I'm sure you can handle Sephiroth. On the other hand, I don't want you to feel obligated to handle Sephiroth, and I certainly don't want you to feel like you're obligated to keep Sephiroth from hassling other people.
...yeah. I get that. But he's hassling Abel because of me. Can't just sit around and do nothing.
[Doing nothing when Sephiroth's 'hassling' other people is why he keeps failing to save them. And this is something he feels like he finally can do something about. He has to make up for his failures. That's what this place is all about, right?]
[Cloud exhales quietly in frustration, closing his eyes for a moment.]
I figured. I just...it's my fault. I have to help.
[If he doesn't, then he's just dumping things on other people to deal with again. Or maybe it's just that he literally can't just...do nothing. The thought of it makes him feel antsy. Even when he left Seventh Heaven, he had a task. A job. He was going to find a cure for Denzel. He was going to help people. Pull his weight. He failed, but...it kept him going.]
[Well, he was going to give Sephiroth a warning, maybe a threat of some kind, but saying so to Yunlan now feels pretty silly. Cloud sighs. His tone is much duller when he says,]
[Wait, what? He figured Yunlan was telling him to back off. Honestly, if he were in Yunlan's position, he probably would have told himself to back off. But instead...]
I - I mean, yeah. Of course. Um...whaddya got in mind?
[That sure is a question. It's tempting to say he wants space, that he just wants to be rid of having to deal with Sephiroth at all. But it's unrealistic in more ways than one. For one thing, he's loath to put Yunlan in the position of trying (and inevitably failing) to enforce that. For another, Cloud knows it's always just a matter of time before the reunion brings him face-to-face with Sephiroth again no matter how much he tries to avoid him. And for a third...
...well, he still has some thinking to do on the Sephiroth Problem. Hard to say whether he'll truly want that space when he gets to wherever that road might lead. He shakes his head.]
I don't want to put you on the spot feeling like you have to manage him, so I want to say, if you get worried about how he interacts with anyone else, tag me in, all right?
But I also don't want to make you feel like you can't deal with him yourself if and only if you want to.
So, how about: I'll let you handle how he interacts with you and vice versa, but if there's something that's really bugging you, you can call me about that, too, and I can butt in.
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onlyembers
no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 04:11 am (UTC)Among other things, that's literally my job.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 04:29 am (UTC)...yeah. I get that. But he's hassling Abel because of me. Can't just sit around and do nothing.
[Doing nothing when Sephiroth's 'hassling' other people is why he keeps failing to save them. And this is something he feels like he finally can do something about. He has to make up for his failures. That's what this place is all about, right?]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 05:05 am (UTC)I figured. I just...it's my fault. I have to help.
[If he doesn't, then he's just dumping things on other people to deal with again. Or maybe it's just that he literally can't just...do nothing. The thought of it makes him feel antsy. Even when he left Seventh Heaven, he had a task. A job. He was going to find a cure for Denzel. He was going to help people. Pull his weight. He failed, but...it kept him going.]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 05:16 am (UTC)But, quick check: what are you planning to do?
no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 05:23 am (UTC)[Well, he was going to give Sephiroth a warning, maybe a threat of some kind, but saying so to Yunlan now feels pretty silly. Cloud sighs. His tone is much duller when he says,]
Nothing, I guess.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 05:39 am (UTC)I'm not saying this to discourage you from doing anything. I just want to workshop it first. Collaborate. Right?
no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 06:02 am (UTC)[Wait, what? He figured Yunlan was telling him to back off. Honestly, if he were in Yunlan's position, he probably would have told himself to back off. But instead...]
I - I mean, yeah. Of course. Um...whaddya got in mind?
no subject
Date: 2024-06-26 03:17 pm (UTC)You're worried about Sephiroth messing with other people because of you. Do you want him interacting with you at all, or do you want space?
no subject
Date: 2024-06-28 02:23 am (UTC)...well, he still has some thinking to do on the Sephiroth Problem. Hard to say whether he'll truly want that space when he gets to wherever that road might lead. He shakes his head.]
Interacting with me's fine.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-28 02:56 am (UTC)I don't want to put you on the spot feeling like you have to manage him, so I want to say, if you get worried about how he interacts with anyone else, tag me in, all right?
But I also don't want to make you feel like you can't deal with him yourself if and only if you want to.
So, how about: I'll let you handle how he interacts with you and vice versa, but if there's something that's really bugging you, you can call me about that, too, and I can butt in.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-28 05:04 am (UTC)Works for me. I'll keep you on speed dial.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-28 03:46 pm (UTC)Sorry about the many and diverse shitty things about this ship, but welcome back to the Barge.