The Fifth Dream - action

[vivi_aislinn]

[One of the most fundamental aspects of Vivi's Luceti life has been taken away. Patchouli Knowledge, her "adopted mother", was killed in battle. She hasn't yet returned, but Vivi knows that when she does, she won't be quite the same. Vivi is wandering through the village aimlessly, emotionlessly. She's in shock. She needs someone, anyone...

Comments

[Action, maybe]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert hasn't been paying a lot of attention to the journals lately - what with Donatello's sudden disappearance, he has other things on his mind - so he's out and about attempting to distract himself. Just doing mundane things, like shopping, to try to suppress the nagging feeling of "Did I ruin it again? Don't I always ruin this sort of thing?"

With that now-familiar white cloth bag in his arms, Robert heads down, at his usual slow pace, back towards his community building when he notices Vivi looking... blank. That's the only way to describe it.

Now, Robert can't read emotions well - but a face like that on a girl like Vivi warrants inspection. So the scientist approaches awkwardly, wondering if he won't just make things worse.]

... M-Miss Aislinn? Are... are you alright?

[Action]

[vivi_aislinn]

[The instant she sees Robert approaching, she's running towards him, crying her eyes out. She latches on to him, hugging him as hard as she can. Like he'll disappear if she lets go. She can't manage any words, just relentless weeping.]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Oh gods. Robert doesn't even react for a moment, just lets Vivi run toward him and cling to him and actually almost push him down from the sheer fierceness of the embrace. There's no time to react to it other than to simply shift to take the brunt of the impact and put his arms around the sobbing girl's slender little shoulders.

He just silently bows his head and lets her cry for a moment. Emotional derp though he may be, it is impossible to ignore this kind of obvious misery.]

... M-Miss Aislinn... [He doesn't know what to say to her other than to just be there. Because he can't say "it'll be okay" when he knows that it probably won't be if she's crying like this.

And it seems too painful to ask what happened. So right now he's just going to stand there and hold her.]

[Action]

[vivi_aislinn]

[That's all she needs right now, Robert... someone to hold her. Someone to help her release this flood of sorrow. Said flood doesn't abate for quite some time, and even then, she's still sobbing and shaking. All she can manage are a few words.]

T-thank you, m-mister Hastings...

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Hearing Vivi cry, watching her sob - it hits all those same painful notes that accompanied Robert the past week, and the weeks before that. His own eyes sting, just a little. He tries not to cry, more for her sake than his own, with the rational thought that if he loses control, he can't help her.

Robert wishes, right now, that he wasn't so bad at emotional things.]

It... is the least I can do for you, M-Miss Aislinn. [He tries to give her a small, sad, broken little smile.]

Is... th-there anything you would like to tell me about? ... You... don't have to, of course... but if it would help... I would like to listen. [He stifles the urge to cradle the girl's tearstained cheek in his hand like he used to do with Benjamin. That would be unprofessional. (Would that matter, right now?)]

[Action]

[vivi_aislinn]

[It all comes out in a rush, punctuated by sobs.]

M-my mom got picked to fight and I w-wanted to go but she said - she said I couldn't and n-now she's dead and I d-didn't even get to see her!

[The tears resurge in full force, and she grips Robert even tighter.]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert's expression curls into something akin to quiet rage. Not at Vivi, of course, but at the scum that sat in their facilities and tortured the sapients of Luceti and scoffed at them and sent them to barbaric wars that led to atrocities like this.

He lets his hand stray in small, comforting circles on Vivi's shoulders, mindful of her wings as he speaks in a low tone.]

The Malnosso have no right whatsoever to do this.

I am... [Robert draws in a slow, sad breath.] ... I am sickened that they would allow something like this to occur. There is no excuse for it.

... [After a moment, he gently draws Vivi closer, stooping a bit so he's more on her level.] ... I am sorry, Miss Aislinn... I cannot understand why these... monsters allow these things, but...

... do you need somewhere to stay for awhile? [Because Robert would gladly take her in if she needed help. Gods, her mother had died. Even if death wasn't permanent in Luceti, it was still terrible to think about

[Action]

[vivi_aislinn]

[The same rage is bubbling within Vivi right now. If not for her sheer grief, she would be doing everything she possibly could to try to break down that barrier. Right now, all she can do is... exist, really.]

...I-is it really okay if I stay with you...?

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert tries a smile for Vivi's sake. With all that's happening in his own life, right now, can he afford to be strong for somebody else too?]

I would not be adverse to it, if you have nowhere else to stay... Though I am no substitute for a parent. [That may not be entirely true, but Robert doesn't really feel very capable right now. Or even at all.]

[Action]

[vivi_aislinn]

[...There's a household that's suffering just as much as she is, if not more. For their sake, she should be strong for them too. But...]

...c-can I stay here, just for tonight? [She looks up at Robert and gives him a faint, forced smile in return. It's all she can manage.]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[He sobers, and nods. Yes. This was alright. He could handle this much. Does this mean she hears the whole debacle about Donatello? Possibly.]

You are welcome to. I... did just do some shopping today, so, hopefully I can provide for you. If not, I would be amicable to the prospect of getting you something else...

But for now, I think we just ought to get somewhere warm and safe. [Robert draws Vivi closer, gently, and briefly pauses to delicately wipe a tear away from Vivi's cheek. Unprofessionalism be damned.]

... If you have anybody you need to contact, feel free to use my journal for that purpose.

Re: [Action]

[vivi_aislinn]

[She might, and if she did, she'd do her best to comfort him after it happened.]

[For now, though... just that small gesture seems to make her feel more at ease. She gives him one more hug, with a small smile that is genuine this time.] Thank you, mister Hastings. Um... ...I think you'd be a good dad someday.

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[She might see some of it anyway. The mun thinks she could always post on Robert's latest reply if you'd wanna play that out, assuming you think she'd be around at that point.

Robert... is taken by surprise by this. Both by that sweet little genuine smile, and that quiet addition. It makes him pause, with a shy smile of his own.]

... You really... think so? [That small secret part of him that always had wondered what being a father would be like smiles at this, smiles along with him.]

... I hope I can at least be a suitable attempt at one, for the moment... you need that. [And Robert reaches down to grasp that little hand in his own and walk with her to his community building. It isn't too far, so it shouldn't take very long to get there.]

[Action]

[vivi_aislinn]

[This feels... nice. This feels really nice. If only Vivi's own father had been like this... and that gives her an idea.]

Mister Hastings, um... you said people usually adopt kids on your world, right...? [Because two "parents" are better than one. |D]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert nods, and it dawns on him, just a little, what this might mean.]

... Yes, that is the most common family unit on Terra. [Does... Does Vivi want him to adopt her?

Robert suddenly wonders if he's really able to do this, between Donatello and trying to learn how to be a proper friend; now suddenly somebody wants him to be a dad too.

But part of him... wants to try. In a way.]

[Action]

[vivi_aislinn]

Oh, okay... [She's silent for a long while, but when she speaks, it all comes out at once.]

Well, um, I've never had a nice dad before and you're really nice, and I want to have two parents, and I bet you'd be really good at it, and... c-can I be your daughter?