Summary: Vincent Valentine has enough problems to deal with, with the demonic voices in his head and the ghosts of his past. So he goes to see the well renowned Yuffie Kisaragi, ShinRa's Wutaian psychiatrist…the problem is, it seems she's just adding to the list of his troubles. AU, Yuffentine
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7. Is it that obvious?
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Chapter Two: Recommendation
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A week had already passed by, yet Zack, Cloud and Sephiroth still hadn't been able to convince Vincent to see a new shrink.
"I don't get it," Zack declared, frustrated, as he flopped down the couch, dejected from his latest attempt (which somehow involved chocobo feathers and Fire materia) in trying to get Vincent to agree to see a psychiatrist. "Why is he so adamantly against it?"
Sephiroth shrugged. "I suppose he was mentally scarred with Hojo's…rehabilitation methods."
Cloud shuddered. "Yeah, that's possible."
Zack grinned at the blonde. "Aww, you were just annoyed that he kept calling you Chocobo Head, weren't you?"
"Shut up, Zack." Cloud glared at him. "And for your information, it was because he made me a 'Puppet.' Though I do resent the stupid chocobo nickname."
Zack laughed. "Well, I suppose Hojo's therapy wasn't exactly the nicest thing you ever had to go through…"
"He told me to use you as shooting practice," Sephiroth told him bluntly. "I think I got you a couple of times, too."
The black-haired man winced. "Yeah, you did. And I have the scars to prove it, too." He looked up thoughtfully. "But hey, at least I stopped thinking I'm dead." He tapped a solid wall first, as if he wasn't sure if he was really alive.
"So…to make a person believe he's alive, you have to almost kill him first?" Cloud shook his head. "I'm happy Hojo cured me out of my amnesia and memory problems, but I wish he had used a less dangerous way of doing so. And no doubt Vincent went through the same painful things that we did—or worse, thanks to the Lucrecia factor."
The three of them went silent for a while.
Sephiroth sighed. "Well, whatever you guys say, we have to get Vincent to a psychiatrist. One less psycho than the patient, I believe."
Zack and Cloud nodded.
"So…" Zack mused after a few minutes of silence. "How do you guys plan on bringing him to this Wutaian psychiatrist?"
"Well…we can either fool him into going there, or force him," Cloud said. "Which one do you guys want?"
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Our favorite perky psychiatrist-psychologist Yuffie Kisaragi was quietly drinking her early morning cup of coffee as she steeled her nerves for her next patient, Tifa Lockhart. Also known as The Bane of Yuffie's Psychiatric Existence.
The Wutaian girl sighed as she went through the woman's files. She had been meeting Tifa often (Leviathan give her the strength she needed to go through that torture every day), because the black-haired woman was emotionally unstable, with her love for her childhood friend and all. Said childhood friend was in love with his best friend's dead girlfriend and refused to move on. What did they call that condition? Necrophilia? Whatever.
Anyway, Tifa was a major pain in her ass. The woman was always moaning and wailing about that stupid childhood friend. 'Cloud this' and 'Cloud that…' if she ever met that guy, she would have to murder him.
Yuffie glanced at her watch. Five more minutes before crazy woman enters her clinic and starts sobbing over the love of her life—
"Doctor!" The brown-eyed woman with well-endowed breasts nearly barreled into her office, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Yuffie blinked. Tifa was early. Maybe something happened.
"Oh doctor!" She cried dramatically, collapsing into a chair. Yuffie diplomatically fanned her as Tifa began talking. "Why can't he forget her? Why? I'm alive and kicking, and I'm always there for him! Why can't he love me instead? I've always loved him…" Yuffie politely tuned her out as Tifa's rant continued. She was used to it already. Instead, she began to wonder if this was considered overtime. Rufus had better pay her extra. She still had five more minutes before her session with Tifa began. Besides, time spent with Tifa was like time spent in hell.
Well, sometimes, when Tifa wasn't babbling about the love of her life, she was quite a nice person to talk to. She was pretty levelheaded and actually fun to be with most of the time, according to Marlene, the young girl Tifa lived with. But when she remembered Cloud, she got all manic-depressive. Yuffie couldn't help but wish that Tifa had never met the damn man.
"Why can't Cloud see that I've always secretly loved him? Does he know that I've always secretly loved him? I know that he knows that I've always secretly loved him!"
Yuffie wanted to bash Tifa's head against the wall and yell at her, "It's not even a secret anymore!" Instead she said, "And how do you feel about that?"
Tifa burst into tears. "Oh Yuffie!" and she started sobbing all over the poor Wutaian psychiatrist.
Yuffie sighed as she awkwardly patted Tifa. She was only twenty, and it was only her first month with this job, despite her quite rise to fame (attributed to working at ShinRa corporation, and also being Professor Hojo's replacement).
But if she had to spend one more day talking to crazy people, she herself would go crazy and join Hojo in the asylum. She didn't blame him; after all, spending time with people like Tifa would really drive you nuts.
She wanted another job.
Or maybe she needed to retire early.
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Vincent was casually making his way to his apartment when he heard someone calling him. He turned and saw Reno, one of the Turks, running up to him.
"Yo, Vincent!" Reno greeted his former colleague, slapping him on the back. "What's up, man? How you doin'?" He hardly waited for Vincent to answer. Reno gestured to the café behind them. "Want to join me and the Turks to get some coffee?"
Vincent nodded reluctantly at the enthusiastic red-haired man, and followed him to the café and to the table occupied by the Turks.
Tseng gave him a brisk nod, then gestured for him to sit down. "It's been long, Vincent."
"Indeed," he agreed softly, as he took his seat. He had quitted being a Turk a long time ago, even before he started writing his novels. He was still acquainted with the Turks, though. He just didn't feel like working as a ShinRa mercenary anymore—it hadn't been good for him or his health. Besides, he wanted to get rid of his past as quickly as possible. He surveyed the table. Tseng, Reno, Rude…and an unknown blonde woman.
"Oh yeah, she's Elena," Reno introduced, patting the blonde. "Your replacement, I guess. She's kinda new."
Elena smiled nervously at him. "Hello. Vincent Valentine, correct? It's nice to meet you."
Vincent nodded at her. "A pleasure."
"She's very responsible and organized," Rude commented.
"Unlike some people I know," Tseng added darkly, glancing at Reno meaningfully. Reno just rolled his eyes.
"It must be hard being the leader of the Turks," Vincent said, a mixture of sarcasm and sympathy in his voice. He remembered their leader, Veld, back then when he was still a Turk. He was a very stern and disciplined man, especially when it came to their success rate in missions. He wondered if Tseng was the same.
Reno laughed, oblivious to Vincent's mental reminiscing. "Don't worry, Tseng can handle it, yo."
Tseng glared at him, but other Turk merely ignored him.
Vincent fought the urge to smile. Same old crew, it seemed. It had already been a few years, yet Reno, Rude and Tseng hadn't even changed. Reno was still acting all cool (though he failed miserably), Reno was still quiet, and Tseng was still the straightforward and calm person Vincent knew him as.
So…you're telling me you chose those noisy SOLDIERS over the Turks?
It's not like I chose them…I wasn't exactly famous yet when I met Cloud and the others, Vincent reminded Chaos. And I needed a place to stay in for a while, and I've just quitted the Turks then. So I ended up in the apartment with them.
I say the Turks were better, responded Hellmasker. Vincent did not reply to this.
Rude raised his eyebrow. "…Vincent still talks to himself? I thought he was already sent to Professor Hojo. I mean, isn't that why they recommended him to quit the Turks, because they said it was too strenuous for his psyche?"
Tseng, who was also staring at Vincent, sighed. "Yes, that was partly the reason why Vincent quitted the Turks. Anyway, the psychiatric venture did him more harm than good." He mouthed 'Lucrecia' and Reno and Rude nodded in recognition. Elena, meanwhile, simply looked confused.
"How about we bring him to see Miss Kisaragi?" Elena suggested innocently. "She's very good. Vice-President Rufus talks to her for stress relief. And I've spoken to her several times, and she's really friendly."
"Isn't she the perky 'Oh my Gawd!' twenty-year-old?" Reno asked with distaste. "Nah. Too talkative and jumpy for me. Plus, she's too young—for me."
"Like that ever stopped you before," Tseng pointed out, rolling his eyes. "You'll hit on anything that even looks slightly female. C'mon, tell us. She already turned you down, didn't she?"
Reno scowled at him. "No, she didn't!"
Rude coughed slightly.
Reno huffed at them and folded his arms. "You guys are just jealous because you don't have my manly charm, yo."
To this, Tseng snorted. "Like I need your manly charm," Tseng said haughtily. "Besides, I'm not interested in a relationship right now." Rude merely adjusted his sunglasses. Elena looked crushed by Tseng's remark. Reno just glared at them.
After a few minutes of watching Tseng and Reno argue with each other, Elena turned to Vincent, who was not paying attention to their conversation. "Do you see a psychiatrist right now, Mr. Valentine?" she asked politely.
Vincent stiffened. "No."
"Vincent's a man of few words, yo," Reno commented, laughing. "Don't expect anything else."
Elena glared at him. "You should really see one," she said, trying to sound convincing. "It's really nice talking to them. And we've got a great psychiatrist in ShinRa. She—"
"I'd rather not," Vincent interrupted quietly. "Please excuse me." He stood up, bowed politely, and left the café.
Reno glared at Elena. "Now you've done it!"
"What! I was just giving him some advice!" Elena exclaimed, looking highly insulted. "Just a simple recommendation!"
"Vincent doesn't like being told what to do," Rude said softly, before Reno could reply. "He doesn't take it very well. You shouldn't have done that, Elena."
"Oh…" Elena looked a little ashamed.
"It's all right, Elena," Tseng reassured her. "I'm sure Vincent won't hold it against you, because you don't know him very well. Just don't do it again."
"I'm sorry, Sir…" the blonde Turk looked especially flustered at Tseng's admonition.
Reno folded his arms. "Let's just hope Vincent takes your little recommendation, Elena."
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I tried my darn hardest to get the characters in-character, as much as possible. Well, except for Tifa. I needed her crazy for this chapter, and she'll stay crazy for a few more. Don't worry, she's a manic-depressive (the bipolar disorder), and manic-depressive people suffer from intense mood swings.
Love the Turks. Could not resist NOT putting them in. I'm not really sure if Vincent was really close to the other Turks (haven't played Before Crisis yet) but I'm pretty sure they all knew each other or something like that.
No Yuffie-Vincent interaction yet…but it's coming, promise! It's just hard to write exactly what sort of relationship these two have…
Last note: Vincent is schizophrenic. He hears voices in his mind, to put it simply. He is not experiencing MPD (multiple personality disorder) or more known as split personality. In this case (and in my story), the 'demons' only exist in Vincent's mind, and therefore cannot possess his body. Did my research on this story before writing it…
Anyway, I hope you like the second chapter as much as you liked the first…R&R!