guestservices | AUDIENCE FOR: Butt Strife

[ gently moves his hand so it baps him in the head. it won't move the veil but the sentiment ]

It wasn't cheating, there's only so much I could tune out.

[there's a pause. and they kind of. scuttle a little closer. if cloud doesn't move, they are going to lean against him very lightly.]

I kinda wish it was only a few people. I have to listen to everybody and it's a lot to sort through. [you all talk so fucking much. anyway.]

But okay, so it wasn't cheating. You still get it. [a pause.] It has been quite a challenge to fulfill my role as customer complaints while being as neutral and objective as possible. [another pause.] Subjective? I still get those two mixed up.

[but it means it's been difficult to also think about their own problems while they're on the job, so with a week left it finally came to a head.]

[ they can lean. he's letting it happen. ]

I don't know how you deal with having everyone in your head. [ it felt like a lot of sort through even when he only had like, three people left. people talk so much. hell. ] Objective. That's the one that's supposed to be unbiased.

[ it's answering irrelevant comments as he mulls what sora said over, thinking ]

... The job's a good distraction from everything else. It was sort of the same for us.

[ sort of because they didn't have full memories to worry about, but they also all kind of ignored their own personal lack thereof memories because of the present issue. ]

[thanks cloud. they are...kind of exhausted in a whole different way at the moment.]

Uh. The same way I dealt with having so many people in my heart before, I guess. [this means nothing to cloud and they do not bother to explain.] But right. Objective. Like...objection. I haven't really minded the distraction so much. There's always something bigger to focus on, but...people are going to start asking what to do, and talking about bringing people back like it's such a sure thing this time, and asking if we're going home, too.

[it's. cloud. so they're hesitant to continue, but:]

...I dunno. Everything just feels wrong today right now.

... More wrong than usual?

[ he means by being gemini. in General. there's no judgment there, just concern ]

[...they just scrub a hand over their face.]

Maybe I'm just in a really bad mood, I don't know. I don't know how to make sense of all of this anymore.

[being gemini, the last week, this stupid numbing thing, the hotel falling apart, their own stuff, the dead, everything sucks!]

... I don't think anyone'd blame you for being in a bad mood after all of this. [ first of all. important to note. he can't say no one expects them to make sense of things because he does know people do and that. sucks. when you don't. ]

[they sort of stare blankly before shrugging.]

Are you allowed to complain when you're customer complaints? Is that a thing? [uggggh.] You guys have the harder job right now anyway.

You ever meet anyone who worked for customer service? All they do is complain. [ it's a dry joke but also a real one. ] Also, pretty sure when we said stuff like that in the Realm, you were the first one to go on a speech about how it wasn't about who had it the hardest.

Just Moogles. [what.] ...you're not gonna let it slide if I say it's different this time, huh.

[ distracted for two seconds; ]

You have Moogles too?

[ anyway back to normal; ]

Nope. I'm not.

They run the shops in the different worlds. [sage nodding. but also. making a face cloud can't see.]

...mm. Maybe that's still true, but...[...yeah they don't have an argument that isn't "i can't help the way i want to and i don't want to upset people by not being able to help and also i'm not myself and this is annoying."]

... Don't think I've ever seen one be a storeowner.

[ he tilts his head. he might not see the face Gemini is making but he can feel the petulance, so; ]

But what? You gonna tell me you wouldn't make the same argument if you were on this side instead?

They switched to being holograms a while ago and stuff, but they have all kinds of stuff for us to buy. [stop talking about moogles.]

I mean maybe I'd make the same argument, but...it's still different, Cloud.

[ they need to stop talking about moogles for real and he has to shake his head to stop being ??? about it. ]

... They're different circumstances. I'm not denying that. Doesn't mean you can't still feel like shit about them.

...[they think about this for a second.]

...okay. Then...I do. I really, really do. [for a multitude of reasons, but they let that sit for the time being.]

... Yeah. I figured.

[ but he's glad they're at least saying that much, tightening his hold on them for a second ]

[that actually makes them feel both better and worse, but they're doing fuckall to pull away and they mull it over.]

...I still have no idea what to do in this last week. [a pause.] Every time I talk to Clem it sort of feels like we're even further apart than the last time we talked. People I know aren't the same, and even though I know they are at their core I still don't know how to do the right thing when I have to be someone else.

[and there's another pause.]

...never mind, this isn't...["your problem."] One more week.

... She mentioned she found it hard to talk while you were like this. [ it was brief, and he'd worried about it, but wasn't sure how to bring it up ] But she never found it that easy to speak to even her Leader, as far as I know, and Rabbit didn't have the same baggage. So you're both holding back. That might be the distance you feel.

[ he doesn't know clem enough to say that's why for sure, but he thinks that's probably. it? it is a guess. as for the rest... ]

... You say that like this stuff happening won't bug you past this week. [ with a frown ]

I know. We used to argue a little about talking to you guys. She always felt like she was bothering the Leaders, but I don't think it's the same thing here. But maybe that's it.

[it is, a little. but that's just another problem on top of everything else.]

It probably won't bug me past this week because everybody will be out of here. It completes the cycle and whatever.

You really think having to do this won't linger?

[ which is probably a depressing notion actually this doesn't help ]

No, I know it will. I just don't know if I have time to let it.

[all squeenix protags need therapy, news at 11.]

... Maybe not. But I didn't start us on the topic because it'd annoy me if you talked about it. [ he looks at sora with a raised eyebrow ] I think I make it pretty obvious when I'm bothered.

Considering the amount of times you tried to walk away from me mid-sentence, yeah. You do. [dumb bitch. both of them. but they're still pressed into cloud's shoulder and should maybe move, but...they sigh.]

...it feels dumb to complain when it boils down to "I'm sad about circumstances I'm in." Like...that's everyone. But even if I don't know how, I'm still in a position I can try to make things better. We've had this conversation a lot though.

[squishing meow wow's cheeks, and the baby sort of whines.[

...can I ask you something kinda stupid?

I'm not sorry about that.

[ despite the joke...he really does get that feeling, wow! it turns out being an npc fucking sucks. wild. he looks down at the whining meow wow ]

Go ahead. I'll tell you if it's stupid.

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