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?
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chapter Three: Decision
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Vincent was busily working on his next story. It was about a SeeD cadet named Squall Leonhart, a cold, withdrawn and socially inept man who was closed off to the world because of the hardships he had endured. He was afraid to depend on people, and only cared about himself. His heart was frozen like stone…until he would meet the beautiful Rinoa Heartilly, who would thaw his icy heart and show him a brighter life.
At that point, he was stuck. He was strangely suspicious that he was unconsciously basing Squall on his own self, and he was unsure on how to write Rinoa's character. How would she be? Similar to Lucrecia? A soft, gentle and refined lady with superior intellect?
So you're going to write a sad story.
Vincent frowned. What makes you say that?
Duh. It was Death Gigas who replied this time. If it's based on you and Lucy, it's bound to be tragic.
The pale man unconsciously clenched his fists. Shut. Up. And don't call her Lucy. Her name is Lucrecia.
Whatever you say, Vincent…whatever you say. Vincent could practically hear the spiteful laughing of the voices in his head. Sneering at him.
He gritted his teeth, and tried to block them out. He didn't want to be reminded.
No, he didn't want to be reminded at all of his past…especially Lucrecia.
Vincent rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Maybe I do need to see a psychiatrist.
Or we could just go to the shooting place thingy, Hellmasker suggested hopefully.
Vincent blinked. Why not? He hadn't gone to the shooting range in ages. He definitely didn't want his technique getting rusty.
"Yeah, I'll go to the shooting range," he decided out loud. He grabbed his beloved pistol, Death Penalty (a gift from Lucrecia; he painfully recalled), and went out of the apartment.
After all, who knew? It might even do him more good than seeing some shrink.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yuffie was sitting on her office chair, bored out of her mind. All her appointments had already been taken care of, she had already spoken to all her patients and had given prescriptions, she had read the Midgar Times (apparently Edge, the newly built city near Midgar, was becoming the hottest place to go bar-hopping), she had already phoned Cid and bothered him for her daily 'annoy Cid' time…there was nothing left for her to do for the remaining two hours of her office time.
Sure, Scarlet had said she would drop by sometime before five o'clock (the end of Yuffie's torture—also called her work), but somehow the Wutaian girl had a sinking feeling she would rather live the rest of her life without having to listen to Scarlet's stories about her latest male conquests again. Plus, hearing that she was hitting on Heidegger was really gross. Yuffie made a face. Eeewww…
After a few minutes of cleaning her desk (color-coding her pens, stacking her books in alphabetical order, dusting), Yuffie finally gave up. "There's nothing to DO!" She whined, thrashing around and throwing the papers on her desk in the air (who cared if she had just piled them!) "I am so bored already! Oh Leviathan, if you're listening out there (and I hope you are!) then give me something fun to do! Put excitement in my life! …Or at least liven it up a little," she added as an afterthought, wincing at the memory of her latest 'excitement in her life.' Which was getting one Tifa Lockhart as her patient. Fate was one cruel woman.
Anyway! She was bored and she had absolutely nothing to do.
Yuffie was just about to contemplate throwing staplers outside her window when her boss, Reeve Tuesti, poked in his head into her office. "Yuffie? I was just—what are you going to do with that stapler?" He asked cautiously, as if half-regretting his decision to check up on ShinRa's psychiatrist.
"Reeve!" Yuffie all but squealed, and she glomped the thirty-year-old man without further ado (she returned the stapler to her desk first, so she wouldn't harm anyone). "Forget the stapler, just help me! I'm bored!"
Reeve blinked. Uh huh… "Would you like to help me reorganize my Moogle collection?" he finally suggested. "I just got a new moogle watch and some moogle silverware."
Yuffie gave him a Look. Exactly why her boss was so hung up with those hybrid catlike-bears with red balls on top of their heads was beyond her. Moogles were cute and all…but a thirty-year-old ShinRa executive with an unhealthy obsession for moogles was not nice to look at. Not nice at all.
"Nah," she answered. "But if you could let me out early today…" she looked up to him hopefully.
Reeve shook his head. "No way, kiddo. Your office hours are from seven to five. It's only three. Stick to it."
Yuffie tried the puppy dog eyes.
Reeve glared at her. "That's not going to work, Yuffie…" and he left the room.
She folded her arms and pouted. Jerk!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Vincent came out of the shooting range, feeling much better than he had in days. He hadn't missed a single target. It was nice to know that his technique was as good as ever.
His good mood didn't last long, however, because his three roommates came up to meet him with matching big grins.
Vincent eyed them warily. Should he be afraid?
"Hey Vinnie!" Zack chirped.
VERY afraid.
He wondered if he should start running now.
But when both Cloud and Zack put their arms around his shoulders, Vincent knew that it was too late. Curses! He could no longer escape!
"Vincent, we were talking about you earlier," Cloud began.
"And we've decided that you need to see a psychiatrist," Sephiroth finished bluntly. "Even if we have to force you."
"…You're just going to tell me that?" Vincent asked after a long pause. "I don't even have a choice?"
"No," Zack replied, grinning cheekily.
"…and if I…refuse?"
"It's me, Cloud and Zack you're up against," Sephiroth said. "The three best SOLDIERS around. Do you honestly think that you stand a chance against us?"
Vincent thought it over.
…
No, he didn't have a chance.
Sure, he had the Death Penalty right now, but he couldn't exactly shoot them in broad daylight now, couldn't he? Then he'd really end up in an asylum with a psychiatrist—or worse, jail. Fighting them back was not an option. Plus, even if he did escape from them now, they would just try again. He could run, but he couldn't hide. It would just make the torture longer and more painful.
He sighed. He could just give up, after all… "Fine," he finally answered. "I'll go see a psychiatrist." Just to get you people off my back…
"Yeah!" Zack exchanged high-fives with Cloud. "Mission complete!"
"Now that that's over, let's go home!" Cloud suggested, and they all linked arms (Vincent unwillingly) and walked home together.
Vincent was unhappy.
Very unhappy.
He wasn't going to like this…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yes, it's short. But these chapters are just building it up for the momentum. The real story begins in the next one...which is definitely longer than this one.
R&R!