{004: Respite
Who: Jill (zerosuitjill) and you~
When: Present
Where: God of War's Lair, Tiffauges Castle (Neutral Territory)
What: Otherwise restless, Jill checks out one of the newer territories.
Type: Starting as a log, but either's fine.
Notes/Warnings: None.
( The time bomb is ticking )
When: Present
Where: God of War's Lair, Tiffauges Castle (Neutral Territory)
What: Otherwise restless, Jill checks out one of the newer territories.
Type: Starting as a log, but either's fine.
Notes/Warnings: None.
( The time bomb is ticking )
The possibility of an ambush flitted through her mind, even some sort of relatiation for the kidnappings Dooku had masterminded--she wanted to dismiss both ideas immediately as not befitting the Cosmos side, but that survivalist instinct wouldn't let her. Not entirely. She'd been betrayed too many times in her life to take anyone or anything at face value anymore--although it had only taken one to teach her the necessary lesson. She recognized this trait in herself and hated it, but she was still alive because of it all the same.
As usual, wariness and personality chose to meet in the middle and Jill finally took a few steps forward towards the other, her heels loud in the silence and her gun remaining at her side. The weapon wasn't a gesture of her suspicion as much as it was preparation should another Mannequin show, but here, she had to remain alert anywhere and everywhere, anyway. She drew even with the younger woman, showing she was willing to approach, but still kept about three arms' length of distance between them. Just in case.
"You look well," she noted, not without a softness in her voice that was nothing like her poise, and something like genuine relief. None of the four of them had sustained injuries too serious, but she and Billy had received that post-battle healing miracle; their opponents might have been forced to sustain their bruises.
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Little consideration had been put into her decision, though part of her was just as wary as the other woman seemed. Trust was a fragile thing, after all, and something that could easily be broken of placed in the care of the wrong person. But Chris had assured her that Jill could be trusted, and the young barmaid felt she could at least rely on his judgments. He had been chosen for the side of Cosmos, after all, and had worked closely with Jill for many years, as he had explained. So there was some weight behind his thoughts concerning Jill's character despite being enlisted for Chaos. After all, Cloud...
Tifa's eyes shifted to the side at the other's words, finding some relief and comfort in the gentle ease of her voice. It was not a complete display of trust, but it was a start.
"As well as can be expected..." she said in response. The fight had not been the worse Tifa had experienced in her life thus far. But after battling the likes of Sephiroth, Meteor, The Remnants, and Deepground, not to mention various monsters along the way, it was difficult to anything in an extremely negative light. Still, waking up with the full force of her injuries was not a pleasant at all. And while the Goddess found it within her power to grant them healing abilities, Tifa only thought it fair to mend the more severe wounds. The bruises, cracked bones, and stiff joints had been taken care of. The shallow cuts and bullet grazes had not. "We have a lot of good healers on Cosmos."
The stinging pain, she reasoned, was a reminder and a motivation for her to become better so that they would not lose again.
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If this young woman was honestly displaying this good will and trust, then Jill suspected that her next words wouldn't mean that much in terms of gaining her good favor; Chris had refused to take an apology given the circumstances, but then again, he never let Jill apologize for anything. Not seriously, anyway, because he never blamed her in the first place, and trying to convince him that she was guilty of any fault whatsoever was like trying to convince a brick wall. All the people she'd seen and met on Cosmos seemed to be of similar good hearts, although maybe--probably--not so instantly forgiving. But Jill was honest, she was frank, and she was not shy when it came to acknowledging her mistakes--not by a long shot--so she hesitated only a few seconds before saying evenly,
"I'm sorry for what happened." Her eyes returned fully to the other, regarding her silently. "Intentions aside... bringing the fight to you--forcing you to fight--was wrong."
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If things were like this for those of Cosmos, she could only imagine how it was for those on Chaos, both the bad and the good who fought for his side. Her sympathies went out to Jill and the others.
The apology had been unnecessary, but not wholly unexpected. If not Jill, then Tifa, certainly would have apologized for her own actions against the other; had been apologizing in her own fashion by suggesting they move towards a safer area. Considering their first meeting and how contrasting their second was turning out to be, it was only a natural course of action. At least, that's what the young woman was telling herself in regards to the other's words.
Glancing back, Tifa's expression was relatively neutral if not with only a hint of solemnity when she addressed Jill. "If not you, then someone else would have... and did." Not many had managed to fight their way past the other Cosmos warriors to reach the Crystal Room where she and the others had stood watch. But those who did were just as hard pressed to capturing the prize, as Jill and Billy had been when their turn had come. And each and every one of them were willing to do whatever it took to get it. "It's what happens when you choose to stay and protect the Crystal. I knew that when I decided to stay behind, so you don't need to apologize for what happened. I knew what I was getting into, we all did."
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After another short stretch of silence, in which no enemy made itself known or was detected, she offered, in her own method of establishing good-willed trust, "I'm Jill, by the way. Jill Valentine." There was a chance the other had heard Billy calling her name in the battle, but even if she had, an introduction was an introduction. Starting off on a proper one was one more way of saying the past didn't have to dictate the future.
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"...I know." There had been an instant or two where Tifa debated whether to simply accept the introduction and repeat her part in the tradition, or to face the reality that she had already known the other's name; had learned it from another source that would probably be a point of interest for Jill. In the end, she had settled on the latter. Given what she had talked about in private with Chris and how important it had seemed to him that the other was not harmed for being chosen to fight for Chaos, dismissing that knowledge seemed unfitting and wrong.
And, well... he did say to mention his name if ever she would come across the other again. "A man named Chris Redfield told me."
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The neutral look on her face gained an unmistakable hint of familiar fondness to it as the other's comment fully registered, saying more than Jill's next words or even her lighter tone did. "...I'm guessing he told you that I wasn't an enemy, too?"
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And in spite of herself or the dangers it might have presented, she gave a soft chuckle Jill's inquiry. Indeed, the other woman knew her partner well, it seemed. Then again, Chris had given a similar impression when she had been speaking with him, so it was no big surprise. Still, it was a nice feeling nonetheless, being able to find some small amusement in a place where it seemed like Tifa would never smile again. "Yeah, he did, actually. Said you and the other guy were just... victims of circumstances."
Sliding up against the wall, she carefully peer around a corner for enemies or mannequins. Finding neither, the young woman proceeded with a bit more caution as they entered a more open area of the castle. "It was after... though, so..." After a second or two of struggling with a way to finish the sentence, Tifa decided to simply leave it at that and let Jill fill in the blanks for herself. It wouldn't be hard for the other to do so, she thought; after all, she had been there herself. "Not that it would've made a difference, I guess."
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"I even fought Chris then," she told the other, feeling that the least she could do was offer some honesty after everything. "He's the last person I want to hurt, and I know he feels the same way--but we both knew what we had to do." She exhaled softly. "Nothing's sacred here if you fall on the wrong side--especially for those with the mindset of a soldier." Jill included this last part after just a brief pause; this young woman was certainly a fighter of some kind, an experienced and organized one from what she'd seen in going against her.
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Tifa fought the urge to scoff at the thought. Because complicated was probably an understatement considering how things were run, here. Friends who had fought side by side with each other in battles and challenges back in their home world being placed on opposing sides. Gods pulling individuals from various planes and existences to pose as soldiers for their seemingly unending war. Yeah, complicated didn't even begin to explain the situation.
"Believe me, I know what it's like to fight a friend, and I never wanna do that again." It had happened once before, some years ago. Granted, mind control was involved, but that didn't change the fact that she had been forced to physically battle against one of her closets and dearest friends. And now she had been placed in such a situation that it was a possibility again. Luckily, thus far, Tifa had managed to avoid meeting up with him on the battlefield. But with each new fight, her chances were diminishing. "And last I heard, he's chosen not to fight at all, Chaos or not, but... well, you can't exactly defy Gods, can you?"
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Irony really was a bitch. That, or Jill's apparent "good luck streak" since Arklay was all a facade meant to lead her into this cycle. Except that everyone here was caught in the same cycle--a fate she would wish on no one, now a widespread phenomenon.
"Whatever the reason we're here, there has to be an end to it," she said after a moment, aiming for something more optimistic. "If nothing else, my life's taught me that everything stops somewhere, even if it feels endless."
And even if he's allowed a technicality and given a second chance at life.
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"Yeah... I heard about what happened to those who tried..." It was no secret, really. Almost to the second that the punishment had been announced to those of Chaos after the first battle, irritated messages had flooded the Crystal Comm. And then with the more recent incidents concerning those who had chosen to aid Cosmos' members being marked and hunted for their 'betrayal,' there had been concerned pleas for refuge. In the end, Chaos had made it clear: Fight for him or never live to fight again at all. "I'm sorry for that."
From an outsider's perspective, it had been a frightening revelation to see the power that Gods held. And how expertly they could manipulate the masses by reaching into the weaker points of a person's psyche. Obey or be punished. Follow orders or face the dire consequences. Admittedly, it came to a point where Tifa began to wonder whether or not Cosmos possessed this sort all encompassing power as well. And whether or not she was simply more patient than the God of Discord. After all, hadn't she done the same and pulled out warriors for her own cause without discussion or prior consent?
"In any case, I hope you're right," the young woman offered, showing that she had been listening while sorting through her own concerns, "Because there are some people back home that... depend on me to actually be there."
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Jill shook her head at the apology. "Don't be. The only one at fault for this is Chaos." She'd wondered, though, just how far his punishment extended--not many had died during the battle, so why was the punishment so widespread? Had "betrayal" encompassed more than killing each other?
"I hear you," she replied on behalf of the woman's next comment. Jill couldn't entirely identify--all of her close family was long dead, any friends she'd managed to keep up with during her busy years in the B.S.A.A. all thought she was dead herself; her one closest tie was here with her, ironically, and professionally-speaking, they'd just ended the source of the long-lasting terror that drove their mission.--but she could easily sympathize. "Not to say I really understand much of what goes on here, but just staying here forever, fighting an endless war? It's unrealistic. It's illogical, it's..." She snorted softly. "It's stupid, if you want to be simple."
In an instant, her smile faded and she spun on one heel, gun raised towards where she thought she'd heard a sound a half-second before; waiting, however, revealed nothing, and she slowly turned back the way they'd been going.
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It was difficult to make sense of everything, especially with how things were handled to begin with. The Gods are given a choice of which warrior they want to battle for their side, yes. But they were also given the freedom to bring them here without consent or warning from those they were taking. That same luxury was not given to those who were taken, though. And while Tifa understood the cause and need for the impulse of enlisting fighters without discussion, there were still consequences and repercussions to the timelines of their own worlds.
"The Gods have their reasons, and Cosmos at least has been forgiving towards our failures." she mused, after a moment of thought, "But it's like you said, there has to be an end to it..."
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That is, until that very moment when all subtitles and attempts at stealth was tossed away in favor of simply attacking.
She reacted out of instinct alone, letting a small part of her consciousness close off to let the rest of her body function on it's own as Tifa darted in one direction while shoving Jill in the other. Because it was too much time to stop and think of her next move instead of simply doing it. And that, in turn, had probably saved both their lives as the very spot in which they had stood only seconds before suddenly exploded in a spray of dirt, rock, and a strong wave of heat.
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"Where?" she asked quickly, having seen in the corner of her eye that the other had made it safely out of range, as well.
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