[ So he went and asked the external perspective of someone whose firsthand account is very limited. Also, necessity? That might make sense, except Zack can tell Sephiroth what an adult SOLDIER is capable of by personal experience.
But mention of Cloud gives Vincent an opening to pose a question of his own. One that's been a growing hunch. ]
Cloud told me what happened before you left. Are you asking because of the fight you had with him?
[ The fight that had Sephiroth arrive back to a surprised 'stray cat' all battered and a bit bloody. ]
Writing casual is in fact really hard when people hit the nail on the head way too fast. Cloud had summarily handed him his ass on a silver platter and barely seemed winded.
It was awesome. Not so much the being stabbed or sliced open or having his ribs broken, but that's the price of failure. He would do better next time!]
[ Hard to tell if he's angry. It's text after all. But instead of starting in immediately on any chastising, he's going to instead encourage Sephiroth to talk a little more. ]
Tell me more about it. The fight. I imagine he overpowered you pretty badly.
[ Vincent knows what caused the fight. That might be talked about later. Not now. ]
No, I really do want to know what a First is capable of.
[...]
But he did, yes. I don't think he even broke a sweat, all my training was utterly pointless. I just wanted my sword back, and I almost couldn't do even that.
I've never been beaten like that. Not by monsters, and certainly not by people.
There are typing dots for a bit. Though it might not be as long as implied, suggesting Vincent does backspace a few times. ]
I've known Cloud for three years. He puts everything into a fight and has a keen sense for it. I've never seen Zack fight, so I can't say. I've seen Sephiroth of our past clash with him on equal footing. So it's not surprising he defeated you that easily. Especially since you weren't trying to hurt him.
[ Sephiroth only wanted his sword back. But Vincent seems keenly aware that the teen definitely did not fight with the intention of hurting Cloud. At all. ]
I don't know if it's a thing for every First. Maybe that's a quality that makes the difference from them and a Second. Maybe it is just who Cloud is.
[Fight an adult him on equal footing, more than once even. And win. Zack hadn't been able to defeat his adult self. Cloud could. What was the difference? Strength? Determination?
It should be intimidating. It's meant to be intimidating, warn him off from troublesome behavior or at least put the fear of death into him.
It does the opposite. And what's one more jittery, nervously delighted teen in a school full of them? Maybe he got a date to prom or something. Normal things!]
I think I'll have to next time.
[--Next time??]
Otherwise I won't have any sense of where I really stand at all. I'm sure he'll win again for now, so it's fine, and then I can work on being that amazing [backspace backspace backspace] try to at least be some kind of a challenge.
That's the level needed to save everyone. I have to do it too.
[ Vincent had not been having this conversation only to help Sephiroth learn a little bit about what SOLDIER is capable of... what Cloud might be capable of. He'd been trying to better understand the drive behind the teen's interest. Next time. That... ]
Sephiroth. If you are trying to keep your distance from Cloud, there can't be a 'next time'.
And your description would be wrong. I think I know better than you do what I did, why and how, than you do. I was actually there.
[texting and walking aimlessly around the Quad is in fact easy to do, there are three others doing just that too, but he's the only one annoyed.]
Who does "deserve" me? A world ending disaster waiting to happen? We both know the answer to that.
He can stop me. He has before. He saved the planet twice over, and if he listened to me and went to the Institute the one advantage I have would be nullified.
[ Is he really wrong though? Vincent won't pursue that claim. ]
I know it wasn't on purpose.
[ Even if he does know what happened, that much is the truth. Even Cloud said he believed that. ]
This isn't about you. If someone else here managed to do the same thing, even if they didn't have a past with him, Cloud wouldn't deserve that either.
[ There's a bit of a pause before typing starts up again this time while Vincent mulls. And maybe watches the pacing figure he's been keeping an eye on from a distance. ]
I already know nobody deserves me and everyone would be better off with me gone, you don't need to keep repeating it. Yes, everyone else is more important. I know.
[Maybe if he makes it perfectly clear he already gets it, people will stop hinting about it! There are downsides to being branded a Legend, the heightened emotions on standard already unstable teenager baseline is wildly unhelpful.
The pacing comes to an immediate stop.]
Don't try to make it weird. I just respect his strength and ability to act without hesitation.
I didn't say that. You didn't deserve what happened to you either, Sephiroth.
[ One day, maybe Sephiroth will be able to realize Vincent was trying to say something different. It's... not as if he can't understand being lost in self-loathing. Until then, he can only keep repeating it. ]
That's admiring someone. It's not weird. I'm trying to understand why this is important to you.
This one is. You don't want Zack, there are plenty of people in Folkmore that could match a SOLDIER. But it has to be Cloud because you admire his strength and his ability to act. Is that right?
[ This gives Vincent some pause. Not because he's surprised at the response, but because he feels it deserves a bit of thought before he answers. ]
You're probably right. Even if there's someone out there who would, it wouldn't be the same as Cloud, would it?
[ In Folkmore there probably are people from other worlds that would fight back. And sure, Agrona exists and there's Thirteen's iteration who could help Sephiroth. But an overwhelming, unbeatable foe would still not be the same as Cloud. ]
Everyone here is just going to see some child and act accordingly. Little pointless spars are a waste of time. I need to be strong enough to face one of my mothers, and she's a world ending cataclysm.
[....... oh hey guess what he hasn't considered. How to actually approach Cloud.]
I wasn't planning to. I figured he'd probably go for the throat if I just happen to turn up somewhere again and he's in the area.
[ Here is Vincent, ladies and gentlemen, learning what it's like to try and parent a teenager. ]
If you happen to, Sephiroth? [ It's text. It really is. But how can the sheer doubt and suspicion come through so well? Maybe because Vincent's face can be imagined. ] Have you thought about trying to reach out to him first? Maybe send a letter?
[ Yes. A letter. Not an email or text. But this time it's not just Vincent's archaic world view that is behind the suggestion of an actual letter. ]
Yes, it's not like I know where he is, it'll be guesswork!
I'm not writing him a letter. He won't read it, and anyway what would I write in it?? Hello sir, please try to kill me again so I can get some practice in that isn't an utter waste of effort?
[ Except Sephiroth knows where Cloud generally lives and just going to hang out near enough to threaten security and friends by presence. A person on the street could do that level of 'guesswork', no Turk level of skill needed. ]
You could start with an apology for what you did. Something not given in the heat of the moment. Explain to him about what you would like.
If you write it, I'll make sure he reads it.
And stop talking about dying so lightly. Even if you come back here, it's not something you should get used to.
[ Didn't he just say something similar to Cloud? Yes. Yes he did. ]
I tried to explain myself already, it didn't work. I don't think it's suddenly going to help if I say it again. That's a terrible idea.
Didn't you say that I don't stay dead anyway? Getting used to it is a very good idea. Plus! I don't intend to just stand there and let him carve me up into lunch meat, that's try to kill me. Escape is sometimes just as important.
You won't know until you try. Also you won't be right there in front of him.
[ And a letter has another purpose besides being a small distraction. A text or an email is 'fast'. Closer to a real conversation where there is an expectation of a fast response. Well, in Vincent's mind anyway. Letters can be read and reread. And writing them physically does mean taking the time to consider what to put on the paper. No backspacing. ]
That isn't guaranteed if you're changing the future. You might not stay dead. Getting used to dying isn't going to do you good here. It's not going to make you strong like Cloud.
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2024-07-04 11:48 pm (UTC)But mention of Cloud gives Vincent an opening to pose a question of his own. One that's been a growing hunch. ]
Cloud told me what happened before you left. Are you asking because of the fight you had with him?
[ The fight that had Sephiroth arrive back to a surprised 'stray cat' all battered and a bit bloody. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-04 11:53 pm (UTC)Writing casual is in fact really hard when people hit the nail on the head way too fast. Cloud had summarily handed him his ass on a silver platter and barely seemed winded.
It was awesome. Not so much the being stabbed or sliced open or having his ribs broken, but that's the price of failure. He would do better next time!]
No.
Maybe a little.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 12:10 am (UTC)So mostly everything then.
[ Hard to tell if he's angry. It's text after all. But instead of starting in immediately on any chastising, he's going to instead encourage Sephiroth to talk a little more. ]
Tell me more about it. The fight. I imagine he overpowered you pretty badly.
[ Vincent knows what caused the fight. That might be talked about later. Not now. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 12:22 am (UTC)[...]
But he did, yes. I don't think he even broke a sweat, all my training was utterly pointless. I just wanted my sword back, and I almost couldn't do even that.
I've never been beaten like that. Not by monsters, and certainly not by people.
Is that an every First thing? Or is it just him?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 12:59 am (UTC)There are typing dots for a bit. Though it might not be as long as implied, suggesting Vincent does backspace a few times. ]
I've known Cloud for three years. He puts everything into a fight and has a keen sense for it. I've never seen Zack fight, so I can't say. I've seen Sephiroth of our past clash with him on equal footing. So it's not surprising he defeated you that easily. Especially since you weren't trying to hurt him.
[ Sephiroth only wanted his sword back. But Vincent seems keenly aware that the teen definitely did not fight with the intention of hurting Cloud. At all. ]
I don't know if it's a thing for every First. Maybe that's a quality that makes the difference from them and a Second. Maybe it is just who Cloud is.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 01:14 am (UTC)It should be intimidating. It's meant to be intimidating, warn him off from troublesome behavior or at least put the fear of death into him.
It does the opposite. And what's one more jittery, nervously delighted teen in a school full of them? Maybe he got a date to prom or something. Normal things!]
I think I'll have to next time.
[--Next time??]
Otherwise I won't have any sense of where I really stand at all. I'm sure he'll win again for now, so it's fine, and then I can
work on being that amazing[backspace backspace backspace] try to at least be some kind of a challenge.That's the level needed to save everyone. I have to do it too.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 01:52 am (UTC)Sephiroth. If you are trying to keep your distance from Cloud, there can't be a 'next time'.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 02:09 am (UTC)[he's probably going to instigate on purpose though in the future.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 09:21 am (UTC)'It just happened' is not how I'd describe why you fought, Sephiroth. Or how you managed to get your sword back.
[ Cloud told him a bit about that too. ]
Even if you don't plan on trying to use that against him again, Cloud will be reminded of it. Of the fact that you can do it too even at this age.
He doesn't deserve that.
[ But that's not the end. There's more typing dots. ]
Explain why it has to be Cloud.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 09:48 am (UTC)[texting and walking aimlessly around the Quad is in fact easy to do, there are three others doing just that too, but he's the only one annoyed.]
Who does "deserve" me? A world ending disaster waiting to happen? We both know the answer to that.
He can stop me. He has before. He saved the planet twice over, and if he listened to me and went to the Institute the one advantage I have would be nullified.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 09:59 am (UTC)I know it wasn't on purpose.
[ Even if he does know what happened, that much is the truth. Even Cloud said he believed that. ]
This isn't about you. If someone else here managed to do the same thing, even if they didn't have a past with him, Cloud wouldn't deserve that either.
[ There's a bit of a pause before typing starts up again this time while Vincent mulls. And maybe watches the pacing figure he's been keeping an eye on from a distance. ]
Are you saying you admire him?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 10:10 am (UTC)[Maybe if he makes it perfectly clear he already gets it, people will stop hinting about it! There are downsides to being branded a Legend, the heightened emotions on standard already unstable teenager baseline is wildly unhelpful.
The pacing comes to an immediate stop.]
Don't try to make it weird. I just respect his strength and ability to act without hesitation.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 10:24 am (UTC)[ One day, maybe Sephiroth will be able to realize Vincent was trying to say something different. It's... not as if he can't understand being lost in self-loathing. Until then, he can only keep repeating it. ]
That's admiring someone. It's not weird. I'm trying to understand why this is important to you.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 10:29 am (UTC)I already told you why, anyway.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 05:50 pm (UTC)This one is. You don't want Zack, there are plenty of people in Folkmore that could match a SOLDIER. But it has to be Cloud because you admire his strength and his ability to act. Is that right?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 07:28 pm (UTC)You're probably right. Even if there's someone out there who would, it wouldn't be the same as Cloud, would it?
[ In Folkmore there probably are people from other worlds that would fight back. And sure, Agrona exists and there's Thirteen's iteration who could help Sephiroth. But an overwhelming, unbeatable foe would still not be the same as Cloud. ]
How do you plan on approaching Cloud with this?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 07:39 pm (UTC)[....... oh hey guess what he hasn't considered. How to actually approach Cloud.]
I wasn't planning to. I figured he'd probably go for the throat if I just happen to turn up somewhere again and he's in the area.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 08:05 pm (UTC)If you happen to, Sephiroth? [ It's text. It really is. But how can the sheer doubt and suspicion come through so well? Maybe because Vincent's face can be imagined. ] Have you thought about trying to reach out to him first? Maybe send a letter?
[ Yes. A letter. Not an email or text. But this time it's not just Vincent's archaic world view that is behind the suggestion of an actual letter. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 08:07 pm (UTC)I'm not writing him a letter. He won't read it, and anyway what would I write in it?? Hello sir, please try to kill me again so I can get some practice in that isn't an utter waste of effort?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 08:24 pm (UTC)You could start with an apology for what you did. Something not given in the heat of the moment. Explain to him about what you would like.
If you write it, I'll make sure he reads it.
And stop talking about dying so lightly. Even if you come back here, it's not something you should get used to.
[ Didn't he just say something similar to Cloud? Yes. Yes he did. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 08:39 pm (UTC)Didn't you say that I don't stay dead anyway? Getting used to it is a very good idea. Plus! I don't intend to just stand there and let him carve me up into lunch meat, that's try to kill me. Escape is sometimes just as important.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 09:08 pm (UTC)[ And a letter has another purpose besides being a small distraction. A text or an email is 'fast'. Closer to a real conversation where there is an expectation of a fast response. Well, in Vincent's mind anyway. Letters can be read and reread. And writing them physically does mean taking the time to consider what to put on the paper. No backspacing. ]
That isn't guaranteed if you're changing the future. You might not stay dead. Getting used to dying isn't going to do you good here. It's not going to make you strong like Cloud.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 09:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 09:18 pm (UTC)[ That he wants to learn how to avoid dying? As a side effect of getting used to dying? ]
Or something else?
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