[video un: dandelionwine] at our next merry meeting away in the sky.

[concierto]

[The video starts with a tall tree and collection of bright stars above as Venti is pointing the device upwards. The night sky is sparkling with bright nightly colours. The video pans down wildly to show feet dangling from one branch. One brown loafer shoe just barely hanging on by a toe. Then a weepy voice sings along with a soft sad melody...]

An arbor of flowers and a kettle of wine... Alas in the bowers no companion is mine.

[The shoe falls from his foot and hits the ground below. Only to be met with a huff and whine as the one in the tree starts to sip from a large wine bottle. The camera pans up again with the view of the whole bottle before there is a glimpse of Venti's face as he sips it.]

Then the moon sheds her rays on my goblet and me... And my shadow betrays we’re a party of three.

Party of three...! Your poem is the worst! Just terrible...!!

[Venti sighs...]

See the moon–how she dances in response to my song. See my shadow–it dances so lightly along... While sober I feel, you are both my good friends. ...While drunken I reel, our companionship ends...

[A soft sob as Venti takes another big sip of wine and lets the lonely ache overtake his singing. The camera pans down again as he's unable to finish the last few lines of a poem that Zhongli wrote him. Now that his old friend is gone.]

You and the curious starshine too... how boring...

Comments

[sefirot]

If you end up inhibited beyond the capability to re-enter the premises I am not assisting you.

[concierto]

You'll leave me locked outside our own door? Mean! Rude! Positively awful! You're a stingy one, Sephiroth. Has anyone ever told you that you are? Stingy.

[sefirot]

You're letting your emotions blind you.

[concierto]

Better than letting no emotions turn me gray and lanky like you.

[sefirot]

And so you choose insults as a defense rather than face reality. Whatever you're looking to escape from won't change by this pitiful attempt at dulling your senses.

[concierto]

And what would you do if you were attempting to dull your own senses?

[If he says murder he's going to be so disappointed.]

[sefirot]

I don't.

[Except for Nibelheim. And that was murder.]

There is no point in purposely trying to weaken myself. Look at the situation from another point if view and move on from there.

[concierto]

[He adamantly huffs.]

I don't see sadness as something that makes me weak. I certainly would rather bury these feelings with another bottle of wine! But I'm not weak!

[Huff huff huff.]

Another point of view... I'm not sure you'd understand how I feel.

[sefirot]

If you don't see it as weakness then why bury it? Embrace it or see it as something new and move on.

You're not doing yourself any favors with your actions now.

I don't know what put you in this state, but there is nothing to be gained by drowning your sadness.

[concierto]

[Holy sweet Barbatos he is taking a big long gulp of wine right from the bottle.]

If anything it makes me feel better. I don't intend to make my sadness vanish like a pop of a bubble.

It makes for good songs and poems anyway...

[sefirot]

Does it make you feel better or make you not feel anything at all?

[concierto]

If I'm being perfectly honest? A little of both columns.

[sefirot]

And that gains you ...? What exactly?

It is a small bandage draped over a gushing wound that only brings with it extra annoyance.

When that bandage is gone, the wound continues to bleed out until there is nothing left.

If you are going to continue to degrade, do so faster and get it over with.

[concierto]

Whoever knew that you could string together words like a poet.

[Venti frowns deeply.]

Have you never missed someone dearly? Have you never felt the burn of someone dear vanishing from your sight without knowing when you might see them again? It is a wound that bleeds! It takes more time to heal than just ... continuing on.

Not all of us can simply let go and let weakness be pushed aside. I think that is part what makes us feel.

[sefirot]

Having nothing to lose means you aren't at risk for any wounds.

Think of it this way, you don't know how much truth is being spoken here. About what's happening. About our worlds. About all of it. The one you care about disappearing possibly means they have simply returned to where their origin. In that case, what is there to be sad about? They are free from this captivity.

[concierto]

I pity you sometimes, Sephiroth.

[Venti hums softly, though.]

No doubt that he's gone back home to our world to live whatever life he wishes to pick now. While that is all good and sweet for him I can't help but feel left behind. There were things I wanted to say to him. Things I wanted him to know. And yet... I missed my chance. Which I supposed I should blame myself for.

[Another sip of wine. He just misses this person.]

I will see him again another day. But I can't help but want him back here.

[sefirot]

So when you do finally return home tell him everything you wanted to say now. If it's important it won't matter how long passes, your words will mean the same.

If not, then perhaps your drinking yourself into a foolish state over nothing.

[concierto]

Nothing wrong with a foolish state of nothing... I'd say... Eheh...

[He lets out a drunken sigh.]

I hate to say it but perhaps you're right my supposedly godly friend. Perhaps I will get my chance to tell him more of what I mean to say. Someday. I'll count each one.

[sefirot]

['supposedly godly']

Good.

[After a beat.]

But I am still not letting you in if you return inhibited.

[concierto]

You won't be able to stop me even if you tried, Sephiroth! It was my room first!

[He murmurs indignantly! He'll break his way in! Stingy bastard!!]

[sefirot]

Getting into a fight while not under full control of yourself is not recommended.

[concierto]

Who said anything about fighting... ?

[sefirot]

Irritating me still counts the same.

[concierto]

Trust me, you'll know if I truly want to fight you or irritate you.