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.

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Ales paid little attention to the footsteps approaching. His shoulders instinctively hunched over at the thought of someone else standing next to him, prepared for yet another distracting conversation. He wanted to be alone. Why couldn't anyone respect that?

There was nothing. The footsteps stopped, but no one spoke. Curious, he turned his head to identify the newcomer. The hospital gown gave little hint, but with a risky head tilt, he spotted the silver hair. Sephiroth. The military officer who had yet to disappoint Ales. Sure, he had a strange attachment to Terra, but he was mostly alright.

When he thought about it, wasn't that true for him and Ellie? Obviously, there was nothing nauseatingly romantic between the two of them, but just like Sephiroth, Ales was here only to look at her crystal statue. He missed her. They promised to work together, to rule her world once Crystallis was dealt him. She was one of the few Ales felt a bond with.

Was Sephiroth feeling the same way as well? He gave the SOLDIER another good look, the locks of his wig falling back his shoulders as he looked upwards.

"You seem to be in bad shape." And understatement, but he was curious as to how it happened.

On both occasions Ales was allowed to take as long a look back, and up at Sephiroth, as he dared. The strong silent -and clearly recuperating- silver-haired warrior was maintaining an almost serene demeanor as his eyes rested on the form of the crystallized figure of Terra from the doorway. He blinked naturally, keeping up the mental visualization that there had to be maintained something of a disconnect from her now given their now-different states of being. His logical mind trying to convince his bruised heart that it was for the best.

Vincent had been right. In his head, the cracks in his fractured sanity had seemed to yawn, almost, as if to back up the suggestion that he would only make himself more crazy. Sephiroth of the now didn't want that. He wanted to be the hero, not give a nod to the notion that his path only led one way.

"Seems to be the way, more often than not, of late." He closed his eyes, turned his head downwards and finally looked over Ales from his position at a little behind the teensie.

"It'll heal, though." Though it was obvious by a stiffening of one side of his jaw, that the small attempt-shrug of a movement was -at this stage- just a little too much on the painful side.

Ales shrugged and looked away. "We all get into scrapes eventually. You're right, it'll heal." It didn't matter if Sephiroth earned those injuries through battle or through a dumb accident; both were common and the latter was best not discussed with mere acquaintances.

The presence of another calmly looking at the display seemed to help, as Ales' eye grew less downcast and more neutral. It wasn't the same enthusiasm he held when he first arrived on Crystallis, but the apathy had been normal since January. This was his new measure of mental health.

"How soon do you think you'll be back in action?" He asked without looking up.

Whichever it was that Sephiroth ended up putting this particular incident away in his mind would shape a lot of how he'd go forward from it. But indeed, Ales didn't need to know; much as most didn't need to know the particulars of what had happened. Especially as it were new ground for him as well now, and didn't know where to go from here.

There was something, perhaps in the way that Ales had presented his query, that quickly reached in and pulled at Sephiroth's attention.

"It's difficult to say, given the potency of healing seems to have been dulled for us-" Even the medical staff at the hospital didn't know what the actual effects of the regeneration of his custom job would be. Add various potions, add an occasional Cure spell.

"-why do you ask?"

A small grunt, signifying that it wasn't a burning question on Ales's mind. Sephiroth would heal eventually. It wasn't as if his injuries were life-threatening, so there was no need for Ales to waste his sympathy.

"Only to stay realistic about my goals. I was planning to round up a group to work on something, but who and when depends on how everyone's doing."

He hoped Sephiroth would join. Sephiroth was trustworthy. The only reason Ales would not delay his trip to Downopolis was if he would be in recovery for months.

"Hm." Realistic about his goals. Although Sephiroth had still been going through all of this without much in terms of goals for himself, he understood well the need to be realistic. The circumstances continued to darken with every day, and he'd abstained from really applying himself towards an outcome, for far too long due to the hesitance such a cautious approach brought with it.

With a brief side glance to Vincent, Sephiroth stepped a little closer to Ales. He didn't know much about Ales' goals either, only that their interests had crossed multiple times on previous occasions.

"That very much depends on the details." Not a no. If anything, a invitation for Ales to come and find him or get in touch later, so that they might discuss it further. In front of so many prying eyes might not be the best environment.

Edited 2016-10-08 13:26 (UTC)

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.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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?"

"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."

Ales followed the direction Sephiroth was facing. Terra. It was a mystery how one person could affect a seasoned soldier so much. He couldn't let things like relationships get in the way of work or cloud his judgement. If anything, Ales prided himself in learning this lesson before Sephiroth. It was one way to keep his self-worth elevated: there was always something he was better at.

"That's why I'm getting more involved. No more sitting back and reading for me. I'm going to live up to the legend and find a way to stop this cycle."

It came down to a simple fact. Sephiroth hadn't been in such an environment, which might cause such relationships to form, ever before in his lifetime. Even when he had gained for himself what he'd come to treasure as his own independence, there were a mountain of other things for him to concern himself with; missions, training, reports, PR, training. Girls just weren't immediately there at the front of such a mind set which had been basically all-career.

Maybe it might be easier to go forwards if he just accepted Terra as a beautiful mistake? The hollow chasm he felt inside of him would fade out of attention, eventually.

"I'll admit, that motivation dried up a long time ago. Too many sleepless nights at the beginning with my head full of nothing but ignorant thoughts." It was clear from Sephiroth's tone that it wasn't a very comfortable admission. He had joined the military at Esdham, in pursuit of learning more and dedicating himself in the right direction but especially now that Hera wasn't a threat any more he often questioned his role there. Sure, given the identity of the President but how the wayward Queen of Aqures Ixen really factored into all of this was still very much a mystery.

"It's all very well finding a way when we still don't seem to be able to see more than a few feet in front of our own hands."

Sephiroth fought to keep his voice low and as private as possible but the message was as clear as he could make it. Give him a purpose, give him a mission and Sephiroth would excel in most things; ask for him to find it for himself, however...

Ales took his hands out of his pockets and let them swing by his sides. He knew that saving the world was more difficult that it should have been. Palitutu hiding information, the Sage hiding information, everyone hiding information. If he took over Aqures Ixen in memory of Ellie, he'd change that. Give all guardians of the world a history lesson, and they would be set. Keeping heroes in the dark would only lead to a situation similar to the Glade.

"I would say more to that, but now isn't the best time." He would tell Sephiroth about Downopolis later. Secret plans. "And I had enough of wallowing in self-pity. Ellie wouldn't like it I wasted my time moping about."

"Hm."

At least he were still sharp-minded enough to take Ales' meaning, it seemed obvious to him that there was something of a 'plan' afoot and Ales would very much like his advice if not his direct input for it. All things to be discussed later.

"I should perhaps take a leaf out of your book, Ales. I'm exhausted of it, yet seem to be stuck in a pit at the same time."

Sephiroth glanced once more from Ales to the crystal form of Terra before turning most of his back to the doorway. He'd turn away now, and get on with whatever the path before him might throw up next. He'd deal with it alone, but with the strength that he needed to overcome whatever obstacles might be put in his way. He owed it to himself, and to everything that special girl believed in him.

Maybe. His resolve was anything but the strong tower he wanted to will it to be currently.

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