Vaux gives a small nod; getting away sounded much overdue for the both of them. If he closed his eyes, he could feel the steam of an onsen, a quiet view, a feeling of peace and quiet even if it was for a borrowed amount of time. He could almost feel the light breeze - - but his eyes reopened to the sight of the office and the scent of dried blood and antiseptic. A far cry from that peace he so craved now.

━☆・*。"Can we really go, though-?" Vaux uttered, momentarily staring down at a cigarette burn in the carpet while his fingertips pressed softly to his temple - the throb of his headache was growing behind his eyes and he cared little for the pain that it bought. Slight vertigo and nausea were to be expected after such a cruel beating, after all, even he knew that. But not usually from the point of view of personal experience - Just from patching Majima up over the years. "---to Kyoto? The boutique can manage without me for a while but-"

But Majima's position was much different, wasn't it? Far more precarious than judgement from fashion fanatics. It was a delicate frame work - - and not being seen around for a certain amount of time would invite rumours, assumptions; things Majima could do without. Those kinds of things, they bred problems and problems bought danger.

Vaux rested his head in his hands; shutting his eyes and ignoring the world for a moment longer; the craving for peace was nigh palpable in the way he sat, shoulders defeated his spine curved.

━☆・*。"Maybe we'll manage another time-" A lithe hope, but one nonetheless; Vaux had already resigned himself to keeping that lovely little getaway as a thought and not as a graspable reality.

An apple. A singular apple; Vaux supposed he ought be glad it wasn't some variety of chemical energy drink, instead. He gave a disapproving hum before turning on his heels and holding the door open for the Director; an expectant brow quipped.

━☆・*。"Come on, you hopeless man." The tailor uttered, though not without ample fondness. His steps into the hallway slowed so that he could walk aside Reeve, offering a bright smile and purposely linking their arms;

ORIFLAMME LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT than from the last time he was in the city. everything seemed so impossibly big back then, back when he was small enough to fit into spaces without drawing notice, back when him and dion were old enough to fight in a war, but not old enough to drink with kings. the houses and businesses alike towered over him like monuments. the people too. now, as an adult, sephiroth towers over everyone, like some kind of monstrosity. how quickly this enemy territory, the one place simultaneously filled with brighter memories, became a place he no longer fits. then again, he doesn't really fit anywhere anymore.

moving through the elegant city, he swears he can feel all the twins' eyes on him. maybe it was a mistake taking this path, cutting through the heart of oriflamme where he stands out like a wound in silk. he doesn't even know who to ask about the former lord commander. the name was common enough. there were probably dozens of men called cid scattered all across valisthea. his best bet, he thinks, is to try the outskirts and smaller towns, where an outlaw might live quietly.

but then the rain intensifies as quickly as it arrives, rushing through the streets with a sudden violence. everyone scatters like flies, making for their warm homes and shelter. sephiroth remains where he stands, gazing up at the sky. utterly merciless. his boots sink deeper in the thick mud. this feels appropriate somehow, he thinks, the world conspiring to make his voyage that much more difficult. then, a voice cuts through the hiss of rain and wind. sephiroth's head swivels, seeking out the source, certain that he must be talking to someone else... right? but the road is empty, and he is alone.

Vaux's elegance carried him through to the back of the store, shrugging his coat off as he moved. The click of his heeled boos narrate his movements, the sound echoing from where he moved through the large archway, only to signal his return, too.

In his hands were two rather large towels; the fellow was quite tall, after all, and had hair longer than Vaux was in height so he thought it best to bring extra. The smile upon his face doesn't waver as he approaches, offering them perfectly willingly;

━☆・*。"Can I get you something hot to drink, darling-?" He offers after a heartbeat; "-- if anything, it'll warm you through. I've a selection of teas, or stronger things if that's a preference?" It was early on in the day but he had met certain folk who preferred something stronger for breakfast as opposed to in the evening. Stranger things had happened.

He eyed company closely while awaiting an answer, not with any scrutiny and certainly not with any malice - just in curiosity. Tall, strong, armed - perhaps looking a little lost; and to find themselves in the Holy See, at that. Vaux could think of other places he would rather be, if he thought about it, but he supposed there were worse places to be.

♡    inspired  by    the  play  written  by     william  shakespeare  .     add  context    &     change  gendered  language  to  your  needs .     content  warning  for  suicidal  ideation     &     graphic  violence  .     happy  writing .ᐟ

❝  why  are  you  wearing  your  best  clothes ?  ❞

❝  i  don’t  meddle  in  politics  or  chase  women.  ❞

❝  you  ought  to  pray  for  god  to  spare  you  of  the  pain  you  deserve.  ❞

❝  if  we  take  away  [name]’s  support,  he’ll  be  forced  to  come  back  down  to  earth.  ❞

❝  whatever  you  want  me  to  do,  consider  it  done.  ❞

❝  i’m  not  competitive  like  you.  ❞

❝  don’t  let  me  hinder  you.  ❞

❝  i’ve  noticed  that  you  haven’t  been  as  affectionate  toward  me  lately.  ❞

❝  you’ve  been  like  a  stranger  to  me,  your  friend  who  loves  you.  ❞

❝  if  i  seem  guarded,  it’s  not  your  fault.  i  just  have  a  lot  on  my  mind.  ❞

❝  i  don’t  like  to  trouble  my  friends.  and  i  consider  you  a  good  friend.  ❞

❝  i’m  at  war  with  myself.  i’ve  forgotten  how  to  show  affection  to  others.  ❞

❝  i  misunderstood  you  …  i  kept  how  i  felt  to  myself  because  i  thought  you  wouldn’t  care.  ❞

❝  just  what  are  you  trying  to  do,  asking  me  to  look  inside  myself  for  something  i  won’t  find ?  ❞

❝  i’ll  be  the  mirror  that  shows  you  the  things  about  yourself  that  you  can’t  see.  ❞

❝  my  friendship  is  not  worthless.  i  don’t  make  the  same  promises  to  everybody.  ❞

❝  if  you  ever  hear  me  flattering  men  just  to  slander  them  behind  their  backs,  feel  free  to  call  me  ‘dangerous’  then.   ❞

❝  if  it’s  for  the  greater  good,  i’ll  do  it.  even  if  i  have  to  die.  ❞

❝  i  love  honor  more  than  i  fear  death.  ❞

❝  your  virtue  is  as  familiar  to  me  as  your  face.  ❞

❝  i’d  rather  die  than  worship  a  man  as  ordinary  as  i  am.  ❞

❝  i  was  born  just  as  free  as  he  was.  so  were  you.  ❞

❝  it  amazes  me  that  such  a  weak  man  could  hold  the  whole  world  in  the  palm  of  his  hand.  ❞

❝  sometimes,  men  can  be  masters  of  their  fate.  ❞

❝  the  fault  is  not  in  our  stars,  but  in us.  ❞

❝  what’s  so  special  about  [name]  ?     why  should  that  name  be  proclaimed  any  more  than  ours ?  ❞

❝  [place]  has  lost  the  breed  of  noble  bloods.  ❞

❝  i  have  no  doubt  that  you  love  me.  ❞

❝  i  understand  what  you  want  me  to  do  …  and  i’m  asking  you,  as  a  friend,  to  not  try  to  persuade  me  anymore.  ❞

❝  i’m  glad  that  i  could  light  even  a  small  fire  in  you.  ❞

❝  he  thinks  too  much.  men  like  him  are  dangerous.  ❞

❝  if  i  were  capable  of  being  afraid  of  anyone,  it  would  be  you.  ❞

❝  you  tugged  on  my  shirt.  do  you  have  something  to  say ?  ❞

❝  tell  me  what  happened  today  that  put  you  in  such  a  bad  mood.  ❞

❝  will  you  have  dinner  with  me  tonight ?   tomorrow  ?  ❞

❝  if  i’m  still  alive,  and  you’re  still  sane,  after  all  of  this  is  over,  we’ll  have  dinner.  ❞

❝  good  men  should  stick  only  to  the  company  of  other  good  men.  ❞

❝  we  either  take  him  down,  or  suffer  worse  than  we  are  now.  ❞

❝  men  are  meant  to  tremble  when  the  gods  send  warning  signs.  ❞

❝  our  father’s  minds  are  dead,  and  we  are  governed  with  our  mother’s  spirits.  ❞

❝  i  will  die  by  my  own  dagger  to  save  myself  from  being  enslaved.  ❞

❝  if  you  ever  grow  weary  of  life,  you  always  have  the  option  to  end  it.  ❞

❝  i  can  shake  off  the  tyranny  that  oppresses  me  whenever  i  choose.  ❞

❝  every  bondman  in  his  own  hand  bears  the  power  to  cancel  his  captivity.  ❞

❝  he  couldn’t  be  a  lion  if  you  weren’t  such  easy  prey.  ❞

❝  those  who  want  to  make  a  mighty  fire  must  start  with  weak  straws.  ❞

❝  i  might  be  speaking  to  a  willing  bondman,  in  which  case,  i’ll  pay  for  my  words.  ❞

❝  i  am  armed.  i  don’t  care  about  danger.  ❞

❝  evil  can  come  from  good,  just  as  poisonous  snakes  tend  to  come  out  into  the  open  on  bright,  sunny  days.  ❞

❝  think  of  [name]  like  a  serpent’s  egg   —   once  it  has  hatched,  it  becomes  dangerous,  like  all  serpents  do.  we  have  to  kill  him  while  he’s  still  in  the  shell.  ❞

❝  from  the  time  you  first  decide  to  do  something  horrible  to  the  moment  you  do  it,  everything  feels  unreal,  like  a  hideous  dream.  ❞

❝  are  you  ashamed  to  show  your  face  even  at  night,  when  evil  is  most  free ?     where  will  you  find  a  cave  dark  enough  to  hide  your  monstrous  face  by  daybreak ? ❞

❝  your  strange  mood  hasn’t  let  you  eat,  or  talk,  or  sleep.  if  it  changed  your  outside  as  much  as  it  has  affected  your  insides,  i  wouldn’t  even  be  able  to  recognize  you.  ❞

❝  as  your  partner,  shouldn’t  i  know  about  what’s  troubling  you ?     or  am  i  only  part  of  you  sometimes   —   to  keep  you  company  at  dinner,  keep  your  bed  warm,  and  talk  to  you  every  now  and  then ?  ❞

❝  tell  me  your  secrets.  i  won’t  betray  you.  ❞

❝  i’ve  given  myself  a  wound  here  on  my  thigh  to  prove  my  loyalty  to  you.  if  i  can  bear  that  pain,  i  can  bear  your  secrets.  ❞

❝  i’ll  follow  you  anywhere.  i’m  satisfied,  knowing  that  you’re  leading  me.  ❞

❝  when  beggars  die,  there  are  no  comets.  the  heavens  only  announce  the  deaths  of  princes.  ❞

❝  cowards  die  many  times  before  their  deaths.  the  valiant  never  taste  death  but  once.  ❞

❝  it’s  strange  to  me  that  men  fear  death,  seeing  that  death,  a  necessary  end,  will  come  when  it  will  come.  ❞

❝  your  wisdom  is  consumed  in  confidence.  ❞

❝  don’t  be  so  foolish  as  to  think  you  can  sway  me  from  what’s  right  by  using  the  tactics  that  persuade  fools.  ❞

❝  if  you  kneel  and  beg  and  flatter  me,  i  will  kick  you  out  of  my  way  like  a  begging  dog.  ❞

❝  even  you,  [name] ?  ❞

❝  i  could  live  a  thousand  years  and  i  wouldn’t  be  as  ready  to  die  as  i  am  right  now.  ❞

❝  there’s  no  place  i’d  rather  die  than  by  your  side.  ❞

❝  it’s  true  that  i  loved  you.  nothing  could  be  truer.  ❞

❝  if  i  had  as  many  eyes  as  you  have  wounds,  and  they  wept  as  fast  as  your  wounds  stream  blood,  even  that  would  be  better  than  joining  your  enemies  in  friendship.  ❞

❝  the  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them,  but  the  good  is  often  buried  with  them.  ❞

❝  bear  with  me.  my  heart  is  in  the  coffin  there  with  him.  ❞

❝  i  haven’t  come  to  steal  away  your  heart.  ❞

❝  what  has  he  done  to  deserve  your  love ?  ❞

❝  i  don’t  think  of  you  as  any  more  than  property.  a  means  to  an  end.  ❞

❝  even  some  that  smile  in  our  faces  are  plotting  against  us.  ❞

❝  when  love  begins  to  sicken  and  decay,  it  makes  way  for  dishonesty.  ❞

❝  you  have  done  me  wrong.  ❞

❝  if  you  were  anyone  else  and  said  that  to  me,  those  words  would  be  your  last.  ❞

❝  i’d  rather  be  a  dog  howling  at  the  moon  than  that  kind  of  man.  ❞

❝  do  not  provoke  me.  ❞

❝  you’re  forgetting  yourself  if  you’re  trying  to  corner me.  ❞

❝  if  you  care  about  your  health,  you  won’t  provoke  me  any  further.  ❞

❝  leave.  you  little  man.  ❞

❝  don’t  take  my  love  for  granted.  i  may  do  something  i’ll  be  sorry  for.  ❞

❝  don’t  you  have  enough  love  for  me  to  bear  with  me  when  the  bad  temper  i  inherited  from  my  mother  makes  me  forgetful ?  ❞

❝  from  now  on,  when  you  get  moody  with  me,  i’ll  assume  it’s  your  mother  speaking.  ❞

❝  you’d  have  to  kill  me  to  stop  me.  ❞

❝  i  didn’t  think  you  could  get  this  angry.  ❞

❝  no  one  bears  sorrow  better  than  me.  ❞

❝  great  men  ought  to  endure  great  losses.  ❞

❝  good  words  are  better  than  bad  strokes,  [name].  ❞

❝  you’re  not  going  to  be  killed  by  a  traitor  unless  you  kill  yourself.  ❞

❝  i  wasn’t  born  to  die  on  your  sword.  ❞

❝  this  might  be  the  last  time  we’ll  speak  to  each  other.  ❞

❝  i  find  it  cowardly  and  vile  to  kill  yourself  early  to  evade  accountability.  ❞

❝  if  we  lose,  you’ll  be  content  to  be  paraded  through  the  streets  in  chains ?  ❞

❝  i  will never  allow  myself  to  return  to  [place]  in  chains.  ❞

❝  i’ve  become  an  enemy  to  my  own  soldiers.  ❞

❝  today  is  the  day  i  breathed  my  first  breath.  time  has  come  around,  and  i’ll  end  where  i  began.  ❞

❝  my  life  has  run  its  compass.  ❞

❝  i’m  a  coward  for  living  long  enough  to  see  my  best  friend  taken  before  my  very  eyes.  ❞

❝  you  shall  be  revenged  by  the  very  same  sword  that  killed  you.  ❞

❝  so  i  am  free.  but  i  didn’t  want  to  be  free  like  this.  ❞

❝  i’ll  run  far  from  this  place,  where  no  one  will  ever  find  me.  ❞

❝  our  sun  has  set.  our  day  is  over.  we’re  finished.  ❞

❝  you  are  still  mighty.  ❞

❝  the  world  will  never  produce  another  like  you.  ❞

❝  i  owe  you  more  tears  than  you’ll  ever  see  me  shed.  ❞

❝  surrender,  or  you  will  die.  ❞

❝  i  would  rather  have  you  as  a  friend  than  an  enemy.  ❞

❝  i’d  rather  kill  myself.  ❞

❝  i  know  that  my  hour  has  come.  ❞

❝  our  enemies  have  driven  us  to  the  edge  of  the  grave.  ❞

❝  i  ask  that  you  hold  my  sword  handle  while  i  run  into  it.  ❞

❝  that  is  no  job  for  a  friend.  ❞

prompts for characters getting to know each other.

“i don't think you realize how much people notice you.”

“you don't seem particularly trusting. then again, maybe neither am i.”

“you have a habit of appearing at interesting moments.”

“you strike me as someone who trusts their gut. am i wrong?”

“i've noticed you always leave before everyone else.”

“i think you enjoy keeping people guessing.”

“you seem restless.”

“it's strange how you can be surrounded by people and still feel alone.”

“have i ever told you that you're difficult to read?”

“you look like you haven't slept.”

“you know this place well enough that i'm starting to wonder if you've always lived here.”

“do you ever worry about the kind of person you're becoming?”

“i've known a lot of people. none of them were quite like you.”

“i can't decide whether people truly change, or if they just become better at hiding parts of themselves.”

“i had the strangest dream last night. do you remember yours when you wake up?”

“the more i get to know you, the more i keep noticing little similarities between the two of us.”

“i didn't realize you'd remember that.”

“most people seem uncomfortable with silence. i never minded it much.”

“you seem to know more than you're saying.”

“you seem comfortable on your own. i wonder if that's the same thing as never feeling lonely.”

“do you always look this serious?”

“you're easier to talk to than i expected.”

“i've always thought trust is harder to earn than people pretend.”

“you always seem to be watching.”

“i think you've been avoiding me.”

“you're not at all what i thought you would be.”

“whenever i ignore my instincts, i end up regretting it. what about you?”

“i wasn't expecting to run into you again.”

“i can't tell if you're someone who enjoys solitude or just tolerates it.”

“i know it sounds childish, but i can't help believing some people are meant to find one another.”

“you make a terrible liar.”

“you don't strike me as the sort of person people forget.”

“i think people underestimate you.”

“i can't decide whether you're charming or frustrating.”

“i don't think i've seen you smile before.”

“i wasn't sure you'd come.”

“it's a little strange. i think i've started looking forward to seeing you.”

“sometimes i wonder if we ever really know anyone.”

“you're surprisingly good company.”

“i think most people would like to believe they're good. i'm not sure it's always that simple.”

“i think being truly understood is a far rarer thing than people realize.”

“i don't usually tell people this...”

IMPORTANT   EVENTS   DEMAND   APPROPRIATE   ATTIRE.   Prestige,   success,   and   an   extensive   portfolio   are   all   things   he   possesses   in   abundance;   so   much   that   her   father,   ever   discerning,   sent   Lorraine   there   to   procure   a   dress   befitting   the   occasion.   She   loves   dresses,   truly.   Loves   the   elegance,   the   way   fabric   transforms   one's   posture   into   something   grander,   more   untouchable.

What   she   hates   is   being   obligated   to   obtain   one.   Money   is   hardly   the   problem.   It   never   has   been.   The   true   issue   lies   in   the   reason   a   new   dress   is   necessary   at   all.   She   is   expected   to   impress   the   male   audience   at   the   upcoming   formal   gathering,   to   present   herself   as   something   lovely   enough   to   be   admired   and   perhaps   desired.

She   steps   into   the   boutique,   her   gaze   widening   at   once.   The   interior   is   exquisite.   Hues   dance   over   every   elegant   detail,   from   polished   vignettes   to   the   carefully   arranged   gowns,   each   one   more   graceful   than   the   last.   Different   fabrics   catch   her   attention   in   passing,   silk,   lace,   and   rich   velvet.   Almost   without   thinking,   one   palm   extends,   fingertips   brushing   the   sumptuous   textile.

Then   a   voice   addresses   her.   Her   palm   falls   softly   back   near   her   waist,   composure   returning   as   swiftly.   A   polite   smile   is   offered   in   return.   ❝   Good   morning.   I   need   a   dress   for   a   special   event.   Due   to   your   popularity,   my   father   sent   me   here.   ❞

It was always quite satisfying to hear that his reputation had preceded him; word of mouth betwixt clients or in passing always did far more than advertisements in local newspapers or such- Thus, his smile is bright and welcoming, his softened gesture toward the arch at the back of the store as elegant as he;

━☆・*。"I've time now if you would like to discuss it further, darling. It depends on whether you're looking for a pre-designed dress to be fitted or if you would like a custom order." His heeled boots paced gently across marble tile; "--and for when would it be needed?" Logistics for materials, if they were not ones he currently had in stock, would have to be considered. But that was a problem for him, and certainly not one to be approached that very moment.

The fitting room situated at the back of the store was beautifully open, flooded with natural light and housed several risers poised in front of grand mirrors reaching from floor to ceiling. To one side, where he was headed, poised two plush sofa's with a coffee table in the middle; endlessly comfortable and certainly as luxury as the remainder of the store. It offered a reprieve from the sounds of the main floor, in the least, and one could hold a far less interrupted conversation.