onepassingnight | 5th Reunion [OPEN]

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5th Reunion [OPEN]

Misty rain surrounded the remnant as he made his way down the streets. Fog rose eerily from the pavement, hiding his own boots from feline eyes. Streetlamps provided halos of golden light, illuminating signs and storefronts, and yet at the same time creating shadowy exiles.

“I'll find you soon, Mother,” Kadaj whispered under his breath, a smile worming its way onto cold lips.

The only problem was finding someone to interrogate. If it wasn't for the remnant’s desire to question just about anyone at this point, he would have liked it here--this place appeared deserted. Not as much as the Promised Land with Mother, of course. But this city lacked the very thing he hated most, and that's the way he preferred it.

Mumbling came from a dark enclave between two dumpsters. An awful stench, some kind of cheap alcohol mixed with urine and other bodily fluids the remnant couldn’t clearly identify, hung heavily in the air.

Kadaj reached blindly into the corner and wrapped a fist around a soggy coat. He yanked out a homeless man who stumbled and fell to the concrete.

“P-please!” The man held up his hands defensively, trying to get back up. Kadaj kicked him back down and clicked his tongue in disgust.

“I’m just hungry. So hungry,” the old man began to sob, finally making it to his feet. A filthy hand encrusted in dirt supported the pathetic slob against the brick wall.

A homeless man was better than nothing.

“Where's Mother?” Kadaj demanded. The young remnant unsheathed his double bladed katana, and made sure his new prisoner could see the sharp blades.

The bum squinted and exposed remarkably stained teeth. “I don’t know. Please, mister, I’m so hungry. So cold.”

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"He says he doesn't know the answer to your question," said Sephiroth. He didn't draw his own blade, but he was armed, stepping out of the shadows quietly, walking smoothly through the rain light toward Kadaj. "So leave him."

He had seen Kadaj once before in a dream, but he didn't truly know who or what he was. Yet he was drawn to him, by more than curiosity, perhaps.

Kadaj stiffened at the sound of that voice. The sensation of Sephiroth’s presence was all too familiar.

“He’s lying!” Kadaj said with utmost assurance. He never took his accusing glare off the homeless man for a second. The double blades pressed closer to his dirty, breaded neck.

“I. . . I don’t know what’s going on here.” The man stammered through his words,
shaking underneath his investigator’s grip. Kadaj wrinkled his nose in disgust at the horrid smell that emitted from this man’s mouth. Nevertheless, he continued pursuit. “Lie to me again,” the remnant warned, “and you’ll permanently regret it. Got it?”

"I doubt it." He saw no need for unnecessary killing, for excessive displays of power. There was no honor in that. "He clearly lacks the knowledge of what you seek. Do you plan to senselessly interrogate everyone you happen to come across? What a waste of time and energy."

He moved, disappearing only to reappear closer, sword in hand. "Release him."

Had it been anyone besides Sephiroth, Kadaj would have ignored the order. Sephiroth was a traitor to Mother because he sought the Reunion for his own gain, instead of for Mother’s. Nevertheless, Sephiroth was still her precious favorite in the remnant’s eyes. Kadaj boiled with envy, but he still respected the ex-general.

His lip curled in disdain. Hesitantly, and very slowly, he removed the threatening blades from the man’s neck. “You got lucky,” he sneered. The teen looked away, aggravated, and then turned his back on both of them.

“Why are you here, Sephiroth?”

Edited 2012-03-25 05:38 (UTC)

Sephiroth, still a general, didn't quite understand who Kadaj was, or who the mother was that he was searching for. Nonetheless, he couldn't deny that the two of them had similarities that he had never seen in another. He was curious, intrigued.

He nodded toward the man, who was all too eager to scramble to his feet and remove himself from the scene.

"Do I need a reason to be here? Regardless, I am here. Perhaps I simply wish to speak to you."

At first the remnant dared not look directly at Sephiroth. He had appeared in the teen’s dreams, creating deeply scarring nightmares. Even during the waking hours, the overwhelming presence was outright intimidating. But Kadaj would never admit that.

“So,” he glanced down at his sword, the twin blades pointing to the ground, “we finally meet.” In person, at least. “I’ve done everything you’ve told me to do,” Kadaj added defensively and then whirled to finally face his own nightmare, determination winning to fear. “It’s big brother’s fault we don’t have Her yet! He keeps getting in the way!” The grip on Souba tightened so firmly his knuckles turned white beneath black gloves.

“I don’t need your help.” There was that defensive tone again. “I will prove to Mother that I can do this without you!”

Sephiroth remained still as Kadaj whirled to face him. Kadaj is angry with him, that's clear enough, but he doesn't understand the context of what's being said, as if Kadaj is from another time, another place.

"I've never told you to do anything."

He doesn't feel angry himself, only fascinated by this person who looks so much like him. He's never had a family, but this person speaks of brothers, of a mother. Things he's wanted, but not with this much rage and fear.

"I'm not here to help you. I only wanted to speak to you, as I said. A brother. Is that what you are?"

Liar. Sephiroth may not have spoken to Kadaj directly in the past but he felt his presence before. Day in and day out the pressure to perform The Reunion increased. Just knowing that Sephiroth was somehow watching and urging irritated the little remnant. He could do this alone! Even if it was for Mother and Sephiroth, the emotional and psychological distress the ex-general’s presence brought drove Kadaj dangerously closer to the edge of disabling insanity.

Still, there was something off about Mother’s favorite tonight. Then it hit Kadaj. Brother. Despite being family Sephiroth had never referred to him as such. With a deep inhale he tried to figure out what was going on. Suspicions were high. Sephiroth must only be teasing him now. “Don’t you know what I am?”

She was younger in this dream, perhaps fifteen, the same as Kadaj himself. Ami crossed her arms over her chest and watched the scene for just long enough to give the victim false hope of salvation, then snatch it away.

Who'd ever save someone?

"If he doesn't know, he doesn't know," she said blandly. She pivoted to angle her body differently. "He's no more use to you, in that case."

Really, Kadaj. Focus. Ami took several steps towards the man, and paused to eye him callously. If he had no information or purpose, what to do with him next?

The predator’s gaze swerved to a new focus—the girl. Kadaj had seen her before, or so he believed. The memories regarding her were hazy at best. Who exactly was she? What was her name? What about her affiliation: friend or foe? She carried herself with confidence, that much was clear. The remnant could sense she was no threat to him.

“Hn,” he turned back to his shivering, pathetic prey. “You trust too easily,” he addressed the girl while staring the man down. “Don’t you know that humans are prone to lying?”

Edited 2012-03-22 02:11 (UTC)

She smirked. "It's because he's worthless that I know it," said the girl who'd never trusted easily.

"No one would give charge of something that important into such weak hands." She tilted her head, arrogant, as she glanced back to the hapless man.

"However, if you're determined to get blood from a stone, keep squeezing."

“You don’t know ShinRa,” Kadaj curtly replied. In matter of seconds the homeless man’s clothes seeped a dark crimson red. He gasped and gurgled, grasping at his throat with wide eyes. Blood poured from the crevices of his fingers as he stumbled to the ground. Kadaj took a step back to avoid the pooling blood. As the man continued to squirm and writhe on the cold, dirty, cement, the teen shook the excess liquid off his weapon.

“Enough blood for you?” He grinned.

She turned her head away, from distaste rather than fear or horror; her own attacks were much cleaner; but if less deadly, perhaps no less painful.

"Clean yourself up," she said simply. "There's no reason to appear in that state. Your sword, too." Without proper care, the weapon would become damaged, after all, which she was treating as more important than the man on the ground.

A weapon was only as good as its wielder. Of course he kept Souba well maintained. Holding the katana horizontally, Kadaj pinched the base of his sword with his gloved thumb and forefinger and ran it straight across the blade. It squeaked as the blood was forced off the edge. He repeated the process for the second blade, cleaning it as best he could with the given circumstances.

“There.” He said proudly and shook his hand. Dark red droplets splattered the surrounding area. Sticky blood still remained upon his glove. Rather than wipe it off his own outfit, Kadaj stepped past the girl, dragging his hand across her shoulder to remove the rest.

She was almost more surprised to be touched, than by the blood itself. The ruined clothes were an annoyance, but she could replace them. There was no sense picking a quarrel over something so small. Ami simply removed her jacket - and tossed it towards Kadaj.

"A gift!" There was a definite twist to the lightness of her tone. Let him decide how to dispose of it.

The girl should consider herself wise. Picking a fight with Kadaj, or any of his siblings for that matter, was a death wish.

Reflectively he caught the jacket. He arched a silver brow at it, becoming more amused by her behavior. “What’s wrong?” He tossed it back at her and teased, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little blood!”

Ami only smirked as she caught the jacket easily enough, but casually let it fall again after looking it over. It was useless to her, now. Blood was a hard stain to get out, and it was easier to replace it. He was lucky she wasn't insisting that he replace it instead. If he were simply a human, she would have - and she would have enforced it.

"Were you afraid of that man?" she challenged Kadaj right back, "Or was he just disgusting?" She could shrug off the coat without being afraid of it.

“Afraid?” Kadaj laughed at the absurdity of it! Ha! “Humans are nothing more than annoying pests!” He said with the sweep of his arm for emphasis. “They are weak, pathetic, excuses for life forms. Mother has no use for them! In time, she will get rid of them all. For now,” the remnant approached the girl, “they are mine to toy with.” She wasn’t easy to intimidate, and Kadaj found that entertaining. “I’m looking for someone.” It was no secret. “And I will question everyone until I get the answers I want.”

Souba rose ever so slightly. It wasn’t a direct threat, not yet anyway, but he did not hide the fact that he had no qualms about using it. “So tell me, girl, what do know about Jenova?”

In waking, she'd have objected to that wholesale destruction. She might even have warned him that, while lesser, humans were not as negligible as he thought. But in the dream, it was a lesson she hadn't learned herself yet.

"Jenova?" The fact she gave the question thought perhaps said more about the truth of her ignorance than a denial could. Aside from the obvious conclusion that 'Jenova' was whoever Kadaj was looking for, she knew nothing.

And so, she shrugged it off. "I've never heard the name. Who is it and how would I recognize her?"

Feline eyes scanned over the girl’s facial features. He hated liars, and he liked to believe that he could tell when someone was lying to him. This girl, however, appeared to be telling the truth. Not that he trusted her words much. It simply meant he didn’t have to flay her skin or torture her for further investigation—at least for now.

“Jenova,” he began, stepping back with arms spread wide to the sky. “She is the rightful ruler of this planet! The Cetra and people like you,” he nodded distastefully in her direction, “stole it from Her.” Kadaj pointed to his chest, excitedly stepping closer again. “It’s my job to find Her! The Reunion is on my shoulders!”

The remnant leaned in. Their faces were mere centimeters apart. His eyes never broke contact with hers as he bore an intense gaze into them. “And,” his voice fell to a deadly serious tone, “I will not disappoint Her.”

It was getting pretty crowded with so many 'rightful rulers' of the planet. No, she'd still make up her own mind about that. Still, that meant to her and the Dark Kingdom - who of course were the true ones to rule it - this potential claimant was a threat.

That meant it was worth her while to learn more.

"I can't find her from that. I need to know where she comes from, or what she looks like. Things that will help me to know who she is and where she might be." All reasonable and true requests before it could be possible. Also all a way to get more information.

Just like Ami, Kadaj was not one to easily trust others. In fact, he barely trusted his own brothers and they were the only ones he could even consider confiding in. Unbeknownst to the remnant, he didn’t even trust himself. But denial and determination helped keep that acknowledgement under wraps.

“You?” Kadaj sneered, turning away. “I don’t need help from the likes of you.” Firstly, why would she have an interest in helping Mother? Ami probably only wanted to steal her away from her sons again. Secondly, Kadaj wanted to show Jenova that he could do this all by himself. He certainly didn’t need the aid of any strangers.

She'd have preferred to get information from him; but well, he seemed the type to talk a fair bit. The type to brag about this precious so-called ruler. She'd glean what she could from that.

And she certainly didn't care if he wanted to disparage her.

"Fine, then!" she chirped cheerfully enough. "Good luck to you!"

Kadaj was the type to talk. He was also the type to lack sufficient patience and the type to get easily frustrated. He wasn’t about to waste Mother’s precious gospel on some stranger girl no matter how tolerant he had become of her. Truly, the remnant thought she deserved nothing better than to be skewered and left for dead. She had served her purpose as entertainment.

As he continued to walk away he waved a dismissive hand. Kadaj didn’t need her luck, her help, or any other services she may offer. He could find Mother all by himself and he would make her proud!

She's been keeping a look out - or else, that's what she tells herself. Sometimes being by herself in the shadows gives her a strange peace. One that she will forever denying having. Besides, she can't let her skills get rusty, can she?

Some noises up ahead catch her attention, and she's quick to follow them. Pure curiosity, but the sounds seemed distressing. Might as well check it out. She doesn't completely register the scene until she's practically on top of it, perched on a building nearby

Yuffie recognizes this guy. She's only caught a brief glimpse of him - it's hard to see who's fighting Cloud at what time nowadays - but he sticks out in her mind.

Normally, she would have just trotted along her merry way, loathe to get into a fight with someone who had caused such a ruckus before. Seeing him corner the homeless man, though, just isn't right to her and she hops forward into the light.

"Hey, pick on someone your own size!" Which she assumes includes herself.

Heroes. Or at least that’s what they liked to call themselves. Yet, this intruder was nothing short of a pest. The remnant was used to such interruptions. Usually Yazoo or Loz swiftly greeted those people with their maker. Speaking of which, where were his brothers?

Kadaj snarled, annoyed. He was about to tell the girl to get lost when a sudden realization dawned over him. She was familiar; too familiar to be a family member or friend of one of his previous victims; too familiar to be a victim herself. No, she was more than that. Unsettling.

“You,” he began slowly with great interest. His attention was now solely on the ninja girl. Tainted eyes scanned over her quickly for any signs of weakness he might be able to exploit. “You’re one of big brother’s friends, aren’t you. . .”

With his focus entirely on her, Yuffie feels a tiny bit disturbed. She never got up close to him or the other two, but they still gave her that weird vibe. A very 'I'm crazy for my mommmy' Sephiroth vibe.

Everything had been explained to her - what had happened and who these guys were - but that didn't make it any less confusing. She also has no idea who 'big brother' is (must have been the part where she spaced out during Storytime With Cloud).

"No idea who your big brother is, but I know who you are," she forces herself to relax, her stance open as she plants her hands on her hips. Inside, of course, she knows this isn't someone to take lightly. In a moment's notice, she's ready to pull out her weapon, but in the meantime she keeps talking.

"Why you pickin' on homeless guy, anyway? Everyone knows where your mommy is." Yuffie makes a show of rolling her eyes. "Can't say she's the best parent ever, though. I mean, seriously, a headless alien thing? That's no fun."

Kadaj impaled the sword right through the man’s sternum. With a heart wrenching cry he tried to convince the remnant to stop. But this was no time for games. Mother was at stake, and no one---no one, took this matter lightly.

Kadaj shoved the blades in further and twisted until he heard the satisfying snap of bones as the spine cracked in half. The man instantly became limp. He was still alive but helpless to react. The unimaginable pain was visible in his eyes.

“Hn.” Kadaj was proud of his work and his expression showed it. A firm boot nestled into the man’s abdomen as the remnant removed his weapon. The hobo fell haphazardly to the ground, lying in his own growing puddle of blood.

“Now then,” Kadaj turned to face the girl. He raised Souba at face level; the fresh blood dripped off the dual blades in continuous increments and stained the pavement. “Tell me where she is.”

Yuffie watched, astonished, as he virtually skewered the homeless man without so much as a twitch of hesitation. She knew in the back of her mind that this was a dream, but that still didn't make it any less horrible to see.

Fighting monsters was one thing, fighting 'The Man' was another, but cutting through someone helpless to stop it was something Yuffie drew a line at. A very deep, bold line.

Her stance goes broad, a foot dug into the ground behind her to give her balance as she pulls her weapon free, her eyes on him the entire time. She managed to whip up a semi-carefree grin.

"Good one, but a better question would be where are the parts of her. Didn't whats-his-face cut off her head or something? You need just that or the whole package deal?"

She really couldn't help herself with the taunt, it was always how she went into fights.

Taunting a remnant of Sephiroth was a death wish. Tonight, she was lucky. The fresh kill had taken the edge off Kadaj’s desire to spill blood—but not his desire to inflict cruelty.

“Pathetic girl!” An unsettling smile decorated cold lips. “Don’t you know who you’re dealing with?” Kadaj playfully spun his sword between his fingers; both for fun and to show off. “I’m not intimidated by the likes of you.”

She was just another worthless human whom Mother considered unnecessary. Killing her would be good, but torturing her until she screamed for mercy would be even better! Mercy would never come, though; he liked to give the impression that there was hope. It provided a better reaction when the victim finally realized they had been doomed from the very beginning.

In the remnant’s eyes there were only two kinds of useful people in this world: those who provided answers and those who were nothing more than toys to be played with. The two frequently became interchangeable. Which one would this girl be?

Edited 2012-03-29 04:25 (UTC)

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5th Reunion [OPEN]

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and she'll be her twit of a canon-age self here. XD

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[Trigger Warning: Graphic Death]

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