001: a different path ☄

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[Professor Gast didn't leave him behind. Why would he? They understood each other; there was a kinship between them. He wouldn't have left a child with that madman. It isn't easy, living on the run from Shinra, but Sephiroth is strong, stronger than any other, and swifter. He can protect them both. He can hear the enemy coming from a long way off, the hum of engines or the tramp of feet. The Planet is large, and they'll always be safe, if he can help it. Shinra lost their war with Wutai (there was no Silver SOLDIER). There are places left to hide.

They don't stay anywhere too long, but they bring their research with them. They conceal themselves in small towns. Refugees aren't so unusual, and few people would guess at what they are, though Sephiroth's bearing and his long sword makes some things clear, such as the fact that they can handle themselves.

Their current residence may be cramped, but it is clean. Sephiroth is dressed simply, in a white shirt and black pants, leaning over the table, lost in the study of figures. He and the Professor discuss the problem they're working on in low voices, in terms that might make little sense to a layman. The Professor breaks to make tea, and Sephiroth drinks it black.

When Gast goes to bed (Father, maybe he can think of him that way), Sephiroth remains awake, remains watchful. He needs less sleep, because he's different, a person apart. He's just beginning to understand why that is. He knows he must be careful. What Shinra did to him, to other children: they shouldn't be allowed to continue. He and the Professor mean to stop them. Sephiroth gazes out the window at the night sky spotted with bright stars, and though he has no wealth, no influence, no power save his own strength, the sudden realization sweeps over him that he is fiercely, deeply, undeniably happy.

There shouldn't be anyone else in the cottage, and when he senses an unfamiliar presence, Sephiroth turns, tensing, the calm slipping from him in an instant.]

What do you want?

[He won't let anyone take this from him.]

[[OOC: Starting out with a flip of the chessboard. In his dream, Sephiroth's guardian is Professor Gast rather than Professor Hojo, and they left Shinra together. Sephiroth has no idea of what actually happened to Professor Gast.]]

Comments

fire-user ami/mercury

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[The stranger tilts her head, and steps forward as if she owns the place, a tiny little smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. Dark hair, Asian features, modestly but fashionably dressed, perhaps in her late teens; she's nothing too remarkable right now except for that mischief in her eyes and the power that flows through her.]

Shouldn't you ask that after offering your guest some of that coffee?

[Why is she truly here? Somewhere, a part of her wants that same peace and contentment. She's drawn towards it. And perhaps, perhaps, she'd be willing to help them end what happened here.]

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[He studies her. She doesn't seem like the kind of person Shinra would send. She holds no weapon, and she doesn't seem hostile at the moment. He doesn't have his sword at the moment, but he's armed with Materia, and he doesn't need a sword to do battle. He relaxes slightly.]

You're not our guest. We didn't invite you. Who are you?

[He glances toward the teapot.] And it's tea.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Her power over fire needs no weapon either - but she has one, flame instead of ice in her dreams lately. She'll summon it if needed.

Her identities blend and fuse so much more in dreams, but the fiery spirit and goddess hide behind the young woman. She invites herself to sit without being asked, posture almost facetiously demure.]

Mizuno Ami. Sorry for dropping in unexpectedly!

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

Why have you come here, Mizuno Ami? [He has fire at his command as well, but he has no intention of burning their house down.

He doesn't warm to her presence, but he moves to pour her a cup of tea regardless. At least she's apologized for the intrusion.] We don't often receive visitors.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She has no intention of a needless fight. She keeps her battles to her true enemies: the ones threatening her world and what she and her comrades have made for themselves there.

Before she answers, she waits for the tea, and takes a testing sip. More steam curls into the air as it becomes hotter under her touch; subtle, but she enjoys using her powers rather than hiding them away. She enjoys being who and what she is, far beyond the humans of Earth.

Being who she is, what she offers may not be surprising.]

I came with news. Want to hear it?

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[Sephiroth wouldn't offer any fight unless there was a threat to his home or his family. She doesn't seem to pose a threat. He keeps his eye on her, however. He's not about to let his guard down.]

Very well. Why not?

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

ShinRa found out about this place. Want to start thinking about moving?

[She acts as if it's cheerful news. Certainly, from the way she still has a cup of tea in front of her and is still seated quite comfortably, she doesn't seem to be treating it as an emergency.]

[hisdreamsmyfate.livejournal.com]

[Of all the places to be, why was Zack laying on the counter? With his back turned to Sephiroth, no less, and with a few dishes laying over his body.

He turns his head in the direction of the voice, his tone flat and a bit... strange coming from someone like him.]

Nothin', yet. You got a problem with me stayin' here?

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[Sephiroth hesitates, momentarily confused. This visitation doesn't fit in with the reality he's constructed in his dream. It's familiar, but the wrong kind of familiarity, and he struggles to make sense of it.

Then it falls into place. He isn't ready to deconstruct this life yet, to return to his own memories, but he does accept Zack's presence here, the dream simply adding him into the story without a logical explanation.]

A problem? No, I don't. But what are you--those are our plates. [He notes the flatness of tone without being sure what to make of it. He's a bit exasperated, and he's just going to go remove the dishes, because there's no need for that.]

[hisdreamsmyfate.livejournal.com]

[Zack rolls over on his back when Sephiroth comes over and the plates are removed, opening his eyes to watch the man with... an odd, green tinge over what should be bright-blue eyes. There's definately something off about the SOLDIER - his tone reduced to a flat monotone.]

I didn't put 'em there.

[He doesn't seem bothered by that as he continues to stare at Sephiroth, his brow furrowing in confusion.]

...Sephiroth.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[He frowns. This isn't right. In fact, something is very wrong. He glances toward the hall, down which lies the Professor's room.]

You didn't? Then who--

[When Zack says his name, Sephiroth remembers.]

Zack. Who did this? [He doesn't know exactly what he's asking about; it's not only the plates, but Zack's uncharacteristic manner, his eyes.]

[hisdreamsmyfate.livejournal.com]

Doesn't matter.

[Said with a crick of the neck, the SOLDIER finally starting to sit up from his position. He isn't doing a lot of looking at Sephiroth, but something visibly ruffles under his turtleneck.]

Should I be on my way, then? Sorry for, ah... interruptin' your teatime an' everything.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

Where are you going to go at this time of night? I said I don't have a problem with you staying. It's just that the Professor's sleeping. [He pauses. There's something else, that he doesn't remember. He almost tries to recover the memory, then pushes it quickly from his mind, focusing on the cottage, on Zack.

He puts a hand on Zack's shoulder.] Tell me. What is it? [He doesn't remember SOLDIER yet, but his voice has the tone of an order.]

[auncyenhalig.livejournal.com]

[ The terms doesn't make sense to her, and so she hardly listens to the content of the discussion at all. What she does listen to, tucked away in a nook that really should be too small to hide a full-grown woman, is the flow of the voices, their tone and rhythm. And though there's wary glances at the silver-haired man, the one her eye rests on is the man with the funny mustache. Cloud's dreams showed him to her once before; he looks a bit older than he had in the video. Well, if you kept living, you got older...

...And from what she saw then and what she sees now, she wishes he'd kept living. She wants to speak up and say something--but she gets the funny feeling he's not her father here, and the funnier feeling that even with the blood between them, she's never really been his daughter. It was a long time that she thought the less she knew about him the better.

Yet now she watches him with a child's fascination, still, until finally he's off to bed and it's just her and...oh, gosh, Sephiroth. She really ought to leave--you know, assuming she even ought to have been here to begin with! She shifts to look for possible exits and--

He's talking to her. ]

A-a-ahh...! A better hiding place sounds good right now. [ She straightens out into plain view, dusting herself off and hoping she doesn't look half as scared as she feels--though her posture is certainly guarded. ] But to be honest, I'm not here to take anything, really.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[He narrows his eyes. This young woman is unfamiliar to him, but she doesn't look like a threat. Still, it's not always easy to tell, and Shinra has many spies.]

I'm not as worried about you taking something as why you're here.

Why were you hiding?

[auncyenhalig.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, some people would think that's the why. [ Her voice is still showing her nervousness, but it starts to settle as she gathers herself.

Why she was hiding? Her eyes glance in the direction where Gast lies, sleeping. He was the real reason she'd stayed to watch this dream, this fantasy--whatever it was. ]

Hmm...it was nice to see him, but I didn't know what I'd say to him. Maybe that means there's nothing to say, but that doesn't seem right...

[ She looks up at Sephiroth, her gaze more direct now. ] You see, I've heard a lot about him. From the elders at Cosmo Canyon, and from my mother.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

They might, but there's obviously nothing of value here, nothing worth stealing, that is. [There's the research, but he's not about to admit to that being valuable.] We live very simply.

Did you? I'm not surprised. The Professor is a brilliant scientist. He saved me. [Sephiroth pushes his hair back.

He looks younger, here, than he is in waking life. He senses her nervousness, hears it in her voice.] I'm only a student. I'm not going to do you any harm.

[auncyenhalig.livejournal.com]

[ Only a student, huh? Aerith quirks her head, the unspoken question in her face. No; she knows what it's like to want to be normal, have a normal life, so if Sephiroth is normal here--fine by her! It's not hurting anyone, and this person...he's obviously not the man from Nibelheim. Instead she asks: ] You're not upset?

[ She shakes her head just a tiny bit, beginning to smile. ] They don't talk about him because he was brilliant. They talk about him because he was kind, and serious about understanding the Planet.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

I reserve my emotions until I know all the facts of a matter. I have no reason yet to be upset. You simply wanted to see the Professor? Or was there something else? I still don't know who you are.

[He considers her words about the Professor.] Is that so? In my experience, people don't earn fame by being kind, but yes, he does try to understand the world and how it works.

[rhapsody-onfire.livejournal.com]

[...huh, Sephiroth in a cottage. Now that was certainly a strange sight.]

Nothing, actually. I just... didn't expect someone like you to be living here. It's nice. Cozy, even.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[There's something familiar about this woman, but he can't quite put his finger on it. He knows her somehow, yet he feels that he shouldn't, and he can't place her. It's an odd, disorienting feeling, as if there's a second layer of memory beneath this one.]

Why shouldn't I be here? Any number of people live in cottages.

More importantly, why are you here? If you'd like to talk to the Professor, he's asleep. [He doesn't expect anyone wants to talk to him. He's not particularly outgoing. He keeps himself apart.]

[rhapsody-onfire.livejournal.com]

Nothing, nevermind.

[She chuckles quietly to herself.]

There is no hate, only joy
For you are beloved by the goddess
Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds...

No, the professor is not someone I want to speak with. I was... curious about you, I suppose. Why do you and the professor live out here, if I may ask.

[Gast should be dead, so she is a bit confused. But she is starting to get the hang of this whole... walking in other people's dreams and simply goes with it.]

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't like the sound of that chucking or that poetry, but he contents himself with frowning briefly at it.]

There's no need for curiosity. We're a perfectly normal family.

[He doesn't like to share his secrets, but he sees no cause for alarm in her.] Since you're already here, would you like some tea?

[rhapsody-onfire.livejournal.com]

[She somehow doubted that they were normal but in the end, she didn't comment. Instead, she nodded.]

You don't mind making tea, then yes, I would like some.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is growing cold. I should make a new pot. [He turns to heat more water, but he doesn't drop his guard.]

What was it that made you curious about me? [His tone is slightly wary as he asks this question.] I don't remember seeing you in town, yet you do seem familiar.