6/24: eichi

[randori]

[ It's later at night than he would have liked, standing in front of the wind dorm door— not even the door that opens to the bedroom he'd shared with Eichi and Akechi, but the dormitory itself, like it's the castle doors barred to him.

He has a partner now. He's no longer a stray, to be taken in out of kindness or pity or what he hopes was something of friendship. But he doesn't want to say goodbye, either- he'd made promises, after all. Even though he'd been breaking them left and right all week. ]

Comments

[finethanks]

The only time the sun burns is when you fly too close like Icarus, or refuse to prepare yourself. Its warmth is something I've always craved. It brings people joy, even those who dislike the heat— chemicals in the body change, and depression fades away. It's magical, isn't it?

It's just like you.

[He's just still going with this.] You're right. I was wrong to suggest anything different in your methods. If anything, I should be learning a thing or two from you... but I wonder if I'm really the type of person who can.

[He glances down, between them.]

In any case... I hope that things go better for you, Natsuo-kun.

[randori]

[ Natsuo knows nothing about chemicals or depression, but he knows that sunlight makes him happy- it means being outside and not cooped up in a classroom, it means summer vacation and getting to go home and being with his friends, those sorts of things. ]

But the sun itself... it's way up there in the sky where nobody can reach it. For the sun, that sounds really lonely, so I don't want to be like that. You don't have to make everybody happy, and I don't need to either. The small number of people I have right now, they've made it so things are already good for me. They've been good.

[ Despite. Everything. ]

[finethanks]

[His smile can't get any more fond than this.]

That's a nice way of looking at things. I hope, then, that things continue to stay good, and you can live through that. Selfishly, I'd like to keep calling you my knight.

[randori]

I'll stay your knight! Forever, until you can't use me anymore! I was practicing all week, you know? I learned how to clean a sword and everything!

[ Not how to use it, but, just cleaning. He was serious about that, though; Dave's death hit him hard enough to pick up not only his sword, but his mantle of a knight and the promise to keep people safe. He just needs to figure out a way to do that. ]

[finethanks]

You're not someone that I want to use, you know, Natsuo-kun. I'd just like for us to be friends.

[It makes him sad to hear the word "use" since he used so many people, and was used himself. He never wanted to do what he did to Leo, he only wanted to be friends, and that just didn't work out...

So can he at least save this?]

[randori]

[ Hmm. Only because ilu. ]

They don't have to be separate things, you know? Friends can use friends. Mm... "help"? Is the word "help"?

[ Don't they mean the same thing...? The fact that he's used- be it as a pawn, a servant, a dog- is something he's just sort of accepted as his lot in life, but somewhere deep deep down inside, he never truly dislikes it. If somebody uses you, you're useful. And that's the best feeling there is. ]

[finethanks]

[Thanks, Eichi is a good boy trust me on this]

Help is a very different word, you know.

[He laughs, though.] Help, yes. Friends do help friends, don't they? Then, we can help each other. I'm fine with that.

[randori]

Yeah, we're friends! So I'm going to ask you to help me with something, okay?

[finethanks]

[If he wasn't incredibly fond of Natsuo, he'd be offended at that.]

Hearing something like that from you has me bracing myself. Still, of course I'd like to help. What is it that you need?

[randori]

A lot of things! [ he'll be back to capitalize on ~*~*friendship*~*~ ]

But the most important thing— I want to hear you sing again someday. Okay? Promise?

[finethanks]

[That makes him so happy...........]

...Of course. I promise.