Welcome to Adventu, your final fantasy rp haven. adventu focuses on both canon and original characters from different worlds and timelines that have all been pulled to the world of zephon: a familiar final fantasy-styled land where all adventurers will fight, explore, and make new personal connections.
at adventu, we believe that colorful story and plots far outweigh the need for a battle system. rp should be about the writing, the fun, and the creativity. you will see that the only system on our site is the encouragement to create amazing adventures with other members. welcome to adventu... how will you arrive?
year 5, quarter 3
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[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] The noblewoman expressed concern at what Genesis meant by her story explaining things for him, but he didn’t really have to elaborate. Judging by her expression, she could hear the footsteps from nowhere as well as he could. “Wonderful. I love a few ghosts with every party,” he said dryly, examining the shrubbery as she introduced herself in return. Lady Hildagarde was a mouthful, but he refrained for now from asking what exactly she was a ‘lady’ of. He was certainly no ‘sir’ himself, but whatever title she wanted to bestow upon him didn’t matter.
However pretentious she might have been, Lady Hildagarde certainly had guts as she strolled forward into the maze without any hesitation at all. She even made a subtle jab about protecting him, which rather than offending him, made Genesis laugh under his breath as he took his spot behind her. Well, at least she was wittier than anyone else he’d met inside too. That was the only thing that might make this mission bearable. He hadn’t counted on having to do the Maxillar family a favor, but whatever helped him finish this job faster was fine with him.
Sephiroth better pay the rent next month, because Genesis needed a break after this.
Lady Hildagarde pointed out that his description of this trek as a suicide mission was a bit too on the nose because a man had killed himself here. That just made it more perfect in Genesis’ opinion, but he didn’t really have time to say so as they rounded the corner and were confronted with some blood-stained cloth and gardener's tools. The combination did not exactly tell a pretty story, but Loveless did.
“My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I? All that awaits you is a somber morrow No matter where the winds may blow.”
The maze did indeed seem to abhor their presence as it began to show its true colors. The distant sounds of a party began to creep up from the direct center of the maze, and Genesis would have bet some gil that their goal had something to do with that ghost celebration. The hedges themselves seemed determined to keep them away from it though as a thick fog settled across the path in front of them. Even the soft glow of his eyes did little to cut through the mist as the paths seemed to shimmer until it was difficult to tell them apart. Lady Hildagarde at least seemed confident that they should go to the left, but honestly, Genesis was far more concerned with what was happening behind him.
The path that they had entered through seemed to have closed, and as the brambles began to coil their way around his legs, he decided that he was having none of it. “Nope, nope! I hate this already.” He stomped on one or two of the branches that were grabbing for him as he pulled out the Barrier materia from his stash. “Wall,” he muttered to cast a quick protective spell around himself, and the barrier ended up being his salvation as a few of the topiaries grabbed him and seemingly tried to pull him into the hedge wall. Genesis wrestled against them while grabbing for a sword that wasn’t there, but due to the protective wall that he’d cast, he ended up stuck dangling upside down on the outside of the hedge as he glared daggers at the woman ahead of him.
“Why haven’t they condemned this place? Ugh. I’m about to burn it to the ground if you don’t cut me down.”
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] Zack looked equally surprised to see him, which meant that their encounter was an accident. Really, what were the odds? Out of the millions of people on Zephon, he just had to run into Angeal’s protege? It felt like the machinations of a god much crueler than he’d ever thought the goddess to be. Which is maybe what prompted him into another poetic mood.
“When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end The goddess descends from the sky Wings of light and dark spread afar She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting.”
Despite the optimistic ending, he used it more as a lamentation than anything, since clearly they were the beasts. Genesis half expected that they would fight right here honestly, especially when Zack’s hand briefly twitched towards the hilt of the buster sword. Genesis wasn’t opposed to a rematch—he’d welcome the chance to prove that Zack’s victory had been a fluke even if the boy had gotten pretty skilled—but some part of him was still glad when the dark-haired man stayed his hand. It meant that maybe he felt as uncertain of where they stood as Genesis did. Were they still enemies? Were they friends? Neither of those felt particularly correct.
Zack awkwardly expressed that it was good to see him, and Genesis could barely contain a snort at that. “You don’t have to lie. Save us both the trouble.” It wasn’t too surprising though. The newer First-class SOLDIER had always been too nice for his own good. In his quest to be a hero, he’d taken up the mantle of all three of them even though he’d been an outsider to their friendship and didn’t particularly owe them anything. It was always incredibly uncomfortable to deal with someone who didn’t have a selfish bone in their body.
“Who am I kidding, you might even mean that,” Genesis muttered, rubbing his own forehead as he contemplated what to do with this. Maybe he should get his bearings first. “...How long have you been here, Zack? Tell me you haven't found anyone else yet.” He was going to absolutely murder Sephiroth and Angeal if they had just been sitting on this.
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] Genesis wasn’t sure how Angeal would take his admission of guilt. It hadn’t been a strict apology—he hadn’t said the words at any rate, but it was as close to one as Genesis was likely to come. And from the way his shoulders slumped forward, Angeal understood that more than most people would have. His friend had always read him too well. Genesis had used to think he could read Angeal reasonably well too, but he wasn’t so sure anymore.
Loveless was far easier to interpret than either of his friends, as it turned out.
Angeal broached that maybe the three of them had only been monsters because they’d chosen to be, and Genesis grimaced a bit in response. A part of him still wanted to protest that Shinra had made them monsters, but it was hard to argue the logic of what he said anymore. He could have gone against Shinra without making so many copies or alienating the other two. Genesis knew that on some level, even if he didn’t like it. So instead of protesting, he shared one of his favorite lines from Loveless as he crossed his arms in front of him.
”My soul, corrupted by vengeance Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey In my own salvation And your eternal slumber.”
Angeal grabbed the rag so he could continue cleaning some of the dried blood off of Sephiroth, and that felt less threatening somehow even though he was still yelling at Angeal’s back. But it was his friend thanking him that left Genesis at a real loss for words. A part of him wanted to do something incredibly irrational like flip a desk over. Something that would put them back in their usual dynamic but instead he opened his mouth. “You’re welcome.” It wasn’t a sentence he normally said, so he wrinkled his nose afterward as he grabbed for his Restore materia again. “Now stop that. I hate being mature.”
His childhood friend had one more thing to share though—and Genesis couldn’t do anything but stare at him as he spoke of second chances and how he’d like to use his. That simple sentiment cut deeper than Genesis cared to admit, and he turned his face away slightly to hide his pesky mako eyes that were suddenly all watery. He must have developed allergies while on Zephon.
“Don’t be stupid,” he said brusquely, laying the materia back on Sephiroth’s chest so he could continue working on their injured friend. Sephiroth seemed to have turned a corner during their shouting match, because his coloring was much better than it had been. Trust Sephiroth to come back from the dead just to stop them from fighting.
Glancing at Angeal out of the corner of his eye, Genesis’ lips quirked upwards into something like a smile. “You’ve always been hard to stand. It’s not like that’s new. But somehow we’ve made it work.”
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] Genesis had taken to walking the perimeter of the hedge maze in an attempt to ascertain if he was imagining things. He wasn’t one to believe in dark auras or things of the sort, but he didn’t like the look of the abandoned maze, and he didn’t like the sounds he’d heard from it either. Despite his quiet footsteps though, he heard nothing else until he stood directly in the mouth of the entrance. Dark shrubbery surrounded him on either side, and even though the sun hadn’t fully set, it appeared pitch dark around the first bend in the maze’s path. Then came yet another crack as if someone had stepped on a tree branch.
Either someone was playing a game with him, or he needed about three more glasses of champagne before he came back to this garden.
A gentle humming coming from the direction of the house distracted Genesis, and he glanced back as a blonde woman descended the steps to come join him in the garden. It was the first time since he’d been out here that someone else had ventured down, which struck him as odd as she approached. The woman exuded confidence in her impeccable hair and makeup, and she carried herself with an air that suggested she belonged here a lot more than he did.
She greeted him politely, before expressing that she was there to investigate the hedge maze for the Maxillar family and that strange rumors were floating around about it. “That explains quite a bit,” Genesis said a bit dryly as he considered the dark entrance again. He wasn’t one to do favors for a stranger—particularly when he’d left his sword at home—but the possibility of being in the family’s debt appealed to him. Besides, he still had his materia if anything went wrong. The walls of the maze weren’t wide enough for him to stretch out his wing and escape if he entered it, but he wasn’t past burning a place down to get out when he had to.
A certain other manor on the outskirts of Provo was proof enough of that.
“I make my own fortune,” he said to brush aside the rumors that she spoke of. “Fate can’t usually be counted upon to be anything but cruel.” Glancing down at her, his lips twitched slightly upward as he introduced himself. “I’m Genesis, by the way. And perhaps I will join you on your suicide mission. Though I hope you have a sword or something hidden under that fetching dress.”
Or Materia, though people from other worlds seemed to come equipped with endemic magic. It wasn’t fair if you asked him. If he had to rely on magic from special rocks, then everyone else should have to as well.
Genesis inspected the entrance of the hedge maze again, the moment inspiring a line of Loveless to his lips. “Ripples form on the water’s surface, the wandering soul knows no rest.” Giving the woman his best impression of a charming smile, he gave a deep bow with one arm outstretched towards the maze. “Ladies first.”
Genesis had never claimed to have the most honor.
[attr=class,ooc-notes]
[attr=class,tagline]@ladyhilda
I love Scarborough Fair! Glad you incorporated it.
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] Genesis needed a break from Torensten. He had for a while, but the recent addition of Angeal into his and Sephiroth’s apartment made the entire place suffocating. It had been taxing enough dealing with an amnesiac Sephiroth, but it was almost worse that Angeal did remember everything. What was he supposed to say to Angeal now when he had chosen death over becoming a monster like him? His feelings towards his oldest friend were complicated and painful, neither of which were things that Genesis handled particularly well.
So he left. Ran away really, but he’d deny that vehemently if asked.
Genesis had visited the Crystallus Divider twice before, and while he didn’t regard it with the religious fervor that the local population did, it had always reminded him of his brief encounter with the goddess in the lifestream. He didn’t like remembering the circumstances around his defeat of course—it stung his pride that Zack had won and it reminded him of just how low he’d fallen—but he wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. It had turned his life around, and it never hurt to remember that. Not to mention that he thought he could use the poetic inspiration of the Divider right about now.
That all led to Genesis soaring over the Fractured Plains on his one black wing with the setting sun in the distance. It was always quicker to travel by air, even if he didn’t appreciate the startled looks from travelers on the path below. Typically he’d avoid the well-travelled roads, but there weren’t a lot of choices on the wide stretch of grassland. Still, he did his best to veer off towards a lake in the distance where there were less people about. It would take him longer to get to the Divider, but he appreciated the greater solitude. In fact, this far into the planes, there only seemed to be one dark-haired man below him with spiky hair and a large sword-
Oh. Oh. Had Angeal followed him?
Scowling, Genesis dove towards the ground, flapping out with his wing as he landed softly in the grass behind the man. “My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess.” Genesis was fuming when he turned towards the man, but he paused as he noticed some subtle differences between him and Angeal that he hadn’t been able to spot from the air. He wasn’t as bulky as Angeal, and while his hair was styled similarly, it wasn’t really the same. Not to mention the cross-shaped scar on his cheek wasn’t something that Angeal had-
Realization struck Genesis, and he recoiled backwards in shock from the man standing across the grassland from him. “...Zack?”
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] Truthfully this wasn’t the sort of party that Genesis enjoyed in the slightest. He could get behind a bit of elegance, but these were the sort of wealthy people that screamed of upper-level Shinra executives. He didn’t exactly fit in with that, though in an attempt to blend into the crowd, he’d at least switched out his usual leather coat for a red suit jacket and a tie. Somehow he didn’t think they’d have let him inside if he was under-dressed--not that he’d come in through the front gate of course after flying in on his single black wing, but the principle was the same.
Genesis wouldn’t have come at all if it weren’t for his benefactors back in Torensten. He’d had a tenuous relationship with the group calling themselves the “Children of Bahamut '' ever since they had tried to recruit both him and Mateus in the winding tunnels of the Torensten underground. Neither of them seemed to really fancy the cult’s ideals--for Genesis’ part, he had no idea why they considered Bahamut a god when any schmuck who stumbled on the materia could summon him--but there was no denying that the group had influence among Zephon’s nobility. They also paid handsomely for carrying out requests that furthered their goals, and since Genesis wasn’t exactly getting a weekly check from the SOLDIER program anymore, he didn’t mind doing occasional jobs for them. It wasn’t as if Sephiroth was doing anything to help pay their rent after all.
Stupid Sephiroth with his depression and his stab wound was the reason that Genesis had accepted the group’s latest request for him. Supposedly the Maxilars held a family heirloom with ties to the gods, and an open house party was easily the best time to infiltrate and investigate. What the object would be used for wasn’t exactly Genesis’ concern, and it might not be the group’s concern either if he couldn’t even find the damn thing. After a cursory tour of the manor, he was having a hard time locating anything that looked even remotely useful. Genesis had even resorted to descending the stairs to the wine cellar, though that had resulted in an awkward encounter with a maid on the way back up. She had insisted on walking him back to the party if he was really that lost, which had resulted in Genesis giving up for the time being. Snatching a glass of champagne off a waiter’s platter, the ex-SOLDIER had excused himself to the back garden with his drink as soon as possible.
Truthfully, Genesis wasn’t positive that he was supposed to be out here either. Compared to the courtyard gardens, this one was deserted except for him, the colorful flower beds, and a few fountains and benches near the center. Well, that wasn’t quite right. There was also the entrance to a towering hedge maze, but Genesis gave it only a cursory glance before he considered the angle of the setting sun through his champagne.
“Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess We seek it thus, and take to the sky Ripples form on the water's surface The wandering soul knows no-”
There was a crack of a twig from within the hedge maze. Genesis considered it carefully, but no giggling couples emerged, and there was no sign of any further movement. In fact, the garden was so still that there didn’t seem to be any wind blowing or any birds about. He couldn’t hear anything at all apart from his own breathing.
Turning back to consider the mansion, Genesis had his eyes drawn up towards the second floor where a lamp was lit and two women were near one of the windows. The girl closest to the window looked pale and sickly, and if his enhanced mako eyes weren’t wrong, then her attention seemed to be focused on the hedge maze too.
Well. Perhaps this party wouldn’t be so boring, after all.
[attr=class,ooc-notes]
[attr=class,tagline]@ladyhilda
It's mostly still set-up - I assumed they'd meet in the garden eventually!
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] Genesis wasn’t nearly drunk enough to deal with Angeal being alive and taking up space in his actual apartment with his awkward, honorable self. Not nearly drunk enough at all. But he could fix that.
As soon as Sephiroth was relatively stable, Genesis ran for the hills. He did at least leave his Restore materia behind in case Angeal needed to fumble with it tonight to give their friend some extra healing, but he didn’t think it would be necessary. Sephiroth was tough. Inhumanly tough, as if anything less could be expected from Shinra’s perfect monster. Still, Angeal would probably fuss over him for days. For as intimidating as the bulky man looked if you didn’t know him, he was an insufferable mother-hen sometimes. Or had been. Whether or not he had changed, Genesis didn’t think his emotions could handle watching that.
So he ran. Or flew, more accurately. There was a local wine bar that he’d been intending to visit ever since it had been prominently featured in Torensten’s festival. The Poet’s Pen. Even the name called to him, and he could only hope that a night of poetry, books, and other debauchery could help him forget what awaited at home.
The establishment likely wasn’t a huge fan of its patrons coming in from the roof, but in Genesis’ experience, walking the street with a wing out tended to cause excitement. So instead, he landed lightly on the rooftop, tucked his wing away beneath his red leather coat, and entered through the rooftop door. This seemed to put him in a staff-only stairwell, but he descended quickly and confidently, ignoring a few questioning ‘Sir’s?’ from the actual employees until he’d managed to find his way towards the bar.
It was everything that Genesis had wanted. The bookstore half of the establishment seemed a bit sparse at this hour, but there were still quite a few night owls drifting around exploring the rows of shelves. Others had already selected their volumes and were reading on cushioned chairs, steaming mugs of coffee on the table in front of them. But the lower floor of the Poet’s Pen was where the real action was at this hour. A busy bar stretched along the back of the room while various crowded booths and tables faced a small stage at the front. A girl in a turtleneck was currently the only occupant on the stage, reading from an open spiral-bound notebook clutched in her hands. Her poetry actually wouldn’t have been half-bad if she hadn’t seemed so horrendously nervous.
Genesis managed to edge his way into an open seat at the bar, glancing at the bartender morosely once he was approached. “A bottle of your driest red, please. And if you could secretly make it even dryer, that would be great.” The man didn’t seem to know what to make of that, and Genesis rolled his eyes when he was presented with a bottle of pinot noir. “It will do.”
The bartender uncorked it for him and poured him a glass of the wine first--Genesis assumed it was required, but it was the bottle that he drank from instead after he’d paid and looked back at the stage. A boy had taken over reading poetry onstage, and while it wasn’t bad either, the theme made Genesis purse his lips. Of course it always came down to love with humans, didn’t it? Love lost. Love gained. Love you’d never managed to grasp at all. Genesis had barely had three sips of wine and yet he was already so irritated by it all that he rose to his feet, the bottle clasped in one hand and the full glass in the other.
He wasn’t entirely sure what his plan was as he marched towards the stage until the steps leading up to it were at his feet and a man was tugging at his elbow. “Sir, you need to sign up beforehand if you want to do a reading-”
Genesis cut him off by shoving the full glass of wine into his hands and leaping gracefully up the stairs with the bottle. The boy from before was packing up his things, but he went a little faster when he noticed Genesis glaring at him. Good. Maybe he had some sense after all.
The microphone in the center of the stage was a pitiful magically-created thing that failed to rival anything from Midgar or Sonora. Still, Genesis gripped it one-handedly as he set the wine bottle down by his feet. He had a feeling he’d need it. Most of the people at the tables didn’t seem to really notice that this was unscheduled, but a few of the more avid fans were glancing at the playbills in front of them and looking a bit confused. Let them. This wouldn’t take long.
“Loveless. Act IV.” He glanced a bit languidly at a spot above the lights before continuing. “My friend, the fates are cruel There are no dreams, no honor remains The arrow has left the bow of the goddess
My soul, corrupted by vengeance Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey In my own salvation And your eternal slumber
Legend shall speak Of sacrifice at world's end The wind sails over the water's surface Quietly, but surely.” It was all that he’d meant to say. The man just offstage was angrily gesturing for him to get down, but his hand tightened on the microphone instead as his own unofficial ending to Loveless rose to his lips. He’d only finalized it after Zack had left him to drift off on the cliffs of Banora.
“Even if the morrow is barren of promises Nothing shall forestall my return To become the dew that quenches the land To spare the sands, the seas, the skies I offer thee this silent sacrifice.”
Genesis dropped the microphone. There were stares from the audience and a scattering of applause from people who hadn’t noticed that anything was wrong. For his part, Genesis made sure to retrieve his wine bottle as he leapt off the front of the stage and landed lithely below. He pressed the wine up to his lips as he made his way through the tables to the back of the room again. It was sweeter than he remembered.
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] The green-haired boy gave a startled squeak when Genesis roughly addressed him, and the sound was immediately echoed by the possum down at his feet. Genesis squinted at the creature, not fully trusting that it wasn’t infested with rabies, but then he wouldn’t put it past the kid to have some form of disease either. They both looked equally likely to bite him.
"Get rested? B-but Gau... Gau jus' woke up! Why go back to sleep?"
Genesis stared at the feral child in front of him, deciding that he had made a horrific mistake even before he started being pelted with questions that he had absolutely no room to answer. The possum didn’t seem to like him either as it bared its teeth at him. If it actually tried to bite him, then so help him, Genesis was going to kick the animal down the street, but the boy picked it up and told the marsupial off before it came to that.
The possum’s name was apparently Pebble. Pebble. This was shaping up to be the longest of days.
“My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains,” he bemoaned to himself before looking over the pair critically again. “Genesis,” he offered by way of introduction. “And I’m going to assume you’re Gau. Didn’t anyone ever teach you to speak in the first person?” It was a bit of a rhetorical question since clearly the answer was no but he had to at least complain about it.
Gau was currently wrestling with Pebble to stop Genesis from being bitten, and the red-haired man strongly considered just walking away. Instead, he sighed deeply through his nose before offering the most reluctant help he’d ever given. “...Are you hungry? Assuming I don’t need to chuck you and your possum in a bath before a cafe agrees to take us.” He might before the day was out anyway.
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] Had Genesis left his apartment purely to escape Angeal and Sephiroth? He would have denied it if anyone had suggested it. He wasn’t afraid of anything and certainly not of staring at Angeal’s face and wondering what to say to him. It wasn’t awkward to meet a friend who’d been dead for four years. Of course not.
Maybe if Genesis repeated that enough then he’d almost start to believe it.
The problem was that he didn’t particularly have anywhere to be this early in the morning. Sure, there were plenty of cafes and bookstores along the strip near where they lived. Genesis had sat outside one with an open book plenty of times before. Unfortunately he didn’t think even Loveless was enough to distract him today, which was a dire fate. Maybe if the bars had been open, he could have drunk away his sorrows with a bottle of red wine, but it was still too early for that.
Genesis was at a loss, to say the least.
He wasn’t entirely sure how long he had been dejectedly wandering the sidewalk when he noticed the muttering. There were people in front of him crossing the street to avoid something, and others seemed to be averting their gazes. Genesis knew the looks. Society never did like things that made them uncomfortable. Someone homeless or injured was Genesis’ guess. Those people were the most invisible of all in the middle of a crowded street.
Glancing ahead of him to check out the spectacle, Genesis raised his eyebrows as he took in the strange kid’s appearance. His green hair was the most normal thing about him. He seemed to be covered in dirt and trash, his clothing was in tatters, and the way he walked was almost feral. Not to mention that the animal trotting along at his heels seemed to be a trained possum. Was that even a thing? Apparently it was a thing.
Genesis immediately turned his back. “No. Absolutely not. Not my problem,” he stated firmly as he started to walk in the opposite direction. Only to slow to a stop as he noticed a scandalized-looking woman talking to a man in a uniform. It was difficult to make out from this distance, but he thought he noticed a sigil on the back of the man’s clothes identifying him as a Torensten city guard.
“Oh, for the love of the goddess!” Genesis touched his forehead for a moment, cursing to himself with Loveless. “All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow.” Whirling around, Genesis marched back towards the kid, shoving aside a few startled people as he went in order to catch up with the green-haired boy.
“You. Smelly kid. Are you trying to get arrested?”
[attr=class,lyric1]infinite in mystery is the gift of
[attr=class,lyric2]the goddess
[attr=class,bulk] It wasn’t the first time by far that Genesis had yelled at Angeal, but he could count on one hand the amount of times that his friend had yelled back. It looked like he had cracked Angeal’s composure today though as the man stepped towards him angrily. Genesis was startled enough to just blink at him in astonishment as Angeal shouted out how he felt. He didn’t often descend to Genesis’ own level, but it looked like he wasn’t going to linger there long at any rate. He finished by turning his back on Genesis, his fists clenched and his back tense.
There was a beat of silence, but Genesis wasn’t going to let it stay. He’d never been any good at keeping quiet.
“Fine! Then we’re all villains here, aren’t we? When the war of the beasts brings about the world’s end, the goddess descends from the sky.” The Loveless quote was spat a lot less eloquently than he would have prefered, but he didn’t have the time to perform it how it deserved. He had a point to make, damn it.
“I don’t even know how to begin to unpack what happened. Of course I was furious! You think it didn’t hurt that you’d rather die than be like me? Especially when I was doing everything that I could to stay alive.” Genesis tried to keep his voice from cracking, but yelling about it brought back all the years that he’d spent just biding his time in the Banora underground while his body degraded. He’d had too much time to just think about Angeal’s final choice then.
“I spent four years blaming you for it until Zack bested me and my fight was over.” He hadn’t even admitted to Sephiroth yet that Zack had managed to cut him down, but maybe it helped that Angeal wasn’t infuriatingly infallible in battle like Sephiroth seemed to be sometimes. Before today at least. “He made me think about everything. About the three of us. What you did wasn’t right, but...you were in pain.” Genesis felt his voice get quieter, and he suddenly had a hard time even looking at Angeal from behind.
“...And I couldn’t see it. My whole life I’ve been...focused on myself.” That hadn’t changed. Not really. But if there was anyone to admit his sins to, then Angeal’s back seemed like a good place to start. “You aren’t the only one who lost your honor as a SOLDIER. We’re all monsters here.”
