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“I’m not gonna do that if i were you.”
Her movement stops. This might be her fortieth-something attempt, yet it’s actually the first time someone actually interrupted her before she pulls away by herself.
“... Who are you?”
The man looks like he is surrounded by mist, as if he was just arrived from somewhere high, but she might be so close to death that she is hallucinating.
“Just a passer-by.”
“Nobody ever walked across in every single time i tried to slit my wrist.”
She doesn’t believe in his words. She doesn’t want to believe her guardian angel actually sent a heavenly bird from above to help her either.
“Of course you would say that, but,” the man stops, “if you decide to continue, i might have to kill myself as well.”
“W-why is that?”
“So I could assist you walk the stairs to heaven. And the bridges before those. And maybe the oceans and mountains before those as well. Trust me, Miss, it’s not going to be an easy trip. None of my previous travellings are even close to a difficult, final journey of life, you are about to face. Wrong turn and suddenly you ended up in hell. We don’t want that.”
Nataliya gives her most confused look ever as the man continues,
“and we both know you are too beautiful to be in there.”
Now she is not sure what to feel.
“... Did you just flirt with someone who was about to end her life?”
“You took that as a flirting? I feel honored.”
“What?”
“I was only doing my best to change your mind. I was so scared that it might not work. And there is no stupid attempts. If it works, then it’s not stupid.”
The White Ursine must be so confused that she bursts into laugh.
“You are unbelievable.” She wipes her left eye. “Just who are you?”
“I told you that i’m no more than a passer-by. Then one day i passed by the great moving Rhodes Island. Then the next day i passed those trials they did to recruit random guys. I kept passing on things until one day i realized i actually have a job. Crazy, right?”
“No, you are just stupid.”
“Stupid enough that you forgot about the knife.”
He smiles to her, who is no longer holding the sharp item. She puzzles for several seconds before slowly smiles back.
“So you came from the next ship.” Nataliya guesses. “May i know our guest name?”
“It’s Elysium. And i’m no stranger to the Logistic Departement, except i never actually delivered our bounties to ...”
“Nataliya.”
“Ah, you guys don’t use codename here?”
“Not as urgent as for you frontliners,” she replies, “even so, i’ve been wondering if i should apply there as well. Just because i need ... Some distractions from these dark thoughts ...”
“You totally should.”
Nataliya is surprised that the Liberi quickly agreed to her.
“Almost everyday, we put our lives on line. No, we actually trusted them to our leader who holds them dearly, even if we still had no guarantee that we’re going to come back safe and sound, or if we’re going to be lucky enough to feel alive once again.”
“If it’s dangerous, why should i join you then?”
“Just so you can value your life more.”
“!”
Elysium steps forward and hands something that looks like a long ribbon.
“If you think you can go,” he continues, “tie this to the harpoon you are using later.”
“H-h-how are you so sure that i’m gonna use a harpoon?”
“I have a bad sight,” he winks as he is about to leave for the night, “red, like that bow on your shoulder, makes it slightly easier to notice things far away.”
“That’s not what i meant! I—ugh—is it important that you are aware of my presence later??”
“How else am i going to protect you then?”
“Huh?”
“Goodnight, Miss.”
And he left as she gradually tightens her grip to the ribbon, still as confused as ever.
.
.
-.-.-
.
.
“Did you convince her?”
It’s always a dim, silent, yet warm surroundings in the Doctor office. Elysium accepts his cup of coffee, before he finally nods.
“I thought so.”
“Was it a score?”
“Her urges to send the application might grow stronger now that i left a memento for her.”
“So you are not sure then.”
The doctor sounds gentle, like they are in relief. After all, Elysium had it worse. Even the Doctor wasn’t able to stop him from keep going to the Logistic Department, keeping his barely working eyes on someone he decided to fall in love with, just to find out that she was in deep, nightmarish, longtime depression.
“I always had the feeling that she was not going to do it,” Elysium talks calmly, “yet tonight, i felt like i needed to show up. I couldn’t keep watching her go attempt-then-pull-away habit every night, not having the idea when she will finally stop.”
“So you decided to step forward,” the Doctor nods, “like you should have done months ago, but you were too scared that she will go reckless and hurt herself even more.”
“I know nothing inside her mind,” Elysium adds, “as for me, jumping from the top of Iberia might be my best option if this eyesight keeps on getting worse. But—“
The Doctor feels like knowing what the young man is about to say.
“the fact that sighting her beauty is the only moment when my vision gets better, makes me wanna tell her that she doesn’t deserve to be that helpless when all she ever did is helping me. She doesn’t have to stay in that dark place when all she ever did is putting me in the light. Yet she had no idea!”
“You are going to have all the time you needed to warm her freezing heart,” the Doctor cuts, “and finally tell her what you truly felt all those times, only if she decides to join, of course.”
“She will.” Elysium grabs his pole, one that helps him support his teammates—especially snipers, “and i’ve never been this sure in my whole life.”