[Closed] Bittersweet Memories

[abileunaspada]

Who: Adela Milani (abileunaspada) & Sephiroth (silverterror)
When: BGS 9, Winter (December)
What: One day, Adela simply doesn't come back from academy. At least, not of her own volition.

This was the worst day ever. She never wanted to go back.

The girl was cold, hiding in the bared tree in the misty forest she had found. She kept training with Sephiroth, but as the kids got older their teasing got worse. The sparring matches were getting more brutal and the kids were cheating, the teachers weren't defending her either. Everyone said she'd get killed. Everyone said she'd never be like him.

The six year old was still sniffling a bit then, allowing herself to cry as she curled her beaten and bruised form on the branch she was sitting on. She'd failed to be any good at it, at fighting like that. Would she really never be any good at being a ninja?

She'd probably disappoint Sephiroth like this... No. She just wouldn't go home...

Comments

[silverterror]

She was lucky he was the one that found her. it was his first thought, the one that was on the tip of his tongue when he leaned against the trunk of the tree, feline eyes sharp on her form. "Is crying supposed to fix it?"

[abileunaspada]

Ah? She was a little startled, jumping before she saw silver hair below. Again she sniffled as she scrubbed harsly at her eyes, curling up a little more where she was. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to see anyone. No, crying wasn't supposed to think of it, but what was she gonna do?

[silverterror]

"That wasn't an answer." He frowned up at her and waved for her to come down. He was in no mood to scale trees.

[abileunaspada]

"... No, it doesn't," Finally she managed to choke out the words, curling up more where she was. If she wasn't careful she'd fall, but she didn't care. She didn't want to show him that she'd lost, and that she wasn't as strong as the other kids. She didn't want him to see that at all, but he was already seeing it and that just made it worse. It was a childish belief from a young girl to believe that she'd be able to hide...

[silverterror]

Irritated, he walked up the tree and got a fistful of her clothing. "Down."

[abileunaspada]

Her breath hitched and she almost shifted away from him, frightened of what was to come. After a second or two she did unfold to start climbing down on her own, the entire time not looking Sephiroth in the face as she tried desperately to stop crying. Naturally, as a hormonal child who was thoroughly miserable at the time... Those attempts ultimately failed.

[silverterror]

He ignored it, getting her safely down to the ground before releasing her shirt. "Adela, how old are you?"

[abileunaspada]

"... Six," The answer was a quiet murmur as she kept feeling like she needed to shrink, to get away or... Do something. She didn't want Seph to see her like this...

[silverterror]

"What do you believe a six year old should be capable of, and in what manner?" He was watching her steadily, clearly expecting answers.

[abileunaspada]

"... Beating up the kids who keep saying that I'll never catch up. That I'll never be like you," Again she sniffled, her head hanging lower as she just slumped. She didn't want them to be right. She didn't want to admit that she'd never be like her cousin. That she'd never be that cool or strong...

[silverterror]

He scoffed, looking her over and then shaking his head. "No. You're small, you're agile, and you're fast. You don't use brute strength, it's idiocy. You lay traps, you use deception, you don't get caught. Understood?"

[abileunaspada]

It took her a bit, but she nodded after rubbing at her eyes again. It was difficult - if not impossible - for her to pull herself together then, but she had to try. She was in front of Sephiroth...

[silverterror]

"Good. Now what will you do next time?" He was waiting, obviously expecting her to come up with a plan right then.

[abileunaspada]

"... Be sneaky... Lay traps, make them pay," Again she sniffed, hanging her head lower so that he wouldn't see her face. Maybe her mom and dad would've hugged her by now, but Sephiroth wouldn't...

[silverterror]

"Good. Anything else?" He put his hand on her head, nudging her to lift her chin and look at him.

[abileunaspada]

Her eyes were still brimming with tears when he got her to look at him, and she just blinked up at him, ".. I dunno..."

[silverterror]

"What made you cry about it?"

[abileunaspada]

She tried to look away again, flushed as she felt more embarrassed over what happened, "We were practising and I said I'd be just like you and they told me to stop saying things like that and that I'd just get killed and that I was stupid for thinking I could ever be like you... That I'd never be good enough or catch up... I don't want them to be right... They're wrong..."

[silverterror]

"You believed them." His tone was heavy with disapproval, and he gave her a deep frown. "It's true, you'll never be like me, however, that's because you're a female redhead who is growing appropriate to your age group and nothing to do with combat skill."

[abileunaspada]

"Never be like you?"

She felt crushed. Her eyes, wide and misted, stared straight up at him at the shock of the words. The person she thought would encourage her, tell her that she could do it... Said she could never do it?

She wasn't sure of what she wanted to do then. She felt kind of sick. She wanted to cry. She wanted to shout at him that he was wrong, but it was Sephiroth, someone she admired so much, and if he thought that... Was it really true?

[silverterror]

He frowned at her at her reaction, picking her up by the back of her shirt. "What's wrong with you? It's nothing to cry about."

This was either a child thing or a girl thing, and he really wasn't equipped to handle either one.

I hate you. I happened to read this and now I can't sleep

[abileunaspada]

"... I really can't be a great ninja like you?"

She was trembling, shaking as all of the doubts she'd heard and held were coming together. Her tears started fresh as her head bowed, and the little girl couldn't help herself at all anymore. She started speaking between hiccupping sobs, clearly frustrated angry and saddened all at once, "Why should I try then!? I keep training every day even if it hurts! With swords and knives and jutsu until I can't anymore! I still tried even if it was hard but why should I try if I can't ever do it!? Are you telling me to give up too!?"

There was absolutely no rationality left. A child who wanted to be like her role model that had gone through relentless teasing and naysay from all angles... It seemed like Sephiroth's words had been the final in the coffin. She was sobbing openly then, not even struggling against the uncomfortable grip as she used her hands in a pointless attempt to scrub at her eyes.

Was she really so hopeless that even Sephiroth had given up on her?

[silverterror]

"What does any of this have to do with being like me?" He scowled at her then, irritated that she wasn't making any kind of sense. And she was crying and getting hysterical to boot. He gave her a shake.

"You're babbling and off on a tangent. Stop it."

[abileunaspada]

Adela disn't answer, shaking her head as she just kept crying. It was hard to take, that she might never be good enough. So unfortunately that meant Sephiroth would in fact have to make a decision on what to do with a crying six year old.

[silverterror]

"Stop it. You're talking about turning into a male, and that's irritating as you're obviously female. Now, back to the real topic." He gave her another small shake.