lips purse in contemplation. he’s attentive, carefully analyzing her words. little sense can be made for much in this world ; frankly, it grew more convoluted with each day as they pass. fingers rake and knead at his nape, leaning backward against the chair to fully digest her confession. he hopes to respond with an acceptable summary of important milestones accomplished throughout these long, laborious years.
❛ it would take me another century to tell you everything that’s happened while you were asleep. one thing at a time, Lightning. ❜
cue the emphasis at the end. it’s a reminder of her name, a moniker, assurance despite the amnesia. call it a half jest, laden with a modicum of truth. it would take some patience to properly outline and describe each mark throughout history and get her up to speed. so he opts for paraphrasing, piggybacking off the details she’s already understood, allow an opportunity for her mind to find some purchase and ground itself within this world of decay and memory.
he’s fixating his gaze elsewhere, skyward, to the roof and its off-white impression, baring its age and calling attention to the lack of modernistic touches loaded throughout this space. he’d find a more suitable residence when it mattered.
❛ Caius isn’t dead, for starters. ❜ his position jerks forward as if correcting his posture, arms comfortable at knees as he leans, catching a brief glimpse to confirm her gaze prior to diverting his own, eyeing the sideboards, ❛ well, not really. he’s not what he used to be. you’d have to see him to understand what I’m talking about. we can touch on it later, but it’s probably easier if we start somewhere specific. how ‘bout Luxerion itself ? ❜ there it is, the city, its name droned with a sharp malevolence. it’s likely she’d wonder just why he resides here despite his palpable disdain, ❛ you’re at least familiar with The Order of Salvation, right ? ❜
Caius wasn’t dead? For reasons unknown Lightning started to vaguely recall everything that happened. How she saw the fight between Noel, Serah, and Caius unfold from the gates of Valhalla. She tries to shake the thoughts and focus on the conversation at hand.
❝ They were that freak order who thought about bringing the end of the world right? ❞ Her memories are still fuzzy, as if her mind were a completed puzzle that had the pieces thrown around. Her eyes look at her reflection in the tea in her cup, trying to figure everything out. ❝ Or something about souls? I don’t really remember. ❞
❝ Nothing seems to be the same. Not even you. ❞ She eyes him for a brief moment before looking back down at her cup, taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the information to come. ❝ Although losing Serah is probable cause for that right? ❞ She knew that her sister was gone, but she wasn’t ready to deal with those feelings so they were pushed DEEP DOWN into a place so dark she wouldn’t have to deal with it until later.
The only reason she voiced Serah’s death was to show Noel that despite her loss of memory, she does remember the glimpse of them she saw in Valhalla. One moment she was there, happy and full of life; the next the mark of the seeress carved itself into her and took her soul along with it. Leaving her the last of her family left to live ( which was something she never wanted ) WHY HER?
