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year 5, quarter 3
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Well, Vincent couldn’t go back to Sonora anytime soon. He was probably on all their wanted lists, he and Cecil. He didn’t regret helping the knight, but he wished he’d been able to grab his things and leave properly. Now he only had the clothes on his back and a small amount of gil. The majority of his money had been stashed in his room at the inn. Oh well. If he could find this Dragonblades mercenary group surely he’d make more gil with them.
After leaving the northern city, Vincent had made his way south in search of Torensten. The journey had been long, with few places to stop along the way. But he hadn’t encountered much trouble past a roving monster or two. What he hadn’t accounted for was how hot Torensten and the surrounding area was. He’d taken off his cloak long ago but he was still sweltering in his long black shirt and pants. He wished, not for the first time, that he’d been able to take a change of clothes with him.
As it was, he was now walking through Torensten in the same clothes he’d worn on his entire journey. The people he met were friendly in spite of how he must look and smell. In fact, he’d been quite taken aback by the friendliness of everyone he encountered. A couple guards eagerly pointed him towards the Dragon’s Hovel, where they said the Dragonblades lived and worked. It was quite a stark difference from Sonora, where everything was regimented and orderly and no one stopped to help anyone. Helping, it seemed, got you targeted by the guard and removed from the city.
Torensten was obviously different from Sonora in many other ways. There was no electricity that he could see, no technology to speak of. It was an old city, with old traditions and customs. It would certainly take some getting used to, but Vincent thought he might enjoy the more simple way of life here in Torensten. But first, he had to find the Dragonblades. One of them, Caius, had been the very first person in Zephon Vincent had met. After that meeting, he’d always been somewhat curious about learning more and perhaps joining their ranks. He’d done plenty of solo mercenary work both in Sonora and Gaia. Years of his life were spent roaming the countryside, responding to pleas for help and requests for work. He’d enjoyed it, the nomadic, traveling lifestyle. But in a place he was still less than familiar with, he decided that an organization would be helpful in finding jobs.
Vincent approached the small building known as Dragon’s Hovel where the guards had helpfully sent him. It was rather unassuming, only slightly larger than the narrow houses squished in on either side of it. The sounds of weapons clashing against each other rang through the air, audible even above the bustling sounds of the city. That must be the training courtyard that had been mentioned to him. There were no sounds of distress, so Vincent didn’t think it was a real fight. And none of the people walking past seemed at all bothered by the noise.
He slipped through the small grassy opening between the Hovel and the house next to it, hoping to find one of the Dragonblade mercenaries in the back. Vincent took in the large courtyard strewn with training dummies, obstacles, and all manner of training equipment. It was mostly geared towards melee weapons and he wondered vaguely if he'd have to learn to use a sword to be a proper mercenary in Zephon. Cloud had tried once or twice to teach him, but he'd never truly cared to learn.
A woman caught his eye. She looked strong and hard, no-nonsense as she led a couple of recruits through complicated sword movements. There was an obvious air of authority to her and Vincent was certain she was the one he needed to talk to. There'd been mention of a female Dragonblade leader, the counterpart of Caius. He wondered if this was she. He didn't want to interrupt her training session, so he stood and watched silently for a moment, following every movement of the training with his eyes. No, he did not really want to learn swordplay.
Post by Celes Chere on Jul 26, 2020 10:17:02 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@vincent
Do not mess with Celes when she's in general mode
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
”Again. And keep your stance wide.”
There was muttering around her. A deep ground. Celes’ eyes sharpened as she put her hands on her hips. ”Do you have something to say about it?”
Nothing but a few unpleasant grumblings. Not even the courage to say it to her face. ”Then I want another round. Make that two. For your attitude.”
The complaints doubled in magnitude, but she was already too stern to care. If they wanted to question her then it only meant that they weren’t ready for combat. She’d been a general too long to much care what they thought about it.
The training yard was hot that day. Even at mid-morning, she could feel the rivulets of sweat running unpleasantly down her neck. She’d worn her civilian’s clothes today -- yellow jacket, matching pants, violet undershirt. Her hair was half pulled back with a plate of ornamental beads, and her hair framed her cheeks, lank and frizzy from the humidity. She found that the men always grumbled more when she was out of her armor. It was her hair, she thought, or her jewelry or her scarves. Men like these didn’t care much to listen to a woman in charge. What was true in Vector wasn’t likely to change here.
”Think.” Celes strode behind a new recruit. Damon. He was a large man, more brawn than brains with thick shoulders and a chiseled chest that he liked to show off when he could get away with it. ”Any idiot can swing a sword. Remember your technique.”
Damon was only on a training dummy, and he’d shown no end of displeasure about it. He scowled at her criticism, and she knew what he was about to say before the first word had left his mouth.
”It’s different when it’s a man,” he said. ”Let me at a real monster, and you’ll see what I’m made of.”
He squared off, head high, eyes hard with a challenge. Typical posturing. Celes stood just as tall, not caring that she had to angle her head to meet his eye. Her own were cold.
”Why don’t you prove it on me?” she said. ”Unless you’re all talk.”
Uncertainty pricked his brow. She’d made no end of examples of hot-headed men like him. They struck down a few wolves from their nowhere towns and suddenly they thought they were invincible. It was her job to keep them in line -- whether they cared for it or not. It was the difference between life and death, and if she released them before they were ready then the blood was on her hands.
After a long, tense moment, Damon stood down. He looked tired, not meeting his eye. ”No,” he said.
”No?”
”No…” He scowled. ”Ma’am.”
”Remember your technique,” she said. ”If you don’t get it right, we’ll go over it again.”
She left him to his grumbling and turned to scan the others. They quickly returned to their dummies as though they hadn’t been watching. They always watched. There was a kind of excitement in seeing another man put in his place.
But there was a new man standing among them now. A distinctive one that she wondered how she hadn’t noticed before. He wore mostly black. Black and red, and the combination made her eyebrow raise. He had a kind of quiet brooding about him. He was clearly waiting for her.
”Do you need something?” She walked towards him and crossed her arms. This close, she saw how his hair brushed into his eyes. Dark hair, dark clothes, dark expression. He was imposing. He was try hard. He was…
Entirely innocent. Celes stopped herself and then sighed.
”Sorry. Still in general mode.” She laughed weakly and shook her head. ”What can I do for you?” she asked again. ”Are you looking for someone?”
He really wanted to watch her beat up that recruit.
Too much hope is the opposite of despair
Vincent watched the woman lead the few trainees through their regimented movements. She was dressed like a civilian in an outfit of yellow with her blonde hair partially pulled back. She looked physically unassuming. Not weak, but not exactly like a warrior. But her appearance didn’t deceive Vincent, he heard the power in her voice as she commanded the grumbling recruits. And he could tell by the way she moved that there was far more strength in her slender frame than seemed immediately obvious.
He was intrigued as he watched her interaction with the ornery recruit. He was being petulant and arrogant, claiming that a real monster would be a better test of his skills. He seemed to challenge the yellow-clad woman, looking down at her as if he were in the position of power here. Vincent wanted the recruit to accept her challenge, he was eager to watch him get put in his place. But he finally backed down, returning to the training dummy, thoroughly cowed.
After the recruits returned to their training exercises, she finally noticed Vincent watching from the edge of the courtyard. She seemed almost to stalk towards him. He nearly took a step back before she stopped before him and crossed her arms. Her voice was still harsh and commanding when she asked if he needed anything. He was about to respond but then she continued.
She seemed to deflate a little as she laughed and apologized. The general mode as she called it slipped away, just a little and she was a bit less imposing. She asked again, this time a little softer and a little kinder. “My name is Vincent,” he offered and gave her a quick nod. “When I first arrived in Zephon I met a man named Caius who spoke of the Dragonblades mercenary group. I came here to seek you out in hopes of joining the ranks.” He was no-nonsense and straight to the point. She would either accept his offer or not. But, as an afterthought, he added, “In my homeworld, I spent years traveling and doing mercenary work.” Something about her made him feel like he had to explain his intentions and qualifications a bit more thoroughly.
Post by Celes Chere on Jul 30, 2020 8:54:26 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@vincent
It is too hot for Celes to be nice lol
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
If he noticed her sharp tone, he didn’t show it. Instead, he was almost entirely unfazed -- more interesting than anything. Celes couldn’t decide if that annoyed her or not. She didn’t want to intimidate the poor man, and yet…
”My name is Vincent,” he said, nodding at her. ”When I first arrived in Zephon, I met a man named Caius who spoke of the Dragonblades mercenary group. I came here to seek you out in hopes of joining the ranks.”
”Oh. Caius sent you.” Celes sighed. Well that answered her question. She couldn’t be annoyed at him then. He was only here to help. And only because Caius had recommended it to him.
”Then I won’t ask for an audition. I’d have to clear the training yard anyway.” She looked at him closer. Behind that sweeping black hair was a red eye. Bright red like the accents of his cape. It unnerved her, but she tried not to show it.
”I’m Celes.” She put a hand on her hip, glancing back at the recruits before fully turning to him. They were still working. Vaguely. Every single one of them was distracted by the new arrival, and really, she couldn’t blame them. He had a way of making an entrance.
”Why don’t we talk inside? They’ll start whispering if we stay too long.” She started past him and waved for him to follow. It was a dreadfully hot morning -- the kind that seeped into her lungs and settled there. Even inside, there was only relief from the sun. By the time she’d reached her desk and found her quill pen, she was tempted to cast a blizzard spell just to brighten her mood.
’Don’t mind the glacier behind you. Doesn’t it bring the room together?’
”Vincent.” She wrote his name in a looping cursive at the top of a form she’d already prepared by hand. Caius had never really seen the point in keeping everything on file, but she’d forgotten too many names and faces to take any chances. With the rate that he kept sending men her way, she didn’t have much of a choice.
”Why don’t you tell me about yourself? I’m guessing you can fight.”Obviously. Otherwise, what would he be doing here? ”How did you meet Caius?”
[attr="class","vvoverlap"]Too much hope is the opposite of despair.
[attr="class","vvbody"]Vincent was relieved when the woman said an audition wouldn’t be necessary. He hadn’t relished the thought of performing like a child in training before her. She introduced herself as Celes and invited him inside the building. He followed silently, glad to be out of the blazing sunlight. He vaguely thought that he’d need a wardrobe change if he wanted to actually work here in this sweltering city. The thick cloak was quite unnecessary and only added to the misery of the hot day. He tried not to let that misery show and stood as if unbothered, watching Celes rummage around the desk. [break][break]
She had produced a form and began to write his name on it. He had sudden flashbacks of being a Turk and filling out reams of paperwork. Ah, that was a long time ago. And this appeared to be only a single form. He could handle it. Though he felt distinctly less capable of handling it when she asked him to talk about himself. Vincent hoped only the relevant details were necessary, he really didn’t want to get into a real discussion about himself. Surely Celes was only interested in his fighting expertise and how much use he’d be to her. [break][break]
“I can fight.” He gestured to the gun strapped to his waist. “Assuming firearms are acceptable weapons for Dragonblades. I have to admit I’ve never truly grasped the art of swordplay. I have some skill with magic as well, but nothing too impressive.” He really wasn’t selling himself too well, was he? Oh well, Celes seemed like someone who would value direct honesty over boasting or fabrication. [break][break]
“I met Caius the first day I arrived in Sonora.” He still stood stoically before her, relating the story in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. “He was on a job that turned out to be a trick. Some local kids tried to get him to harm the homeless population of a park. I assisted him in protecting the innocent people against the kids. He told me a bit about the world, and about the Dragonblades but I needed time to acclimate to Zephon first before pursuing the organization.”
[break]
[attr="class","vvinfo"]Two very business-like characters. Such excite. / Celes Chere
Post by Celes Chere on Aug 16, 2020 8:52:12 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@vincent
Awkward meets awkward
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Vincent was quiet. He seemed like a quiet man in general -- the kind to lurk in the shadows and listen rather than take part in something himself. In fact, shadow really was the right word for him. Or rather, Shadow with a capital ‘S.’ He reminded her of that cold-hearted mercenary who’d dressed in black and never bothered to offer them so much as a hello. She didn’t like the comparison.
”I can fight,” he assured her, gesturing vaguely at what she now recognized as a gun. ”I have some skill with magic as well, but nothing too impressive.”
”Well, that puts you ahead of Caius.” That wasn’t exactly true. Caius had learned far more magic than when they’d met. She put the blame on his constant stream of missions. It was almost enough to make her jealous. She wasn’t, but it was almost enough. ”He uses guns too. And swords. And magic. If you can fight, we don’t mind how you do it.”
She wrote that down. ’Guns. Magic - minor.’ It was good to keep track of even if she doubted she’d need to doubt him if he already had Caius’ approval. He was a good judge of character. There’s hardly been a time when she’d disagreed with his choices.
When it came to Dragonblade business that was.
”Sonora?” Celes looked up in mild surprise. People like them were hardly ever welcome in Sonora. She wondered what business Caius had taken there. She thought it must have been important. ”I wouldn’t recommend going back there anytime soon. It’s not safe.”
Celes had hardly set foot in that place, and she had no desire to ever do so again. They were as hostile as they were gloomy. And imperial. Really, it had brought up too many memories that she hoped to never think of again.
”I’d recommend finding somewhere to stay here in Torensten. It’s the most welcoming by far. Provo isn’t bad either if you’re not interested in a big city. We’re working on a new base there. Have you met Yuna?”
Celes tried to imagine this dark-clothed man holding a conversation with Yuna and couldn’t. Yuna was a ray of sunshine to everyone around her. She was a healer who couldn’t imagine a single wrongful thought. Then again, maybe she was judging Vincent a little too harshly when they’d hardly spoken a word to each other.
”Sorry,” she said again, sighing. She set her quill back in its ink pot. ”It really is hot today. And I’ve dealt with them all morning.” She gestured back towards the training yard. The clink of swords had slowed considerably. They all wanted the destination without putting in the work to get there.
”Do you want some water? I don’t have to be all business.” She felt suddenly awkward. What was she supposed to talk about if it wasn’t business? There was her homeworld but that wasn’t exactly something she liked to think about. Then there was Caius. She did not want to talk about Caius.
[attr="class","vvoverlap"]Too much hope is the opposite of despair.
[attr="class","vvbody"]Vincent stood rather stiffly before Celes as she wrote neat notes on the paper with his name on it. Something about the woman made him stand attention, as if awaiting orders. He was confident he was much older than she was, even physically, but she had such a commanding presence that it didn’t matter. She seemed surprised when Vincent mentioned Sonora. Was that not a common locale for the Dragonblades? Had it been a tiny chance that he’d met Caius at all when he first arrived in Zephon? Vincent was even more thankful for the meeting. [break][break] He chuckled softly and ran a hand through his long hair when she mentioned the city in the north was unsafe. He wasn’t prone to awkward, nervous tics, but the memory of fighting his way out of Sonora with Cecil was still fresh in his mind. “I have no intention of returning to Sonora.” He paused and considered. If he was to work with them, this was probably a detail Celes should be aware of. “I believe I’m a wanted criminal in Sonora,” Vincent said, opting again for brutal honesty. “I helped a man escape what I believed to be an illegal arrest.” Vincent assumed he’d be unlikely to ever return to Sonora without a strong disguise. Not after killing the guards on the gate. Regardless, Sonora might feel more like Midgar, but it wasn’t the type of place Vincent felt at ease. Midgar hadn’t been home, not truly. Sonora wouldn’t be either. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d truly called somewhere home.[break][break] The blonde woman continued, telling him to find somewhere to stay in either Torensten or Provo. Vincent figured Torensten seemed as good a place as any. To be perfectly honest, he preferred the simpler life in a city like this as opposed to the technological wasteland of Sonora. “I have not met Yuna,” he answered when she inquired. The name was quite unfamiliar to him. When she apologized, citing the heat and her recruits for her mood, he offered her just the tiniest upward quirk of his mouth. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it was about as close as Vincent tended to get. She really needn’t apologize to him. Vincent didn’t think there was anything amiss with her words and reactions towards him. “No need for apologies,” he said. “The recruits seem to be quite a handful.” [break][break] As Celes went on to ask if he wanted water, she seemed to get noticeably more awkward. There were obvious chinks in her commanding, businesslike mask now. But while Celes felt awkward, Vincent tended not to notice these things as much. He didn’t realize how looming in front of the desk imposingly in his far-too-hot for the climate clothing probably seemed. Or how his no-nonsense attitude tended to keep everyone at arm’s reach. [break][break] “Tea, thank you.” And he forced himself to relax, just a little. He didn’t sit, but he unfastened his red cloak and rested it on the back of an open chair. He realized with a sense of mounting horror that he’d have to find some new attire if he planned on staying in this tropical city long term.
[break]
[attr="class","vvinfo"]Literally the most awkward pair. / Celes Chere
Post by Celes Chere on Aug 19, 2020 7:52:49 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@vincent
SOMEONE SAVE THEM FROM THE AWKWARD
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
To say that Vincent was a man of few words would be an understatement. He was a quiet one, that was for sure, and that meant that she’d have to carry the conversation.
This would be a disaster.
”You’re wanted in Sonora?” she asked. It wasn’t exactly a new story. In fact, the more she thought about it the harder time she had thinking of someone who wasn’t wanted in Sonora. It was just that kind of place. ”Well as long as you’re not wanted here, I think it’ll be fine. We don’t really do work in Sonora. Or I don’t anyway. Caius is a different story.”
Apparently. He took on so many jobs that she could barely keep up, and she was the one handing them out.
”They really are the worst,” she said. She stood up, stretching. The paper she’d pulled out had hardly anything written on it, but she thought that was enough. ’Vincent Valentine. Guns. Magic -- minor.’ It wasn’t like she needed to gauge his skills or jot down her first impressions. He had an official recommendation after all.
”Are there any jobs you’re looking for in particular?” That was important. She grabbed her quill again, ready to scribble that down as she was standing. ”Or are there any you don’t want? I’m the one to file those around here. I’m guessing you’re okay with doing the more dangerous ones? Caius doesn’t recommend just anyone, you know.”
She waited for his answer, wrote it down, and then shoved the still drying form onto the top of her stack. Good enough. She’d file it later.
”Tea.” She’d been the one to offer it, and even she was in a slight disbelief. Tea? In this weather? Well, maybe she’d ice it for him. She had more than enough blizzard spells to spare. ”We have a coat rack over there,” she said, gesturing towards the corner. ”You don’t have to use it, but it might keep your cloak from wrinkling.”
She waited a moment.
”I’ll go make that.”
Then she scurried away. What was she doing?
Their little kitchen wasn’t much. It had an ice box kept cool by specialized crystals they’d bought at a magic shop. There was an untrustworthy sink, some jugs of water they kept on standby, a cupboard for dishes and dried food. She opened it, fumbling for a kettle as she grabbed two mugs and a box of loose tea. It took three tries and a rattling groan to get the water running. After she’d filled the pot, she put it on the stove and lit the underside with a spark of magic. Then she waited in that tiny box that was slowly heating itself from the inside.
Really, she’d brought this on herself.
Once it had finished, she poured the water, placed the bags, waited a few minutes, and cast her spell. Not too much. Don’t crack the mugs. She couldn’t that she could tell, and she brought them out together. They were blissfully cold in her hands. Maybe she’d have to cast blizzard on the whole base.
”Here you go.” She handed him one then sipped it. She hadn’t waited quite long enough for the tea to infuse, but she found she couldn’t care. As long as it was cold, tea-flavored water was good enough for her.
”So.” She waited too long after that ’so.’”Where did you come from? Or, well, what did you do before this?”
[attr="class","vvoverlap"]Too much hope is the opposite of despair.
[attr="class","vvbody"]Celes didn’t seem surprised or concerned that he was wanted in Sonora. Vincent supposed it wasn’t entirely unheard of, given the proclivity of the Sonoran Guard to arrest anyone and everyone that didn’t quite fit in with their paradigm. He was relieved to hear that the Dragonblades generally didn’t take jobs in Sonora. “They really are the worst,” she commented and Vincent gave an amused huff in response. Almost a laugh, not quite. “I am not sad to have left that city,” he said by way of agreement. [break][break]
Vincent glanced at the paper in front of the woman. It had a total of five words on it. Celes really was no-nonsense and he instantly decided he liked that about her. There was no bureaucracy or red-tape, no waste of time. To say it was different than his experience with the Turks would be an understatement. But she did ask another question, about the types of jobs he’d be interested in. She seemed poised to add to her five words, at least a bit. Vincent shrugged, “I’ve done a little of everything,” he said, remembering his years drifting through the world of Gaia. “I am perhaps not the best at, ahh, interpersonal conflicts.” He was reaching for anything to say, anything to give a little more detail. And it was true. Though he wasn’t sure if the Dragonblades would ever tangle with such a job. “I am fine with dangerous jobs.” He was a little surprised when Celes said that a recommendation from Caius was relatively rare. “Ah, well. I’m glad I made a good impression. I’d only just arrived in Zephon when I met him.” He paused and felt like he needed to add something else. Was the awkwardness of their conversation finally getting to him? “He was probably just pleased I didn’t do anything stupid or rash.” [break][break]
She seemed surprised when he requested tea despite having offered it. Vincent was about to tell her not to worry about it but then she was talking about the coat rack. He looked at his already very wrinkled and torn cloak and shrugged. But he did go hang it up as she disappeared to make tea. He sat, rigid and slightly awkward, and waited for her return. It only took a few minutes before Celes offered a chilled mug of tea to him. “Thank you.” He sipped it. It wasn’t the most flavorful, but it was fine. And the ice was certainly appreciated in this climate. That was the one positive Sonora had over Torensten, he decided. [break][break]
Celes seemed to grasp for conversation topics. Her so stretched a little longer than was natural before she asked where he came from. At least this was a question that was easy to answer. “I came from a world called Gaia. For the past couple years, I worked as a traveling mercenary there. It was a relatively peaceful time, so the jobs were mostly dealing with wandering monsters.” He drifted into silence, before finding something else to add. “There was a city there called Midgar. It was… much like Sonora.” He did not mention Shinra Mansion, the experiments with Chaos, or his decades long slumber. That seemed too much information to start with. “And you? Are you native to Zephon?”
Post by Celes Chere on Sept 9, 2020 7:21:43 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@vincent
Oh Celes. I'm so sorry
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
If Vincent had noticed the lackluster tea, he didn’t show it. He just accepted his mug with a calm ’thank you,’ and sipped it without any real interest or enthusiasm. Also without disinterest or disdain. In fact, he seemed entirely devoid of feelings at all on the matter, and perhaps entirely unfazeable in general. Celes slipped meekly into a chair of her own chair, finger tapping at her thigh.
Why wasn’t Caius here to take care of this?
”I came from a world called Gaia,” Vincent said. He’d been a traveling mercenary. Mostly dealing in monsters. Well that was useful, Celes thought, if not particularly interesting. He’d fit right in. If it wasn’t for the placid stare. Or the brooding demeanor. Or the way that words seemed to struggle to be pulled from his mouth.
Why did she insist on judging him so much? It really wasn’t fair at all.
”Like Sonora,” she repeated then lingered on the thought. ”It must be strange then, staying somewhere like this.” She’d been in both places, and hated one of the two. It wasn’t that she hadn’t understood Sonora though that was certainly part of it. She was used to a city of metal and militant soldiers standing at attention. It brought back memories that she preferred not to linger on. Memories that broke her out into a cold sweat in the oppressive tropical heat.
”I’m not from here,” Celes said. ”Any of it, I mean. Not just Torensten.” She brought the mug to her lips and relished the cold touch of its condensation. It sent a shiver down her back. ”It’s been about two years, I think. Not that I know for sure. The seasons are off here, and I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but this place does strange things to your head.” She smiled wryly. Even now, there was a persistent gray fog that hung over her mind whenever she thought too hard. It didn’t like her memories of the place she’d left behind.
Or maybe she didn’t want to remember.
”I don’t miss it,” she said. ”I know most people can’t wait to get back, but I’m fine where I am, I think. I like the Dragonblades. I like Caius and, well, everyone else.” Including Vincent? Maybe if he gave her enough time. No matter how he reminded her of Shadow, it was clear that he had a much kinder heart. Not that that was hard.
”There must be some reason this happened,” Celes went on. ”I know that plenty of people are out searching for it, but I couldn’t care less. There wasn’t much left for me to leave behind.”
Just a ruined world. A dark world. A world that maybe wasn’t worth fighting for after all.
”Er. Was that too much?” She glanced at Vincent, feeling suddenly sheepish. She brought the mug in front of her again as though to hide behind it, taking one over-large gulp that froze the back of her throat.
