[something about her words in trying to reassure him hit in a way he can't quite... solidify. while he wasn't exactly aiming at self-deprecating humor, it does highlight just how terrible he feels about everything he was unable to stop; how he couldn't do much of anything to protect his home or those who slowly started accepting him—perhaps even respecting him, in some way.]
[his thoughts are momentarily stolen from him as the chocobo vies for their attention.]
[cloud sighs, keeping his head lowered.]
I can't remember much of anything. [an admittance, perhaps...] I remember the important things, but details are — [he stops, then figures there's no point not talking about it. president shinra had put it on blast either way, before they fought the air buster.] It's the mako.
[It's said with a defeated nod, but she remains where she is, standing her ground against the onslaught of emotions. It's a touchy subject, she knows, but she also knows there's far more to the story than he's letting on and it's tricky for her to navigate how to help him through it if she doesn't know. But... she doesn't want to talk about that right now. About the mako.
There's something forced about her smile, but she pursues it anyway, even knowing that Cloud will just see right through it.]
You said you were going to be the best of the best... way back then!
[The memory itself draws an accidental, breathy laugh out of her, and she glances up at the sky. It's no starry one like the night he made the promise, but it's still as wide and expansive as ever, even with the clouds that have started to roll in.]
I know... you're not a SOLDIER anymore, but heroes save people, so that's what you're gonna do, yeah?
[It's not reiterated to put any pressure on his shoulders, but she hopes that it will, at the very least, remind him that he has nothing to feel guilty about. Not when it comes to her, especially. She will have none of these "should haves" anymore.]
[the best? he doesn't know about that. he wasn't able to even do that, not even for himself. but he listens on, raising his eyes to look at tifa. she's not saying these things to get him in any position where he doubts himself or feels shitty about choices made or promises undone.]
Tifa, we were kids—
[it feels like such a long time ago. but he can see that she's trying, desperately, to hold to some semblance of hope and positivity, and he's just so fraught with the weight of a lot of issues he hasn't even been able to look into.]
I'm not going to do that.
[finally, he grabs at one of the greens in the basket and offers it to an enthused chocobo.]
We are. [he peers back towards her] All of us. I know better than to try and do this by myself.
Right. We are. I'd never let you go at this alone.
[He was never going to have to, especially if Tifa had anything to say about it. It's difficult to know exactly what he's thinking, or if she's even saying the right things, but him accepting their help and opening up to her even a little is a step in the right direction. She's careful, though – the last thing she wants is for him to close himself off again, like he did when he returned to Sector 7.
So, Tifa lets out an airy laugh and nods over to the group in the distance still prepping their lunch feast before her hands wrap around his wrist. She tugs – gently – to bring him further with her into the pen where the smaller chocobo chicks are grazing among their parents.]
And I don't think you're stubborn enough to convince Barret otherwise, either.
[He's warmed up to Cloud since they came back from their first mission.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[his thoughts are momentarily stolen from him as the chocobo vies for their attention.]
[cloud sighs, keeping his head lowered.]
I can't remember much of anything. [an admittance, perhaps...] I remember the important things, but details are — [he stops, then figures there's no point not talking about it. president shinra had put it on blast either way, before they fought the air buster.] It's the mako.
[sure, cloud.]
no subject
[It's said with a defeated nod, but she remains where she is, standing her ground against the onslaught of emotions. It's a touchy subject, she knows, but she also knows there's far more to the story than he's letting on and it's tricky for her to navigate how to help him through it if she doesn't know. But... she doesn't want to talk about that right now. About the mako.
There's something forced about her smile, but she pursues it anyway, even knowing that Cloud will just see right through it.]
You said you were going to be the best of the best... way back then!
[The memory itself draws an accidental, breathy laugh out of her, and she glances up at the sky. It's no starry one like the night he made the promise, but it's still as wide and expansive as ever, even with the clouds that have started to roll in.]
I know... you're not a SOLDIER anymore, but heroes save people, so that's what you're gonna do, yeah?
[It's not reiterated to put any pressure on his shoulders, but she hopes that it will, at the very least, remind him that he has nothing to feel guilty about. Not when it comes to her, especially. She will have none of these "should haves" anymore.]
no subject
Tifa, we were kids—
[it feels like such a long time ago. but he can see that she's trying, desperately, to hold to some semblance of hope and positivity, and he's just so fraught with the weight of a lot of issues he hasn't even been able to look into.]
I'm not going to do that.
[finally, he grabs at one of the greens in the basket and offers it to an enthused chocobo.]
We are. [he peers back towards her] All of us. I know better than to try and do this by myself.
no subject
Right. We are. I'd never let you go at this alone.
[He was never going to have to, especially if Tifa had anything to say about it. It's difficult to know exactly what he's thinking, or if she's even saying the right things, but him accepting their help and opening up to her even a little is a step in the right direction. She's careful, though – the last thing she wants is for him to close himself off again, like he did when he returned to Sector 7.
So, Tifa lets out an airy laugh and nods over to the group in the distance still prepping their lunch feast before her hands wrap around his wrist. She tugs – gently – to bring him further with her into the pen where the smaller chocobo chicks are grazing among their parents.]
And I don't think you're stubborn enough to convince Barret otherwise, either.
[He's warmed up to Cloud since they came back from their first mission.
... They've all come a long way since then.]