[here they are, in a place. he's been trying to avoid people as soon as he realized just what's going on here, but he's intent enough in his destination that he passes by cloud without realizing, and after a moment where the stardust surrounds them—
[ cloud's also been trying to avoid people all day, and he winces when they end up in the memory. and... when they're out of it.
he's not good at comfort, not even a little, but it's probably worse to not address a memory like that at all... right? so he hesitates before he puts a hand on rupert's shoulder ]
... You good? [ after revisiting that, he means. ]
[it's said a little roughly, but it's before he's really distanced himself from the feelings in that memory - the fear, the desperation, the loss. after a long moment, he runs a hand over his face, taking a breath.]
it's familiar for obvious reasons, and - it's tragic, everything from cloud promising him that a friend will be fine to this man begging him to visit a orphanage he used to go to. a moment passes once the memory ends before he speaks.]
... I don't think talking about things makes them better. We tried to stop something terrible from happening, and we couldn't. I'd say it was the same for you. Right?
... The reason Biggs was up there fighting...It's complicated.
[ he shakes his head and decides, sure! fuck it! why not. ]
Midgar's the biggest city back home. Shinra's homebase. The city's split into seven different sectors, and built upwards. So there's two areas for each sector. The upper plate, where the richer people live... and under the plate. Those are the slums.
Shinra decided to drop the Sector 7 plate to get rid of us. Biggs was one of the people trying to stop them.
... There wasn't anything that could've been done. [ and there's. something in his tone that says he's very sure of that before he shrugs ] What about you?
[ well. rupert was right going by the look on his face that he does not, in fact, like that ]
... That... darkness that took that guy? [ actually, more importantly despite the fact that he thinks he knows the answer; ] The only one left of what?
Right. It - we know more about it now. Not everything, but... It called itself Despair.
[it's so on the nose but it's fine. he hesitates again, glancing towards the floor.]
The kingdom. People kept... People were disappearing faster and faster when we were spread out like normal, so we thought maybe if we hid everyone in one place, it wouldn't find us. But we were wrong.
... So you're the only left of your kingdom? [ just to confirm that that sucks. he puts a hand to rupert's shoulder because wow... sole survivor of hometowns same hat but he does not share that ] This Despair thing. Can you bring people back from it?
[it's a little quiet, but he does look grateful for the shoulder touch. after a moment:]
I don't know. According to the person who knows most about it... Nobody's ever come back. But nobody's defeated something like it before, either, so if I - no, when I find a way to stop it, I guess I'll know then.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
w3, monday. (cw for grief, death)
both will experience a a memory. it's fine.]
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he's not good at comfort, not even a little, but it's probably worse to not address a memory like that at all... right? so he hesitates before he puts a hand on rupert's shoulder ]
... You good? [ after revisiting that, he means. ]
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[it's said a little roughly, but it's before he's really distanced himself from the feelings in that memory - the fear, the desperation, the loss. after a long moment, he runs a hand over his face, taking a breath.]
I mean, I - I will be.
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[ he can say this as someone who has recurring ptsd flashbacks, and, timely, someone who has felt very similarly about a friend dying not that long ago. ]
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it's familiar for obvious reasons, and - it's tragic, everything from cloud promising him that a friend will be fine to this man begging him to visit a orphanage he used to go to. a moment passes once the memory ends before he speaks.]
...I'm so sorry, Cloud. Are you alright?
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... Yeah. [ there's a twitch to his jaw, but it's more frustrated than sad at the memory ] That night... wasn't a good one for any of us.
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Do you want to talk about it?
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[ this is kind of a. genuine ask. honestly. ]
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[trauma tradesies...]
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[ this is sort of talking about it, cloud ]
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[ he shakes his head and decides, sure! fuck it! why not. ]
Midgar's the biggest city back home. Shinra's homebase. The city's split into seven different sectors, and built upwards. So there's two areas for each sector. The upper plate, where the richer people live... and under the plate. Those are the slums.
Shinra decided to drop the Sector 7 plate to get rid of us. Biggs was one of the people trying to stop them.
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Did they... I mean, did you manage to stop them?
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No.
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...I'm so sorry.
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[ since rupert got him TALKING HE GUESSES ]
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What about me...?
[He Knows]
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...You're not going to like the answer.
[which is probably answer enough, but.]
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I still haven't found out a way to stop that thing. I'm the only one left.
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... That... darkness that took that guy? [ actually, more importantly despite the fact that he thinks he knows the answer; ] The only one left of what?
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[it's so on the nose but it's fine. he hesitates again, glancing towards the floor.]
The kingdom. People kept... People were disappearing faster and faster when we were spread out like normal, so we thought maybe if we hid everyone in one place, it wouldn't find us. But we were wrong.
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[it's a little quiet, but he does look grateful for the shoulder touch. after a moment:]
I don't know. According to the person who knows most about it... Nobody's ever come back. But nobody's defeated something like it before, either, so if I - no, when I find a way to stop it, I guess I'll know then.
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