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[zacrifice]

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[zacrifice]

There was a race too??

[flowerpeddle]

Yeah! He was really good. It was amazing.

[zacrifice]

Was it on bikes? He loved our bike.

[At least, he made less alarming head-wobbles when they rode on it. Always felt like a good sign.]

[flowerpeddle]

Nope! It was a chocobo race.

[zacrifice]

Man... you guys really did have all the fun!

[Okay now he's kind of jealous.]

[flowerpeddle]

Oh? Are you jealous?

[zacrifice]

[Say no. Say no, Zack.

ZACK SAY NO]

Yes!! I never went on cool adventures like that. My missions were "go to x and kill some monsters" or "go to y and cover up shinra's latest skeevy experiment or whatever" and because I was 16 and stupid I just went along with it. Now I'm old enough to regret, but MY cross-world adventure was playing doom tag with the Turks and fending off hair-eating clones. And

[And he only ever got betrayed by people who were supposed to care about him and subsequently having to kill them instead of going on wacky adventures with a group of buddies. And then he died.

...That's a bummer. No.]

I'm just a LITTLE jealous. I wanna race chocobos and beat up creeper slumlords and go to prison.

OK maybe not that last part. but you know

[zacrifice]

[And then, belatedly, because that was a lot-]

sorry

[flowerpeddle]

Hm. So you're not jealous I went on a date with Cloud? Got it.

[ Now is not exactly the time to unpick all THAT. ]

[zacrifice]

What?

[What.]

I mean

you knew I was dead, so like

it's okay if you wanted to move on, I'm not that kinda guy

[Did she want to date Cloud? Wait, does she still want to date Cloud? Wait MAYBE NOT THE TIME TO ASK THAT he kind of wants to, though.]

[flowerpeddle]

Okay! I understand! I won't worry about it at all.

[ That's a lie. ]

[zacrifice]

[Really? Not at all?]

Good! Nothing to worry about.

[And he won't worry either! Much. Or maybe a little. Or maybe he'll ask because WAIT-]

oh my god is that why he doesn't like me???

[flowerpeddle]

What? Of course he likes you.

[zacrifice]

He doesn't talk to me for WEEKS, and he's never the one to start it if we do talk. I think the guy tolerates me at best.

[flowerpeddle]

Zack.…

[ You’re kinda dumb sometimes. ]

Cloud had a lot happen to him after you died. I think he feels a lot of different things, but he definitely doesn’t hate you. I’m sure of that.

[zacrifice]

I said didn't like! Not hate! Even I know that's too harsh. And I know he doesn't remember me. But I think I remind him of the other stuff he doesn't remember, and he doesn't want to. I can't blame him for that, I don't want to either.

I can't pretend I don't see it, though. He's not subtle.

[flowerpeddle]

It’s a lot more complicated than that, Zack, but I don’t think I’m the one who should tell you all about it.

[zacrifice]

You're right. I need to ask the guy who... won't talk to me.

[He's trying and failing to not sulk about it. He wants to talk! He wants to know! It's rough, though. Being respectful about boundaries is hard.]

[flowerpeddle]

He’ll get there. I believe in Cloud more than almost anyone.

[zacrifice]

Almost?

[He might be chasing the lead a little on that one. He can't help it, though, he bummed himself out.]

[flowerpeddle]

There are a few other people I believe in too.

[zacrifice]

Hmm. Okay, I'll take it!

[flowerpeddle]

You're very confident, aren't you?

[zacrifice]

Of course! Who doesn't love confidence?

But it's mostly because I trust you.

[flowerpeddle]

Well, that's good, because I trust you as well.