Don't apologize for the H2O.

Rex has to admit that he's always been an opportunist. Sounds grim, but it's true. Argentum raised him that way - and he was the nicest of the lot, for sure! Always not just looking for the best in a situation but probing for it, with facts and figures to mind and to bear. Always pulling for the brighter side because he had a reason to and reasoning for it. More than just an optimist. He's too old, now, for that.

(Not that he wasn't completely cloud-minded, once upon a time.)

And Shulk is a pessimist. Was, maybe? He's so gentle, quiet. Pessimists who call themselves realists are usually the ones prone to outbursts. So it's a question, then, of whether or not Shulk calls himself that.

But Shulk doesn't call himself much of anything. Knows that titles and tithes are the worst of it. Knows that the two of them are better off just putting their backs into it than mucking around with who was called to what, and when.

That's the kind of thing that gets Rex thinking, and frowning, and sulking, and scrunching down on his poor bereaved eye.

Rex lost his vision. Shulk lost his anchor.

Heh. It's all right there, innit? Just so.

Just so, that they both stand back-to-back with trace replicas which couldn't themselves stand without their - the "heroes"' - contributed experience. Just so, that they've got to figure out how to guide their kids without the big blazing sign: Look, I'm your dad, so that's why you've got to listen to me - as if that even means anythin' to ya.

They're drifting in time unmoored, having no way of knowing how long the future will last. Their state is a wretched perpetual one, glanced back upon glimmers (too right, too right) of the people they knew knowing that they have nothing but each other, now.

Kids. Sure, those are their kids. But really, they've got no tie to anything in this whole original mess 'cept themselves.

Worse ways to go about than that. Worse opportunities've been swung than that.

Worse guys to look at, than that. The difference of three years is literally nothing, in Aionios, but Rex can't stop looking up, even though Shulk is shorter, now.

He wants to ask...a lot o' questions, really. Wants to say ridiculous things:

Here, lemme be your eyes.

How's it hangin'?

Thank god for you.

Things that don't mean anything, because none of this does. Things that, hopefully, Glimmer and Nikol will laugh right off, because he'll be damned if he's not still the goofy one, gruff as he might get.

Well, but who would understand?

Maybe everyone will. Doesn't matter.

They're not machines, like the people they knew. Even like the people they knew! Time is still so long. So, so long. Humans'll always feel it.

So heavy. Like its own anchor. Gotta be somethin' shiny to grab down here. Gotta be somewhere safe to hide.

Cripes. He can't breathe, for dyin' of thirst.