[But boy that tiny smile is wiped off his face in like 5 seconds flat after Junpei starts reading THANKS HE HATES ALL OF THAT!! Like wow he'd just managed to kind of climb back onto his wobbly feet after the initial impact of learning of Beck and Chuuya's deaths only to be knocked right the fuck back over by this letter.
It's hard to tell what he's feeling by expression alone - there's definitely something there, but it's difficult to parse. Maybe because he himself isn't entirely sure what to feel, hearing things laid out like that. It's not like he's ever been particularly good at, y'know. Feeling feelings. It's fine! Junpei knows how it is.
When he takes the letter back, it's with careful, gentle hands, like he's handling Chuuya's body all over again.]
...Thank you.
[To Junpei, for reading it. To Chuuya, maybe, for writing it - for bothering to think so charitably of him in the first place. For letting him have someone to belong to, short as the time was.]
[...what do you say to someone who's clearly struggling but trying not to? Fuck if Junpei knows, he barely knows how to read his own emotions these days. It's why he lets Wei Wuxian take the letter and folds his hands in his lap, patiently waiting for him to process everything and speak for himself.]
...he told me the ribbon he had was yours. [It's sort of conversational the way he says it, but it's well-meaning. It's most something to say "he really did mean something by it. Wild, right?" Because sometimes it's amazing and confusing to think of how other people think of you when you don't know how to think of yourself.]
[This is a boat full of people who need SO MUCH HELP!!
In any case, he just sort of - takes a breath, after a second. The letter is carefully folded and he slides it into his robes along with whatever other manner of nonsense is in there (which, speaking of, he'll probably notice quite a few scattered snacks and pieces of paper on the floor - they had fallen out in his haste to leave after he'd first noticed Beck's absence and Chuuya's error message.)]
Mm, we made a trade. [He lifts his chin a little, touching the choker that he's been wearing for two wholeass weeks that HARDLY ANYONE HAS NOTICED it's fine. He does have a lot of hair and a lot of robes and moves around a ridiculous amount, it's hard to spot.
Though he does seem to get the sentiment Junpei held, considering shortly after, he adds:]
Haha - people really are something else, aren't they?
[And that's how you know things are bad, really. But he says nothing about it. Instead, he looks at the choker there, a soft smile in place as he takes a closer look.]
He implied as much. Said his hair wasn't long enough so he kept it around his wrist. [But at the same time he looks a little tired.] ...I think the word you might be looking for is "surprising." People are really surprising when you don't consider how they might step into our lives without permission.
[It's fine!! This squad is doing great, they are weebles.
In any case, after Junpei's done looking, he'll lean back again. He's been keeping his hair up with a different ribbon lately too, so there's that explained - he reaches up to touch it, and then laughs.]
Hm, true - how true that is! I think we've probably all had our share of surprises here.
[But his voice is fond when he says that. Even with all of the adjoining pain, he really does love the people here and the fact that he's had the chance to grow close to them at all.]
...How are you holding up, speaking of? Not really much of a point in asking, I know, but.
[A sloping, helpless shrug. He knows Junpei and Beck were close, after all.]
[I know I said it first but stop it. He's still giving Wei Wuxian his space, watching his movements curiously and nodding because, like, yeah? This ship is full of surprises both good and bad. But the good ones have been worth it.]
That's one way to put it. Some people would say "expect the unexpected" but that sounds counterproductive. [Hah.
When he mentions Beck, though, something in his face changes from relaxed and fond to a little more brittle and unsettled. He doesn't reply immediately, but...well.]
...the thing about getting close to people is you don't know which time will be the last time you see them. Beck and I were supposed to get off of this ship together. She was one of the best people I've met here, you know? None of us really deserve what's happening here, but she's probably the one who deserved it the least.
[no this is what you've brought upon the world it's here forever now
Either way, that's about what he'd... expected. His expression softens a little, in turn; he absolutely thinks Junpei's statements are entirely correct and doubts he even needs to verbalize that. So instead, after he hums out a soft and lilting note of agreement:]
—You'll still get off of it together. We all will - no one here is going to give up on our dead. [EXCEPT EDELGARD OF THE FUTURE APPARENTLY.]
Hah... Maybe that's where that stubbornness of ours come in, hm?
I hope you're right. [TIME TO SOMEHOW FIND A MIRACLE, DAMN.] I want to believe we've worked closely enough together that there're at least some attachments there to help us, but it might be one of those things we really have to get creative.
Or stubborn, yeah. [There's a light smile.] ...it's only Wednesday and this is already happening. What does that say about the rest of the week?
He also laughs a little at that, though it's a little dry-sounding compared to what's usual for him.]
Creative and stubborn! Having both can't be a bad thing. [They will probably Need both. They'll need every damn thing they can get honestly??]
--I'm a little concerned about that, myself. Tomorrow will be even messier if the trend holds up, and then there may be another death yet come Friday...
[And then it is indeed confirmed there Will be another death on Friday but hey at least nothing happened on Thursday! Probably.]
One body yesterday, two today. Should we be expecting three tomorrow? [OR FIVE ON FRIDAY, JESUS.] At least in the Decision Game we sort of knew signs to look for. This is giving us nothing and...what bothers me is why some bodies have disappeared and others haven't.
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[But boy that tiny smile is wiped off his face in like 5 seconds flat after Junpei starts reading THANKS HE HATES ALL OF THAT!! Like wow he'd just managed to kind of climb back onto his wobbly feet after the initial impact of learning of Beck and Chuuya's deaths only to be knocked right the fuck back over by this letter.
It's hard to tell what he's feeling by expression alone - there's definitely something there, but it's difficult to parse. Maybe because he himself isn't entirely sure what to feel, hearing things laid out like that. It's not like he's ever been particularly good at, y'know. Feeling feelings. It's fine! Junpei knows how it is.
When he takes the letter back, it's with careful, gentle hands, like he's handling Chuuya's body all over again.]
...Thank you.
[To Junpei, for reading it. To Chuuya, maybe, for writing it - for bothering to think so charitably of him in the first place. For letting him have someone to belong to, short as the time was.]
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...he told me the ribbon he had was yours. [It's sort of conversational the way he says it, but it's well-meaning. It's most something to say "he really did mean something by it. Wild, right?" Because sometimes it's amazing and confusing to think of how other people think of you when you don't know how to think of yourself.]
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In any case, he just sort of - takes a breath, after a second. The letter is carefully folded and he slides it into his robes along with whatever other manner of nonsense is in there (which, speaking of, he'll probably notice quite a few scattered snacks and pieces of paper on the floor - they had fallen out in his haste to leave after he'd first noticed Beck's absence and Chuuya's error message.)]
Mm, we made a trade. [He lifts his chin a little, touching the choker that he's been wearing for two wholeass weeks that HARDLY ANYONE HAS NOTICED it's fine. He does have a lot of hair and a lot of robes and moves around a ridiculous amount, it's hard to spot.
Though he does seem to get the sentiment Junpei held, considering shortly after, he adds:]
Haha - people really are something else, aren't they?
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He implied as much. Said his hair wasn't long enough so he kept it around his wrist. [But at the same time he looks a little tired.] ...I think the word you might be looking for is "surprising." People are really surprising when you don't consider how they might step into our lives without permission.
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In any case, after Junpei's done looking, he'll lean back again. He's been keeping his hair up with a different ribbon lately too, so there's that explained - he reaches up to touch it, and then laughs.]
Hm, true - how true that is! I think we've probably all had our share of surprises here.
[But his voice is fond when he says that. Even with all of the adjoining pain, he really does love the people here and the fact that he's had the chance to grow close to them at all.]
...How are you holding up, speaking of? Not really much of a point in asking, I know, but.
[A sloping, helpless shrug. He knows Junpei and Beck were close, after all.]
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That's one way to put it. Some people would say "expect the unexpected" but that sounds counterproductive. [Hah.
When he mentions Beck, though, something in his face changes from relaxed and fond to a little more brittle and unsettled. He doesn't reply immediately, but...well.]
...the thing about getting close to people is you don't know which time will be the last time you see them. Beck and I were supposed to get off of this ship together. She was one of the best people I've met here, you know? None of us really deserve what's happening here, but she's probably the one who deserved it the least.
[...so that is to say "not great, but managing."]
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Either way, that's about what he'd... expected. His expression softens a little, in turn; he absolutely thinks Junpei's statements are entirely correct and doubts he even needs to verbalize that. So instead, after he hums out a soft and lilting note of agreement:]
—You'll still get off of it together. We all will - no one here is going to give up on our dead. [EXCEPT EDELGARD OF THE FUTURE APPARENTLY.]
Hah... Maybe that's where that stubbornness of ours come in, hm?
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Or stubborn, yeah. [There's a light smile.] ...it's only Wednesday and this is already happening. What does that say about the rest of the week?
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He also laughs a little at that, though it's a little dry-sounding compared to what's usual for him.]
Creative and stubborn! Having both can't be a bad thing. [They will probably Need both. They'll need every damn thing they can get honestly??]
--I'm a little concerned about that, myself. Tomorrow will be even messier if the trend holds up, and then there may be another death yet come Friday...
[And then it is indeed confirmed there Will be another death on Friday but hey at least nothing happened on Thursday! Probably.]
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[Otherwise he has no idea why the bodies left behind before Friday just vanish.]
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