#13 | Esdham Times

[shinrasfinest]

Who: Sephiroth, OPEN; particularly military-comrades  
Where: Shuttle to/from and at the Republic of Esdham
When: Throughout November, (6th - 10th, 13th - 17th)
Summary: Between the duties he really should get back to in Esdham and those responsibilities he has back in Aqures Ixen, it does seem that the majority of this month will be spent trying to balance everything; it's a good job that military personnel can travel outside of Shoopuf but at the same time it wouldn't do to scramble a shuttle in every five minutes. I might add an additional prompt later, post-Expedition. Prompts in sub-comments for ease of posting. 
Warnings: N/A (Lets go in with none, see if I need to update later)

1) Esdham Shuttle
2) Military Headquarters / Training
3) Otherwise On duty - General OPEN Mingle
      (i)Around the City
      (ii)On Patrol toward the Oasis (aka quiet Heran Frontier)

Comments

(i)Around the City [Sephiroth / Open]

[shinrasfinest]

[It doesn't take more than a few moments of locking eye contact with Luffy that Sephiroth realizes that the young man before him has certainly changed in the months that they've been here. Sephiroth's too, though there is forever the stern confidence that comes along with his strict discipline in himself, hide many insecurities. His eyes reflect hardly any trace of the glow that they once held and if it wasn't for his striking slitted pupils and thick black eyelashes it's likely they'd get lost in his face being as pale as he is.]

Hm.

[It's all he could do but to watch the pirate as he picked up a rock from the ground and eventually hurled it at a still-damaged part of the plaza. Carefully inspecting body language as if he might be able to read what Luffy were getting at before he said those words.

Sephiroth manages to catch himself, just about, from reacting with a recoil to the gaze that comes with that sharp question. Thin silver eyebrows furrow as the Major has to quickly gather his thoughts into a reply. It's a few short moments before he takes a deep inhale and speaks.]

This...you think that this is being a Hero?

[He shrugs, as if to indicate to himself; his position in uniform, his reputation throughout the wider world especially in the wake of the Battle, his knocked self-confidence that he probably noticed more than other people did.]

This isn't being a Hero, it's farthest from it.

[And how he hates it, the bitterness is clear but Sephiroth can't be anything but honest with Luffy. It wouldn't be in his nature to be anything else.]

This is doing what needs to be done.

Re: (i)Around the City [Sephiroth / Open]

[gomu_ningen]

[Luffy didn't both to turn around, slowly rolling his head to look back at the collection of rubble and grit that had once been the Presidential Palace. His fingers flex, open hands clenching and opening again as if to reassure himself that they were in fact his own.]

So, you're not a hero?

[A deep grunt of air leaves his chest, the heavy snort of his nostrils as his knees bend for a moment while he stretches out the ache in his legs.]

You're a leaf. A reed. You just do what the wind tells you. You let yourself sway and get knocked around without doing so much as lifting a finger to let yourself decide where to go or what to do.

[He finally turns, his eyes all the more wide and anger filled as he stares at the obvious difference in height between them.]

I hate guys like that. They won't take any risks, and because of that, they can't appreciate life or the future.

[He motions a thumb to the wreckage behind him, bowing his head for a moment as he closes his eyes in thought.]

People die every day. There's no changing that. Even Presidents die. You could have done something, but you didn't. If you did, it wasn't enough, or you thought something was more important and did that instead. Yourself, or maybe the other heroes did the same. You heroes.. You say you're brave, you say you're strong. I haven't seen either from you. Zelda, Ram-bro, Yuna, Rikku, Yuffie.. Even Pakku.

[There's a purposeful pause. A deep and reflective moment just before uttering the next person's name.]

Miss Bloom. They're all heroes.

[He begins to walk toward Sephiroth, keeping his eyes forward as he saddles up aside the well-dressed gentleman. He stops just shy of beside him, hands in his pockets as his head barely reaches the apex of the swordsman's shoulders.]

If you think putting on a uniform is what needs to be done, then I hope you know you aren't wearing something from the military. You're dressing yourself for your funeral.