"Yeah, I guess that's true. And... it had some good reasons." It gave a healthy separation of past and future selves. Even if it was partially an illusion to make it all easier to understand. To... reason.

She thought about Ryne. A lot. And other people; every day, so she knows she remembers them.

Gaia's attitude about his eyes wasn't so hard to understand, really. The eyes of the Mystel on the first possessed slit pupils and in her world's view, people had different eye traits. She might never have asked Sephiroth why he doesn't like to keep eye contact directly, but it was likely she assumed it was some other reason unless told otherwise. And if that had happened? Well, she would have explained it wasn't unusual on her world.

But she never dismissed that continued discomfort, either. Never tried to force him to look at her, insist that he had to.

Honestly? Gaia looks a little relieved in that moment as Sephiroth asserts that people don't disappear from this place quickly; or maybe at all. This just comes with another huff.

"I should hope not. If one's trying to save a dying universe and uses the power it takes to cast such magicks to summon someone from another world body and all and bind them here, I'd be much more alarmed if people simply vanished within days."

Whether that meant they were being taken for some nefarious purpose or sent back as 'useless'. That's still a lot of power to waste.

Gaia offers a faint smile. The hand clasped is gently squeezed to remind him she's there.

"Well, let's just take it one day at a time." This city and world, their predicament.

And the strength it takes to be friends.

Gaia won't claim she doesn't miss Kellen at all. They'd been an interesting sort. But... she probably won't talk about it much. It was always a bit of a mixed bag with her.

Still, she knew more than most people about what the dragon with Sephiroth had meant to her fellow teen. In time, this will lead to her and, when they find Popp here, splitting the bracelets three ways instead of two. That seems the only right thing to do.

"I guess that's true. And... the questions would be a pain."

And dealing with all that none of your business things people like to try and dig into. The teen frowns, though this is lightened just a trace when she feels the tentative squeeze. It's surprising, it's all but new. It causes Gaia's light smile to soften and grow.

Maybe it's just better to move on; there are things to talk about that are more important as she said. Like Etraya.

"The broken pearls could have been parts of something larger," Gaia poses as a suggestion. I don't know what you mean by those events, but some things get sealed in small pieces. Or... shattered."

She tries to ignore the way speaking such words cause a shiver up her spine. Gaia has probably mentioned in passing some secondhand telling of how her world is one of many that used to be some greater whole but there was always a sense that wasn't comfortable doing so.

"The 'train' though. That could be testing us and how we'd respond in that system. We're supposed to be chosen people, right? Or maybe it's just an experiment."

She snorts softly.

"I... hm. It would be a strange change from where we were if they're the same place. And... it feels different. " Of course it does. Their powers aren't limited. There isn't a dragon soul weighing down their bodies and minds. Feeling 'themselves' mostly.

"We really can't go beyond a certain place?" It's already pretty expansive so she hadn't been aware that.... well, not really conscious that this was all one city.