingernails during murder trials and see who's stressing. It'll be like a lie detector! ]

Um. Uh! [ having his hand held like that is embarrassing but he can't physically run away or Eichi will drop to the ground ] It's fine! They're fine! I take care of them!

[finethanks]

[That's fine, because Eichi takes his own hand back so he can cough into it again.]

Your knuckles tell me that you're something of a street thug. [He has one butler formally street thug in fine, he knows fighting fists when he sees them!!]

[randori]

Street thug... [ it's true, but don't say it like that?? ]
It's more respectable than that! It's a gang!

[finethanks]

As we head to the kitchen, why don't you tell me more about this gang of yours?

[It calms him to hear this wild shit]

[randori]

Eh? You really want to hear it...? [ He loves his gang and everything, but it's also... sort of a sad topic that makes him hesitate a little before going forward with it. ]

It was a middle school gang! Did you guys have one? My gang brothers and I would hang out at school every day and make sure nobody messes with our town!

[finethanks]

It was only recently that I was able to properly return to school... Most of my years were spent more in a hospital than anywhere else.

[So, no gang times for him.] Fufu, so you were some sort of protective gang?

[randori]

Yeah! [ no they weren't ]

If anybody not in our gang messes with the people in our town— fighting on the streets or disturbing the peace or something, we go and beat 'em up!

[finethanks]

How noble of you. Like vigilantes, is that it? Fufu, it's far more realistic than your average "hero"...

[He hums, though it turns into a harsh cough, and his free hand has to grab onto a wall even as they're walking.]

[randori]

—Are you dying?! What do you need?!! Water?? Maybe you shouldn't talk?!?

[ WHY IS THERE NO MEDICINE HERE ]

[finethanks]

W-we're on our way to the kitchen, so please don't worry. Let's keep going.

[He wants tea... Give him tea.]

[randori]

[ What if he chokes on a stray tea leaf or something? Tea is now banned.

And Natsuo shrugs Eichi off so he can turn around and lift him into a princess carry- sorry, they'll get there faster this way and every second counts when somebody is actively dying. ]

[finethanks]

Uwah—

[He's clearly startled, clutching onto Natsuo for dear life. HE'S TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND]

W-what are you doing?! Put me down! You'll drop me like this! You— [cough choke hack]

[randori]

[ Nope. If you can't speak, your complaints are invalid. ]

I'm carrying you! I absolutely don't drop you, so just believe in me!

[ It seems like something he's used to— capable, too, in that his arms don't shake in the slightest, and he keeps his arms loose but close so that Eichi doesn't get shaken very much every time he takes a step. ]

[finethanks]

Beyond just dropping me, then, what if someone were to see us like this...

[He's embarrassed more than anything else. His pride? At least he's too busy coughing to fight much, and he gives in, relaxing, making it easier. It is comfortable, somehow.]

[randori]

What's wrong with it?

[ It's not embarrassing at all. For Natsuo. ]