Zompania Draft: Coming Home

[frost_jewel]

Who: Anyone drafted to Zompania, or recruited as reinforcements, or left behind in the village. SO. Everybody!
What: The draftees and reinforcements return to the village.
When: May 26, early early in the morning
Where: Back in Luceti
Summary: Most draftees and reinforcements return to Luceti in the very early hours; now, instead of a medevac site for the draft, the village is a welcome (?) refuge from the nightmare of Zompania for its own. There's a high likelihood it still looks a lot like it has in the past few days; those in the fight didn't even get a chance to shower before returning.

(This is the place for all your post-draft trauma and reunions and every other thing. Have fun! And don't forget to entry-tag your character.)

Comments

[ahappylie]

[No. No, no, no! Fayt had suffered more than all of them. He'd fought even after losing everything. How could he be the one to apologize? Why did he have to?

It wasn't his fault. It wasn't anything for him to apologize for. Souji's grip tightened and he felt something in him push to the point of breaking. A carefully placed blockade against everything that kept him from going insane.]

They are the ones who need to apologize. Not you.

If it takes me a thousand years on this planet, I will make them pay. It wasn't your fault.

[etherealblast]

[His words were almost chilling, sounding like a promise he intended to keep. But Fayt shakes his head, knowing now even more than ever, Souji needed to know.]

Souji.... that's... not everything went down as cut and dry as that. [His voice cracks a little as he spits out the actual reality.] He took a blow meant for me. I screwed up. That's the only reason he's dead!

[ahappylie]

[He took a blow meant for me. I screwed up.

If Fayt had died, Cliff would have lived. It seemed simple enough to an outside observer. Trade one life for another, one person had to die, so why hadn't it been Fayt, the one for whom the blow had been intended?

Souji knew why.

Cliff would have gotten himself killed anyway trying to correct his mistake. Then both of them would have been dead. Albel would have lost himself, Souji would have gone after him. In the end, all of them would die.

It all seems so familiar.

He didn't care about how tired Fayt was, or how broken-hearted he seemed. Souji tugged Fayt down, forcing him to bend to meet Souji's level.]

And he would die a thousand times more to make sure you survived. You dying would have killed him, one way or another.

[But if I had been faster, I could have saved you both. You wouldn't be like this now. He'd be here to save you.]

I saw what happened. I know what he did. And I know what you did.

[etherealblast]

But he didn't have to die. Neither of us did. We both could have gotten out of there if I hadn't screwed up! [But Souji's last words make him pause. It was more than Cliff dying, to tell the truth-- it was how he'd reacted to it, that made the whole situation such a screw up.]

Did you see what I did, after he died?

[ahappylie]

[No, they both would have survived if Souji hadn't been weak. He was supposed to learn the sword to kill, to protect, to keep things like this from happening. And yet he'd failed and now a boy was blaming himself for his protector's death.]

I saw.

I saw you both get swarmed and I was too far away to help.

[etherealblast]

I couldn't focus. My symbology failed to contain the cultist that cut him down. [He lets his head drop, not quite willing to face Souji as he says his next words.]

You should know.... You might not have been able to help, but if you were that close, I might have killed you, too, if Vegeta hadn't stopped me.

[ahappylie]

[His fingers loosened. He wasn't the one meant to deal with this. That would have to be Cliff. Vegeta had to be a terrible substitute, and Souji? He was even less qualified.]

It wasn't your fault.

And if I had died that day, I would have done it gladly to save you. [And Cliff.]

[etherealblast]

No one had to die. Not you, not me, and not Cliff. [He sighs, exhaustion and emotions eating away at him. He'd spent the past year working to get stronger.... but had he really managed anything? He didn't know.]

And maybe you can say it wasn't my fault, but my reaction could have put a lot of people in danger.

[ahappylie]

Yes, it could have.

[Souji motioned to his uniform covered in grime, dried blood and other unidentifiable things. He'd barely stopped his rampage long enough to come home and even now some of the stains looked fresh.]

But we all have different ways of dealing with things.

[He finally pulled his hand away, frowning. He wasn't good at this, not now. Not when he couldn't pretend things were fine. Fayt was right, if he had been able to control his power better, Cliff might still be alive. If the cultist hadn't gotten loose, they'd both be fine. If Souji had gotten there earlier, maybe he could have stopped the blow - or maybe he could have at least had the decency to die. Instead, it was another battlefield he survived - and another haunted teenager he faced.]

You're learning to control it. So focus on that. Nothing else matters.

[etherealblast]

[He'd thought Souji was acting a little more violent than he had during the last time they'd been in combat.... with the way he motioned to his clothes like that, Fayt could guess what he meant.

He'd been hit just as hard by this as Fayt had, if not harder, and he feels a bit ashamed for a moment as he nods.]

Alright... I'll try.

[ahappylie]

[He wasn't certain, but Souji thought he saw a hint of shame in Fayt's eyes, so he took a risk and touched his shoulder.]

Fayt-kun, you will learn to control it. I know you can be strong.

[etherealblast]

I have to. [This wasn't something he could just not learn to control, and he knew that, but it had been over a year. He'd made progress, but it wasn't enough.

He'd tried to use it and lost control, let it run away with his emotions.] I have to. Otherwise....

[He didn't want to think about the 'otherwise'.]

[ahappylie]

[Souji squeezed Fayt's shoulder, trying to draw his attention.]

There is no otherwise. You won't fail.

[etherealblast]

[He stares up into Souji's eyes for a moment, absorbing his words. They reminded him of a conversation he'd had once, a long time ago, and that seems to help him focus a little better.]

.....You're right. I can't fail. [He shakes his head. Souji was right. He had to keep working at it, and be more cautious in the future. It wasn't a matter of it being possible or not, it had to be done and he'd find a way to do it, one way or another. That was what he'd told Cliff, hadn't he? Failing to learn to control his power wasn't an option. If he did, he really would be something he didn't want to be: a dangerous weapon.

It wasn't like him to start doubting himself like this, but this incident had shaken him hard.] I won't.

[ahappylie]

[Gods, he hoped he'd said the right thing. He knew more than most what consequences came of saying the wrong things, but he didn't know what else to do. He could push people into becoming weapons, but how was he supposed to tell someone they weren't going to become one?

Swallowing his self-doubt, Souji nodded and smiled for Fayt even if he hardly felt like smiling. It was easy to be reassuring for someone other than himself though and he released Fayt's shoulder with a second, lighter squeeze.]

I have faith in you.

Now, go find Albel-san before he thinks I stole you and comes after me, hm?