shinrasfinest: (En garde)
Johnas Clearwater ([personal profile] shinrasfinest) wrote in [community profile] melodiesoflife2016-02-24 09:34 pm

#14 | Now for re-learning that which might have been forgotten.

Characters: Sephiroth & Open Prompts below
Where/When: Aqures Ixen and a little further out for the 3rd prompt, during the Another Side, Another Story event.
Summary: Sephiroth burns the last four sessions due for obtaining his Custom Job, runs into a terrorist from Gaia and heads out further afield for some light training.
Warnings: Some long prose. Some action. Potential profanity filter w/Barret.


1) Laboratory [OPEN] 23-24th Feb
He’d got this.

After the vast amount of time he’d spent in Mysidia engaging in one expedition or another last month -and then there was Terra- Sephiroth’s Custom Job just had to be neglected for a little while. Never mind the amount of times he’d found himself in a situation where that potential power he might unlock in his crystal would have been more than welcome; it only reminded him constantly of its need to be finished.

He’d so got this.

It wasn’t so terribly unlike the physical monitoring he’d undergone at Shinra countless times before, the last stages of his ‘attunement’ to the ‘parameters’ that equipping this newly created Job would have on him. Nodes were attached with sticky tape to specific points on his bared torso; to monitor muscle tension, the build-up of latent energy, heart-rate, and who-knew what else. Wires trailing off to a nearby machine as Sephiroth again lifted Masamune up and out in front of him; the great sword finally as weightless as he remembered. A basic kata executed, seen from behind the glass of a viewing platform as moogles on the other side recorded the various readings. A spike of dials dancing as he closed his eyes and reached deep for the mako-rush that he’d used to be able to summon so easily at will.

A spark from one of the dials accompanied a flicker to the lights momentarily as Sephiroth carefully, once more, lowered his sword.
--
But there was a catch.

A flaw in the Job itself that had been identified early on that in itself had prevented its discovery half as quickly as Sephiroth would have liked. It manifested itself as a delayed-onset exhaustion and while a few of the moogles had a theory why it was an issue, it made symptoms no less tangible.

As tangible as promptly hitting the deck when he emerged from the last session of his four-day burn towards Job completion, where Sephiroth’s physical limitations had been pushed to their absolute maximum; during the process itself, combined with the untold weight of his other responsibilities and duties as well, and had crashed as a result. It took a handful of moogles and other assistants to lift him, but at the very least there were a spare consultation room that day where he could be lain out to sleep, lights off, until he could catch up.

However long that might be, being as Custom Jobs weren’t yet an exact science.


2) Aqures Ixen [Barret & OPEN Cast-prompt]
[Well this is categorically not what was on Sephiroth’s particular to-do-list for the day. Or the month, or even the year, to put it bluntly.

He thought he’d gotten over the worst of what the apparent ‘other’ wave of Heroes of Light could mean for him, having been presented with a mother that he’d never known already and the resultant surge of questions and insecurities have already proved a difficulty to sleep with a couple of nights ago. Wrecking untold havoc with the come-down from the final stages of tuning his new Job, no less. No matter it’s done now, he still feels a little hazy.]


Don’t do anything foolish.

[Hopefully this lunatic would listen to calm reason, insofar as Sephiroth just about manages not to provoke the situation further with his tone. Both leathered hands are raised, palms forward at the rough, agitated black guy with a gun arm pointed squarely at his chest. It’s surely the last time he’s leaving home without a weapon, after this.]


3)Monster hunting; Aqurean Forest - [Lydia/ Terra/ OPEN]
[ooc: Pick your monsters. From bestiary we’ve Golem, Mandragora, Ochu which are native to the Forest, or Red Bomb & Elemental which are native to the Region.]

Thanks to the presence, and consequential vigilance of many Heroes of Light living in Aqures Ixen, the plains nearby to the City seem relatively free of any monsters that may have roamed closer to the outskirts in the past. No matter; with the dump of several months worth of experience into his new Job, Sephiroth was fairly certain that the run-of-the-mill critters probably wouldn’t serve for the challenge that he needed to feel out - for once out of the safety parameters of the laboratory.

By chocobo it opened up the option, and it was clear that a location a little further afield would prove more adequate. Plus the fact that there were a couple of other Heroes that he intended to bring out towards the Aqurean forest in the south, for similar purposes. He knew the route well enough, having travelled it on occasion between Aqures Ixen and Esdham when he had the time or the shuttle couldn’t make a call on his request.

Upon reaching the edge of the forest, Sephiroth brought his bird to a stop --she warked almost rebelliously at not being allowed to carry on running, but eventually obeyed-- and with a smooth swing of his leg dismounted and began to survey the treeline a little ahead of them. There didn’t seem to be any threats visible, but he knew perhaps better than most Heroes that this forest could be alarmingly deceptive.

Not being a Chocobo Knight, after all, it would be safer to proceed on foot with the birds safely out of the way. He turned once more to his bird and, with a sing of edged steel, Masamune was pulled smoothly from the scabbard that he’d secured just behind the saddle. The chocobo, as unused to it as she might be, didn’t seem to even flinch.
bigshotmarshmallow: ([09])

[personal profile] bigshotmarshmallow 2016-03-02 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yep, Yuffie did absolutely nothing to help. Kill him and he'll just come back in a week? Considering the Heroes of Light from Barret's groups aren't immortal and he never heard of this immortality business before, that sounds very bad. But then Cloud and Vincent had to take his defense too. ]

$@#$^! Are you all insane?

[ He shook his head at Cloud before turning to Vincent. ]

I get he got memories issue, but what 'bout you two? [A beat.] Just 'cause he's not actively trying to destroy this planet means we should be friends with him? What makes him any different from the Sephiroth we've chased across the planet?

[ Sounded honest indeed, but that's not enough for Barret and he's not moving his arm-canon down. ]
toomanymistakes: (sins ◦ so perfectly clear)

[personal profile] toomanymistakes 2016-03-02 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
For a moment, she was almost taken aback by the intensity of his eyes' glow. It had been so long since then that had so many of her thoughts hadn't lingered on her own sins all these years, she would have likely forgotten the signs. Oh; she knew that glow in his eyes, all right. Not only from the other specimens she'd observed, but the very subject of the last official project she'd been assigned as a Shinra scientist.

She nodded faintly. It made sense, given his current state. "It's still different, seeing the risk on a monitor and experiencing it firsthand." A fact she'd known full too well, even though it didn't mean overmuch in recent days. Now she wondered if she should let him rest further, or wait to see if he knew her as more than a passing stranger. Regardless he likely had questions for her.
toomanymistakes: (silence ◦ all I wish I could say...)

[personal profile] toomanymistakes 2016-03-02 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, careful-" Without even thinking of it, she reached out to offer a steadying hand. Having experienced it firsthand she knew that moving too quickly could have the opposite effect after experiencing a crash like the sort she'd witnessed him suffering as she first arrived in the lab. The concern in her brown eyes was likely more apparent than she meant it to be. That hiss of his hadn't escaped her notice, either.

Awkwardly withdrawing her hand and standing fully, she went to one of the cabinets. Now where had she seen the small collection or rags? Ah, right.

"I doubt they would try to weaponize the very Lifestream itself," she remarked, finally locating a clean rag to wrap a piece of ice or two in. She was no mage, so this would have to suffice for the time being. Returning to his side to offer the wrapped ice cubes for his muscle strain, she found herself falling into the selfsame silence. Academically speaking she could inquire what he'd used in place of mako to obtain a similar effect, but that didn't nearly seem appropriate in the circumstance.

Pulling up a chair to sit beside him didn't seem nearly as inappropriate however, and so she did. Lucrecia was content for a moment to simply sit in that silence.

"Ah. I wondered where I'd left it." It had been an accident for her to misplace the tome she'd recorded the group's travels, made notes as studied the peculiar languages of this world, and even written down tactics and theories to be proven at a later date. Though she hoped it meant that he hadn't read the entire thing. She hadn't used ink and quills save for passing interest growing up, so many of the first tens of pages had embarrassingly poor penmanship. "Did you open it?"
thegreatninja: (Don't Care)

[personal profile] thegreatninja 2016-03-04 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
Why not just give him a chance and see?

[Yuffie has no better way to explain. Beside she thinks her points are very valid.]
deadlyvu: (aww...thanks Beej.)

[personal profile] deadlyvu 2016-03-04 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
"I'll go scout then, and try and lead him if I find somewhere good? or should I come straight back to you?" Not that Lydia wasn't willing to play bait--she had offered. Easy enough to turn into a small black bat, fluttering in slow circles while Sephiroth confirmed what he wanted her to do.
bloodypast: (Side Profile-mouth)

[personal profile] bloodypast 2016-03-04 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
What makes him different, Barret, is that he is not insane, he is not from the time when he becomes a wanna-be-god-madman-with-delusions-, as well as the fact that the crisis here on Crystallis takes priority over that of the crisis on Gaia. A crisis which Sephiroth is working towards stopping.

[Vincent is glad he can be patient. Yes, Barret can be stubborn, but had he listened to what they'd said?]

You don't need to be friends with him. You don't need to like him. You DO need to let him be and not shoot him, and accept he is a Hero of Light, like the rest of us.

neverfirstclass: hikaritoyami.dreamwidth.org (Default)

[personal profile] neverfirstclass 2016-03-05 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
Look...Barret. I know...or at least I can guess what you're thinking. If you kill him now then you'll be able to save Gaia. But that's not how it works here. If we die we turn to crystal and we're revived.

[Come to think of it, Cloud isn't entirely sure if this is true of the new group of Heroes, but he knows it's what should happen to Sephiroth...at least he hopes that's still the case.]

If you kill him, or any of us really, we'll just come back. But that might also make things worse for this world. And where will you be after that? It's less than revenge. There's no point.
greenmagick: (adorbs)

3) Ochu? & w.e. else

[personal profile] greenmagick 2016-03-05 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Terra's gaze picked out the three paths that Sephiroth was undoubtedly talking about. Her bright watery blue gaze grew more focused as she stepped forward, the grip on her staff tightening. She'd be support which meant that Sephiroth would lead however she wanted to inspect each path a little closer before heading off and into the trees. After a moment she nodded to Sephiroth as if to tell him that she understood the plan and was able to keep up on her own.

She didn't want him to baby her, that wouldn't help with training if it was easy more so since her goal is control. So far her Esper side has only come out when she'd been feeling weak or hurt, she hoped this new job would help fix that but she wasn't sure. She smiled at Sephiroth for a moment before her expression grew more serious.

"Okay. I'm ready."

Terra stepped behind him, her gaze flicking behind them and then to their left. Sephiroth would be sight for the front and she didn't want anything sneaking up on them.
greenmagick: (What did you do?)

3) Ochu? & w.e. else

[personal profile] greenmagick 2016-03-07 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Terra paused at Sephiroth’s cue, she’s grown to know his movements and found it easy to read him meaning in even small gestures. Her eyes moved towards the side of the path, her fingers tightly grasping her staff. She inhaled a cool breath of air, letting it fill her lungs before exhaling softly. There was no reason to be afraid.

Her eyes watched the thick rooted like arms as they rose and ready for attack. She felt Sephiroth as he moved not even needing to turn and look at him as power seeped from his being. Her eyes remained on the monster, its tendril lashing out quickly towards her companion.

Terra took a measured step back and out of its path. All of her spells are ranged and it would do better to stay away from the tangle of trees that made up the creature in front of them. She knew this beast and she knew its weakness just by looking at the leafy green and brown that covered its body. She looked over towards Sephiroth sparing him a simple glance before she began to cast. Her red mage spells would be there when she was ready, instead she tapped into her new job; the one she feared and yet hoped to control. Starting at her lowest skill: Drain. A small swirl of magic surrounded her and then shot forwards towards the lord of the forest. It surrounded the monster and leeching the lift away from it before returning to Terra. Warmth flooded through her and she felt the life that she had stolen as the Ochu lumbered towards them.

She took another step back, inhaling and exhaling. She wasn’t going to lose control and she’d stay out of Sephiroth’s way.
deadlyvu: (Default)

Hmm...to have her run into trouble or not? (Your choice, I have a plan)

[personal profile] deadlyvu 2016-03-08 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
As clear a 'nod' as she could give, at least in bat-form, before she was off. Careful to keep by the trees as she moved around the golem and scouted as best she could. Small and quick, moving to find more open-spaces that didn't have the trees as clustered.
toomanymistakes: (◦ i feel you)

[personal profile] toomanymistakes 2016-03-08 12:07 am (UTC)(link)
Luckily she withdrew her touch as suddenly as she'd unknowingly had done it, more concerned with his well being than the awkwardness that ensued.

"So I've noticed." She admitted, though the surprise was likely evident in her town. If he knew she was from Gaia as well, then-- no, she couldn't dare to hope he had learned of her existence back there. If anything, Hojo would likely have erased all but hints of her involvement in the experiments performed in Nibelheim. But then, where would he...? Had it been one of the many tricks this world seemed to pull on them?

Though perhaps she didn't have the right to ask that of him, as worn as he was already. Perhaps after she'd rested further she would, but for now her curiosity could wait.

"I will admit, I hadn't even heard of such a thing until we reached Mysidia." Perhaps in passing at the very beginning, but at the time there was no one to send messages to--all of the other Heroes save those who'd just awakened were crystal. In truth, her own excuse was rather petty. They could have gone to a Mognet office to send and recieve letters, after all. It likely would have been easy to have received her book back from there. Not that she was one to judge his uncertainty. Not that it did not sting

"Of what? My presence?" It was an honest question, however meek or uncertain her own tone was. After all, he'd never had the opportunity to know her... it was only fair. She had run off in surprise and uncertainty when they'd first crossed paths, after all.
bigshotmarshmallow: ([14])

[personal profile] bigshotmarshmallow 2016-03-14 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
$@#$^! Fine.

[ They did make some measure of sense, as much as he didn't like to hear it. ]

I'll let him be. But... [ He marked a pause and looked up. ] I don't think I'm saving this world because I care for it. Nah. I'm doin' it because I want to save Gaia. And I want to save Gaia because I want to make sure Marlene got a future.

[ He shook his head and stared back in Sephiroth's direction. ]

So I don't care about you being a Hero of Light here. First step out of line, and I'll be on your ass.

[ That's as far as Barret is ready to concede. Sorry, but not trusting him. ]
thegreatninja: (easy)

[personal profile] thegreatninja 2016-03-14 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[Yuffie grins putting her palms on her hips as she faced the others surrounding Sephiroth.]

See, that wasn't so hard.
bloodypast: (As you wish)

[personal profile] bloodypast 2016-03-16 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
[Really Barret? Then again, Vincent was not surprised. At least he seemed to accept that they needed to save Crystallis, to save Gaia, and thus save and provide a future for Marlene. Still, the darker gunslinger resisted the urge to roll-his-eyes.

There were others among the Heroes who bore more 'watching' than Sephiroth. There were also quite a few already watching Sephiroth, as well. So long as the other Gaian didn't act too pre-emptively, it would hopefully be alright.]
neverfirstclass: (Smile!)

[personal profile] neverfirstclass 2016-03-17 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Cloud remains blocking the way ntil he's absolutely sure that Barret is backing down. At that point an unfamiliar smile spreads across his face.]

Thanks...I know this can't be easy for you. But if you can't trust him then try to trust me. We want to help Gaia too, but right now that means saving this world and making sure the Calamity doesn't get back there somehow.

[Cloud glances back at Sephiroth, making sure if he's okay. He doesn't want to have to stand between the two like this. He hopes that Barret's worries won't come to be, but if it did come down to a fight between the two of them he is fairly sure of which side he'd likely take.]

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