o13 ♠ 「accidental voice」
Aug. 9th, 2010 06:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defector[At first, there's nothing. No video feed, no sound.
Then, after a period of silence, there's the unmistakable sound of something--the Dreamberry--clattering to the ground. Those with sharper hearing might hear shaky breathing, in and out, before it's interrupted by a sound anyone could hear:
While it can't be seen, Dominic turns to the side and throws up, his body still trembling.]
[ooc: Seeing as how Dominic is a little busy being traumatized by the sight of Anemone's dismembered head, he will likely not be answering any replies. o/;]
Then, after a period of silence, there's the unmistakable sound of something--the Dreamberry--clattering to the ground. Those with sharper hearing might hear shaky breathing, in and out, before it's interrupted by a sound anyone could hear:
While it can't be seen, Dominic turns to the side and throws up, his body still trembling.]
[ooc: Seeing as how Dominic is a little busy being traumatized by the sight of Anemone's dismembered head, he will likely not be answering any replies. o/;]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2010-08-09 01:10 pm (UTC)Hey, are you alright?
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Date: 2010-08-09 01:24 pm (UTC)He's been through enough unusual circumstances and happenings to recognize - or at least, get a general but accurate idea, of what's going on. Shock - maybe trauma? That soft gurgle is unmistakable.
Calling back now. :| You're not likely to answer, will you? Still worth a shot, so he'll just be waiting after the line with a frown.]
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Date: 2010-08-09 10:13 pm (UTC)He wants to scream, cry, do something--but all he can do is stare.
Sorry, Minato. You may be his best friend, but Dominic doesn't even bother checking who's calling him, let alone pick up.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 12:07 am (UTC)[He tries a text this time.
And if you don't reply within ten minutes he's staying true to his word and coming physically to where you live. :|
which I would assume that he knows since they've been friends for some time now? |D;Call it a gut feeling; while he's aware that he has way too little detail to understand even remotely what happened, it must have been something huge - and likely terrible - to get his friend to that state. So... he'll actually be leaving and starting to make his way there a few minutes after the text. If it really was a false alarm and his friend was alright - then Dominic'll let him know before Minato actually barges in.Which he will do if he has to. Let's... Just hope it doesn't come to that.
Yeah, hope.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 12:43 am (UTC)He badly wishes this were just a dream. At least he hasn't fallen apart yet. He probably has the residues of the shock to thank for that.
With still-shaking hands, he picks up the Dreamberry and finally notices the message. Again, for a few moments, all he can do is stare, trying to make sense of the words. It takes a while, but he ultimately manages to reply.]
[He's not ready to face the world yet, but he can't stay here. He can't--and he doesn't want Minato to see this either.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 01:27 am (UTC)Yeah. Not sure how far you'll make out, but Zephry is within sights when he finally gets the reply.
A reply that only heightens his apprehension, as it confirms the growing sense of disaster. He breaks into a jog. Not wanting to face the world is fine - trying to take something like this alone isn't.
He runs, Evoker strapped solidly to his hip. He can't miss him.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 01:42 am (UTC)Then, there's just emptiness.
Something hurts--in a way that he hasn't felt since years ago--but otherwise, he can't bring himself to feel anything else. The hollowness is a wall, holding back everything that lies past the shock. It's like he's falling, but he's afraid to know what he'll find at the bottom.
If Minato gets closer, he'll probably notice that Dominic isn't meeting his eyes.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 03:24 am (UTC)Dominic looks haunted.
A look that he actually recognizes. It tugs at something at the back of his head, a decade or so ago. A similar look on a younger face, on a bridge at night under the glowing and eerily full moon.
He'll start by taking a step forward.]
Dominic.
[And another. He'll keep going until he reaches him, or until his friend gives an a reaction.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 03:40 am (UTC)I...
[That's all he says before he stops. It's taking everything he has to hold himself together--like he's falling, and he's afraid to find out what awaits him at the bottom.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 04:15 am (UTC)He's still in a state of shock.
Minato stops once he's next to Dominic.]
You were going somewhere, right? Then let's go. I'll accompany you.
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Date: 2010-08-10 10:48 am (UTC)I don't... I don't know--
[It was just a matter of getting out of there, away from everything. He didn't stop to think about what came after.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 03:52 pm (UTC)He'll start by taking two steps away, but still looking back at his friend to see whether or not he'll follow. He'll drag you if he has to, but hopefully, Dominic's legs weren't as numb as his mind.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 09:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-10 10:33 pm (UTC)They crossed streets, passed buildings, cars, people - Dominic probably didn't notice, where they're going or how time has been passing. That's fine, though. If he needs time, then Minato could be as patient as need be.
And then they stop. He doesn't speak, but gives a light squeeze on his friend's shoulder to jog him out of his stupor, and when Dominic looks up to see why they've stopped, he won't say anything yet and just nudge his head towards the building.
They're by a public restroom. There's a few stores nearby and a couple vending machines by the corner, but it's not a busy street. A transitional area between residential and shopping, most likely.]
Go rinse your mouth and wash your face. It should help. [Not an order, but a strong urging. They're simple things, too; mechanical gestures that everyone does every morning, so hopefully it should be easy enough for Dominic, even under this state.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 11:17 pm (UTC)Quietly--]
... Why are you doing this?
[Of course, he knows the answer even without asking. Minato's doing this because he's too damn kind to leave him in this state, because he said before that he was willing to help in any way he can.
Because, a small voice says, he means what he says, unlike you.
Dominic doesn't know if he deserves this kindness right now.]
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Date: 2010-08-10 11:46 pm (UTC)> A friend is in a pinch. I'm not going to look away from that.
> Because you look like a mess. Cold water will help you clear your head and throat.
> Just go: I'll get you a can of soda in the meanwhile.
...
All of the above, actually. Now to string this in one short sentence...]
You look like you needed it. [He answers, subdued and patient like always. Dominic might be asking him why he's telling him to take home the Jack Frost plush toys that they won for kicks at the carnival half a year back - though maybe Minato's response would be more like "You look like you may find a use for it" instead.
The answer is kind of obvious, isn't it? Then of course the words would come out naturally, too. There's more than he can say - more that he probably should say, but for the time being, this is good.]
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Date: 2010-08-11 12:01 am (UTC)I don't deserve it.
[Because of him, Anemone was killed. He didn't protect her.
... Looks like he's better at breaking promises than he is at keeping them.
He doesn't wait for a reply, though, before he heads into the restroom and does what Minato suggested.
It does help to wake him up, but that also means that it helps chip down the wall he's brought up, as he struggles to hold himself together. He stares at his reflection for a few moments, before exiting.]
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Date: 2010-08-11 12:59 am (UTC)Well he still isn't sure about what must've happened, but lets Dominic finish that sentence without an immediate reply.
The moment he sees him enter the restroom would be the moment he turns aside to purchase two cans of soda at the nearest vending machine. It was quick, so he'll still be by where he was when Dominic first left.
If Dominic's still staring at his feet when he comes out, then he'll see the can of soda being raised and presented to him before his stare crosses with Minato's.]
That doesn't matter. I'm doing what I think is right. [So think of it as something else that just happens - someone who's there. In your way, maybe, but the last thing he'll do now is to leave Dominic alone.
He doesn't even verbally make the offer: he just holds the can out in front of him, his other hand full with the one he got for himself. The action alone should speak loud enough.]
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Date: 2010-08-11 01:27 am (UTC)He feels like he should say something, but he doesn't know what.]
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Date: 2010-08-11 02:02 am (UTC)After another gulp, he speaks again in the same tone.] You can take as much time as you need, but it'll eventually be nightfall. ...A friend from my world just arrived today, so it might be a bit rowdy in the lobby. Still, we have free rooms, so you can come over and spend the night, if you'd like. [He offers - as if he was simply tossing Dominic another drink, or something just as equally small. Like lending your friend a pen when he realized that he forgot his pencil case this morning. Or like when you bought some sweets because you had a sudden craving, but when you couldn't finish them, instead of saving them for later, pass them to your friend instead because you noticed them staring - or just because you felt like it, and who turns down sweets?
His mention of details was casual. The whole thing can even be called trivial. He'll have to let Akihiko-senpai know - and really he should've asked first, but Minato was confident to toss the offer out now and sort out the complications later. He still doesn't know what happened, but call it a gut feeling: like he's said, he's just doing what he felt to be right.]
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Date: 2010-08-11 02:21 am (UTC)[He doesn't want to go back to an empty apartment, not to the place where Anemone--
To be honest, he doesn't know if he'd be able to handle it. And right now, he's not brave enough to find out.
Yet there's a part of him that hates himself for accepting this kindness. It's the guilty, regretful, and self-loathing part of him that keeps telling him that she died because of him. It's his fault, isn't it? Vincent never would've targeted her if he hadn't been here.
If he hadn't been such a pathetic, useless idiot.]
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Date: 2010-08-11 04:23 pm (UTC)Another gulp; he was halfway through with his can already.]
Do you want to start heading there now, or walk around a bit more?
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Date: 2010-08-11 09:22 pm (UTC)[He's failed Anemone either way. She's dead regardless.]
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Date: 2010-08-11 10:19 pm (UTC)Let's go, then. I have to stop by the store to pick something up for dinner, but it'll be quick. [He doubts that Dominic minds, or cares. He'd probably follow him anywhere wordless for hours, provided that Minato would walk around for hours.
...Either way, true to his word, he'll be pacing towards the busier parts of the shopping district, all the while also headed in the general direction of the business district. The walk may go up to an hour, but maybe it'll be good, to make his friend move to tire him, so that he'll be forced to sleep at night from exhaustion.]
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Date: 2010-08-11 10:45 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, that's not the case. Dominic's tired, yes, but not in a physical sense. He's tired emotionally, feeling like he's been kicked down again and again. Whether or not he'll be able to get any sleep tonight, he doesn't know, and really, a part of him is afraid to find out. He doesn't want to know what his dreams will hold.]
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Date: 2010-08-12 12:26 am (UTC)Either way, the trip is made in silence. The wait at the store wasn't long, so the stop was quick. It was when Hotel Dusk was just a few minutes away, and they were passing by the local park, that he briefly pauses to speak.]
We're almost there. ...I don't know what happened, Dominic, but I hope that you'll be able to tell me someday. What you're carrying looks too heavy for one person, [...] I'd think. [Just a remark, in the passing. "If you'd like some help"... That went without say, but with what he HAS said, he's ready to start walking again.]
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Date: 2010-08-12 12:45 am (UTC)He knows what it's trying to tell him. Or rather, what it's trying to do--pull him forward.
He still doesn't know what he's doing, and inside he's still screaming that he doesn't deserve this. Yet, after a silence that feels far too heavy to him, he speaks, still staring at the ground.]
... She's dead.
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Date: 2010-08-16 07:43 pm (UTC)He stops, and turns around.
Knowing Dominic, this "she" can only mean one person. And if he has just been made aware of her death when the call went on, then naturally, it would fully explain the strong reaction.
...Actually, the audio was vomiting, wasn't it? To learn the death of a loved one is devastating. To watch them be killed can be even more so, depending on how. He recalls clearly October 4th - the feeling of helplessness as they watched a teammate get shot down --
But then, if it's revolting enough to cause a reaction that strong...
Presumably the murderer would not be there to face Dominic, otherwise to see a loved one dismembered or worse in a gruesome way would surely trigger some sort of reaction, even in Dominic who's usually pretty subdued. So it should be safe to assume that if the killer was still around, Dominic wouldn't have just ran out of his apartment - especially not after a significant delay, one that he took to recover from trauma, and time that he would not have had, unless the culprit was already gone.
So whatever that he saw that confirmed Anemone's death, it was by himself. Likely after he woke up from sleep, coming home, or a sleep coma; meaning that he should have been vulnerable and/or alone at that time, so if the killer wanted, they could have killed him too.
They did not, and instead, made an 'example' out of the one person he treasured from his world instead.
...Well that narrows the list down considerably, doesn't it? Someone who would just mess with his friend, going so far as to kill? The fact that it would have happened - or at least, the end result would be present in Dominic's room, only confirms that it could not be an accident.
It was an orchestrated play by a very, very sick and twisted person.
The silence lasts for a few seconds, but enough for Minato to pool together what he knows and work through with logic, to arrive at the most likely conclusion.
This is different than his sister. Different than Shinjiro-senpai. This death-
Did it have any other purpose other than try to break Dominic? He has no doubt at this point that whatever is left back in that room, is a horrible sight that no normal person should behold. Then if that's the case...
He would want to console his friend, but he can't, not yet, not when the circumstances of Anemone's murder is THIS. So while his voice is still quiet when he speaks, there's an edge to it. Beating around the bush would be stupid at this point, and he plainly brings up the one name that he has on his mind.]
Vincent Nightray?
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Date: 2010-08-16 10:00 pm (UTC)He nods slowly, as his hands clench into fists. He has no real confirmation that it was Vincent, but even if their conversation just before receiving Anemone's head hadn't cinched it, Dominic wouldn't have suspected anyone else.
But even though Vincent was the one who orchestrated her death, he's not the one Dominic's pointing a finger at. No, the one he blames the most--hates more than anyone else--is merely himself.]
I...
[It's like a dam breaking. There's nothing holding back his emotions, as everything rushes over him. They're all as clear as day in his expression, even if he's still not facing Minato.
Anemone--
He falls to his knees, his hands loose now with his palms facing up towards him.
Anemone...!
He's sorry. He's so sorry. Yet there's no apology that can make up for this, and if he were to try and make one, it'd only sound hollow to his ears.
(If we were to take away sweet little Anemone in the dead of the silent night, I do wonder what would be left behind. Sir Dominic.)
Just--]
Why--Why did I let this happen!?
[Just a worthless person.]
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Date: 2010-08-16 11:20 pm (UTC)Despair, sorrow, anger, frustration, among many others. Yet the question that Dominic cried out was a simple one.
Turning around, he paces back to face Dominic.]
...You can't do everything alone. [He looks down at his friend, and if Dominic looks up, the slate gray of his eyes is unreadable. The moment that he processed the reason was also the moment that he felt his share of the blame fall in place: he was possibly the only person that Dominic has spoken to about Vincent's threat, yet he tried to abide by his friend's wish and assumed the danger to be only psychological.
He should have alerted the authorities while he could, even if Dominic would have been against it. ...So.] I've underestimated the lengths that he would go, too, despite being aware of what he's previously said to you. So if you must place the blame, then I would be responsible, too.
[... ...]
The police will have to be informed. [He speaks quietly after a considerable pause, despite realizing that these words may sound cold, even cruel, but Minato's always been a strong believer of 'there's no use crying over spilled milk'. They can't change the fact that Anemone is dead, only do what they can to clean up the mess that the sick game that Vincent's playing at has left behind. ...Whatever that Dominic saw back there, it can't stay there.]
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Date: 2010-08-17 12:06 am (UTC)That, he knows--it's similar to what he told Renton so long ago, isn't it? That everyone has their limits. Yet he thought he could, at the very least, do this. This didn't involve the Coralian core, the virus, or a man bent on murdering the world.
But he overestimated himself, and Anemone paid the price for it. It's far from an unfamiliar feeling, this helplessness. He felt it when his parents died and he vowed to help change the world. He felt it again and again when he watched Anemone get hurt and he stood by and did nothing. He still felt it when he did something, but failed to protect her, nevertheless.
His life is just one neverending chain of it, really.]
It's my fault, though...!
[A part of him wants to protest when Minato mentions the police--there's a reason he never reported Vincent's threats before, after all. He doesn't know how much he trusts the police force, or whether or not he believes that they can honestly make a difference. However, he doesn't have the will.
Dimly, he wonders if he'll be fired for withholding this kind of information.
It doesn't matter now.]
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Date: 2010-08-17 12:24 am (UTC)I'll drop an anonymous note to a local officer about your apartment, and whenever you're ready, report Vincent Nightray. You asked me to keep an eye on Estelle Sidos, right? She needs to know, as well as the police so that she can be better protected. If there is anyone else, mention it as well. He's made his move: we shouldn't dawdle.
[That said, he extends a hand in front of Dominic's face and switches back to a quieter demeanor, now that he's laid out the list of things to do quite clearly in front of them.] Can you stand? It's fine if you need more time, but the couches at the Hotel would definitely be more comfortable.
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Date: 2010-08-17 01:02 am (UTC)[Because it's like he's ten years old again, watching his parents die, but he knows that this isn't as bad. It might be his fault, whereas the war wasn't, but it's better than having everything ripped away from him again when he's barely old enough to understand what's going on. The dead can't be brought back to life, and nothing he does now will change that. He's always known that, ever since he lost everything--his home, his family--and had to work to replace it all.
He didn't give up when his parents died, or when the loneliness threatened to break him. He didn't give up when he realized the colonel's true motives and that everything he knew and fought for was a damn lie, or when Anemone fell into a coma and he finally understood how powerless he truly was.
"To choose what to lose and what to keep... that choice--if you're lucky--is up to you."
It's not what he'd have chosen, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And he hasn't fallen apart yet, has he?
(Somewhere, he acknowledges that he's never exactly had the time to, with everything that was going on in his world, but it's hardly as if he has time now. Maybe, when it's all over, can he finally allow himself to cry over everything that's happened. He doubts he will, though.)
He's not going to give up now--he can't, and he doesn't need Minato to tell him that.
Taking Minato's hand, he stands up. He refuses to let Vincent win. That hasn't changed.]
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Date: 2010-08-17 06:16 am (UTC)and if he had a Persona right now it would have just gained a new and more powerful formand despite everything that still clouded his friend's eyes, behind it all, he could see a quiet but seething resolve. Still, even if he may just be burying the sorrow now, he's not denying any of it - merely putting it aside for later, once he finishes with what he has to do.]Then we'll get on it once you've recovered. [Because don't deny that some rest and time-off to pull yourself back together will definitely do you good.] Ready to keep on going?
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Date: 2010-08-17 11:31 am (UTC)... Break's going to rub this in his face the next time they talk, isn't he? But Dominic can handle him, at least.]
Yeah. I am.
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Date: 2010-08-18 09:03 am (UTC)You do that. In the meanwhile. Minato'll start poking around Nightrays and associates' acquaintances too to fill his share of the load. 8|b]
Glad to hear it. This way, then: senpai's bringing dinner home tonight. Let's not be late, or there won't be any food left.
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Date: 2010-08-18 11:41 am (UTC)All right.
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Date: 2010-08-18 11:02 pm (UTC)...Well, he can hope! 8|; Either way, with a nod and a soft hum, he begins to lead the way again back to Dusk. Meet the family, Dominic. (http://community.livejournal.com/somarium/709034.html) :3c]
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Date: 2010-08-09 01:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-09 03:22 pm (UTC)Dominic, what's going on?
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Date: 2010-08-09 04:21 pm (UTC)Dominic? Are you okay?
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Date: 2010-08-09 05:30 pm (UTC)She lets out a cackle before going off to call Vincent and Diva.]
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Date: 2010-08-09 05:41 pm (UTC)[
Dismembered heads? Where?Just a distressed doctor here.]no subject
Date: 2010-08-09 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-09 10:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-09 10:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-10 12:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-10 05:25 am (UTC)So the Sewer Rat has made his move.
...
:|
Click!]