[Written]

[seakingbait]

[These last few days, Keimi has done her best to keep composure. It isn't real, she keeps telling herself, yet she still feels the cold tug of iron around her neck, and her world remains silent, as if behind glass. When she isn't focusing on what's real, she swears she can feel herself submerged in the stale water of a fish bowl, back on the auction block. Her handwriting is shaky.]

What do

you do when your

past won't go away?

Comments

written:

[tactilelearner]

Face it.

written:

[seakingbait]

How?

written:

[tactilelearner]

Different for everyone. You can't run from the past, I've learned that. So, sometimes? You've gotta stop running, turn around, and face it.

[seakingbait]

I don't know if I'm strong enough to do that.

[action]

[serving_love]

Keimi-chan...

[Sanji approaches her on deck, holding a cup of tea in his bandaged hands.]

Are you alright?

[seakingbait]

[She can't hear you, Sanji. She turns her head slowly, her eyes catching his. She tries to move towards him, but she feels the tug of chains.]

S-Sanji-chin.

[serving_love]

[His eyes widen a little at the distressed look on her face and the sound of her voice, and he steps closer.]

What is it? I'm right here, are you okay?

[Shit, has something happened to her now, too? He tries to hold the tea out for her to take.]

Don't worry, all of this shit is gonna end soon! Here, take this.

[seakingbait]

[She looks up at him, meekly. A teacup. Sanji is worried about her. She reaches for the cup when she feels the tightening around her wrists. She tenses and fights a scream.]

Let me out!!

[serving_love]

Wha— Out of what? Keimi-chan, there's nothing there!

[Sets the teacup on the railing instead, growing more and more concerned.]

Oi, can you here me? I promise, Keimi-chan, everything's alright!

[He holds his hands up in a placating manner, uncertain if he should maybe try to grasp her shoulders, hold her wrists, something, anything. Mostly uncertain because mun doesn't know if he can touch her through her nightmare??]

[seakingbait]

[But how can it be alright? She's trapped behind glass and covered in chains except not really she's just freaking out and can totally be grabbed.]

D-don't let them take me.

[serving_love]

Take you? Keimi-chan...

[And he does reach forward this time, one hand settling on her shoulder and the other brushing some hair out of her face.]

No one is going to take you anywhere. I promise!

[seakingbait]

[Sanji's hand reaches "through" the glass of Keimi's bowl, his gentle touch reminding her that none of this is real. Quivering, she takes his hand on both her own.]

Th-thank you.

Written

[fierybluebird]

It never goes away.

You just have to learn to adapt to it.

[seakingbait]

I just want it to go away. It hurts so much.

[fierybluebird]

Sorry.

That never leaves either.

It's part of being alive.

Even the most immortal have to hurt sometimes.

written;

[behindthefakesmile]

Keep running from it until it does.

[seakingbait]

I never seem to be fast enough.

[behindthefakesmile]

So it keeps catching up. But I find it's the only thing one can do sometimes. It helps eventually.