Week 8

[airlockedmods]

[This weekend has brought about some unusual questions about your resident robotic Overseer, but unfortunately, you've also lost two more of your own to an accidental death.

You've done your best with the star charts, but if anyone is coming to help you, there is no sign of it yet. SIS remains the only friendly face here, even as you've found that she holds her own secrets. Meanwhile, yet another new floor has opened up - the elevators are in perfect working order now, if any of you care to go and see it. That's four concourses now; one for each of your groups. There's an awful lot of dead, aren't there?]


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(( Don't forget to check in, check your memory regains, and submit for regains! ))

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concourse

[induality]

[There are a lot of things to think about. That last week was... a lot for them. But Noctis...

When she'd finished with her writing, she uses her look around to find him. It's not until the concourse that she runs into him. She puts everything else aside and runs over to him.]

N-Noctis!

[nightcure]

Touko.

[ It's a breath of relief, and he automatically reaches to pull her into a hug. ]

[induality]

[She breathes out and wraps her arms around him.]

...it's almost over. Almost... almost all of our memories are back now.

[nightcure]

[ He holds her close, one hand at the back of her head. ]

... Yeah. Hell of a finale we went through, huh.

[induality]

Ugh, don't remind me...

...I guess I did help in the end though. [She offers a weak smile.] You're all crazy for letting me fly that thing though.

[More seriously though--]

...are you okay?

[nightcure]

Hey, you weren't bad at all.

[ ... actually, his heart kind of hurts. Noctis sighs, heavily. ]

I could be worse. But I could be better, too.

[induality]

Lucky for you. Or we wouldn't be here right now. [...] I guess that explains why I felt like... I should be grateful to that guy.

[She'd worried about him though. That's why she's here.]

What they did to your title... is awful. They're still mocking us...

[nightcure]

[ He breathes out another sigh, and it's shakier this time. ]

I thought it was because of Ardyn.

[ You got some strange hobbies, Noctis Lucis Caelum. Fishin' and puttin' dying old men out of their misery. ]

Feeling pity for Blaze Dudely... Who would've thought, huh.

[induality]

[...ah. Mmm. She doesn't like that.]

Blaze Dudely... when I messed you all up in the last trial... he really did... show us mercy. He... wasn't the person I thought he was. I thought maybe... but not to that extent.

[nightcure]

... Yeah. He did.

[ The home videos. They're clear and vibrant in his memories, and Noctis just feels... sad. ]

He just wanted to keep his home safe. Protect the people he cared about. ... I can understand that.

[induality]

They ruined it... and... no matter what he did, he couldn't get it back.

[She'd hated him so much and now-- she's just sad.]

...I can't... imagine what that felt like.

[nightcure]

[ He lightly ruffles her hair. ]

... No. Neither can I. In the end, I know Insomnia was saved, but.

I don't know if it's too late for his home.

[induality]

Even if the land was saved... the people he cared about...

[Home wasn't just a hunk of land. She... understood that now. Before, she probably wouldn't have gotten the difference.]

We owe it to him to give the people that destroyed it hell for him. That's... the least we can do.

[nightcure]

Yeah.

[ He nods. To lose your home, the people you love... It's one of the worst feelings. If Blaze can't do anything, well... They'll just have to. ]

They won't know what hit them.

[induality]

If we could survive that... I actually think... we could do it.

[nightcure]

We survived prison. We can do pretty much anything.

[induality]

You might have a point there.

[Oh yeah...]

...hey. There's something important I wanted to talk to you about.

[nightcure]

Is there?

[ Hmm. ]

How about let's sit down first.

[induality]

...yeah.

[That's. A good idea.]

Well we have the license plate factory.

[Definitely a few seats in there they can borrow.]

[nightcure]

[ Mmmm memories. He leads the way, and takes a seat when he's inside. ]

So, what's up?

[induality]

[Light the corners of my mind-- wait. Sure does feel like old times though. Fitting, considering what's on her mind.]

It's-- [She usually says it's nothing much, nothing special-- but that's not true in this case.] There's... something I wanted to ask you.

[nightcure]

[ Even if she says it like that, well... She has his full attention. He inclines his head toward her, just a tiny bit. ]

Of course. Go ahead.

[induality]

[Fukawa takes a deep breath and--]

All my life I've been Fukawa. That's... how it works in Japan. Your family name comes first. That's what almost everyone knows you by. You probably wouldn't know it from the way everyone just uses my first name here.

[Except mom. Because mom doesn't understand and that's Okay.]

I've never had a real family... not the kind you'd think of. That's why I didn't understand my profile. Liking my family... I've never once thought of 'liking' or 'loving them'. But-- when... when people started talking about "family here"... I guess I finally realized how I really felt. About Pyrrha, Max, Will, Varric... you.

[Jeez this is embarrassing. But she can't stop. Because if she stopped then her nerves would get the best of her and she'd never get to say what she really wanted to.]

In the letter he left me, Ardyn... he told me that if I wanted it, the Lucis Caelum name could be mine.

But... if... if anyone was going to give me that name-- I'd... w-want it to be you...

[Hooooooo. She. She did it. And immediately after she tries to cover it up with--]

I-it's fine if you say no. After all it's... a lot to ask-- I just...

[nightcure]

[ He listens to her, and he doesn't interrupt. Whatever she has to say... is she a little nervous? Hmm.

... Ah. ]

Touko... [ He doesn't know what to say at first, he's so stunned and... well. There's a warm feeling in his chest, where his heart rests. A slow smile spreads across his lips. ]

It's already yours. [ He means it. He reaches out and gently ruffles her hair. ] For a while, I've thought of you guys as my family. And honestly, I feel like the luckiest person here. Having such a big family? It's more than I could ever wish for.

[ And he pulls her into a hug. ]

Welcome to the family, Touko Lucis Caelum.

[induality]

[Welcome... she's welcome here. More than the family that let her live by obligation alone-- there was a place and people that really wanted her.

Without even realizing it she started crying in his shoulder, hugging him tightly.]

You have... no idea... how happy that makes me...