melodiesoflife | #1 | We can only go forward...

Entry tags:

#1 | We can only go forward...

Characters: Sephiroth & Open
Where: Locations in Aqures Ixen, as prompted
When: During the Mognet strike: 25th Aug - 1st Sept
Summary: Getting acquainted shenanigans; picking up the training.
Format: Prose/Action - take your pick!
Warnings: None, except perhaps he is not the most receptive when it comes to being social.

Morning Jogging [Various Locations]
It didn't seem that Sephiroth would be waking up from this dreamworld any time soon.

This dreamworld where he had to eat, sleep and find activities to fill the hours of each day that dragged by, he swore, at a slower rate than normal. Naturally it was the time of year where the days were still long, but to Sephiroth they were unbearably so - mostly to do with the fact that he wasn't occupied. There could be only one remedy for it, and so after spending a couple of days recuperating after the humiliation of the fight with that Chocobo Eater, it was time to get on with a regime. If nothing else, dedicating his time to his own personal training could only benefit and who knew perhaps he would get bored of a routine and then start to come out of his coma.

After managing to acquire suitable loose pants, footwear and vest tops from a local tailor, the morning jogging began in earnest. Ever an early riser, Sephiroth could be found every morning just as the sun were starting to rise, pounding the pavement on one of three routes. From his house at A-02, he would skirt the 8th and 9th district before turning his route through the Mognet central part of the City towards the 3rd district, stopping for a time check -as performed adequately by Spencer- and some stretching near to where Crystal of Fire was set.

There were then options. He would either attempt to break his time in the return leg back to his house, head for the 13th or 6th Districts and then lap back to the Crystal before returning home- depending mostly on his mood and what else he had planned to do for that day in the other Districts. He still had his research on his mind and also had to shop just as much as the next person; at least the Gils they had been awarded for dealing with the Chocobo Farm 'problem' were for the most part stretching well. He had had some minor disagreements with a shopkeeper over their definition of what was 'adequate' for his needs with regard to some essential grooming products, but it was nothing -he reminded himself- to get worked up over.

A food parcel left on his doorstep would be waiting when he returned home, and although he mumbled under his breath about it Sephiroth would take it all the same. Spencer didn't mind Angeal's cooking at all no matter how Sephiroth abstained from accepting the other mans charity; he was more than capable of looking after himself.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ashelia was walking along, wearing a simple peasant blouse and magenta skirt, her only adornment a simple band on her wedding ring finger. She was looking at a piece of paper in her hand, presumably a shopping list. Her moogle, Merlose, flew in front of her, carrying a wicker basket full of groceries. The basket was a little large for the moogle, but she wasn't complaining at all.

The queen saw Sephiroth in discussion with a shopkeeper and, recognizing him as one of the more capable warriors from the battle with the Chocobo Eater, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the topic of the somewhat aggressive conversation. She lingered nearby, intensely interested in hearing how the whole thing worked out - and, if Sephiroth should react unkindly to her eavesdropping, all she had to do was flash the list.

"-it's all we've got left for a while. You're welcome to it of course-"

The shopkeeper was holding a standard size bottle of what appeared to be shampoo out for Sephiroth to take, though it would be hard for her to tell what he was expressing over the whole ordeal since her position was mostly with his back turned in her direction. He did take it though, and a high-tied up tail of silver swished enough to indicate he was looking over it.

"Hmph," Sephiroth didn't sound all that impressed but he was stuck between a rock and a hard place with it. He was just going to have to be more sparing with the diligence of his own upkeep, like it or not.

"I would buy more in one go, if you could increase your stock." It sounded as if this conversation had been going along the same lines for a bit longer than Sephiroth had wanted it to, though that wasn't very long at all.

"They come in from Balicea and sometimes from Flence too. I don't know when we will get another shipment-"

"Noted. Thank you for your time." And with that Sephiroth stepped away and turned directly in Ashelia's direction, he looked about as irritated as his tone had sounded, though was already quickly dropping it out of his expression. Spencer got up from his position sat on a nearby barrel and took off into the air with the intention to follow his Hero at a polite distance. It wasn't the first time Spencer had seen Sephiroth irritated over something.

However Sephiroth quickly noticed Ashelia's presence there and stopped without taking so much more than a step in her direction. He narrowed eyes a little at her and offered a glance to Merlose -though eavesdropping would be an easy assumption to make it didn't make sense in this instance.

"Can I help you?"

"'Tis more likely the owner of the shop has what I need, but I thank you for your offer," Ashelia replied lightheartedly. She cast a look at some nearby shelves before smiling pleasantly at Sephiroth. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I am the Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. This is my moogle attendant, Merlose."

"Kupo!"

"Merlose, if you could locate what we're looking for." Ashelia held the list in front of the moogle's face and pointed. "The last three items should be here." The moogle nodded and drifted off to finish the shopping. Ashelia turned back to Sephiroth, folding the paper into a tiny, perfect square. "You fought well at the Chocobo Farm the other day."

He wouldn't count so much on any of the shops in Aqures Ixen having exactly what everyone could need, as immediately demonstrated today in his problem with obtaining the required amount of that which he considers a bare necessity but the general populace of Aqures must see as less important. True, he could always tie his hair back if it got too dirty between washes and stretch them out that way but, especially given the season Sephiroth didn't much like that idea either.

Even from a morning jog, he could already feel the additional weight from sweat pulling at the high tail that kept most of his mane out of his face during the exercise.

He quirked an eyebrow lightly at Ashelia's introduction but otherwise kept his expression neutral, otherwise he would be rude. Pleasantly enough as it was presented- that was a rather long name. He blinked vibrant green slitted eyes at her and was partly glad for how she quickly dismissed her moogle off to do her shopping so he didn't have to come up with a reply so quickly. Introductions did require the same in return though.

"Hmph. It could have been better." He didn't like how she was being so polite about it, that fight had been one of the single most embarrassing events of his recent memory. Only the smallest twitch to the side of his nose indicated the start of a scowl though before Sephiroth did manage to turn it into a light smile. No where near as pleasant as hers was but manners - she had just introduced herself as a Lady.

"My name is Sephiroth." He canted a head backwards towards where Spencer had been a moment ago, but the small guy was taking five chilling on a half-empty shelf. The strike was taking it out on him a lot recently. "That's Spencer."

Introductions done, something he would never get used to doing, there was a pause which hung between them while Sephiroth tried to determine what would be a suitable topic of conversation.

"It was refreshing to see someone else who understands tactics in battle."

Manners is the name of the game, yes. Or propriety, as Ashelia might prefer to call it. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sephiroth. Spencer." The queen nodded in the moogle's direction graciously.

"My thanks." She sounded sincere, but it was tinged with an air of wryness that couldn't go unnoticed. "Would that the others appreciate my efforts." Ashelia shrugged, a gesture lacking somewhat in regal grace but quite fitting for her humble garb. "In the end, though, the creature was defeated and the chocobos saved. Naught else matters."

"All ours, Lady-Kupo." Spencer managed a short wave of a small stubby paw before relaxing back onto the empty shelf.

Sephiroth followed with a curt nod to acknowledge as well but didn't make a further comment, he didn't feel the need to.

"Such is the bane of a tactical mind." And by the way that she said it, Sephiroth completely understood where she was coming from. Especially in his younger years, despite his prodigal intelligence and sharp conditioning in combat far beyond his years, Sephiroth's judgments had been dismissed as amateur - and more often than not the Company and it's military would then later regret it.

"Mission accomplished indeed. Though I have no doubt that it won't be the last time, given the monster problems in this region."

Ashelia raised an eyebrow at Spencer's greeting, but she supposed not all the moogles could be as professional as her own. She was more concerned with Sephiroth than the winged little creature. "Alas, mine pales in comparison to those I've worked with in the past." Her gaze lingered in the middle distance for a moment before snapping back to the present. That was not what she wanted to think about.

"At the very least, the others will be more prepared for what lies ahead." The queen shook her head, a bit of frustration bubbling up as she recalled the battle. Sephiroth wasn't the only one that was embarrassed, though the cause for Ashelia's embarrassment was different in nature. "I daresay some of them jumped into the fray not knowing what job they'd been bestowed by the Crystal. An admirable act, a virtuous one perhaps, but fundamentally flawed."

Spencer was usually more upstanding, logical and very polite as far as moogles went. Not that Sephiroth could blame the small fluffball when due to the strike he had to work extra shifts at the Mognet to compensate for the lack of staff in attendance. It made him smile a little inside, being someone who had similar work habits also. That in mind it wasn't hard to tell why Spencer might have been allocated to him.

When Ashelia's thoughts seemed to drift off into an indefinable point somewhere, Sephiroth at least did her the courtesy of averting his own gaze away also. He identified with that feeling, when ones thoughts invariably run away from you. The last thing he wanted to appear was as overbearing as he knew he could without much effort, where he had relied very much on that intimidation with his authority within Shinra he wasn't so arrogant as to assume it might work the same here.

"I do wonder how some of our merry band of apparent 'Heroes' could ever have been selected for such." He lowered his voice a little, well aware of the strange looks from the populace talking about the legend too loudly in public could bring. Having spent a lot of time studying in the Library, he couldn't blame them either.

Ashelia tilted her head to the side, shaking it slowly. "'Tis not their fault they were chosen - they strove only to do their best, and for that they deserve recognition." Her jawline hardened then, and for a moment, Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca had the look of a woman driven. "However...whomsoever is responsible for bringing children into the equation will have much to answer for." She made sure to meet Sephiroth's gaze. "I'll make sure of it personally."

Children. Like Ib. While Ashelia's reaction was an admirable, if typically female one, Sephiroth didn't share the fervor for the protection of minors quite so hotly. With a little encouragement, after all, from what he had seen of Ib, she was doing as well -if not better than some- in adjusting to the change in circumstances.

Perhaps there was something to be said for the flexibility of young minds, in accepting change more readily than those adults who may have become so set in their ways that change was impossible. He had been a child prodigy himself, after all.

"There is no differentiation between man, woman, child or elder when it comes to War." He commented, meeting Ashelia's gaze confidently yet forever cool and aloof in his manner. "I'm sure you're well acquainted with a similar truth, as well."

Ashelia held Sephiroth's gaze confidently, shaking her head. "I must disagree. War discriminates between men and women, children and the elderly - in Ivalice, at least, it is so. The elderly are killed - they are no use as slaves. Children can be shaped into anything a slaver might want. Women fetch a high price on any market, often due to nothing more than the wideness of their hips. And men fight, and die."

She tapped her bottom lip with a finger, tilting her head to the side. "Violence does not discriminate. Men, women, children, the elderly - all react the same to being run through with a spear."

The corner of his carefully held expression twitched some at Ashelia's comeback. They had no such blatant slavery in the equation as he related to it, such a lifestyle was something he had only read about in the history books within the Shinra archives. Something far less civilized that what he was used to. Yet at the same time, the Company did hold -with the defeat of Wutai- the entire world under it's control by way of holding the monopoly on Mako.

"Not so where I have come from, slavery is something written in history only. Though I appreciate your point of view." And he did, as far as was possible.

"But you are right, all beings die much in the same way."

It was true that Angeal had made Sephiroth baskets of food at least in the effort to show that he still cared for Sephiroth even though they had a falling out. It wasn't just out of habit any more. It was a mission to him that was very important.

He knew he was dealing with an incredibly stubborn lot and perhaps he would stop making them but for now he settled on these silent gestures as a means to show he was still there and he cared enough to do these things.

After he made the deliveries, he set out to see Demeter, his chocobo. He had to make sure she was fed and cared for. He also paid a visit to Sephiroth's and Genesis' chocobos as well to check on them. It was in his nature this way. He groomed and fed the three and left a note on Genesis' and Sephiroth's chocobo pins that he had been here to check on them and noted that he had fed them, or rather did the basics. Training was their responsibility and not his.

On his way back, he had seen Sephiroth jogging and since his arms were empty now that he had done most of his daily chores, he decided to join his peer. Speaking might not be something that was needed since they were jogging and he was starting to notice a little extra around his own middle. It was better not to point that out and just run anyway.

The very fact that Sephiroth didn't just leave the packages to pile up on his doorstep was an indication that Angeal hadn't slammed the door of their friendship so shut that it couldn't be salvaged, and he was very aware of that signal as well. He was hurt by what had happened between them, but it was already more of a dull ache than the stabbing of his loyalty in the back that it had been before. They had still managed to fight together and it had almost felt like old times, so if nothing else, Sephiroth or Spencer wouldn't go hungry.

Sephiroth's still-unnamed chocobo being kept for him at the farm was always glad for the attention from Angeal, but it wasn't the attention she wanted from her Hero and so sometimes she seemed rather sad but not overly so. At least she seemed to have been getting on well with Demeter after their misunderstanding before, though - the larger white chocobo would always make sure that the smaller one wasn't lonely for too long.

By the time that Sephiroth were on his last leg of the jog, back to his house from the 3rd District he had already worked up an adequate sweat at least. His vest was damp from it but not sodden, and he was doing his best to ignore how the bangs at the front of his hairstyle were starting to stick to his face. He kept his eyes forward, on Spencer mostly who was doing a fair job of being something of a guide post so that he wouldn't get lost on the way back.

A glance to the side indicated that he wasn't alone as Angeal pulled up beside his stride. Sephiroth hadn't heard him approach, but the duller senses he had since he'd been transported here were the least of his concerns. At first he seemed content to keep pace with his old comrade but soon after he flashed something of a smirk, digging deep with a heavier breath and forcing more momentum down into his legs - to get a boost of speed away from the other man.

After all, Sephiroth still had to maintain that he was the higher trained out of all of them, right?

The smirk was received as a challenge with a quickening of his own pace. While he wasn't nearly as lean in build as Sephiroth when it came to speed, Angeal had power and endurance to match. It felt good to feel that determination return and this time he wasn't backing down.

Mogington flew behind his hero without knowing the subtle exchange that had just happened. In his moogle mind, he saw it as Angeal trying to chase down Sephiroth, perhaps to speak with him.

"Why aren't you stopping?" He called out but Angeal wasn't listening to the moogle.

Angeal was having a bit of fun catching up to his peer. It was much like the times they were training together and Angeal often stayed back as Genesis and Sephiroth had their rivalry. He was happy just to have this time with Sephiroth again even if he wasn't entirely welcomed.

He wasn't trying to best Sephiroth, he just wanted to spend time with his friend even if the other thought otherwise for the time being but a little competition never hurt. He pushed forward to keep up and maybe had gone a little ahead to push Sephiroth even further. Training wasn't about just being average, it was going above and beyond that, which was something they both needed.

Angeal's breathing became heavier and even he was beginning to tire now that they had gone the stretch and yet he pushed himself to keep up. He couldn't be an effective warrior if he tired out too quickly.

It was good to know that the correct way of things hadn't been altered too drastically. As Sephiroth strode confidently away from Angeal with each of his longer, quicker foot falls he couldn't help but feel that familiar swell of his pride returning. He had always been the quickest out of the two of them, and proving it was something he had always enjoyed.

Though as the sprint went on and rapid breaths became heavier it seemed his comrade had managed to catch up to him, even had managed to overtake him by a couple of strides for which Sephiroth found it took more effort to force his body to pick up the pace than what he remembered having to press on with before. It had to be all that food and lapse in his training, but really, a devolution of his fitness that fast? He was supposed to be Mako-enhanced, it was supposed to be easier than this.

Still, Angeal seemed to tire quicker still than he did and so he drew a sharp breath in with which to finish the last stretch to the front of his house. Effectively winning their race. Though, as soon as he stopped running the world narrowed down to his heaving breath as it raced with his pulse to reset him back to baseline and Sephiroth found he was bent over with one hand on his knee, the other arm clutching around his middle - that troublesome right side that he'd landed on naturally was the first to stitch up.

Just what was going on? This recovery was taking much too long. Spencer had been the first to enter the house and retrieve a glass of water which he was quietly waiting for Sephiroth to take. Once he'd caught his breath, that is.

Angeal came up a few seconds behind and had doubled over himself with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Even he had pushed himself a bit far from the lack of mako. He used to be faster but there was more to it than just the simple fatigue. They were depleted in ways that shouldn't have been possible. Angeal simply accepted these shortcomings quicker.

Between heavy draws of air, he spoke. "We used to be much faster than this."

It was true that Angeal tired quicker but what he made up for in speed he had in strength. He was stronger, but certainly not faster. His body was far heavier than his two partners, Sephiroth and Genesis, and it wasn't just enhancements that made him this way. He was conditioned for a different reason which was odd in comparison to his two colleagues.

He drew in a deep breath and held it in his chest with his eyes closed to steady his heart rate faster. Just that action alone hurt a bit more than it used to. He let out the held breath in a loud exhale that almost made him cough. It was a bad idea on his part to try the method he had used so often after his training.

Mogington and flown off to get Angeal some water while the two men recovered. Even though the moogles were on strike, they still had their duties to perform. Angeal looked over at Sephiroth and straightened himself. It was a bad idea to start on this run cold which had put Angeal in a terrible state.

"I believe these past few days proves that we're not dreaming anymore." Angeal felt the lingering pain from their fight with the chocobo eater still when usually they were able to heal those bruises in minutes.

He didn't need to verbally agree with Angeal, and anyway Sephiroth didn't trust his voice not to break under the heaving breaths he was taking as he still fought to slow them down while he remained half doubled over and gripping at his lower right side. It burned so bad and the wet heat pulsing all around from the fact he had just used it to end a workout was taking a lot of concentration not to think about too much.

He blinked back a few dizzy dots from his vision and, similarly to Angeal worked very hard to even his breathing back out. Eventually he raised his head, wiped his sweat beaded brow with the back of his hand and crouched slowly before reaching out to take the water offered from Spencer. Taking a small sip, even though he really wanted to drain the whole glass in one go, he then looked back to his ex-comrade and chanced to speak.

"You can-" A steadier breath was taken and Sephiroth slipped easily into sitting on the floor with his knees bent up either side of him. "-believe what you want. This isn't real and these inconveniences only convince me more of that."

Angeal didn't argue. He was far too tired for that. Instead, he fell backward onto the floor on his with a groan with his arms spread out. His moogle hadn't returned yet with his water while he shook his head.

"Sephiroth, you're a stubborn one." Of course he was the pot calling the kettle black in this case but it did make Angeal smile a bit. "You'll never change."

It was a good sign that Sephiroth didn't change, and perhaps he never will, but for Angeal it just made the experience living here that much more real to him. He let out a laugh for no particular reason to let off the stress he was feeling and rolled on to his side. "Your chocobo misses you."

"Pushed too far, did you?"

Genesis had been exercising, but unlike them, he had realized that his speed and strength was no where near what he was use to. He had thought it might be thanks to whatever had cured him of his degradation had also made him into a weaker, more normal human. So while he would usually had tried to match Sephiroth, he knew his pride would have not liked the aftermath and kept his pace at a level he could handle without falling on his face afterwards.

So when he finally came up to him, he wasn't breathing heavily for air and still had enough energy to retreat if his presence was unwelcome. But he did have to make some attempt at find a balance with the other two. If they were going to be stuck here, he did not want to find himself with no ally in either of them.

"In dreams, we are but men it would seem."

Finally it was starting to slow down. Sephiroth was breathing easier and each sip of the water was taking the edge off a parched throat. He took Angeal's comments as exactly as they were intended, not dissimilar to the friendly banter he missed so much and it was comforting in it's reminiscence of better days. He drew his gaze over his old friend and for the first time in a while began to feel like there might be the light at the end of the tunnel that he so craved.

And then the missing one to their trio trotted up.

As Genesis approached, Sephiroth handed the mostly empty glass back to his moogle who was more than happy to flutter off back inside in the wake of the red headed arrival. He leaned back some on his hands on the front lawn and used the motion to experimentally stretch out those muscles that had been stitching him moments before. He flicked a glanced over to the one who had betrayed him and couldn't help but frown some at the comment. So, Genesis also, within his own dream thought that it was a dream as well. How complicated.

"What do you mean by that?"

Mogington finally arrived with his glass of water and passed it to Angeal as he sat up. He downed it while Genesis and Sephiroth spoke and decided that it was better not to say anything until he felt that he was able to contribute to the conversation. It wasn't until the question was asked that he thought it the wiser not to get involved just yet while he was still catching his breath.

The last time they were in the same vicinity together didn't end well and it seemed that same could happen here as well. Angeal was bracing himself for the worst, just as he had often done in the past among other members of SOLDIER when some candidates and selectees were at odds.

He hadn't realized that his own eyes had turned a darker shade of blue from before when they used to be brighter and stood out. He noticed the hue in Sephiroth's eyes turned paler but he figured that was because of the morning sun hitting his friend's face at the right angle and hadn't thought much of it.

With his breathing at a more steady pace, he stood up and handed the glass back to Mogington with a nod and the moogle took the glass back and slipped it into his bag.

"You haven't noticed?"

Genesis swept aside a fall of his hair from his face, his face flushed from exercising and his hair sticking to the back of his neck. He had stripped off the usual heavy layers, not wishing to chance anything remotely like heat stroke in this weird place, so his arms and legs were bare and beginning to show signs of having too much sun.

Hair out of his eyes, he motioned to them, their vibrant blue shading more towards green. "The mako isn't burning as brightly as it had on the Planet."

Edited 2014-09-06 18:49 (UTC)

If he hadn't known Angeal any better Sephiroth might well have suspected him of foul play as well, after all, the winged man had assisted in delivering both him and Zack to the Shinra building to clear it of Genesis-copies only a short while before the explosion which -as far as he was aware- had knocked him unconscious so deep that he'd ended up locked in some dream world. But it was just that, only a dream and who knew what subliminal messages his subconscious were trying to reveal.

He hadn't really spent all that much time with either of his old friends, which explained why Sephiroth hadn't yet managed to put a finger on what was different with the way they looked. That tell-tale Mako gleam was something that, as SOLDIER, was just an automatic given.

Still remaining on the ground with his hands back supporting him in a propped up position, Sephiroth locked eye contact with Genesis as he indicated to his change in eye color, ignoring for the most part the flushing in his face much like he'd dismissed the apparent beginnings of sunburn. They'd all been out exercising, it was Summer, go figure. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed further, glinting green peeking out from between thick eyelashes, yet still retained much of said given intensity on his part, when compared to the other two. He wondered what point Genesis was trying to prove.

"I guess not." He conceded yet it was with his usual air of aloofness which was instantly backed up by the smooth -if somewhat forced- way that Sephiroth got back to his feet. A hot band burned around his middle still but he was perfectly good at hiding it. So what if Angeal and Genesis, as they existed in his dream, were without Mako all of a sudden. Sephiroth certainly wasn't, just as he never had been - no matter how much said dream might want to make him believe it.

"How unfortunate."

Damn though, his diaphragm was still so tight.

[Ib has been trying her best to train as well. Today she's up early to practice her chocobo riding. Right now she's doing laps around a small park in the eighth district. Her moogle got up with her as a show of support, but is curled up on a bench nearby, fast asleep. When she sees Sephiroth, she tugs the reins to stop the chocobo and waves cheerfully.]

Sephiroth! Good morning~!

[Oh so people were bringing their feathered friends into Aqures Ixen already. Sephiroth had opted to keep his still-not-named chocobo at the Farm where at least there were experienced stable hands better to look after her. Never mind the fact that no matter how much she had warmed to him instantly, it was only a one-way street.

He comes to a stop as soon as he registers the waving and wipes his forehead with the back of a hand. Spencer stops a few feet further down the path from him, and takes a moment to look between him and the small stop watch before deciding to pause the time.]

Ib. [He nods, then runs his hand upwards through sweating bangs of hair.] You're up early.

[Ib has been traveling to the chocobo farm often since that day. She's trying to learn how to take good care of her noble 'steed.' She figure that must be important for a hero.]

I'm practicing! So I can get better at being a hero.

[You inspired her, Sephiroth.]

[The gesture completed he flicks his head abruptly where a few strands hadn't dropped back the way they were supposed to. It irritates him how warm he's already feeling from the exercise but Ib's statement makes him smile lightly.

He takes the opportunity to stretch out his hamstrings while he's not moving, last thing he wants is lactic acid buildup or jelly legs from pounding the pavement. One foot in front of the other he sets his weight back a little with toes pointed up, then repeats the same for the other leg.]

That's good to hear. Practice makes perfect.

[You don't have to be tall to be a Chocobo Knight, and there is no way she could be a burden to her bird being so small so it makes a lot of sense. It swells his pride to see Ib having taken his advise.]

[She liked that class much better than thief. Knight sounds entirely more impressive. And she likes her chocobo anyway.]

I haven't tried fighting anymore monsters though. I want to make sure I'm ready...

[Last time she was out there with monsters people kept having to rescue her. And one guy threw her at one of those bat things. Another benefit to being a Chocobo Knight, really. It'll be much harder to throw her and a chocobo.]

[Best of both worlds then. Despite the fact that Sephiroth too could be a Chocobo Knight with a simple Job-switch, he wasn't so sure that he was ready to swap out any of his Jobs yet. He'd spent a lifetime wielding Masamune and it seemed a shame to throw that all away. Plus the fact he still doesn't really know what to make of his over-friendly chocobo, like much of the things in his dream of his.

There was a niggle at the back of his mind, though, that he shouldn't limit himself as much. But he should remain true to himself if it was a dream?]

That's sensible. [He nods at her, for the most part in agreement.]

[The thought occurs to him; would it be so much of an inconvenience to let her accompany him on a monster hunt sometime? Though, he much prefers to do such things on his own. Looking out for someone else, a minor no less, isn't in his nature.]

You just need to be careful not to take on more than you can handle.

[It's odd and rather inverted to him. Giving advise to someone who isn't already trying to impress him with what they -can- do, rather than with what they know they aren't yet capable of.]

[She nods.]

I'll be careful. Rose-

[She glances toward her still sleeping moogle.]

says that the enemies just outside the city aren't all that strong. So I'll start there.

[He too nods in the direction of Rose, a light smile again creeping up the sides of his mouth. If there is something undeniable about the situation here in Aqures Ixen, they would all certainly be lost without their companions.]

Rose would be right. Spencer- [His own moogle, hearing his name, floats a little closer to the two of them. Though not close enough to be rude and insert himself into their conversation.] -told me much the same thing.

They certainly are. Though even the weakest shouldn't be underestimated.

[Even the lowly Buer's can prove problematic.]

[Too true. Ib wouldn't even know what to do if Rose wasn't here.]

I know. That's why I'm practicing. I can't always have people rescuing me.

[After all, it was the lowly Buers that were giving her so much trouble before.]

One might argue it comes with the job description.

[A short snap of a chuckle follows, after all hadn't they all rescued some chocobo not so very long ago? Even Sephiroth himself hadn't been able to turn a blind eye to Ib's struggling with the Buers before.

Not that he did it out of any grand ideal of Heroism, mind.]

Perhaps you should ask some of the others if they would accompany you sometime?

[She was lucky people came along to help her. Getting the help ahead of time might not be a bad idea.]

Maybe I will. I bet Kaji would go with me if I asked.

[He's been really nice so far.]

[That light smile isn't budging, there is something extremely pleasant about seeing one so young be so keen. Much like he had been.]

As long as you are careful, with your trust as well.

[Sephiroth hasn't met Kaji, but now he might have to keep an eye out for the guy. Like it or not, he can't shake that itching responsibility he's taken on by even being concerned with Ib in the first place.]

With my trust?

[She frowns slightly in confusion.]

What do you mean?

Only that we may have been brought here and called Heroes, yet I am still to be convinced that we're all from a similar background. Or with the same interests.

Your parents- [He looks over her again, not wanting to assume but at the same time at least he's attempting to put it in a way she might be able to relate to.] -might have warned you about strangers?

[Understanding finally dawns on her face and she chews her lower lip worriedly.]

Of course they did. But.... most of the people I've met here have been really nice. And...

[She hesitates for a moment, struggling with how to put this.]

And my parents aren't here. Neither is... [Garry.] anyone else I know. If I don't trust the other heroes, I'll be all alone.

[He continues to watch Ib's face while she catches on, but after a few blinks of thick eyelashes something of reluctant sympathy does pull at the very edges of his face. Mostly obscured by the silver bangs that frame his face though.

Sephiroth does, after all, know exactly what it's like to be alone.]

And they might be really nice. Face to face.

[He knows much too much of betrayal and broken promises recently.]

There may not be any real need to worry, but just be mindful how far you stretch that trust.

[It's not as if she doesn't know that trust can be misplaced. That people can betray you. Trusting Mary had nearly gotten Garry and herself killed. But....

But she still wants to trust the people she knows, even if she might regret it later.]

I'll.... be careful.

[And even though it's hard to hear, she knows that he's only telling her this for her own good, so she musters up a smile]

Thanks.

[Betrayal has been a particularly persistent bedfellow when it comes to Sephiroth recently. And not just the hang over left from the situation on Gaia, having Genesis and Angeal both in close proximity only draws more of his thoughts to how things have been left. Perhaps in time he might start to bury the hatchet but for the time being he cherished getting on with his existence here alone.

Ib seems to have taken it well, at least]

You are welcome.

[He stretches his legs out again, performs a couple of deep squats on the spot and then nods at her.]

I need to finish this circuit, take care Ib.

You take care too, okay?

[She waves as he goes.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

#1 | We can only go forward...

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