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]

[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?