Day 32: Sun Room (2nd shift)

[heraldric.livejournal.com]

After the couple glasses of water Leon managed to gulp down during breakfast, the mage felt immensely better. He was still a bit tired, but that was nothing a little lounging on one of the sofas wouldn't cure. Stretching his arms above his head, he couldn't help but wish he'd had the chance to grab one of his new doctor's coats before leaving his room that morning. Maybe they would have let him get away with wearing it. Maybe.

He grabbed an empty sofa, pulling out the journal he tried to keep on him at all times. It was nearly complete now. Just a couple more pages to go. It might not improve his spellcasting that much, but any improvement was better than none. It was getting to where it might be too dangerous for him to use spells at all, if it left him so worn out without even finishing a monster off.

Comments

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

That was heading quickly and unaided into unfair territory, and Cloud did not like it. "The only one I betrayed back then was Aerith," he said, somehow keeping his voice from going steely. "You would have killed me while laughing and enjoying my blood on your hands. You would have killed all those children as well... you did well to use them as body shields." He was tired to arguing, but now it seemed that they were heading towards there. He just wanted to have more than twisted anger from Kadaj.

"At least you admit it." It sometimes seemed that reasoning with Kadaj was about as easy as escaping this place. He frowned at the question, but no matter how hard he tried, there was nothing in the fog to tell him what he had been doing. It seemed so important at the time; he was sure of it. "I cannot say..." He dare not mention the fact he was being medicated. "I was out in the Rec Field and then I had something to do... but I cannot remember what it was or where I went. It is all... clouded in my head."

[reunion.livejournal.com]

"Seems you know me very well, but I don't see how that's relevant. You deserve that and more, you know. Haven't you realized this already? I'm only doing what's right, whereas you... you cling to those people like they're actually worth something, reject your ties to Mother, and refuse to see any sense no matter what we do to you." He sighed. "And you used to be such a good little puppet, too."

As for the events of last night, well... "Maybe whatever happened was so traumatic that you blocked it out," Kadaj suggested, smirking at him. "Killed some friends, maybe? You know, that happened to you once. Did I ever tell you? One of your friends, you know, had a chainsaw, and..." He trailed off significantly, his grin widening. "Must have hurt an awful lot. I only wish I could have seen it." Of course, the effect had been somewhat ruined by the fact that another Cloud had appeared almost immediately after the old one had died, but he wasn't saying that.

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

This was an argument that he doubted would ever be truly worked out between them. "It would not make a difference even if I did embrace Jenova," he murmured quietly. In his mind, it would only twist him into something that he had already overcome. "And those people are my friends. It is right to trust them." He looked at Kadaj for a moment before nodding his head and going back to staring at the couch. "I was a good puppet, almost bridging on perfection I think."

He would pretty certain he would remember killing some of his friends, though the mere though sent a river of cold to his stomach. "No... one of my friends killed me?" His frown tightened slightly. A chainsaw probably would have hurt too. "It probably would have hurt a little more than being shot in the back and then blown up by materia," he murmured. "Have you ever killed anyone here?"

[reunion.livejournal.com]

Kadaj snorted. "It wouldn't make any difference now, no, but if you'd done what you were supposed to and continued doing it, Mother wouldn't be in the situation she's in right now, would she?" He sighed. Stupid, stupid Cloud. "You can trust your friends all you want, you know, but that doesn't mean they're worth the effort. As for your time as a puppet, well, you certainly weren't perfect enough."

This conversation was beginning to tire him. Why did the traitor have to be so obstinate? "Yes, you were killed by them. Did you really not know? And as a matter of fact, no, no I haven't killed anyone. Thank you for reminding me, though; I'll have to look into fixing that." ... All right, so he wasn't really going to go out and kill someone, but Cloud didn't need to know that.

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

Cloud honestly was not certain what condition Jenova was in, but he knew that mentioning Kadaj's 'mother' was a rather taboo subject that he wished to be careful of. "I have not seen Sephiroth around in the last day or so," he mentioned instead of Jenova. "I think they are worth the effort. They saved me from being nothing more than a puppet afterall."

He had not really heard how he had died previously, just knew that it had been gruesome. It was strange to think of a previous him having died and then being replaced by the same person. "Anyone on your hit list to kill then?"

[reunion.livejournal.com]

"I haven't either. So? At least that's one irritating brother I don't have to deal with anymore." Kadaj still hadn't quite forgiven Sephiroth for that stunt he'd tried to pull. Ridiculous of him to have thought it would even work. "I think your criteria for people who are 'worth it' could use some work, you know," he continued, giving the traitor a disbelieving look. "How could people who 'saved' you from Mother be considered worthwhile?"

The question about his hit list, however, surprised a short laugh out of him, and, giving Cloud a mischievous look, he replied, "Do you really need to ask?" He didn't even know where to start. Wasn't it obvious?

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

"I had just wondered if you had had contact with him lately. Perhaps the institute has disposed of him?" That was true. After their run in Doyleton, Cloud could not say whether he felt Sephiroth's disappearance was alarming. It did send a shiver down his spine, knowing someone as potent as Sephiroth could just -disappear-. "He seems too arrogant to just fade into the background anymore."

He lifted an eyebrow at Kadaj's disbelieving look and sighed. "I would have been more warmed to Jenova if I had not lost my memories," he murmured softly. "My friends helped me to remember. That makes them worth it."

He gave Kadaj a slightly suspicious look before shrugging. "I was more curious on what name topped it. I am certain that it had more than a few names though. So, who tops your hit list, hmm?"

[reunion.livejournal.com]

Kadaj's eyes narrowed. "I haven't. Why? Do you miss him?" He did not want to talk about this. Why did Cloud? It wasn't like it was important. Getting out and getting back to Mother was far, far higher on his list of priorities than figuring out whatever it was that had happened to him. It wasn't like the oldest couldn't take care of himself anyway, so why bother thinking about it?

He let out an exasperated sigh and looked away, glaring at nothing. "So stubborn, aren't you? It's such a shame to see all that potential wasted. Oh well, I suppose you're used to that by now, aren't you? Being a waste. Wouldn't surprise me if you liked the fact that you've perfected it into an art by now. Do you?"

He shifted his glare to the floor in front of him, but for whatever reason, the way his eyebrows had knit together was shifting into something subtly different. "What do you care, anyway? Do you want to run off and warn them or something? You'd have a hell of a time doing it, you know. I suppose you could always post it to the bulletin, but I don't see why I should tell you if that's what you're going to end up doing. As much as I'm sure you love undermining my efforts, I think I've had enough of it for now. You need a new hobby."