melodiesoflife | #20 | The Life of a Soldier [December

Entry tags:

#20 | The Life of a Soldier [December | Starlight catch-all]

Characters: Sephiroth & OPEN Prompts below
Where: Various as prompted
When: Throughout December / Starlight Celebrations
Summary: Away from all the merriment involved with this very special time of year, there are those working flat out to ensure that it stays that way. Whether it be fending off monsters for the first week of Trano Golsaucia's re-opening, safeguarding frontiers as the Calamity creeps ever forwards to engulf the land that is left unprotected, or getting that crucial fitness training in with any spare moment given.
It might be the last Starlight this World would see, and it's his job to make sure everyone was able to make the most of it.
Warnings: N/A (for now)

[#1 - Trano Golsaucia]
[#2 - Aqures Ixen. Training.]
[#3 - Wildcard]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Times have been changing, ever since the Crystallization had receded completely from those lands which now had laid bare the exact nature of the corruption of the Calamity that they ultimately were all to be brought to face. From the very first reports of so-called 'Calamity' monsters crossing, or even just coming too close to the newly formed frontiers, it had been obvious that a military redeployment would have to be on the cards.

Therefore, those forces that had supplemented the civilian security force of Aqures Ixen ever since the Festival of Light, had been cut substantially as Sephiroth -much like others of his own rank- redeployed manpower to those efforts that were certainly of the greater threat. He knew that the Calamity would overcome the entire face of the Planet unless they found a way to halt it but in the meantime those scraps of land that were left had to be protected as well as possible.

One of such efforts, saw a sizable platoon of Sephiroth's own army deployed to Trano Golsaucia by airdrop, in response to the need for guards to fend off monsters while the theme park attempts to pick up where it left off; spreading Christmas cheer to all that were brave ~~or mad~~ enough to venture out into corrupted land to get there.

Sephiroth can be encountered on squad patrols out into the bad lands around the City, to keep Calamity monsters from surging too close, as well as back at sentry stations set up to oversee one particular direction or another and delegate others accordingly. Those shifts often seem to go on forever, but needs must.

On occasion, when off duty he might also be encountered around the City itself; still needing to eat and sleep at regular intervals. The last thing needed while resources were overstretched would be to over-exert himself. Though generally, it might seem that he were impervious to all the festivity that's going on around him.]

[Between his various duties lined up within December, Sephiroth becomes less frequent a resident within Aqures Ixen. However, on the few-and-far between days that he is either working or taking well-deserved days on leave, the fitness routine he’s kept up with as a matter of principle doesn’t change much at all even on account of the colder weather.

But even he has to wear at least a thicker sweatshirt and warm joggers to go on his early morning, daily jog route to the 10th District, even with the hood to the jacket up over his head against the sometimes-biting breeze. Similarly, the more interval-like training that would usually be efficiently done in the various open public spaces within the city, has to be taken indoors into either the Hero Training Hall or one of the many unoccupied training spaces inside that left behind in stadiums where there isn’t much sport going on in the wake of not only winter, but the impending doom that’s hanging over the World. Rapid squat thrusts or inclined push-ups are made to be tough enough of a work-out without the frostbite to the fingers or toes that would be left behind. Not to mention that cooled sweat is a certain way to make yourself sick.

Resistance-training follows soon after, whether it be with the equipment at the Hero Training Hall, should he find a space which isn’t been used for other purposes, or at a more dedicated weights gym somewhere in the 10th District. Thanks to the influx of the population now, it’s not as solitude an experience as it used to be but needs must. It’s certainly not like in the facilities of the military base where there would be a degree of privacy to Sephiroth’s own personal work-out, not that he’s ever going to let the occasional oggling from a bystander get the better of him.

Everyone could do with someone to spot them, sometimes, right? Who knows, you might be lucky enough to catch him running through something more weapons-oriented, or at least, those smooth movements to a stretching-and-reflex martial routine seem not to be so far off his actual combat style.]

[Indeed, Trano Golsaucia is hardly the only location in the World that suddenly has much more of a need for a grounded defense force ever since the recession of the Crystal that had frozen the corruption of the Calamity. With a small army at his command, therefore, there are other locations that the Colonel turns his attention to. After all, it’s his job to lead these men and that in itself comes with a responsibility to rotate around his deployments and hear reports from his subordinates who were more permanently stationed.

Balicea now sits poised to be the next City to be consumed by the Calamity. Except rather than a vast sea of creeping crystal now, it’s manifested in a much more violent nature of corrupted land. It’s hardly ever light much, on that side of the line, and the monsters that roam those lands are not to be trifled with. Often there are those that begin to surge too close, or even wander into the uncorrupted Calm Plains. Though not in the town often, Sephiroth patrols between small camps set up along the frontier there, paying particular attention to those routes of fleeing refugees and the main land route further south east towards the Republic of Esdham. Goblins, Buers and Gargoyles being particularly troublesome.

Similarly at the Village of Santa Claus, particularly towards the end of December when many others would visit there to enjoy their Starlight to it’s fullest. The Calamity now nearly completely encircles the Village that the Heroes essentially built for refugees from Hera but now houses much more of a mix of population; not all of them particularly comfortable around any Esdham military types. It’s a challenge, not only to provide security within the village, but to keep a sentry around the entire perimeter in order to keep corrupted Blue Bombs, White Elementals and the like well under control. Even for a SOLDIER, keeping warm on cold sentry nights is a mission on it’s own.

Much as his time in Aqures Ixen, Sephiroth’s presence at the military base in Esdham is fleeting; often only for a few hours at a time. To file paperwork appropriately in his office, to catch up on dispatches from the Mysidian Tower and other locations where he has less men deployed now as a result of the necessary re-deployment. You’ll have to excuse the ten minutes snooze he inadvertently ends up taking with his head rested on arms atop his desk after not-so long in being sat down.]

[OOC: This is intended as a 'Wildcard' prompt, but also if you want to (rarely) run into Sephiroth at B-14 in Aqures or somewhere otherwise not covered here at any point in December feel free to start a thread under here.]

Edited 2016-12-17 22:59 (UTC)

[While Mary's been making appearances around Trano Golsaucia to aid in the local defense, today's landing of her airship carries a different purpose. The airship has been decked out in festive decoration and the pirate stands in the Helper Elf costume given to her by the eager moogles at Mognet Central. She spends some time giving out gifts to some of the local kids who have gathered around before embarking with a specially prepared sack.

As Sephiroth's patrol returns to their encampment/barracks they'll find the reluctantly garbed elf smiling despite her look with the sack slung over her shoulder.]

Ahoy there. I thought of leaving these for you all but decided best not to have you panic about a security breach.

[Rukia heard that Sephiroth was currently somewhere around the base. Good news for her. She had a ~~Christmas~~ Starlight gift for him she wanted to drop off, and it had been a while since they'd indulged in a decent spar. She still has her Red Mage job equipped, so she can at least wield a sword. Why not make use of it before she switches back to Santa Claus?]

[Familiar enough with him that she doesn't bother knocking, she drops by his office with a package under her arm. Once she sees him sleeping on his desk, she freezes, hand still on the doorknob, mouth hanging open in a greeting she never calls out. This is a rare moment indeed. As competent and duty-rigid as he is, something about the sight makes him seem very...vulnerable. Very human.]

[But of course he is. She forgets sometimes just how much younger he is compared to her many, many years. He's been working hard, of course he's exhausted. Rukia smiles and withdraws, quietly holding the knob until the door is shut before carefully releasing.]

[She comes back several minutes later, not only with her present, but a blanket and a cup of strong black coffee as well. She's not sure if he'll still be asleep or not, so she's prepared to drop the blanket on his shoulders if he's still snoozing, or push the coffee in front of his face if he's groggy.]

[An airship decked out in such festive barding finds itself in good company considering the permanent state of such glittering decorations in and around the theme park areas of Trano Golsaucia. But even out in the more residential areas of the city, even towards the perimeter that Sephiroth's troupe only serve a small part of the force deployed to protect it there are great wreathes on almost every door, candles in nearly every window.

A seeming beacon of all light and hope nestled within the perpetual darkness and gloom of the corrupted land it was set within.

However, Elf costumes aren't exactly standard protocol out towards the small encampment area that Sephiroth had been allocated. It's not much more than a few large tents, a larger deployment than he took along to Downopolis but this is a significantly larger problem.

A patrol of six, Sephiroth bringing up the rear, longingly looks over the Helper Elf before she announces herself. It took Sephiroth himself a triple-take to actually recognize hie fellow Hero of Light in all of her garb.]

Hold! [His tone clipped, practiced and with an edge often not heard outside of military life. The troupe near enough shock themselves into rigid attention as their Colonel proceeds forward to address the Elf waiting for them.

Privately, even in the gloom with most of his face being hidden by long bangs of hair, Sephiroth flashes a smile to Mary before turning himself to face the men again.]

At ease. [Most slump out of their sharp posture, though a few don't seem to be so keen in relaxing just yet. It's been a long day out on this side of the frontier. In the meantime Sephiroth turns himself so he's half facing the Elf and his men, his posture still as straight as a ruler.]

Th- [Thank you; he finds almost welled up and out of him before he could put a stop to it. A sharp clear of his throat later enables Sephiroth to correct his statement.] That's probably for the best, things are very tight out there.

[He's got to have been coming around by the time Rukia returns because he's managed to upgrade to resting one side of his head on an open hand while still trying to remember how to string the words of his own handwriting together into coherent sentences. It looks like if he's left, those thick-eyelashed lids might just fall shut again on their own.

Instead, Sephiroth looks up and over Rukia as she comes back into his office and makes a low hum of a noise before blinking a few more times, realizing he'd better at least make an effort to sit up straighter. Still, those slumped shoulders don't seem to go so far. The strong scent of black coffee meets his nose next and he at least stretches his neck out slowly from side to side. Maybe taking a break from reading the same sentence over and over will be a help in itself but one thing is clear...]

I'm...sorry.

[She clearly caught him snoozing on the job.]

[Having a Moogle companion is awfully useful...especially when Akane wants to keep an eye out for certain people while working diligently at the lab. She's been hoping to run into Sephiroth again after their meeting at the training hall, but he's gone so often that fate just isn't working in her favor. So Akane does what she's always done to reach her goals.]

[She makes her own fate happen.]

[When her Moogle, Keys Kupo, spots Sephiroth entering the training hall, she zips to the lab to tell Akane. At last! Akane flings off her labcoat, picking up her gunblade from the locker before shouting to her teammates that she's going out to lunch.]

[...Without her lunch, apparently, but she's always been an odd one. No one blinks twice at her as she dashes off, her face lit up with excitement. If anyone can help her with her training, it's Sephiroth, and if he's working through his routines alone, then she can conveniently offer to spar with him, and they'll both get something out of it! The plan is perfect!]

[Except it's not. The room she finds him in is the weight room, and the way she burst right in and caused a few heads to turn in her direction doesn't mean she can subtly back out. She stands there with an awkward smile on her face, holding her gunblade in its bundled sheath, and the red on her face is no longer strictly due to the cold.]

Um...fancy meeting you here?

[Drat.]

[It's anyone's guess how Sephiroth's troops feel about having Lust hang around even after he'd helped her to dispatch a Calamity Gargoyle. Some feel uneasy around her. Some could smile and stare at her all day.]

[She hasn't bothered to offer any explanation as to why she's still there, bloodying her weapons and her hands as she throws herself into each fight with such ruthless efficiency. Lust isn't reckless by any means, but she certainly doesn't hesitate an instant for the sake of self-preservation. Some habits die hard, apparently.]

[As vicious and deadly as she is, Lust is still mortal in this world, and she does need rest and food. At least slaying monsters tends to leave one with no shortage of gil, so she can afford both in the nearly besieged town. She keeps to herself in the common room, not engaging in conversation, but certainly listening to what people say around her. It doesn't yield much information she doesn't already know, but again, it's a habit that's never really left her.]

[Her plate is empty, and she sits with her legs crossed, one hand cupping her lovely face as her gaze strays to the window. It's there that she sees Sephiroth's reflection. That one, at least, is enough to rouse her interest. They haven't talked much at all, so when she turns her head to regard him with a slightly raised brow, the invitation to 'talk' is silently extended. Whether either of them has anything worthwhile to say...]

[Maybe it's a small saving grace that Sephiroth wasn't exactly facing the door as Akane had come bursting in. As the other handful of citizens in the room turned their heads as she entered so confidently, and then sunk into being embarrassed that she hadn't quite gotten the low-down on the particular training hall her potential-tutor had chosen today.

However, there is a certain silence that falls and that seems to disturb him. Sephiroth is sat on one of the many benches, and just glances briefly at Akane before returning his full attention to safely uncurling a bicep from the hand-weight he'd just performed a steady set with. Carefully, though not extending his arm out fully as it'd lock his elbow, the weight is set to the padded floor. There is an identically sized one resting on the floor to his opposite side; it's an arm day, apparently.

The tail of long silver hair which is pulled over one shoulder shifts back behind him as he sits up again and finally answers Akane.]

Hello Akane.

[At least he's not looking so surprised to see her here; call it damage control of some sort. It seems to work a little in that a few of the eyes who had been looking at her, particularly that she'd come in with her gunblade, seem to lose interest.]

...it's a small world.

[Uneasy, or glad for Lust's company, Sephiroth would probably shoot down any attempt at a complaint from any of these members of his army. They were here because there was a job that needed to be doing and all focus needed to be in that direction; if other Heroes of Light decided to come out and assist with keeping the Calamity-frontier and the route to/from Aqures and/or Esdham free, it could only be of help.

But it would be all too naive of him to not have overheard one thing or another and catching her in the common room with less of an audience around seemed as good an opportunity as any.

Sephiroth catches Lust's apparent silent invitation well enough and with a outside twitch -mostly hidden within one of his bangs- to one of his own he approaches the opposite side of her table and lowers himself into the seat.]

Glad to see you're taking some time for nourishment, at least.

[She knows, just as well as he knows of himself, how badly Sephiroth tends to fare with small talk but it's a start?]

[Chrom has always shown an avid interest in the cities besieged by the Calamity and protecting the people who live there. He'd given up hope on being able to save Trano Golsaucia, for he'd never been able to find a sapphire or diamond crystal no matter how hard he searched.]

[Then something changed. Suddenly the crystal was no longer there, and the only signs they had of the Calamity's advancement was the sudden wall of darkness and the appearance of more dangerous monsters. He'll gladly join the patrols while he checks up on the town, well-equipped to fight whatever comes his way now that he's grown accustomed to his Crystal Knight job. It won't be too much longer before he can start making use of the Onion Knight job in a practical way and make himself more immune to fire.]

[Speaking of which, he makes sure to carry a lantern with him on patrols...just in case he encounters a fire-loving Mu. Any boost he can get before his experience orb expires is a good one.]

To think that these people would be so dedicated to reclaiming their home. It's admirable in a way.

[Instead of carrying Falchion, he's got his fire-elemental sword on hand. It won't do a lot of good against Buers, but Ochus are weak against fire.]

Hmph. If you must apologize for something, apologize for taking on too much on your own. It's clear you need some rest.

[He can keep the coffee AND the blanket, which she places on his shoulders just the same.]

You've been working very hard lately, I've noticed. This is commendable, and I thank you for it. But I have no desire to see you run yourself into the ground like your roommate is also prone to do.

[Smirk.]

So. What can I help you with?

It does seem to be smaller in size than Earth!

[She's embarrassed, but not so much that she can't make a few dumb jokes. He doesn't seem annoyed to see her tailing after him in any case, so she'll take that as a sign of approachability. She'll just leave her gunblade propped up against the Smith machine that no one ever uses.]

Sorry to come rushing over like this. I heard you were in the training hall, so I thought you were working through your routines and wanted to join you. I know how busy you are, so...

[So it was better to change her schedule to match his rather than demand he make time for her, is what she's trying to say. But instead she goofed, not realizing the training hall wasn't always about weapons practice.]

Should I come back later?

I never cared much for this particular necessity.

[Some people truly seem to enjoy eating, but she finds it a nuisance. It wastes time and slows the body down. But it's better to be human than a homunculus, for all of its inconveniences. That much she can admit to herself.]

I could say the same for you. You drive yourself harder than most others I've seen. For what purpose, I wonder?

[The question isn't directed toward him specifically, leaving him free to answer or not as he so desires. She switches her crossed legs and lifts her chin out of her hand.]

[Until relatively recently Sephiroth had clung onto his Sapphire crystal before finally being persuaded to be of a mind to relinquish it to protect Aqures Ixen itself, saving countless lives since it had been the safe haven many refugees had already fled to. It seems that, even without much thought towards it, he's always done more than his part to protect that city that he'd first awoken in all those years ago.

The silver-haired colonel doesn't seem to patrol as frequently as perhaps the smaller squads do but logistically speaking that would be illogical. Given his role, he's often coordinating it all; between his own troops, mercenaries and other Heroes who have enlisted to contribute, as opposed to actually getting out towards the perimeter himself.

But on this particular late-afternoon it's Chrom, Sephiroth and a couple of mage-jobbed soldiers from the army. It suits him just fine to have the Crystal Knight at his side. It turns out his custom job doesn't fit all that well with any of the tank classes, after all.]

It is admirable. Yet there is an argument for it being greedy, or even stupid.

[He's heard all sorts, so far in his short-stay and Sephiroth is careful not to sound too bitter given his own personal opinion. It's not the place for it, while he's on duty.]

[A carefully drawn in breath -careful so it won't turn into a yawn- is all that Sephiroth can respond to Rukia's comments with as he seems to slouch when the blanket is put around his shoulders. The soft warmth is comforting, but it's almost toxic in the way it tempts him to just close his eyes again. Still, he takes the time to place the papers he's reading to one side and pulls the coffee in close. Inhaling that awake-scent with both hands curled around it.

At the end, an arched eyebrow faces Rukia, while Sephiroth then raises a hand to tame some of the hair from one side of his bangs to be out of his line of sight.]

Can't change the habits of a lifetime. [A small smile; referring to both himself and Jade, being the stubborn workaholics they both are and readily acknowledging the same.]

I'm not in the ground yet, just feel more tired when I'm not on my feet. [Of course, the known side-effects of his custom job means that prolonged periods of over-activity are followed by equal-and-over periods of fatigue, exhaustion if left unaddressed.

Sephiroth takes a sip of the coffee, albeit with a bit of a cringe; he's not a fan of the hot bitterness of the drink but needs must.]

...it's just surveys from recent deployments, field reports from new sentry positions...

[A flick of his wrist towards the papers he's put to one side. He's almost convinced Rukia's going to find it as tiresome as he did within moments of sitting down in from of them.]

[Politely, Sephiroth nods along with how Akane explains her story. Discreetly he looks past her at times to ensure that those who decided to look over have now gone back to their own respective workouts and left them alone; all sorts of rumors can be bred from eavesdropped conversations and being so swollen in population now, Aqures Ixen could become a hot bed in a matter of hours.

He stretches that recently worked-on arm out in front of him and slowly bends it in to meet fingertips with the opposite meat of his shoulder. The well-honed muscles of his arm fluidly move beneath skin as he does so, glistening a little with sweat but not constricted at all on account of the loose muscle shirt he wears often when training in this way.]

I'm often in one training hall or another so-

[A shrug later and Sephiroth's eyes up the other weight that's on the floor, the next in his rotation. By all rights he's already done more than an average human would in one set, but if there wasn't any ache the next day then it's a sign enough hasn't been done.]

-it's an easy assumption to make, really. [Shouldn't he feel a little creeped out at being apparently stalked by a young girl, though? At least in public Sephiroth doesn't appear bothered by that at all.]

You've come all the way out here, though. We can adjust.

[Before Akane really gets chance to comment further, Sephiroth stands and kicks his leg around to the other side of the bench, retrieving both of the weights he's been working with from the ground, heading back to the rack and then back towards where Akane is waiting, to take the white sweat-cloth and water from the floor where they'd been in easy reach.]

[Sephiroth does enjoy the odd meal, but similar to Lust he finds them necessary and therefore something to put up with. After all, even as a real mako-infused SOLDIER on his homeworld, the body could only be enhanced so far without the foundation blocks being put there by good diet and lifestyle.

That which burns more, after all, needs more to support it.]

I've always been that way. Driven. [He quickly shrugs off the comment about his drive, however the sticky point about his purpose didn't really get dispelled very far. How many times in his life was he going to get stunned by that question?

At least he's more of a mind towards acknowledging that purpose is an issue for him, now. However, he doubts Lust has planted that query there specifically to force an answer.]

That depends on the purpose needed, right?

A desire to feel needed, then.

[It isn't uncommon, though Lust can't say that she relates. She's far more focused on seeing her own needs and desires met than making herself useful for the sake of acknowledgment. She studies him curiously, pensive for a few moments.]

Does this bring you pleasure?

[Her cheek moves to rest in her palm. There's a hint of a genuine interest in the question; it doesn't appear like she's intentionally trying to needle or disturb him given how closely she's watching his face for his response.]

Oh, I-- Thank you! If you're sure. I won't be more than half an hour!

[That's when her lunch break ends. She'll just have to scarf down a sandwich and some coffee while she works and hope that she doesn't get embarrassed by a growling stomach during their session.]

This is really nice of you. Should I lift weights too? Or did you mean to practice with weapons?

[Akane doesn't want to assume, and she does feel bad for disrupting his muscle training. It sure has paid off, she can't help noticing... But she wisely says nothing. It's disrespectful to stare like that at her teacher!]

Say no more.

[Rukia plucks them off of the desk, thumping them into a straight pile before moving to lean against the wall and review the documents.]

I'll review and sort these according to their importance, and write a summary note at the top. I'll also be certain to highlight anything of particular importance.

[She was no stranger to paperwork, even before coming to this world. Her Soul Society captain was often laid up with his illness, so she didn't mind covering some of his tasks to ensure he was well rested.]

While I do that, why don't you get some sleep. I'll wake you up once I've finished.

Perhaps. Or it may simply be necessary. We've no guarantee of our success in combating nor eliminating the Calamity. If they are able to survive here now, their chances improve drastically compared to those who haven't yet been exposed.

[In other words, he prefers to give the benefit of the doubt...even if Sephiroth is probably right in his assessment.]

I'm impressed at Esdham's quick military response. I hadn't known they would respond to the needs of other countries as they have. I take it you had something to do with that?

[The younger man grins slightly at the colonel.]

Perhaps.

[She's not far wrong, really. What purpose is there for a soldier if there are no missions to be carried out. Sephiroth wouldn't even have been brought into existence if there hadn't been a purpose for it, that project which had spawned him.

In Sephiroth's short moment of silence, a uniformed private has taken it upon himself to approach their table and place a glass of water to the one side of the Colonel. He blinks from his thoughts and the young boy is given a gracious nod for his efforts. The silver haired warrior takes a small sip once the other soldier is back out of ear shot.]

There is no greater sense of accomplishment, to achieve a set of objectives well enough to be deemed excellent.

[It sounds textbook, maybe even boring until he makes the additional comment.]

Whether that's only from habit, though, is a question I tend not to linger on for too long. I find that it dampens what doesn't need to be. We've enough to be chewing over than attempting to unravel what makes ourselves tick.

[...despite the advise from the Sage that so many have already taken in confronting their 'Shadow' selves.]

[And just as if she hadn't noticed the work to his arms, Sephiroth takes the white cloth and mops his brow and the back of his neck as he proceeds to lead her across the weight room towards one of the rooms sometimes set aside for fitness classes.

The long tail of his silver hair swaying down his back, but not further than between his shoulder blades. He speaks back towards her, guessing she's not going to be so far behind given her enthusiasm ~~and ticking lunch break~~.]

It's not all about weapons practice, Akane. Your physical performance is as important to hone as your skill with any blade.

[Besides, he's come to the weights gym with a sweat cloth and a bottle of water only. One doesn't weight train with a sword within arms length. There are threats in Aqures Ixen, for sure, but nothing that would justify having a live blade around.

Sephiroth holds the door open for her as he passes through into the spacious room with mats covering the floor. After setting his cloth and water down against the nearest wall, he turns to her hoping she'll also have put her sheathed gunblade to one side as well.]

Open your stance; I'll show you what I mean.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 3

#20 | The Life of a Soldier [December | Starlight catch-all]

[#1 - Trano Golsaucia]

[#2 - Aqures Ixen. Training.]

[#3 - Wildcard]

Re: [#1 - Trano Golsaucia]

Esdham

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Balicea

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