[ That's certainly a strange feeling. Vincent has not been in the position of being someone's mount, barring Cait Sith climbing to his shoulder. For some reason no one really wanted to try riding on the galian beast into battle. Go figure.
Once Zack's settled Vincent takes off, walking a few paces away from the house before picking up speed. The journey will be roughly a straight line and include such trivial obstacles as steep banks and the surface of lake shallows. Black chocobos are weird. But man are they going to be at the train station in no time. ]
I need you to watch over someone with the medics in Agrona Academy. You're the best person to do it.
[ That would probably be a no-brainer on the identity. If he's come here for Zack, doesn't want Aerith or Cloud and there's not a single strand of silver hair or white feather floating around with hastag-cinematic nonsense...
...Well, granted the no-brainer also has to assume Vincent the Sentient Chocobo somehow fits into this puzzle but Occam's Razor probably applies. Somehow. ]
[How long has it been since he rode a chocobo? A long, long time. They weren't the preferred method of transport for most Shinra missions, and he never caught one in the wild while on the run. So that's what, at least seven or eight years? He's definitely out of practice, but thankfully a chocobo who isn't really a chocobo doesn't need his direction. He just holds on to the neck feathers and keeps his balance steady.
And yeah, it doesn't take much brainpower to figure out who this might be. There aren't a huge amount of people Cloud and Aerith wouldn't be comfortable around. Particularly Aerith, she likes almost everyone. And if he's the best person for it... yeah. This isn't a quirky joke anymore.]
[ It's possible some small corner of Vincent's mind is cataloguing the ride. Maybe taking notes on trying to blend his particular brand of fashion with the chocobo's transformation if that is even possible with this strange new role of his. Giving a rider something to hold onto other than his feathers might not be a bad idea. If he makes a habit of this.
Zack is definitely an exception to how permissive Vincent might be regarding future riders. ]
Made a mistake.
[ Good hearing might be required. It was said quietly, into the wind and while splashing across a lake's surface. But you know... it could drift back. The dark-feathered chocobo lowers his head and begins to pick up speed. Perhaps it's because he's now sure Zack is able to hold on.
But it might be to try and stop the questions, at least temporarily. ...There will be a long train ride to Agrona. Vincent knows this. But he knows the energy spent talking is best focused on running right now.
And hopefully he'll be given more time to think about how he's going to explain this. ]
[Thanks to enhanced SOLDIER hearing, he does manage to catch those words, even though they're quietly spoken. Made a mistake, huh. Zack takes a bit to parse that- what he knows, what he can discern from what little he's been told. He can be dense sometimes, and he's not the greatest at keeping up with the through line, but he's not an idiot either. (Or not much of one, at least.) The pieces have come together. Valentine, the Turk Sephiroth met. Vincent Valentine, the guy on the network. Cloud's friend, from his journey after Zack died. The journey where they were fighting Sephiroth.
Agrona, the medics.
Goddammit.]
You dumbass, [he mutters back.] Lead with that, next time. We've got a Cure materia at the house.
[Aerith wouldn't have minded if he took it. She wouldn't even have minded if she'd known he was going to see Sephiroth. They're all waiting to see what happens, after all.]
[ While not at his top speed, the pace Vincent was getting up to was certainly impressive. So when he misses a stride, it's felt as a jolting bump. Fortunately, though robbed of the array of supernatural agility he possesses in his human form, the Familiar is still nimble enough to catch himself and keep his rider from tumbling.
Only to jerk to a halt moments later. The chocobo half paces a circle while getting his head to crane in a way to lock a reddish eye- the one very not chocobo-like feature Vincent seems to possess in this form- on Zack.
....He's... going to pretend he didn't forget to think of that himself you know. This halt is because Zack has a point and it is worth asking an important question. ]
[ It is a Turk thing. But it also means going back the way they came and Vincent would have even less of an idea than Zack on where Aerith keeps it. That he'd considered it at all suggests he's fairly concerned for Sephiroth's well-being.
Whatever this 'mistake' was, this implies there's a great deal of regret. The chocobo's tone- as weird as that sounds to think about- is reluctant as Vincent comes to a decision. ]
Better we move on then.
[ ...It's practical. But also the last thing Vincent would want a reunion with Aerith to be is on the grounds of asking her for the Cure materia to heal Sephiroth.
After making sure Zack has settled from the abrupt stop, Vincent starts off again. Though this time, he makes a request. ]
If you have anything else to ask, save it for the train ride.
[ They'll be at the station soon enough. And from there? The train. ]
[Zack sighs, not surprised, but a little exasperated. Guess they're stuck together for now. The chocobo not immediately turning back does make him feel better about Sephiroth's condition, though. If the prospect of a Cure materia isn't enough to make him circle back immediately, it must not be life and death. Or maybe this guy doesn't care that much either way.
Sephiroth is the kind of guy who (evidently) won't die when he's killed, so. He's probably fine.]
Okay, okay... I'll wait for now. But you better answer everything then!
[ To be fair, someone trying to bring back the probably least of bad picks to watch over Sephiroth (for good or ill), stops to think about backtracking for the Cure Materia, probably cares on some level whether the teenager recovers.
If he didn't, he probably would have pushed Cloud out of bed instead.
Not having to speak means Vincent can concentrate on running. And carrying Zack; it's probably the practical side of why he asked not to continue until they were on the train. Once they're at the station and Zack gets off, Vincent is almost immediately a man again, perfectly clothed and showing no signs of having had trouble adapting to the shapeshifting skills of the Familiars. One stride a chocobo, next a man briskly walking to the platform.
But there's a train to get tickets for and catch and eventually they are settled in seats far enough away from others traveling at night to have a quiet conversation. ]
[It took so much self-restraint not to try and throttle the guy as soon as he's human again. (Even knowing it was a transformation, you can't choke a chocobo. They're way too cute.) Answers! He needs them! But he manages to wait until they're settled on the moving train and Vincent opens the door to talking about it. Finally.]
At the beginning, duh. What mistake? What did you do that put Sephiroth in a hospital? And why?
[Like- yeah, he's not an idiot, he can draw his own conclusions. Sephiroth was attacked by Vincent for the same reason he was almost attacked by Cloud when Zack told him about the kid's presence here. He's a threat for what he eventually becomes. Maybe seeing a teenager who had yet to do any harm laid flat got him guilty. Maybe Sephiroth said or did something unexpectedly not crazy and made him think twice. Easy guesses.
[ Yes, Vincent is clearly turning into a chocobo on purpose. Wait til you see those big eyes on the galian beast; they are to die for. ]
I'm sure you know what I did.
[ No, he's not going to leave it at that, but there is a brief glance in Zack's direction. The former SOLDIER already confirmed he had died. And that death had been after the Nibelheim Incident. ]
I intended to kill him. I even had him cornered to take the final shot.
[ Vincent's tone is quiet in part because it won't carry this way. But also, he seems like he's still working through those last moments in his mind. His eyes close. ]
Before I could, I realized I had made a mistake. Though he had lost consciousness, I took him to the nearest hospital. Then I came to get you.
[ Agrona. Had that been mentioned yet? Probably. Vincent had tried to kill Sephiroth in Cruel Summer them. It may or may not be surprising to hear someone single-handedly took down Sephiroth so readily, even young. It's easy to see he has a firearm since it's holstered at his right side. But it's a pistol and other than obviously a weapon of their world, it's nothing that stands out. Not even any materia.
But he'd been one of Cloud's companions. So maybe it's not too surprising. ]
[Vague, but the message is clear. Vincent's lucky he's not dealing with a dead teenager right now. Zack doesn't know much about Agrona, but it's fortunate they had a place to take Sephiroth in and treat him.
He gets the why well enough. He'd had to talk Cloud down from doing the very same thing. And he knows personally that even the strongest SOLDIER can be taken out by a few well-aimed bullets. (Or, more than a few. But Sephiroth is young, many years too early to be the strongest anything yet. And the "yet" is probably the biggest reason why.)]
What made you stop?
[It might feel irrelevant, but to Zack, that part's very important.]
[ Sephiroth wouldn't be in the situation if it wasn't for Vincent. But it's equally true he might not have gotten out of where they'd had their final confrontation... if someone like Vincent hadn't been there. ...He won't be regaling Zack with the details. The gunman looks down at his right hand for a moment before returning his gaze to the young man. ]
Did Cloud ever tell you about his mother? His... real mother?
[ Reaching under the front mantle of his cloak, Vincent slowly withdraws a locket and a photograph trimmed to easily fit into the locket. Except it's currently slotted between a firm, protective film. Probably because of the suspicious brown stains on the jewelry and lightly flecking the picture both. And the curve of the locket does have a mildly suspicious dent. Maybe it was another battle. But Vincent would not hold out for such luck that his sin is going to be lessened.
He's holding both carefully, but Zack will have a chance to get a good look at both of them. Don't expect the gunman to hand them over. ]
[Zack's eyes narrow, first at the initial question, then at the appearance of the locket.]
Oh, you are such an asshole. [In the short conversation they'd had about it, Sephiroth had been deeply protective of that little locket. To see it damaged fills him with a degree of anger that surprises even himself.] Sephiroth called her Jenova, but I think we both know that's not true. ...You shouldn't have taken that from him.
[ Yeah. Tell him something he doesn't know. But Vincent actually cares and in this case it's definitely not what it looks like. Mostly. ]
He gave it to me for safekeeping.
[ Gave it to the man that shot him. In ordinary circumstances that would not sound close to believable. But Vincent offers some clarification. ]
At the end. He thought I would leave his body for the monsters.
[...Better it be in his assassin's hands than the belly of a beast. Or scattered and broken on the ground. Also 'at the end'. Which means Sephiroth was unlikely to be in any condition to do more than vaguely hope Vincent wasn't more cruel; though to be fair, why believe a Turk was doing something for anything other than business? Nothing personal.
The gunman returns the locket to whatever location on his person he was keeping the items. The careful handling suggests some of that gambit was vindicated. ]
I wasn't going to leave it at the hospital in this condition. I'll make sure it gets back to him.
[ Zack may or may not trust those words. Vincent doesn't try to convince the other man any further of his assurances. But the reasoning is probably solid; the spoon and relic are one thing, but things like materia? A damaged locket and precious photo?
Doctors are going to have other priorities than being careful about the condtion of belongings. Like the life of the patient. And with this particular photo, Vincent is going to be as stalwart as the guardian of the gates of the Underworld for whom he named one of his guns after. ]
It's not true. But the woman is his mother. [ Vincent turns his head. His right hand raises and tugs absently at the upper portion of the high collar, as if trying to cover more of his expression. It's a subconscious gesture. ] Seeing it. That's what made me stop.
[Zack makes an exasperated noise, running his hands down his face.]
You realize you probably made everything worse, right? That's what you did here?
[He doesn't trust Vincent or his words, not at this point. The man's given him no reason to. The fact that this is Cloud's friend (and yeah, he's figured the guy's identity out by now, who else could it be?) is one of the few reasons he's going to make it out of this without getting tackled or punched or thrown off the train. ...Probably. Jury's still out on at least one happening.]
Who the hell is she, then?
[Sephiroth had been asking for information about her, when they first met. Sharing the picture and the alien witch's name, as if the two are connected. This is his mother, and - judging by her apparent human face - a far better option than the true Jenova. There's a hell of a story here that neither he nor Sephiroth are aware of. It'd be good for them to know.]
[ As serious as everything is right now, that comment earns Zack a look. For a second, Vincent looks every bit the man who is about to say something sharp and barbed, possibly along the lines of 'No, this is just a hobby of mine to chase targets to an inch of their lives and hold back at the last possible moment why would I ever think I've made things worse?' But he manages to respond with the restraint of angels. Angels. ]
...Yes.
[ Thank you, Captain Obvious. ]
She was scientist working for Shinra. And a member of the team for the Jenova Project.
[Absently, Vincent tugs the collar again. It's clear he's uncomfortable. Just as his words, as he speaks of the woman, are filled with an emotion that only comes from a place of love. ]
[Gosh Vince if it was so obvious whY DID YOU SHOOT HIM-
But fine, fine. He'll move on. Look at him being so incredibly mature about all of this!]
I've never heard of her. If she was working for the project, doesn't that mean she was willing? Did she give her kid over to Hojo and let him pump him full of alien bullshit?
[Zero respect for this woman, if that's the case. But he'll wait for the explanation- he knows firsthand how working for Shinra doesn't necessarily mean being a willing participant.]
[ Did you want to deal with a Cloud who had to cope with attacking a fourteen year old kid? In a more serious light, Vincent is well aware of the mistakes and errors. Plenty of reasons, arguably good ones, but utterly missing some factors that would have completely changed his decision on how to handle it. And now it's too late to retract what he'd done so... Vincent will have to live with it.
But yes. Restraint. Maturity. Someone has to be.
There is a not-too-subtle shift in the air. Whether true or not, whether he acknowledges it not, Vincent is not immune to someone speaking ill of someone he loved- and still loves- so deeply. Closure, understanding... those wouldn't change that. Vincent would be angry at hearing Hojo's name again. But for a moment, the ire is also aimed at Zack.
And to top it off, the SOLDIER admits he didn't have any knowledge of the woman before carelessly expressing the worst of the options... rather than wait to hear what had happened. ]
No. Losing Sephiroth was not part of the deal. He was taken from her the moment he was born.
[ But... give him a minute to calm himself so he can speak candidly about the remainder. Whatever else can be said, Vincent will not deny that Lucrecia let the child in her womb become a subject of experimentation. ]
None of them knew what they were doing. Gast. Hojo. Lucrecia. Ignorance... isn't an excuse. They all had their hand in the experiments. But whatever else you may say, Lucrecia did not willingly 'hand over' her child.
[Cloud was ready to gut Sephiroth from Day 1. Zack barely talked him out of it. Considering Sephiroth had no qualms about stabbing young teenagers in Nibelheim - and setting fire to kids, besides - it's a miracle Cloud backed down.
Yeah, Zack's pretty sure Cloud could sleep at night with this kill. But hopefully he never has to.
He doesn't so much as blink at the ire; he's faced down true hatred before. He's unmoved.]
Crime's still on her hands if she was into it. But whatever, fine, this Lucretia is his mom. Hojo wanted him to believe it was Jenova? What, having a human mom was too benign for the mad scientists? -Actually you know what, that sounds exactly like something Hojo would do.
[ Would it be that simple as to wait until the teen's grown up and only then if... well, it's not. At the time, Vincent knew he could deal with it. That didn't mean he wouldn't have liked it, nor wouldn't have simply called it one more sin. It still is of course.
But Vincent also does not have the memory of Nibelheim burning, bodies of loved ones, neighbors and family laying in the dirt after being cut down by a madman. He wanted to spare his friend. But had he really needed to?
The ire fades. Maybe it's still present, but Vincent isn't beyond reason. ]
Yes.
[ It's not denied. He even just said as much. Lucrecia may have loved Sephiroth and not wanted to be parted from him, but it didn't erase the fact that she submitted herself and her unborn child to the experiments willingly. ]
If I had to speculate, I suspect Hojo would have wanted to erase all ties anyone else had to his 'perfect experiment'. He was... a vain man.
[ The disgust is unfeigned. But how many people would speak of Hojo otherwise, really? Vain is an understatement. Vincent's tone evens out and turns... puzzled. Confused. ]
...It was a shock to see Sephiroth even had a picture. That... I don't know why.
[ If there was something Vincent would have wanted to understand, it's how the photograph came to be in the boy's possession. What reason would Hojo... He shakes his head. ]
[Four years in Hojo's lab, he became very much attuned to the man's moods and whims. He thought he was the greatest genius in the world; really, he was just a madman trying to rebuild the toy that disappeared in Nibelheim's reactor. "Vain" is the least offensive word that should be used to label the man.
...Yeah, maybe he has a personal reason for feeling some disdain for Lucrecia, after what she put her baby through. He's got no respect for people who submit others to unwilling experimentation, and as an infant Sephiroth definitely couldn't consent.]
Sephiroth thought his mother was Jenova the whole time. It came up in Nibelheim before everything went to hell. Too bad you probably wrecked your chance at having a nice chill conversation with him.
[ It's probably not a surprise that Vincent is aware of that. The huff was not amusement at Zack's expense. It came close to empathy and perhaps a trace of regret.
How things might have changed if Vincent had not let himself sleep so deeply, drowning in nightmares. Maybe he would have been more aware of the renewed activity that time. Regret... but not overt self-recrimination.
Hojo had been the one who imprisoned Zack and Cloud and that came as no surprise; the scientist would have put any convenient 'specimen' under the knife. The only reason humans hadn't been on the slab more often was probably because it was harder to write off when people went missing.
At least until Sephiroth provided a huge supply. And Hojo became department head. Two decades changed a lot of things. ]
The plan was to make it quick. If I failed... Either way I wasn't expecting to have a chat.
[ Vincent had eyed Zack for a moment. It may become obvious in that moment that Vincent does not.... know that particular little trick about Folkmore and death. ]
I don't expect forgiveness. Or understanding. In the end, I attacked a child. Even before I realized my mistake, I was ready to accept that sin.
[Zack's lips curl into a grimace at his first comment - of course he'd know, if Cloud shared the real story during their journeys together - but he holds his tongue. Fine, fine. Vincent knows. The whole world might as well know, if Thirteen gets her way. Whatever. He's not here to let it wound him again. He's here to live.]
Look, I don't care what your reason or plan or whatever was. You screwed up and you get that now. I'm not the one who really gets to judge you for this. [Even though he will judge him a bit anyway.] I'm not gonna jump in the way if he wants payback, either.
[This guy probably knows that already, too.]
What I do wanna know is this: what's your plan now?
[ Vincent isn't going to belabor it either. It's clear Zack's moving on. And the gunman does admire that trait; it took him a long while to find his own peace on surviving. Sure their circumstances were different in a lot of ways. But it didn't undermine the worth of that sort of conviction Zack's shown in the slightest.
Another thing that might have gone differently? If Lucrecia wasn't already gone by the time he regained consciousness? It's over thoughts like these Vincent's shaking his head and dismissing to focus on the present. Zack will get another look though. This one's filled with bemusement.
Yeah he used the word plan, but it was not intended to try and explain himself. Just something to mention that he'd never been in a position to expect a 'chill conversation'. You've got a weird way of not judging someone there, Mr. Fair. ]
Good. Then I made the right choice.
[ Well more like the best one out of all bad choices. Talking to Zack on the way to Agrona was always part of this plan. And it's given him what he wanted; a good bead on where the former SOLDIER stands when it comes to the Sephiroth in Folkmore right now. Vincent's rough voice has been sounding a little strained. Not because of any hidden emotional duress; the man's simply been speaking more than he usually does. Maybe that's why his plans are spelled out in short, simple statements. ]
I'll get the locket repaired. Leave Sephiroth to you. Then I'll wait for him. Whatever answers he wants, I'll give.
[ Answers, yes. Vincent has no intention of submitting if Sephiroth wants go as far as to retaliate with violence, mind you. Which the teenager would be fully in his rights to go for, but that's beside the point.
But answers can be a very dangerous thing. And Vincent gives no indication that he plans to hold back. On anything. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Once Zack's settled Vincent takes off, walking a few paces away from the house before picking up speed. The journey will be roughly a straight line and include such trivial obstacles as steep banks and the surface of lake shallows. Black chocobos are weird. But man are they going to be at the train station in no time. ]
I need you to watch over someone with the medics in Agrona Academy. You're the best person to do it.
[ That would probably be a no-brainer on the identity. If he's come here for Zack, doesn't want Aerith or Cloud and there's not a single strand of silver hair or white feather floating around with hastag-cinematic nonsense...
...Well, granted the no-brainer also has to assume Vincent the Sentient Chocobo somehow fits into this puzzle but Occam's Razor probably applies. Somehow. ]
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And yeah, it doesn't take much brainpower to figure out who this might be. There aren't a huge amount of people Cloud and Aerith wouldn't be comfortable around. Particularly Aerith, she likes almost everyone. And if he's the best person for it... yeah. This isn't a quirky joke anymore.]
What happened?
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Zack is definitely an exception to how permissive Vincent might be regarding future riders. ]
Made a mistake.
[ Good hearing might be required. It was said quietly, into the wind and while splashing across a lake's surface. But you know... it could drift back. The dark-feathered chocobo lowers his head and begins to pick up speed. Perhaps it's because he's now sure Zack is able to hold on.
But it might be to try and stop the questions, at least temporarily. ...There will be a long train ride to Agrona. Vincent knows this. But he knows the energy spent talking is best focused on running right now.
And hopefully he'll be given more time to think about how he's going to explain this. ]
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Agrona, the medics.
Goddammit.]
You dumbass, [he mutters back.] Lead with that, next time. We've got a Cure materia at the house.
[Aerith wouldn't have minded if he took it. She wouldn't even have minded if she'd known he was going to see Sephiroth. They're all waiting to see what happens, after all.]
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Only to jerk to a halt moments later. The chocobo half paces a circle while getting his head to crane in a way to lock a reddish eye- the one very not chocobo-like feature Vincent seems to possess in this form- on Zack.
....He's... going to pretend he didn't forget to think of that himself you know. This halt is because Zack has a point and it is worth asking an important question. ]
Can you get it without waking the others?
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Uh... gonna be honest, probably not. I don't know where she stores it at night, and it's probably in her room. I'm not super light on my feet.
[SOLDIERs, not historically great at stealth. That's more of a Turk thing.]
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Whatever this 'mistake' was, this implies there's a great deal of regret. The chocobo's tone- as weird as that sounds to think about- is reluctant as Vincent comes to a decision. ]
Better we move on then.
[ ...It's practical. But also the last thing Vincent would want a reunion with Aerith to be is on the grounds of asking her for the Cure materia to heal Sephiroth.
After making sure Zack has settled from the abrupt stop, Vincent starts off again. Though this time, he makes a request. ]
If you have anything else to ask, save it for the train ride.
[ They'll be at the station soon enough. And from there? The train. ]
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Sephiroth is the kind of guy who (evidently) won't die when he's killed, so. He's probably fine.]
Okay, okay... I'll wait for now. But you better answer everything then!
[For now he'll just keep quiet.]
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If he didn't, he probably would have pushed Cloud out of bed instead.
Not having to speak means Vincent can concentrate on running. And carrying Zack; it's probably the practical side of why he asked not to continue until they were on the train. Once they're at the station and Zack gets off, Vincent is almost immediately a man again, perfectly clothed and showing no signs of having had trouble adapting to the shapeshifting skills of the Familiars. One stride a chocobo, next a man briskly walking to the platform.
But there's a train to get tickets for and catch and eventually they are settled in seats far enough away from others traveling at night to have a quiet conversation. ]
Well, where should I begin?
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At the beginning, duh. What mistake? What did you do that put Sephiroth in a hospital? And why?
[Like- yeah, he's not an idiot, he can draw his own conclusions. Sephiroth was attacked by Vincent for the same reason he was almost attacked by Cloud when Zack told him about the kid's presence here. He's a threat for what he eventually becomes. Maybe seeing a teenager who had yet to do any harm laid flat got him guilty. Maybe Sephiroth said or did something unexpectedly not crazy and made him think twice. Easy guesses.
He still needs to hear it confirmed.]
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I'm sure you know what I did.
[ No, he's not going to leave it at that, but there is a brief glance in Zack's direction. The former SOLDIER already confirmed he had died. And that death had been after the Nibelheim Incident. ]
I intended to kill him. I even had him cornered to take the final shot.
[ Vincent's tone is quiet in part because it won't carry this way. But also, he seems like he's still working through those last moments in his mind. His eyes close. ]
Before I could, I realized I had made a mistake. Though he had lost consciousness, I took him to the nearest hospital. Then I came to get you.
[ Agrona. Had that been mentioned yet? Probably. Vincent had tried to kill Sephiroth in Cruel Summer them. It may or may not be surprising to hear someone single-handedly took down Sephiroth so readily, even young. It's easy to see he has a firearm since it's holstered at his right side. But it's a pistol and other than obviously a weapon of their world, it's nothing that stands out. Not even any materia.
But he'd been one of Cloud's companions. So maybe it's not too surprising. ]
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He gets the why well enough. He'd had to talk Cloud down from doing the very same thing. And he knows personally that even the strongest SOLDIER can be taken out by a few well-aimed bullets. (Or, more than a few. But Sephiroth is young, many years too early to be the strongest anything yet. And the "yet" is probably the biggest reason why.)]
What made you stop?
[It might feel irrelevant, but to Zack, that part's very important.]
so remember, run off with these and TIME PARADOX
Did Cloud ever tell you about his mother? His... real mother?
[ Reaching under the front mantle of his cloak, Vincent slowly withdraws a locket and a photograph trimmed to easily fit into the locket. Except it's currently slotted between a firm, protective film. Probably because of the suspicious brown stains on the jewelry and lightly flecking the picture both. And the curve of the locket does have a mildly suspicious dent. Maybe it was another battle. But Vincent would not hold out for such luck that his sin is going to be lessened.
He's holding both carefully, but Zack will have a chance to get a good look at both of them. Don't expect the gunman to hand them over. ]
Do you recognize this?
dang time paradox go back to your closet
Oh, you are such an asshole. [In the short conversation they'd had about it, Sephiroth had been deeply protective of that little locket. To see it damaged fills him with a degree of anger that surprises even himself.] Sephiroth called her Jenova, but I think we both know that's not true. ...You shouldn't have taken that from him.
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He gave it to me for safekeeping.
[ Gave it to the man that shot him. In ordinary circumstances that would not sound close to believable. But Vincent offers some clarification. ]
At the end. He thought I would leave his body for the monsters.
[...Better it be in his assassin's hands than the belly of a beast. Or scattered and broken on the ground. Also 'at the end'. Which means Sephiroth was unlikely to be in any condition to do more than vaguely hope Vincent wasn't more cruel; though to be fair, why believe a Turk was doing something for anything other than business? Nothing personal.
The gunman returns the locket to whatever location on his person he was keeping the items. The careful handling suggests some of that gambit was vindicated. ]
I wasn't going to leave it at the hospital in this condition. I'll make sure it gets back to him.
[ Zack may or may not trust those words. Vincent doesn't try to convince the other man any further of his assurances. But the reasoning is probably solid; the spoon and relic are one thing, but things like materia? A damaged locket and precious photo?
Doctors are going to have other priorities than being careful about the condtion of belongings. Like the life of the patient. And with this particular photo, Vincent is going to be as stalwart as the guardian of the gates of the Underworld for whom he named one of his guns after. ]
It's not true. But the woman is his mother. [ Vincent turns his head. His right hand raises and tugs absently at the upper portion of the high collar, as if trying to cover more of his expression. It's a subconscious gesture. ] Seeing it. That's what made me stop.
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You realize you probably made everything worse, right? That's what you did here?
[He doesn't trust Vincent or his words, not at this point. The man's given him no reason to. The fact that this is Cloud's friend (and yeah, he's figured the guy's identity out by now, who else could it be?) is one of the few reasons he's going to make it out of this without getting tackled or punched or thrown off the train. ...Probably. Jury's still out on at least one happening.]
Who the hell is she, then?
[Sephiroth had been asking for information about her, when they first met. Sharing the picture and the alien witch's name, as if the two are connected. This is his mother, and - judging by her apparent human face - a far better option than the true Jenova. There's a hell of a story here that neither he nor Sephiroth are aware of. It'd be good for them to know.]
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...Yes.
[ Thank you, Captain Obvious. ]
She was scientist working for Shinra. And a member of the team for the Jenova Project.
[Absently, Vincent tugs the collar again. It's clear he's uncomfortable. Just as his words, as he speaks of the woman, are filled with an emotion that only comes from a place of love. ]
Her name is Lucrecia. Lucrecia Crescent.
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But fine, fine. He'll move on. Look at him being so incredibly mature about all of this!]
I've never heard of her. If she was working for the project, doesn't that mean she was willing? Did she give her kid over to Hojo and let him pump him full of alien bullshit?
[Zero respect for this woman, if that's the case. But he'll wait for the explanation- he knows firsthand how working for Shinra doesn't necessarily mean being a willing participant.]
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But yes. Restraint. Maturity. Someone has to be.
There is a not-too-subtle shift in the air. Whether true or not, whether he acknowledges it not, Vincent is not immune to someone speaking ill of someone he loved- and still loves- so deeply. Closure, understanding... those wouldn't change that. Vincent would be angry at hearing Hojo's name again. But for a moment, the ire is also aimed at Zack.
And to top it off, the SOLDIER admits he didn't have any knowledge of the woman before carelessly expressing the worst of the options... rather than wait to hear what had happened. ]
No. Losing Sephiroth was not part of the deal. He was taken from her the moment he was born.
[ But... give him a minute to calm himself so he can speak candidly about the remainder. Whatever else can be said, Vincent will not deny that Lucrecia let the child in her womb become a subject of experimentation. ]
None of them knew what they were doing. Gast. Hojo. Lucrecia. Ignorance... isn't an excuse. They all had their hand in the experiments. But whatever else you may say, Lucrecia did not willingly 'hand over' her child.
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Yeah, Zack's pretty sure Cloud could sleep at night with this kill. But hopefully he never has to.
He doesn't so much as blink at the ire; he's faced down true hatred before. He's unmoved.]
Crime's still on her hands if she was into it. But whatever, fine, this Lucretia is his mom. Hojo wanted him to believe it was Jenova? What, having a human mom was too benign for the mad scientists? -Actually you know what, that sounds exactly like something Hojo would do.
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But Vincent also does not have the memory of Nibelheim burning, bodies of loved ones, neighbors and family laying in the dirt after being cut down by a madman. He wanted to spare his friend. But had he really needed to?
The ire fades. Maybe it's still present, but Vincent isn't beyond reason. ]
Yes.
[ It's not denied. He even just said as much. Lucrecia may have loved Sephiroth and not wanted to be parted from him, but it didn't erase the fact that she submitted herself and her unborn child to the experiments willingly. ]
If I had to speculate, I suspect Hojo would have wanted to erase all ties anyone else had to his 'perfect experiment'. He was... a vain man.
[ The disgust is unfeigned. But how many people would speak of Hojo otherwise, really? Vain is an understatement. Vincent's tone evens out and turns... puzzled. Confused. ]
...It was a shock to see Sephiroth even had a picture. That... I don't know why.
[ If there was something Vincent would have wanted to understand, it's how the photograph came to be in the boy's possession. What reason would Hojo... He shakes his head. ]
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[Four years in Hojo's lab, he became very much attuned to the man's moods and whims. He thought he was the greatest genius in the world; really, he was just a madman trying to rebuild the toy that disappeared in Nibelheim's reactor. "Vain" is the least offensive word that should be used to label the man.
...Yeah, maybe he has a personal reason for feeling some disdain for Lucrecia, after what she put her baby through. He's got no respect for people who submit others to unwilling experimentation, and as an infant Sephiroth definitely couldn't consent.]
Sephiroth thought his mother was Jenova the whole time. It came up in Nibelheim before everything went to hell. Too bad you probably wrecked your chance at having a nice chill conversation with him.
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[ It's probably not a surprise that Vincent is aware of that. The huff was not amusement at Zack's expense. It came close to empathy and perhaps a trace of regret.
How things might have changed if Vincent had not let himself sleep so deeply, drowning in nightmares. Maybe he would have been more aware of the renewed activity that time. Regret... but not overt self-recrimination.
Hojo had been the one who imprisoned Zack and Cloud and that came as no surprise; the scientist would have put any convenient 'specimen' under the knife. The only reason humans hadn't been on the slab more often was probably because it was harder to write off when people went missing.
At least until Sephiroth provided a huge supply. And Hojo became department head. Two decades changed a lot of things. ]
The plan was to make it quick. If I failed... Either way I wasn't expecting to have a chat.
[ Vincent had eyed Zack for a moment. It may become obvious in that moment that Vincent does not.... know that particular little trick about Folkmore and death. ]
I don't expect forgiveness. Or understanding. In the end, I attacked a child. Even before I realized my mistake, I was ready to accept that sin.
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Look, I don't care what your reason or plan or whatever was. You screwed up and you get that now. I'm not the one who really gets to judge you for this. [Even though he will judge him a bit anyway.] I'm not gonna jump in the way if he wants payback, either.
[This guy probably knows that already, too.]
What I do wanna know is this: what's your plan now?
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Another thing that might have gone differently? If Lucrecia wasn't already gone by the time he regained consciousness? It's over thoughts like these Vincent's shaking his head and dismissing to focus on the present. Zack will get another look though. This one's filled with bemusement.
Yeah he used the word plan, but it was not intended to try and explain himself. Just something to mention that he'd never been in a position to expect a 'chill conversation'. You've got a weird way of not judging someone there, Mr. Fair. ]
Good. Then I made the right choice.
[ Well more like the best one out of all bad choices. Talking to Zack on the way to Agrona was always part of this plan. And it's given him what he wanted; a good bead on where the former SOLDIER stands when it comes to the Sephiroth in Folkmore right now. Vincent's rough voice has been sounding a little strained. Not because of any hidden emotional duress; the man's simply been speaking more than he usually does. Maybe that's why his plans are spelled out in short, simple statements. ]
I'll get the locket repaired. Leave Sephiroth to you. Then I'll wait for him. Whatever answers he wants, I'll give.
[ Answers, yes. Vincent has no intention of submitting if Sephiroth wants go as far as to retaliate with violence, mind you. Which the teenager would be fully in his rights to go for, but that's beside the point.
But answers can be a very dangerous thing. And Vincent gives no indication that he plans to hold back. On anything. ]
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