Breakfast and a Bombshell [COMPLETE; rp log]
Strangely enough, she...didn't say anything, though she did stare at it quizzically as if remembering it from somewhere. A flash of memory, the barest flicker, of her fingertips against the metal, her eyes close to the metal as she examined it, in the dark, the cold-- Another flicker of memory, the metal against her bare skin, euphoria... She didn't realize she was staring at it until her eyes began to water from not blinking enough.
"S--thanks," she said with a little apologetic smile, cutting off her apology to thank him as he got the door for her. "I just don't like feeling short." Unaware that he knew her explanation already, she launched into it. "I like being strong, independent, I guess. A lot of people think I'm fragile because I'm female and I'm short, but..." She gestured to her neck slightly, letting her hand span down her body before falling at her side again, "As you can see, I'm nowhere near fragile." Which was a good thing--if he'd done anything to actually hurt her, make her slip a disk or fracture something, she'd have been a lot less amicable.
She sat in the sun, smiling a little and appreciating his attentiveness--how had he known she wanted to sit in the warmth? Hmm. Her mind was filtering over what she was slowly recalling about his strange arm. She didn't want to be rude and ask about it again, considering she was fully aware she must have inquired about it the night before. So she was trying very hard to remember, her eyes trained on Vincent's attractive face, the slant of his jaw, his delightful hair, those pretty eyes... Eyes--shit, she'd forgotten to put on make-up. Trying not to be self-conscious about it, she continued looking up at him, unaware of how lovely her eyes were as they glittered slightly, how her hair shone in the sunlight... Damn it, what was it he'd said about it? She was sure he'd explained the arm to her already...
He nodded as she talked about her independence. He knew that's how she felt, but always thought she wanted to rely on someone too. Maybe he was wrong, but he thought he hit the nail on the head. Vincent was pretty happy he didn't really hurt her. Had he, he never would have forgiven himself at all.
Vincent was looking at Lucrecia the entire time and noticed what she noticed. Even sitting across from her he could see her cute eyes flicker from him to his claw. And he did tell he that he would explain everything. He sighed, taking a sip of the tea he ordered, starting his story.
"You came to work with my father at ShinRa. I was there too, it being on of my first duties as a Turk to watch over the project. Things happened, we fell in love, my dad died and other things. We drifted apart, I'm still not sure why, and eventually I was assigned to protect a Professor Gast's project. The other man was named Hojo, the older version of the Hojo in this world. He tricked you into having a child with him for an experiment. I tried to stop him but he shot me. And then did this to me," he said, showing her his claw up close.
"That's why I don't trust that man at all. Even if he doesn't know the things he did to me, I can never forgive him." Vincent's gaze wandered outside, wondering if he should mention Chaos. He decided he would wait to let her hear about that side of him.
"...D--" Never had he ever seen her face so utterly...overwhelmed. Obviously, she hadn't been expecting that explanation; she looked completely floored, unable to even grasp what he'd just said.
And then... Tick, tick, tick, -click!- "You're him! You're that--you're the...you're..." Oh no, then her hand went to brush her hair back, her forehead in her palm, like when she was trying to stay calm and failing. Stupid estrogen injection, making her so easily upset. "The...I talked to you. You're the one who knew about my... Plants, cancer..." Dammit, she could be coherent! Scowling at herself, she inhaled slowly, refusing to hyperventilate like she wanted to.
"...Vincent," she said at long last, staring angrily at the tabletop, tears welling in her eyes for no reason--her lack of control on her emotions was pissing her off, and she wasn't actually mad at the man at all. Not that he could tell from her voice tight with emotion and the way she was glowering at the wood grain of the table, refusing to look up at him, her fingertips pressing against her hair as her hand tightened around her forehead, wanting to curl into a fist but unable to, as her head was in the way. "Vincent Valentine. You're Vincent Valentine." Dammit! How could she be so stupid?! He'd even said his name, and she hadn't realized.
Unbelievably irritated with herself for being so dense, and for being so emotional over everything, she continued to glare at the tabletop, tears welling in her eyes and dripping out without her eyen blinking. Fuck. And now she was crying in front of him. "You're the one from my future. The cr--" No, he wasn't crazy. He'd proven himself, with that knowledge about her botany and all. "The one..." Her voice was shaking--WHY couldn't she handle herself?
...Oh. The estrogen injection. The realization hit her and pissed her off more--she would be better able to handle this if she hadn't needed it.
And then a second realization hit: she'd needed it. "And I fucked you. Drunk and I fucked you, and I don't even REMEMBER..." Damn her shaking voice! She was just glad the little diner was practically empty.
What?! She thought he was a different Vincent? How could she? Vincent was feeling pretty stupid as he watched her cry, not having a single idea what to do. Was he supposed to comfort her? Did she just to call him crazy? Oh this was not good.
"Lucrecia...please, please don't cry," he tried pleading. He put his hand out to touch her, but as he did he saw a teardrop hit the table, causing him to withdraw his hand. Of course this was causing a scene and many people had started to stare at the two. She had said the estrogen would make her like this, but he never really expected it.
"Please forgive me, I thought you knew..." Vincent wanted to get out of there immediately. He even started to get up from his seat, even under the stares of everyone in the diner.
"Don't. Leave," she hissed through clenched teeth, frustration and irritation flaring as he tried to ditch her once again. "Sit the fuck back down; don't you fucking dare--" She didn't finish the sentence, grinding her teeth together to clamp down on a sob.
She swallowed hard, gulped, inhaled slowly, exhaled slowly, inhaled again. Without looking up, she said softly, her voice quivering a bit, "It's okay, I-I'm not...mad. It's okay, this is okay..." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself. "So you're Grimiore's son. And, for you, we met in the lab and started going out." Okay, that she could understand--he was drop dead gorgeous, sexy, strong... She would date him. That part sat easy with her. But then...they fell in love? And then they grew apart...
Oh God, she'd done it again, hadn't she? With him, she'd done that thing she did. Fell in love, been intimate and happy and completely content... And then she'd started thinking. Overthinking. Overanalyzing everything, thinking herself sick until she could barely feel anything for him through the layers of thought. And then she'd started avoiding him, not wanting to be untrue until she was done thinking it over. But she was never done thinking it over, never finished, there was always more thinking, more problems, more angles to examine, more bases to cover-- She knew why they'd grown apart, and she hadn't even been there.
She inhaled again, exhaled, and spoke again. "And, from the sound of it, my life kind of turns to shit after you, eh?" It was a joke, but she couldn't manage to make the tone right, so it came out as a morbid prediction of her own doom. "Yours too. I get knocked up and end up in a test tube, and you...get shot trying to help me out. Even after I--" God, she couldn't even say it. Even after I thought myself into leaving you. "...And you're still so nice to me..." she mused, taking her napkin and using it to dry her eyes, stunned and possibly appreciative amazement replacing her anger and tears.
Vincent quickly sat down, his eyes wide. 'She...just yelled at me?' he thought. She really did. Vincent didn't know why they grew apart. Ok, he knew a little. She blamed herself for killing his father, and couldn't be with him any longer. Vincent never understood that but he let it go. He was still in love with her then and even sitting in another world in a diner he was just as in love with her.
"Lucrecia...you're still the same woman I knew...and I still love you," he said to her, picking up her hands and taking them in his. He had no idea why he was telling her that, knowing full well, after he said it, that she would probably be freaked out by that. And there was no way he was going to be able to leave anytime soon.
"I never blamed you for anything...how could I?" he asked her, staring deep into her eyes with his own red hued orbs. He watched her like that for a few moments. He wanted to make her stop crying, and wanted to make her happy. And so he leaned over the table a little, kissing her forehead for a moment, just like he used to.
The gentle kiss wrenched a soft sob from her, and she nearly broke down crying again. To his eyes it probably looked like he'd made it worse once more; there was no way he could tell that the gentle kiss offered a world of comfort, as did his hands on hers, though the metal was a bit strange for her.
He loved her; that she could grasp. She'd loved him too, apparently, and it wasn't hard to imagine--she'd known him less than a day and already she liked him a whole lot. He was sweet, quite a gentleman, and though she didn't know much about him as a person, he was a Turk, strong and well-trained, and that kind of powerful competence did more than just arouse her a bit. It, coupled with how strangely gentle he seemed, made her feel safe with him, and though she was in no position to predict anything beyond French toast and a good shot of brandy--which she decided she needed--she could believe him when he said she'd fallen for him.
He'd never blamed her. That both stung and was gratifying at once. She'd overthought everything and eventually pulled away from him--she was so flakey, and she hated it--and he still didn't hate her for it. Even when she'd gone and done something as stupid as getting pregnant and being an experiment, he'd tried to save her. She didn't deserve that kind of loyalty. It was touching and made her feel grimy all at once.
What the fuck? It hadn't even happened yet and she was feeling guilty. "Don't--you...you probably should have. Knowing me..." She swallowed, staring intently at the tabletop as the waiter set down water and coffee for both of them, awkwardly inquiring if they wanted drinks and were ready to order. God. She didn't want to talk to anyone outside of Vincent at the moment, and so she just glowered down at the table, looking very reminiscent of an angry cat, even if she didn't have ears to fold back.
Vincent wasn't sure how to react at her. He tried to comfort her, but he wasn't sure if he was even doing it right. Maybe this Lu needed to be treated differently. About the time the waiter came he pulled his claw back under the table, leaving just one hand to hook his fingers with hers. She didn't look like she could talk to anyone else yet he knew she was hungry and knew what she wanted. French Toast for her, and two eggs over easy for him. Nodding, the waiter left the couple alone to go put the order in.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, you don't have to worry about any of that," he said, once again lost in her eyes. "This is another chance I think. To make up for everything." Vincent sort of shrugged, yet still smiled at her. "There's nothing to be sad about. I'm happy, just to be here with you," he explained, tightening his grip on her hand gently to reassure her.
"I promise, I won't leave you," he said, coming out straight. "Everything will be fine."
He must have done something right; something he'd said drew a weak smile to her lips, her eyes shining and that disturbing Mako green as she looked into his red ones, finding them kind and comforting, though the red had great potential to be frightening if he were ever angry at her. She hated feeling physically intimidated...though he seemed so sweet, she doubted he'd ever really get mad enough to frighten her.
"...I don't know if I can make up for everything. I...haven't gone through any of the things you have--I didn't know you before today. Or, well, yesterday..." She took a sip of her water, the cold soothing her tight throat. "I can't just... You must know that it can't be...like it was, like you remember it being. Not for me." She looked apologetic, almost sad that she couldn't make it easy for him. "...Because I don't l--" Catching herself before she said the wrong thing again, she tried again, "I can't just dive in, just take your word for it and start to love you because you're from my future and know I will. I...for me, it's...it's not there yet, Vin." In the instant she stopped before the second syllable of his name, she winced, but then didn't correct herself. She wanted to call him Vin; he was probably used to her calling him Vin, and so there really was no problem with it. It didn't occur to her that it might hurt him to hear the nickname again.
A sharp pain shot through his heart, as if a bullet hit it. She had called him Vin, and was starting to say that she didn't love him. However, Vincent simply just stayed stoic, his face unchanging. Maybe Lucrecia noticed his pain, but he kept still. Taking a sip of the coffee, Vincent stared inside the cup, as if lost in it. A few moments later he looked up to Lu.
"Don't worry about anything. I'll protect you while we are here, and help you get back to your time," Vincent said, still looking inside his mug. He wasn't sure if you could even get out of Paixao, but he would try for Lucrecia. And one day he might be able to find his Lu.
She nodded quietly, finding herself staring at his hand again. The waiter chose that moment to come by and put their food down before practically fleeing once more. "Thank you--" Lucrecia managed before the guy fled; poor guy, it must have been really awkward for him to be their server, with the scene she'd been making.
Even the smell of French toast calmed her. It cheered her up a bit, soothed her and made her smile a little. "Okay. I...thanks, Vin. For all this. For understanding. For--" For last night? They'd...fuck.
It was pretty obvious her expression changed as she realized it. She'd had sex with him, not knowing who he was. But Vincent... "...You banged me," she stated, pointing at him and using her entire arm to punctuate each word, "knowing full well who I was, knowing full well I didn't know you, and you did it anyway?" It was hard to tell if she was mad or not; her voice was accusing and incredulous, and the pointing finger didn't help any.
Oh shit. That was not good. He really didn't want to tell her about Chaos. He didn't really like to tell anyone about him. Vincent placed his mug back on the table, finally looking up at her. If he didn't tell her what happened, or at least tell her something reasonable, she was going to be angry. And no matter what time she was from, Lucrecia was not the one you should make angry. Chaos was of course laughing the entire time.
"That man Hojo...it's his fault," he began, obviously by blaming that damned doctor. "When he was experimenting on me...he possessed me with demons." he said, unable to figure how else to explain it to her so she would believe him. 'Who says banged now-a-days?' Chaos asked laughing.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough to control them..." He remembered the only one whoever stopped Chaos from taking over was Lucrecia. Maybe she could figure out a way to keep him under control too. "I am sorry Lucrecia," Vincent said, staring down at the table.
"...Demons. A scientist possessed you with demons. Which later took you over when you fucked me." It was a blunt statement, not angry or incredulous, more...stunned. "...So all this wasn't you, then," concluded the woman, gesturing to her purple neck where she knew there was a bite mark. So it hadn't been him who'd done all that damage, but something inside him, something darker...
Her mind began ticking, wondering exactly what had happened, exactly how something like that could be accomplished. Obviously, it would have involved materia--nothing had the power to do something like that outside of the pure concentrated Lifestream. She wished she knew more about materia now. She didn't even know how to use them.
"...So he somehow fused you with a materia so that you can't ever get rid of it?" God, then she noticed how upset he was. She reached out, intending on grabbing his hand but then changing her mind, slipping a few fingers under his chin and tilting his head up so she could see his face. "...Look at me," she entreated softly, smiling a little. This poor guy had a lot of issues. An everlasting grudge against the man who'd experimented on him, a love for a woman who didn't even know him...
If only she were better at this kind of thing. "It's okay," she assured him after a moment. "I was drunk and honestly, found you exceedingly attractive. You didn't really have much choice in the matter--I wanted you and am used to getting my way." What a strange way to console him. She had no idea if it was consolation at all; at least it was truth. "...Frankly, I'm kind of glad you didn't do all this to me. Relieved, I guess." It had been bothering her a bit, that this man who said he loved her would hurt her body so.
Vincent allowed her to tilt his head up for him, still looking just as bad. Then her shook his head slightly.
"I don't really know how he did it. All I can remember is," Vincent looked at his missing hand, his face overcome with pain, "incredible pain."
He wanted to know if she ever worried about him. If she ever wondered where he went. Hojo had to have lied to her, that must have been it. But this wasn't that Lucrecia. So he kept quiet, looking at her from across the table. And blamed himself for all those marks.
"I should have been able to stay in control," he told her, slamming his fist into the table. "I'm not strong enough!" He wasn't looking at her anymore, his eyes staring at his hand. He had knocked over his mug, but it had been empty. Finally he looked up to Lucrecia's eyes, those beautiful eyes, and calmed down quickly.
"I'm sorry about that..."
She giggled a little, her smile cute and endearing. "Hell, it's okay--I expect a lot of myself too. I don't like to think of you in pain, though..." She brushed his hair back with a few fingers, her arm getting tired--she wanted to withdraw her hand but didn't want him to stay upset. Though there was really nothing she could do.
...Didn't he mention that this Hojo person was here, in Paixao? Maybe...if I can find him and figure out what he did, I might be able to reverse it... She was, after all, a doctor. "It's all right, Vin, really. It was great at the time, okay?" Oiy, probably not the best thing to say. This was like a lose-lose situation, with nothing she could say to cheer him up. "...I wish you'd stop being so sad," she commented, knowing it wouldn't keep him from doing so. "Anything bad that happened between us in your memory hasn't happened for me yet--so it's like it never happened. There's nothing I resent you for, Vin. So you shouldn't feel guilty, at least." Angry with himself for losing control, she could understand. Angry with this Hojo person for screwing up his life, she could understand. But guilt and sadness on her account were illogical and unacceptable. "C'mon, cheer up. ...Your eggs are getting cold." She grinned a little, finding herself trying not to enjoy his company too much.
What? Why was she doing that? He was sweet, a little troubled, but nice, and attractive to boot--why was she trying so hard not to like him? Because it wasn't fair to him? Because he had problems--everyone did, right? Because-- Oh no. She was doing it again. Thinking. Dammit! She decided not to think anymore (because that always worked).
Vincent looked down at his eggs. They did look quite good. Picking up his knife and fork he cut into them, taking large bites. It had been nearly three days since his last meal. He wondered why he wasn't hungrier. And Vincent was enjoying her company a lot. He decided if he was going to be with her, at least until they found their way out, he would stop forcing her away.
"Thank you Lucrecia," he said to her with a smile on his face. "It's good to have a friend." There. He wasn't sure if it would work, but maybe it would please her for him to say that. It worked for him at least. Eating the last of the eggs, Vincent looked over at Lu.
"How was it? You always did like French toast," he said laughing a little. He remembered back in Midgar, the two of them going out to eat after a hot and heavy night. And eating the same exact things. He wasn't sure if he was sad at the memory or happy. He did however, wish to make more memories with her. Who knew how long they would be together, and Vincent wanted to make the best of it.
On the other hand, Vincent wasn't trying not to like her. Hell, he was already in love with her, and had already been. And he didn't even know it. He was treating her just like he treated the old Lucrecia, always forgetting that she was not her. he did it unconsciously: opening the door for her, staring into her eyes, holding her hand-it was like nothing happened. And all of her inner turmoil went unseen by Vincent. For all he knew she was in love with him, she just didn't know it yet. If she could love him once, she could love him again. That was his motto for the time being.
"It's a comfort food. It always makes me feel better..." She'd long since pulled her hand back, and she rested her temple on the heel of her hand, elbow on the table, unwittingly displaying the mottled purple on her neck. "It was good, though. You sure ate fast." Mmm, she felt good inside, a soft, warm, almost sleepy feeling. French toast always did that to her.
"Yeah, I'm glad to have a friend, too." When she stifled a yawn, Lucrecia realized it wasn't just the sleepy French toast feeling, and poured herself a cup of coffee, adding more sugar than would actually dissolve in the liquid and then adding just enough cream to make it the color of suede. Sometimes she was such a kid. Drinking her sugar-caffeine hybrid, Lu smiled, her mind sifting through things.
I'll protect you... It was that man Hojo... Back to your time... Tricked you into having a child...for experiments... Incredible pain...
"...Vincent, if I--" She paused, then started again. "Say there's no way to get back. You mentioned before that there wasn't a way, or that it was doubtful. What then?" There, a much more objective way to ask the question. If I don't want to go back...what would we do? She didn't want to give him false hopes, which is why she didn't mention her plan of talking to Hojo about his experiments to see if she might be able to help Vincent, but the way he'd described her future in Midgar seemed less than pleasant. She really didn't have any desire to get pregnant, let alone experimented on, and so maybe falling into Paixao wasn't such a bad thing. Her debts were gone, and as long as she could get a job, she'd be all right. She didn't understand much about this world, but she knew that with a steady job, anything was possible.
No way to get back? He first looked like he was going to answer right away, then stopped himself. Putting his finger to his lip, Vincent thought about that. If he didn't get home how bad could it be here? No Midgar with its Mako Reactors. No Sephiroth. A chance to start over. Maybe if he was able to scare this Hojo enough he could get that damned man to fix him. ...Or Lucrecia might be able to help him! He smiled as he thought this, but wouldn't tell her why. It was wishful thinking that was all. Not to mention that he might be able to start over with this Lucrecia. To tell the truth, she was just like he remembered his Lucrecia. And already he could find himself living his life with her.
"Before this I was asleep in a coffin," he said lightheartedly. "If I'm stuck here, I will try to make the best of it." Vincent looked around the small diner. Everyone seemed to have moved on and weren't staring at them anymore. Vincent had watched as she put way too much sugar in her coffee, smirking.
"You need to use less sugar. It's not good for you," he said smiling. Then he thought of something. "Is it uncomfortable for you that I know a lot about you?" he asked with a frown.
She laughed a little. "Eh, I don't know. It's a little weird, I guess, but I'm not like upset by it." Wow. She wasn't kidding about the estrogen. She was bright and happy and bubbly again, and now she was caffeinated and on a sugar rush to top it all off. "It's...kinda nice? Maybe? I don't really know... But it doesn't exactly bother me, no--I guess the only thing that bugs me a bit is that I can't do it back. I know practically nothing about you, as a person. I know about your...history, and some things that are kind of strange about you, but other than the fact that you like eggs over easy and seem really unassuming and sweet, I don't know too much--"
A sudden thought struck her. "You're a Turk, you said? Uhm...I'm kinda sorry about this, but could you, like...introduce...me? Yourself to me? I would have just met you yesterday, in Mr. Valentine's lab, right?" Oh shit, she was babbling. Caffeine + sugar + estrogen was almost as bad as alcohol.
Vincent nodded, staring at his empty mug. "I'd like to tell you more about me," he said, "if you'll listen." Vincent smiled over at her, lost again in those eyes. "Introduce myself?" he asked. "As if you just met me? Um, alright," Vincent said, pulling his hair out of his face. Out of character, Vincent stood up, and stood over Lucrecia in the sunlight.
"Hello Miss Crescent. My name is Vincent Valentine. I am the TURK that is overseeing this project. Also, my father is the one in charge," he said stoically, remembering the day he introduced himself to her. They were in Midgar, in the lobby of the ShinRa Building. He was in his suit, and had a folder with her file in it. When she put her hand out for him he kissed it. He didn't kiss her hand back then, but he wanted to at the moment.
She giggled again as he kissed her hand, suddenly remembering holding out her hand to him once before. At the bar, yes--and he's stared at her. Poor thing, she hadn't even noticed he was acting strangely. God, that must have been awkward for him, last night. "Call me Lu, okay?" she answered, finding something strangely comforting in pretending she was back in Midgar. "...And sit down! People are watching again." She was grinning like an idiot, even blushing a little.
"So I'm wondering, Vincent, if you landed the job as the Turk overseeing the project on your own merit or you're father's," she teased a little--it was strange, she'd said nearly the same thing last time, though she'd been a bit more businesslike and afraid to make jokes. She'd been rather hungover that day, though she'd done her best to hide it from her new affiliates. "Just how adept a Turk are you?" She was going to inquire about the project as well, but...it didn't seem like she'd ever get to work on it, so there wasn't much point in asking about that, though she was wondering why Turks were assigned to oversee any sort of scientific research. What could possibly be so dangerous?
With her hand still in his hand Vincent stayed a little bit longer, waiting until everyone was watching. "Nice to meet you Lu," he said and kissed her hand again. Only then did he obey and sit back down in the shade, which would soon be in sunlight as time was going by. "I'm sorry," he said as he sat down, hoping she wasn't too angry. And if she was happy or laughing then he did what he wanted to do.
She wanted to know if he was fit to be a Turk. Well, the incredible physical strength was obviously apparent, but how could he show her. "Come here for a second," he said to her, grabbing three empty coffee mugs. With his hand he pulled Lu from her seat and pulled her gently along with him, taking her outside. He tossed a handful of money at the waiter who seemed pleased, even though he was stealing a few of the mugs. Outside he told her to stay where she was on the side walk as he stood in the center of the road.
"Watch," was all he said before tossing all three mugs into the sky as hard as he could, they easily reached a few stories high. In a flash he had both pistols out, spun them on his finger and claw, and took three rapid shots turning the mugs into shards as they fell back to the ground. And before they hit he had put his guns back, and turned to Lucrecia.
Lucrecia was staring. Her jaw wasn't hanging open but it was pretty slack. "T...wow. That was...amazing." If she'd been aware she'd said that exact same thing last night, she might have chosen a different compliment, but to her knowledge, he'd never heard her say it before. She looked quite adorable, a shy and impressed grin on her face as she regarded him, a little flush on her cheeks because she knew he was showing off for her. Her chin was ducked down a little bit, self-conscious and trying not to giggle like a moron.
She'd never been allowed near guns as a child. Her parents had been overprotective--she hadn't even been allowed to date until she was 18, and by that point she'd been a junior in college. And even then her father had pressured her to not go on dates until grad school. Grad school had really been her unbecoming--she'd dated, gotten wasted, failed a class (not to mention a whole semester) for the first time in her life, changed majors, nearly dropped out... But she'd never been near a gun, especially one being fired. It was louder than she'd expected, but Vincent was so accurate, and it really was impressive.
A sudden thought came to her and she asked without thinking, "I bet you can use materia, too?" She'd never learned about them except in the most base of senses--her father had wanted her to be a surgeon (like he was) and so things like materia were entirely unnecessary. He considered them some sort of strange and unscientific voodoo and she hadn't been allowed to ever learn about them. She knew they were crystallized Lifestream, and that was about it. And frankly, not being able to use materia was a little bit more embarrassing than knowing nothing about guns. Almost everyone could use them to some extent.
Vincent had been shooting at a very early age. His father gave him an education in everything, and he only became a TURK instead of going to college, even though he could have easily gone to any. He excelled in shooting and was one of the basis' he had been accepted to being a Turk. Of course he had made it through basic training but his lonewolf style got him recommended to the Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department.
Vincent nodded to her question, as he pulled out one of his guns, and popped out a green materia. He rolled it on his fingers before handing it over to her. "I don't use it often but its standard issue," he said as she looked with that scientist look that he knew very well. "It's Fire Materia." When she was done he put it back into his weapon. "Watch."
Again he would show off. Tossing a rock up into the air Vincent focused his strength into the materia, and pushed one hand out in front of him. "Fire!" he yelled, and on the rock was engulf in red flames. The only thing that made it to the ground was a bunch of ashes that fell on the shards of the mugs.
Vincent returned back to her, placing his weapon in its holster. Looking down at her feet he was reminded that she would want new clothes. "Would you like to find some new clothes?" he asked, already sort of knowing the answer. It was nice to ask her anyways.
"Huh? W--yeah." She was kind of stunned, and stepped into the road to investigate the ash. "That'd be good... This--chemical combustion with no physical catalyst--the Lifestream must have somehow manipulated...God, the essence of matter itself, the physical properties of--combustion--reduced combustion temperatures significantly or somehow restructured the ionic bonds to be carbon chains... You can't just..." She babbled a bit more to herself in science-language before turning to look up at him. "How the fuck did you do that?! You just broke physics!"
And then a look of realization dawned on her face. "Oh. Quantum mechanics. Maybe, possibly, the Lifestream can influence the probabilities that govern the most basic fundamental particles of matter..." Breaking into an apologetic little smile, she stepped back over to him. "Sorry, I had a scientist moment, so if you didn't follow any of that, I'm sorry. You mentioned...clothes, right?" She looked up at him shyly, putting a hand on his upper arm. "I don't know how much cash I have left--thank you for breakfast, by the way." Maybe he'd teach her how to use the materia sometime. Maybe even fire his gun, though she was a bit dubious about that.
Vincent looked into her eyes, his head tiled down at her. "You know, there is such a thing as magic," he wasn't much of a scientist. His gun worked, he cleaned it every night, but somehow he could use fire, lightning, cure and other things just by putting these small orbs into his gun--so for him, he believed in magic. Hell, it was easier to believe in magic than go through whatever the hell she had just said. "I'll let you borrow one if you want," he said.
Vincent thought back to the money he stole. Well, Chaos killed those people, and Vincent needed some money to survive. So, he was up quite a lot, and would have no problem going out shopping. "Don't worry about it, I happened on a good amount of money," he said to her.
She laughed a little, hugging his arm slightly. "Once I get a job I can pay you back, Vin--I don't know how high the call is for people in my field in this place, but I ought to be able to land something decent."
"...I never said there wasn't any magic. I just wanted to know how the magic worked." Obviously, what he had performed had just been magic, but that didn't mean there wasn't a logical explanation for the phenomenon. When he offered to let her borrow one, she shrugged a little watching her feet as they walked. "I don't know what I'd do with it, really. I...can't use materia. At all." She sounded a bit ashamed and self-conscious about it--a lot of people laughed at her for it, and though they didn't really make fun of her, she'd grown a bit sensitive to the subject when every person she met snorted a little when she admitted it. "I never learned how." When had she gotten such dirty feet? She was still staring at them as she walked, and her mind began to drift off the sensitive subject, trying to recall how she'd managed to get her feet so dirty. As she recalled clambering out of the bar window to skip out on the tab, leaving that Legato man to deal with her vomit and a probably very angry waitstaff, Lucrecia decided a shower was very high priority on her to-do list.
How it worked? It was magic. That was it. Or at least, that was how Vincent thought of it. "Please, don't worry about it. I'm not going to take your money." Who said chivalry was dead?
"I'll teach you. Everyone has the ability to use materia," he said, then touched her chest, above her breasts, about where her heart was. "The power comes from the Heart," he said in an odd sentimental way. He smiled at her, nodding. Again with the magic of the Heart. Had his father told him about it? He wasn't sure, his memory really wasn't much of what it used to be. The only things he remembered with clarity was his time with Lucrecia.
After walking for a while they came upon a nice looking clothing store, which Vincent pointed out. "How about that store?" he asked. Outside the store were racks of clothes and what seemed like many more inside. He knew she loved her labcoat, but wasn't sure what else she liked to wear. He wasn't much on fashion.
[ On fashion.]
"S--thanks," she said with a little apologetic smile, cutting off her apology to thank him as he got the door for her. "I just don't like feeling short." Unaware that he knew her explanation already, she launched into it. "I like being strong, independent, I guess. A lot of people think I'm fragile because I'm female and I'm short, but..." She gestured to her neck slightly, letting her hand span down her body before falling at her side again, "As you can see, I'm nowhere near fragile." Which was a good thing--if he'd done anything to actually hurt her, make her slip a disk or fracture something, she'd have been a lot less amicable.
She sat in the sun, smiling a little and appreciating his attentiveness--how had he known she wanted to sit in the warmth? Hmm. Her mind was filtering over what she was slowly recalling about his strange arm. She didn't want to be rude and ask about it again, considering she was fully aware she must have inquired about it the night before. So she was trying very hard to remember, her eyes trained on Vincent's attractive face, the slant of his jaw, his delightful hair, those pretty eyes... Eyes--shit, she'd forgotten to put on make-up. Trying not to be self-conscious about it, she continued looking up at him, unaware of how lovely her eyes were as they glittered slightly, how her hair shone in the sunlight... Damn it, what was it he'd said about it? She was sure he'd explained the arm to her already...
He nodded as she talked about her independence. He knew that's how she felt, but always thought she wanted to rely on someone too. Maybe he was wrong, but he thought he hit the nail on the head. Vincent was pretty happy he didn't really hurt her. Had he, he never would have forgiven himself at all.
Vincent was looking at Lucrecia the entire time and noticed what she noticed. Even sitting across from her he could see her cute eyes flicker from him to his claw. And he did tell he that he would explain everything. He sighed, taking a sip of the tea he ordered, starting his story.
"You came to work with my father at ShinRa. I was there too, it being on of my first duties as a Turk to watch over the project. Things happened, we fell in love, my dad died and other things. We drifted apart, I'm still not sure why, and eventually I was assigned to protect a Professor Gast's project. The other man was named Hojo, the older version of the Hojo in this world. He tricked you into having a child with him for an experiment. I tried to stop him but he shot me. And then did this to me," he said, showing her his claw up close.
"That's why I don't trust that man at all. Even if he doesn't know the things he did to me, I can never forgive him." Vincent's gaze wandered outside, wondering if he should mention Chaos. He decided he would wait to let her hear about that side of him.
"...D--" Never had he ever seen her face so utterly...overwhelmed. Obviously, she hadn't been expecting that explanation; she looked completely floored, unable to even grasp what he'd just said.
And then... Tick, tick, tick, -click!- "You're him! You're that--you're the...you're..." Oh no, then her hand went to brush her hair back, her forehead in her palm, like when she was trying to stay calm and failing. Stupid estrogen injection, making her so easily upset. "The...I talked to you. You're the one who knew about my... Plants, cancer..." Dammit, she could be coherent! Scowling at herself, she inhaled slowly, refusing to hyperventilate like she wanted to.
"...Vincent," she said at long last, staring angrily at the tabletop, tears welling in her eyes for no reason--her lack of control on her emotions was pissing her off, and she wasn't actually mad at the man at all. Not that he could tell from her voice tight with emotion and the way she was glowering at the wood grain of the table, refusing to look up at him, her fingertips pressing against her hair as her hand tightened around her forehead, wanting to curl into a fist but unable to, as her head was in the way. "Vincent Valentine. You're Vincent Valentine." Dammit! How could she be so stupid?! He'd even said his name, and she hadn't realized.
Unbelievably irritated with herself for being so dense, and for being so emotional over everything, she continued to glare at the tabletop, tears welling in her eyes and dripping out without her eyen blinking. Fuck. And now she was crying in front of him. "You're the one from my future. The cr--" No, he wasn't crazy. He'd proven himself, with that knowledge about her botany and all. "The one..." Her voice was shaking--WHY couldn't she handle herself?
...Oh. The estrogen injection. The realization hit her and pissed her off more--she would be better able to handle this if she hadn't needed it.
And then a second realization hit: she'd needed it. "And I fucked you. Drunk and I fucked you, and I don't even REMEMBER..." Damn her shaking voice! She was just glad the little diner was practically empty.
What?! She thought he was a different Vincent? How could she? Vincent was feeling pretty stupid as he watched her cry, not having a single idea what to do. Was he supposed to comfort her? Did she just to call him crazy? Oh this was not good.
"Lucrecia...please, please don't cry," he tried pleading. He put his hand out to touch her, but as he did he saw a teardrop hit the table, causing him to withdraw his hand. Of course this was causing a scene and many people had started to stare at the two. She had said the estrogen would make her like this, but he never really expected it.
"Please forgive me, I thought you knew..." Vincent wanted to get out of there immediately. He even started to get up from his seat, even under the stares of everyone in the diner.
"Don't. Leave," she hissed through clenched teeth, frustration and irritation flaring as he tried to ditch her once again. "Sit the fuck back down; don't you fucking dare--" She didn't finish the sentence, grinding her teeth together to clamp down on a sob.
She swallowed hard, gulped, inhaled slowly, exhaled slowly, inhaled again. Without looking up, she said softly, her voice quivering a bit, "It's okay, I-I'm not...mad. It's okay, this is okay..." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself. "So you're Grimiore's son. And, for you, we met in the lab and started going out." Okay, that she could understand--he was drop dead gorgeous, sexy, strong... She would date him. That part sat easy with her. But then...they fell in love? And then they grew apart...
Oh God, she'd done it again, hadn't she? With him, she'd done that thing she did. Fell in love, been intimate and happy and completely content... And then she'd started thinking. Overthinking. Overanalyzing everything, thinking herself sick until she could barely feel anything for him through the layers of thought. And then she'd started avoiding him, not wanting to be untrue until she was done thinking it over. But she was never done thinking it over, never finished, there was always more thinking, more problems, more angles to examine, more bases to cover-- She knew why they'd grown apart, and she hadn't even been there.
She inhaled again, exhaled, and spoke again. "And, from the sound of it, my life kind of turns to shit after you, eh?" It was a joke, but she couldn't manage to make the tone right, so it came out as a morbid prediction of her own doom. "Yours too. I get knocked up and end up in a test tube, and you...get shot trying to help me out. Even after I--" God, she couldn't even say it. Even after I thought myself into leaving you. "...And you're still so nice to me..." she mused, taking her napkin and using it to dry her eyes, stunned and possibly appreciative amazement replacing her anger and tears.
Vincent quickly sat down, his eyes wide. 'She...just yelled at me?' he thought. She really did. Vincent didn't know why they grew apart. Ok, he knew a little. She blamed herself for killing his father, and couldn't be with him any longer. Vincent never understood that but he let it go. He was still in love with her then and even sitting in another world in a diner he was just as in love with her.
"Lucrecia...you're still the same woman I knew...and I still love you," he said to her, picking up her hands and taking them in his. He had no idea why he was telling her that, knowing full well, after he said it, that she would probably be freaked out by that. And there was no way he was going to be able to leave anytime soon.
"I never blamed you for anything...how could I?" he asked her, staring deep into her eyes with his own red hued orbs. He watched her like that for a few moments. He wanted to make her stop crying, and wanted to make her happy. And so he leaned over the table a little, kissing her forehead for a moment, just like he used to.
The gentle kiss wrenched a soft sob from her, and she nearly broke down crying again. To his eyes it probably looked like he'd made it worse once more; there was no way he could tell that the gentle kiss offered a world of comfort, as did his hands on hers, though the metal was a bit strange for her.
He loved her; that she could grasp. She'd loved him too, apparently, and it wasn't hard to imagine--she'd known him less than a day and already she liked him a whole lot. He was sweet, quite a gentleman, and though she didn't know much about him as a person, he was a Turk, strong and well-trained, and that kind of powerful competence did more than just arouse her a bit. It, coupled with how strangely gentle he seemed, made her feel safe with him, and though she was in no position to predict anything beyond French toast and a good shot of brandy--which she decided she needed--she could believe him when he said she'd fallen for him.
He'd never blamed her. That both stung and was gratifying at once. She'd overthought everything and eventually pulled away from him--she was so flakey, and she hated it--and he still didn't hate her for it. Even when she'd gone and done something as stupid as getting pregnant and being an experiment, he'd tried to save her. She didn't deserve that kind of loyalty. It was touching and made her feel grimy all at once.
What the fuck? It hadn't even happened yet and she was feeling guilty. "Don't--you...you probably should have. Knowing me..." She swallowed, staring intently at the tabletop as the waiter set down water and coffee for both of them, awkwardly inquiring if they wanted drinks and were ready to order. God. She didn't want to talk to anyone outside of Vincent at the moment, and so she just glowered down at the table, looking very reminiscent of an angry cat, even if she didn't have ears to fold back.
Vincent wasn't sure how to react at her. He tried to comfort her, but he wasn't sure if he was even doing it right. Maybe this Lu needed to be treated differently. About the time the waiter came he pulled his claw back under the table, leaving just one hand to hook his fingers with hers. She didn't look like she could talk to anyone else yet he knew she was hungry and knew what she wanted. French Toast for her, and two eggs over easy for him. Nodding, the waiter left the couple alone to go put the order in.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, you don't have to worry about any of that," he said, once again lost in her eyes. "This is another chance I think. To make up for everything." Vincent sort of shrugged, yet still smiled at her. "There's nothing to be sad about. I'm happy, just to be here with you," he explained, tightening his grip on her hand gently to reassure her.
"I promise, I won't leave you," he said, coming out straight. "Everything will be fine."
He must have done something right; something he'd said drew a weak smile to her lips, her eyes shining and that disturbing Mako green as she looked into his red ones, finding them kind and comforting, though the red had great potential to be frightening if he were ever angry at her. She hated feeling physically intimidated...though he seemed so sweet, she doubted he'd ever really get mad enough to frighten her.
"...I don't know if I can make up for everything. I...haven't gone through any of the things you have--I didn't know you before today. Or, well, yesterday..." She took a sip of her water, the cold soothing her tight throat. "I can't just... You must know that it can't be...like it was, like you remember it being. Not for me." She looked apologetic, almost sad that she couldn't make it easy for him. "...Because I don't l--" Catching herself before she said the wrong thing again, she tried again, "I can't just dive in, just take your word for it and start to love you because you're from my future and know I will. I...for me, it's...it's not there yet, Vin." In the instant she stopped before the second syllable of his name, she winced, but then didn't correct herself. She wanted to call him Vin; he was probably used to her calling him Vin, and so there really was no problem with it. It didn't occur to her that it might hurt him to hear the nickname again.
A sharp pain shot through his heart, as if a bullet hit it. She had called him Vin, and was starting to say that she didn't love him. However, Vincent simply just stayed stoic, his face unchanging. Maybe Lucrecia noticed his pain, but he kept still. Taking a sip of the coffee, Vincent stared inside the cup, as if lost in it. A few moments later he looked up to Lu.
"Don't worry about anything. I'll protect you while we are here, and help you get back to your time," Vincent said, still looking inside his mug. He wasn't sure if you could even get out of Paixao, but he would try for Lucrecia. And one day he might be able to find his Lu.
She nodded quietly, finding herself staring at his hand again. The waiter chose that moment to come by and put their food down before practically fleeing once more. "Thank you--" Lucrecia managed before the guy fled; poor guy, it must have been really awkward for him to be their server, with the scene she'd been making.
Even the smell of French toast calmed her. It cheered her up a bit, soothed her and made her smile a little. "Okay. I...thanks, Vin. For all this. For understanding. For--" For last night? They'd...fuck.
It was pretty obvious her expression changed as she realized it. She'd had sex with him, not knowing who he was. But Vincent... "...You banged me," she stated, pointing at him and using her entire arm to punctuate each word, "knowing full well who I was, knowing full well I didn't know you, and you did it anyway?" It was hard to tell if she was mad or not; her voice was accusing and incredulous, and the pointing finger didn't help any.
Oh shit. That was not good. He really didn't want to tell her about Chaos. He didn't really like to tell anyone about him. Vincent placed his mug back on the table, finally looking up at her. If he didn't tell her what happened, or at least tell her something reasonable, she was going to be angry. And no matter what time she was from, Lucrecia was not the one you should make angry. Chaos was of course laughing the entire time.
"That man Hojo...it's his fault," he began, obviously by blaming that damned doctor. "When he was experimenting on me...he possessed me with demons." he said, unable to figure how else to explain it to her so she would believe him. 'Who says banged now-a-days?' Chaos asked laughing.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough to control them..." He remembered the only one whoever stopped Chaos from taking over was Lucrecia. Maybe she could figure out a way to keep him under control too. "I am sorry Lucrecia," Vincent said, staring down at the table.
"...Demons. A scientist possessed you with demons. Which later took you over when you fucked me." It was a blunt statement, not angry or incredulous, more...stunned. "...So all this wasn't you, then," concluded the woman, gesturing to her purple neck where she knew there was a bite mark. So it hadn't been him who'd done all that damage, but something inside him, something darker...
Her mind began ticking, wondering exactly what had happened, exactly how something like that could be accomplished. Obviously, it would have involved materia--nothing had the power to do something like that outside of the pure concentrated Lifestream. She wished she knew more about materia now. She didn't even know how to use them.
"...So he somehow fused you with a materia so that you can't ever get rid of it?" God, then she noticed how upset he was. She reached out, intending on grabbing his hand but then changing her mind, slipping a few fingers under his chin and tilting his head up so she could see his face. "...Look at me," she entreated softly, smiling a little. This poor guy had a lot of issues. An everlasting grudge against the man who'd experimented on him, a love for a woman who didn't even know him...
If only she were better at this kind of thing. "It's okay," she assured him after a moment. "I was drunk and honestly, found you exceedingly attractive. You didn't really have much choice in the matter--I wanted you and am used to getting my way." What a strange way to console him. She had no idea if it was consolation at all; at least it was truth. "...Frankly, I'm kind of glad you didn't do all this to me. Relieved, I guess." It had been bothering her a bit, that this man who said he loved her would hurt her body so.
Vincent allowed her to tilt his head up for him, still looking just as bad. Then her shook his head slightly.
"I don't really know how he did it. All I can remember is," Vincent looked at his missing hand, his face overcome with pain, "incredible pain."
He wanted to know if she ever worried about him. If she ever wondered where he went. Hojo had to have lied to her, that must have been it. But this wasn't that Lucrecia. So he kept quiet, looking at her from across the table. And blamed himself for all those marks.
"I should have been able to stay in control," he told her, slamming his fist into the table. "I'm not strong enough!" He wasn't looking at her anymore, his eyes staring at his hand. He had knocked over his mug, but it had been empty. Finally he looked up to Lucrecia's eyes, those beautiful eyes, and calmed down quickly.
"I'm sorry about that..."
She giggled a little, her smile cute and endearing. "Hell, it's okay--I expect a lot of myself too. I don't like to think of you in pain, though..." She brushed his hair back with a few fingers, her arm getting tired--she wanted to withdraw her hand but didn't want him to stay upset. Though there was really nothing she could do.
...Didn't he mention that this Hojo person was here, in Paixao? Maybe...if I can find him and figure out what he did, I might be able to reverse it... She was, after all, a doctor. "It's all right, Vin, really. It was great at the time, okay?" Oiy, probably not the best thing to say. This was like a lose-lose situation, with nothing she could say to cheer him up. "...I wish you'd stop being so sad," she commented, knowing it wouldn't keep him from doing so. "Anything bad that happened between us in your memory hasn't happened for me yet--so it's like it never happened. There's nothing I resent you for, Vin. So you shouldn't feel guilty, at least." Angry with himself for losing control, she could understand. Angry with this Hojo person for screwing up his life, she could understand. But guilt and sadness on her account were illogical and unacceptable. "C'mon, cheer up. ...Your eggs are getting cold." She grinned a little, finding herself trying not to enjoy his company too much.
What? Why was she doing that? He was sweet, a little troubled, but nice, and attractive to boot--why was she trying so hard not to like him? Because it wasn't fair to him? Because he had problems--everyone did, right? Because-- Oh no. She was doing it again. Thinking. Dammit! She decided not to think anymore (because that always worked).
Vincent looked down at his eggs. They did look quite good. Picking up his knife and fork he cut into them, taking large bites. It had been nearly three days since his last meal. He wondered why he wasn't hungrier. And Vincent was enjoying her company a lot. He decided if he was going to be with her, at least until they found their way out, he would stop forcing her away.
"Thank you Lucrecia," he said to her with a smile on his face. "It's good to have a friend." There. He wasn't sure if it would work, but maybe it would please her for him to say that. It worked for him at least. Eating the last of the eggs, Vincent looked over at Lu.
"How was it? You always did like French toast," he said laughing a little. He remembered back in Midgar, the two of them going out to eat after a hot and heavy night. And eating the same exact things. He wasn't sure if he was sad at the memory or happy. He did however, wish to make more memories with her. Who knew how long they would be together, and Vincent wanted to make the best of it.
On the other hand, Vincent wasn't trying not to like her. Hell, he was already in love with her, and had already been. And he didn't even know it. He was treating her just like he treated the old Lucrecia, always forgetting that she was not her. he did it unconsciously: opening the door for her, staring into her eyes, holding her hand-it was like nothing happened. And all of her inner turmoil went unseen by Vincent. For all he knew she was in love with him, she just didn't know it yet. If she could love him once, she could love him again. That was his motto for the time being.
"It's a comfort food. It always makes me feel better..." She'd long since pulled her hand back, and she rested her temple on the heel of her hand, elbow on the table, unwittingly displaying the mottled purple on her neck. "It was good, though. You sure ate fast." Mmm, she felt good inside, a soft, warm, almost sleepy feeling. French toast always did that to her.
"Yeah, I'm glad to have a friend, too." When she stifled a yawn, Lucrecia realized it wasn't just the sleepy French toast feeling, and poured herself a cup of coffee, adding more sugar than would actually dissolve in the liquid and then adding just enough cream to make it the color of suede. Sometimes she was such a kid. Drinking her sugar-caffeine hybrid, Lu smiled, her mind sifting through things.
I'll protect you... It was that man Hojo... Back to your time... Tricked you into having a child...for experiments... Incredible pain...
"...Vincent, if I--" She paused, then started again. "Say there's no way to get back. You mentioned before that there wasn't a way, or that it was doubtful. What then?" There, a much more objective way to ask the question. If I don't want to go back...what would we do? She didn't want to give him false hopes, which is why she didn't mention her plan of talking to Hojo about his experiments to see if she might be able to help Vincent, but the way he'd described her future in Midgar seemed less than pleasant. She really didn't have any desire to get pregnant, let alone experimented on, and so maybe falling into Paixao wasn't such a bad thing. Her debts were gone, and as long as she could get a job, she'd be all right. She didn't understand much about this world, but she knew that with a steady job, anything was possible.
No way to get back? He first looked like he was going to answer right away, then stopped himself. Putting his finger to his lip, Vincent thought about that. If he didn't get home how bad could it be here? No Midgar with its Mako Reactors. No Sephiroth. A chance to start over. Maybe if he was able to scare this Hojo enough he could get that damned man to fix him. ...Or Lucrecia might be able to help him! He smiled as he thought this, but wouldn't tell her why. It was wishful thinking that was all. Not to mention that he might be able to start over with this Lucrecia. To tell the truth, she was just like he remembered his Lucrecia. And already he could find himself living his life with her.
"Before this I was asleep in a coffin," he said lightheartedly. "If I'm stuck here, I will try to make the best of it." Vincent looked around the small diner. Everyone seemed to have moved on and weren't staring at them anymore. Vincent had watched as she put way too much sugar in her coffee, smirking.
"You need to use less sugar. It's not good for you," he said smiling. Then he thought of something. "Is it uncomfortable for you that I know a lot about you?" he asked with a frown.
She laughed a little. "Eh, I don't know. It's a little weird, I guess, but I'm not like upset by it." Wow. She wasn't kidding about the estrogen. She was bright and happy and bubbly again, and now she was caffeinated and on a sugar rush to top it all off. "It's...kinda nice? Maybe? I don't really know... But it doesn't exactly bother me, no--I guess the only thing that bugs me a bit is that I can't do it back. I know practically nothing about you, as a person. I know about your...history, and some things that are kind of strange about you, but other than the fact that you like eggs over easy and seem really unassuming and sweet, I don't know too much--"
A sudden thought struck her. "You're a Turk, you said? Uhm...I'm kinda sorry about this, but could you, like...introduce...me? Yourself to me? I would have just met you yesterday, in Mr. Valentine's lab, right?" Oh shit, she was babbling. Caffeine + sugar + estrogen was almost as bad as alcohol.
Vincent nodded, staring at his empty mug. "I'd like to tell you more about me," he said, "if you'll listen." Vincent smiled over at her, lost again in those eyes. "Introduce myself?" he asked. "As if you just met me? Um, alright," Vincent said, pulling his hair out of his face. Out of character, Vincent stood up, and stood over Lucrecia in the sunlight.
"Hello Miss Crescent. My name is Vincent Valentine. I am the TURK that is overseeing this project. Also, my father is the one in charge," he said stoically, remembering the day he introduced himself to her. They were in Midgar, in the lobby of the ShinRa Building. He was in his suit, and had a folder with her file in it. When she put her hand out for him he kissed it. He didn't kiss her hand back then, but he wanted to at the moment.
She giggled again as he kissed her hand, suddenly remembering holding out her hand to him once before. At the bar, yes--and he's stared at her. Poor thing, she hadn't even noticed he was acting strangely. God, that must have been awkward for him, last night. "Call me Lu, okay?" she answered, finding something strangely comforting in pretending she was back in Midgar. "...And sit down! People are watching again." She was grinning like an idiot, even blushing a little.
"So I'm wondering, Vincent, if you landed the job as the Turk overseeing the project on your own merit or you're father's," she teased a little--it was strange, she'd said nearly the same thing last time, though she'd been a bit more businesslike and afraid to make jokes. She'd been rather hungover that day, though she'd done her best to hide it from her new affiliates. "Just how adept a Turk are you?" She was going to inquire about the project as well, but...it didn't seem like she'd ever get to work on it, so there wasn't much point in asking about that, though she was wondering why Turks were assigned to oversee any sort of scientific research. What could possibly be so dangerous?
With her hand still in his hand Vincent stayed a little bit longer, waiting until everyone was watching. "Nice to meet you Lu," he said and kissed her hand again. Only then did he obey and sit back down in the shade, which would soon be in sunlight as time was going by. "I'm sorry," he said as he sat down, hoping she wasn't too angry. And if she was happy or laughing then he did what he wanted to do.
She wanted to know if he was fit to be a Turk. Well, the incredible physical strength was obviously apparent, but how could he show her. "Come here for a second," he said to her, grabbing three empty coffee mugs. With his hand he pulled Lu from her seat and pulled her gently along with him, taking her outside. He tossed a handful of money at the waiter who seemed pleased, even though he was stealing a few of the mugs. Outside he told her to stay where she was on the side walk as he stood in the center of the road.
"Watch," was all he said before tossing all three mugs into the sky as hard as he could, they easily reached a few stories high. In a flash he had both pistols out, spun them on his finger and claw, and took three rapid shots turning the mugs into shards as they fell back to the ground. And before they hit he had put his guns back, and turned to Lucrecia.
Lucrecia was staring. Her jaw wasn't hanging open but it was pretty slack. "T...wow. That was...amazing." If she'd been aware she'd said that exact same thing last night, she might have chosen a different compliment, but to her knowledge, he'd never heard her say it before. She looked quite adorable, a shy and impressed grin on her face as she regarded him, a little flush on her cheeks because she knew he was showing off for her. Her chin was ducked down a little bit, self-conscious and trying not to giggle like a moron.
She'd never been allowed near guns as a child. Her parents had been overprotective--she hadn't even been allowed to date until she was 18, and by that point she'd been a junior in college. And even then her father had pressured her to not go on dates until grad school. Grad school had really been her unbecoming--she'd dated, gotten wasted, failed a class (not to mention a whole semester) for the first time in her life, changed majors, nearly dropped out... But she'd never been near a gun, especially one being fired. It was louder than she'd expected, but Vincent was so accurate, and it really was impressive.
A sudden thought came to her and she asked without thinking, "I bet you can use materia, too?" She'd never learned about them except in the most base of senses--her father had wanted her to be a surgeon (like he was) and so things like materia were entirely unnecessary. He considered them some sort of strange and unscientific voodoo and she hadn't been allowed to ever learn about them. She knew they were crystallized Lifestream, and that was about it. And frankly, not being able to use materia was a little bit more embarrassing than knowing nothing about guns. Almost everyone could use them to some extent.
Vincent had been shooting at a very early age. His father gave him an education in everything, and he only became a TURK instead of going to college, even though he could have easily gone to any. He excelled in shooting and was one of the basis' he had been accepted to being a Turk. Of course he had made it through basic training but his lonewolf style got him recommended to the Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department.
Vincent nodded to her question, as he pulled out one of his guns, and popped out a green materia. He rolled it on his fingers before handing it over to her. "I don't use it often but its standard issue," he said as she looked with that scientist look that he knew very well. "It's Fire Materia." When she was done he put it back into his weapon. "Watch."
Again he would show off. Tossing a rock up into the air Vincent focused his strength into the materia, and pushed one hand out in front of him. "Fire!" he yelled, and on the rock was engulf in red flames. The only thing that made it to the ground was a bunch of ashes that fell on the shards of the mugs.
Vincent returned back to her, placing his weapon in its holster. Looking down at her feet he was reminded that she would want new clothes. "Would you like to find some new clothes?" he asked, already sort of knowing the answer. It was nice to ask her anyways.
"Huh? W--yeah." She was kind of stunned, and stepped into the road to investigate the ash. "That'd be good... This--chemical combustion with no physical catalyst--the Lifestream must have somehow manipulated...God, the essence of matter itself, the physical properties of--combustion--reduced combustion temperatures significantly or somehow restructured the ionic bonds to be carbon chains... You can't just..." She babbled a bit more to herself in science-language before turning to look up at him. "How the fuck did you do that?! You just broke physics!"
And then a look of realization dawned on her face. "Oh. Quantum mechanics. Maybe, possibly, the Lifestream can influence the probabilities that govern the most basic fundamental particles of matter..." Breaking into an apologetic little smile, she stepped back over to him. "Sorry, I had a scientist moment, so if you didn't follow any of that, I'm sorry. You mentioned...clothes, right?" She looked up at him shyly, putting a hand on his upper arm. "I don't know how much cash I have left--thank you for breakfast, by the way." Maybe he'd teach her how to use the materia sometime. Maybe even fire his gun, though she was a bit dubious about that.
Vincent looked into her eyes, his head tiled down at her. "You know, there is such a thing as magic," he wasn't much of a scientist. His gun worked, he cleaned it every night, but somehow he could use fire, lightning, cure and other things just by putting these small orbs into his gun--so for him, he believed in magic. Hell, it was easier to believe in magic than go through whatever the hell she had just said. "I'll let you borrow one if you want," he said.
Vincent thought back to the money he stole. Well, Chaos killed those people, and Vincent needed some money to survive. So, he was up quite a lot, and would have no problem going out shopping. "Don't worry about it, I happened on a good amount of money," he said to her.
She laughed a little, hugging his arm slightly. "Once I get a job I can pay you back, Vin--I don't know how high the call is for people in my field in this place, but I ought to be able to land something decent."
"...I never said there wasn't any magic. I just wanted to know how the magic worked." Obviously, what he had performed had just been magic, but that didn't mean there wasn't a logical explanation for the phenomenon. When he offered to let her borrow one, she shrugged a little watching her feet as they walked. "I don't know what I'd do with it, really. I...can't use materia. At all." She sounded a bit ashamed and self-conscious about it--a lot of people laughed at her for it, and though they didn't really make fun of her, she'd grown a bit sensitive to the subject when every person she met snorted a little when she admitted it. "I never learned how." When had she gotten such dirty feet? She was still staring at them as she walked, and her mind began to drift off the sensitive subject, trying to recall how she'd managed to get her feet so dirty. As she recalled clambering out of the bar window to skip out on the tab, leaving that Legato man to deal with her vomit and a probably very angry waitstaff, Lucrecia decided a shower was very high priority on her to-do list.
How it worked? It was magic. That was it. Or at least, that was how Vincent thought of it. "Please, don't worry about it. I'm not going to take your money." Who said chivalry was dead?
"I'll teach you. Everyone has the ability to use materia," he said, then touched her chest, above her breasts, about where her heart was. "The power comes from the Heart," he said in an odd sentimental way. He smiled at her, nodding. Again with the magic of the Heart. Had his father told him about it? He wasn't sure, his memory really wasn't much of what it used to be. The only things he remembered with clarity was his time with Lucrecia.
After walking for a while they came upon a nice looking clothing store, which Vincent pointed out. "How about that store?" he asked. Outside the store were racks of clothes and what seemed like many more inside. He knew she loved her labcoat, but wasn't sure what else she liked to wear. He wasn't much on fashion.
[ On fashion.]