sometimes i think about how ben jumped into the ocean to, yes, follow his friends, but more specifically, accept darius's hand and darius's hand only. and sometimes i think about how, yes, it was the whole group that waited for ben, but more importantly, it was darius that clung to the rails, literally begged ben to come with them when he wasn't even there to hear it. and sometimes i think about the implications of that. the obvious conclusion to darius's survivor's guilt but also the insinuation that darius is ben's tether to the nublar 6. how poetic that is. the boy that thought he failed ben is the one (human person) that saves him physically, spiritually, emotionally. and sometimes i can't consider all of that without getting in my feelings about it