[ One step forward, two steps back. It makes him frustrated because it disappoints him, but actually managing to voice that would require more emotional awareness than he has. ]
Nah forget it
I'll save my energy for trying to figure out your weird language instead
[Cain almost leaves it there. It would be easy — Noctis's questions about his feelings, his life back home, continue to rub up against untended wounds. But then he looks up from the screen of the device in his hand, and immediately he sees the ship-in-a-bottle in front of him.
This is so annoying.]
it wasn't great i told you mars was backwoods, i meant it. the only people who really had lives there were convicts or factory workers, sometimes soldiers but rarely. the outposts i mentioned were alliance. the one we had in new volga was a correctional facility. snowed half the year, ice storms a lot, just a cold rock the rest of it. but some of the people weren't bad
[ With an argument carefully averted he's ready to go about his day with his mood intact, a primary goal of his after receiving a video message he wants to replay. What he isn't expecting is another text, and not too long after his last one.
The contents are even less expected. He reads it twice, unaware of his own furrowed brow, only able to envision cold fortresses as stand-ins for the architecture of Cain's home world. It sounds... bleak. Like the kind of place fully capable of forging a man with a guarded outlook and a bad disposition. ]
Sounds tough
[ That's an understatement. And insufficient as a reply. He tries again. ]
I was wrong before yk. When we first got here and fought, giving you shit about where you wanted to go
You prob did okay for yourself bc you seem like you could get through w/e, but if you wouldn't pick to rush back it makes sense. You should get to choose
[He doesn't elaborate on what he means. But it gives back, a little — to acknowledge he was also a huge dick in the way he'd engaged Noctis at the time.]
wouldn't it be nice if we could just choose for ourselves that kinda freedom doesn't exist for most people
The word strikes him funny, as if he hasn't seen it written out in a while and he has to scrape off layers of unfamiliarity. His expression turns impassive, shielded against eyes that can't even see him. ]
Who's to say it can't for you here
You said it yourself. You've got a ship now. Things could change
[Things could change. Weird, how persuasive Noctis can sound sometimes. Or why Cain wants to believe him more than he does any of the other positive perspectives he's heard from people.]
maybe
did jonas tell you i named her? my ship ангелика (angelika) thinking about getting it painted on the side somewhere
[ The joke belies his own more sober thoughts, reflecting more intently on Cain's condition. Freedom. Is that why? Is that what it represents for him? ]
Not a bad name tbh. It's even more angular than the other words you showed me so maybe it'll keep you on a straight path
Yeah based on how you described it I'm getting that. I'll let my friend know you think he did a bad job showing me what's what. It'll drive him nuts
[ But... he's dodged the point of Cain's question. And that isn't something he wants to continue doing, even if it does lead to some contentious sticking points. ]
You were right anyway. My family's always been well off. Guess that's your lucky guess.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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you said the word, not me
what i like? not much
mars is just the backwoods by most standards, not exactly a travel destination
what's to say?
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And beats me, it's your home. It doesn't have to be fancy for me to wanna know about it. What was it like growing up there?
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boring
had to make your own entertainment, which is what i did
you're getting nosy again
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You're asking me questions back yk
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you want my life story? do you think it'd help you understand something about me?
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Nah forget it
I'll save my energy for trying to figure out your weird language instead
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This is so annoying.]
it wasn't great
i told you mars was backwoods, i meant it. the only people who really had lives there were convicts or factory workers, sometimes soldiers but rarely. the outposts i mentioned were alliance. the one we had in new volga was a correctional facility. snowed half the year, ice storms a lot, just a cold rock the rest of it.
but some of the people weren't bad
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The contents are even less expected. He reads it twice, unaware of his own furrowed brow, only able to envision cold fortresses as stand-ins for the architecture of Cain's home world. It sounds... bleak. Like the kind of place fully capable of forging a man with a guarded outlook and a bad disposition. ]
Sounds tough
[ That's an understatement. And insufficient as a reply. He tries again. ]
I was wrong before yk. When we first got here and fought, giving you shit about where you wanted to go
You prob did okay for yourself bc you seem like you could get through w/e, but if you wouldn't pick to rush back it makes sense. You should get to choose
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[He doesn't elaborate on what he means. But it gives back, a little — to acknowledge he was also a huge dick in the way he'd engaged Noctis at the time.]
wouldn't it be nice if we could just choose for ourselves
that kinda freedom doesn't exist for most people
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The word strikes him funny, as if he hasn't seen it written out in a while and he has to scrape off layers of unfamiliarity. His expression turns impassive, shielded against eyes that can't even see him. ]
Who's to say it can't for you here
You said it yourself. You've got a ship now. Things could change
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maybe
did jonas tell you i named her? my ship
ангелика (angelika)
thinking about getting it painted on the side somewhere
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[ The joke belies his own more sober thoughts, reflecting more intently on Cain's condition. Freedom. Is that why? Is that what it represents for him? ]
Not a bad name tbh. It's even more angular than the other words you showed me so maybe it'll keep you on a straight path
You picked out a color yet?
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[This is a gay joke that'll probably go over Noctis's head, which means it's safe. Right?]
maybe black if it's on one of the red wings
maybe white if it's on the side of the hull
you gonna name yours?
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Uggggh
[ Even that can't deter him, however, from a design conversation. Especially one that's clearly important to him. ]
If it's on the wings it should stretch across both, otherwise keep it on the hull. It's gonna look better
Wasn't planning on it anyway. Guess I could name it after my car back home but it doesn't really do it justice
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cool
i'll think about that
you had a car?
what was it called
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[ Not that it's his business. Not that he should be quite so invested. ]
The Regalia
My dad's car first, so he's the one that named it if you're about to say smth. Told you he was old school
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good thought
your dad again?
sounds like you guys are rich as hell back on eos
or is that normal
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Having a car? Nah that part's normal, most families have one
Guessing they're rarer for you guys
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didn't you say you crashed before?
who even taught you how to drive
sounds like they did a shitty job
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[ But... he's dodged the point of Cain's question. And that isn't something he wants to continue doing, even if it does lead to some contentious sticking points. ]
You were right anyway. My family's always been well off. Guess that's your lucky guess.
Was your dad a soldier too?
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[Their exchanges have been so... tit for tat, at this point, but isn't even that an improvement? Maybe.]
knew it. i could tell the second i met you.
no, he wasn't. no soldiers in my family.
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[ A joke? At his own expense? Growth. ]
W/e you're just saying that to look cool and perceptive or smth. Why the career switch then? Could've followed in his footsteps
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yeah sure
10 hour days hard manual labor, 6 days a week
sounds fun, dunno what i was thinking
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So he was one of the factory workers? Your mom too?
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[we are Uncomfortable now.]
what'd your dad do to get rich? city guard pays that much, or is that something you picked yourself?
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1/2
2/2
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