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[chaos-vessel.livejournal.com]

[Vincent is standing in front of the screen, impressive and aloof in his tattered red cape, with his arms crossed over his chest, golden gauntlet on top. Most of his face is hidden behind the collar of the mantle, and he is standing in front of the Da Chao mountain in Wutai.]

In light of recent events, there are several announcements that need to be made. First, that Sephiroth, Genesis Rhapsodos, and Angeal Hewley have all been negatively affected by the nethicite that has been kept in Dr. Cidolfus's laboratory in Wutai. Genesis has already died due to exposure to the stone, and Sephiroth has been in a catatonic state for nearly two weeks because of it. Angeal's own degradation is slow, but it is happening. I myself have been... somewhat affected by the nethicite.

There are few left in Wutai who can function as effective leaders. However, the princess and heir of Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi, has appeared in this world. She can make a decision as to what happens to Wutai. I make no claims of power myself.

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[Vincent's expression (what can be seen of it) changes from neutral to something more concerned.] The nethicite... I am not sure how, but a piece of it was absorbed into my body. At the moment, all I can tell is that it is acting similarly to the protomateria and suppressing Chaos, but I am not sure if that is all. I do not know what Ho- what was done to me. It might be that it will have the same effect on me as it did on Genesis. We will likely have to wait and see.

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[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

[Pausing for too long when the other mentioned the madman's name, Ondore must have looked rather hesitant to speak at first before he found the right words to say. Genesis spoke very briefly about his origins; most of what he had told Halim was in the form of cleverly disguised poetry from LOVELESS itself. The Marquis figured if Vincent was truly a friend of Rhapsodos, then the red-cloaked man must have known about 'The Goddess' and the Gift she bestowed upon Genesis decaying form.

However, it was still a gamble to talk about such things without clearly knowing what Genesis' words truly meant...]

Genesis spoke of a world that abhorred him greatly; he spoke of somber morrows that waited for him and two others. The Goddess' gift was the breath of life but with tomorrow barren of promises, he spoke of a life that would soon be extinguished and reborn anew due to his silent sacrifice.

While I know naught of what such poetic words could mean, I do believe Genesis spoke of anguish regarding that ink black wing he possessed. The poems he recited were merely a fragment of a contemplation of a legendary play native to his realm. He said nothing else regarding his entity but in his dying breath, he spoke of how the nethicite stolen his Gift, stolen the Gift of Life by which the Goddess given to him out of benevolence.

He was a poet, a mercenary and a dreamer who fancied himself as the eternal hero. Nothing shall forestall his return or so he claimed in his dying breaths...

[Halim let out a deep sigh as he clasped his hands together upon his lap.]

As for the doctor, that man is a lunatic who hails from my world. I know him only by name but I know of his depravity quite well.

He is the man who set ruins to Ivalice in form of deifacted nethicite. The doctor was the loon who annihilated the Kingdom of Nabradia and allowed the Empire to crush us all beneath it’s heel. Such a man was proclaimed dead within our world but it seem he cheats death constantly as if he holds more lives than feline.

However, if I may stray from the topic for just moment---It seem as if Vayne Solidor himself acquired some of the mad doctor's traits of defying death as well.

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[Vincent has heard Genesis reciting the poetry if the play, and he's read it himself, so he knows the lines that Ondore references.] LOVELESS. That play does describe the stories of the three of them particularly well.

His claim is probably well-made. Those with wings like his are, in our world, notoriously hard to kill. [Whether it is Jenova's influence or not, the three are still quite hard to kill. And Jenova refused to let Sephiroth stay dead- she brought him back again and again, as many ways as she could.]

[From the doctor's world? This is even better than he thought it would be.] What do you know of the nethicite, then? [He's willing to give up a little bit about himself in order to get this information.] I am not modified in the same ways that Genesis, or even Sephiroth are, but I am still concerned about any possible effect the nethicite could have on me.

Vayne has come back to life as well, then?

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[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

I know of Genesis Rhapsodos quite well and barely know of the General, so I assume this 'third' friend is not you. [Giving Vincent another skeptical gaze, the Marquis truly looked as if he desired a few answers from Vincent now regarding his relationship with the others. He wasn't going to shell out this much information for nothing in return.

Luckily, Ondore's need for answers was going to be met.]

Genesis clearly couldn't defy death for I watched him die with very own eyes. A ghastly sight it was to see him draw his last breath. The guilt he says I am pardon from still lingers for Cidolfus is ardent criminal that should have never graced Gaia's soil to begin with.

He and Vayne both are villains amongst heroes and yet they win more praise than us champions who hail from Ivalice.

[Bitter much? Yes, indeed.]

The nethicite is a harmless tool when used by proficient and skilled hands. If you lack either quality, then you put your life at risk. Tis a Fool's Errand to fiddle with such a device of great good and great evil without knowledge at all. What I can tell you is not in the guise of scientific words but from the knowledge from an old monarch who prides himself in manufacturing such goods.

Magicite, it is born from, a powerful gem known to drink magicks of the Mist that surrounds it. They are ordinary stones turned into gems of great power by laying upon the magick enriched soils of the Four Jagds. In my realm, magicite is used for domestic means while nethicite has a habit of being wielded as a tool of war by those who hail from the Empire.

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[chaos-vessel.livejournal.com]

Hardly. The third I refer to is Angeal Hewley. I am unlikely to ever become as close to any of them as they are to each other since, as much as I would have liked it to be different, they never met me on the Planet. [He doesn't much care if telling Ondore this makes the man more suspicious of his connections with Genesis and Sephiroth. He's only telling the truth.]

I find it likely that Genesis will follow the example of the "good doctor" and return to the world of the living. As for guilt, unless you were a scientist who helped to create the nethicite, or who altered him in the first place, you are hardly to blame. [Vincent can be objective, as long as it isn't his own guilt that he's thinking about. He's just a hypocrite, that way.]

[Vincent leans forward as he listens to the explanation of nethicite, and his frown- scowl- grows as he does. Not only are things sounding worse about having the nethicite in his body, he isn’t getting any answers as to why it was absorbed into him.]

It doesn’t make sense. [He’s muttering to himself.]

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[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

Angeal Hewley? Hm...

Unfortunately, that is a name I do not recognize but I shall commit it to memory. [He's certainly is suspicious of Vincent now but he's more interested in this claim about Dr. Cidolfus returning from the dead than figuring the truth behind Valentine.] He what?!

Aye! The graveyards of Gaia must be empty if every louse is granted a second chance at life. Nay, not even a second chance but a third. This man has been vanquished before but lives still!

Surely, this some sort of jest...

[He let's out a distressed sigh.] Nothing makes sense anymore but if you possess any sort of magick within your blood, you may be in jeopardy.

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[That's a good thing. Vincent doesn't exactly want to give his sob story out to every person he meets. The less people know about him, the better, in his opinion.]

Better than graves full of innocents.

Unfortunately, it is true. It seems likely that he has learned his lesson from his demise, at least in part, though his fascination with nethicite has by no means abated. [Vincent gives a dark chuckle.] A man of science through and through.

[Again, he gives a dark and humorless laugh.] 'Possess magic in my blood...' then there is no way of knowing for certain the effects?

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[marquisofthesky.livejournal.com]

How true, I rather for these graves to remain empty than filled with the corpses of the innocent. You've certainly given me food for thought, Valentine.

One can only hope that Dr. Cidolfus Demen Bunansa won't be so hasty to resume his past follies here upon Gaia. The man is a genius but with his boundless knowledge lies the heart of a madman.

[The Marquis sighed.] No way to be certain, Valentine. However, most of those who've implanted nethicite upon their person met with an untimely death.

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[chaos-vessel.livejournal.com]

As long as you do not hesitate to confront him if he puts those innocents in danger. Madness and genius are a volatile combination, no matter that they so often go hand in hand.

[Cidolfus is another Hojo to him, or at least one in the making. The only reason he has for not going to kill the man again is that, while he doesn't like the man in any way, shape, or form, this doctor has not yet done anything to him. Until that happens, he would not be justified in the eyes of this world.]

I see. Thank you for the information, Marquis. [The things he has learned do not bode well for him, but he knows what he should expect now. This will probably not be told to the others, though.]