vatheon | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Rinoa and you!
What: Visits while she's recovering in the medical clinic
Where: Clinic
When: The 7th and 8th of this month
Style: I'll match you!
Status: Open to all!

[Although the monitors and wires and needles still scared Rinoa, the care she has been receiving counter-balanced the uneasiness the place made her feel. And really, the doctors and nurses had been doing a good job of taking care of her, to the point where she was likely ready to go home in another day or two.

All in all, she was lucky. She wasn't as drugged as the other victims (although it was going to make for some bad nightmares for awhile). The needlemarks on her arms were covered with band-aids, and the tears in her back were stitched and bandaged. The only other visible injury was her eye. The swelling had gone down, leaving a nice black and blue bruise in its wake. That would heal on its own.

But until she was clear to leave, she was stuck in there, with only her SFC and a small television to keep her occupied. Now that the drugs had been flushed out of her system, she was coherent. And she could really use some company.]

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[. . . Well, she can't help but smile at a greeting like that. Even if there is worry behind it.]

Rinoa.

[She shuts the door behind her and approaches a bit hastily. And this might be a stupid question, but it's kind of obligatory by this point:]

I'm sorry it took me so long to come. How are you?

It's okay. It's not like I'm going anywhere just yet.

[And she has so little to do here, so company is always appreciated, no matter how late in its arrival.]

I'm... okay. Been better, but at least it's over now.

[Argilla smiles. Even though being so confined is clearly a negative thing, at least she's well watched over. And knowing where she is, and that she's safe, is a relief.]

Yes. Serph made the announcement not long ago.

I'm sure the other victims will be glad to see that as well.

[That it's truly over.]

I think we all are. With so many people victimized, I'd be surprised if there's anyone in here who wasn't affected in some way or another.

[The terror is over, but the healing process was going to be a long one. For the victims and their friends, especially those who felt guilt for what happened.

Which makes her wonder...]

Can I ask you something?

[Argilla is ready to agree with Rinoa, one hundred percent. The victims may be random and only loosely connected at best, but the effects of the culprit's actions are widespread. Rinoa is easy to talk to about this, really; words would have flowed naturally, but the look in her eyes makes Argilla hold her tongue. The question that follows, even more so.]

Of course. What is it?

[There's a tiny bit of concern in her voice, but she tries to remain positive.]

You don't... you don't feel responsible for any of this happening, do you? Like it's partly your fault for not being able to catch this guy, or keeping me safe?

[She knows she might not like the answer, but she's too compelled to know to back out.]

[. . . ah.

Does she feel responsible? That's . . . not necessarily an easy question to answer, especially when she knows the answer that Rinoa is looking for. Nevertheless, she has no choice but to be honest.]

I think . . . perhaps I should have been a little more insistent about you staying with us.

[In other words-- well, it's certainly not a no.]

He got me after I left work. It wouldn't have mattered where I was staying.

[At least Argilla wasn't trying to bear the weight of the whole city on her shoulders.]

Everyone did the best they could. He just outwitted us. If anyone should feel anything, it's anger at him getting the best of us.

[Heh. Nothing goodwould come out of blaming herself, she doesn't think. Even though she's just an A.I., she knows that much. She clenches her fist at the mention of anger, though, because she certainly has enough of that accumulating over the past few weeks.]

Yes. There's certainly plenty of anger spreading about . . . but restraint is important as well.

[She, of course, will side with her leader on that point, however begrudgingly.]

It is. Taking it out on Riffael might seem like a good idea, but why add more violence and suffering?

[But she knows not everyone will agree with her, and who knows what'll happen to Riffael, especially if the DF didn't get to him first.]

There's no reason for it.

[A quiet sigh. Indeed, Argilla agrees with her reasoning, since she's never liked needless suffering-- even of her enemies.]

. . . Though he has been very suspicious about his actions. He seems to blame someone else inhabiting his body . . .

I don't fully comprehend it.

Yeah, he mentioned that to me. Sort of sounds like he has MPS or something.

[Wrong term for it now, but Rinoa's no psychologist.

A beat later, and she remembers she probably better explain.]

Stands for Multiple Personality Syndrome. It's rare, but some people... their minds are just so fractured or messed up that they form multiple personalities, and those personalities switch out. It's like having more than one person living in a body. That might be what he has.

[Argilla scarcely has a chance to even open her mouth to ask, before Rinoa explains the acronym; so she stays quiet and listens. Things fall into place, and it does make more sense now why he'd say that-- but all the while, her expression remains unchanged.]

Perhaps. But he'll have to forgive me if I don't take him at his word.

[Argilla hardly thinks of him as trustworthy, and obviously the higher-ups in the Defense Force don't think much of him either.

Serph did mention checking this explanation, but she doesn't exactly know how he plans to do so.]

Mmm. Yeah, I can see why people don't believe him. I'm a bit skeptical, too, but...

[After talking to him, she's made up her mind for sure. It's crazy, perhaps, but it's what she feels.]

I do. And before you say anything: I've spoken to him, twice before. Each time I did, there... I got this chill, this uneasiness when I did. Something wasn't right, but I thought it was just because he had a creepy stare.

[If only she had known... but there was no possible way she could have discerned what he was.]

When I talked to him again, during his surrender... I didn't get that feeling.

[. . . Since Rinoa had been insistent on her listening to her entire explanation, Argilla keeps her mouth shut; although she was about to open it to question why she would believe him so. And although she'd gotten around to that part of it, she . . .

Just has to stare. A feeling?]

And you think that means . . . something's changed?

[Something inside of him, like an entire identity? Is that . . . possible?]

Yeah. Kind of like intuition. You ever feel a certain way when you talk to someone?

[It's not the best way to judge someone, no, but it's all she has to go on with Riff. There was a definite difference, though.]

[There may be a definite difference . . . but unless it can somehow be proven, it's unlikely that he'll ever be trusted completely. Even if there is a difference and what he says is true, she has to wonder if that even matters. There still needs to be some form of punishment, and there's only one body to receive it.

Either way, Argilla doesn't even want to trust him; and to be honest-- from his broadcast, he doesn't even seem to trust himself.]

I don't know. I've never really noticed . . . and I didn't speak to him.

[No, she doesn't expect others to. And even she can't be entirely sure, despite what her intuition says.]

Oh. It's kind of hard to describe otherwise, and not everyone trusts it.

[Right . . . Argilla nods to acknowledge her point. Not that she doesn't trust Rinoa but, she just has to remain skeptical until it's proven.]

That's alright-- we intend to find out in time.

[And they really shouldn't worry about it for now, not when they should be celebrating a reunion of sorts.]

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