...not really? [she sounds kind of confused because she's not sure what to feel right now other than "bad."] But it's temporary. All of it is temporary, and then the real Aerith can go back and I'll...
[hm. no. give her a second.]
...if I'm still dead, then maybe there is a different Aerith somewhere. But they might not find her for a while. [this is absolutely cyoa brain, but also aerith's own issues about being unsure if she's alive or dead at this point.]
[ "the real aerith." he doesn't like that at all, but he thinks he can understand where it's coming from, miserable as it is. the one consolation is that if this is an effect, it'll wear off in a few days, but how awful to know she'll be living with it for even that long.
the extra unfortunate thing is that he's not entirely certain how to respond in a way that won't make it worse for aerith. ]
...Perhaps. You seem very alive to me, though, and very real.
[she doesn't expect people to know what to say, or even try. being a copy of the real aerith means she can't afford to be upset if things aren't treated so delicately, she thinks. she does not say that to iwatooshi because she does not know what he's thinking, but she is thinking she's being unfair to him by mentioning it at all.]
Back there, we were created to look and seem very real, I think. [focus, aerith.] And here...we are. Real. Alive. All of us.
[not just the people who went on this trip, but everyone in the graveyard village, she means.]
[ i think she's still holding onto his arm but he's just going to set his hand on top of hers, gently. ]
It's the same for me, you know. I was never really a part of history, but here... here, I'm just like you and all the others. Real, and alive. It's not so different.
If you have trouble remembering, then I'll hold onto the memory for you, still.
[she is because she wants to make sure it stays attached to him. but that's nice, that helps.]
You're very much real, Iwatooshi. [firmly. why it's easy for her to say that about him and not herself right now, well, that's a whole other thing, but she's very sure of this.] You're real and you've made your own memories and you've lived your own experiences and that's what makes you a real, alive person.
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Then I'm sorry. It was hard enough on Mathis-dono - it must be difficult for you, too, right? Are you sure you're alright?
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[hm. no. give her a second.]
...if I'm still dead, then maybe there is a different Aerith somewhere. But they might not find her for a while. [this is absolutely cyoa brain, but also aerith's own issues about being unsure if she's alive or dead at this point.]
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the extra unfortunate thing is that he's not entirely certain how to respond in a way that won't make it worse for aerith. ]
...Perhaps. You seem very alive to me, though, and very real.
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Back there, we were created to look and seem very real, I think. [focus, aerith.] And here...we are. Real. Alive. All of us.
[not just the people who went on this trip, but everyone in the graveyard village, she means.]
We all have to remember that.
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It's the same for me, you know. I was never really a part of history, but here... here, I'm just like you and all the others. Real, and alive. It's not so different.
If you have trouble remembering, then I'll hold onto the memory for you, still.
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You're very much real, Iwatooshi. [firmly. why it's easy for her to say that about him and not herself right now, well, that's a whole other thing, but she's very sure of this.] You're real and you've made your own memories and you've lived your own experiences and that's what makes you a real, alive person.
[...]
But thank you.