witchesreign | Loss. [Action

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Loss. [Action | Front Gate]

[Not wanting to suck the life out of the quad and not feeling up to training, Snow had found himself a seat on one of the raised planters that held a few small trees and some decorative plants, out past the ID checkpoint in the landscaped area. There he sat, hands on his knees, head bowed, and thought.]

[In his right hand, he held a crystal.]

[As far as he knew... he had lost a sister. And he was amazed how much it hurt.]

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[You just said the magic word, Cid.]

Dysley.

[He punches his left palm so hard it has to hurt, but Snow doesn't seem to notice, growling through clenched teeth.]

Everything he did to us wasn't enough? Now he's gotta use Lightning? Pretending like he cares about Cocoon and she's some proud soldier doing her best to defend the Sanctum from our threat?

He'll pay. He'll PAY!

What better way to incite your rage and deepen your grief than to turn one of your own against you?

This is all hypothetical now, as Claire Farron is not from our own world, but I would not be surprised if Barthandelus had hoped to use her as a sacrifice of sorts.

Why else brand a Sanctum l'Cie and give her a Focus to stop the Pulse l'Cie--and thus the supposed fall of Cocoon--unless she is doomed to failure?

[He stops and shakes his head.]

There is still much to know about our mysterious Lieutenant and her own Cocoon, but it will likely take time to unravel it all.

Make her the hero in the eyes of the people, then show them her failing. And bring us closer to despair for having to do it!

Rrrgh!

[He punches his palm again. Hard.]

And we know the truth about Dysley, but she'll never believe us!

Perhaps not now.

But I believe we can convince her. So long as she remains here in this world, we have the time to make her understand.

[Snow's chuckle is sad, almost to the point of misery.]

Maybe you do. She hates me. Personally, not just for being a l'cie.

[Forced quiet by Snow's words, Cid shifts his weight, buying himself some time before he speaks again.

His voice is hushed.]

Apologies. I had not meant to--

[He doesn't finish his sentence. Instead he closes his mouth, hand curling into a loose fist.]

No... sorry.

[He flops heavily back down onto the planter, dropping his head.]

It's not your fault, I shouldn't be taking it out on you. You couldn't really even have known. It's just --

[Lacking words, he slams a fist into the planter next to him.]

Difficult.

[Cid closes his eyes and exhales slowly. He's unused to seeing this side of Snow. It's so strange--alien, really. Cid isn't sure how he should react. Leave? Assist? Keep talking?]

Is there anything I can do for you, Snow?

[The question takes the anger out of him with abrupt and sudden force. He's the hero, he's not the one who's supposed to need the help.]

I'm more worried about Serah.

[There was only ever one person he ever intentionally allowed to see him weak and doubting. She's gone now. He has to be strong for the rest of them.]

[Cid watches the abrupt change in Snow's demeanor. He isn't entirely sure if it's good or not. To stand strong is one thing, but burying and hiding one's emotions... That couldn't be all that healthy could it?

Irony, he thought to himself.]

I do not know of their prior relations, but I assume you worry that the Lieutenant will treat her sister poorly as well?

The way she was talking, demanding to know if Serah was a l'cie here, too... Why didn't I see it? Lightning would have stood by Serah no matter what, whether or not she was a l'cie. I thought --

It doesn't matter what I thought. If Lightning was made a Sanctum l'cie to hunt Pulse l'cie, that includes Serah.

Hm. [Cid considers this for a moment.] So not even the bonds of sisterhood can make her relent.

[He looks at Snow.]

You do not intend to do anything rash, do you?

[He looks back at Cid, meeting the other man's eyes.]

I want to -- I want to help her, if I can. I guess that's about the most rash thing I could try to do, huh.

[Cid allows himself a small smile. He needn't have worried.]

Rash, perhaps, but not necessarily a bad thing.

[Snow grins broadly, more his old self than he has been.] I'm Serah's hero, and Lightning is Serah's sister. Can't save one Farron and not the other.

And I have no doubt that you will stay true to your word, regardless of what hurdles you may come across.

Yeah, and --

[A thought occurs to him as he glances down at the brand on his forearm.]

One way or the other, I think we might have to deal with Odin. Unless she wouldn't have the same Eidolon as a Sanctum l'cie?

[It's a question but he doesn't honestly believe Cid would have an answer. After all, if Cid even had an Eidolon, he would've seen it before this... given the circumstances.]

[Cid considers this for a moment. Snow's right--he has no personal experience with Eidolons, but he can speculate.]

It is possible it may be different: branded by a different fal'Cie and having been raised in different circumstances...

While neither myself or Dajh Katzroy ever summoned one, legends certainly suggest that Cocoon l'Cie have the capability to have an Eidolon, given the right circumstances...

[Cid stops again before glancing over at Snow.]

Do you suppose she even has an Eidolon at this point?

[Given the circumstances Cid had faced, Snow finds it interesting that he never has. It raises a lot of questions that.. well, he's not the best one to articulate.]

I think if we ever convince her that we're not the enemy, that Dysley's using her, that... everything, I think that might bring it out.

[Easy enough to remember his own despair...]

[There's a moment's pause.]

What exactly is it that causes the appearance of an Eidolon, if you do not mind me asking?

You speak as though it is a result of emotional distress.

Despair. That seems to be what does it. Maybe they come to execute a l'cie that seems to be failing, but they do a pretty bad job of that. I think they're more like a wake-up call. When you're at your worst, having to beat an Eidolon helps you pull yourself together.

I see.

[Cid looks thoughtful, like he'll be taking that tidbit of information and analyzing it later on.]

In that case, then yes, I must agree with you: convincing her of all those things may just cause her to summon her Eidolon. She is strong-willed and unerringly faithful to the Sanctum right now--I imagine that such a change in views will no doubt be difficult for her.

If I just knew why...

[Too many 'why's to pick just one.]

We'll show her. Lightning may be a lot of things, but stupid was never one of them. She can't pretend that all of us, that her own sister, are all mindless engines of Cocoon's doom, if she sees us here being normal people for long enough.

[Though he chuckles, then.]

And I like to think some people here'll speak up for me if she lets any of that anger out.

[Cid smiles in turn.]

Yes, I imagine that you would have many people here to vouch for you. And you persevered at home. You won her over, did you not?

[There's a pause, but Cid's smile doesn't falter.]

Though, there will likely be more work required this time around. Not that the hero will give in, of course.

Yeah, the first time it only took constant life-and-death odds, plus help from Hope deciding not to kill me. All in all, easier than I would have guessed!

[But they'd shared something even then: love for Serah. This Lightning appeared to have surrendered that.]

[Appeared to have.]

I don't think any of us will.

Loss. [Action | Front Gate]

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/scrambles to create appropriate headcanon ajsdkfl;a

Feel free to stall on the tag! (Especially if you wanna talk to Anduin about it. I'm in no hurry.)

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