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melodiesoflife2017-01-17 10:19 pm
shinrasfinest) wrote in melodiesoflife2017-01-17 10:19 pm
Entry tags:
#21 | I Will Face Myself: Sephiroth
Who: Sephiroth (and those in attendance)
When: January 10th
Where: Aqures Ixen Laboratories
What: Sephiroth's first attempt at confronting his Calamity-self is doomed to failure. No surprises.
Warnings: Violence, selfishness, a touch of narcissism etc.
The outcome of this log cannot be averted by any character intervention but by all means come along for the CR. Next time it might be better.
The clear blue meteo-shaped crystal with the chip missing from one of its pointy tails was set firmly into the apparatus as Spencer had watched many others of his moogle-kin do on behalf of their own Heroes thus far. Indeed, the small bespectacled mog had most likely peeked in, or at least overhead more than the handful of Calamity-Self confrontations that Sephiroth had at first decided would be in his interest to attend. That opinion had been quickly destroyed.
Just another distraction brought about them by that nuisance of a Sage. Another game. Yet despite all the reservations Sephiroth himself was now here all the same. Any chance of any advantage against the inevitable climax against the Calamity couldn't be ignored so offhandedly.
As Spencer moved away from the console and back towards Sephiroth's side, the silver-haired warrior took a breath as the skills to his Warrior job slipped away, he went about steeling what he could of his resolve against whatever he might be presented with here. Outwardly he appeared more ready for it than at any point in recent months, inside, he felt sick.
Behind the small group that was in attendance, a deep resonance hummed on the air. Within the seconds that followed it changed in frequency until it settled into a low, derisive chuckle which seemed for a time to come from all around. The manifestation of Sephiroth's 'Shadow', his mirror image but with purple eyes, flicked into reality as if one turned on a light switch. Leaned casually against the wall right next to the door that would lead out into the hallway, a smile stretched wide across his face, twinkling victory in those blazing purple eyes which still remained with Sephiroth's own unique slits.
"...I was starting to wonder how long it would be, before I'd get to see the disgrace you’ve made of us. Myself."
Having been one of the first to spin around, Sephiroth's hand went back on his left-side. To grasp for a handle to the weapon that wasn't there. He'd figured it was sensible, being as he was to accept whatever this being ended up reflecting at him, already the logic behind that decision was crumbling. He felt even more vulnerable suddenly, without it there.
"I...don't-"
"See it that way? Truth hurts." It had no qualms in interrupting, it seemed. The being with the purple eyes shrugged and finally hauled itself from leaning against the wall. It took proud, confident strides in the direction of its host, stopping exactly what would be a sword's-length away if Sephiroth's signature blade were in play. Although Sephiroth himself managed to repress the resultant flinch, it was black-and-white to the one made up of such repressions.
"Pathetic. For all that we could have been. For all that we really are.
"When are we going to stop pretending that it's really all OK? Doing something about the fact that we can't go in the direction that we're being pointed along due lack of anywhere else to look-"
"That's enough-"
So much for that attempt to assert his control over the situation that his consciousness was already giving red-flags, the Shadow wouldn't be so easily quietened now that it had finally been given the means to have a voice. "Exactly the point. It's not enough!"
"Kup-ooo-!" With no warning, Spencer barreled into Sephiroth's opposite side, and knocked him to the side out of the striking range as quickly the Shadow made to follow up it's words with a more physical beating. The fist which had been intended for inside Sephiroth's gut instead struck the console within which the crystal was set while with a flash of silver hair, following the roll he made to put distance between himself and the advancing Shadow, backing up quickly.
"-don't..."
When: January 10th
Where: Aqures Ixen Laboratories
What: Sephiroth's first attempt at confronting his Calamity-self is doomed to failure. No surprises.
Warnings: Violence, selfishness, a touch of narcissism etc.
The outcome of this log cannot be averted by any character intervention but by all means come along for the CR. Next time it might be better.
The clear blue meteo-shaped crystal with the chip missing from one of its pointy tails was set firmly into the apparatus as Spencer had watched many others of his moogle-kin do on behalf of their own Heroes thus far. Indeed, the small bespectacled mog had most likely peeked in, or at least overhead more than the handful of Calamity-Self confrontations that Sephiroth had at first decided would be in his interest to attend. That opinion had been quickly destroyed.
Just another distraction brought about them by that nuisance of a Sage. Another game. Yet despite all the reservations Sephiroth himself was now here all the same. Any chance of any advantage against the inevitable climax against the Calamity couldn't be ignored so offhandedly.
As Spencer moved away from the console and back towards Sephiroth's side, the silver-haired warrior took a breath as the skills to his Warrior job slipped away, he went about steeling what he could of his resolve against whatever he might be presented with here. Outwardly he appeared more ready for it than at any point in recent months, inside, he felt sick.
Behind the small group that was in attendance, a deep resonance hummed on the air. Within the seconds that followed it changed in frequency until it settled into a low, derisive chuckle which seemed for a time to come from all around. The manifestation of Sephiroth's 'Shadow', his mirror image but with purple eyes, flicked into reality as if one turned on a light switch. Leaned casually against the wall right next to the door that would lead out into the hallway, a smile stretched wide across his face, twinkling victory in those blazing purple eyes which still remained with Sephiroth's own unique slits.
"...I was starting to wonder how long it would be, before I'd get to see the disgrace you’ve made of us. Myself."
Having been one of the first to spin around, Sephiroth's hand went back on his left-side. To grasp for a handle to the weapon that wasn't there. He'd figured it was sensible, being as he was to accept whatever this being ended up reflecting at him, already the logic behind that decision was crumbling. He felt even more vulnerable suddenly, without it there.
"I...don't-"
"See it that way? Truth hurts." It had no qualms in interrupting, it seemed. The being with the purple eyes shrugged and finally hauled itself from leaning against the wall. It took proud, confident strides in the direction of its host, stopping exactly what would be a sword's-length away if Sephiroth's signature blade were in play. Although Sephiroth himself managed to repress the resultant flinch, it was black-and-white to the one made up of such repressions.
"Pathetic. For all that we could have been. For all that we really are.
"When are we going to stop pretending that it's really all OK? Doing something about the fact that we can't go in the direction that we're being pointed along due lack of anywhere else to look-"
"That's enough-"
So much for that attempt to assert his control over the situation that his consciousness was already giving red-flags, the Shadow wouldn't be so easily quietened now that it had finally been given the means to have a voice. "Exactly the point. It's not enough!"
"Kup-ooo-!" With no warning, Spencer barreled into Sephiroth's opposite side, and knocked him to the side out of the striking range as quickly the Shadow made to follow up it's words with a more physical beating. The fist which had been intended for inside Sephiroth's gut instead struck the console within which the crystal was set while with a flash of silver hair, following the roll he made to put distance between himself and the advancing Shadow, backing up quickly.
"-don't..."
no subject
Activating her Flash Step, her figure blurred before suddenly reappearing just behind Sephiroth. Rather than raising her sword, however, Rukia raised the edge of her hand, and slammed it at the sensitive spot where the base of the skull connected to the neck.
It worked on Sparks when he'd been trying to arrest them all for stealing an airship. It might work on Sephiroth too. Hopefully she wouldn't make too great a habit of unceremoniously knocking out her friends and dragging their unconscious bodies off for safekeeping.
[OOC: Up to you if it works or not!]
no subject
"Step in? As with now, threatening to kill us all and help destroy the world?" Ales had seen the glint in Rukia's eye, familiar to him even after one year. He had been with her when they stole the airship during the time loops. He had been focused on piloting while the others distracted Sparks, but he could draw attention away from Rukia nonetheless.
"Better than letting you kill a Hero like some kind of hothead."
no subject
"Sephiroth...this isn't..." No, that wasn't true. "This is just the you that you're worried you'll become. You don't have to deny your fear, and you don't have to succumb to it either. You just need to be honest with yourself." At least, Cloud hoped it was fear that drove this version of him to the surface.
He raised his right hand, empty, and held it out in offering to the contained Shadow. He knew that the Silver Elite he knew and idolized was still in there.
"We don't have to do this. No matter how inevitable it may seem, as long as we have our memories of this world we have the choice. We can make the choice to not do this. You're more than just the result of an experiment by someone in another world."
no subject
no subject
Never resolving anything... That would be a sore point for Sephiroth, wouldn't it? Given how many times his mind had come close to cracking, it was no wonder the lack of any proper resolution would weigh on him.
Still. After all this time, he hadn't broken.
"I guess we'll just have to keep stepping in as many times as it takes."
Whether Cloud got through to Sephiroth or Rukia successfully knocked him out, either way was fine. So long as the situation was brought to a quick end.
no subject
The Shadow was still contained within it's ice-y prison but by the cracking that could be heard every now and again it might not be for long. That said, it wasn't long before Sephiroth's face started to look particularly colder; a pale complexion starting to grey out.
"It's about time that I started to demand the type of respect that I deserve. For all the perfection that I strive to achieve, all those missions I go above and beyond. Always performing at my absolute peak of ability, despite however I might feel. I did all of this, on my own-"
The frustrated emphasis laid bare perhaps one of the issues at the core of Sephiroth's Shadow; he craved some higher acknowledgment for his own strengths and achievements, so desperate for the purpose that for the most part still felt hollow. That he had an existence to live for that wasn't part of the machinations of others. The truths about his origins he'd never really dealt with, just buried away and carried on.
It seemed that something of a scab had been picked away, but in the next instant Rukia flash-stepped in behind Sephiroth and his consciousness was jolted sharply, much like the impact from her hand. His silver head lolled forwards as for a good few heartbeats it seemed her attack had completely succeeded. Until the Shadow still seemed to try to bring Sephiroth back around from it, listing his head to one side even though his eyes were closed and forcing a slurred mummer-
"...all betrayed...in the end..."
Still, it didn't seem that the vessel could be brought to fight anymore after Rukia's blow, and if the key to separating the Shadow was Sephiroth being unconscious then it didn't seem all that far off, either.
no subject
He bowed his head, unsure of what to do to appease his hero or his Shadow. He always thought he was doing his part to encourage him, and to also give him the credit he deserved (and then some). Was it not enough? Was it too much? Was having other Gaians like him around a harsh reminder of what he was and what he wanted?
"I'm....sorry....I don't know what to do to help." He balled his fist, the strap of his shield clenching around his forearm. He wanted his friends to be happy, but he didn't know what he could possibly do in the face of this anger. "Everyone has treated you as a friend an ally since we got here. Bad things happen, things out of our control, but we've all been here for each other. I don't know...I don't know what more we can do to prove this to you."