driftfleet | the veil is thin . . .

[ On the night of the 16th, the feeling of tension and horrid anticipation comes to a head. Everything stops when the sun goes down-- even the ever-present music in the hoppingest part of the city center. One by one, everyone turns their eyes to the skies. The young and old alike pour out of their houses, some in bare feet, and they point to the velvety blanket of stars.

It takes a second to find it, especially if one is unaccustomed to the starscape. But even a casual observer can see it.

A brightly-shining star, larger than the others, and growing larger.

An announcement cuts across all communication channels that encourages people to evacuate to the space station, but it’s clear that these are just people and they’ll need some help. Supplies, equipment, organization, there’s something for everyone to do.

Civilization is disrupted by a panicked stampede of people vying for limited seats aboard spacefaring craft. Within hours, there will be crushed glass, looting, and chaos.

The clock is ticking. Will you help? Or would you rather watch the dying gasps of a Singing Planet from a safe distance? ]

[OOC: Please see this post for plot details. Phase two has begun! Feel free to use this post as a reaction post, mingle, etc. or make your own!]

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[Her touch burns but he knows that being without that touch is like being stabbed in the chest over and over again. A part of him really wants to laugh at his own melodrama, but it's just too damn much. Too much.

He can hear the unspoken words. 'We'll talk.' 'Don't leave me alone again.' 'Don't be stupid.'

Snow slowly closes his eyes before looking at her directly, trying to figure out how the hell he's supposed to feel and what he's supposed to do. Because he's not sure at all.

But he knows what he has to do. And he claps his free hand on her shoulder.]

Serah. Serah, promise me that you won't do anything stupid. [He tries to smile, not sure what his face looks like.] That's my job.

[ It's just as well. Serah has optimism and determination for his melodrama for days.

She waits. It's something she's gotten good at over the years, for better or for worse. She waits for his answer both verbal and through his body language, and she isn't disappointed.

It's still not really okay, but he's not going to shut down or shut her down either, at least not yet. If he isn't sure, that's fine. Serah was willing to step up and lead on this one if need be. Something else she's gotten better at.

When she sees his hand reaching out she almost braces for the welcomed, familiar gesture. It's one he's done with her and others many times before. For a second it's like the old Snow is peering through the layers of pain and conflicting emotions she saw in his eyes. Serah rewards his efforts and his smile (small as it is) with a nod and a smile of her own, tinged with hints of patience, relief, and understanding.

It's not okay yet, they still need to talk, and there's bound to be a LOT to talk about, but it's a start. As long as they have that there's still hope. ]

Promise. At least one of us has to keep a level head, and that's my job.

[ It's teasing, in spite of everything. It felt too good to be alive and hale and whole, and together even though there's an enormous cloud of foreboding hanging between them. Maybe even because of that. ]

Come on. I was thinking about starting to look for stragglers. There's bound to be at least a few.

Edited 2017-09-21 14:44 (UTC)

[All he can think of as he looks down at her, feeling the heat of her skin through his gloves, is how much he's missed her. She is so beautiful and he doesn't deserve her. He knows that.

She's always been the best part of him. The one person who's motivated him to try to be a better person. And to have her trying to tease him is like a dream he's had before many times, but it's difficult to really remember what it's like to respond to it.]

You're good at that.

[And he'd had enough passion and drive for the both of them. Except as a Farron, she'd had enough of her own as well.]

Stragglers are probably more likely to listen to you than me. [It's not like he's been asking, exactly.] I'll just carry their things.

[ It would come as a surprise to no one that Serah has never thought that way, that he did or didn't deserve her, but she also knows how seriously he takes his promises to protect others, especially her. When everything is said and done and they finally sit down to have that talk, it's not going to be an easy conversation. Snow... he really is his own worst critic, something that both had and hadn't come as a big surprise to her the first time she saw it in action.

For now, though, they had something else to focus on. They work well as a team, and she's maybe counting on that some to help keep him with her and focused. ]

Hey, don't sell yourself short so quickly. [ She says as they start off further in, heading in the opposite direction of the evacuating natives. ] You had enough stubborn charisma to win over Lightning, after all.

[ She's seen it, and she'll carry that memory of Claire's blessing all the way to her grave.

~~... Wait.~~ ]

[Serah doesn't have to think that Snow isn't good enough for her. Lightning always made it damn clear back in Bodhum. Of course, she'd supposedly made her peace with it.

He takes one long, longing look at her before finally drawing away. In a way, it feels as if he's lost a limb, but he doesn't reach for her again either.]

It was just a case of wearing her down after everything that happened.

[Because it was something he wanted, Lightning's approval to marry Serah. He wanted her to know that he wasn't going away. And he'd won...

But paid for that as well.]

These guys are just like the people in Bodhum after the scare with PSIcom and the Pulse fal'Cie.

[He looks around and puts his sizable arm between two men who look like they're about to fight about who was first in line.]

Hey, knock it off. There's plenty of space and time to get to the shuttles.

the veil is thin . . .

But they aren't married. Yet.

He's gone to hell & killed godlike beings for her. Let's not pretend it's anything but a done deal

Man, he'd do so much more than that even. :/

This is part of what makes him a damn good boyfriend. Now if he'd stop being so hard on himself SIGH

That is never going to happen. Someone has to ride him now that Light's lightened up.