[The Ton] IC INBOX

[strengthofhart]

CORRESPONDENCE

...OF THE ESTEEMED LADY TIFA LOCKHART (UN: 7THHEAVEN), FIRST OF THEIR NAME, HAILING FROM THE REALM OF FFVII, RESIDING, AT PRESENT, IN THE GRAND CRESENT. UNWED.

By way of audio, video, personal caller, or delivery.

■

■

Comments

un: ranunculus

[floresco]

So....

Cloud's here. I saw him in the greenhouse, and I was definitely not hallucinating.

[strengthofhart]

Me too.. I saw him at the party.

I'm glad to see him but.. I didn't have the courage to bring up anything we learned. At least not while other people were around.

[floresco]

Me either. I didn't tell him anything about Zack, I don't know what to say.

What do we do?

[strengthofhart]

We have to talk to him at some point.. We can't just hide Zack and hope they don't meet.

Perhaps you and I talk to him, see what he knows? I just.. I dont get the feeling that Cloud is lying to us.

[Which doesn't bode well for his memory.]

[floresco]

The one time I mentioned Zack to him by name, he got one of those weird headaches. I don't know what that means, but after everything Zack said about them both being experimented on...

We can try. What about Zack?

[strengthofhart]

He did? I was worried he might get a headache. We don't even know what the experiments were or how much they changed him and his mind..I'm worried about this.

Zack will probably want to see him, though he seemed off when we last talked about this..

[floresco]

We know Hojo was behind them, so, it can't be anything good.

I'm worried too. And Zack...he's been off ever since we talked. I think he knows about, you know - that he died.

[strengthofhart]

Are we certain of that though? That he.. I got that feeling but there could be more to it?

[She was hopeful but..]

Maybe we shove them in a room together and hope they sort it out?

[floresco]

He died Tifa. I felt it when he did.

That's...not a bad idea.

I mean, what can we do, right?

[strengthofhart]

I'm sorry.. I didn't know.

Perhaps we can supervise them.. mediate, but maybe it would be best to allow them to sort it out. I'm worried about them both but..

I don't think there's an easy answer.

[floresco]

It's okay! I didn't tell anyone, and now I regret it. Maybe things would have been easier if I told Zack the truth at the masked ball.

I don't either, but I'm grateful we have each other to figure it out with.

So, I take Zack, and you get Cloud, and we just put them somewhere to find each other?

[strengthofhart]

Sometimes the truth is scary.. I knew that Cloud's memories seemed off, that things didn't add up but.. I didn't say anything to him.

I am glad you're here with me, Aerith.

Sounds like a plan to me. Have them "coincidentally" meet?

[floresco]

Let them meet, and we'll stay close by just in case they need us?

[strengthofhart]

I think that would be best.

I know it wasn't great meeting Zack again that way but.. I am not sure that getting a warning would have made it any easier. Might have made it worse because of anticipation of what ifs..

[floresco]

You're right. I don't know if there's anything else we could do. There doesn't seem to be any good choices, does there?


Kind of funny how Rufus Shinra being here is less of a problem than this is, isn't it?

[strengthofhart]

I don't think there is.


Hilarious, in fact, I'm sure he's enjoying watching all of us run around trying to figure this nonsense out while he sips his wine.

[floresco]

Then we'll just do our best. Whatever happens, they're both our friends right? So, we'll be there for them, whatever happens.

Did he tell you about how he's from two years in the future?

[strengthofhart]

That will be the best we can do. And yes, we'll be there for them and help them best we can.

He did yeah.. I didn't ask for specifics. Just enough to realize things are very different for him. His future.. I don't think it's ours, at least not anymore, so I didn't want to ask.

[floresco]

Sounds like we had the same kind of conversation with him.

Did he seem....different to you? Like, almost nice?

[strengthofhart]

Yes. He was.. so much nicer than I expected.

Honestly, I expected him to be a prick.

[floresco]

ME TOO!

Tifa, what the heck is happening in that future???

[strengthofhart]

I don't know but I get the feeling Rufus and I know each other in the future, he acted rather... familiar with me.

It was weird. He's Rufus Shinra! How?!

[floresco]

Familiar? You mean...

He acted like it mattered that I didn't hate him or think he was the worst person. I told him he could never be Hojo.

[strengthofhart]

No! As in like... maybe we're allies.

Yeah we made a truce, he seemed to really want to make sure we weren't opposed.

[floresco]

You got that idea too? But, he fought Cloud on the roof after his father died. Unless he has a change of heart because of something?

He fired me from Shinra and then I braided his hair. It was nice! Weird, but nice!