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melodiesoflife2015-08-30 03:06 pm
shinrasfinest) wrote in melodiesoflife2015-08-30 03:06 pm
#12 | It's time to take some time away...
Who: Sephiroth & #1) Open, #2) Tifa/Alice/Open #3) Terra
When: Post Zelda's Meeting: 25-31st August
Where/What: #1) Aqures Ixen: Helping to repair, #2) B-04: Preparing to leave, #3) Flence: Some time away
Warnings: N/A, except for potential eye-rolling in #3
#1 - 26-27th August/ Aqures Ixen: Helping to repair [Open]
[There is still a lot of work to be done in repairing many of the buildings that are still damaged in some way from the battle. It's only right, in the wake especially of Zelda's meeting, that he use the time that he's managed to get from taking leave from Esdham constructively in repairing what -by proxy- he at least had some part in causing. That guilt is still there, and this is his attempt to reconcile at least some of the weight from off of his consciousness.
Many houses and other buildings need to be at least patched up so that citizens could move back into their residences safely where more cosmetic repairs could be revisited at a later stage. He's no architect, nor much of a builder but at the very least Sephiroth can lend his strength where it's needed; and with a Job change, he's soon fitting well into a team of volunteers doing various jobs around the damaged districts. Breaking bricks, chopping wood, hauling materials up and down rickety scaffolding...
Even with glass, as atop the roof of the greenhouse at Jardin Verdoyant, fitting the last pane carefully into place.]
#2 - 27th August/ B-04: Preparing to leave [Tifa and/or Alice / Open]
[The house that Sephiroth claims residence in has hardly been touched by the battle and those repairs that had needed to be done were superficial rather than major structural damage. There is an odd irony in there somewhere. Still makes it no less bitter than for several other streets all around them the scenery would remain scarred for a while yet.
It's a good idea, getting away for the weekend. They both needed a break from the constant doom and gloom, and Flence were far enough removed that they might even be able to pretend it hadn't happened. At the very least they might be able to come back afterwards, a little more clear-headed. Doesn't help the current predicament though...
Sephiroth's often-used, large military issue rucksack is spread wide open on top of his bed. Half-filled with that which he deems the essentials and a few items of clothing besides. He stands over it, suspended in a long pause as he tries to keep his thoughts on the task in front of him. Who knew it'd ever be so difficult to decide what needs to be taken?]
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [Terra]
The County of Flence reflected, in it's tranquility, the Temple of Water that's housed nearby to it. Neutral from all of the conflicts that have befallen Crystallis, Flence retained a peace to it's picturesque visage that might as well be another world away from the strife of the Aqurean region - that Sephiroth and Terra had been surrounded by constantly since before the attack of the Imperial Fleet.
Not that they hadn't had to pay for it. The double-roomed suite that Sephiroth had managed to secure at one of the smaller inns had devoured almost two-thirds of what he would be paid for a month in Esdham. He'd known it would be on the pricey side, and it wasn't as if he hadn't any gil saved up, but actually parting with such expense willingly caused a pause sometimes.
Two days later though, and it had all been worth it. The comfort was on another level, even the small lounge area in the suite told of the exquisite fabric that had been used to make it and that was a fact which reflected everywhere during their stay. The scenery was breathtaking especially at sunrise and again at sunset as the river cast the light back as if it were on fire; golden in the morning, gleaming crimson as the evening drew in. Not to mention the food; they hadn't been kidding when Sephiroth had read that Flence was reported to have the finest cuisine in the World.
Never mind that it had been sunny for every day of their visit, for some reason it didn't seem to bother Sephiroth as much as it might have done if he'd spent so much time outside in the Aqures region. The creams and oils available to protect skin were of the highest standard too, and melted right in without feeling heavy.
On their last evening in the town, the pair had wandered down to the winding pathway, lined with trees, which followed the river off towards the Temple of Water which was located out of town a ways. The air felt significantly cooler near to the water and the breeze that came off of it was refreshing to feel across the sun-warmed skin of faces and shoulders, it's almost as if Sephiroth's hair had been similarly revitalized from the long weekend of relaxation - loose and almost seeming feather-light, moving minutely in the same breeze as he kept a casual pace beside Terra.
When: Post Zelda's Meeting: 25-31st August
Where/What: #1) Aqures Ixen: Helping to repair, #2) B-04: Preparing to leave, #3) Flence: Some time away
Warnings: N/A, except for potential eye-rolling in #3
#1 - 26-27th August/ Aqures Ixen: Helping to repair [Open]
[There is still a lot of work to be done in repairing many of the buildings that are still damaged in some way from the battle. It's only right, in the wake especially of Zelda's meeting, that he use the time that he's managed to get from taking leave from Esdham constructively in repairing what -by proxy- he at least had some part in causing. That guilt is still there, and this is his attempt to reconcile at least some of the weight from off of his consciousness.
Many houses and other buildings need to be at least patched up so that citizens could move back into their residences safely where more cosmetic repairs could be revisited at a later stage. He's no architect, nor much of a builder but at the very least Sephiroth can lend his strength where it's needed; and with a Job change, he's soon fitting well into a team of volunteers doing various jobs around the damaged districts. Breaking bricks, chopping wood, hauling materials up and down rickety scaffolding...
Even with glass, as atop the roof of the greenhouse at Jardin Verdoyant, fitting the last pane carefully into place.]
#2 - 27th August/ B-04: Preparing to leave [Tifa and/or Alice / Open]
[The house that Sephiroth claims residence in has hardly been touched by the battle and those repairs that had needed to be done were superficial rather than major structural damage. There is an odd irony in there somewhere. Still makes it no less bitter than for several other streets all around them the scenery would remain scarred for a while yet.
It's a good idea, getting away for the weekend. They both needed a break from the constant doom and gloom, and Flence were far enough removed that they might even be able to pretend it hadn't happened. At the very least they might be able to come back afterwards, a little more clear-headed. Doesn't help the current predicament though...
Sephiroth's often-used, large military issue rucksack is spread wide open on top of his bed. Half-filled with that which he deems the essentials and a few items of clothing besides. He stands over it, suspended in a long pause as he tries to keep his thoughts on the task in front of him. Who knew it'd ever be so difficult to decide what needs to be taken?]
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [Terra]
The County of Flence reflected, in it's tranquility, the Temple of Water that's housed nearby to it. Neutral from all of the conflicts that have befallen Crystallis, Flence retained a peace to it's picturesque visage that might as well be another world away from the strife of the Aqurean region - that Sephiroth and Terra had been surrounded by constantly since before the attack of the Imperial Fleet.
Not that they hadn't had to pay for it. The double-roomed suite that Sephiroth had managed to secure at one of the smaller inns had devoured almost two-thirds of what he would be paid for a month in Esdham. He'd known it would be on the pricey side, and it wasn't as if he hadn't any gil saved up, but actually parting with such expense willingly caused a pause sometimes.
Two days later though, and it had all been worth it. The comfort was on another level, even the small lounge area in the suite told of the exquisite fabric that had been used to make it and that was a fact which reflected everywhere during their stay. The scenery was breathtaking especially at sunrise and again at sunset as the river cast the light back as if it were on fire; golden in the morning, gleaming crimson as the evening drew in. Not to mention the food; they hadn't been kidding when Sephiroth had read that Flence was reported to have the finest cuisine in the World.
Never mind that it had been sunny for every day of their visit, for some reason it didn't seem to bother Sephiroth as much as it might have done if he'd spent so much time outside in the Aqures region. The creams and oils available to protect skin were of the highest standard too, and melted right in without feeling heavy.
On their last evening in the town, the pair had wandered down to the winding pathway, lined with trees, which followed the river off towards the Temple of Water which was located out of town a ways. The air felt significantly cooler near to the water and the breeze that came off of it was refreshing to feel across the sun-warmed skin of faces and shoulders, it's almost as if Sephiroth's hair had been similarly revitalized from the long weekend of relaxation - loose and almost seeming feather-light, moving minutely in the same breeze as he kept a casual pace beside Terra.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
A calm smile pulled at Terra's lips as she looked up at Sephiroth. "It's nice to see that it's the same." She didn't know why she thought that. Maybe because it was something else that they had in common. Her gaze shifted down towards the ground and then towards the pool of water. "I've always been attuned to fire bu I think that's why I like water so much. It feels like an opposite."
Her posture was relaxed through Terra still stood with grace. She turned away from the water crystal inhaling the saturated air.
"It's really.... nice here." She can feel the moister in the air and it makes the temperature cooler than it had been before.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
They had come away, to be away from such thoughts though and so idle talk of the elements it was. Sephiroth listened intently to what Terra had to say, trying to not seem to hang off every word she said but still giving the attention that she deserved, before nodding with a mostly-silent hum.
"That's an interesting theory. Opposites attract and all." He quickly looked away, out over the pool of water again before she might try to extrapolate if that would be a reason why Sephiroth and her seemed to be falling closer to each other the more time they spent in each others company.
"It is." He agreed finally, glad that the Temple of Water itself had managed to divert her attention in some way.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
The light smile that graced her lips widens at the thought and she couldn't help but think that people are like that too. Similar in many ways but complete opposites in others. It was one of many thoughts that Terra often found herself focusing on. Yet, with Sephiroth at her side it was hard to stay focused on anything at all. As if he quieted the constant questions and uncertainty that she often felt.
She turned towards Sephiroth, one hand moving over her heart while the other rested at her side. "Should we go see more of the temple?" She didn't really care what they did or what there was to see. For this moment she didn't feel like she was alone, she didn't fear what she might become.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth] (ooc: might be a good time to wrap up!)
Sephiroth had gone back to quietly admiring how Terra looked with the way that the lighting in the Temple seemed to gleam off the water and then her skin and dress. How it reflected in her eyes when she turned and looked back to him once more. It took him a pause, as if to remember that speaking was a viable form of communication.
"Lead the way." He kept his voice low so that it wouldn't echo around too much, and gestured with a quick motion to the side with his head, inviting her to explore as she so wished. Sephiroth would keep an eye on the heavier-than-usual guard, though. The last thing they wanted to do was intrude considering recent events; given how Heroes of Light seemed to have a particular affinity to the cardinal Crystals of the world.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth] (ooc: might be a good time to wrap up!)
Her steps softly echoed through the temple as she made her way towards the door in question. At the door she was stopped by the guard. His voice was gruff as his spear extended outward baring entrance and startling Terra with the sudden movement.
”No one past this point.” The guards voice left little room for argument and as he spoke his eyes wandered to the hero who towered behind Terra, seeing the man as a threat. It was added security after everything that’s happened and it’s clear he didn’t trust either of them.
A hand came to rest over Terra’s heart trying to steady the uneven beating. She didn’t understand why but she wasn’t about to press the matter. She took a small step back, her head turning slightly to see if Sephiroth was behind her.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
He allowed the guard to lock eye contact with him when he looked passed Terra and tried to soften his immediately tighter features into something that might not be seen as a threat. However it wasn't an easy thing to do; Sephiroth had been intimidating for near enough his whole life.
As Terra stepped back and made to turn her head slightly in his direction, his hand found the back of her shoulder and gave it a gentle rub.
"It's alright, Terra." He spoke to both the guard and to her yet didn't really look directly at either of them. "We'll just have to come back at another time."
He understood well that access to the interior of the Temple might be restricted to Heroes of Light, and why - they didn't need to be repeated. His hand tried to guide Terra into turning away from the guard and in the direction of the exit doorway instead.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
Her steps were softer than before as if a little bit of wind was taken from her sails. She looked up at Sephiroth as they walked inspecting his expression carefully. Tempest had told her that he was handsome and she searched for those features now. The way his eyes were set and framed by thick dark lashes, the angular curve of his jaw and neck that suggested strength as well as masculinity, the silky silver hair that fell perfectly on either side of his cheeks as if to frame those lovely features. She wondered why she hadn’t noticed before now but then quickly pushed the observations away.
“I’m sorry.” She assumed it was her own fault that they couldn’t move further into the temple and even if it wasn’t, she had been the one to suggest that they explore the watery shrine. She hadn’t wanted to bring up memories of soldiers or tension but she felt as if that’s exactly what happened.
As they stepped outside they were greeted with a slightly cooler wind. The sun had crept from the sky to the horizon and below leaving the world in night. Lights dotted the dark blue sky with shining decorations that twinkled and winked at the pair.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
Once safely out of earshot, he glanced side-wards and down towards Terra as he waited for her to go through the doorway first. The mask seemed to tremble, just a little in a way that would have been invisible if Terra hadn't spent a great deal of time around him in the last few days. Not to mention how she were inspecting his facial features while he was oblivious to her doing so.
"It's not your fault." He almost sighed down behind her as they came out into the cooler air now that the sun had vanished from the sky. A chill ran up his bare arms momentarily in reaction to the breeze but it was brought on more by the contrast with the sheltered area they'd just come out of.
"Considering all that's happened, I guess it could only be expected."
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
Terra smiled up at him, calling on strength that she was given by those around her. “We’ll come back again. There is always time.” Whether that was true or not Terra chose to believe so. She gently reached for Sephiroth’s hand guiding him away from the temple and the depression atmosphere that the guard had instigated.
Her green hair shifted, ruffling in the wind while her cheeks began to tint a soft pink. It was cold and goose bumps began to prickle her shoulder and arms as they walked away from the temple.
“I love the sky.”
She looked up and then over at Sephiroth feeling as if the world around them had stopped. She had forgotten that she had taken his hand and that she was still holding it. “During the day it’s so lively and at night it’s so peaceful.”
They would head back to the inn, separate into their rooms but she wanted the final memory of the night to be happy.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
Sephiroth hadn't even been feeling particularly low about it until Terra took his hand to lead him away from the temple. It was almost as if the fact she were offering such comfort towards him that made him realize how he really felt about it. Still, he managed to compose himself well, just as he adjusted quickly to the cooler air outside now.
"It's fine..." He whispered as if being quiet about it would help her to understand that it really was nothing. In silence mostly they walked together down the same path, at the riverside, that they'd taken up from the town in the first place. Sephiroth also seemed to have given no thought to the fact that they were still holding hands until Terra then finally looked over him.
The light smile that had been ever present had returned to his face in the meantime, taking his time to inspect all of her facial features again in the moonlight and savoring how different she looked; still captivatingly delicate yet with a strength that reflected in her blue eyes. He chanced then, to squeeze lightly at her hand as they approached the outskirts of the town, yet made no indication that he wanted to let go any time soon.
"I wanted to thank you. For agreeing to come along."
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
This time, when he turned to look at her, she held his gaze. A soft smile pulling at her lips as she inspects hi features. It was interesting and while the scene around them was beautiful she was more interested in her companion. In the same thought she didn’t want to stare so after what felt like a long moment she glanced up at the sky, seeking comfort in the twinkling stars.
“Thank you for taking me. This was nice.”
Nice wasn’t a word that Terra used very often. Dancing was nice and discovering new flowers was nice. This trip and being with Sephiroth was something more than ‘nice’ but she couldn’t put that into words. Her own vocabulary was restricted by what she understood. As if to clarify she continued with a simple phrase, one that she didn’t remember saying before.
“I’m happy.”
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
Something always didn't sit right, or feel right, or he just wasn't good enough in himself to perform the way that always intended to. Now he'd taken a step back from the military in the wake of the Battle, having finally conceded to needing the break...and now he was here in Flence with Terra feeling like he never wanted to leave.
Sephiroth's light smile seemed to brighten a little more, though didn't change shape at all, as Terra told him that she were happy. His eyes, which were usually sharp and often narrow softened a little at the edges as the phrase seemed to reach down further inside of him that he'd ever thought words might be able to; completely ignoring any mental barrier that he tried to maintain between himself and his emotions. It gripped at something so much deeper inside of him than his gut.
He forced himself to swallow, sternly, before making an attempt to word a reply. Using the fact that they were starting to pick through the streets on route back to the inn, as a chance to wait until the right moment.
"I'm glad. I've had a good time too."
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
She glanced up at him as he spoke again. Her heart skipped in her chest as their eyes met. There was something more to his gaze, something deeper than before and this was the first that Terra had seen it. She felt his words as if they wrapped around her heart, safely securing it from harm.
“Then the trip was a success.”
It didn’t seem like the best way to describe it but she couldn’t think of anything better. As they neared the inn her pace slowed as if elongating their walk to last a few seconds longer.
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
He cleared his throat as if he needed to do so to breathe through the atmosphere which seemed to have frozen the two of them into a slower pace in the last yards towards the inn. For the first time that day he considered that it really was their last evening here, and after that they'd be going back to Aqures, back to what passed for 'normal' life in this realm.
"Yes. It has certainly allowed a rest from all of it. Mission accomplished."
Then he looked down and away from Terra, unsure where to put his eyes as they inevitably arrived at the front porch to the building. A long moment Sephiroth paused there and looked up over the facade of the building as if he'd not seen it before. Committing as much of the details of it as possible to his memory, out of some notion that he may well have to recall it later.
"It's getting late. We should head up, there is an early start tomorrow."
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
"Mission accomplished."
It felt heavy and she wasn't sure if she felt very comfortable with it either. She knew she was happy but the difference compared to before was something that made her question everything she had thought she'd known. She had told Jack that she thought she understood but it had only been the smallest piece compared to what she felt now.
With a soft nod of her head she turned towards the front door of the inn, her steps slow but steady. Thin fingers rested on the entrance before pushing the door open. She holds herself there, waiting for Sephiroth to step through the doorway first. Of course, she had a feeling that he'd take the heavy oak door from her and insist that she enter first but somehow it felt right to hold the door for him.
"When is our flight tomorrow?"
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
Sephiroth answered her whilst, true to form, he stepped up behind her to reach near enough over her head to both hold the door open and let her proceed through first. It was only manners, after all. As he very nearly bumped against her coming forwards a light, but only single chuckle was huffed down at her.
Along with his smile that spread just that little bit wider once more.
"We should come back again sometime. Perhaps for longer and after saving up a little more."
#3 - 30th August/ Flence: Some time away [TerraxSephiroth]
"I'd like that."
Her voice was soft and as quickly as the moment came it was gone. Terra's eyes glanced away and she slipped inside of the inn. It's warm inside and the prickles of cold she had felt under the pale moon light vanished. She looked back at Sephiroth with a smile.
"Goodnight."