Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all of the characters here belong to
Squaresoft. Just so you know.
Author's Note: Well, this is another chapter without either of my main characters in it! Don't worry, though, the next chapter will be Sephiroth, and after that will be Aeris. Oh, the anticipatory fun!! See you on the flip side. 0_o;;;
Chapter 9:
Different
"Vincent?"
…
"Vincent, are you there?"
Lucrecia stared at the phone and sighed. She should have known how he'd react to her request. Then again, she had hoped that he might still feel something for her, even if she was still torn between him and Hojo.
But why would he? Vincent had always acted like a true gentleman to her, even after he knew that she loved another. And it wasn't that she didn't love him at all, it was just… well, this was just how things worked out. Looking back, she wondered how she could have chosen Hojo over Vincent.
At that time, though, there really was no choice for her. Closing her eyes, Lucrecia thought back to the first time she had met Vincent. She had been walking through ShinRa's headquarters on a routine errand for Hojo when he came around the corner. He was different then. A black button-down dress shirt with black slacks complimented his pale complexion and dark features nicely. He seemed foreboding, and slightly mysterious. His eyes were a rich chocolate brown. Light seemed to reflect in them, thus giving his entire countenance an ethereal look. He had seemed untouchable, and filled with malice.
Although that was only an instant in time, that image stayed with her. When she next saw him, he was speaking with Hojo. He was wearing a black suit, which was the 'official' Turk uniform. She should have guessed his profession at that, but it still took her a few months to learn anything about him at all.
She sighed. It had taken a long time for her to get used to his calloused demeanor. Slowly she learned more about him through both her own observations and others' input. His cold exterior hid a warm heart, and those who worked with him often said he was one of the most dedicated in the profession.
His profession was, of course, being a Turk. Was being a dedicated cold-hearted killer better than being an undedicated one? It seemed to be a negative trait either way, but for some reason she didn't peg Vincent as the 'ruthless murderer' that all Turks were supposed to be. In fact, she found herself becoming more and more attached to him.
That was why, when he told her he had feelings for her, she was shocked, but not unpleasantly. However, at that point Hojo had already expressed his own feelings for her. Everyone knew to stay away from her romantically, yet Vincent didn't care what others thought or what Hojo might do. It was something she had admired about him.
Had she loved him? She didn't know. She certainly had strong feelings for him, but love… ? It was a possibility, but she could never know for certain. If she had fallen in love with him somewhere along the line, she had failed to notice it, or perhaps chosen to ignore it. Either way, there was nothing that could be done about it now.
At any rate, once Hojo learned of Vincent's actions, he had become enraged to an unreasonable point. She had tried to explain to him that while Vincent's advances were flattering, she was unable to return his affection since she already loved Hojo. But Hojo's jealously had grown into rage, and despite numerous protests from everyone involved, Hojo had Vincent drugged and brought in for experimentation.
Lucrecia realized that there was nothing the team could have done. They all had families to provide for and needed the job. Work was scarce in Midgar, and a prestigious job at ShinRa Inc. was basically unheard of. So they would have done anything to keep their jobs, and many times they were forced into situations they didn't want to be in. So, she knew they couldn't be blamed. And when Hojo had told everyone to keep this tidbit of information away from Lucrecia, well, they couldn't be blamed for keeping it quiet.
Thus, the news of Vincent's capture was withheld from her. By the time she overheard it in a corridor, it was much too late. She confronted Hojo, but no matter what she told him or how she tried, Vincent was not to be set free.
And yet she still loved this man. This cruel scientist who played games with other people's lives. She still loved him. It made things difficult.
When Vincent was finally released, he stayed away from the ShinRa building for weeks. When he finally returned to work for one day only- to tie up loose ends- he hid underneath a long blood red coat. The material was thick and covered him completely, from just under his nose down to the bottom of his feet. His raven hair was no longer free flowing. He had restricted it behind a red headband. His new color scheme would have surprised her, had it not been for his eyes.
Two garnet stones greeted anyone who looked at him. They glowed a red that reminded her of hellfire. It was horrible of her to think it, yet true all the same. His lovely, human, chocolate eyes were replaced with those of a demon. It was cruel beyond measure.
Employees were silent as he passed, and averted their eyes when he gazed at them. She would always feel guilt and regret at the way she reacted to his appearance. She hadn't even recognized him at first, and had drawn back from him in fear. He had stopped in front of her and looked at her long and hard enough to make her nervous.
Suddenly she had recognized him. It must have shown in her face, because he had averted his eyes to whatever he saw in her own. She knew he saw pity there, and it was the one thing he had never wanted to see on her face.
He had begun to walk away, but she had moved forward and took his hands in her own. A sharp pain made her pull away from him, and she had looked down at her hand to find five small bloody pinpricks imprinted there. She had stepped back from him, then, and he had looked at her with infinite sadness and tenderness.
She clearly remembered what had happened next. He had lifted his arm up, so that she could see both of his arms. One was perfectly fine, exactly as she had seen it a hundred times before. But the other was… not an arm. It was more like a claw, although that was an awful word to use for someone's limb. It was golden and tarnished, and seemed very mechanical. Sharp edges moved along down as far as she could see, and his hand was composed of five sharp fingers, all of which had razor-edged sides to them. The tips seemed lethal, and, looking down at her own arm, she realized that those tips had dug into her skin.
The realization made her stop. He had done a similar move to her almost every time he had seen her. It was his way of greeting a friend, gripping their arm slightly. Now, he would never be able to do it again.
She remembered thinking what the rest of him looked like, underneath all that cloth. Was he still recognizable? Or was he just a shell of who he once was? She never found out, and he never told her. The only thing he did say was short, and to the point.
"I love you. I'll wait for you."
With that, he had left. And she hadn't seen him since then, until the alley a short time ago. He did spring up in surprising places.
Lucrecia shook her head. What was she doing, sitting here thinking? Sephiroth was still stuck in Hojo's lab, and she was here daydreaming.
She looked at the phone a moment more before turning away from it. This was, after all, her child, and she would do what needed to be done in order to save him.
Author's Note: Well, this is another chapter without either of my main characters in it! Don't worry, though, the next chapter will be Sephiroth, and after that will be Aeris. Oh, the anticipatory fun!! See you on the flip side. 0_o;;;
Chapter 9:
Different
"Vincent?"
…
"Vincent, are you there?"
Lucrecia stared at the phone and sighed. She should have known how he'd react to her request. Then again, she had hoped that he might still feel something for her, even if she was still torn between him and Hojo.
But why would he? Vincent had always acted like a true gentleman to her, even after he knew that she loved another. And it wasn't that she didn't love him at all, it was just… well, this was just how things worked out. Looking back, she wondered how she could have chosen Hojo over Vincent.
At that time, though, there really was no choice for her. Closing her eyes, Lucrecia thought back to the first time she had met Vincent. She had been walking through ShinRa's headquarters on a routine errand for Hojo when he came around the corner. He was different then. A black button-down dress shirt with black slacks complimented his pale complexion and dark features nicely. He seemed foreboding, and slightly mysterious. His eyes were a rich chocolate brown. Light seemed to reflect in them, thus giving his entire countenance an ethereal look. He had seemed untouchable, and filled with malice.
Although that was only an instant in time, that image stayed with her. When she next saw him, he was speaking with Hojo. He was wearing a black suit, which was the 'official' Turk uniform. She should have guessed his profession at that, but it still took her a few months to learn anything about him at all.
She sighed. It had taken a long time for her to get used to his calloused demeanor. Slowly she learned more about him through both her own observations and others' input. His cold exterior hid a warm heart, and those who worked with him often said he was one of the most dedicated in the profession.
His profession was, of course, being a Turk. Was being a dedicated cold-hearted killer better than being an undedicated one? It seemed to be a negative trait either way, but for some reason she didn't peg Vincent as the 'ruthless murderer' that all Turks were supposed to be. In fact, she found herself becoming more and more attached to him.
That was why, when he told her he had feelings for her, she was shocked, but not unpleasantly. However, at that point Hojo had already expressed his own feelings for her. Everyone knew to stay away from her romantically, yet Vincent didn't care what others thought or what Hojo might do. It was something she had admired about him.
Had she loved him? She didn't know. She certainly had strong feelings for him, but love… ? It was a possibility, but she could never know for certain. If she had fallen in love with him somewhere along the line, she had failed to notice it, or perhaps chosen to ignore it. Either way, there was nothing that could be done about it now.
At any rate, once Hojo learned of Vincent's actions, he had become enraged to an unreasonable point. She had tried to explain to him that while Vincent's advances were flattering, she was unable to return his affection since she already loved Hojo. But Hojo's jealously had grown into rage, and despite numerous protests from everyone involved, Hojo had Vincent drugged and brought in for experimentation.
Lucrecia realized that there was nothing the team could have done. They all had families to provide for and needed the job. Work was scarce in Midgar, and a prestigious job at ShinRa Inc. was basically unheard of. So they would have done anything to keep their jobs, and many times they were forced into situations they didn't want to be in. So, she knew they couldn't be blamed. And when Hojo had told everyone to keep this tidbit of information away from Lucrecia, well, they couldn't be blamed for keeping it quiet.
Thus, the news of Vincent's capture was withheld from her. By the time she overheard it in a corridor, it was much too late. She confronted Hojo, but no matter what she told him or how she tried, Vincent was not to be set free.
And yet she still loved this man. This cruel scientist who played games with other people's lives. She still loved him. It made things difficult.
When Vincent was finally released, he stayed away from the ShinRa building for weeks. When he finally returned to work for one day only- to tie up loose ends- he hid underneath a long blood red coat. The material was thick and covered him completely, from just under his nose down to the bottom of his feet. His raven hair was no longer free flowing. He had restricted it behind a red headband. His new color scheme would have surprised her, had it not been for his eyes.
Two garnet stones greeted anyone who looked at him. They glowed a red that reminded her of hellfire. It was horrible of her to think it, yet true all the same. His lovely, human, chocolate eyes were replaced with those of a demon. It was cruel beyond measure.
Employees were silent as he passed, and averted their eyes when he gazed at them. She would always feel guilt and regret at the way she reacted to his appearance. She hadn't even recognized him at first, and had drawn back from him in fear. He had stopped in front of her and looked at her long and hard enough to make her nervous.
Suddenly she had recognized him. It must have shown in her face, because he had averted his eyes to whatever he saw in her own. She knew he saw pity there, and it was the one thing he had never wanted to see on her face.
He had begun to walk away, but she had moved forward and took his hands in her own. A sharp pain made her pull away from him, and she had looked down at her hand to find five small bloody pinpricks imprinted there. She had stepped back from him, then, and he had looked at her with infinite sadness and tenderness.
She clearly remembered what had happened next. He had lifted his arm up, so that she could see both of his arms. One was perfectly fine, exactly as she had seen it a hundred times before. But the other was… not an arm. It was more like a claw, although that was an awful word to use for someone's limb. It was golden and tarnished, and seemed very mechanical. Sharp edges moved along down as far as she could see, and his hand was composed of five sharp fingers, all of which had razor-edged sides to them. The tips seemed lethal, and, looking down at her own arm, she realized that those tips had dug into her skin.
The realization made her stop. He had done a similar move to her almost every time he had seen her. It was his way of greeting a friend, gripping their arm slightly. Now, he would never be able to do it again.
She remembered thinking what the rest of him looked like, underneath all that cloth. Was he still recognizable? Or was he just a shell of who he once was? She never found out, and he never told her. The only thing he did say was short, and to the point.
"I love you. I'll wait for you."
With that, he had left. And she hadn't seen him since then, until the alley a short time ago. He did spring up in surprising places.
Lucrecia shook her head. What was she doing, sitting here thinking? Sephiroth was still stuck in Hojo's lab, and she was here daydreaming.
She looked at the phone a moment more before turning away from it. This was, after all, her child, and she would do what needed to be done in order to save him.