Talaria: the winged sandals of the god Hermes (Mercury). Or, in this case, the sleek, dark blue motorcycle currently traveling the Nakasendo Highway at the easy pace of 100 mph. A tribute to Ami's will, the road is smooth and empty enough to run at these speeds. A tribute to the Suzuki Hayabusa, she hasn't even put it through its paces yet.

It's a trip stuck in the past, through the collective memory of Japan for hundreds of years, kissed by a springtime sun. Puddles dot the ground to suggest a recent, fertile rain. The roadway itself seems modern, but the post towns all along it are carefully preserved and restored to the Edo period. She whips past them all.

As her hair flares with the wind, Ami keeps her eyes pointed forward and her speed high. The point isn't where she's going; it's getting away from where she's been.

Anyone who's seen Midgar in her heyday, or during what might be called her early prime, should recognize the city which provides the setting for this dream. It's a hell of a view really, provided by a building which is still under construction, though it's coming together rather quickly. But then that is what power and money are good for it seems.

Off a small distance from the view is a older man, dressed in a reddish suit which looks a bit strained by the man's girth. It's not that easy to see any resemblance between the suited man and the apparently distracted and bored young blond which stands a ways away from the man and his cronies. Perhaps the only thing they might obviously share is hair color and eyes.

The younger blond had already given his performance for this event of which he sees no use for, and as a waste of time and money. And now instead he's letting his gaze take in the city below, noting silently the areas still under construction.


Later in the day, he's been been dragged by the same man into one of the rooms which has been claimed by the man called Hojo. The meeting hasn't lasted for long yet, but the young blond has already decided the science-related part of this company has at best limited use for him and is paying more attention to a black furred creature than he is to either the older man or the professor. He's seen the adults of what the critter is, but this is his first time actually seeing the immature version. As he strokes the young cub's head lightly, an idea comes to mind and he considers it as he studies it.


[ooc: Feel free to join either of the above scenarios. Set pre-Before Crisis, thus Rufus isn't quite vice president and he's not yet gotten involved with avalanche during the time the above be set in. More or less, someone's been thinking about the ordeals one must deal with if you want a company to succeed and also thinking of his four-legged guardian/friend, thus the man in the dream with him is his father and the critter is a young Dark Nation. Also Rufus in the dream looks as he does in the icon, one might say he's around 14-15 here. Also one might say certain reports being made in the waking world have him thinking of 'home' so to speak.]