entranceway | 01 - Audio & Action - take your pick! Phone call or gun to the face...

[audio]

[ Vincent isn’t normally one to just try calling out of the blue, but he really wants some intel on this place - enough that he is willing to at least try, even if he is quite suspicious of, well... everything about this place. ]

Where is this? And to whom... am I speaking?

[ His voice is deep and quiet and mostly toneless - though there is a dark edge to it. He wants answers, and he expects to be given them. However, he has one last thing to add... ]

Yuffie, if this is your doing... [ ... well, if she’s listening, he’s pretty sure she can imagine the unspoken threat. ]

[action]

[ But even as he waits for any sort of response, Vincent doesn’t keep still. Instead, he carefully explores the mansion, moving quietly as he swoops down hallways, checking rooms and keeping to the shadows. You wouldn’t expect someone in a red cape to be particularly stealthy, but he manages it very well - unnaturally so.

However, stealthy or not, he is expecting a fight, so if he opens the door to a room someone is in, his gun is out and aimed right at them. ... really, he’s too used to a world where every space that isn’t a town or city is crawling with hostile wildlife. Don’t worry, though. He won’t shoot on sight. .... probably.

But you’d also better be careful if you meet him in a hallway - or more likely, he sneaks up behind you - as he is armed and dangerous and isn’t the friendliest looking person...

In either case, he won't waste time in asking questions. Unless he's already had the basics from someone else, in which case he'll probably lower the gun if he's sure you're not a threat. ... probably. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ ...oh good. Time for the awkward questions. ]

...kind of?

[ Explanations, how do they work. ]

I was, and I wasn't.

[ Everyone's favorite time! ]

What do you mean?

[ A pause, then: ]

The Lifestream goes everywhere.

... ah.

[ He pauses for a moment, thinking that over. ]

Welcome back from the dead...

[ A little smile. ]

Thanks, I guess.

[ A pause, then- ]

You know Aerith, don't you?

Yes.

[ Zack can't see it, but Vincent glances down at his arm, where he has a pink ribbon tied, though it's hidden beneath his cloak. ]

I did.

She's a little behind the times.

[ The tone he uses is innocuous enough, but the subtle message should be clear: Don't tell her she dies. ]

... understood.

I will be meeting her soon.

All right.

[ A beat. ]

Thanks.

Hn.

... I suppose I will see you around.

[ .... he doesn't really have anything more to say right now. Today has already involved more talking than he usually does in a week. ]

Probably!

[ So chipper. ]

I'm the guy with the big sword.

[ You know. Just in case Vincent was wondering. ]

. . .

[ Just imagine the look he's giving you, Zack. ]

Mm.

[ And then there's a click as he hangs up. Whoops did he forget to describe himself? Oh well. ]