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You would.
[She sighs.]
And that'd burn any bridge we'd have on being friends. It doesn't feel very fair, does it?
[She sighs.]
And that'd burn any bridge we'd have on being friends. It doesn't feel very fair, does it?
[The show of door opening has her laugh and shake her head at him. It's very sweet and silly to her. But her attention is taken away when she sees a chocobo and hears the trademark 'kweh'! It makes.]
Oh, hello precious!
[And she hurries over to the chocobo, ignoring the horse to come right over to the chocobo, bridled and saddled, and reaching out to have the bird- looking so much similar to an oversized, yellow fluffy ostrich- bring its head down to Aerith's waiting hands.]
Oh, hello precious!
[And she hurries over to the chocobo, ignoring the horse to come right over to the chocobo, bridled and saddled, and reaching out to have the bird- looking so much similar to an oversized, yellow fluffy ostrich- bring its head down to Aerith's waiting hands.]
I can be selfish with my friends too Justine. They mean the world to me.
Cloud...especially means so much to me. I love him so very much.
And seeing him like that...reminded me of some things he went through back home. It brought back some old hurts.
I'm not telling you this to hurt you. I just want you to know why I'm feeling the way I am.
Cloud...especially means so much to me. I love him so very much.
And seeing him like that...reminded me of some things he went through back home. It brought back some old hurts.
I'm not telling you this to hurt you. I just want you to know why I'm feeling the way I am.
You aren't the only one who has said that to me.
[She grits her teeth and speaks through it.]
I don't want to do this. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm tired of it. No one is telling me anything new. It's the same hurts, the same things, the same lessons again and again.
[She grits her teeth and speaks through it.]
I don't want to do this. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm tired of it. No one is telling me anything new. It's the same hurts, the same things, the same lessons again and again.
It's like people are saying the same thing over and over, and no one is listening to you?
[Aerith, for all she still sounds quiet, is still empathic, and sympathetic even to Justine's plight. It hurts having ones mistakes- or triumphs- rubbed in your face over and over.]
I'm not trying to make you feel bad, if it helps. Just...wanted to explain what's going on in the background.
[Aerith, for all she still sounds quiet, is still empathic, and sympathetic even to Justine's plight. It hurts having ones mistakes- or triumphs- rubbed in your face over and over.]
I'm not trying to make you feel bad, if it helps. Just...wanted to explain what's going on in the background.
[Wen Ning's horse is a large, handsome beast, the kind that's rather impractical for the mountains. He moves to it, even knowing it's not real, because it doesn't seem fair to ignore it.
But his attention is firmly on the giant riding bird. He gawks quite appreciatively, as amazed as Aerith could wish.]
But his attention is firmly on the giant riding bird. He gawks quite appreciatively, as amazed as Aerith could wish.]
[ Sometime after this disaster…
Zack stops answering his phone. He can’t be found in the usual places, and the silence is just strange.
If she decides to investigate, the door to Zack’s cabin opens for her. Cold stew is sitting on the table, and Zack is sitting on the couch curled up with his dog.
It may not be immediately obvious, but he has definitely been crying. ]
Zack stops answering his phone. He can’t be found in the usual places, and the silence is just strange.
If she decides to investigate, the door to Zack’s cabin opens for her. Cold stew is sitting on the table, and Zack is sitting on the couch curled up with his dog.
It may not be immediately obvious, but he has definitely been crying. ]
[It wasn't right. It simply wasn't right. Normally they sent each other little messages, said things to each other just to check in.
She was worried when she didn't hear a word- so she went to find Zack's cabin, make sure it was there.
She opens the door, sighs in relief to see he's there- and sees what she hates the most in the world: Zack, reduced to tears.
She shut the door, and came over silently to join him on the couch.
And she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed gently.
She was here for him.]
She was worried when she didn't hear a word- so she went to find Zack's cabin, make sure it was there.
She opens the door, sighs in relief to see he's there- and sees what she hates the most in the world: Zack, reduced to tears.
She shut the door, and came over silently to join him on the couch.
And she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed gently.
She was here for him.]
[ He didn't start off sitting right here. After the talk with Angeal, he went to the Enclosure to run one of the hardest scenarios he could think of. And after he won...it was like all the rage just burned out of him and died. With that gone...well, there was nothing left to do but come back. And he's been sitting here, feeling all the hurt he thought he'd left back home, all over again.
Zack hears her come in, of course - knows it has to be her - and therefore, stays exactly where he is. He's shed most of his tears already...or at least, he thought so. His heart seems to ache all over again when she holds him, though, and he remembers...that moment. When he'd gone to see her to distract himself, only to find himself on the floor sobbing in her church. He was too broken to keep it together, and it feels like that now.
He tries to pull himself together, though. And after about...ten minutes of quiet tears and sobs, he wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. ]
...sorry. [ His voice sounds small, and he...tries to speak a little louder. ] I got your texts, I just...I didn't know what to say.
Zack hears her come in, of course - knows it has to be her - and therefore, stays exactly where he is. He's shed most of his tears already...or at least, he thought so. His heart seems to ache all over again when she holds him, though, and he remembers...that moment. When he'd gone to see her to distract himself, only to find himself on the floor sobbing in her church. He was too broken to keep it together, and it feels like that now.
He tries to pull himself together, though. And after about...ten minutes of quiet tears and sobs, he wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. ]
...sorry. [ His voice sounds small, and he...tries to speak a little louder. ] I got your texts, I just...I didn't know what to say.
[She didn't know. The strength of the rage, the report to Shaw, the rant.
But she saw that Zack was upset, and he needed her, and Zeke. Better that the pain was expressed here and now, in privacy, rather than to let it fester.]
I'm just glad you're here.
[She pressed her lips to his hair. She stayed quiet as more pain bled and cracked through, and her voice was quiet too. Her grip had loosened, but she moved to rub his arms slowly, gently.]
I'm more worried for you.
[Who hurt him? He'd only cried like this once before, in the church...so many years ago.]
But she saw that Zack was upset, and he needed her, and Zeke. Better that the pain was expressed here and now, in privacy, rather than to let it fester.]
I'm just glad you're here.
[She pressed her lips to his hair. She stayed quiet as more pain bled and cracked through, and her voice was quiet too. Her grip had loosened, but she moved to rub his arms slowly, gently.]
I'm more worried for you.
[Who hurt him? He'd only cried like this once before, in the church...so many years ago.]
[ He feels guilty, worrying her like this. For all that Sephiroth is always badgering him about being too emotional, he actually does try to manage his own mess so it isn't...well. More messy than it needs to be.
This just - all of this just hit him hard, harder than he thought it would, and he has to figure out...better ways of coping.
He wipes his eyes again and releases a quiet breath. ]
I'll be okay. I just...thought I'd handle something better than I did, and...I didn't.
This just - all of this just hit him hard, harder than he thought it would, and he has to figure out...better ways of coping.
He wipes his eyes again and releases a quiet breath. ]
I'll be okay. I just...thought I'd handle something better than I did, and...I didn't.
[Quietly, Aerith shakes her head, before moving to settle her forehead on his shoulder. Yes, it's messy. All of it is. And it needed to be exercised out of him, one way or another, as far as she was concerned.]
Zack...we can't always do things perfectly. We're just going to try our best.
[She sighs, and gives his arm a little squeeze, before going back to rub his upper arms.]
You don't have to be okay. In fact- let's just be...not okay together. You, me, and Zeke.
I think we need that more, than beating ourselves up about what we can and can't do.
Zack...we can't always do things perfectly. We're just going to try our best.
[She sighs, and gives his arm a little squeeze, before going back to rub his upper arms.]
You don't have to be okay. In fact- let's just be...not okay together. You, me, and Zeke.
I think we need that more, than beating ourselves up about what we can and can't do.
Because they think it'll make you feel worse, with you knowing? That you'll feel...guilty for what you've done?
[Aerith has to dote on the chocobo first because, well. It's a chocobo, and it's precious and she's missed them. She gives it scratches all around the beak, and onto its head and neck where it offers trills of pleasure, closing its eyes and clearly happy at the treatment. Thankfully, she eventually eases up, and glances over.]
Sorry, I got a little excited and...whoa.
[That's a horse? That's a horse. It's big too! Like a chocobo but...not.]
It has four legs...huh.
[Guess Iris made mechanical horses based on real life?]
Sorry, I got a little excited and...whoa.
[That's a horse? That's a horse. It's big too! Like a chocobo but...not.]
It has four legs...huh.
[Guess Iris made mechanical horses based on real life?]
Hmmm.
It could be that they're hoping you'll become more empathic, sort of...feel what they feel. Not just try to push your nose into it, so to speak.
But that's not something that can be forced. Empathy is...something that people need to be open to, understand over time. So, it could be...missed intentions? Does that clear things up?
It could be that they're hoping you'll become more empathic, sort of...feel what they feel. Not just try to push your nose into it, so to speak.
But that's not something that can be forced. Empathy is...something that people need to be open to, understand over time. So, it could be...missed intentions? Does that clear things up?
Hmmm. No, those aren't strange, Thrawn. What brought this on?
Another one of Florian's assignments, I am afraid. I am not usually so self-absorbed.
He requested I ask the people here directly about my strangeness so that I can understand and correct a flaw. But if you do not see it, I am afraid your opinion can be of little use here.
He requested I ask the people here directly about my strangeness so that I can understand and correct a flaw. But if you do not see it, I am afraid your opinion can be of little use here.
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