Dying Ambitions [Nadia, Aerith, Clive]

[Administrator]

A tale of two spiders.

Predis felt the reply. "And you as well, my master. It is good to find you well." He became hungry soon after than and checked his web, which had caught flies in the corner, and ate his meal before returning. At this time, he felt his master call out to him again. Come? Feeling the intent behind the thoughts, the spider understood. He was going for a walk, and Predisrruel was asked to accompany.

Missing the private thought, as it was not directed through the channel, Predis began to titter back and forth. "I will accompany you, master." The spider moved swiftly, then, climbing up Jericho's leg until he arrived on his shoulder. As he did this, he slowly shrunk until he was the size of a quarter. At this point, he spoke through the channel. "Your energy has allowed me to become much more, and I know that you can feel that energy inside of me, just as I feel it inside of you.

"The power, over yourself, over others...I had not known it before that day." Predis stopped himself then. It was hard to not let all of his thoughts rush to his master, as he could feel the presence of one akin to himself there. "I really must thank you."

[Aerith]

That's an odd gesture of kindness.
--------

Jericho left without any protest, and the spider soon followed. Good. Far less crowded now. Nadia needed some space in which to recover, and having two spiders in the house wasn't going to help.

Clive did not leave, however, and instead moved to retrieve Nadia's weapons from her person. Aerith almost said something to stop him, but when it was clear he didn't intend her any harm, she relaxed and silently watched him head to the kitchen.

With a sigh, she set about cleaning up the area around the couch, putting up medical supplies and replacing extra blankets in the appropriate closet. The only things left out were the tools necessary to repair Nadia's torn shirt.

Aerith took a seat and began sewing once more, keeping a careful eye on Nadia should she show any signs of worsening.

"You're helping her." It wasn't a question. But it was softly directed at Clive.

[Nothingness]

I Know Very Few

"She's going to get herself killed through inexperience." He inspected each blade again--they were clean. "It's her choice to follow Jericho, wherever that may lead. But it would be worse for everyone if she died." He looked around for anything that could sharpen the weapons, but there wasn't anything in plain sight. Figuring that it would be rude to start going through the drawers, he asked, "Do you have a knife sharpener?" He actually felt a little self-conscious asking. Not because he thought it was a dumb question, but because it had been years since he had ever asked for anything.

[Aerith]

It would be a good idea to make sure she stays alive.
--------

Aerith paused in her sewing and looked in Clive's direction. If Jericho was indeed attached as strongly to Nadia as she suspected, then it would be terrible if Nadia were to die. Even if Aerith was on friendly terms with Jericho, she would not want to be around if that ever happened.

"A knife sharpener?" Aerith stood and went into the kitchen, rummaging through her drawers until she found the sharpener for Clive. "Here you go. Though, it's only ever been used on kitchen knives."

[Nothingness]

You Needn't Worry

"Hopefully that's all it will ever be used on," he murmured, going to work. Clive doubted that it would take long, but he stalled on purpose. He didn't know why, nor did he particularly care.

"When she wakes up again, if she has enough strength, I'd like to speak with her in private." He set the knife and tool down, looking at Aerith. Clive figured it wouldn't be hard to assume the first thing that came to her mind. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try anything. I simply want to talk." He picked up the knife and went back to work.

[Aerith]

The second I hear anything suspicious, I am coming back downstairs.
--------

When Clive told her that he wanted to talk to Nadia alone, Aerith was ready to protest. It wasn't that she didn't trust Clive, but even if he did not plan on hurting her, any conversation might be too stressful at this point. She didn't want her patient under more duress than necessary.

Well, she would worry about that when Nadia woke up. For now, she agreed. "All right. When she wakes up, I'll let you talk to her. But only talk to her." Aerith's gaze was firm, almost admonishing. No one would be killing anyone in her house. She returned to Nadia's side and resumed working on the shirt.

The hours passed slowly, the shadows lengthening as the sun moved across the sky. Eventually, Nadia did stir, catching Aerith's attention. Aerith watched her for a moment, then silently stood and looked in Clive's direction. No words, just a look, before she went upstairs, leaving him alone with Nadia.

[Nothingness]

A Peace Offering

Clive had long since finished his work when Nadia awoke. He had been reading, and more recently, been making a pot of tea. He saw Aerith give him a look before she headed upstairs; he was glad that she trusted him, however little.

Pouring two cups of tea, he quickly looked in Aerith's refrigerator, and found the ingredients he was looking for. It didn't take long to make, and when it was over, he walked over to Nadia, handing her one of the cups while he held onto the other. "Please, drink." He said calmly, walking back into the kitchen to grab Nadia's knives.

Setting the knives in front of the couch, he himself sat on the floor. "It may taste a little bitter, but it will give you some strength back. My wife would make this whenever I had a long day at work." He took a sip from his cup before he asked, "How are you feeling?"

[Aerith]

What am I supposed to say?
--------

This time, when she woke up, there was considerably less disorientation. She knew where she was, but when she turned her head to find Jericho, he wasn't there. Panic flared in her chest, and the urge to get off the couch was strong. Unfortunately, she couldn't find the strength to do so. The most she could do was sit up a little.

Even Aerith was nowhere to be seen. But Clive was here. Nadia tensed, especially when she felt the difference in weight that told her her knives were not with her. Not that she would have been able to use them right then.

She warily watched Clive walk over and offer her a cup of tea. At first, she stared at it like it was poisoned, but then she accepted the cup and took a tentative sip. He was right. It was very bitter. But she could tell it was good for her.

Her eyes were drawn to her knives in front of the couch. They looked better than they had in a long while. Had he done that?

She went back to staring at her tea. "Thank you." She wasn't really sure what else to say to this perfect stranger. "...Where is Jericho?"

[Nothingness]

Whatever You Want To

He gave her a small, friendly smile (how long had it been since he made that expression?) as she looked into her cup. Clive didn't blame her wariness. In fact, he was glad that she was wary. It meant she was getting better. "He went out earlier with that spider-friend of his. He'll be back by morning at the latest, I assume."

Clive took another sip of his tea, thinking about what he should say. The silence itself was deafening, and although he tried his best to ignore it, he was finding it impossible. "How did you meet Jericho?" He figured that as good a place to start as any.

[Aerith]

My turn to tell a story?
--------

He seemed to want to talk. Well, she supposed she could indulge him for now. There was nothing else for her to do other than lay on this couch. She felt like she hadn't spoken extensively in ages.

How had she met Jericho? "I met him in Twilight Town. Oh. That's where I'd been living for a while." She paused. "But not by choice. I'd been sent there against my will. But I had been trying to make the best of it."

This was coming out in a very convoluted fashion. She grimaced a little. "I'm originally from Agrabah, if you couldn't tell."

Back to staring at her cup. "Anyway... he offered me a way out of Twilight Town, and I took it."

[Nothingness]

Why Does This Sound Familiar?

So, her story was more or less similar to his. Randomly meeting Jericho after leaving, or in her case, getting kicked out of, their worlds, and falling into cahoots with him. "I met him in more or less the same way. We met in Agrabah, and he hired me for the skills I possessed." He figured that she could put the dots together, and just saying it outright probably wouldn't work out all that well for him.

Clive paused for a moment, drinking the last of his tea. He figured that he should ask the question that he'd been wondering about for a while. "Nadia, I'd heard of your name in Agrabah--the Demon-Child, some called you. If the stories are true, and, if you've the strength, may I see? If the stories were false, then I apologize for my brashness in asking, and I shan't mention it again." He spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words. The last thing Clive wanted was he to get the wrong idea of his intentions.

[Aerith]

Does this make me a demon, then?
--------

That was how Clive knew Jericho. She knew well enough what he meant by "skills" when he had mentioned them. Jericho would only hire someone to do one thing: kill. That would explain why Clive was so familiar with how to care for knives.

They had met in Agrabah. What was it about Agrabah?

Even more surprising, was that Clive had heard of her. Anger shot through her suddenly. "Don't call her that! She's not... I'm not..." Nadia lowered her cup to her lap, so her trembling wouldn't spill the tea everywhere.

Her head pounded for a few minutes, and she groaned.

She was not a demon. Or was she? She had been able to believe that before, even while getting exiled. But now... What was she now?

I killed them. I killed my parents. And Camel-face and his father. I killed them, and I loved it.

Clive wanted to see, did he? Did he think she was some sort of circus act? Fine. He could see.

"I need a knife." Her hand reached for one, and when her fingers wrapped around the handle, Asherah's tarot card appeared several inches in front of her, spinning slowly on a corner. Nadia called up what little strength she had and struck it. Pieces of her psyche flew around the room, and Asherah herself appeared in the space behind Nadia's head. The ethereal woman seemed sadder than usual.

More pain sliced into Nadia's head, and she tangled her fingers into her hair. The pain didn't relent until Asherah vanished as quickly as she had arrived. Nadia took a shaky sip of her tea and tried to settle down.

"There. You know now. The rumors are true."

[Nothingness]

Beautiful

Clive was worried that he had pushed her too hard. He had made to stand up and try to relax her and apologize, but stopped when she took the knife. He watched as Nadia summoned that ethereal being. He stared at it, though he showed a slight sign of amazement. He'd never seen anything like it.

As Nadia gripped her head, Clive went over and gently leaned her back onto the couch. He smiled softly at her, and spoke gently. "No, the rumors were false. I've seen humans more demonic than you, or her. I was more of a demon than you." He walked over to where the knife lay and placed it with the other. As he held the knife, Clive felt glad. Glad that he had never had a chance to kill Nadia. "I'm sorry that I put you through that."

Walking over to the window, he opened it up a crack, letting some cool night air into the room. Moving back to the couch, he picked up the knives off the floor and put them in the kitchen. "You don't need to answer this question, and you can simply tell me to leave, but, I'm curious. How do you feel about people?" That was the last thing he wanted to know. He could ask her a dozen other questions, and share their life's history with each other, but those didn't hold the weight that this question did for him.

[Aerith]

You really want to know?
--------

Clive leaned her back, and Nadia sank into the cushions. Her mind was running ragged. What was going on? Why did she keep getting these headaches? They seemed to be getting more and more frequent.

He then opened a window, and the cool air felt good on her face. He was being so kind to her. Why? Maybe it was something about this house. Nowhere else had she seen or experienced such kindness.

Regardless, this place was the exception, not the norm. Clive had not finished asking her for her opinion on people before she was already forming a reply.

People had done this to her. They had despised her, beaten her, exiled her, and almost killed her. Why should she have any love for them? She was not afraid to share her thoughts, either. If Clive had traveled with Jericho for any length of time, he would know something similar to this already.

"I... I hate them. Do you see what they've done to me, Clive? Do you still see the bloodstains on the floor? Do you see how black and blue my skin is? My own family did this. My family and the crowds that gathered to watch like jackals. They wanted to kill me. All because I was... because I am different."

She paused, turning her head to look at the back of the couch. "Now they can't say anything anymore. They can't hurt me anymore. I made sure of that. And before you say anything about trying to make amends, I tried. And this is what they did to me. They weren't going to stop, no matter what I said. Jericho had to stop them."

When faced with so much hate, what response was there except hatred in return?

[Nothingness]

I Know All Too Well

Repose

Clive listened to her, knowing exactly how she felt. He remembered feeling just as she did. It seemed almost ironic that the three of them--Jericho, Nadia, and himself--had such similar lives. He spoke in that same soft voice as before. "I was never going to say that." He paused, deciding whether or not to do what he was about to do next. Unzipping his jacket, he took it off and faced away from Nadia, showing his scar-riddled back. "I know pain all too well. I was accused of murdering my wife and daughter, and this is what they did, despite my pleas of innocence."

Putting his jacket back on, he sat down on the floor again and continued. "You have every right to hate your family--no one can blame you. I hate the men who imprisoned me. But not everyone is evil. Look at Aerith." He smiled. "Even I'm trying." He moved over next to her and knelt, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If you only let yourself see the world one way, that's all you'll ever see. As hard as it may be, you've sometimes got to let go of the past, and look at the possibilities."

Clive reached to the back of his neck and unclasped the necklace. Reaching one arm around Nadia's neck, he clasped it around her. A wave of emotion passed over him as he spoke, and he tried his best to hide it. Still, his voice seemed a bit weaker. "This was my daughter's--it's the last thing I have of hers. I...I want you to have it." It was getting harder for him to speak, but when he closed his eyes, he saw them smiling, tears in their eyes. It gave him a little bit more strength. "There is good, even if you have to look hard for it."

Standing up, he picked up his cup, as well as Nadia's, but stopped just outside the kitchen. "I'm not telling you this so you leave Jericho. I'm telling you this so you don't become like him. I know that he's as much a monster as I was, but just like me, he has some humanity within him. Only Aerith and I have been able to bring it out in him." He turned to look at Nadia. "But he truly cares about you."

After having put the cups in the sink, he walked back over to Nadia. "I'm sorry if I've exhausted you, or said some things I shouldn't have." He began to move upstairs, to tell Aerith that he had finished, but turned around to say one last thing. "Good night, Nadia."