I'm not going to fire you. And I know you still want your job.
[So perhaps less judgmental than she assumed, or else smart enough to know he won't get any flies with the vinegar he threw around last time. He's being more cautious and, maybe, just maybe, a little more understanding.
I was - [ Assaulted? Raped, abused, beaten to unconsciousness ; tested, manipulated, reintegrated; and then some? She doesn't actually remember, still. ] - brought into therapy. Learned a few things. Apologies if serving the city meant a little more than work at Masamune.
[No need to elaborate. It all clicks together, all at once. Now he's feeling sore, but only because she wouldn't say so upfront. He would've forgiven it. He would've understood.
Stupid, stubborn woman and her stupid, stubborn excuses.]
And you were trying to forget, earlier. Is that it?
What more can I discuss? People change, as the saying goes, no?
[ ...no? Ugh. Her head hurts. It isn't the full throbbin side effect from alcohol. Rather, it's piercing, fresh, hostile. A barbed-wire barrier. The feeling isn't all that foreign. Back when her system crumbled, when she questioned, lamented, and was then repurposed. From then. Why?
...she stops trying. Shuts her eyes, relents. Submits. ]
[ A little voice inside her wonders why she needs forgiveness--wonders why she's sorry. Isn't she someone beyond guilt? What does she owe to him? He has her business but not her loyalty.
But it's only a little voice. ]
I may hesitate if it's too a personal question, Sephiroth. As long as you're aware of that, then very well. Ask me.
[Such an obstinate woman. Not that Sephiroth doesn't enjoy a challenge, but this sort of challenge seemed... explosive. As in it would blow up in his face if he wasn't too careful.
Sephiroth was never much good at "careful".]
You may hesitate. But you will give me that answer I asked for.
[He's got one question. He hadn't pushed for more, figured just one would appeal to some buried sense of fairness she may or may not have had. At the very least, she's never proven to be an unreasonable woman, simply unruly, with sharper edges. She could play professional, and play it well. He'd seen it often enough in several sessions to know.
Sephiroth's no good with careful, but he's exceptional with precise. So he switches to audio, too, and asks the question that will give him plenty of answers, even if she chooses not to answer at all. One deadly shot to satisfy his curiosity.]
[ For a second she hesitates, pain shooting up her temples and pinching between her brows. She presses her fingers around the bridge of her nose, inhales almost against her hand. ]
[That really does say it all, doesn't it? And it's a good answer, the best she probably had, other than silence. It tells him enough, but not too much. This woman has been abused, though by who... he doubts any sort of threat would wrest it from her. Even he won't go that far.]
I am not kind, but I look after those in my care. If you are an animal, then you are an animal among kin. Even a she-wolf, by definition, cannot run alone. [There's a considerable pause, before he goes on.] I don't want to see you in that place again. That place you contacted me from, or the place that brought you to such misery. Think of it less a demand, and more a personal desire.
[Maybe she did. But at least he has his in, and while they don't know each other well, he'd like to remedy that. They share a few too many similarities for him not to be intrigued by her, and by the story that's behind the burn that could make even a woman this ferocious flinch.
There's also the matter of her being an absolute firecracker in bed, but he keeps that preference, perhaps wisely, to himself.]
No need. You wear your suits well enough. [Ever so graciously:] And I'll keep it a surprise, for now. I'll call on you later.
Very well. I only needed to be sure, since it seems you're on a mission to teach me what is it to have propriety. [ It'll be interesting. Maybe she'll have a laugh of him. ] Don't make me wait too long, Sephiroth. I can be fickle too.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[So perhaps less judgmental than she assumed, or else smart enough to know he won't get any flies with the vinegar he threw around last time. He's being more cautious and, maybe, just maybe, a little more understanding.
But mostly curious, he'll insist.]
What's going on?
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cw: rape references/violent imagery
[No need to elaborate. It all clicks together, all at once. Now he's feeling sore, but only because she wouldn't say so upfront. He would've forgiven it. He would've understood.
Stupid, stubborn woman and her stupid, stubborn excuses.]
And you were trying to forget, earlier. Is that it?
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[ Partially true. The rest she can't put into words. Later, maybe. But right now, she can only speak of what she knows, what she's allowed to feel. ]
Was I that unsightly?
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Will you not discuss what happened?
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[ ...no? Ugh. Her head hurts. It isn't the full throbbin side effect from alcohol. Rather, it's piercing, fresh, hostile. A barbed-wire barrier. The feeling isn't all that foreign. Back when her system crumbled, when she questioned, lamented, and was then repurposed. From then. Why?
...she stops trying. Shuts her eyes, relents. Submits. ]
I will change again. I will be better. For you.
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And I want an honest answer to that question. No more excuses. That's the deal.
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But it's only a little voice. ]
I may hesitate if it's too a personal question, Sephiroth. As long as you're aware of that, then very well. Ask me.
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Sephiroth was never much good at "careful".]
You may hesitate. But you will give me that answer I asked for.
Do we have an agreement?
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No.
Writing (hiding) is no longer sufficient. ("I will be better.") Her voice is quiet yet coherent. Passive. ]
Ask what you must.
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Sephiroth's no good with careful, but he's exceptional with precise. So he switches to audio, too, and asks the question that will give him plenty of answers, even if she chooses not to answer at all. One deadly shot to satisfy his curiosity.]
Who burned you?
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The answer depends on when.
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I am not kind, but I look after those in my care. If you are an animal, then you are an animal among kin. Even a she-wolf, by definition, cannot run alone. [There's a considerable pause, before he goes on.] I don't want to see you in that place again. That place you contacted me from, or the place that brought you to such misery. Think of it less a demand, and more a personal desire.
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You speak very closely without being close at all.
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Come to dinner with me.
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You have the time?
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[And yes, that is a little bit of that infamous ego slipping through. You didn't think this was an entirely selfless endeavor, did you?]
You represent Masamune. If you're going to party, do it properly. If you're going to drink... don't embarrass me by drinking trash.
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There's also the matter of her being an absolute firecracker in bed, but he keeps that preference, perhaps wisely, to himself.]
No need. You wear your suits well enough. [Ever so graciously:] And I'll keep it a surprise, for now. I'll call on you later.
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Very well. I only needed to be sure, since it seems you're on a mission to teach me what is it to have propriety. [ It'll be interesting. Maybe she'll have a laugh of him. ] Don't make me wait too long, Sephiroth. I can be fickle too.