"That does sound like a no." It's quiet, very quiet. A beast wasn't going to be able to stop a trained SOLDIER on par with someone like Cloud. "Pointless, I suppose. Nothing here affects there, in that fashion."
Chaos and Omega, it seemed, were tangents. "I'm sure if it became necessary, people would line up for the chance to subdue a violent and dangerous opponent. Perhaps even Thirteen herself." What did he want out of a bond?
Nothing it could offer. He didn't need a friendly hand, he needed a leash and a muzzle.
When the guard hound makes a reappearance in a slow roil of black smoke, it's close enough to settle at Sephiroth's side, not..quite touching.
"If.. if I go mad here. If I fully become a monster." His gaze turns towards the river, and its glittering banks. "Find out why. Use this link for that. Was it inevitable? Or was I pushed? And if it was forced." Maybe it was inevitable and nothing could be done. Maybe it was his fate all along.
But if not. "A Familiar bond will let you find me. What I want, Mr. Valentine." Only then does he actually look at the red clad Turk, somber. "Is for you to bring me the ones who wronged me. And then leave them to face what they made. No matter who it is."
"Mm. Who knows. Junon's canon was enough to take out one. And modified it took out Diamond WEAPON." ...Hah, 'enough'. Something at point blank or a shot that drained eight mako reactors temporarily to make the shot. Vincent had mentioned at least Diamond WEAPON's fate in his original retelling. The others hadn't been critical; they had not been directly involved other than being released.
Does Sephiroth's power rival a direct shot from either versions of the canon? Could he endure a shot similar to the strength of Sister Ray? ...Let's hope they never have to really find that out. Neither Chaos or Omega alone had any more intelligence than those WEAPONS. It had been their connection and embodiment with the wills of Vincent Valentine and then Weiss and Nero, that had given them any sentience that would be recognized as such. And that probably made the Chaos slumbering in the Vincent of his world a threat. At least, an unknown.
Now that the teen knows, it's no doubt he'll remember if things go wrong. But that is a problem for the future that they're hoping, on some level, to prevent.
What do you want from the bond. Though Vincent had been glancing out at the river, when Sephiroth again finally brings up the potential for future madness, he turns his entire focus on the silver haired youth. The request is not entirely met with surprise. Yet there's a brief hesitation, to think over what those words would mean. Vincent is far from reluctant. However there are a great many factors to consider. Finding the truth of that madness and there are plenty of elements in Folkmore alien to their world that could trigger it.
"I will do everything I can to find out why." Through the bond, though all his skills as a former Turk. And whatever help he can gather from others. There's then a slow nod, though he offers a quiet question.
"If Thirteen is the case. Or if she brings Lucrecia here... Gast or Hojo." Well at least two of those Vincent would have no problem throwing to the silver wolf god. The third.... "Should I bring them as well?"
And... well, if he's bringing them, he'll already be there won't he?
"I don't mean by virtue of my creation, but recent action. My father, certainly. He'll want to see the culmination of all his efforts, after all." And Hojo absolutely would happily help it along if he thought it'd get interesting results, he already knew that. "The difference between putting a gun on a counter, and picking it up and shooting someone."
He was very focused in that particular wish for retaliation. If someone went out of their way to provoke it.. "I don't get the impression even trying to destroy the world that I become any less intelligent, or truly feral. But positive punishment may be an effective deterrent even if I am aware it's what's happening, to at least prevent rampant havoc." Emotional influence could be a powerful thing. If he found pleasure in the kill, souring that joy would make it less appealing.
"Hmph," Vincent answers in regard to bringing Hojo. Either way that will definitely happen. And if Sephiroth doesn't kill him... Well, Vincent won't be put out at all doing it again. But reminder of the teen's father does bring a half-lidded regard of speculation from Vincent. It reminds him of the earlier insinuation about what the young man had experienced during that 'trial'.
"Not that I'm aware." Frankly, Vincent wasn't sure if the arrogance had changed. What Sephiroth had been brought up believing... seeing out of those around him compared to his own power... "I can't make any promises that I'd succeed if it turned out to be Thirteen in the end. But that wouldn't stop me from trying. Anyone else... I'll manage somehow."
The former Turk's eyes are now opened fully. He's studying Sephiroth carefully as he remarks about the use of emotional manipulations. "That.... you want me to use the bond to manipulate your reaction to certain actions?" The question is probably as neutrally spoken as Vincent can manage and yet it's still clear he's not comfortable with the idea.
"That... did Hojo... the scientists, use that on you? That how you learned it?" Very clear.
Until Cloud, nothing's ever really challenged him. He knew he was stronger, faster, more durable than anything anyone could hope to throw at him. It's a precarious balance between utter assurance at his superiority and also being certain he was worthless if he couldn't do the one thing he was made for.
"You won't be able to manage direct control, like I can my eventual puppets. That wouldn't be 'supporting a legend', and presumably is beyond the reach of such a tether." Messing with his emotions was not ideal but could be used to try to curb the worst.
Would he even take pleasure in slaughtering people without any chance of fighting him? Or was it merely the satisfaction an exterminator feels on eradicating a nest of vermin?
The idea that Hojo or the others COULD do such a thing to him earns a blank look. "No, of course not." They did, but through different means than what he's intending here. Enough reinforcement for what they wanted, and he no longer resisted. He hadn't needed to be bound to a table since he was young, no matter what they did. "It's standard procedure for unruly specimens when positive reinforcement fails. I've watched it countless times. SOme species simply don't react to anything else."
So... yes, then, whether or not it was the exact same method. Of course it doesn't surprise him. It hurts that Sephiroth would think nothing of having Vincent use it on him. There is some terrible rationale present given the stakes. It turns the stomach to consider using it on the teenager who's already suffered that and more at the hands of scientists, so much so that he sees nothing different between himself and the specimens in cages still, even months apart from Shinra.
It also hurts because Vincent knows he's probably capable of setting aside the morals and doing it.
"I'm not thrilled that you're asking me to do something that even the scientists at the company or Hojo might not have done," Vincent finally begins. There's a trace of bitterness; but he could be forgiven for not liking it in that context. As to the way the teen devalues his worth as a person and simply implies Vincent should just regard it as standard procedure for an unruly specimen. But he won't bring that up now.
"But... explain further how you want it used. I don't want anything to hinder what you have to do when you return to your time." So far, Sephiroth has only generalized. So the former Turk can't really be blamed for wanting specifics under those conditions.
Dog and boy share a brief look. "You ... offered to do just that a few minutes ago." His tone is slow and cautious, unsure suddenly what the right answer is supposed to be. Was he supposed to interpret the mention of Familiars calming Legend emotions, and exerting influence over them, in some other way?
Was he supposed to refuse, and be insulted at its implication? "Was this a test?" He must have failed it.
There is a short pause. When Vincent's eyes close a moment, there is actually tension. And he brings his left hand, gauntlet and all, to cup his face. Hide it.
"Damn it." ...What? While Vincent doesn't quite drag his hand down his face - for obvious reasons- it's slowly pulled downward and away to drop to his knees again. He exhales to steady himself and turns to face the pair.
"I did. But this wasn't a test. What you just said makes me realize it was no better than how the scientists treated you your entire life." His expression shows muted regret and resignation; probably going a lot deeper.
"Worse, because I know you accept so many things without question because of that abuse. Even if it sounds reasonable, the rational thing to do."
The methods Hojo and his assistants used to gain Sephiroth's unquestioning compliance when he was much, much younger than his already young age almost certainly lined up. Most living things responded well to operant conditioning.
"...It is the reasonable thing to do, or you wouldn't have suggested it to begin with." How much of the objection he really understands is questionable.
But he does know an offer was made, and it was sensible at the time. Still was, even after a review of it. "If it was ... some form of abuse, which I question, a tool is a tool, no matter who's using it before you do. You can't tame a monster with friendship and love." They can however be occasionally beaten into submission!
"I wanted to provide a way to balance the unnatural strength of your emotions caused by the Role Thirteen assigned to you. That... was reasonable," Vincent responds slowly. "...Probably."
Probably, since it was balancing out something that was being forced on Sephiroth. But it had opened a door.
"The part that wasn't right, no matter how it sounds, was to suggest it be used for anything else. To control your emotions or your actions based on those emotions. You've been conditioned to believe that. To think it's normal."
Though... it's true Vincent is unclear if even that would be something that gets through to the teen. So... he proffers a question.
"...If you don't believe me, then... when you were experiencing the Trial in the fog, what stopped you from helping Hojo's victim?
"Why wouldn't it be right?" It's ticking into dangerous territory, by the way he's begun once more muting any obvious emotional response. It wouldn't stop him from feeling it, but it would hide the obvious weakness. "Shooting me is acceptable, but keeping me alive isn't? Turning a WEAPON on me is something you're willing to consider, but not an influence I not only consented to but requested?"
It sounds like it's merely a puzzled question, and there's no way to be sure if it is just confusion or if something uglier undercurrents it just by looking at Sephiroth.
But there's a slow lash of the long black tentacle between the guard hound's stiff shoulders, back and forth like a pendulum, and a deep, reverberating gutteral snarl at Vincent's final question as Sephiroth jerks himself back to his feet in one too-fast motion.
"If you don't actually want to help then just say so and stop playing with me. This isn't a game." The calming, euphoric effects of this stretch of river only go so far against the volatile temperament of a teenager as he turns on one booted heel and stalks away - not closer to Exile at least.
More slowly Vincent rises, but rise he does to stand up and stride to follow. He has quite an advantage there with long legs. Sephiroth still needs quite a few years.
"Sephiroth. I'm trying to help you!" He might not be directly behind the boy but the former Turk's voice is clear and holds enough emphasis to suggest the commanding exclamation. "I'm asking because it's not a game. Whatever happened during that Trial... what do you think will happen when you go back home and try to kill Hojo?"
He'll stop if the teen stops. But he can't afford to let Sephiroth too get too far away.
In a year and a half he'll be taller than Vincent, though it might take longer to outweigh him. Right now though.. he's still on the small side for his age, and though if he really wanted to he could move terrifyingly quickly, he isn't doing so. Not yet.
Casimir is an obvious warning of how rigidly he does control his reactions though, for all that white fangs are bared, ears pinned back in a picture of aggressive hostility, Sephiroth has not physically lashed out.
Lesser things break when he loses his temper like that. "You're not, you're just ... trying for some moral high ground so you can throw up your hands and say you tried. Everything you offer in one hand comes with a knife in the other! I can't even accept what you offer without you snatching it away! Do that enough to a monster and they tend to bite."
"If it's really what you want, I will do it. However you want." While his voice is quiet, it still carries. While he had never said he wouldn't, he doesn't make a point of this aloud.
It would do no good.
"No tricks. No test. That wasn't what I intended to suggest."
It doesn't mollify him. Not under the weight of the stressor that had been pushing his comfort on going to Exile, on deliberately intending to spread his cells like an infection for the purpose of practicing something he was sure was bad.. then explaining even shallowly Otherworld's effects. Then losing his cat to the trickery of Familiar shapeshifting and the embarrassment of knowing so much he preferred to keep hidden was well known. He was an incredibly private kid as it was, having that violated..
.. and letting someone inside his head.. suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea.
It sounds like Vincent's after martyrdom, or some false mirror of it to try to look good while doing nothing. Something Vincent could add to his 'list of sins' to feel bad about, and tied directly to each others emotions, Sephiroth would be constantly aware of it.
There is a bitter, wounded part of him that's sure suddenly this is the entire point. When he stops and turns, there's a calculating frost to his bearing, everything by degrees ratcheted down, boxed up and buried again. His control might break, but inevitably he'd reclaim it.
There's no doubt at all he's nowhere as calm as he seems. Not a word is said. Not yet.
Vincent is under no false impression that his words have had a positive impact. No hope that he hadn't screwed up in a bad way.
If Sephiroth took that opportunity to repudiate him and seek to prevent further contact, it would not be a surprise. One that, though it could be mistaken for a slow blink, causes his eyes to close for a bit longer. They'll open again, filled with the emotion of a man bracing for the worst.
Would this change his intention to continue trying to help the teen? No. But it seems clear at this stage, in that moment, that Vincent's own foolishness has caused an irreparable rift to form. There is no form of apology that would even help... or not sound at the minimum hollow.
And no words that should be spoken at all, thus the silence stretches on to wait for Sephiroth to collect himself and be the first to address him. It will not matter how long this takes. Vincent will not add try to speak in his defense or espouse earnest explanations.
They would. Anything to save face, to remain The Adult, who thus Knows Better, as so many others have his whole life.
There were lessons to be had in Folkmore, ones echoed in his time in Hojo's lab. Emotion .. really was a weakness, and he needed to stop pretending he was anything but what he was, a weapon and a monster. Trying for anything else ended badly, even something as simple as a pet.
If he couldn't trust Vincent's offers, then the reassurance that he'd be put first was obviously also a deception. So be it.
"Say again what a Familiar Bond requires. What it does. What it does not."
"To form a Familiar Bond, the Familiar and the Legend or Myth must both agree to it," Vincent begins. His voice is neutral; his mind drawing every piece of information he had said originally and making sure he had not missed something that he had learned.
His tone remains steady, stating only fact.
"A psychic connection is formed. I've been told it allows us to know where the other is. It can be used to lessen the impact of amplified emotions Legends and Myths experience. A bond would let us know the emotions and condition of the other."
There is a short pause while he considers what it does not do.
"...The Bond seems to only be mental. At least there is no sharing of physical ability. Nothing I've heard suggests we would be vulnerable to each others emotions. But given the nature of it, I wouldn't rely on that."
Vincent seems to be finished, going as far as to offer a conclusion.
"It's based on the pair's desire to make a bond that will aid the Legend or Myth in their goals and needs. This may shape it in ways I haven't learned about. And..." a pause. "...the strength of it will probably be affected by trust."
Trust, something rather damaged this last hour. Singly, any of these things would have been surmountable with little effort. Together..
"Very well, I agree to it."
He had goals he would pursue whether or not anything got in his way. If this was just to manipulate him, or play games with his trust and his future, then he would be strong enough to overcome it. He had to be.
Surprise. Not entirely hidden if the slightest widening of Vincent's gaze and the stillness is anything to consider proof. But the hesitation doesn't last any longer longer than a blink of an eye; the gunman is aware of he does so, he will lose Sephiroth completely.
"Then, I agree to be your Familiar, Sephiroth."
Words were needed, but it's as simple as that. Instincts bestowed on the former Turk guide the Fox-bestowed ability to reach out along the signal of intent and wish, weaving threads of a connection with far more conviction than either man would probably expect.
The bond doesn't hesitate. All it needed was to be wished for and accepted, no more or less.
Surprise, remorse. Concern. Elements of feelings toward Sephiroth. Shame... guilt. In Vincent himself. These might be the first things which drift across the connection as it is formed.
Myths' emotions dulled under the force of their Role. Legends enhanced. Where he is, aside from right there on the riverbank, is the faintest of tugs, easily disregarded.
It allows at least no mistaking what is his feelings and someone else's, Vincent might share a sentiment but not a feeling, and while recognizable they are also ... different. It's certain Vincent will know his own feelings from the teen's, bitterly cold fury and thinly restrained spiteful aggression so intense it nearly eclipses the undercurrent of twisting despair and loss and determination; anything else is too buried to be felt in those brief few moments. It lasts only a handful of breaths, an icy plunge into foreign feeling before it too is patiently, relentlessly squelched, lingering like a sour aftertaste in memory where sensation fails.
"I don't think it'll do what I wanted it to. Not anymore. I won't hold you to it."
It is buried. It's certain it's still there, nobody can simply switch off an emotion, but the echo of what had been there is muted so much it's little more than an empathic flicker of fire in the distance.
A soft hiss under Vincent's breath is... probably not missed. The impact of Sephiroth's emotions hit as hard, if not harder than the wind-knocking kinetic force of a bullet at point blank range. Though the former Turk does not stagger, his eyes perceptibly widen- this time- and a hand lifted to his chest as if to check he had not been shot again.
Not even having his chest torn out by Rosso had hurt so much. Or seemed to. Perhaps because this pain is nothing that affects the flesh but something he can't reach. Those emotions were clearly not his and yet perhaps that was what made it so terrible.
Particularly after the bond is ruthlessly silenced. Not wholly; it is still there. He can discern where Sephiroth 'is'. Not Casimir.
I don't think it'll do what I wanted it to. Vincent suspects that is in relation to the matter over manipulating emotions. But then... why doesn't Sephiroth end it? At this moment, that's a question Vincent dare not ask, though a troubled emotion may wisp across the bond. He nods before letting his gaze slip to the guard hound then back to the teen. And after Vincent swallows against a dry throat, he speaks.
"I feel no connection with Casimir." It is information worth sharing; hiding nothing. "But I can sense your presence." Faintly.
It takes focus to muffle, it wouldn't be possible to do all the time. But for now, with his temperament already terribly frayed, he's got all the reason in the world to do his damnest not to let much bleed through.
There's silence at his declaration of being unable to feel Casimir, and the hound's feline whiskers move forward, though every other line in his body suggests barely tethered hurt and anger. "Nor I you." Still sounding like Sephiroth .. but a touch oddly, a touch echoey. "I must be too much of an extension. I doubt you would feel Cloud through us either."
Clearly it's exactly the same kind of thing. And maybe when Jenova is involved, it was.
"... I'll return to Lapine later," Sephiroth concludes at length, voice as tightly controlled as the feelings over the fledgling link. "I won't enter Exile alone." But he is ... not, apparently, intending to stick around. Anything else can wait for another day.
A nod is returned. And that's true. There's no sense of a distant ping or... well, a distant ping from Sephiroth as felt through the bond.
"Seems that way. I'll let you know if that changes." Proximity or otherwise. Maybe he'll go test it soon but probably not... right away.
It would not be good form to be caught going over to Cloud's place so soon after this and it would be easy now for Sephiroth to find out if he did just that. Vincent's attention returns to the teen.
"All right." And it's just... that. Concern of course, but there's no sense that Vincent feels suspicious; not just because of the youth's aversion to being alone in the fog. "I'll be around. Call if you need me."
Food might be left as it always is. And no doubt he will be near. But he'll give more than ample space and let Sephiroth reach out when he's ready to.
He looks over his shoulder back to the small setup that had been established when the two thought they'd stay arguably... longer.
"I'll take care of things here. Unless you plan on staying." And then he'll be the one to leave first; else he turns back to deal with what's needed before leaving the deceptively peaceful environs of the Encantado, leaving Sephiroth to his own devices. And thoughts.
"..No. Not for long." He might sort through gems and rocks, and see if there's something nice to bring back for Alluka as a distraction, but otherwise.. otherwise he intended to seek solitude for a while, perhaps some unsuspecting monsters OUTSIDE Exile's foggy reach and deliberately take them apart piece by piece. It would be terribly sloppy but it would at least bleed off excess emotion.
The guard hound wisps into black fog and then nothingness as Sephiroth likewise turns away, expression schooled still to careful blankness in spite of the tension in his shoulders. He'll make his way back eventually.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 12:39 am (UTC)Chaos and Omega, it seemed, were tangents. "I'm sure if it became necessary, people would line up for the chance to subdue a violent and dangerous opponent. Perhaps even Thirteen herself." What did he want out of a bond?
Nothing it could offer. He didn't need a friendly hand, he needed a leash and a muzzle.
When the guard hound makes a reappearance in a slow roil of black smoke, it's close enough to settle at Sephiroth's side, not..quite touching.
"If.. if I go mad here. If I fully become a monster." His gaze turns towards the river, and its glittering banks. "Find out why. Use this link for that. Was it inevitable? Or was I pushed? And if it was forced." Maybe it was inevitable and nothing could be done. Maybe it was his fate all along.
But if not. "A Familiar bond will let you find me. What I want, Mr. Valentine." Only then does he actually look at the red clad Turk, somber. "Is for you to bring me the ones who wronged me. And then leave them to face what they made. No matter who it is."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 01:35 am (UTC)Does Sephiroth's power rival a direct shot from either versions of the canon? Could he endure a shot similar to the strength of Sister Ray? ...Let's hope they never have to really find that out. Neither Chaos or Omega alone had any more intelligence than those WEAPONS. It had been their connection and embodiment with the wills of Vincent Valentine and then Weiss and Nero, that had given them any sentience that would be recognized as such. And that probably made the Chaos slumbering in the Vincent of his world a threat. At least, an unknown.
Now that the teen knows, it's no doubt he'll remember if things go wrong. But that is a problem for the future that they're hoping, on some level, to prevent.
What do you want from the bond. Though Vincent had been glancing out at the river, when Sephiroth again finally brings up the potential for future madness, he turns his entire focus on the silver haired youth. The request is not entirely met with surprise. Yet there's a brief hesitation, to think over what those words would mean. Vincent is far from reluctant. However there are a great many factors to consider. Finding the truth of that madness and there are plenty of elements in Folkmore alien to their world that could trigger it.
"I will do everything I can to find out why." Through the bond, though all his skills as a former Turk. And whatever help he can gather from others. There's then a slow nod, though he offers a quiet question.
"If Thirteen is the case. Or if she brings Lucrecia here... Gast or Hojo." Well at least two of those Vincent would have no problem throwing to the silver wolf god. The third.... "Should I bring them as well?"
And... well, if he's bringing them, he'll already be there won't he?
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 01:48 am (UTC)He was very focused in that particular wish for retaliation. If someone went out of their way to provoke it.. "I don't get the impression even trying to destroy the world that I become any less intelligent, or truly feral. But positive punishment may be an effective deterrent even if I am aware it's what's happening, to at least prevent rampant havoc." Emotional influence could be a powerful thing. If he found pleasure in the kill, souring that joy would make it less appealing.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 02:23 am (UTC)"Not that I'm aware." Frankly, Vincent wasn't sure if the arrogance had changed. What Sephiroth had been brought up believing... seeing out of those around him compared to his own power... "I can't make any promises that I'd succeed if it turned out to be Thirteen in the end. But that wouldn't stop me from trying. Anyone else... I'll manage somehow."
The former Turk's eyes are now opened fully. He's studying Sephiroth carefully as he remarks about the use of emotional manipulations. "That.... you want me to use the bond to manipulate your reaction to certain actions?" The question is probably as neutrally spoken as Vincent can manage and yet it's still clear he's not comfortable with the idea.
"That... did Hojo... the scientists, use that on you? That how you learned it?" Very clear.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 02:35 am (UTC)"You won't be able to manage direct control, like I can my eventual puppets. That wouldn't be 'supporting a legend', and presumably is beyond the reach of such a tether." Messing with his emotions was not ideal but could be used to try to curb the worst.
Would he even take pleasure in slaughtering people without any chance of fighting him? Or was it merely the satisfaction an exterminator feels on eradicating a nest of vermin?
The idea that Hojo or the others COULD do such a thing to him earns a blank look. "No, of course not." They did, but through different means than what he's intending here. Enough reinforcement for what they wanted, and he no longer resisted. He hadn't needed to be bound to a table since he was young, no matter what they did. "It's standard procedure for unruly specimens when positive reinforcement fails. I've watched it countless times. SOme species simply don't react to anything else."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 02:31 pm (UTC)It also hurts because Vincent knows he's probably capable of setting aside the morals and doing it.
"I'm not thrilled that you're asking me to do something that even the scientists at the company or Hojo might not have done," Vincent finally begins. There's a trace of bitterness; but he could be forgiven for not liking it in that context. As to the way the teen devalues his worth as a person and simply implies Vincent should just regard it as standard procedure for an unruly specimen. But he won't bring that up now.
"But... explain further how you want it used. I don't want anything to hinder what you have to do when you return to your time." So far, Sephiroth has only generalized. So the former Turk can't really be blamed for wanting specifics under those conditions.
Right?
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 04:58 pm (UTC)Dog and boy share a brief look. "You ... offered to do just that a few minutes ago." His tone is slow and cautious, unsure suddenly what the right answer is supposed to be. Was he supposed to interpret the mention of Familiars calming Legend emotions, and exerting influence over them, in some other way?
Was he supposed to refuse, and be insulted at its implication? "Was this a test?" He must have failed it.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 06:30 pm (UTC)"Damn it." ...What? While Vincent doesn't quite drag his hand down his face - for obvious reasons- it's slowly pulled downward and away to drop to his knees again. He exhales to steady himself and turns to face the pair.
"I did. But this wasn't a test. What you just said makes me realize it was no better than how the scientists treated you your entire life." His expression shows muted regret and resignation; probably going a lot deeper.
"Worse, because I know you accept so many things without question because of that abuse. Even if it sounds reasonable, the rational thing to do."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 06:50 pm (UTC)"...It is the reasonable thing to do, or you wouldn't have suggested it to begin with." How much of the objection he really understands is questionable.
But he does know an offer was made, and it was sensible at the time. Still was, even after a review of it. "If it was ... some form of abuse, which I question, a tool is a tool, no matter who's using it before you do. You can't tame a monster with friendship and love." They can however be occasionally beaten into submission!
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 11:22 pm (UTC)Probably, since it was balancing out something that was being forced on Sephiroth. But it had opened a door.
"The part that wasn't right, no matter how it sounds, was to suggest it be used for anything else. To control your emotions or your actions based on those emotions. You've been conditioned to believe that. To think it's normal."
Though... it's true Vincent is unclear if even that would be something that gets through to the teen. So... he proffers a question.
"...If you don't believe me, then... when you were experiencing the Trial in the fog, what stopped you from helping Hojo's victim?
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 11:55 pm (UTC)It sounds like it's merely a puzzled question, and there's no way to be sure if it is just confusion or if something uglier undercurrents it just by looking at Sephiroth.
But there's a slow lash of the long black tentacle between the guard hound's stiff shoulders, back and forth like a pendulum, and a deep, reverberating gutteral snarl at Vincent's final question as Sephiroth jerks himself back to his feet in one too-fast motion.
"If you don't actually want to help then just say so and stop playing with me. This isn't a game." The calming, euphoric effects of this stretch of river only go so far against the volatile temperament of a teenager as he turns on one booted heel and stalks away - not closer to Exile at least.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-18 12:16 am (UTC)"Sephiroth. I'm trying to help you!" He might not be directly behind the boy but the former Turk's voice is clear and holds enough emphasis to suggest the commanding exclamation. "I'm asking because it's not a game. Whatever happened during that Trial... what do you think will happen when you go back home and try to kill Hojo?"
He'll stop if the teen stops. But he can't afford to let Sephiroth too get too far away.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-18 12:34 am (UTC)Casimir is an obvious warning of how rigidly he does control his reactions though, for all that white fangs are bared, ears pinned back in a picture of aggressive hostility, Sephiroth has not physically lashed out.
Lesser things break when he loses his temper like that. "You're not, you're just ... trying for some moral high ground so you can throw up your hands and say you tried. Everything you offer in one hand comes with a knife in the other! I can't even accept what you offer without you snatching it away! Do that enough to a monster and they tend to bite."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-18 01:32 am (UTC)It would do no good.
"No tricks. No test. That wasn't what I intended to suggest."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-18 07:40 pm (UTC).. and letting someone inside his head.. suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea.
It sounds like Vincent's after martyrdom, or some false mirror of it to try to look good while doing nothing. Something Vincent could add to his 'list of sins' to feel bad about, and tied directly to each others emotions, Sephiroth would be constantly aware of it.
There is a bitter, wounded part of him that's sure suddenly this is the entire point. When he stops and turns, there's a calculating frost to his bearing, everything by degrees ratcheted down, boxed up and buried again. His control might break, but inevitably he'd reclaim it.
There's no doubt at all he's nowhere as calm as he seems. Not a word is said. Not yet.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-18 08:35 pm (UTC)If Sephiroth took that opportunity to repudiate him and seek to prevent further contact, it would not be a surprise. One that, though it could be mistaken for a slow blink, causes his eyes to close for a bit longer. They'll open again, filled with the emotion of a man bracing for the worst.
Would this change his intention to continue trying to help the teen? No. But it seems clear at this stage, in that moment, that Vincent's own foolishness has caused an irreparable rift to form. There is no form of apology that would even help... or not sound at the minimum hollow.
And no words that should be spoken at all, thus the silence stretches on to wait for Sephiroth to collect himself and be the first to address him. It will not matter how long this takes. Vincent will not add try to speak in his defense or espouse earnest explanations.
Wouldn't they just come across as excuses?
no subject
Date: 2024-09-18 09:07 pm (UTC)There were lessons to be had in Folkmore, ones echoed in his time in Hojo's lab. Emotion .. really was a weakness, and he needed to stop pretending he was anything but what he was, a weapon and a monster. Trying for anything else ended badly, even something as simple as a pet.
If he couldn't trust Vincent's offers, then the reassurance that he'd be put first was obviously also a deception. So be it.
"Say again what a Familiar Bond requires. What it does. What it does not."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-18 10:53 pm (UTC)His tone remains steady, stating only fact.
"A psychic connection is formed. I've been told it allows us to know where the other is. It can be used to lessen the impact of amplified emotions Legends and Myths experience. A bond would let us know the emotions and condition of the other."
There is a short pause while he considers what it does not do.
"...The Bond seems to only be mental. At least there is no sharing of physical ability. Nothing I've heard suggests we would be vulnerable to each others emotions. But given the nature of it, I wouldn't rely on that."
Vincent seems to be finished, going as far as to offer a conclusion.
"It's based on the pair's desire to make a bond that will aid the Legend or Myth in their goals and needs. This may shape it in ways I haven't learned about. And..." a pause. "...the strength of it will probably be affected by trust."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-19 12:32 am (UTC)"Very well, I agree to it."
He had goals he would pursue whether or not anything got in his way. If this was just to manipulate him, or play games with his trust and his future, then he would be strong enough to overcome it. He had to be.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-19 12:47 am (UTC)"Then, I agree to be your Familiar, Sephiroth."
Words were needed, but it's as simple as that. Instincts bestowed on the former Turk guide the Fox-bestowed ability to reach out along the signal of intent and wish, weaving threads of a connection with far more conviction than either man would probably expect.
The bond doesn't hesitate. All it needed was to be wished for and accepted, no more or less.
Surprise, remorse. Concern. Elements of feelings toward Sephiroth. Shame... guilt. In Vincent himself. These might be the first things which drift across the connection as it is formed.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-19 01:49 am (UTC)It allows at least no mistaking what is his feelings and someone else's, Vincent might share a sentiment but not a feeling, and while recognizable they are also ... different. It's certain Vincent will know his own feelings from the teen's, bitterly cold fury and thinly restrained spiteful aggression so intense it nearly eclipses the undercurrent of twisting despair and loss and determination; anything else is too buried to be felt in those brief few moments. It lasts only a handful of breaths, an icy plunge into foreign feeling before it too is patiently, relentlessly squelched, lingering like a sour aftertaste in memory where sensation fails.
"I don't think it'll do what I wanted it to. Not anymore. I won't hold you to it."
It is buried. It's certain it's still there, nobody can simply switch off an emotion, but the echo of what had been there is muted so much it's little more than an empathic flicker of fire in the distance.
The lingering whisper of hurt betrayal.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-19 02:17 am (UTC)Not even having his chest torn out by Rosso had hurt so much. Or seemed to. Perhaps because this pain is nothing that affects the flesh but something he can't reach. Those emotions were clearly not his and yet perhaps that was what made it so terrible.
Particularly after the bond is ruthlessly silenced. Not wholly; it is still there. He can discern where Sephiroth 'is'. Not Casimir.
I don't think it'll do what I wanted it to. Vincent suspects that is in relation to the matter over manipulating emotions. But then... why doesn't Sephiroth end it? At this moment, that's a question Vincent dare not ask, though a troubled emotion may wisp across the bond. He nods before letting his gaze slip to the guard hound then back to the teen. And after Vincent swallows against a dry throat, he speaks.
"I feel no connection with Casimir." It is information worth sharing; hiding nothing. "But I can sense your presence." Faintly.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-19 10:02 pm (UTC)There's silence at his declaration of being unable to feel Casimir, and the hound's feline whiskers move forward, though every other line in his body suggests barely tethered hurt and anger. "Nor I you." Still sounding like Sephiroth .. but a touch oddly, a touch echoey. "I must be too much of an extension. I doubt you would feel Cloud through us either."
Clearly it's exactly the same kind of thing. And maybe when Jenova is involved, it was.
"... I'll return to Lapine later," Sephiroth concludes at length, voice as tightly controlled as the feelings over the fledgling link. "I won't enter Exile alone." But he is ... not, apparently, intending to stick around. Anything else can wait for another day.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-19 10:43 pm (UTC)"Seems that way. I'll let you know if that changes." Proximity or otherwise. Maybe he'll go test it soon but probably not... right away.
It would not be good form to be caught going over to Cloud's place so soon after this and it would be easy now for Sephiroth to find out if he did just that. Vincent's attention returns to the teen.
"All right." And it's just... that. Concern of course, but there's no sense that Vincent feels suspicious; not just because of the youth's aversion to being alone in the fog. "I'll be around. Call if you need me."
Food might be left as it always is. And no doubt he will be near. But he'll give more than ample space and let Sephiroth reach out when he's ready to.
He looks over his shoulder back to the small setup that had been established when the two thought they'd stay arguably... longer.
"I'll take care of things here. Unless you plan on staying." And then he'll be the one to leave first; else he turns back to deal with what's needed before leaving the deceptively peaceful environs of the Encantado, leaving Sephiroth to his own devices. And thoughts.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-22 12:09 am (UTC)The guard hound wisps into black fog and then nothingness as Sephiroth likewise turns away, expression schooled still to careful blankness in spite of the tension in his shoulders. He'll make his way back eventually.