005 ¥ Audio

[provenworth]

[Its been a while since Elena's made any sort of announcement since she last announced the opening of her shop. She'd been the busy little bee, what with the daily work of running a shop and the personal classes she offered. And this feed has none of that excitement previously heard.]

K-Kimihiko....

[Her voice is certainly a lot lower than usual, and

Comments

text.

[zealouspeter]

[not to hesitate because of something like 'appropriateness,']

How did he die?

text.

[provenworth]

He was shot.

Who is asking?

text.

[zealouspeter]

Shiroe.

Who's this?

text.

[provenworth]

I'm Elena.

How did you know Kimi?

[voice]

[axemeaquestion]

[Well, shit. Didn't sound like anybody was having a good day. Bad news liked to happen about every other day here, but it's hard to ignore somebody crying. Or gonna. It doesn't help with you can sympathize.]

You don't know me, but. I'm sorry about your friend.

[voice]

[provenworth]

....T-Thank you. It seems I'm not the only person to report the death of a friend.

[Oh yes, Elena's been watching the comms. Its been a sad day for the city, that's for sure. She's swallowing hard, trying not to sound as upset as she was.]

[voice] THAT SO DID NOT HAPPEN

[axemeaquestion]

Yeah... yeah, you're not. [If Elena knows, then Rochelle's tired tone may not be that hard to decipher.] What's your name?

[voice] XD

[provenworth]

[Despite her lack of activity, Elena does her best to stay informed as to what happens in the city. Its that verbal cue, that exhausted sound, that clues her in that she apparently wasn't the only one who saw that earlier message.]

You were friends with the other person, I take it? If so, I-I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm Elena. And you?

[Voice]

[gaveherwings]

Ooe...

[There were still too many questions about that man yet unanswered. But without Shinji and Kazuhiko here-

Well, that made a death no less relevant or poignant, did it?]

...Are you alright? What happened?

[Voice]

[provenworth]

[That voice...ah yes, she's placed it now. Doctor Yumeno, from before. It's been a while since they'd talked, hadn't it?]

....I've been better. [Far better actually. She's just barely done the medical basics for her two gunshot wounds and burns, but she couldn't just leave him there. Alone.] I-I was having my normal class with Kimi when he just... It happened so fast, I can't really say what happened. I was talking to Kimihiko, then it wasn't Kimihiko...

[Voice]

[gaveherwings]

Then it wasn't Kimihiko?

Could it be that he was a part of the project as well?

[Private]

Please tell me as much as you can.

[Voice] || Private

[provenworth]

I....I don't really.....

[She gives a little shuddering sigh before continuing.]

[Private]

Like I said, we were having our normal class and I was showing him proper form and grip. When I stepped aside to let him have a go, he moved forward and prepared himself to fire and....and.....he froze. I should have figured something was up but...I just thought he was pushing out some of the extra thoughts and clearing his mind.

Then next thing I know he....he's talking in this voice I've never heard him use before. He shot me! And then I hear Kimi's voice and its some sort of internal battle between them two...

Voice;

[cursestained]

...[He's silent for a while. It's not the first time he's lost a student, and not even the most painful. Still...]

How did he die. [Naoya's tone is completely neutral. There'd be no point in seeking vengeance, but he's...curious.]

Voice

[provenworth]

....

[Elena is hesitant answering that question. In a court of law, she would have been found not-guilty for manslaughter. In the court of the people, however, they were not so kind.]

He was shot.

Who is this?

Voice

[cursestained]

Naoya.

[He is the last person you want to pass judgement, harsh and eternally bitter. And yet still, in this one thing, perhaps he's more impartial than most.

He invented murder. Who is he to judge?]

Voice

[provenworth]

...A-ah!

[Hearing his name is like a punch straight to the gut. It was bound to happen, that one of the two individuals she called out by name would be reaching out to her. She should have anticipated and planned out a response.

But she'd never had to talk to anybody who know the person she'd killed before.]

I'm sorry for your loss.... Kimihiko was....a very good student of mine...

[Video]

[meteor_heart]

Elena?! What happened? Are you hurt? [Tifa's already beating feet for the door, grabbing her coat and keys.]

[Video]

[provenworth]

T-Tifa?

[Oblivious to the feed, Elena looks honestly surprised that the brunette had reached out to her. Sure, she'd seen the feeds she'd posted, but Elena had kept a careful and respectful distance. After her experience with Reno and his memories, she wasn't sure just how much Tifa knew.

It was still nice that she'd contacted her.]

I...I was having class a-an-and Kimi...he... [She shakes her head, eyes lowering. Even after everything was said and done, she was still trying to put all the pieces together. Her eyes turn back to the communicator and her blood-splattered face is finally wholly visible.] You...ah...don't happen to have Cure, do you?

[Video]

[meteor_heart]

N-no. Gaia I'm sorry, I don't. None of my materia was with me when I was pulled here, we'd stored it all away. Are you hurt? Do you need a doctor? [Tifa's leaping down the stairwells, sneakers slapping the ground on the way to her bike.]

[Video // Locked]

[provenworth]

....Damn.

[She can hear the sounds of movement on the other end of the line and Elena's giving a little smile. Never had she ever expected to be helped by somebody from the core of AVALANCHE.]

I guess there's no point in sugarcoating it; I've got minor burns and I've been shot twice. The one in the arm was a clean shot, but the second one - I've at least staunched the bleeding, but I can't properly check to see what the extent of the damage is.