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year 5, quarter 3
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Sephiroth saw it in the slight hesitation, in the way he tilted himself backwards, in widening of his eyes. Then it was gone, but not quickly enough. Instinctive reactions were rarely so suppressed. Sephiroth simply sipped his coffee, however. If the man wished to pretend then he wouldn’t get in his way.
What did he know him from? As Shinra? That seemed unlikely. He hadn’t recognized his reference to the plates of Midgar. The ones out for revenge all knew him on sight -- he was hardly a subtle figure when Shinra insisted on using him for propaganda. So that left...what?
The stranger mulled over his thoughts for a moment then hummed to himself and went back to his coffee. It wasn’t revenge then. That was too passionate. It blocked rational thought and was, by its nature, painful. Revenge drove men to rabid animals. To monsters.
This man, in contrast, remained calm and cautious. It was a dangerous calm. The kind before a snake chose to strike. He chose his words carefully.
”You know,” he said slowly, ”You’re not nearly as bad as everyone says you are. A bit cold, maybe, but much more pleasant.”
Hearsay then. That was easier to deal with in the moment. More troubling in its implications.
”Blow up the planet?” Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. He didn’t know what else there was to say to that so he simply closed his eyes, smirking to himself. ”Hmph.”
Interesting.
”Don’t go searching for answers,” he said. He lowered his cup and looked to the sky. It was going to rain soon. ”They don’t involve you.”
So this was the master swordsman? The monster that tried to destroy his world? He was just... clamming up and getting snooty. Alex snorted a little. "The man doesn't live up to the legend. I don't mean that as an insult. Anyone familiar with the concept knows the actual person never does." It was something he knew all too well. As a Warrior of Light, Alex oozed charisma, a valiant warrior who stood against the darkness of the world, drawing allies far and wide to his cause. A peerless warrior, capable of felling all but the greatest of threats by his lonesome. Oh, he knew full well how absurd a reputation could grow, and how utterly impossible it would be to live up to that reputation. He was content to stay quiet usually, lest he discourage anyone in a critical situation.
Alex had long ago realized his greatest strength in his world was that he brought hope with him, and hope could carry people far.
But still, he continued to respond. "Mhmm. According to ahem, my source. One day, you just... broke. Something happened, you finally ran out of resources to cope with the stress, and you just broke. According to her, you then came into possession of a Black Materia, I think they called it, used it to summon a meteor to destroy the planet, and then they ganged up on you and killed you to stop it." There was a mistake in those words. It was a subtle one, a slip of the tongue that at the moment held so little meaning. But now that source had a gender. For most, it'd go unnoticed, but well, yeah. That probably wasn't good. "Of course, the finality of death has no meaning in this world." Case in point.
Still, that narrowed it. Sephiroth either came from before then, or he did not remember, most likely. While that meant the possibility of it occurring here existed, there was no guarantee the trigger did as well. What could have driven him to it?
There was a soft groan however as he leaned to his side, rubbing his temple with two of his fingers, swirling them about. Was this guy really going to act like a petulant child? "But Sephiroth? Please don't get smart with me. You don't have your nodachi and my source filled me in on you." What was left unsaid was obvious. And he would try his best to actually be understanding where he could be. "I'll be upfront. You're innocent regarding Provo, as far as I'm concerned. What happened was an obvious case of self defense, and while you and that Blonde Homewrecker smashed my place to shit, that's not on you, and I can't in good conscience make you pay for it. Granted, if you know anything about said homewrecker..." Oh yeah, he wanted revenge, but at this point, Sephiroth just wasn't the target. The other guy was.
"Still, would it have killed you to pull your punches a little? Do you know how much I need to repair everything?" His eyes narrowed for a moment before shaking his head with another exasperated sigh.
He'd try and press onward. If things got physical and he had to drag Sephiroth away, "Anyway, I'm more interested in Sonora and your spat with that other silver haired douche canoe, and whatever other... events, you've been at the center of. But, what happened in Sonora first and foremost?" Alex would at least be able to say he tried, hopefully. But still, he couldn't help but gather some magic, letting it rest in the back of his mouth for the moment.
[attr=class,bulk] The man didn’t sound hostile, exactly. Even as Sephiroth refused to speak, he seemed more annoyed than angered. Patronizing. Disappointed. He sounded like a chiding father figure, or was he trying to bait him? ’The man doesn’t live up to the legend.’
Sephiroth smirked.
”I’m not interested in your approval,” he said. His coffee was cooling. A shame. He’d wanted a peaceful morning with his thoughts. He’d wanted time away where he could rest without falling into a predictable despair. Something his reputation wouldn’t allow.
The man knew him from simple gossip? How many others were turned against him without cause?
The stranger spun a tale rich in detail. He’d broken. After failing to cope with stress? He let him speak, going on about strange magic and planetary destruction and some kind of materia he’d never heard of. Someone had killed him, but apparently, death had no finality.
And that was the second story he’d heard of his own death. He had to admit. Genesis’ tale had been far more convincing.
”I died in Nibelheim,” he said simply. ”In the reactor. At the hands of a single soldier.” At least, that was what Genesis had heard. It sounded like a Shinra cover-up to him. Sephiroth didn’t believe in coming back from the dead.
Until Angeal.
The man tried to intimidate him. In that passive, disappointed way of his. He was ’upfront.’ He gave him ’credit.’ He had more than enough to say about Sephiroth’s most recent battle, and he was more than happy inserting his own judgments between the lines.
He sounded like a police officer trying to establish himself as sympathetic in an interrogation. It was an effective tactic. So long as the target had his back against a wall.
He wanted to know what happened in Sonora.
First and foremost.
Sephiroth waited a long moment before a slow, quiet laughter escaped him. He lowered his head, placing his hand over one eye as he laughed, shoulders shaking.
Did he really think that Sephiroth had to answer to him?
His laughter died and he lowered his hand as he stood, placing two-thirds empty cup on the table. ”You can keep the coffee,” he said.
Well, that didn't work out well. He didn't believe him, giving his own tale of his death. "Huh, I have to admit that's far more convincing." He chuckled. "Mine was a bioweapon called Black Rose." Of course, that was in a completely different timeline that he'd only been made aware of thanks to G'raha, but that was a story for another day. Still, it seemed he'd hit a brick wall, and yet Sephiroth was here, unarmed, and easy pickings. "But I can't let you just walk away." In short, Alex would be stupid to just let him go as he got up and walked after him. The magic in his throat remained, but he began to feel himself flow through the ground. If this was going to be a fight, he'd make sure to end it as quickly as he could. Still, he felt bad about leaving the coffee behind. It was good coffee, not as strong as he'd liked, but still.
Alexander kept pace with him. "You're wanted in Sonora. That's a fact." He remarked. In fact, there was quite a hefty bounty for anyone stupid brave and valiant enough to go after him. And well, Alex fell into that category. "You can't keep running. You can't just wipe out everyone who comes after you." Because sooner or later the bodies would pile up, the reputation would grow, the bounty would grow. Sephiroth was in a position of just making it worse! "At some point, you have to face what's going on." Granted, most people probably weren't as good as Sephiroth at fending off bounty hunters. But still, Alex felt it was in the man's best interest to actually get this overwith.
Plus, you know, he had repairs to make and mouths to feed.
His pace quickened and he found himself a few feet in front of Sephiroth, craning his head back to meet the silver haired man. "Am I to assume you have no intention of working with me? Is that your final decision?" He raised an eyebrow. Of course, the implication was again, obvious, but still. "You don't have your sword, and you're supposed to be a peerless swordmaster, so I'm pretty sure I could outpunch you easily enough." He limbered up, just a little. Just throw in that little bit of confidence. Just that minor bit to give Sephiroth an idea of how this was totally going to be going down. Totally.
Sephiroth had expected as such though he’d put the odds at maybe sixty percent. There were many types for talk who wouldn’t know how to push the issue if they weren’t attacked. Sephiroth was civil. He was unarmed. He had clearly disengaged. That left his pursuer in an awkward situation. Sephiroth would not come quietly. Nor would he rise to any bait. That left the onus of action on the other party.
A party who seemed far too invested in conversation.
”You’re wanted in Sonora. That’s a fact.” The man kept behind him, shadowing at his heels. ”You can’t keep running. You can’t just wipe out everyone who comes after you. At some point, you have to face what’s going on.”
Sephiroth kept walking. Why was this man acting like he knew him?
The stranger quick-stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Sephiroth slowed to a stop and watched him coolly. ’His final decision?’ Compared to what? Sephiroth had no intention of surrendering to a Sonoran prison.
The man was cocky in his button down shirt and suspenders. He wasn’t visibly armed, though it sounded as though he intended to punch Sephiroth into submission. He was condescending again, acting as though Sephiroth was powerless without his sword. He knew nothing of him. He knew less than nothing.
If he had truly heard Sephiroth’s ’legend’ then he would never have underestimated him.
”Tactically, do you think that’s the best choice of action?” Sephiroth kept their eyes locked, unblinking. Around them, the grounds were advantageous. The buildings were steep and easily accessed should he will himself weightless. The streets were narrow and populated. ”You have a target who has reportedly acted with no regard to casualties or collateral damage when provoked. You locate that target in the middle of a crowded civilian area. Order is your imperative.”
Sephiroth watched him for another long, cold moment then closed his eyes with a short ’hmph,’ and moved to walk around him. Whatever came next was entirely on the other man’s shoulders.
He was quick to point out what he thought was a minor contradiction there. "And yet here you are, chiding me about it. I think if you were really as heartless as everyone says you are, you'd have just hit me already. Needless to say, as long as we both agree not to fire off any explosives or anything, we're fine." He really wasn't going to work with him, was he? Yeah, the civilians were an issue, but well, as long as no one fired any massive explosion magic, and he was fairly sure that Sephiroth didn't have any, probably. He felt he had a good chance. Which is why Alexander once again moved forward, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, hope you're ready for my Fist of Justice." Alex was totally going to take him on with his fists, this was going to be a beatdown of epic proportions for Alexander. Except for the fact that, well, it wasn't.
Sephiroth was about to learn one thing about Alex; namely that he was a filthy fucking fraud and a complete cheater and was lying his ass off and should never be believed under any circumstances. For his talk about punching and being boisterous and melee and all that, Alex had no intention of punching it out with Sephiroth if he could avoid it. He'd been gathering the magic for a reason, in his throat and spreading it through the ground. And now was the time to unleash what he'd prepared as Alex opened his mouth and a sardine came flying out towards the back of Sephiroth's head. There was nothing that the sardine itself inflicted. It was magical in nature and construct, but it didn't actually do anything. It was for all intents and purposes just a regular fish. Yet despite this, Alex's Flying Sardine spell was easily one of his most effective at distracting an opponent whether it hit or miss, despite the fact that it had absolutely no offensive value whatsoever.
Because honestly, who expects their opponent to vomit a sardine of all things at mackerel speed?
In only the briefest of instances after the fish flew from his mouth did he make use of the aether he'd spread throughout the ground, giving it a simple command; rise. Namely, a small amount, narrow but long enough in a few inches in front and behind Sephiroth. It was also conveniently rising between the man's legs. The sardine was a distraction, meant to confuse Sephiroth for that briefest of moments for his actual attack to land in a place where it had no business landing. There were few in this world that could take a direct blow to that most sensitive of areas and not be utterly disoriented for a little bit, and Alex was not among those few. He had his doubts Sephiroth was, either, but that was only the second part of his three move plan.
The last, and his coup-de-grace, well, as much as he could muster, a purple spell formed in his hand before it was hurled right towards Sephiroth, hoping to use the momentary distraction and disorientation to nail the dastard right in the back of the head; drug the guy before it could go anywhere. It was a familiar spell for him, one that he relied on quite heavily; Sleep. Alex was one to end a fight like this as nonlethally as he could, and as quickly as he could. And he'd spent the past few moments setting it up to catch Sephiroth in his net. He just didn't play fair, like at all. But he was hoping it'd be enough to end something before it could even begin, with the smallest footprint possible.
[attr=class,bulk] The man was a bounty hunter -- or so he claimed. Sephiroth had difficulty believing it as he walked away, the man still talking from behind him. Mercenaries had no formal military training. They were not instructed in tactics or proper battle strategy, and yet Sephiroth thought that even mercenaries would have had better sense than this. What they lacked in discipline, they often made up for in experience.
An experienced combatant would have never disregarded his advice.
Sephiroth had meant it as a warning. It was only the thinnest veiled of threats. Yet even before Sephiroth had pushed past him, the man countered with what he thought must have been a contradiction. He’d judged Sephiroth’s character both confidently and foolishly. Sephiroth was not heartless. He had silently agreed to avoid collateral damage.
This man was an idiot -- a danger to himself and others.
There was movement behind him. Steps forward. Cracked knuckles. Sephiroth kept light on his feet. He was ready to react in a second’s notice. He waited for the sound of a swung fist, a pulled gun, or the hum of magic.
Instead, he heard the man wretch.
Sephiroth frowned and glanced over his shoulder in time to catch a silver flash of something shooting towards him. His body shifted on instinct, turning in a single, precise movement that saw that something fly past the tip of his nose with a strange, sour smell.
Time seemed to slow as it passed him midair. He met glazed, unblinking eyes. Its mouth gaped open and closed. It was a fish. He hardly had time to register the thought before it gave a sudden lurch midair and slapped him with the broadside of its fin.
It was wet.
It was warm.
A fish.
Had he just thrown…?
The earth lurched beneath him. Sephiroth recovered quickly, his eyes darting to attention as the ground rose into a sharp wall on one side and then the other. A trap. He thrust himself into the air just as another column jutted upwards where he’d been standing. He was off balance. Off guard. He raised his bracer defensively as a violet stream of magic settled over him.
He felt his eyes unfocus. It was a sleep spell.
Sephiroth landed lightly on his feet several yards away. His head spun with the force of the spell, but he willed himself upright. His concentration was impenetrable.
He had trained for this.
Seconds had passed since the start of the attack. There were four civilians on the street, slowly turning to witness the fight they hadn’t realized had broken out around them. There was a shop to either side, both single-story. Beyond that, a few stalls and an empty stable for chocobos. The four exposed bystanders were positioned behind the man, only half in range. The shops could be evacuated.
Sephiroth’s eyes went cold. ”Stand down.” He kept his bracer in front of him, inset with three materia. Restore, Fire, All. He gathered its power. The materia burned red.
The fish hit him. That much he expected; no one ever really dodged the fish the first time, because honestly, who expected it? Though the fact he was able to process it enough to avoid the nutcracker was impressive. Even more impressive was that the Sleep spell just plain didn't fucking work on him. He blinked. Once, twice, again, as it hit him. Holy shit that didn't work. That always worked, well, against more humanoid opponents. Against those who were behemoths in their own right, they usually could tolerate it. Still, it said plenty about the man standing in front of him. Who, rather than just attacking back, simply warned him again. Was it the fish? Had he been caught so off guard by it that he felt no need to go ham? Or was the attack so minuscule that he felt that simply firing back would be pointless? Alex tilted his head a little, but it was something he would take as he felt that lovely hum beneath him.
He looked behind him before large slabs of earth were raised behind him, cutting him off from the bystanders. He raised an arm as electricity crackled through it. A magic duel, he could win. He didn't need materia, he could just fire it off. "Bold of you to assume I care about civilian casualties. Especially with you. It's a major gamble you're taking." There was a moment, two moments, but he didn't act; instead lowering his arm as the thrum of magic disappeared, the wall falling behind him as well. The slab he'd raised in his attack lowered shortly after. While people were beginning to watch, it was also becoming apparent that things were beginning to die down, and Provo wouldn't have its sequel, and Torensten would reign supreme. "Buuuuut it's paying off. The only way I could have apprehended you without any fuss is a failure, and I do actually care about the others enough to stand down." He sighed, raising a hand up as the other rested on his hip. "I surrender." As much as he'd love a good fight, well, other things took priority.
No, he'd seen enough. He was in the wrong here, he could accept that, bitter though that draught was. Folding his arms behind him, he simply approached Sephiroth. Slowly, but unafraid. The man was an idiot, wasn't he?
He shrugged his shoulders, stopping an arm's length away from Sephiroth. It was at this moment that Alex realized; this man was taller than him. By an inch, he figured, but still taller. Boo. "But, I do like that you can show restraint and think of others. For all that talk, your actions tell me something different. You make yourself look guilty as hell with that clamming up of yours, though. Still, this is a bad spot, so as lucrative as it would be to drag you in for that bounty to repair my shop and feed my daughter, I can't. Nor do I want this to get too ugly. You win." On the bright side, Ryne was definitely his daughter.
Placing his hand to his chest, he bowed ever so slightly. "My name is Alexander Sorel. I run the Rising Stones, an Adventurer's Guild. You can't miss it; it's smashed to shit right now. Thanks." He'd just give the potential worldbreaker his name and where he lived. That was a good idea. As was his next idea. "And while I think I know your answer, given your first impression of yours truly, I'll offer anyway; if you're ever looking for work, I can line up a couple jobs suited for your skills. It's simple enough; someone pays me a commission to find someone for a job. You take the job or you don't. You work on your own time, so if you want to get paid, you show up and take the job, or you don't get paid."
Of course, he benefited. He'd be able to better keep an eye on Sephiroth, and well, two people Sephiroth had squabbled with were of interest to Alex. One being the homewrecker, the other probably having a juicy bounty himself. Sooner or later, they might turn up for another go at the man. Win win. There was always an ulterior motive. Well, usually. Either way, Sephiroth would likely be quite pleased to see Alex finally beginning to move past him. "Maybe treat your friends to something nice with the gil. I've got a feeling you're not that good at expressing your appreciation for them." Alex projected hard. He was bad at showing any appreciation. He could show gratitude, and he did. But actually expressing how much he valued those close to him, not so much. No, many only knew by his actions.
He called out one last time. "Oh, and thanks for the advice. Matrix Biolage Number 5, right? I'll keep an eye out." And he was gone, leaving Sephiroth to his own devices. You know, getting coffee, getting attacked, and then getting offered a job. All by the same guy. You know, just a regular day in Zephon anymore.
Even as he gathered magic for his spell, Sephiroth could tell that it was only posturing. The wall of earth behind him would shield the bystanders of some fallout which gave some weight to his stance, but his words contradicted his previous statements. ’Bold of him to assume he cared about civilian casualties?’ It might have been a gamble, but it was a calculated one, and one that he thought he could win. Assuming the man wasn’t stupid enough to think his wall would keep the people save.
Then again, he might have had his doubts.
There was a long moment between them, spent in tense silence. Sephiroth kept his stance attentive and his magic at the ready. A Fira level spell would do. That would be enough to obscure the space between them and give him cause for a second’s recoil. There were two apartment buildings behind him taller than three stories. He could clear the space in that time, and as the spread of his Fire materia reached the adjacent shops, the man would likely divert his attention. Assuming his posturing was false.
It was a gamble. A calculated one that he was willing to take.
Finally, the man lowered his hand. His magic fizzled away. It seemed he’d finally seen reason after all.
Sephiroth did not drop his guard. He had seen too many false surrenders. Unlike Angeal, he did not believe in selfless honor.
The man folded his arms behind his back, perhaps to appear vulnerable, and approached him at a confident pace. Sephiroth eyed him cautiously. There was no need to clear the distance between them to speak. It was a feint. He’d seen this before.
The man, Alexander Sorel, placed a hand to his chest and gave a slight bow. He had a lot to say. A distraction. Though he’d yet to make his move…
He offered Sephiroth work.
That was enough to crack Sephiroth’s cold expression. A little. Enough for a single raised eyebrow.
”Really.” Sephiroth lowered his hand and his readied materia, but he kept himself alert. They were close enough now that hand-to-hand would be far more effective than magic.
A job. At a location secured by a mercenary with after a bounty on his head. He wanted to laugh.
Alexander Sorel started towards him. Sephiroth tensed, ready to react. Then the man simply walked past with more words and more assumptions. Alexander Sorel, it seemed, had the feeling he couldn’t express appreciation for his friends.
And as quickly as he’d come, he was gone.
Sephiroth watched him leave, relaxing his stance only as the man disappeared from view. The street was wary now, but ultimately back to normal. There were eyes on him. Passing civilians gave him a wide berth. Despite the attention, he was, he thought, finally alone.
His lips twitched into a smirk, and he felt his laughter escape him in two short breaths. He touched his cheek and felt the slimy, sour residue of a mysteriously procured fish. Said fish lied gaping in the street, still giving a futile flop every now and then as it suffocated.
Even with all of his tactical experience, he still couldn’t process what exactly he’d just witnessed.
He’d left his shared apartment for space and an escape from Angeal’s constant worrying. He’d wanted nothing more than a quiet morning, some time with his thoughts beneath an open sky. If that was his mission then it had been an unquestionable failure. Still, the damages had been minimal. There had been no casualties. His wounds ached, but had not reopened.
Sephiroth took a long breath, cleared his thoughts, and started in the opposite direction.
