[ the way that i'm genuinely shitposting all around the mingle but i'm going to finally acknowledge that yves is also fucking covered in bandages he's always covered in bandages but
at a familiar voice he's going to whip around to face him and -
it's probably embarrassing how immediately he tears up and starts rushing toward adolphe. are they both bandaged and possibly newly dead? yes. is yves still going to crash into adolphe for a hug? also yes. ]
[ Oh, Yves. Perhaps this is something he should have expected, but for some reason, he didn't. Adolphe keeps himself up as Yves hugs him though. No pain despite the loads of bandages on him. It's fine.
...
Well, no. Actually. It's not fine. ]
Yves, w-wait. Why are you here? You weren't supposed to die...
[ there are small differences that adolphe might notice with yves—miniscule, given the fact that they didn't bother to change his sprite from the first game and the fd—but he's just a little bit taller. his hair's a few inches longer in his ponytail. they don't line up in exactly the same way.
but he's still embarrassingly sniffling as he pulls back, confused ]
Why are you saying that to me? I should be saying that to you.
If we'd gotten back to the orphanage sooner that day....
[ He's noticing all the subtle changes. He's been with Yves (and Hugo) for a while for Corps things, so he would notice. His hair is a little longer and... wait. He doesn't like this ominous feeling that he's getting. ]
What... are you talking about? The orphanage? What happened?!
his brow furrows, and he doesn't like the chill that just ran down his spine. how does he break the news about something that adolphe should already know? if adolphe didn't die from this, then how did he...? ]
... Adolphe, you...
Years ago... The Royals attacked the orphanage... You defended it—you were the only one there, and Hugo and I got there too late.
[ yves isn't a fool, for all that he acts naive at times. he's been able to put pieces together based on conversations with others. they died, just like he did. but adolphe should've arrived here long before yves did. so what's going on? ]
It's hard for all that to sink in. Years ago? Royals attacked the orphanage? He was the only one there? And supposedly killed by the Royals? He blanks out for a good moment that he doesn't register Yves's last question in his head at all. ]
She survived—that. [ he flinches, at the fact that he has to amend that statement. ] Both her and Sister Salome survived... that. You saved both of them.
[ but what happened after? yves doesn't have very many moments where he feels shame - but finally he struggles against it. his eyes cast downward. even after adolphe's sacrifice, yves couldn't protect what he cherished most ]
But when we tried to take back the Institute for Scien, Bourreau... He killed Ceres then.
I'm sorry. [ and though he had clung onto adolphe earlier, he suddenly feels like he doesn't deserve to face his friend. his fingertips shake before falling away. ] I'm so sorry, Adolphe.
[ Adolphe feels strength leaving him. Perhaps he'd feel faint, but his feet are kept sturdy on what appears to be the ground of a watery-sort of illusion. He needs to keep standing. He's dead. This shouldn't matter.
But it does.
It does matter.
He feels Yves's fingers shake before they withdraw. ]
[ it's funny because he lost all his friends one by one. adolphe, then ceres, then lucas, then with his own hands he—
yves didn't think it'd be possible to rip the wounds open twice. but it's only now that the gears start to turn a little bit, because it makes him realize that he shouldn't be the only one here. he made sure that he wasn't. he looks around. ]
[ Not in the afterlife. Not here, so that maybe he can still think she has a chance at living despite what Yves told him. His head is jumbled with information that he can't process to point out the simple and blatant contradictions to his own memories. ]
We... can still save her. We—you, Lucas and I went to raid the institute to get Ceres out and I...
[ His voice gets quieter. ]
... left it to you and Lucas when there was no other way.
[ So he is obviously distraught in seeing them here!! ]
adolphe died long before they tried to reclaim the institute for scien. but ceres wasn't there, she was also with the team to get it back. there's a lot swirling in yves' mind, confused and bewildered. adolphe's refusal to see ceres pulls yves back from his urge to go run around in circles to locate her but. ]
.... I don't....
[ ???????? ]
Something's not making sense, Adolphe. I don't remember what you remember.
[ why is that? but at the very least, ever the optimist, yves can hold onto one hope for adolphe: ] Maybe she is okay.
He really needs some time to sort this out, but he feels like it'll give him some sort of revelation that should have been kept hidden. (Thanks this is how ankou happens but with a detour) ]
And I don't remember what you told me either. I entrusted Ceres to you...
[ Yves is the most sincere person that Adolphe knows. That's why he was in denial for a few seconds despite everything. There's just no way. No way... ]
... I would have agreed instantly if she went with you instead. That guy is just... he's bad news.
[ . . . he shifts a little uncertainly on his feet. it's not like he can disagree? ]
... I know I can't truly argue since I'm the one who just killed him but....
For what it's worth, I think he really, truly loved her more than anything.
[ which is actually the entire problem, but... yves can't look down or cast away a love like that. not when it's something that he treasures and still craves so deeply. ]
[ To hear that from Yves... Adolphe still can't fathom Scien actually loving Ceres, or anyone as much as Yves describes to him. But he knows Yves wouldn't lie about something like this. That's why he doesn't say anything about him killing Scien. Yeah? Good riddance, but he's not gonna just say that to his face.
The Guardian of the Lycoris Noirges. Adolphe quietly breathes out. He died for that chance. His head is a mess and he expects that to get worse, but he's dead. There's really nothing he can do about it. Right? Right.
[ yves can't really explain what's going on. he's really not sure what's happening in the slightest. he doesn't know anything about a series of events where adolphe entrusted ceres to him, and died with that peace of mind. he doesn't know anything except the years that he had without one of his closest friends in the world, and was left so increasingly alone in the ruins of where they once called home.
his smile is rueful. ]
... I'm sorry that when we get a chance to reunite like this, I can only give you bad news.
[ it's hard when yves has a tendency to believe whatever adolphe says to him, but what adolphe says to him now riles against the past four years where it felt like it's been failure after failure.
he rubs the back of his neck a little ]
... I think we all have.
But even if it's selfish to say—I'm really glad to see you again. Whatever is going on, I think we can figure it all out if we're together.
[ hehe! he smiles at that and bounces back in that way that yves is so good at, compartmentalizing trauma and whatnot. he'll just bump shoulders with adolphe in his friendly way ]
I guess! But you can't go anywhere I can't go with you.
[ he has been so fucking lonely watching his friends die one by one over the years ]
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at a familiar voice he's going to whip around to face him and -
it's probably embarrassing how immediately he tears up and starts rushing toward adolphe. are they both bandaged and possibly newly dead? yes. is yves still going to crash into adolphe for a hug? also yes. ]
Adolphe!!
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...
Well, no. Actually. It's not fine. ]
Yves, w-wait. Why are you here? You weren't supposed to die...
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but he's still embarrassingly sniffling as he pulls back, confused ]
Why are you saying that to me? I should be saying that to you.
If we'd gotten back to the orphanage sooner that day....
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[ He's noticing all the subtle changes. He's been with Yves (and Hugo) for a while for Corps things, so he would notice. His hair is a little longer and... wait. He doesn't like this ominous feeling that he's getting. ]
What... are you talking about? The orphanage? What happened?!
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his brow furrows, and he doesn't like the chill that just ran down his spine. how does he break the news about something that adolphe should already know? if adolphe didn't die from this, then how did he...? ]
... Adolphe, you...
Years ago... The Royals attacked the orphanage... You defended it—you were the only one there, and Hugo and I got there too late.
[ yves isn't a fool, for all that he acts naive at times. he's been able to put pieces together based on conversations with others. they died, just like he did. but adolphe should've arrived here long before yves did. so what's going on? ]
Do you... remember something else?
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It's hard for all that to sink in. Years ago? Royals attacked the orphanage? He was the only one there? And supposedly killed by the Royals? He blanks out for a good moment that he doesn't register Yves's last question in his head at all. ]
Ceres? What about Ceres--
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[ but what happened after? yves doesn't have very many moments where he feels shame - but finally he struggles against it. his eyes cast downward. even after adolphe's sacrifice, yves couldn't protect what he cherished most ]
But when we tried to take back the Institute for Scien, Bourreau... He killed Ceres then.
I'm sorry. [ and though he had clung onto adolphe earlier, he suddenly feels like he doesn't deserve to face his friend. his fingertips shake before falling away. ] I'm so sorry, Adolphe.
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[ Adolphe feels strength leaving him. Perhaps he'd feel faint, but his feet are kept sturdy on what appears to be the ground of a watery-sort of illusion. He needs to keep standing. He's dead. This shouldn't matter.
But it does.
It does matter.
He feels Yves's fingers shake before they withdraw. ]
That... doesn't...
[ ... make sense. Nothing makes sense here. ]
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yves didn't think it'd be possible to rip the wounds open twice. but it's only now that the gears start to turn a little bit, because it makes him realize that he shouldn't be the only one here. he made sure that he wasn't. he looks around. ]
Why... isn't she here?
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I don't want to see her here.
[ Not in the afterlife. Not here, so that maybe he can still think she has a chance at living despite what Yves told him. His head is jumbled with information that he can't process to point out the simple and blatant contradictions to his own memories. ]
We... can still save her. We—you, Lucas and I went to raid the institute to get Ceres out and I...
[ His voice gets quieter. ]
... left it to you and Lucas when there was no other way.
[ So he is obviously distraught in seeing them here!! ]
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[ what?
adolphe died long before they tried to reclaim the institute for scien. but ceres wasn't there, she was also with the team to get it back. there's a lot swirling in yves' mind, confused and bewildered. adolphe's refusal to see ceres pulls yves back from his urge to go run around in circles to locate her but. ]
.... I don't....
[ ???????? ]
Something's not making sense, Adolphe. I don't remember what you remember.
[ why is that? but at the very least, ever the optimist, yves can hold onto one hope for adolphe: ] Maybe she is okay.
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He really needs some time to sort this out, but he feels like it'll give him some sort of revelation that should have been kept hidden. (Thanks this is how ankou happens but with a detour) ]
And I don't remember what you told me either. I entrusted Ceres to you...
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anyway yves looks
baffled at this ]
... me?
But she's in love with Scien...
1/2
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[ he's on copium so bad right now for multiple reasons ]
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I wouldn't joke about love, Adolphe... Especially if it's your sister...
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... I would have agreed instantly if she went with you instead. That guy is just... he's bad news.
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... I know I can't truly argue since I'm the one who just killed him but....
For what it's worth, I think he really, truly loved her more than anything.
[ which is actually the entire problem, but... yves can't look down or cast away a love like that. not when it's something that he treasures and still craves so deeply. ]
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The Guardian of the Lycoris Noirges. Adolphe quietly breathes out. He died for that chance. His head is a mess and he expects that to get worse, but he's dead. There's really nothing he can do about it. Right? Right.
... Right. ]
I'll take your word for it.
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his smile is rueful. ]
... I'm sorry that when we get a chance to reunite like this, I can only give you bad news.
It's not how I wanted this to go.
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It's not your fault, Yves.
[ Though he feels immensely tired, he'll put Yves before himself for the time being. ]
... It sounds like you had it rough too.
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he rubs the back of his neck a little ]
... I think we all have.
But even if it's selfish to say—I'm really glad to see you again. Whatever is going on, I think we can figure it all out if we're together.
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[ Yves... they're dead! Why does it matter! But he'll dial down the pessimism for now. jesus tapdancing christ ]
Sure, we can figure it out--if at least for our self-satisfaction. What's the worst that can happen? We die again?
[ lol. lmao. ]
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I guess! But you can't go anywhere I can't go with you.
[ he has been so fucking lonely watching his friends die one by one over the years ]
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Yeah? Like where?
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