[we do in fact have a jamba juice in the mall and she loves it.]
Fair enough. I never know how used to him they are. [but she shakes her head.] It was already here when we arrived, but I'm not so sure about before that. Probably not too new though. A lot of us like spending time here playing with the cats and keeping them busy.
...but this place is sort of like the other side, too. We get new places at the beginning of the week, and we get to have access to the trees we lost over there.
Yeah. A lot of them like the little feather toys on the sticks. The ones they can pounce on? I've been trying different things to see what they'd play with most. [she is very still to watch this brave baby sneaksneak its way forward. pspsps...
but ah. yes. the yuffie. there's a quiet moment where she seems to ruminate on that, and there's a soft sigh.]
I know. I can only imagine. I didn't...[she frowns then.] I knew how much it would hurt her if something happened to me. This wasn't what I wanted her to have to go through, especially without Cloud, too. [but.] ...thank you for being a friend to her. I know she's really energetic and loud and kind of reckless, but she's a good kid. I wish more than anything she wasn't here.
[ he didn't interrupt aerith when she spoke, but he does interject quickly once she's done. ]
She's a loud and reckless kid, but she's been gathering information and she always moves forward. She came to me and asked to swap our monsters. I gave her a lot of chances to opt-out, but she'd set her mind to it. We weren't a match.
[ obviously ]
The whole time, all she cared about was her promise to you.
Sure is. [she won't deny that. yuffie's a strong, brave girl.] ...she's been working hard and I know part of it is she wants to help and the other part is she needs to stay busy. She's not good at staying still. Never has been. But good. I...we talked about it a little before Cloud and I came here. About maybe thinking about finding our matches at least just to know, if not to actually match. I'm glad she's still trading around.
[but...ah.]
...she really doesn't have to worry about promises to me when I'm the one who left. But I know that won't stop her either.
A lot of people on that side of things have lost a lot of important people. And that's what makes it so hard, but it's all the more reason we have to find ways to remind them they still have each other. I...don't want them to forget us. But I don't want them to forget they have people there who feel the same way, too. They have to know they can rely on each other more now.
[yay friends...understandable, except in her case she's the ghoul who keeps following lucas around.]
She's a smart lady, and I agree with her. We're here, but we're not done yet. I think as long as we remember that and keep striving for a change, we can make it happen. We can't be stuck forever. [so she agrees with that, too.] I think...it feels wrong to say it's better to have more of us here. I don't want other people to get hurt. But I also feel like with more of us here now, we're making even more progress to figuring out what to do. Nehan seems to think our focus should be on figuring out stuff here, while the other side is meant to find a way to stop the ritual. It's like our chapter there has finished and we're starting a new one here. Or...you know. Another new stop on our journey, but not the final destination.
When you put it that way, it really does feel like I... needed to die.
[ what an odd thing? he's looking at his hands, fingerless gloves covering the palms. no wringing, but some itchy finger curling like he'd love to be grabbing something something. anything. ]
I've always had to see every side of something. I've always witnessed the important moments. If I'm here now, it's to make sure everyone who perished gets another shot.
[ his fists will simply clench on air ]
Don't think it's self-sacrifice, though. I'll be getting myself out, too. Everyone means everyone.
[maybe. she won't ever really agree people need to die (mostly because she, uh, has a lot of complicated feelings about deaths and what can be done on the other side of those deaths), but she can see his point. she does at least acknowledge that it's better to be able to view both sides of a problem before working toward a solution.]
Never thought it'd be self-sacrifice, Caelus. [a little smile.] Everybody wants to get out and go home eventually, even if they're not as sure of it as you are. You're with us now though. So...don't think you have to do this by yourself either. Maybe you've been the one to see all of these important things, but we're a team. We're going to need each other to succeed. You know?
Yeah. I'll be depending on the Scawwy cultnapped crew and making sure they can depend on me.
[ caelus wants to be a hero, but not at the expense of the day actually being saved. it's by the power and grace of his friends that he's gotten as far as this. ]
If I can do anything to help, let me know. I'll check in with everyone and see what I can do.
[she's just moving to gently squish his face with both hands. good boy.]
Sure. I know you will. [squiiiish.] Just remember you can talk to us and ask us for help. Even if it doesn't feel like it's something important, or something that'll help everybody. We all have to start taking better care of ourselves, too, if we want to help each other.
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Thanks. I'm not in a rush. And I might smell like Pickles.
[ already went on walkies.
no need to push the cats until they're ready. ]
Is this place new?
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Fair enough. I never know how used to him they are. [but she shakes her head.] It was already here when we arrived, but I'm not so sure about before that. Probably not too new though. A lot of us like spending time here playing with the cats and keeping them busy.
...but this place is sort of like the other side, too. We get new places at the beginning of the week, and we get to have access to the trees we lost over there.
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I can see why. Even when they're acting shy, they're cute.
[ waggles fingers at some curious babies. a brave stripey friend steps forward to sniff.
seemingly apropos of nothing: ]
Yuffie really misses you.
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but ah. yes. the yuffie. there's a quiet moment where she seems to ruminate on that, and there's a soft sigh.]
I know. I can only imagine. I didn't...[she frowns then.] I knew how much it would hurt her if something happened to me. This wasn't what I wanted her to have to go through, especially without Cloud, too. [but.] ...thank you for being a friend to her. I know she's really energetic and loud and kind of reckless, but she's a good kid. I wish more than anything she wasn't here.
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[ he didn't interrupt aerith when she spoke, but he does interject quickly once she's done. ]
She's a loud and reckless kid, but she's been gathering information and she always moves forward. She came to me and asked to swap our monsters. I gave her a lot of chances to opt-out, but she'd set her mind to it. We weren't a match.
[ obviously ]
The whole time, all she cared about was her promise to you.
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[but...ah.]
...she really doesn't have to worry about promises to me when I'm the one who left. But I know that won't stop her either.
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[ to keep himself together, he made those extra-strong bonds trailblazers are always forging. in hindsight, maybe that was its own cruelty.
fuck was kanda right??? nooooo ]
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[ because aerith has always been empathetic and sensible and worth listening to. it's hard to find the words for how much he missed having that. ]
Marina said where there's an entry, there's an exit.
[ and now he's basically her ghoul bc he can never say no to her again. yay friends. ]
I have a strong feeling like I'm here to help find it. All of us working together will get it done.
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She's a smart lady, and I agree with her. We're here, but we're not done yet. I think as long as we remember that and keep striving for a change, we can make it happen. We can't be stuck forever. [so she agrees with that, too.] I think...it feels wrong to say it's better to have more of us here. I don't want other people to get hurt. But I also feel like with more of us here now, we're making even more progress to figuring out what to do. Nehan seems to think our focus should be on figuring out stuff here, while the other side is meant to find a way to stop the ritual. It's like our chapter there has finished and we're starting a new one here. Or...you know. Another new stop on our journey, but not the final destination.
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When you put it that way, it really does feel like I... needed to die.
[ what an odd thing? he's looking at his hands, fingerless gloves covering the palms. no wringing, but some itchy finger curling like he'd love to be grabbing something something. anything. ]
I've always had to see every side of something. I've always witnessed the important moments. If I'm here now, it's to make sure everyone who perished gets another shot.
[ his fists will simply clench on air ]
Don't think it's self-sacrifice, though. I'll be getting myself out, too. Everyone means everyone.
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Never thought it'd be self-sacrifice, Caelus. [a little smile.] Everybody wants to get out and go home eventually, even if they're not as sure of it as you are. You're with us now though. So...don't think you have to do this by yourself either. Maybe you've been the one to see all of these important things, but we're a team. We're going to need each other to succeed. You know?
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[ caelus wants to be a hero, but not at the expense of the day actually being saved. it's by the power and grace of his friends that he's gotten as far as this. ]
If I can do anything to help, let me know. I'll check in with everyone and see what I can do.
[ +1 feral yet loving raccoon to your gy party ]
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Sure. I know you will. [squiiiish.] Just remember you can talk to us and ask us for help. Even if it doesn't feel like it's something important, or something that'll help everybody. We all have to start taking better care of ourselves, too, if we want to help each other.