[ Remembering what he himself shared with Jonas, that memory of his father watching his son leave with only a hint of a smile and nothing else shown in normally expressive eyes, makes those words easier to accept. He knows why it matters, intimately. Jonas can understand that in a way he's not sure anyone else could, and he can understand that instinct in Jonas in return. That's... so, so significant. ]
It's okay
I wasn't gonna say no. Whenever you're ready we can do it
( A breath he was consciously holding to keep him steady is exhaled all at once. An explosive sigh of mild relief.
Finally. )
Thanks Thank you We can both say it, and I won't like ever forget Like only having to do it once ever Then every other time after we can say see you later and stuff I feel like this is good Right? It's the best way of doing it ykwim
[ He repeats it again, as if maybe he can will a tone he means to comfort to come through in his texts. In Jonas's he hears his anxiety, the way he speaks choppily when he's tense to avoid silence. He'd done it the other night too. ]
We'll say it so it's said, and if we wanna say it again later we can. You don't have to make a promise either way
And it wasn't the right audience for it. Hard to talk about that w/o saying where I was at the time
[ The Citadel. A palace, more or less, and one Cain doesn't know about. There are some easy obvious truths to be inferred – Jonas isn't the only one with truths unsaid to other members of their group. ]
I learned about Christmas through the records here, we don't have it. The new year is a big deal tho. Fancy parties, usually at the Citadel or a hotel or smth. This year was better even with the fuck up
( Noctis and Cain might be getting along better, but there's still distance. He can't blame them, not when the better parts of their entire lives haven't been shared.
It's how it's supposed to go. Drip-feed friends information and they won't spook and run off. )
I think so too Though I'm trying really hard to picture you in a tux now Sorry bout it
tbh I think you'd look better in one of those fishing hats with hooks and crap hanging off them In a tackle vest yk? And you stand there like such a dad with your hands on your hips like "Ahhh the fish'll be biting today yes siree" Or like "I'll rustle us up some grub" lol
Like with a cummerbund and bowtie? Lol not in a million years, I think you're forgetting that I actually have really good taste and it's getting you confused
So how about you invent another doppelganger for me like you did when we met and he can wear the shitty outfits while I just take the tackles and extra fishing line
[ Yeah, that's right. He still hasn't forgotten about that strange chapter in their history. ]
Don't even go there that was so creepy Besides I really like the mental imagine of YOU wearing a cummerbund Lol 😌
Hey when we can, we should go Fishing the second we're not surrounded by a bunch of crappy sand That's how we can celebrate new years Set your standards bar high for all future new years
[ It sounds like a bad idea. He's managed to successfully ignore the voices in his head – Cor, Gladio, Ignis – who remind him of his entanglements here and their weight back home. Being Jonas's friend is acceptable. Being whatever he felt he was with him under a blanket of stars, vulnerable, united, a picture without borders... isn't. That person could make mistakes.
How does he reconcile the two? ]
You sure?
Last time I thought you were gonna freeze to death
Lol yeah yeah Good theory though I think we're heading out on the road soonish? Maybe we'll finally get to find out where we're going, then we can get a better idea if there's literally anything of note on this planet AT ALL
[ The words "of course" are typed before he can stop himself, but what he can keep himself from doing is hitting send. He stares at them, questioning himself with a slow deletion of each letter. ]
I don't know. Long term and short term are pretty different
You mean letting Cain in on some of my info? yk we can dissolve the group chat if you guys want We all really tried, so if it's not working, you shouldn't feel pressured either way
idk if you want to hear a solution rn though or if you want to just get it off your chest Tell me to shut it if you wanna vent
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It's okay
I wasn't gonna say no. Whenever you're ready we can do it
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Finally. )
Thanks
Thank you
We can both say it, and I won't like ever forget
Like only having to do it once ever
Then every other time after we can say see you later and stuff
I feel like this is good
Right?
It's the best way of doing it
ykwim
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[ He repeats it again, as if maybe he can will a tone he means to comfort to come through in his texts. In Jonas's he hears his anxiety, the way he speaks choppily when he's tense to avoid silence. He'd done it the other night too. ]
We'll say it so it's said, and if we wanna say it again later we can. You don't have to make a promise either way
Deal?
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That sounds good thanks man
Are you doing okay?
Like with everything going on
I just feel like we didn't talk after we were failing miserably at stargazing
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Idk things were going pretty well until that convo last night. Ig most of it wasn't a wash tho, I got to learn about your drunken parties
And Cain's holiday arena or w/e
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Dick measuring contests apparently
We didn't get to hear about yours too much
Like did you celebrate year end holidays or stuff like Christmas?
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And it wasn't the right audience for it. Hard to talk about that w/o saying where I was at the time
[ The Citadel. A palace, more or less, and one Cain doesn't know about. There are some easy obvious truths to be inferred – Jonas isn't the only one with truths unsaid to other members of their group. ]
I learned about Christmas through the records here, we don't have it. The new year is a big deal tho. Fancy parties, usually at the Citadel or a hotel or smth. This year was better even with the fuck up
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It's how it's supposed to go. Drip-feed friends information and they won't spook and run off. )
I think so too
Though I'm trying really hard to picture you in a tux now
Sorry bout it
tbh I think you'd look better in one of those fishing hats with hooks and crap hanging off them
In a tackle vest yk?
And you stand there like such a dad with your hands on your hips like
"Ahhh the fish'll be biting today yes siree"
Or like "I'll rustle us up some grub" lol
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Like with a cummerbund and bowtie? Lol not in a million years, I think you're forgetting that I actually have really good taste and it's getting you confused
So how about you invent another doppelganger for me like you did when we met and he can wear the shitty outfits while I just take the tackles and extra fishing line
[ Yeah, that's right. He still hasn't forgotten about that strange chapter in their history. ]
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wipes his eyes, sitting up a bit straighter )
Don't even go there that was so creepy
Besides I really like the mental imagine of YOU wearing a cummerbund
Lol
😌
Hey when we can, we should go
Fishing the second we're not surrounded by a bunch of crappy sand
That's how we can celebrate new years
Set your standards bar high for all future new years
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[ With softer features, fluffier hair, and more luminous eyes. Uncanny......
The offer stops his teasing, however, head tilting as he considers it. ]
Fr? You wanna fish with me
You
After all you said about it
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I was teasing you nerd lmao
Yeah I wanna fish with you
We can cook it after😛
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Okay
Then we say our goodbyes, sit together, and fish.
Deal?
1/2
Okay
2/2
We never did stargaze really
We kind of got distracted
That can be the night portion?
For real this time
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How does he reconcile the two? ]
You sure?
Last time I thought you were gonna freeze to death
[ calmly projects... ]
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It doesn't. )
Goodbyes, fishing, stargazing
I'm sure
You don't have to lmk now if you want time to think about it
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Though who knows
If it's somewhere that actually has fish maybe it'll be warmer. More stars
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Good theory though
I think we're heading out on the road soonish?
Maybe we'll finally get to find out where we're going, then we can get a better idea if there's literally anything of note on this planet AT ALL
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[ His pithiest joke yet. ]
Hey
You okay?
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Smiles a bit, eyes softening. )
Not really tbh
Are you?
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I don't know. Long term and short term are pretty different
Has he responded to you? It's not that, right
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Talk to me
Tell me about the short term
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[ Then all he has to do with that is to trust both of them. And he finds, shockingly, that he does. ]
Short term is better
But last night threw me off ig. Not you, me
And sometimes the convos with all three of us are harder
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yk we can dissolve the group chat if you guys want
We all really tried, so if it's not working, you shouldn't feel pressured either way
idk if you want to hear a solution rn though or if you want to just get it off your chest
Tell me to shut it if you wanna vent
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sorry...
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now I'm sorry...
🤬
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