melodiesoflife | Taking responsibility [Semi-Open]

Entry tags:

Taking responsibility [Semi-Open]

Characters: Vincent, Sephiroth, others [Mostly Open; Refer to the top-level Prompts]
Where: Hospital, Aquares Ixen
When: 9th-14th September
Summary: Some aftermath of the fallout from Sephiroth grieving over Terra being in Crystal Stasis. Vincent helped disable Seph, and is now keeping an eye on him. Some people might want to have words with him about how he did so. In between guarding a Weapon for a few shifts...
Warning: Language maybe? Potential angst?

Sept 11th-13th at various times.
Vincent is one of those who is guarding the Ultima WEAPON'S wreckage. These are the only times he won't be found at the Hospital, keeping a guard over Sephiroth. If you want to interact with him, see here.

Sept. 9th-12th

Vincent will stay out of the way of the healers, but otherwise stay in the hospital and keep an eye on Sephiroth as he sleeps off both the post-Job exhaustion and the sleep status. Making sure the silver-haired SOLDIER is healing well, and not being bothered unduly. Occasionally Vincent will head to the Crystal Stasis wing, visiting those among his friends who are there. Ophelia can also be found bringing him a bag with a change of clothes, and a book or two.

He's unlikely to talk in the same room Sephiroth is resting in, but feel free to come check on the SOLDIER, or yell at Vincent, or check on Vincent.

Sept 13th--Closed to Sephiroth
Vincent has spent the past few days keeping watch over and not quite playing guard for Sephiroth, mostly so that when the other does wake--he can apologize. Also to keep others from overwhelming the silver-haired soldier right away. Sadly, Vincent understands heartbreak; he also knows Seph well enough to have some idea of how, hopefully, to help the other start healing.

September 13th, OPEN

Since part of Vincent's assumed role has been gatekeeper for a very private and recovering SOLDIER, he'll be keeping an eye out to ensure the other doesn't get tired, when others DO come to visit him. This is the prompt to use for visiting Sephiroth--and if you want to do so privately, Vincent can wait outside the door.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

"Tread gently and carefully, I would recommend." A sigh, and keeping his voice low, there was sadness in it. "I suspect that the first time he has experienced anything close to normal life, has been on Crystallis, while with Terra."

Mary--James Kidd--had earned a measure of trust and respect. But Sephiroth's secrets were still not Vincent's to share. Not without drastic reason. "I am reluctant to share more of his own secrets without permission."

"True, but with a name like that?" Rialynn pulled her head back, brows shooting up into the edge of her bandanna. "You know it's not going to be anything pleasant, especially if the place we found was supposed to be the nicer of the two options."

She finished off her coffee, pushing away from the wall to deposit her cup in the trash before quickly returning to assume wallflower position.

"I'm...not sure if they are or not. I don't really visit the lab much, I don't know how any of that stuff works," she admitted. "I know who Jade is, at least, but I don't think I've met any Dr. Crescent before. Who's he?"

An empty hospital hallway was no place to discuss sensitive material, especially when it was difficult for a tall human and an average Teensie to speak in secret. Ales glanced at the space behind them: empty, save Vincent and any workers in the adjacent rooms.

"Do they have visiting hours?" A closed room was better, and one where doctors would not find a long conversation suspicious.

Anger in a logical mind doesn't run for very far without being then picked apart. Though initially it had been directed at Vincent, it quickly turned inward, was directed towards Terra and then passed her -towards Crystallis itself- all while the next part of the lecture was being phrased.

"Tantrum..." The way that Vincent demeaned all of Sephiroth's outburst into being so childish like that didn't sit well at all. Though he knows it had been his emotions riding him, at a level which he hadn't been able to reign in like he had before, to call it a tantrum...that's just insulting. He turns his head away again, reaching across himself with his good arm; slowing down the speed of the twist he'd made as the injury made it difficult, to take the half-full plastic cup of water from the side.

"You're right." He spoke again only after a sip of that water which was needed to clear his throat. "Those other things...my responsibilities, my duties...I've tried but-"

He'd left it for so long. Tried to move on. To carry on. There are larger things at stake. Sephiroth's eyebrows meet and drop in the middle again, but the expression is closer to that sadness than the anger that it's feeding. Touching at something deeper; the sense of no direction that Terra had been helping to guide.

"-it's just not worth it, anymore."

Not to mention the guards on the door, who seemed to have stood that little bit more to attention as Sephiroth had come within their proximity. Something about their posture indicated it wasn't just in respect for a Colonel of Esdham, though.

"I aim to be discharged tomorrow, but you could come by in the morning?"

Though he couldn't guarantee that Vincent wouldn't be present still, due to the supervision there was a measure of privacy that could be obtained.

"Of course." Ales folded his arms and tightened his small digits on his shining jacket. The neon blue was a stark contrast to the inky black, forming bright blue dots that Sephiroth could manage to make out.

Was he nervous? Of course not. Why would he? It was only a mission that some of their group would not approve of, and one that hung safety of the world in balance. It wasn't like he needed the best of the best to accompany him.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know? How the civilians are doing, what Heroes have showed up?"

Should Ales have been human, Sephiroth might well have interpreted that body language as nervous but as it was he's hardly an expert in the subliminals of teensies.

In the meantime, his attention drifts back to the room before them, taking a moment to sternly push the stirred feelings which were still so raw back into their collective box in the back of his mind. Ales clearly had something that might be important to share with him; it was time for him to grow back up to where he should be. Vincent had been right, after all, there were other 'bonds and ties' that he had in this world.

"I daresay it'll all be regaled back to me at the debriefing before I'm off again back to the barracks, or Mysidia, depending on where it's needed.

"What of your findings, in the interim?"

After all, Ales spent at least some of his time at the labs and Sephiroth knew that well enough. He'd be present as well, for the testings on the black crystals later in the month.

"I can't say I was surprised." Jade crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "He's never been very stable for as long as I've known him."

Sephiroth had seemed fine when they'd first started serving together in Esdham... right up until they'd witnessed the end of the previous cycle. And Jade knew there had been the Night of the Thirteen Moogles before that. Since then, it had been one incident after another. They weren't frequent, and not always so dramatic, but the cracks had been adding up for a long time.

Who knew what would have happened without Terra around?

"We're continuing work on Palitutu's report. Some hacking should be finished by the end of this month, as well as some other projects." Something about custom jobs, which he wasn't interested in. He had no special abilities to speak of in his world apart from his brilliant mind, and the entire project flew under his radar.

"Palitutu hasn't woken up. Who knows when she will."

"Good to know that there is at least something resembling progress being made-"

Though not often vocal about it, Sephiroth had submitted a substantial amount of gil towards one project or another before with the various bonuses he'd managed to acquire through his promotions and work as a part of the military. He didn't keep as much as a thumb on the pulse of things at the labs, though. Last time he'd really kept himself abreast of the goings-on there had been when he'd been working to unlock a custom job from his crystal. He'd never switched it out since.

"-I'm still not sure how that's going to help any one of us, in the long run."

He spoke of Palitutu, of course. Sephiroth had much longer, and perhaps therefore more of an intense grudge against that taru who used to be called Jessie. He'd put trust in her when others hadn't, in the beginning. Sought her advice's and guidance when others had kept their distance. To be proved so totally incorrect had stung in a way Sephiroth didn't want to remember. It might be argued he had more of a case against her, for being so betrayed; but it was difficult to comprehend it as clarity or further clouding to his judgment.

Betrayal seemed to be much of a common theme, when it came to events to do with him.

"Aye. I keep telling myself not to expect that everyone else has lived the same sort of life, been prone to the same risks as I have. But even then I find myself surprised at times by how vast the differences have been." She took a moment, looking Vincent over. She guessed she'd probably learn a lot about him if she simply asked, he seemed the sort to either keep things secret or to tell all there was to know with no middle ground.

But now wasn't the time.

"I'll have to ask him directly then. I think I've earned a straight answer or two at this point." The comment was bold, but her tone was a bit softer. She'd put her trust in Sephiroth and it hadn't quite been repaid. Perhaps it was her fault for not pressing the man sooner, but there was nothing to be done for that now.

She gave Vincent's shoulder a gentle rap with her knuckles before moving to enter the room.

"Can't say I disagree with you. There's a reason people say that those who don't learn from history fail to repeat it. In this case, not bothering to learn why we don't trust her."

A tinge of bitterness crept into Ales' voice, though he did not bother to hide it. He was among the second group to show up at the Crystal of Fire, thus among those that wanted to believe "Jessie". She was a reasonable figure in a strange world, and Ales felt closer to her than Biggs and Wedge.

His connection with her only intensified when she betrayed them. The Heroes were stupid, they couldn't fix everything, nothing was going to change, and she had the right to take matters into her own hands. But in Ales' case, Rayman and Polokus had plenty of chances. The Heroes of Light knew nothing of the precious cycles. How were they supposed to pick the right path on their own?

His grip tightened, hoping to rid himself of any emotion relating to the topic. It ate at the back of his mind. They were the same. They could have gotten along well had Palitutu spoke with him. With Palitutu alive, there was a possibility they still could.

"...What are your thoughts on her?" A simple question. He wanted to know Sephiroth's feelings on the matter before continuing with his own.

Vincent had been calculating, in his word-choice. It hadn't been a tantrum--no, it was a true expression of grief and anger, when the cause of both of those emotions was so new. But he refused to let Sephiroth indulge in thinking it had been justified just yet--so tantrum. There was a larger purpose to this.

Working towards that larger purpose was why Vincent still stood, and why instead of crossing his arms as the darker man usually preferred, he moved them behind his back. Purposefully slipping into--if not a militarily precise--obviously recognizable 'at ease' stance. A lecture it may've been, but Vincent wanted Sephiroth to listen as well. And to talk, if he so felt like it.

"I'm not talking about your duties or responsibilities. Nor your reputation." A one shouldered-shrug, and Vincent still kept a tight rein on his own emotions. "Certainly, you didn't think about how your actions might reflect on those--but the bridges I mean are personal connections."

A heartbeat, two, and then Vincent spoke more gently and quietly. "You've never been the type to simply give up. I doubt you really would've preferred I'd gone for a kill instead as well."

"She." Vincent corrected, before continuing. "Dr. Lucrecia Crescent is a fellow Gaian." So another from the same world as himself, Sephiroth, Reno, Cloud, and too many in Stasis. "I don't visit the lab much either."

Too many bad memories--and the only reason he really visited now was often to be sure Lucrecia actually left. To get sleep and food, and OUT of the lab. So not dissimilar to his role in her life previously, though circumstances were so different now.

"I try to read the reports though, to at least be aware of what's going on though I have little interest in researching or working on the projects myself."

A blink--the only sign of surprise Vincent allowed himself. "How long have you known him?" Shortly after, his voice still low. "We've talked before, but how much do you know about him? His birth, his parents..."

Normally Vincent would not be so free with another's secrets--but he must trust someone and Jade had come to earn that. Much like himself, Jade had also acted to try and keep Sephiroth from greater harm as a result of his actions. Jade had more power to do so, actually, than Vincent himself had.

Vincent appreciated the gentle tone, and there might've been a hint of smile. Barely. "It depends on if he sees it that way himself." Was the mild comment in response. "He is not used to seeing anyone except as a military comrade, or civilian." A nod, wishing her well as he'd keep watch still and try to give them privacy.

Rialynn had a good hear for music. She also had a good ear for people's voices and reading the emotions behind them...most of the time, anyway. She could detect the quiet affection reflected in the way Vincent said the woman's name, enough that Rialynn eyed him a little more curiously.

It wasn't really like her to pry if she thought her questions would be rebuffed, but Vincent seemed more quiet than secretive.

"Are you two close?" she asked, testing her boundaries to see where they might lie.

Giving it a moment's thought, Vincent really wasn't surprised at her perceptiveness. Rialynn was a bard, and observed a lot; at times she seemed to be less experienced, but she was certainly not dumb. How did he answer that, though?

Vincent could be both quiet AND secretive at times, and he doubted Rialynn would spread gossip or ask annoying questions. But he didn't exactly want to fill her in on all of the details and complications. "We have history." Softly, not necessarily indicating it was a 'bad' thing.

Continuing a moment later, even more quietly. "It's complicated, albeit our time here has allowed a measure of healing." A faint sigh, crimson-eyes closing. "She was my primary concern, in terms of keeping an eye out, during the Ultima battle." Rialynn had asked him to watch over Ramza, and he had done his best. But he had also made no secret that he had another priority.

Some of the uncomfortable atmosphere that had been left behind by that first conversation, when Sephiroth had first come around from his days-long slumber, still lingered in the room in Vincent's wake from when he'd finally left the silver-haired man alone to his own thoughts. There hadn't been any other visitors yet, and aside from finishing another cup of water Sephiroth had nothing else much to do other than to sit back against the now-inclined back of the bed and stare across the room.

Occasionally he felt his consciousness slipping, his eyes close again as he sat there but no sooner would his head drop to one side that he'd pull himself back awake again. He was dozing out of boredom, surely there was no way he was still tired-!

At the sound and movement of the door opening, Sephiroth blinked himself further awake again and pushed with his good arm against the bed, out of a need to make sure he was sat up as opposed to lying down. His right was still strapped firmly in a V across his chest, preventing movement that would impede healing.

He'd expected it to be Vincent. A short huff of a noise passed in acknowledgment as Mary entered instead. All of a sudden, that itchy feeling of vulnerability seemed to quadruple.

"Hm."

A small grunt of agreement from Sephiroth as he agreed with Ales' statement. There were a dwindling number of Heroes still active, who would be able to state such a clear case as to why Palitutu deserved very much to be denied any future existence, at all. It was bitter indeed, so many who didn't know of a time before Kalki had used them to trigger the Calamity, those who hadn't known the Battle of Aqures Ixen and the still-sharp taste of betrayal that Sephiroth could still taste whenever mention of that person was made.

Some things, could not be forgiven. Vision or not, some people weren't going to change.

"To put it simply, if mine had been the final blow, we wouldn't be standing here talking about it now." Sephiroth's tone held a great deal of sourness just like Ales' had a few moments ago. He knew he didn't have to sugar-coat anything he might say to the teensie. In fact, he often got the impression that the small man appreciated him for his bluntness.

"-personal vendetta or not. I wouldn't have cared."

Ales scoffed and smiled. "Shame it had to end this way. At the very least, we know what side of the argument everyone falls on."

There were those with bleeding hearts who argued to keep her alive. Those who refused not to let their hands get dirty, forgetting everything that happened with Narasimha. Those that tried to argue for reason. Those who held back, unsure of who to believe. The last group included Lydia, and Ales was not going to judge her harshly for that. Some Heroes weren't used to this type of responsibility, and those with proper judgement had to teach them, that's all.

"At least we have Biggs supporting our opinions," he added. "But it also means having to pick up the tasks that no one else will do. Who knows what other villains those Heroes are going to let go?"

"...Ohhhhhhh. Oh. Sorry about that, then, I wouldn't have asked you to look after Ramza if I'd known." Though he'd spoken little, he'd told her quite a bit if she paid attention to what he'd said. If they were healing, then they'd had a pretty tumultuous past. Still, it was good that they were on the mend.

She dug the toe of her boot against the ground with a little smile. "It sounds like you're pretty serious about her. Does she know how much you still care?" Because while it seemed obvious to her, as an outsider, that sort of thing had a tendency to go over the heads of those who were involved.

Vincent shook his head, and there might've been amusement in crimson eyes as he reopened them to look at her. "You had no way to know, and I am still sorry that I was unable to help you more." Part of his apology to her earlier, when she'd first come up to him. Vincent took his obligations seriously. He always had, which is why he tried to take on only those that he chose.

Does she know?--Lucrecia most certainly knew that he still cared, although to what depth? That was less clear. "Part of the healing has involved us talking, and we've both been hurt-" Badly and both were reluctant to hurt each other again. "before. It's complicated."

The open body language Vincent presented didn't seem to be having much of an effect. Sephiroth still recognized the lecture for what it was and the stance just reflected too close to that of teacher, to him, for him to interpret it any other way. After all, such lectures were resultant of failures and that was a thought that he didn't want to sit on for too long; he'd not only failed in breaking Terra out of stasis, or taking some sort of retribution out on Crystallis itself. Sephiroth had been failing in a lot of other ways, for a long time. Failing to keep it together, failing to quieten the over-active concerns he had over himself and his wider role here, failing to remain objective and with his eyes on a clear end-goal.

The fact that there wasn't really a clear end-goal didn't make any difference. The SOLDIER had always had a bar to aim for, before. The end of a mission. The pushing of the bar of his own personal-standard of fitness and swordsmanship. There had always been results for him to then take and achieve better-than, the next time around. It had been a point of his personal pride that he'd always excelled in whatever he set his mind to. Sometime, not so far into his future back home, he'd be referred to as 'perhaps too brilliant'.

"Why not? Do everyone a favor. Prevent that world from going through all of what you saw it go through. Cut short any chance of it spilling over into this one..." Sephiroth hadn't so much ignored what Vincent had said previously rather than biting at the comment that he instantly knew how to answer where he didn't have a come back for the former. Impulsive, quick to react; hardly the calm and calculating man that by all accounts he appeared to be publicly.

"...I've not any better ideas."

Personal connections though. His thoughts backtracked to that one and he looked away from Vincent and down towards his feet. He was going to have to make the effort to try and get up soon, it had already gone past the point at which laying down could still be comfortable.

"It's important to remember, those connections are just as doomed as this world. Even without the apocalypse sitting on the doorstep, people only stretch so far-"

"In all fairness, I had more pressing concerns to get back to..." His gaze couldn't help but rise to that crystal statue that still stood within the room before them, as if he expected it to have moved or something. "...at the time, anyway."

He wouldn't elaborate further than that and soon dropped his attention back to Ales, it still ached somewhere deep inside, a feeling he'd never forget, from that loss that he'd now just have to endure. The entire month that he'd spent chasing Palitutu through worlds, becoming more and more desperate in the fact that he'd not need even a glimpse of Terra. Just like everything else, life went on regardless. Time didn't stop and they were running out of it.

"I daresay I've often wondered what the consequences of the next misstep might be. I dislike not knowing what pieces of this game are in play."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 3 of 5

Taking responsibility [Semi-Open]

Re: Sept 13

no subject

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

no subject

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

Re: September 10th

Re: September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

Re: Sept 13

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

no subject

no subject

Re: September 10th

Re: Sept 13

no subject

no subject

Sept 13

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]

no subject

no subject

no subject

September 13th [Ales & Vincent]