[That's rude, Eichi. Not rude in a way Noctis minds, precisely - he hasn't chased him off, after all. It's hard to talk about any of the things that sit in his chest like a thousand lead weights and it's especially not worth burdening this guy who says he could just drop dead at any time—but the effort's kind of nice.

Doesn't solve the problem, though. Doesn't lift the guilt off his shoulders and let him stand a little taller, but it's a nice gesture. Noctis sighs, giving up on his smudge entirely to lean back on his hands and look out at the river, at the rest of the lanterns already released.]

You're kinda weird, you know that? I guess it doesn't matter if you get the point or not. Not sure I really get it myself.

[Does floating a lantern around make it easier? If only.]

I've never... [his brow furrows] I've never been to a funeral, either.

[And like that, another weight settles in his chest, another tendril of guilt wrapping itself around his heart. A funeral? His father never had one, and Luna—it makes him sick to realize it now, separated from everything, that they'd be thrown away like garbage, and no one would even—ngh.

Of course, he expresses all this by sort of rubbing the heel of his hand against his face, because he's definintely not tearing up at all. He reaches for one of the lanterns. Then, to Eichi,] Sorry.

[Which is incidentally what he writes on the lantern's side, smaller and messier than he'd like because someone is looking.]