[With his back still turned, Barret comes to a stop. His shoulders hunch briefly at the apology. It's a long time before he speaks, mulling over the words. His journey had showed him much of Shinra's endless grind of cruelty for the sake of profit. The banality of it. But he too, had once fallen prey to their promises of a better future — it's this memory that tempers his hatred, inevitably half-directing the feeling back to himself. When he speaks again, his voice is level, the anger pushed down again to impart something meaningful.]
You can apologize to the ends of the Planet. It won't make a difference 'til you make a decision for yourself. That blood's always gonna be on your hands. You have to ask yourself one day if your loyalty's worth that blood you've spilled. I can't give you that absolution you're looking for, and I won't. That's up to you.
[... Finally, his shoulders slump. He sighs, sounding tired when he speaks again.] Keep your fish, man. I'll find my own way around here.
[Rude is quiet when Barret speaks. He braces himself for something loud and angry to make him feel more guilt than he already carries with him, but instead what he gets are words that will stick with him forever. Or for as long as he has to live with the consequences of his actions, whichever comes first.
It's only then does Rude realize he's looking for exactly that. Absolution. Forgiveness. A clean slate. He can't undo the things he did and he can't pretend they didn't happen either. But he can use the rest of whatever life he has to be loyal to himself and his own personal moral code. Maybe that's not what Barret meant with his words, but it's a start. And somehow he's left feeling worse than if Barret had just told him to go fuck himself.]
Mn. [Rude doesn't follow him for the first few steps, but then finds himself trailing the man. He'll blame muscle memory, and the fact that he's the only other human he's come across out here.] The old man cosigned on some deeply disturbing stuff, but Rufus isn't his father. I think he might be able to fix things...set us back on the right track.
[Barret trudges through the sand, reaching the start of a dense spread of tropical trees. He hears the Turk behind him still, and feels his annoyance like a sudden gravity spell: pressing down into his shoulders, furrowing his brow.
He says nothing. But then, without warning: he drives his shoulder into the trunk of a swaying tree.
A coconut drops into his open palm.]
Man, who you tryna convince? Me, or you? I know the blood I've spilled. I own up to it. His old man crushed a whole sector of people! You've seen Junon. You think the fish those people gather is any good for them? But it's all they've got to eat! And all that is just the tip of the melting iceberg.
[He sighs. Then, turning, he gently tosses the coconut to Rude.] You keep making excuses for them, and you'll never get up from the shadow of the plate you dropped.
oh yeah! a big screen, wall to wall if you're lucky! there's surround sound too - makes it feel like you're really there. i didn't get to see one 'til i got to midgar myself.
i take this to mean you're not from a place with movie theaters. you from a small town?
I was once part of another being. When I was severed from him, I ended up in somewhere called the Dark World. Some time ago, I was able to get out of there with the help of my partner. He lives on Earth. That's where I truly started to find my own identity.
whoa... that's deep. if i was gonna wager a guess, i'd say your home's the place where you started finding your identity. maybe...
[Philosophy's an interest of his, but this metaphysical stuff's more Aerith's purview. Still, he can philosophize with the best of 'em! He thinks so, anyway.]
what's exploding is what's on the screen in the movies i like! HAHA! that's action movies! my baby girl though, she loves cartoons and fairy tales. we go to see movies like that when I've got the time.
Have you been up to the rooftop yet? I believe they call it the Cloud Dwelling Garden. If you wouldn't mind, I'd love your help with something. I'm in a bit of a predicament.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rude, @goons
(TDM - APRIL)
[With his back still turned, Barret comes to a stop. His shoulders hunch briefly at the apology. It's a long time before he speaks, mulling over the words. His journey had showed him much of Shinra's endless grind of cruelty for the sake of profit. The banality of it. But he too, had once fallen prey to their promises of a better future — it's this memory that tempers his hatred, inevitably half-directing the feeling back to himself. When he speaks again, his voice is level, the anger pushed down again to impart something meaningful.]
You can apologize to the ends of the Planet. It won't make a difference 'til you make a decision for yourself. That blood's always gonna be on your hands. You have to ask yourself one day if your loyalty's worth that blood you've spilled. I can't give you that absolution you're looking for, and I won't. That's up to you.
[... Finally, his shoulders slump. He sighs, sounding tired when he speaks again.] Keep your fish, man. I'll find my own way around here.
no subject
It's only then does Rude realize he's looking for exactly that. Absolution. Forgiveness. A clean slate. He can't undo the things he did and he can't pretend they didn't happen either. But he can use the rest of whatever life he has to be loyal to himself and his own personal moral code. Maybe that's not what Barret meant with his words, but it's a start. And somehow he's left feeling worse than if Barret had just told him to go fuck himself.]
Mn. [Rude doesn't follow him for the first few steps, but then finds himself trailing the man. He'll blame muscle memory, and the fact that he's the only other human he's come across out here.] The old man cosigned on some deeply disturbing stuff, but Rufus isn't his father. I think he might be able to fix things...set us back on the right track.
no subject
He says nothing. But then, without warning: he drives his shoulder into the trunk of a swaying tree.
A coconut drops into his open palm.]
Man, who you tryna convince? Me, or you? I know the blood I've spilled. I own up to it. His old man crushed a whole sector of people! You've seen Junon. You think the fish those people gather is any good for them? But it's all they've got to eat! And all that is just the tip of the melting iceberg.
[He sighs. Then, turning, he gently tosses the coconut to Rude.] You keep making excuses for them, and you'll never get up from the shadow of the plate you dropped.
@entirelymyown
(original thread)
oh yeah! a big screen, wall to wall if you're lucky! there's surround sound too - makes it feel like you're really there. i didn't get to see one 'til i got to midgar myself.
i take this to mean you're not from a place with movie theaters. you from a small town?
Re: @entirelymyown
But no, we didn't have movie theatres. There was one where I was traveling a while ago, but we didn't have time to go.
...so the sound surrounds you? Like you're in the middle of an orchestra?
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an orchestra? yeah! kinda like that. cept with movies it's explosions and stuff! or... depends on the movie, anyway.
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So where am 'I' really 'from'?
[ There's a brief pause before- ]
Explosions?! What's exploding?
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[Philosophy's an interest of his, but this metaphysical stuff's more Aerith's purview. Still, he can philosophize with the best of 'em! He thinks so, anyway.]
what's exploding is what's on the screen in the movies i like! HAHA! that's action movies! my baby girl though, she loves cartoons and fairy tales. we go to see movies like that when I've got the time.
no subject
[ And he's very excited about the movies but-
!!! ]
You have a daughter?
[ In his, granted, limited experience? This is in fact the most important thing in this man's life. ]
What are cartoons?
un: MC | text (during the june truth or dare event)
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