☄ Dream Impossible Dreams

[nohometown]

He knows, when he's awake, that it's impossible. He'll never have children. For a variety of reasons. He's devoted to his work. He has no time. Physiologically, due to his altered genes and the radiation treatments, he is unable to father children. Even if he could, with medical assistance, would he want to? Wouldn't any children he fathered belong to ShinRa as well?

What would become of such children? Would they grow wings and fly away? The idea isn't as far-fetched as it should be, considering what had happened to his friends. Why would he want children in a world like this?

But he's dreaming now. In dreams, he can have another life. He's dressed in plain clothes, black pants and a white dress shirt, standing in a a room, in a house. An ordinary house. It's not in Midgar, but somewhere else, far away. He can look through the window and see trees. The curtains are wide open, and sunlight pours in through them, and he knows, somehow, that this is "home". His home. With the certainty of a dreamer, who can believe impossible things, he knows that his family lives here. His children. There are pictures of them on the wall. Their possessions can be seen here and there, and some of the books on the shelves are theirs--not his own dry volumes about science and military history. He stands there for a while, not doing anything in particular, quiet and distantly content as he takes in this place, this existence, becomes accustomed to it.

He doesn't stir until hears a sound behind him. There someone here with him. He turns and smiles at them, a casual, fond smile for someone he sees almost every day of his life. "Hello." He asks a simple question. "How was your day?"


[[OOC: Anyone is welcome to be one of Sephiroth's "kids". (Relatives or spouses of any gender to talk about family are also welcome, if you prefer.) Feel free to age characters down, if you like, but grown up kids are also fine. Prose or action spam both welcome; I'll match you.]]

Comments

[toweroflearning]

[This country house-- this isn't Reeve's dream, but it feels like his home. His first home, in the country, where the tallest things were the trees. It feels so natural to be here now, to walk through these rooms, to see books he's read or would like to read, to see teacups left on a table, to see toys-- a building set, like the one he used to play with-- on the floor.

To see Sephiroth. Standing on the living room carpet. Wearing a shirt and pants like an ordinary mortal. Sunlight caught in his pale hair, smiling. Yes, even these things feel natural.

The smile is easy to return.]

Oh, fine. Just-- the usual, you know.
[It's natural to stand at Sephiroth's side, to look out of the window together and then back at each other-- to let his hand brush Sephroth's, their fingers threading together for a long moment.]

And what about you? Have you been working all day? In spite of saying you wouldn't?
[It's obvious Reeve is teasing fondly.]

[nohometown]

The usual. I see. [It's odd to take someone's hand like that, so familiar--but it shouldn't be odd, should it? So he relaxes, looking over the children's toys. He should ask them to pick them up, but they're outside playing; it can wait until they come back. He won't clean up their messes for them. They should learn to take responsibility for their toys.]

Ah--not all day.

[He catches the note of teasing in Reeve's voice. It's true, he did work a fair amount, but it's hard for him not to. He knows that he overworks himself to the point of neglecting other aspects of his life.]

So you see, I kept my promise.

[toweroflearning]

[There should be something wrong with enjoying this-- someone else's idyll. Sephiroth's idyll. But this could just as well be a dream of Reeve's own. He doesn't want it to end.
Imagine that. His own children.

He feels a sharp stab of guilt, but that emotion and all its turmoil belongs to waking Reeve. He won't let it intrude here.

He smiles at his-- partner, he supposes.]

Yes, well, I never doubted you.

It looks like we've got some time to ourselves! Should we play with the toys that have been so generously left out for us? Or should we be very lazy and very adult and sit on the couch and talk?

Either would be a good antidote for a day of meetings, as far as I'm concerned.

[nohometown]

I'm pleased to hear it.

It's best to leave the toys for them. They can clean them up later. [He'll make certain they do--but although in a sterner mood, he might call them in to do so now, it is nice to have this chance to talk with Reeve, just the two of them, alone.] Why don't we talk, for now? I'm not in the mood for building blocks.

[He steps around said building blocks on his way to the couch.

In spite of his relentlessly serious tone, this is meant as a joke.]

You have no more meetings today. I'll be sure not to call any. How is your work? [He's curious. Reeve is an engineer, and it's a subject that genuinely interests him.]