Though most of his expression is now hidden, Vincent's eyes are not. Ruby, lightly glowing in the shadows cast by his hair and clothes and perhaps the environment they're in. They focus on Cloud in a long moment of silence. A sigh follows; it is resigned in a way that suggests he feels the blond won't like what he hears. But Vincent will be honest.
"...I'm worried about you. I won't deny Sephiroth has changed since coming to the Barge. In some ways, it seems more that he's learned the limits of his confinement. Remains to be seen what would happen if he was truly released."
And that doesn't include the Narrenschiff incident. That was just another type of prison.
"I was just blind to Lucrecia's pain. Sephiroth... call it humanity. Or just empathy. I'm not convinced he comprehends it. At least, beyond his own desires. Time will tell if he ever is."
Cloud knows what that sigh means, but he's ready to hear it, whatever it is. He feels more sure of himself right now than he has in a long time.
I'm worried about you. Well, what else is new? But this time, at least, Cloud doesn't feel like he's done anything to warrant it. He listens to what Vincent has to say. His head tilts.
"But isn't that true of all inmates? We can't know how things will go when we leave. All anybody here can do is trust the Admiral's judgment. I know Sephiroth will graduate - I'm not going anywhere until he does. So when that happens, you gotta decide whether you trust the Barge to work like it's supposed to, or not." An unconscious echo of what Vincent himself is thinking, in a way.
Then, thoughtfully, Cloud says, "You should talk to him. I've seen empathy in him. Humanity. And...he's far from blind to my pain. But you don't have to just take my word for it. Maybe your opinion'll change and maybe it won't, but either way, go talk to him and gauge for yourself."
"Yes." It's true of all inmates. Whatever warrants the change that causes graduation will one day free them to be returned and to life on top of that.
To face everything in the place they return to, unfettered. Vincent doesn't look guilty or apologetic; he hadn't forgotten that in his earlier statement.
"Change is not always about becoming a good person."
If it were, Cloud would have graduated the moment he stepped foot on the Barge. There is... another sigh. But it's not as heavy as the first.
"That's why I said it wasn't the same as being blind like I was. I'll talk to him again."
Though it's brusque it's not dismissive, nor walled off; at least to people that understand Vincent as well as Cloud does. If he says he'll do it, he will do so properly.
"After everything...don't think I believe there's really any such thing as a 'good person' or a 'bad person' anymore. In the moment, people can choose to hurt each other or not. They can choose kindness or not. Only one person I know who I'm pretty sure never once chose kindness in his life, and it ain't Sephiroth. It's Hojo." The name is dripping with contempt.
Cloud nods his appreciation when Vincent agrees to talk to Sephiroth again. "Thanks." There's a familiar sort of pause, the kind that usually precedes Cloud ending a conversation because he has nothing else he wants to say. But then he decides to try something different this time, even if it is with his usual averted gaze.
"...it...means a lot, Vincent. That you're willing to do this. Even if you're no less worried afterward, at least...you trust me enough to give it a shot."
Maybe Sephiroth will talk about it, but that isn't the same as reporting back with his personal thoughts. Though Cloud's gaze is averted, Vincent's is upon the blond, studying him before finally responding to the gratitude.
"Mm." Acknowledgement. "If you love him, I'm not saying that's wrong. Complicates things, but... hm."
He leaves that particular statement there, simply because... well, it and the rest of what he could say is obvious to everyone.
"I want you to find happiness. Just... understand I'm not looking for a way to say 'I told you so'. If... I step in."
It's all that tricky friendship thing. And... not wanting to regret letting things be because of 'if they're happy...' again.
There's a pause, as he considers how to bring up the second thing. Braces himself for this feeling of easy friendship to vanish as soon as it came. But he's not backing out now.
"So, the other thing I wanted to tell you...a while back, way before I ever got here, some weird flood happened and Sephiroth...had the Admiral give him the black materia. He never used it. He didn't even hold onto it - he had John put it in some kind of uh, dimensional pocket or something. But then, on my birthday...he gave it to me."
The shift is not as subtle as it could be; the way Vincent's manner changes. He's calm but as Cloud speaks again there's probably an undercurrent that causes him to focus. Something which becomes more intense and brow furrows. There's a way the visible muscles shift that suggest the tall gunman's lips have pressed into a line.
"Who else knows?" He'll handle the idea that it was kept around, that Sephiroth had given it as a birthday gift and the months that implied later. Right now one thing at a time.
Cloud expects nothing less as Vincent's demeanor shifts. His own remains steady. Collected, but open.
"Zhao Yunlan, Zack, and Aerith. That's it. Allen Walker did, cuz he was my warden at the time and I asked him to request a secure place for it from the Admiral, but...he's gone now."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2025-05-09 07:05 am (UTC)"...I'm worried about you. I won't deny Sephiroth has changed since coming to the Barge. In some ways, it seems more that he's learned the limits of his confinement. Remains to be seen what would happen if he was truly released."
And that doesn't include the Narrenschiff incident. That was just another type of prison.
"I was just blind to Lucrecia's pain. Sephiroth... call it humanity. Or just empathy. I'm not convinced he comprehends it. At least, beyond his own desires. Time will tell if he ever is."
That's what the Barge is for, isn't it? Change.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-09 07:43 am (UTC)I'm worried about you. Well, what else is new? But this time, at least, Cloud doesn't feel like he's done anything to warrant it. He listens to what Vincent has to say. His head tilts.
"But isn't that true of all inmates? We can't know how things will go when we leave. All anybody here can do is trust the Admiral's judgment. I know Sephiroth will graduate - I'm not going anywhere until he does. So when that happens, you gotta decide whether you trust the Barge to work like it's supposed to, or not." An unconscious echo of what Vincent himself is thinking, in a way.
Then, thoughtfully, Cloud says, "You should talk to him. I've seen empathy in him. Humanity. And...he's far from blind to my pain. But you don't have to just take my word for it. Maybe your opinion'll change and maybe it won't, but either way, go talk to him and gauge for yourself."
no subject
Date: 2025-05-09 02:42 pm (UTC)To face everything in the place they return to, unfettered. Vincent doesn't look guilty or apologetic; he hadn't forgotten that in his earlier statement.
"Change is not always about becoming a good person."
If it were, Cloud would have graduated the moment he stepped foot on the Barge. There is... another sigh. But it's not as heavy as the first.
"That's why I said it wasn't the same as being blind like I was. I'll talk to him again."
Though it's brusque it's not dismissive, nor walled off; at least to people that understand Vincent as well as Cloud does. If he says he'll do it, he will do so properly.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-13 09:34 am (UTC)Cloud nods his appreciation when Vincent agrees to talk to Sephiroth again. "Thanks." There's a familiar sort of pause, the kind that usually precedes Cloud ending a conversation because he has nothing else he wants to say. But then he decides to try something different this time, even if it is with his usual averted gaze.
"...it...means a lot, Vincent. That you're willing to do this. Even if you're no less worried afterward, at least...you trust me enough to give it a shot."
no subject
Date: 2025-05-21 10:00 pm (UTC)Maybe Sephiroth will talk about it, but that isn't the same as reporting back with his personal thoughts. Though Cloud's gaze is averted, Vincent's is upon the blond, studying him before finally responding to the gratitude.
"Mm." Acknowledgement. "If you love him, I'm not saying that's wrong. Complicates things, but... hm."
He leaves that particular statement there, simply because... well, it and the rest of what he could say is obvious to everyone.
"I want you to find happiness. Just... understand I'm not looking for a way to say 'I told you so'. If... I step in."
It's all that tricky friendship thing. And... not wanting to regret letting things be because of 'if they're happy...' again.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-26 07:28 am (UTC)There's a pause, as he considers how to bring up the second thing. Braces himself for this feeling of easy friendship to vanish as soon as it came. But he's not backing out now.
"So, the other thing I wanted to tell you...a while back, way before I ever got here, some weird flood happened and Sephiroth...had the Admiral give him the black materia. He never used it. He didn't even hold onto it - he had John put it in some kind of uh, dimensional pocket or something. But then, on my birthday...he gave it to me."
no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 09:03 pm (UTC)"Who else knows?" He'll handle the idea that it was kept around, that Sephiroth had given it as a birthday gift and the months that implied later. Right now one thing at a time.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-30 11:34 pm (UTC)"Zhao Yunlan, Zack, and Aerith. That's it. Allen Walker did, cuz he was my warden at the time and I asked him to request a secure place for it from the Admiral, but...he's gone now."