IC inbox - TLV

[nimbuster]

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[artistinexile]

Thank you.

I am in the process of gathering a warden consensus on placing a fabrication lab in the Maintenance bay - primarily for the recycling of waste products and refurbishing them into other uses. Wood, plastics, and metals chiefly. We could construct a modeling and build screen that could be made easily accessible to the rest of the ship.

As the other inmate in Maintenance, would you have a use for this?

[nimbuster]

Huh. Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me. If you end up doing it, let me know if you need any help putting it all together.

[artistinexile]

Excellent. I will put together an Admiral request and send it through to my warden.

[nimbuster]

Cool. You said you got a personal question, too?

[Cloud's really not sure what to expect from that one. Something about Zack, maybe? Or Aerith? He thinks Aerith knows him...]

[artistinexile]

[a rather hesitant pause, and Thrawn nods, once]

Yes.

My warden believes that my graduation lies in making me sociable, likable, and politically astute. He has tasked me to ask others here about whether they find me strange and the reasoning behind it, so that I can course-correct.

Do you find my behavior odd or off-putting?

[nimbuster]

Uh, hold on a second. Your warden thinks you gotta make yourself more likeable to graduate? Like, don't be a dick to people on purpose, sure, but not everybody has to be Mr. Popular. Doesn't sound right to me.

But nah, only time I ever thought you were 'off-putting' was when you went after Zack on the network, and first impressions are usually misleading anyway.

[artistinexile]

In essence. Perhaps I am not explaining it properly.

And now your opinion has presumably changed.

[nimbuster]

Nope. Why would it? Doubt there's anything wrong with how you explained it. Wardens ain't always right.

[artistinexile]

I mean my off-putting nature and how your first impression was not correct.

[nimbuster]

Oh. Yeah, well, Zack's my best friend and you were a stranger, so I was gonna be put off no matter what. But otherwise, you're a guy like anybody else and now I've talked to you myself, so it's less that my opinion changed and more that I have the context now to form one in the first place.

[artistinexile]

And your assessment?

[nimbuster]

You seem like a hardworking guy who likes to get stuff done, which is a good thing in my book. Kinda pigheaded, but you speak your mind and say what you mean, which is a hell of a lot more valuable than playing nice just to make other people happy.

[artistinexile]

Can you define 'pigheaded' in this context, please?

[nimbuster]

Stubborn for no good reason, no matter what anybody else says.

[artistinexile]

Have you inquired as to the reasons why I may be so stubborn?

[nimbuster]

Nah. Just observation. But...you can tell me what they are, if you want. I'll listen.

[artistinexile]

Perhaps if you explain where you think I have been stubborn, I can illustrate why.

[sefirot]

Cloud, I've been considering some things and would like to ask you a question.

[video]

[nimbuster]

[Oh no. Oh shit. Cloud is suddenly hyperaware of the ring he's wearing and he freezes with slightly widened eyes for just a moment, like a deer in vivid green headlights. He recovers well enough, though, and keeps it casual.]

Sure, go for it.

[video]

[sefirot]

[That sometimes is a typical Cloud look.]

How would you feel about going on a ... date?

[It feels weird to say that.]

[nimbuster]

[Okay, so...not the question he was fearing, but not entirely dissimilar either, and in some ways scarier because a date, that's something that could actually happen, that people actually do. Not Cloud, but...people.

That wide-eyed look is back, but at least he's not frozen this time.]

Uh...what?

[Very smooth, Strife.]

[sefirot]

You know, a date. I'm told people who are together do these things.

[nimbuster]

[Together?

Cloud almost repeats it aloud, but he manages to bite it back. So Sephiroth thinks they're 'together,' whatever that means. Like some official...thing. Cloud didn't sign up for an official thing! Just because Sephiroth's been sleeping in his cabin with him for a while - that was just because of the flood! And the occasional makeouts, well, that's...y'know...that just happens. It's not like they plan it.

He's probably staring at the screen trying to think this through a little too long.]

Uh...

[He clears his throat. Yeah, his mind is totally blank.]

What kind of...date?

[It really does feel weird to say.]

[sefirot]

Something you'd like to do. That we could do ... together.

[nimbuster]

But we do that anyway.

[Sort of.]

Wait, why's it something I wanna do? What about you?