[voice]

[pyritic]

[ /CRICKETS CHIRP

There's silence at the start of the feed, then finally a quiet rustle of fabric. It's fairly late at night for talking, but Cloud's voice is low anyway. ]

...Do you ever feel like...some of the gray in the city, got inside you?

Comments

[voice]

[holmes_fanatic]

Not personally, Cloud-san.

[voice]

[pyritic]

[ Silence.

Otherwise known as PALM. TO FACE. He really doesn't want to be known for asking this question if it's just him, but...then again, with network identification, he would have been ID'd by anyone who cared anyway.

...Wait, this is that little kid. ]

You're up late.

[voice]

[holmes_fanatic]

[Oops. Is Conan in trouble?]

Is it really late when we don't have schedules?

[voice]

[pyritic]

[ Cloud's not that responsible an adult. (or...much of an adult at all.) ]

Good point. Just remember that when you get tired tomorrow.

[video]

[sostaygold]

[... The voice is familiar, but he can't quite pinpoint it. That, and the question, are both making him rather anxious in the face of a question he would have otherwise given more thought.

Though, it's a little hard to see that in the dark on his end of the feed.]

I'm sorry... I don't understand.

[ voice ]

[pyritic]

[ ... A video feed? That's not complete blackness on his screen, but at the same time it's too dark to see any detail, just a person's form. Cloud frowns at it, which may carry through in his tone. ]

It's hard to describe. [ After all, if he could pinpoint what was going on, he wouldn't be talking about this on the network at all. But he doesn't leave it at that, taking a moment to think of how else to say it. ] The gods wanted people's emotions to bring "color and life" back to the city. What if it went the other away around?

[video]

[sostaygold]

[He's not actually hiding; but the angle of the recording throws light only on torso and perhaps an arm.

There's a long silence before he answers.]

If it did, there were no hints of it. [That much is obvious, he's stating the obvious; but it's either that or let it slip how much that statement just chilled him.] You're saying... we could become just like the serving spirits.

[video]

[pyritic]

...Yeah. [ Welp. There's that wonderful nightmare fuel. The thought had definitely entered Cloud's mind but it's different to hear someone else reach the same idea--not laughing it off, or saying it's ridiculous. He doesn't want it to make sense. ] It's not the sort of thing they'd tell us. But they also haven't told us why the city turned out like this in the first place. It just--doesn't sit right.

[defiedhisfate]

Huh? How do you mean?

[pyritic]

[ Let's try to stay away from the nightmare fuel this time.

...Actually Cloud's not really sure how to explain it without going back to nightmare fuel, so he asks a question in response: ] How have you felt since you came here? I'm not asking for details, so don't start on how your day went or anything. Just in general.

[ voice ]

[endofdaydream]

... [ a pause, then she raises an eyebrow to herself as she hears this message. ]

What kind of weird question is that? Getting all philosophical?

[ voice ] going to sleep but I'll tag back later today!

[pyritic]

[ Huff. ] Being here's got nothing to do with philosophy.

[ voice ]

[endofdaydream]

If you ask me, that message sounded more philosophic than anything else. What do you mean, 'the gray in the city' getting inside you? Almost sounds like some sort of song, too.

[ voice ]

[pyritic]

Don't make fun of me. [ oh. we're just doing spectacular at not sounding petulant right now. ] I'm asking if people's feelings changed by being here.

[voice]

[agoodfamily]

[... even in Nakama's rather dark mind, that's a depressing question.]

Cloud? Are you okay?

[voice]

[pyritic]

Nakama... [ He's not trying to be depressing (though it is pretty much ending up that way), and hearing the concern makes him shake his head. ] I'm fine. Trying to make sure everything stays fine. [ and make sense of whatever the heck is going on up in his head ]

[voice]

[agoodfamily]

Do you just mean the lack of colour is making you sad? Or... something more literal?

[voice]

[pyritic]

This place could use redecorating, but that's not it. It's not sadness...they said they wanted that too. If our feelings are what bring back color, gray means no feeling. It's not sadness, happiness, or anger. It's nothing.

[ ...yeah okay that was depressing. Trying to switch gears now. ]

But you're still the same, right? It's probably just me.