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.
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momijizukamori
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.