greatvalue | catch-all: tuuri.

[... Oh.

So. That is a lot to digest.

Hunter opens his mouth. Closes it. Opens it again. Wrings his hands when he realizes he can't think of a single thing to say besides—]

Tuuri, I'm so sorry.

It's fine!

[Tuuri might be a bit quick to say that. But she's trying to smile nonetheless, if only to reassure Hunter.]

That was all a long time ago. All three of us managed to grow up just fine.

[That's debatable honestly. Onni became a parental figure far too young, Tuuri started hiding her feelings behind smiles, and Lalli developed PTSD.]

Just because you grew up fine, it doesn't mean that wasn't an awful thing that happened to you.

[Girl, your family. That's not reassuring at all, especially with how quickly she answered.]

[Look. Sometimes you lie to make others feel better.]

...I suppose not, no. But it did happen a long time ago. I used to be upset about it, but I've come to accept it by now.

If anything, what bothers me is that I ended up here of all places. Not that I was trying to die or anything, but I was hoping to see my family again when I did eventually die.

... They must've ended up somewhere else. Somewhere better. [Haha, or at least he hopes so! He will not say that.] But I guess that doesn't help with the disappointment. For what it's worth, I hope you get the chance to see them again. Well, hopefully way in the future after we get out of here.

Where I'm from, the dead go to a place called Tuonela. It's quiet and peaceful, and people just sleep eternally there. That's where they were supposed to have gone, and that's where I thought I was going to end up too.

...I still hope I get there eventually.

['Way in the future' is a nice thought though.]

I hope so, too. It sounds nice.

[A quiet and peaceful afterlife... Damn, wish that was them.

They're not free of the memory hole just yet, though. The screen flickers to life again.]

[Not me tagging this days later.

Tuuri doesn't wait a moment longer than she has to. As soon as the memory is over, she's pulling Hunter into a tight hug.]

—Tuuri?

[HELLO??? He's so startled by the hug that he freezes up at first, awkwardly holding his arms to his sides before he moves to hug her back, more of a light touch than anything.]

What's this for?

[She'll hold onto that hug for a bit longer before answering.]

You didn't have a lot of support back home, did you?

[... Oh. He's quiet for a moment, before he pulls back a little to offer her a smile, touched that she would be worried about him.]

I... didn't really have any connections outside of a the castle besides Flap. [Quietly, and then he shakes his head.] But it's not like that anymore. I made friends with other teens my age! And even Darius started being nicer to me after I proved myself to him.

[The last one is iffy, but. He's fine! Things are better now. Kind of.]

catch-all: tuuri.

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