The Sound of Dragons Fighting from a Distance (Nadia/Cecil/Trinity/Isabella)

Through all of this Trinity's face remaned unchanging, expressionless, and her eyes stayed locked on Cecil as he spoke, unblinking, then they would shift to Nadia as she too spoke up, and still Trinity's expressionless gaze didn't falter, the unblinking eyes of the young girl stayed longed on the girl as she talked and Trinity took in the words, it was already quite obvious to her that her words were not listened to, it was obvious with Cecil as he had already assumed she was acting like she was perfect. He hadn't heard her say she knew she wasn't, and had reacted to what he wanted to react to, this of course colored the observations of everyone else.

Then it was Isabella's turn to talk to her and it seemed she misunderstood her reason for saying what she said, all her words were seemingly not fully listened to, Cecil's reaction was what everyone was gauging the interaction by, rather then the actual words spoken by her, this was something she would need to keep in mind as it seemed to have turned everyone against her....much like she assumed Cecil's misguided and untrusting dissent would have eventually done with Gabe, if not this fast it would have eventually happened, it was much the same way Brittany left with Frog simply because she trusted Frog over anyone else, and so it would seem Nadia was doing much the same, favoring the person she knew over someone who had information and experience.

And with Isabella sounding much like she was on the fence however teetering it was becoming obvious to Trinity that, while others would listen to Gabe, it was not likely they would listen to her, seemingly her youth was one reason. As Isabella finally walked off to curse Trinity stood up and walked over to her and gently placed a hand on the older woman's arm. "We have already lost a friend....We got his dying words as he was killed....We have lost another friend as well...they vanished one day....We already have an Idea of what has happened to them....and now We have Lost another friend...We have lost our parents before we were born...we have lost many things that others take for granted.....we are not unscathed....We are....were...the medic and healer for our friends....and one has died and one had gone missing even as We stood to help them...unable to aid them...and now our last friend has been taken, again without Us being able to do anything...We know loss...we have had to over come it far to often already..." she said to the older woman her eyes unblinking and her face expressionless as always, her voice as well was fully monotone as it always was.

"We are not use to being the one with all the information...we are not use to being the one that has the most experience....but we are in that position now, Gabriel was the closest thing We had to an older brother....maybe a father....We have lost much in this...A father...a Friend...someone We loved dearly...Our first friends in Our life...and We have things to do for them, things they have left for Us to do....Whether We must do it alone...or with the help of others We will do these, We will hold to our promise...We would much rather have allies..." she then gently removed her hand from the older woman's arm as she turned to the door the other two were closed behind.

"We already know we will not be accepted as a leader due to our age, but I think there is a large difference between everyone here and Us..." she walked over to the door and looked over her shoulder at Isabella "We are wiling to die for this cause....for the memories of our friends....and for the freedom they sought to give to everyone...by the means they meant to gain that freedom..." she then simply opened the door and looked at Both Nadia and Cecil.

"We believe you have misunderstood Our words Cecil...." she said simply as she walked into the room so that the door couldn't be closed on her "...You also can't walk away from things that anger you....things that are troublesome....you have to face them..." she said as she looked to Cecil "...You accused us of acting like We are perfectly reasonable? We have flaws, We are well aware of our flaws, We are also are keenly aware that we have a great deal of work to do on them, We hold no Illusion that we are some perfect people with no flaws".

She then turned her gaze to Nadia "We also know we were misunderstood by you Nadia....There is a fair difference between coddling and Caring for someone else...we are not saying Cecil should not care for you, nor you for him..." she then looked back to Cecil.

"As for your assertions and assumptions about Our friend....You chose to follow him, he did the best he could, and you reward him trying to keep you safe and sacrificing himself for you but belitting him, you say you were never supposed to be the leader? What makes you thing he was 'Supposed to be the leader'? you thrust a title on him that for all you know he didn't want as much as you don't want it...one can only do their best....but blaming others isn't the way to do that".

She took a moment before she continued, "You say you have people that you listen to? Who are they? why did you not simply follow them? What made you decide to follow our friend instead of the ones you listen to? you say we never made the effort to know who you are? have you made the effort to know who we are? for every question you have asked me, we only ask that you ask yourself the same question. Were mistakes made? yes we cannot deny that they were made, and we wouldn't deny they were made, but blaming only one person for mistakes is foolish and leads to nothing but finger pointing.".

She then looked back to Nadia "We know how you feel.....the one we loved....died....protecting us, we got their last words before they were taken....you say some will die before others, that is true, some much sooner then others in this very room." she stopped before addressing all three of the others in the apartment.

"It is your Choice to follow Us or not....but with or Without you....We have been given a task...and we have given a promise to all three of Our...departed friends...We intend to see these promises through...as best as we can with what little we have, Running from problems...doesn't fix them..it only makes them worse...running from confrontation does nothing to overcome it...and turning on ourselves does nothing to aid us...".

She finally looked to Nadia one last time "If We are still unwanted here after we have spoken our peace....then we will respect your home and leave...." She then addressed Isabella and Cecil.

"If the thing preventing this group from working together is ourselves....then we will leave you three to work together...if our presence is a hindrance then we will simply remove that hindered, you al have something to lose, We understand that....We no longer do...Everything has already been taken from Us...the only thing we have left is the promise's we have made, and the tasks left to use by the lost...We would prefer to stay, our tasks and the survival of you all would be easier to assure if we are together...however if asked to leave we will...." The whole time Trinity talked with her normal quiet monotone, her voice only just carrying enough to be heard as she talked to the three of them, she could tell that the straining point here was herself, if the easiest way to make this team work together was the removal of that straining point, then she would simply remove herself from the equation to allow the others to hopefully work better and survive, she would do her best to follow through on the promise's and tasks that she was left with alone if need be.

Cecil didn't say anything when Nadia entered the room, sat on the side of the bed with his face in his hands. His lips briefly tweaked up at one corner as she kissed him on the cheek, but he had to focus on trying to calm down, squashing down the rage that Trinity had invoked.

Really, an effort doomed to failure. His eyes blazed when he heard the door again, and he stared death at the door when Trinity came through to run her mouth again.

"YEAH, YOU'RE MAKING IT VERY FUCKING CLEAR YOU HAVE FLAWS! LIKE NOT KNOWING WHEN TO FUCKING STOP!"

"SAY WHAT YOU FUCKING LIKE, BUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING SAYS MORE THAN ANYTHING

FUCKING

ELSE, AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING SAYS

YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR WAY AND BE RIGHT BEFORE YOU'LL LET IT DROP, NO MATTER WHO GETS DRAGGED INTO IT OR WHAT DAMAGE IT DOES!"

Gritting his teeth, he lays back and closes his eyes, plugging in his earphones and muting himself to the world.

"...just leave me alone before you turn this into another avoidable disaster."

Isabella looked to Trinity as she would speak, once again explaining of their loss. IT was hard to keep a straight face. She could see the girl had suffered, she had suffered so much. But at the same time, there was a hint of... Horror, for lack of better word at what all that had done to her. How much she'd been twisted by it. She merely looked and listened.

"Trinity... I know what loss is like, though I don't know if I can begin to fathom what the loss you've gone through is like, but..." The blonde pauses, seemingly lost in how to phrase what she's trying to convey. "Your actions worry me, Trinity." She would speak after a pause. "I can understand, you're angry, you're bitter, and you have this promise you made. But I can't see how what you're trying to do could end in anything but more sorrow."

She was willing to die for this, Trinity had said as much herself. And she seemed to be serious. Very rarely had Isabella seen that level of dedication. Usually words like that were in a way, inspiring, but coming from the words of child, that effect was lost. The older woman then watched Trinity walk back into the room where Cecil and Nadia had closed themselves in, and... She continued talking.

And it lead to screaming, not surprising. The mix of horror and sadness gave way to frustration. Trinity had good intentions, but this was getting irritating. "SAY WHAT YOU FUCKING LIKE, BUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING SAYS MORE THAN ANYTHING" Isabella stepped over to the door, her form looming behind Trinity, her right hand raising up.

"FUCKING"

And... Isabella grabbed her clothing on the back of the neck, jerking the girl backward rather violently, though not trying to topple her. Isabella turned a her eye through the door for a glance, giving the two inside an apologetic look, before her left hand reached or the handle and pulled the door shut. That done, She would pull Trinity to the nearest wall, and press her back against it, bringing both hands to the child's shoulders. Her face was stern, as she stared at the other silently for a moment.

"That's enough, Trinity." She started, keeping her voice even, but not letting her frustration show. "I can see what you're trying to do. Yes, there are some issues here, between you and Cecil. You disagree. That's normal. You're trying to work it out by conversation. That's good. But..." She let that word hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "I don't know if you just... don't understand it, but everyone else here is far too tense and emotional to have that kind of discussion in a way that is meaningful and doesn't just devolve into a one or both parties just shouting." She kept her eyes locked, her look stern,, disapproving. But she was careful not to sound angry.

"So please, Trinity..." Her tone softened some. "Just... Sit down, and drop the subject for now, okay? There are issues here, yes. We can work on those issues later. Right now everyone just needs to calm down, collect themselves. Then we can have these discussion and start sorting out the disagreements, without all the emotional baggage that has built up right now." As Isabella continued to spoke, her grip on the other grew less tight, but still firm, while she lowered herself onto one knee. "We're all scared, we're all tired, we're all hurt. In our own way. And we all have our own way of processing that. And everyone just needs some time... To process what happened tonight."

She then paused, before giving a small nod, and pulling the smaller female closer, gently wrapping her arms around the girl. "Okay?"

As Trinity was interrupted and pulled out of the room she simply didn't resist, though her face didn't betray any emotion as always and she simply looked up at Isabella with the same emotionless, expressionless face and unblinking eyes, even as she was yelled at, even as the girl towered over her at first and as the older woman finished Trinity simply continued to look at her, unmoving, no emotion showing at all, so far..she hadn't devolved into shouting, but she knew that Isabella was talking about everyone else, and honestly it seemed to be the way things were going. It would seem no one was willing to talk things out, to put personal problems aside and try to come together, She had to wonder, if this was due to a failure on her part...or as a consequence of them not wanting to trust in her? it could easily be both, or nether really.

"If people don't learn to overcome such things...then how will we move forward if we fail again....we can't let a loss stop us...we need to come together and work together...We should be a team...." she looked at Isabella a moment, she could see the woman didn't know what to say, but it was rather clear to the young girl that none of them would listen to her, or could, they where losing themselves in the one thing Trinity had decided to throw away when she learned of her limited time, loss.

Yes she felt the loss, she had been thrown into disarray when it happened, some of her siblings where hurt more then others, the youngest of her siblings, the ones that had only awakened not to long ago, Yuuko in particular, Lilith seemed collected, Nola, Alister, Myrna, Trinity herself, they where all less as affected, they were over the issue for now, they would have to deal with the actions that happened yes, but they had already coped with a lot when they were much younger.

Finding out the world wasn't what it had seemed, that had been something she took to rather easily, she took the steps suggested to her by Gabe and Selenus, she never considered herself safe they were in enemy territory as long as they were in the city, they had to be on guard all the time, they had to be careful, and they had to work together, but it would seem...she was seen as an inhibitor of that "If We are not wanted here.....perhaps We should leave? it seems you all have a common dislike for Our methods? despite Us trying to open a dialog to better understand each other....We are seen as causing a problem...." her expressionless face and unblinking eyes locking onto Isabella's.

"If Removal of Ourselves will help you all work better together and survive....then the answer is simple....We should be removed..." she said as easily as someone who would ask for directions "We have limited time....In the time it may take for them...and you...to pul yourselves out of this pain...this loss...We may be gone....We do not know. We have experienced loss...we have from a young age...We have dealt with it...We know it can only hold one back...We do understand people need their time....however...we are sadly not in a situation were we can take all the time required." The young girl gently raised her hands and placed them in a hug around the older woman as she hugged her.

"We know...your sad...and it hurts....but We can't stop moving...We are not given that time...You may have that time...We do not...We get closer to to our time...and We have a lot to do, We have lost our only friends, our first friends, and now we are alone, but We can't stop, you...you take all the time you need....When you all are ready...We will be waiting...." her voice never changed from that Monotone, her expression never changing.

Trinity had lost everything twice now, the second time was a shock, but she had to push it aside for the time being, just like she had pushed aside her first loss, it was even more important now that she did it, she had more then her own wishes on her shoulders, though it would seem one would be less achievable. She found herself the outcast again it would seem, in another way this time, She had to grieve this loss later, if she ever had time to.

With that she gently slipped out of the hug and started to left to stand near the door they had come into the apartment from "We will keep watch....you should sleep....We made a promise to protect you all if we could....to bring the things the others wanted into being....We will do that....Though We did hope...we could be friends....but it seems that my not happen now....good night.." and with that she stood by the door, simply keep watch in case the Cadets did end up doing a sweep, if they dd she could just pretend to be asleep as well....and if for some reason they decided to simply attack, something she didn't see as something they would do, but she had a plan for that as well....she would buy the others time to run if she could, though that may mean sacrificing herself, but after all...if Persona's were a reflection of your inner self, then it was quite clear....she was simply a Pawn....

Cecil didn't even notice what was happening as he was yelling out at Trinity until the motion caught up with his mind a couple seconds after the girl was pulled out of the room. The last bit of his angry yelling stumbled and petered out, and the tunnel vision receded to show Isabella looking apologetically at them.
Dumbfounded, he could only nod a little in gratitude before the door closed, and a couple of seconds after he got up and staggered over to it before sitting down against it. He didn't want any more intrusions right now.

He sat in silence like that for a while, faint sounds reaching his ear through the door that weren't quite able to register as words.
The sound of Trinity's voice, indistinct as it was, should have provoked some great rage...but there was nothing. In one screaming match cut short, he vented out a lot of the bubbling rage that roiled and crashed against the shores of his mind.
He felt drained. Drained, exhausted, and defeated.

"...sorry." It was all he could think to utter. The discomfort on Nadia's face was clear, and even if he wasn't, he'd just screamed out his lungs in a way nobody would be unable to hear. "I lost it. Been losing it."
He groaned as he remembered Nadia needed to get back out there anyway to deliver the necessary comforts for sleeping, and sluggishly picked himself up to stagger back over to the bed. The blond flopped face-down onto the sheets, and after a couple of seconds, rolled over to stare blankly into the ceiling. "There. Now you can get out." He swallows, eyelids drooping. "...can you...pass them my number? We...really need to try this again. Without...the screaming." He felt the exhaustion, and things seemed to dim and slow as his eyes finally fell shut. "Sorry...to both...of, them...and...that I did this...to your..."

He was out before he could finish the thought.

Nadia was dumbfounded, but all the words she had been hearing up for died on her tongue, unspoken. Instead she just stood there, holding the sheets and pillows, wincing as Cecil yelled, and then silence. Cecil got up and sat against the door, and Nadia just looked concerned. It was a drained sort of concern, the kind that makes you wonder what you were thinking. When Cecil got up and went to the bed against, she watched him with troubled eyes as he flopped down. Emotionally drained as she was, she was still a host. She gathered up the bedding that was slipping from her arms, and pushed open the door. The bedding was deposited on the couch, and Nadia looked from Isabella to Trinity, who was silent, watching the door like a hound.

Nadia approached Isabella. "Feel free to take the couch, or the chair, and stay as long as you like. Cecil has a spare key if you need it. I need to leave early for work, so I may not be here when you wake. Please make yourselves at home. That goes for both of you." Nadia pulled a pad of sticky notes from the bar and scribbled down Cecil and her own number. "Cecil and I would like to try this again, maybe tomorrow...or the day after. When we have calmed down, and without the yelling. We are a team, afterall. Thank you, Isabella." she handed one of the pieces of paper to Isabella, then went to Trinity. She took a blanket from the pipe and draped it gently around the girl. "Get some rest. We'll work all this out in time, I promise."

And with that she headed back to her room, closed the door behind her. She took Cecil's shoes off, and draped one of the thicker blankets up around him before crawling in next to him and snuggling up tightly against him. The warmth and quiet were like a rapture of grace. And of thus moment of calm and quiet, listening to the sound of his soft breathing, were the last moment she spent on this earth, she thought she'd be a lucky girl.

[Exit]

Edit: gave Nadia and Cecils numbers to both Trinity and Isabella

There was a moment of silence from the woman as she pondered what to say. "I've been through my own share of pain and grief, and I've worked over those things. I don't know if Cecil or Nadia just have that kind of life-experience. I didn't know Gabriel like you, so this sin't nearly as much a personal loss to me as it is... Just a shock in general. Tonight just nailed home the idea that... We're outlaws by merely existing." She'd shake her head after this.

Trinity then offered to "remove" herself, there was something that just felt so off about that wording. She lso kept mentioning something about "her time", Isabella uncertain what the girl meant. But she let the other speak, before in turn giving her reply. "The last tthing I'd do is ask you to leave, Trinity. Cadets will be on high alert. You going out there would be a death sentence, or worse." She couldn't help but feel a little sick to her stomach just thinking about it. "I don't have all the pieces to put together this puzzle, I can't fathom what all this talk of time is. I understand and appreciate that you want this to be a team effort, but that can't be on your terms alone. There has to be compromise between everyone involved."

Uncertainty ran through her mind, but thankfully Nadia entering again offered some respite. She brought blankets and such. Much needed. She waited for her to speak her part, offering a nod at the phone numbers. "And thank you, Nadia, for offering us this place to stay the night." She would watch the other drape a blanket over Trinity, after the other had offered to take watch.

Isabella, as much as she wanted to just go rest, went to pick up the hair brush, and went to the entrance of the bathroom to finish up with her hair. "You don't need to stay up all night, Trinity, please try and rest up. I'll just sort through my hair and try to get some sleep then as well."

Trinity allowed the blanket to be draped over her as she simply stood there watching the door for the time being, she took the paper as well but said nothing, for the time being, though as she was suggested to get some sleep she looked at Nadia "We will keep watch..." she didn't feel she should say thank you, as it seemed they considered her as causing issues, and only now they were talking about being a team, after she had ether been yelled at or dismissed by everyone involved.

She had a feeling it would happen. Her age, her condition, many things got in the way it would seem, though still it was getting under Alister's skin at how only NOW they talk about being a team.

"Yeah only now that you think you have proven some dominance or that everyone is on your side do you think of us all as a team....where what that sentiment when we tried to talk things out and got yelled at by two different people....hell even you reprimanded us earlier and said we were disrespectful....but NOW we are a team....now that we have been shouted down and silenced....now we are a team..." Alister said in their mental construct.

Yuuko only stayed in the corner of their construct and shook her head "I don't think....they really count us....they want to coddle us..but they think that they have some authority over us just because we are younger...".

Lilith looked at the two "You may be right....they yell at us...they reprimand us...and then they act like they care for our health....they might.....but then what signal should we listen to? the one were they act like we know nothing? that we understand little?...or that they care about our well being?......".

Myrna looked at them all "It's possible to yell at someone and still worry about them....but I do understand how it can be confusing....and even I have to admit, it seems quite unfair that they only now take the time to consider us a team even as we tried to talk to them all before and only get yelled at...people are complicated...all we can do is out best to understand them"

"I think it is more that they see us as a group...but only if we remain in the position they have always seen us in....silent...in the background....and only useful as a healer....it would seem that other then that, they don't think we understand, or that we can understand...it may be age related, it might be due to the fact that we have often held out tongue, but what ever the reason is...it seems we are only considered an issue or a problem if we talk....perhaps we should not count them as such fast allies as we hoped they would be?" Unison gave her opinion as she looked to the others.

"I think....If we are the problem...maybe we should just leave....it's clear that our attempt to help..to pull them together has simply not worked....in fact it looks like it only got them all to think we are some sort of problem...and now that the 'problem' is quiet....we are now suddenly part of the team..." Nola said as the others nodded a bit.

Trinity sat there as this conversation in their mental construct happened, there was a lot there that seemed true, but she also had made a promise....but wan't part of that promise to also look after herself? Could she count on these people? They were unlike the friends she had lost, Tatsui, Selenus, Gabe, all took the time to understand her, all were willing to admit their flaws, and all worked together to get things done....Here there was only separation and it seemed that despite her being the most knowledgeable, at least about the situation, and the most experienced, she was considered a problem when she tried to get everyone to talk.

Isabella then spoke to her about getting some sleep yet again and without even turning to look at the woman Trinity answered "We will keep watch...." was all she said, it was all she could think to say, and it was probably the only thing they would LET her say...if that as it seemed they wanted her to sleep even if she didn't want to nor felt they should all sleep, not at the moment....

Well, it seems she still chose to keep watch. Isabella would not further protest this, instead turning to the bathroom and once again returning to the task of combing the copious hairspray out of her hair. With the awkward silence the task soon began feel grating rather quickly. In the end, she wound up doing a pretty sloppy job, but by then the stress of the night was getting to her, hard.

So she stepped back into the living room, her damp hair still carrying a faint odor of vinegar to it despite attempts to wash it out. She would pick up a blanket and a pillow, and set them up on the couch. That done, Isabella would sit down, and look to Trinity. There was still the urge to say... something. But at the same time, she'd begun to suspect that the other... simply didn't think similarly to her.

With a light shake of her head, Isabella shifted to lie down upon the couch, her legs partially hanging off one end. She would again shift her gaze to Trinity. "Good night, Trinity." Isabella would say, before turning where she lay so her face was toward the backrest of the couch, and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would come soon.

[Exit]