User blog:SouichiKazehaya/GE2: Azure Eyes, Crimson Skies - Weakness

I suppose a series of my own is in order, since I immediately wound up getting this idea after writing that short thing earlier. Here it is -- Azure Eyes, Crimson Skies, short stories centering around my Protagonist and his relationships with his team, starting with...

Who: Ciel Alencon and Souichi Kazehaya When: Post-Magatsu Kyuubi Mission Where: Far East Branch, Blood Floor / Souichi's Room Summary: Sometimes, being weak isn't a bad thing to be.

~February 2074~


 * "Captain, I have today's training routine." The door opens while I'm in bed, and Ciel's voice chimes in.


 * "Just leave it there on my table; I'll look over it later..." Tired, I roll over to turn my back to the white-haired organizer of the team. Exasperated, she forces my lightly-dressed form to turn over.


 * "I realize you came back from your mission recently, but it couldn't have been that tiring...could it?"


 * Wincing at the light that illuminated the normally dim room, I sleepily rub my eyes as I look up at my vice-captain's irises. I could've sworn my expression was sharp -- more than I'd wanted it to be.


 * "Try telling that to the Magatsu Kyuubi we had to chase down. Or just ask Nana; she'll tell you all about it..." My tone was a tad more grim than it needed to be; between how much she got thrown around, how Alisa got blindsided by the Sekhmet and Lindow and I having to keep things together, the mission was pyrrhic at best. Our God Arcs were even sent into maintenence for the next week... Well, all but one, anyway. Lindow's really lucky to have that arm of his; that weapon he's got probably doesn't even need any maintenance since his arm does it for him...


 * "...I'll forgive it, then." She sighs, and settles next to me. Whatever hardened expression I had softens, though not by much seeing that I was still tense from the whole mess. "That, however, brings me to another matter..."


 * "What is it?" Still bleary from my lack of rest, I turn to stare up at the ceiling.


 * "Are you really sure you should be pushing yourself this hard? I admire your willingness to keep going, but you've been going on mission after mission without rest..."


 * I sigh.


 * "What can we really do about it? We have to be ready; in a world as desolate as this, anything can happen. It's just a matter of when, where, and how..." It wasn't like I was any happier about going this far with my work, either, but I had to. That mission was a special sort of emergency -- one that neither the branch I was an honorary member of nor our unit could really ignore. Especially since its materials could be valuable towards enhancing what defenses we had...


 * "I realize that...but you still need to give yourself the time of day. Even if it is hard for you to do so..." Her hand grips my shoulder. "I know you're capable, Captain -- more than a fit for Blood...but what worth is that experience and skill if you get yourself killed?"


 * "Don't ask questions with obvious answers, Ciel. That doesn't really help me." I shut my eyes firmly. "Instead...tell me what I can do. Even if it's something small...I want to at least be helping someone with what I do."


 * I feel one of her arms wrap around me -- then the other. I find myself being made to sit up, and Ciel herself has settled with her chin on my shoulder. It felt like the time she jumped on me after finally creating the transformation module for our Blood Bullets...


 * ...except maybe this time, she was more than aware of what she was doing. I can't really say for sure.


 * "...Just...stay with me for a while."


 * "Ciel...?" I turn my head to look at her.


 * "I'm aware that this may be asking for too much, even with the world around us being what it is...but I'd...appreciate even one moment. Just for the assurance that you're still here."


 * I remain silent, closing my eyes again. For a while, our breathing is probably the only thing we can really hear...at least, until she speaks up again.


 * "...I'm sorry for asking something like this of you." She says, keeping her chin on my shoulder.


 * "It's fine...but why?"


 * "...We've lost our first Captain, and a God Eater that was more than just a comrade-in-arms. I...needed to know. That you wouldn't be gone like the both of them...If you were to share either of their fates, I don't know how much more of it we can take..." ...For a moment, I could have sworn I heard a light sob. At that point, I'd finally understood why she did this...so I turn to hug her back.


 * "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. Besides...if you're with me out there...I don't think there's an Aragami in the world that can hold us back." I reassure her as best as I could, keeping my voice firm as I settle into the embrace.


 * Ciel reciprocates, and lingers. It's then that I get a good look of her...and she looked like she was doing all she could to not look weak. I can't really blame her -- not being able to fulfill that promise struck home a little too badly for my tastes, as well. But he wouldn't have wanted me to mourn forever. I still had--no, WE still had one duty to fulfill.


 * For the time being, though...maybe letting ourselves feel weak was what we needed, more than anything else.