melodiesoflife | Shall we get drunk? ...In moderation, of course.

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Shall we get drunk? ...In moderation, of course.

Characters: Jade Curtiss, OPEN
Where: A tavern in Aqures Ixen
When: May 6th
Summary: Jade's going for a few drinks. Perhaps other Heroes will be there to join him?
Warning: None so far, will add as needed

Jade found himself a quiet table and sat down with a cider. Rosepuff was out on Mognet duty, leaving him with a moment of peace for once -- and after several weeks' work in the army, the bewildering dream, and Sephiroth's little stunt, a drink in one of the calmer taverns of the city was a welcome change of pace. Some patrons recognized the Hero and called out greetings, but for the most part Jade was left to his devices.

There were a number of errands to run before he returned to Esdham -- checking in with a few allies chief among them -- but for now, they could wait.

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"That seems to be an unfortunate trend. We do have a knack for overstepping the wrong boundaries." If there was one thing he wasn't planning to share with anyone, it was his history with fomicry. True, he had had to face it in Auldrant, had even reclaimed the science in the end... but explaining all that would open up questions that were too personal. Luke and the others knew -- that was enough.

Jade had been going through his beer slower, and he took a longer sip now. It gave him a moment to think about how to answer Yuna's question without bringing up certain things.

"I've studied fonic artes for most of my life. You could call them my world's version of magic." He set aside his glass and folded his hands. "Besides learning magic on the battlefield, I'm also hoping to become involved in the military's Magitek research once I rise in the ranks. It seems like the most natural use of my talents."

Yuna wasn't going to pry though she would always be an ear for Jade if that's what he wanted. She was easy going with most things letting people do whats most natural. She smiled at Jade running her index finger along the rim of her glass.

"Tear's told me about fonic artes or her hums. Are those the same?" The Tear that she spoke to wasn't the one that had just arrived in Crystallis but they had been friends the short time she had been here.

"In a way. Fonic artes use incantations to control elements. Fonic hymns combine a melody to an incantation to create results different from regular fonic artes. They are more commonly used for supportive roles, such as healing."

That was simplest explanation he could think of without going into the physics of fonology. That probably wasn't what she was asking, anyway.

"I see." Not really what she was asking but she was thankful for the explanation. Yuna loved magic and was adept at learning new forms. She can't learn anything here but maybe one day she would ask someone to teach her.

She quickly finished the last of her drink with a smile. "How long are you going to be in Aqures?" She wanted to keep the conversation going though she was slowly running out of things to say without turning to their earlier topic of conversation. Which she supposed was fine too.

"At least until the meeting with Jessie and the others. After that it's back to work, I'm afraid." Jade smiled. "With the unrest in the Empire, we need everyone at the border, and besides -- I have promised to keep an eye on my fellow soldier."

It was an innocent enough statement on its own, not so much if you knew the man in question. Jade had started to wonder just how much Genesis knew about Sephiroth's situation. Had he already known something was wrong when they had exchanged letters, months ago? Or suspected, at least?

"Oh?" Yuna only knew of two heroes who were soldiers and she had a suspicion of whom Jade was talking about. She sat in silence for a moment organizing her thoughts before speaking. "You mean Sephiroth."

He could have been watching after someone from this world too, a student or a friend but the one she'd be watching was Sephiroth. She knew that he had snapped in the last world she was in but she had wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. The man here was different than the one she knew.

"Indeed." Jade's tone remained casual, though he did pause before his next words. "He has been rather distant, especially recently. I suspect there is something weighing on his mind."

He finished his beer before leaning back in his chair, appearing thoughtful. "Someone from his world has expressed concern over him as well. I don't know very much about Sephiroth outside of work, unfortunately, so there is only so much I can do."

"I can imagine many from his world that might express concern over him." She didn't mean it as a bad thing but she remembered the arguments she had gotten in with Tifa, Cloud and the others when it came to Sephiroth. They had thought they could control the monster alone instead of relying on others to help.

Of course, that affected everyone in the end.

Her gaze trained on Jade for a moment as she thought. That was a different man but maybe if he had friends here, maybe he wouldn't end up that way. "I think it's good. That you call him your friend. I think he needs those."

"Friend...?" Jade was quiet for a moment, a little puzzled, as he played back the conversation in his head. He couldn't recall ever referring to Sephiroth as his friend.

"Well, I suppose we do have a... bond of sorts."

Whatever you called it after you'd seen the other person nearly commit child murder. Not the ice-breaker he would have chosen, but...

"So friends." Yuna smiled as if it was the most obvious leap in the world. If you were close to someone it meant you were friends with them didn't it? She glanced at the bar waving for another drink before facing Jade.

"Or would you call your relationship something else?"

Yuna was curious as to what the other heroes thought of Sephiroth. She was careful to keep her opinions to herself. She'd only tell about her time at Ruby City after stating that it wasn't the same man. The might have shared a name and a face but they were not the same.

"I was thinking more along the lines of comrade in arms, myself."

That was the most Jade was prepared to give. It's not that he hadn't liked the man at all -- they had gotten along well enough -- but the more he found about Sephiroth, the more disturbing things he kept hearing. First the things the dream Cloud had said... destroying a town, killing people, putting the world in danger more than once... Granted, Jade wasn't exactly innocent himself, but that had been war.

And then the aftermath of the dream. Sephiroth had tried to kill a child. Though he did withdraw. Until he managed to find all the pieces to the puzzle, Jade wasn't ready to trust him blindly.

"I think that is part of friendship. All you need to be friends is to trust someone. You would normally trust your comrades." She looked at him curiously, her two toned gaze trying to measure his reaction. "Wouldn't you?"

Yuna knew about Sephiroth's past in his world and then about what he had done in Ruby City. She was beginning to think that Jade had found out too though she wondered how. She remembered a few people telling her of a dream they had but they had said nothing about the silver haired soldier.

"On the battlefield, yes. I wouldn't consider that the same thing as friendship."

He supposed it was natural for a civilian to think in such a way. Jade had never thought of fighting side-by-side as a way of making friends. It was a necessity to survive, that was all.

"As soldiers, it's our job to trust our comrades with our lives, regardless of whether we personally like them or not. I've commanded hundreds of men in the past, but that doesn't mean I consider them my friends."

Yuna's smile dropped for a moment. "Oh. I'm used to fighting but in a way that brought me closer to those I fought with." She looked down at her empty glass and then back up at Jade with a confident smile. "I think you form something there. Even if you don't want to call it friendship." He could call it whatever he wanted but Yuna would say that him and Sephiroth are friends.

A heartbeat later the bartender came over dropping off a second drink for Yuna. She usually stopped at two having determined that two was a good way to limit herself after the fiasco with Fai.

"Would you want one more?" She wasn't going to pay for more than two of Jade's either.

Jade held her gaze for a while, eyebrows raised. Then he gave a short laugh. "Really now? If you say so." Alright, so he had formed something with Luke and the others over their shared battles. Some people were just too stubborn to give up trying to befriend him for some unfathomable reason, and it seemed as though Yuna was one of those types.

He considered her offer. He had had a fair bit to drink tonight already -- but on the other hand this was his time-off, and he was good at holding his liquor.

"Well, why not? But the next time we meet, I'm buying."

"Alright."

Yuna turned back towards the bar and waved to the bar tender. She didn't really have to say anything for him to know that Jade was getting another. He set to work, quickly pooring a second beer even though Jade wasn't completely finished his first.

She looked back at Jade with a stubborn smile. She wanted to say something to him and continue their little discussion about friendship but she knew it was like talking to a brick wall. Next they meet she would probably bring it up again anyway.

"Do you often drink in your time off?"

Jade finished his first drink and let the bartender replace the glass, nodding in thanks.

"Occasionally. I prefer not to muddle my thoughts too much... but sometimes tea just doesn't cut it." He took this one slower, not intent on doing anything more than toeing the line between sober and drunk.

"And yourself? You seem like you'd be at home in a party."

Yuna drank slower as well though her finger continued to run along the rim of the glass. She wasn't sure when she started doing that but it quickly became a habit. It didn't take much focus and it was comforting feeling something solid beneath her finger tips.

"I wouldn't say that." She smiled. "I'm used to being in the public eye though." She winked at Jade taking a small sip of her drink before glancing around the bar.

"I sometimes come by after practice. It's a place to relax and without Celes around I don't really look much like a hero of light." She can just be herself which was nice when she began to question who she was.

"Ah." Jade nodded. He knew how that was. Sometimes it was useful to announce you were a Hero of Light -- people were more eager to be helpful -- but there was something to be said for fitting in the crowd.

It sounded like she had been a public figure even before that, though. "Did you play sports before coming to Crystallis, then?" Jade asked, mildly amused from being winked at. That wasn't a gesture he got often in the army.

"A little bit but that wasn't why I was famous." Spira loved Blitzball even after Sin was defeated and Yuna started to play thinking that it was a way to hold on to old memories. She enjoyed it and it took her some time to learn to hold her breath for so long but it was different here. It meant something different in Crystallis.

Yuna's head tilted to the side as her mismatched gaze inspected her glass. "I think people would come to my concerts or my games just to see me. It was a little intimidating at first." Being well known or respected was one thing but having so many seeking your attention was something else.

She got very good at refusing people.

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Shall we get drunk? ...In moderation, of course.

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