"He could tell you're not..." His voice catches on the words he won't say. "But you are alive! How could he even tell something like that? You're here! I can see you!" If she were a ghost or just... gone... then they wouldn't be having this conversation.
He doesn't know why that bothers him so much. Perhaps that, if the kid thinks it's definite, then maybe it could be. Just another case of fate chewing up the people caught in its gears. And... that brings to question how much she remembers. He doesn't want her to remember that, the gruesome details of what exactly happened. He doesn't want that image in his head himself.
He folds his arms and frowns at the floor. "People here have said they've died before. Not like... you, or even me, but in whatever worlds they were taken to. I was told they got 'brought back' somehow. Like that magician guy did." His head shakes a little. "This place doesn't make sense." And usually he's able to roll with that, just go with the horrible flow like he does in his own life. "This guy not knowing Quincy and that weird skeleton world. I thought Justin was just an annoying jerk before but he mentioned eating souls on the bulletin like it didn't even matter. I'm waiting for him to be like--" Aizen. "--someone else. Or for this world to be some kind of sick game again. I don't know. I don't like this."
He takes that harder than she thought he would, spilling a number of concerns that she hadn't even known were on his mind. Doubts about their fellow villagers, doubts about this village in general. She sees the way it makes a spiral around him, pressing in with uncertainty.
She reaches out to take his hands, pulling his arms out of the crossed position over his chest. "The way I see it... It doesn't matter if we don't know what this place is about. If we can't do anything about it, then that's all there is. All we really need to do is keep moving forward--right?"
There's already so few rules to his existence, so many lines crossed and broken, things thrown into doubt. Maybe he's just tired. Maybe he just needs some manner of ground that's solid.
She pulls his arms apart and takes his hands in hers, and he looks up and listens. Then laughs a little to himself because she's right.
"Yeah. Yeah of course we do. No point in stopping and wallowing, we keep going. Like we always do." That's something solid. That's something that's theirs, their family's. It's the old man's and even his. That's something to hang onto. He hangs onto her hands. "I guess it's been a while since I could put that to use. Next time I'll remember."
Next time I'll remember. She smiles at that, warm and happy. It's not a lot, but it's something. It's them and their family. It's knowing that no matter how dark the horizon looks, as long as they keep going and keep pressing forward, it'll get brighter.
"Good. But if you don't, I'll be here to remind you." She squeezes his hands.
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He doesn't know why that bothers him so much. Perhaps that, if the kid thinks it's definite, then maybe it could be. Just another case of fate chewing up the people caught in its gears. And... that brings to question how much she remembers. He doesn't want her to remember that, the gruesome details of what exactly happened. He doesn't want that image in his head himself.
He folds his arms and frowns at the floor. "People here have said they've died before. Not like... you, or even me, but in whatever worlds they were taken to. I was told they got 'brought back' somehow. Like that magician guy did." His head shakes a little. "This place doesn't make sense." And usually he's able to roll with that, just go with the horrible flow like he does in his own life. "This guy not knowing Quincy and that weird skeleton world. I thought Justin was just an annoying jerk before but he mentioned eating souls on the bulletin like it didn't even matter. I'm waiting for him to be like--" Aizen. "--someone else. Or for this world to be some kind of sick game again. I don't know. I don't like this."
no subject
She reaches out to take his hands, pulling his arms out of the crossed position over his chest. "The way I see it... It doesn't matter if we don't know what this place is about. If we can't do anything about it, then that's all there is. All we really need to do is keep moving forward--right?"
no subject
She pulls his arms apart and takes his hands in hers, and he looks up and listens. Then laughs a little to himself because she's right.
"Yeah. Yeah of course we do. No point in stopping and wallowing, we keep going. Like we always do." That's something solid. That's something that's theirs, their family's. It's the old man's and even his. That's something to hang onto. He hangs onto her hands. "I guess it's been a while since I could put that to use. Next time I'll remember."
no subject
"Good. But if you don't, I'll be here to remind you." She squeezes his hands.
no subject
That's more than enough.