[ for another long moment tseng is silent, absorbing. his own body beneath his clothes is a patchwork of scars, a story of trauma and conflict that traces very nearly his entire life. the crush injuries from the pillar that trapped him; the bullet scars from the guns in junon; any number of wounds from a blade that come part and parcel in a turk's job. he thinks, also, of standing in front of shinra's kangaroo court and being sentenced to the firing squad; how much less important would his decisions have seemed if he knew he would stand up and walk away regardless? it's hard for him to imagine, and he can't decide if it would be a blessing or a curse. ]

Does it hurt regardless? [ is the only question tseng ultimately asks. nothing about cy's voice or face had given away any pain, but tseng knows from experience that there's a difference between not feeling pain and having experienced so much pain that the sensation no longer matters.

of course there will be other questions, later, once tseng has had a chance to put thought to paper and think through the implications of it all; whether or not cy answers them is up to him and how much of an open book he truly feels like being. ]

All right. I'll take it under advisement. [ he turns slightly in an offer to keep walking if cy wants. tseng's expression is still thoughtful, but he's certainly not bothered by the revelation, only considering. ] Would you rather we do this in my suite or at the Naked Yolk? My suite is plenty suitable, but I also have the rank to make a reservation at almost any time, so it's up to you.