(Untitled)

[chief_mendacity]

Who: Veld and whoever else wants to wander in
When: After this and during/after the raid against Sephiroth. May go after the raid is over, who knows.
Location: Veld's office
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veld's got a broken jaw and knows better than to go beat up silver hairs when he's still healing.

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[chief_mendacity]

By the time Elfe was in the room, Veld was on his feet with his weapon drawn. His chair clanged to the floor and he sighed. "Elfe." Veld swallowed and put his gun away after flicking the safety on. "I've warned you about barging in on me." Veld wished he could open his jaw far enough to properly engage in a yelling match with his eldest daughter.

[chief_mendacity]

Veld sighed. "And you're lucky I am observant, you had your hand on the pommel of that sword as though you were going to take someone's head off." He crossed his hands over his chest and scowled as best he could with a swollen jaw. "I'm thinking that Rufus wasn't exactly giving me much choice. He'd expose me if I didn't agree to talk to Sephiroth for him. Of course, I think he just needs extra hands." And perhaps a scapegoat if it ever came down to it, but Veld didn't need to voice that

[chief_mendacity]

"Don't even consider it." Veld said firmly. He was not about to have his OTHER daughter stabbed to death by that maniac.

[chief_mendacity]

"And Sephiroth isn't human any longer, Felicia." Veld stressed. "I don't and haven't for a moment, doubted your abilities with or without materia. That doesn't play into it, that thing almost KILLED you."

In fact, it had taken years to get her to trust materia use at all, and considering that Veld himself was a mage class if anything, it could have been considered humerus.

"You're..." the words 'my daughter and I love you' were on his tongue, but they still felt awkward to say to her. Mostly a part of him felt like he didn't earn the second chance yet, that he'd missed too much to really be her father. Veld didn't want to lose the contact he had because he was a sentimental fool.

"You're capable, but Sephiroth is an unkown enemy. If the others are taken, we-" he stressed the word "-will have to find a solution."

Veld took in a deep breath. "I don't want to send you in yet, but I promise to not leave you out. If that is what you want."

[chief_mendacity]

"Elfe, I didn't expect this to be a fight, in any regard." Veld tried to explain. "I figured Rufus wanted to try a last ditch effort." a suicide mission"I didn't expect any of this or I would have brought you along." Veld didn't like to admit that some protection was a good idea, but he wasn't a spring chicken. The good people died and he had lived, and now he wasn't as helpful as he would have otherwise been

[chief_mendacity]

Seeing red? Veld himself was tired. He should have asked her to come along from the beginning. There was something... distasteful to having someone protect him still. It wasn't that Veld didn't know he was old, but it was... daunting. He remembered the odd twist when the Turks had literally followed him into certain death to save Elfe. Having people willing to die for you was a weighty feeling that he didn't feel quite worthy of.

"I'm glad you came." He offered. It wasn't like there wasn't room for her to sleep in his apartment.

[chief_mendacity]

"I think that would be best." In movies this would be where the two would hug and the years apart would have been forgiven and forgotten.

But this was reality and Veld was thankful for what he had. He would have been angry if their situations were reversed and he was well aware that it was reckless for him to allow himself to be in a fight with Yazoo or anyone else. Considering how busy the Turks were, it would be impossible for him to ask anyone else to watch his back.

And to be perfectly frank, Elfe was the only person who completely had his trust any longer. Well... her and Aerith. So strange how matters of blood tended to be truer than he wanted to admit.

"There's plenty of room in my apartment, there's a fold out couch in the office you can sleep in." When she was little, Veld remembered Elfe would curl up to sleep in his office chair.

He wondered if she remembered that. She'd been so very small that he doubted it.

[chief_mendacity]

Veld nodded. His hand twitched with the desire to hold his cheek, he had spoken too much today. "Please come by and let me know what you intend to do, Elfe."

One of these days maybe he'd stop feeling guilty for being proud of her.