OPEN LOG

[absolute_npc]

Who: OPEN
What: Event-Location Log ; Seraphim Group just got themselves dropped back off. Offer them a hand?
Where: Library Archives Entrance
When: Now (Right after the Plane Shift)

Comments

[riotinstereo]

Of course it hadn't been long before someone else had to chime in. However, watching Ritsuka, Reno couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed at the interruption. After all, he had more leverage to work with and might get further with the Magister. The kid knew as much as he did, and Reno could tell Caim had a soft spot for him. He'd been the one he'd sheltered when he had died, wasn't he?

"The four of you did?" He raised an eyebrow and considered what Caim had told him. So Minerva was used by the natives to tear the city apart. That sounded about right. "In other words, it was your fault," he concluded, meeting his eyes with a cynical glare. He could deny being responsible for bringing them there all he wanted, but Reno could bet that none of it would have happened if they hadn't started it. Of course by some people's standards, the Turk probably had just as much blood on his hands as Caim did, but he didn't particularly care about being a hypocrite as long as he was trapped there.

"You want to make up for what you did? You can start by helping us." Reno paused, thinking he really should have thought of a list of demands, but he hadn't really expected to find himself in this kind of position. He briefly considered what Tseng might have asked for and he brought his mag-rod back up as he spoke again. "It's about time you started keeping us filled in on what you and your partners have been doing to get us back."

He could have left it there, but he didn't want to waste an opportunity to remind him of how many mistakes he'd made. "And don't pretend that you've been worrying yourself over us. Somehow I don't think making deals with our lives was for our own good. You just wanted to come out on top."

[undeify]

If Caim could read minds, he probably would have snapped. Or, he probably would have just rolled his eyes and agreed. Because, while those details were wrong, the ultimate conclusion was not.

It... well, really was their fault, wasn't it? Even if they'd been doing the right thing to try and stop it, even if having done nothing possibly meant she would have been released fully by the other two... he and Ava did have fault, he guessed, when it was put that way. And he did feel guilty, somewhere deep down, for all those people who lost their lives. He didn't think much on it these days, as it was quite a load to think on, especially when looking at the current circumstances only to realize that... no, they hadn't progressed any further and those people had died needlessly and for nothing. There had been no resolution.

But, Reno really did have a way of rubbing Caim the wrong way. It took a lot to corner the Magister, the just right formula to tweak to really get him to even back down a little bit into submission over something like this, and yet here the Turk was continuing to shoot his mouth off after he'd managed to be somewhat successful. Even if that success was really due to Ritsuka more than anything else.

...Still insisting about this partners thing. "You're right," the young man sneered. "I gave you all to him because I wanted to keep him away from me." I was afraid. He still was, but telling people like this such sentimental things like that did nothing and most of the time, he couldn't even admit it to himself why he really avoided the other. It didn't comprehend under normal thought and it didn't make sense for the type of person he was. Caim was a lot of things, but afraid wasn't really one to describe him. But that person wasn't his friend, anymore, and perhaps the thing that scared him most was when the other was close enough he could make that statement so fucked up-the face and voice of a friend, filled sometimes even with a few familiar fake actions (reminiscences of a past that he just wanted to forget) but definitely not him. Not the way they treated one another. ...Not the way Dai treated him. What kind of friend-

-Fear and hate were such a terrible mix of things. Maybe Caim was no better.

For the first time, Caim's gaze lowered, and he wouldn't look at either of them, but if one could catch his line of sight, he quite possibly looked more lost and younger than he already did. Goddamn it, where was Ava... she always handled these things so much better. But, when he looked back up again, that expression was gone, and it was back to that cold and hard exterior. "We're not working together. Think what you want, but we can barely be in the same vicinity without trying to break one another apart. I made a mistake. Don't think I didn't pay for it." If fate was good at one thing, it was making sure Caim got socked in the mouth for every wrong move he made. "But, I'm not keeping you filled in. You wouldn't understand a majority of it, anyway, and most of it leads to dead ends. I'm not repeating myself and you're a nag. I am not going to set myself up to take more insults from you on a daily basis. When I find something you should know, you'll know. I'm not writing a diary for you. If you want to know so badly," he motioned towards Asch, "you can help yourselves.

"Now, move," he concluded, looking further unamused. Oh, if something happened to Erielle because she was meeting him halfway between the church and this place because these people had held him up, there would be hell to pay. "I need to go find my sister."

[riotinstereo]

So that's what it was. Reno frowned but didn't argue the point. If he was going to get so emotional when he suggested they were working together, he might as well admit that they were in some kind of relationship. He wouldn't be surprised after overhearing some of the conversations between the two. And the rest of them were caught in the middle.

Perfect.

The Turk watched him closely as he continued to listen, only twitching when he started listing the reasons why he wouldn't do what he asked. Who said I was giving you a choice? Reno hadn't even started to be unreasonable; they had a right to goddamn thing he asked for. But Caim still had the nerve to think that they'd have to comply with whatever he decided. It just reminded him what he hated about all of these natives; they all assumed the rest of them were completely helpless without them.

Reno didn't move at his command, thinking for a moment that keeping him from his meeting would at least be some payment for everything he'd just been through. If Caim understood what position he was in, he should make sure they were satisfied before he ran off to play with his siblings.

"You think I care?" He finally spat. Reno shifted his gaze to Ritsuka and back again. After debating with himself, he dropped his arm, but his hardened expression didn't change. "First let's get one thing straight," he emphasized, determined to have him leave on Reno's terms. "You can research all you want, but if I have questions, you're going to answer them." Then as an afterthought he added, "And if you know that the city is going to rot or blow up or catch on fire, you're going to give us a heads up. No more surprises."

[undeify]

And the Turk was met with silence for talking to him like that, but Caim's expression said all that would have been said, anyway.

What the fuck ever.

There was a small flick of his hand and the big cat would get up now, looking slightly less panicked that it was not being commanded to stay put. It would go to move, running past Reno and circling to turn around and look back at Caim, waiting for him impatiently. Truthfully, Dalamar was also most likely aware they were going to meet Erielle and that combined with the uncomfortableness of this situation drove him to want to leave.

Luckily for him, Caim was ready to leave to and he would go to do just that. Literally, he'd simply go to walk around Reno now and forward, pretty much daring the other to stop him. No, fuck this game. He wasn't playing, anymore.

[omoidezukuri]

Ritsuka had stayed silent after his initial interruption, uncomfortable with the quickly escalating tension between Reno and Caim. He agreed with Reno that if Caim were more forthcoming, it could make their own survival much easier, but he didn't like some of the broad and accusatory assumptions Reno was making about Caim. Ritsuka wanted answers, but Caim had never done anything to harm him, and Ritsuka couldn't summon the energy to force answers out of him.

Ritsuka couldn't let the conversation end like this; even if he didn't get a response he felt he had to reassure Caim that he wasn't blaming him for what happened in the Seraphim, or even down in the Ice Caves, but that he did want to know more about Caim, about Nuadoria, about everything.

"Caim," he called after him. "Sometime, after you see your sister, could I talk to you?"

[riotinstereo]

Reno didn't miss the look that Caim gave him. One that told him he'd much rather spite him than give him anything he asked. Dammit. He was getting tired of this. It was probably the reason Reno was never sent in to talk during negotiations. The talking didn't matter; it was all about intimidation, and that was a little difficult to pull off when Caim had his friend by his side and Reno's only backup was a boy who was more interested in helping Caim.

It was all excruciatingly frustrating. Everyone was willing to bend over backwards for these people no matter how many times they doomed everyone there. No wonder they seemed to think they were invincible. Reno guessed he could relate. When Shinra had been at the height of its power, most anyone who disagreed with them knew to keep their mouth shut. It wasn't a bad feeling to have that kind of reputation.

He took another deep breath before he decided that it wasn't going where he wanted. The trip had been a waste of energy. Time to cut his losses and try again when he could prepare for it. "Suit yourself," he spat and walked right past Caim, shoving his shoulder into the other as he passed. "We'll talk later."

[undeify]

He gave a small nod to Ritsuka's request-he figured it couldn't hurt to take the time to talk to the boy later if he wanted. But, he just couldn't bring himself to physically stop and talk anymore because he was really trying to avoid a fight. ...Really.

Except some things just had a way of happening. Take how Reno wasn't going to let this go, for instance, and just had to go beyond pushing his luck. People didn't touch Caim. In return, Caim didn't touch people. He didn't particularly like the physical contact in general and the majority of rare physical contact he received was usually violent. Call it a perk of the position and were constantly dealing with war.

But, aggressive physical contact was something he wasn't unfamiliar with and it just turned a switch on-an automatic, defensive, angry reflex, particularly accompanied by those words. Son of a bitch wouldn't let go, would he? And it was so fast-really, just so fast Caim would have to pause a minute and assess what he actually did after- hat he'd turn after getting shoved, bringing his fist from the opposite side around with him to slam right into the side of Reno's face before he could get out of range. And, poor Reno, for should he get hit, it was going to be a rather nasty punch considering the only person Caim was really used to getting into brawls these days with were Dai and well... there was certainly a pain tolerance difference between the two. Not to mention a reflex difference. ...And a motive difference. And just... everything else difference.

But, who the hell was counting? And why was Caim expected to differentiate between that shit? That's why people didn't touch him. To avoid mishaps like this. Or, at least, that was why they shouldn't.

It'd confuse and irritate him later about what he did, but, the fact was he just did it and there was no line of thought fast enough to restrain him.