Sephiroth's eyes dropped to the folded piece of paper which was taken out of her pocket as he cast his mind back to when that might have been. He'd returned to Esdham after he'd come out of stasis last time, shortly before the attack by the Imperial Fleet had become known...his frown deepened as he considered what had been the time before that...
From before his stasis, he remembered spending a lot of his time on duty in Esdham...
Then Tifa explained further and something sparked in his eyes as Sephiroth's recollection caught up. Could she have been really sitting on wanting to ask him about it for that long? Stupid question really as here she was asking it, and he hadn't exactly been inclined to keep in touch with anyone. It was better that way; but it's the reason for that self-exclusion that rose like hot air to the surface of his thoughts again.
"I do remember the one." His voice settled into a somber tone as for now he disregarded Tifa's questions about his present trip and thoughts lingered on that part of his past in Crystallis. He shuddered a little, and it took a great deal of self control not to lean back against the post at that end of the bed.
"I couldn't bring myself to say it to your face, and even in a letter the apology isn't enough. But I had to settle it somehow." Eyes flicked from the floor and locked with Tifa's as he gently spoke next as if the air might break like glass if he spoke too intently.
"Regardless of the fact that I'm not yet that man -and with any luck I never will be- it makes it no less real, all that you have been through."
#2
Sephiroth's eyes dropped to the folded piece of paper which was taken out of her pocket as he cast his mind back to when that might have been. He'd returned to Esdham after he'd come out of stasis last time, shortly before the attack by the Imperial Fleet had become known...his frown deepened as he considered what had been the time before that...
From before his stasis, he remembered spending a lot of his time on duty in Esdham...
Then Tifa explained further and something sparked in his eyes as Sephiroth's recollection caught up. Could she have been really sitting on wanting to ask him about it for that long? Stupid question really as here she was asking it, and he hadn't exactly been inclined to keep in touch with anyone. It was better that way; but it's the reason for that self-exclusion that rose like hot air to the surface of his thoughts again.
"I do remember the one." His voice settled into a somber tone as for now he disregarded Tifa's questions about his present trip and thoughts lingered on that part of his past in Crystallis. He shuddered a little, and it took a great deal of self control not to lean back against the post at that end of the bed.
"I couldn't bring myself to say it to your face, and even in a letter the apology isn't enough. But I had to settle it somehow." Eyes flicked from the floor and locked with Tifa's as he gently spoke next as if the air might break like glass if he spoke too intently.
"Regardless of the fact that I'm not yet that man -and with any luck I never will be- it makes it no less real, all that you have been through."