There was a reason Cissnei was sent to follow Zack and not Sephiroth in the past. Sephiroth was too perceptive and cunning. He possessed every bit of command as his rank suggested. His presence felt every bit of cold tempered steel, like his weapon of choice. It forced Cissnei to give him whole truths to sway him. Mostly anyway. She certainly had not told him a lie.

He had no reason to trust or believe her. She had no proof of any past aid other than past co-ops when things needed a more delicate touch. But she also had no reason to lie. Not now, anyway. She may have used him against Asael, but she had taken a beating and given up some information to him. It was a decent trade. Not great, but decent. After all, she was still alive.

She didn’t need his confirmation. He understood her conditions well enough and she knew it.

But if there was anything out of this, it was the disbelief he showed in Angeal going to this event. She took a small delight in it. A small smile cracked her face again, as her eyes lowered to the floor. She only wished she could be there for that first conversation. It was as if a fire in the forge heated the steel for just a moment.

Cissnei side stepped to allow him by, making a polite gesture towards the door. The best she could do with her injured body anyway. She figured this was the end of the conversation. She had talked herself out at this point. Reno probably would have fussed at her for talking too much. But he couldn’t talk himself out of a situation if he could just use force.

When he paused at the doorway, she wondered if he would accuse her of rigging it with some trap. Instead, she was surprised he told her his home location. Her eyes widened. A sign of trust then?

And then he was gone.

She huffed a quiet chuckle as her ribs ached and her bent fingers raised to hide her mouth. Her shoulders rising and falling gently. It was rare for her to be surprised. “A pleasure doing business.” She said to the cold night air. Closing the door to prevent the frost from entering. Honestly, how do these men not catch a cold?

It seemed they both got something out of this. And if there was a third reason to tell him about Angeal, it was to keep him busy and out of Sonora. Or maybe she was just soft? Who knew, except Cissnei?

Being up more than twenty-four hours was nothing new for her. But she did not follow Sephiroth out. Freyra and Umbrella were probably sleeping, and they needed their rest to heal.

No, she went to the door that led from the storage into the bar. The clientele was very few considering the time it was. The yellowish light just barely illuminated the dark woods of the place. She simply placed herself on the leather stool. The bartender poured her usual drink of choice for a hard day.