[ It's not successful at all.. but he can be patient. Just as he was with Kunsel, he will be the same with her. Even if she's already closing off a bit... that just means he has to make all the more effort to help fix this. He slowly shuffles his weight from one foot to the other, letting her finish before starting, himself. ]
As much as you might not like to hear it, ShinRa did do some good things.
But, no, I can't say they didn't do anything bad 'cause they did, too. Believe me... I know. [ The way he uncomfortably goes to touch his arm, to run a hand down it where he knows those scars decorate the stretch of his skin there... But this isn't about him, so he pushes onward with a loose gesture of a hand. ]
But Kuns- working under ShinRa? That was his life back there, Tif. That's what he dedicated it to. So, you say something like how everyone who worked for them's like that... Everyone's just as bad? Of course, he's gonna get upset.
[She lets out a sharp, irritated exhale, shifting her weight.]
I never said they were all bad! I said there are exceptions. But you didn't hear the way he was talking about it... Like those things they did were just little mistakes, and not--
[Not life ruining disasters.]
And the fact that he stayed after... After he knew everything... And he's still defending them!
Look, I'm just telling you what he told me, okay. [ He's trying to stay calm about this. He gets why she's upset. He- ] I'm not saying that makes what happened at Nibelheim right. It doesn't. That never should have happened-
Kuns just- I think he just wants to believe that what he's done all his life wasn't for nothing. And he knows Nibelheim was terrible- [ He take a moment to just... breathe. To just gather himself again before he can continue. How can he explain? How can he show her why? He starts again, head down and voice quieter than before. ]
Tifa, He spent all those years.. trying to to find me. Without those connections... [ ShinRa keeps things far too well under wraps. A superpower that had him six feet under before he'd even breathed his last breath as far as the world knew.. ]
[Things he doesn't know about. Tifa crosses her arms protectively.]
They've done a lot more terrible things than what happened at Nibelheim, but every time I brought it up, Kunsel just dismissed it. Even if he stayed with them to help you, that doesn't excuse the way he defends them.
I'm not saying that excuses- I just want you to understand where he's- Look- Just listen to me for a moment, okay? Please, Tifa.
[ The plea in his tone, even, that's unmistakable at this point, even as he raises his voice momentarily. His hands, frozen in their open motions. He watches her carefully, gauging her. Hoping for the best. ]
[She sighs, frustrated, staring down at her boots. This entire conversation is uncomfortable, and she's not really sure what he wants from her. To make up with Kunsel?]
[ He can still feel that heaviness between them. Can still feel it weighing in on all this. But she's given him the floor and he's gonna take it. He takes a deep breath, rocking back on his heels once before settling his stance again. And when he speaks again, his voice returns to that quieter if not certain tone as his hands fall back to a smaller way here and there. ]
He knows ShinRa isn't all it's cracked up to be. There's a lot they've done wrong, too. He's seen it just as much as me. And he could have left, sure. Maybe he even should have... but he waited for me, Tif. After four, five years, he didn't give up on me, you know?
[ He pauses as he rocks again, hands resting on his hips now as he looks down at the floor briefly before his eyes find hers again. ]
"Zack Fair - SOLDIER First Class: Killed in Action". They wrote me off just like that. But he didn't believe them and ended up risking his life sending out a warning about that army. He told me he didn't care I'd made an enemy out of them. Tifa, that's treason. You can be imprisoned for that. [ And that's if they hadn't gone and found reason to kill him first. At this point? Zack wouldn't put it past them. ]
[ ...Zack just finds himself casting his gaze to the floor. He just told her why... and he gets why she doesn't like 'em, herself. But still she... Slowly, he shakes his head. She's not listening. This conversation's going no where fast. He's done talking in circles. ]
Look, Tif. You want to find every reason to point fingers at him about ShinRa, you go right on ahead. But as far things are concerned, I think we all have more important things to worry about like making sure we all get home alive. [ He turns away at that, shaking his head again before adding quietly: ] And whether you like or hate ShinRa, it sure as hell doesn't matter to this place.
[ No matter what you fight for, what you believe in... They're there. They're stuck in whatever intention this abandoned town's got its grip on them for. Talking politics seems ridiculous when they're literally a world away from being able to do anything about them and could easily be killed any day. Any of them. No matter what they believe in. Even if it's good faith like Tadashi. Like Al. Freya... Cloud... All of them gone. Just like that. ]
[This isn't just an abstract political debate for her. It's hard for her to admit that there might be more than a few good people in the company when working against ShinRa is the only focus she's had for the past few years.
Suddenly, she's just exhausted. Tifa looks away again.]
I never said I wouldn't work with him. And I don't... I don't hate him.
[Really, she'd thought of him as a friend, and hearing him defend ShinRa at all had felt, strangely, like a sort of betrayal, rational or not.]
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no subject
As much as you might not like to hear it, ShinRa did do some good things.
But, no, I can't say they didn't do anything bad 'cause they did, too. Believe me... I know. [ The way he uncomfortably goes to touch his arm, to run a hand down it where he knows those scars decorate the stretch of his skin there... But this isn't about him, so he pushes onward with a loose gesture of a hand. ]
But Kuns- working under ShinRa? That was his life back there, Tif. That's what he dedicated it to. So, you say something like how everyone who worked for them's like that... Everyone's just as bad? Of course, he's gonna get upset.
no subject
I never said they were all bad! I said there are exceptions. But you didn't hear the way he was talking about it... Like those things they did were just little mistakes, and not--
[Not life ruining disasters.]
And the fact that he stayed after... After he knew everything... And he's still defending them!
[That's the sticking point for her, really.]
no subject
Kuns just- I think he just wants to believe that what he's done all his life wasn't for nothing. And he knows Nibelheim was terrible- [ He take a moment to just... breathe. To just gather himself again before he can continue. How can he explain? How can he show her why? He starts again, head down and voice quieter than before. ]
Tifa, He spent all those years.. trying to to find me. Without those connections... [ ShinRa keeps things far too well under wraps. A superpower that had him six feet under before he'd even breathed his last breath as far as the world knew.. ]
no subject
[Things he doesn't know about. Tifa crosses her arms protectively.]
They've done a lot more terrible things than what happened at Nibelheim, but every time I brought it up, Kunsel just dismissed it. Even if he stayed with them to help you, that doesn't excuse the way he defends them.
no subject
[ The plea in his tone, even, that's unmistakable at this point, even as he raises his voice momentarily. His hands, frozen in their open motions. He watches her carefully, gauging her. Hoping for the best. ]
no subject
I'm listening.
no subject
He knows ShinRa isn't all it's cracked up to be. There's a lot they've done wrong, too. He's seen it just as much as me. And he could have left, sure. Maybe he even should have... but he waited for me, Tif. After four, five years, he didn't give up on me, you know?
[ He pauses as he rocks again, hands resting on his hips now as he looks down at the floor briefly before his eyes find hers again. ]
"Zack Fair - SOLDIER First Class: Killed in Action". They wrote me off just like that. But he didn't believe them and ended up risking his life sending out a warning about that army. He told me he didn't care I'd made an enemy out of them. Tifa, that's treason. You can be imprisoned for that. [ And that's if they hadn't gone and found reason to kill him first. At this point? Zack wouldn't put it past them. ]
no subject
But, Zack...
[They're best friends. She gets it. It still seems, though, that Kunsel is sticking by ShinRa far more than he should.]
What about everyone else ShinRa has hurt? He was trying to help you, but he was supporting them, too.
no subject
Look, Tif. You want to find every reason to point fingers at him about ShinRa, you go right on ahead. But as far things are concerned, I think we all have more important things to worry about like making sure we all get home alive. [ He turns away at that, shaking his head again before adding quietly: ] And whether you like or hate ShinRa, it sure as hell doesn't matter to this place.
[ No matter what you fight for, what you believe in... They're there. They're stuck in whatever intention this abandoned town's got its grip on them for. Talking politics seems ridiculous when they're literally a world away from being able to do anything about them and could easily be killed any day. Any of them. No matter what they believe in. Even if it's good faith like Tadashi. Like Al. Freya... Cloud... All of them gone. Just like that. ]
no subject
Suddenly, she's just exhausted. Tifa looks away again.]
I never said I wouldn't work with him. And I don't... I don't hate him.
[Really, she'd thought of him as a friend, and hearing him defend ShinRa at all had felt, strangely, like a sort of betrayal, rational or not.]