☪ — VIALS AND VACANCIES.
He always lingers too long, the weight of a hundred gazes - long dead and even longer trapped in this terrible place - heavy on his back. He wants to turn, acknowledge them in the way they haven’t been acknowledged since even before death ultimately claimed them, but they are not here for pleasantries and promises of grim stories today.
He knocks against Eiko as he reaches across to affix a candle in its proper position and he’s not sure if the reminder of his own substance is reassuring or not. Still, he breathes easier with a hint of a sigh upon his lips, as he bows his head to inspect his bag. “Mmm.” He hums, either affirmation or the barest acknowledgement that he was listening, and pulls several vials from his bag. “Do you think this is enough blood?” Akise had not exactly been a willing participant in the preparations.
'Enough', believe it or not, is a word that's lost its meaning to her. As the spirits she's spoken to on weekly bases no longer, nor will they ever find the ability to have enough, it's difficult to comprehend the word's definition. At its simplest, she can manage as much without delay... but even a moment's hesitation sends her tumbling backwards into how little she's yet to learn and back into a slump of recognizing how much she'd like to.
"We don't need too much for this one, I don't think." Matter-of-factly, she offers a purposeful glance to her left wrist and gives way to a shake or two. "If nothing else, I'll be fine. What's important is that we get this done," there's hardly a need for her to warn him against informing their second-eldest brother of the day's activities. Being on the same wavelength typically entails a lack of having to explain that much. "Did you bring the bones, too?" Tiny, crushed ones for a ritual that they'll piece together. All very mandatory.
