school: nier

[shaft]

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[shaft]

[ Something about the way that Nier describes it gets under his skin—which is ridiculous, because it actually happened to him. What Claude saw was just an illusion.

He pushes the blanket back and reaches into the bedside table, taking out the freesia bulb. ]

I got this, at the end of it. Flowers are important where you come from?

[amain]

[ Nier doesn't think about it enough to broadcast what he saw. It's something he put away, only looking back to it with sadness and helplessness. ]

They are. [ ?? ] It's a freesia... They're one of the common flowers of Seafront.

[shaft]

[ He just drops the flower in Nier's lap.

It's nice. ]

[amain]

[ … What are you, a cat?

Nier holds it for a moment, noticing the small effect, then quickly puts it back into Claude’s hand. ]

[shaft]

[

He's going to give Nier an annoyed look and hand it back. ]

For my weekly task.

[amain]

[ What the fuck, stop manipulating him. ]

… I’m going to give it back later.

[ Nier looks more confused and conflicted, because isn’t this important? It feels like a gift from someone that loves you. And that’s! Not his! This love is for Claude, so it… Is a bit weird to be given this little bulb. ]

How are your wounds?

[ He holds the bulb carefully before placing it on a nearby nightstand. ]

[shaft]

[ THEY ALL GOT FLOWERS NIER don't manipulate him

With that sorted, he just falls back onto the bed with a sigh. ]

Healed, for the most part. Futaba healed me right before we left, and then the rest was patched up when we got back.

[amain]

[ HE DOESNT KNOW THAT… HE JUST FEELS LOVE FROM THE FLOWER AND he’s like wow, what a nice feeling. I don’t think this was meant for me?

There’s relief. He hovers over him. ]

… Do you mind if I stay?

[shaft]

[ Claude peers at him for a moment. ]

I won't be good company.

[amain]

That’s fine. It’s not like I was ever good company on the weekends.

[ He rubs his neck. I just don’t want you to be alone. ]

[shaft]

[ ... ]

Then perhaps you can offer me some words of wisdom on how to cope with these sorts of things.

[amain]

… Never lose hope?

[ That’s what kept me going. He plops onto the bed, too, then pulls Claude into a loose hug. ]

Don’t let yourself be alone for too long… Remember that you did what you could.

[shaft]

[ Claude is a little tense at the hug, but he doesn't push him away.

You're so difficult. ]

That's what your friend said. Grimoire Weiss. He asked that we remind you and Kainé to never lose hope.

[amain]

… Weiss, huh.

[ Nier has heard from others Weiss showed up and that puts a smile on his face. ]

It’s good advice for the world we lived in, I think. No matter how cruel, there’s more to life than that.

Did you ever talk to the ferryman?

[shaft]

The ferryman...?

[ He knows that Lux and Kon had been looking for someone. Whether it was the post man or the ferryman, he can't remember. ]

No. I think he was dead by the time we arrived.

[amain]

That’s unfortunate. [ Nier doesn’t sound sad, but it’s hard not to be. ] He cared about his wife a lot—and the both of them were… Interesting to listen to. I met them when I was sixteen and made the mistake to stick around while they were arguing. They went on for ten minutes over him eating her apples.

[ … ]

They invited Weiss and I to dinner once.

[ He thinks back to that memory, unintentionally sharing it with Claude. It was a simple dinner, but it meant so much to Nier who hadn’t had a meal with his sister in over five years.

He loved that couple. ]

It would have been better if the memory you all experienced was about their love for each other.

[ A happier memory of mine. At this point, Nier is just blabbing to keep Claude’s mind off of whatever he’s running away from. ]

[shaft]

She did seem heartbroken when Lux told her what had happened.

[ He's not really sure what to make of Nier's efforts. On one hand, he's glad that he has happier memories to hold onto, and that his time before Wiwaldi wasn't just one point of suffering after the other.

But then, eventually that happiness had ended with loss. Maybe that's just how attachments go. ]

[amain]

[ Claude, you’re in a war… Loss just happens all the time, okay. Nier is trying his Best right now despite not knowing the situation at all. ]

You guys could have lied to her. I don’t think that choice is wrong.

[shaft]

[ He was in a war... that's why he's convinced life is nothing but losing people. ]

I'll be honest, I was mostly checked out. But I know that I would've appreciated the truth over anything else. It's better than finding it out later.

[amain]

[ Nier can’t disagree. He prefers the truth, too. ]

Checked out, huh.

[ Pat pat. ]

Shades are relentless in their rampage. That one was also really strong. I was surprised to know you four went through that and came out alive.

[shaft]

[ He trusted Lux and Kon to handle the rest. Even though they were in way worse physical shape than him. ]

She definitely almost killed Kon and the others. [ ... ] She didn't attack me.

[ On purpose anyway. He did get yeeted into the ocean. ]

[amain]

[ ... This makes Nier frown because I finally got info from another character before curfew. ]

You got attached, didn't you.

[shaft]

[ Maybe he did.

Anyway, he's not going to answer. ]

[amain]

[ Nier’s thoughts are a jumble of kneejerk “it was a Shade,” “it was going to keep eating people,” “she loved someone,” and “she was protecting him,” ping ponging between what he forced himself to believe and the truth. ]

It… Wasn’t real.

[ He settles on that. ]

[shaft]

[ Claude is still silent for a moment, digesting Nier's thoughts without much change in expression. He doesn't fault him for feeling any particular way.

Eventually, and these words don't quite sound his own, That doesn't mean it couldn't have an impact. ]