029 - Rinoa - Video

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[Rinoa is back in her room in Garden. She's curled up on the bed, hugging her dog, Angelo. The pair are inseparable. Rinoa can't look at anyone else without the memories of everything she did getting in the way. But Angelo loves her. Even though she locked Angelo up and left her, a dog's love is unconditional and Rinoa is clinging to that right now.

She looks at the camera for several long moments. She knows that she has to apologise to everyone, but what can she say?]

...I'm sorry.

[And that's all Rinoa can manage for now. She leans forward and the feed switches off.]

Comments

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Well this is unexpected. Ellone clicks on her Sky Phone, wanting to respond... but she's not sure how. So she sets it on the ground next to her, so all Rinoa can see if she looks is the underside of a large tree. Clearly Ellone is outside.

She just lets the feed go for a while, thinking as she sits there and the breeze rustles through the tree overhead. Rinoa... Ultimecia... her torture... everything else that had happened recently. Little Marlene...

Eventually, she says one word, though she hasn't turned the Sky Phone to look at her yet. Her voice drifts to the phone, as though she's not sure if she wants it to be heard or not.]

...Rinoa...?

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[Rinoa sees the feed and watches it, puzzled. Is it a mistake or does someone not want to talk to her? Then she hears Ellone's voice and freezes. She's not sure if she's ready for this. She posted because she wanted to reach out - felt that she had to, given everything that had happened - but now Ellone is right there and what can she do? What can she say?

It's a while later that Rinoa replies.]

Ellone?

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[It's just going to end up being a back and forth crickets to words post with them, isn't it, each unsure of how to communicate. There's a lot going on in her mind right now, a lot she can't properly sort through, but only a couple of really important ones are prominent in her thoughts. One: Rinoa, how she looked with Angelo a minute ago. Two: Ultimecia's control of Rinoa and Ellone's supicions therein. Two B: What Ellone herself went through. Three: Marlene. Be brave, Elle. This is important.

Again, it takes time for her to answer. She moves slightly, hitting the Sky Phone just enough to shift it so the feed picks up the trunk of the tree she's leaning against and a very small part of her back and side. She's definitely not looking at the feed right now, holding her arms in her lap, and fiddling with the ends of her green sash.

She wants to ask the usual "How are you?" But that's such a stupid question at a time like this. No one's fine, but no one's going to admit it. They're all hurting. So much.]

I didn't... know when you'd be back. [Long pause. Not that she thinks it's appropriate to ask, but if she can get this through Rinoa's head, maybe they can start to understand where the other is coming from.] You are... you, aren't you? [Not that she doesn't trust Rinoa, but... well, what else can she do?]

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[Probably, yes. And Ellone's question doesn't help, because that immediately gets Rinoa on the defensive.]

Oh God, of course I am! I...

[She pauses. Oh, that sounded horrible, didn't it? After everything she'd done, why should she be surprised that Ellone is being apprehensive?

Rinoa shakes her head, looking pained.]

No. Sorry. I didn't mean that - I mean, I didn't mean to come across like that. I'm... I'm sorry. For everything.

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Now it's her turn to react quickly.] No, I... I know.

[And she finally turns to look at the phone for a minute, hesitating, before she picks it up and settles it so she can see Rinoa and vice versa. She looks a lot better than she did when she last saw Rinoa, and there's something in Rinoa's eyes that she recognizes, something real, something utterly Rinoa. But even with the time, Elle still looks scared, hesitant, unsure.]

I know. I- [-didn't mean to seem so accusatory. Except she had. She lets her hands and the phone fall to her lap, though she can still be seen in the feed as she looks up at the tree.]

So much has happened... [And so much yet to tell.]

Rinoa... I... I have a favor to ask. Two, actually.

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[It's actually really difficult for Rinoa to look Ellone in the eye. The last time Rinoa saw Ellone, she tortured her. And then she'd filmed it and shown the video to Laguna. Her insides squirm horribly at the very thought.

So when Ellone mentions the favour, Rinoa jumps on it.]

Anything. Anything you want.

[Never too early to start making up for her crimes, right?]

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[It's hard for her to look straight at Rinoa, too, thus the phone in her lap. But she takes a deep breath and raises it again. This is serious. This is something she has to do. Even if she's focusing her attention on Angelo and not Rinoa.]

I... [Breathe.] I want to see you. For starters.

The second. I need you to promise me you'll keep it secret. It's really important. Squall knows, and a few other people, but that's it. I haven't even told Uncle Laguna and Raine. [Which means it's reaaally important to keep quiet.]

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[Rinoa is holding Angelo so tightly that the dog whimpers in protest, and she has to loosen her grip a little.]

I will. For both those things.

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

Okay... The thing is... [This is harder to talk about with Rinoa than it was Tifa and Cloud!]

I found out who Ultimecia passed her powers to. That's why it needs to be secret. They don't want many people to know.

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[Rinoa nods, waiting for Ellone to go on.]

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

Ultimecia found a girl... a child. Marlene. Tifa and Cloud... asked for your help. You're the only person who knows anything about Sorceress powers, like how to control them. That's something I don't know.

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[She'd felt apprehensive when Ellone mentioned Ultimecia passing her powers on. Now Rinoa realises what that means. Someone else is a Sorceress. Her expression becomes shocked when Ellone reveals who it is. And now Ellone is asking her to help Marlene? After everything that just happened?]

You want me to help her control her powers?

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

Yes... You're the only one who can. [There's something unspoken in the pleading way she looks at Rinoa now, like she's trying to convey how much she wants to believe she can trust her.]

...Tifa asked, too. They just... really need someone to help. I didn't know who else to ask.

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

[Rinoa looks so very, very troubled. She's incredibly torn by this. On the one hand, she already promised to do whatever Ellone asked. On the other...]

I - I don't know if I can face that right now.

...I need some time.

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

I understand. [And she looks like she does.] They will, too. It's been a hard time for everyone and I just... I want things to be okay again. I want you to be okay again and if that means waiting... then we'll wait.

It'll be okay. [Somehow.]

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

...Okay. Yeah.

I'll try.

[video] / [locked]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

Just... feel better... [She looks away again, over the Sky Phone at the plains beyond her little tree.] I'll talk to you later, okay?

[video] / [locked]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Okay.

See you.

[She switches off the feed.]