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year 5, quarter 3
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Alex stood there, arms crossed, as he let Caius talk. And talk he did. Fortunately, or not, perhaps, Alex would have a reaction to Caius's offer, but it wouldn't be horror. Caius immediately volunteering was somewhat expected. That was just one shoe, Alex just said nothing, waiting for the other shoe to fall, and fall it did. The why he couldn't. How it was impossible. No point in trying. There it was, the other side of that coin, the kind that would make Caius back off. And back off he did. "Hero-ing has its risks." He said simply, taking some small satisfaction in that, for that brief moment, the mask slipped, and Caius showed just how perfectly willing he was to drop it when it came to risking himself. Which Caius immediately tried to change the subject back by going on about Yuna again, to which Alex responded. "And I thought you were going to get Cassandra to do it." Of course, Alex had a feeling that even Caius was realizing that Cassandra probably wouldn't help, considering she'd ran off to get away from this sort of thing to begin with.
"Anyway, there may be tweaks here and there, but the world you described is the Thirteenth Shard down to a tee. A world in which the Forces of Light were so utterly crushed by Igeyorhm that darkness swallowed the world. A world of neverending night in which daemons run rampant and every day existence is a hellish nightmare of kill or be killed thanks to Ardyn ruining everything. Do I got that right?" He'd never forget the day he saw Igeyorhm with her hood down. It was like staring at a blue haired Lightning. The sight of it had been enough to make him pause for a moment in sheer confusion, which gave her all the time she needed to fuse with Lahabrea, and his day had gotten that much worse for it. He wondered how Lightning was doing for a moment, before dismissing it. She was probably fine. "Your king's power, and Noctis's power by extension, is light magic. His magic'll work, it'll just kill whoever this person is." Alex took a moment to look at his gloved hand, as if he were inspecting his nails.
He probably did need to file his nails down a bit, now that he thought about it. And yeah, he had been demeaning the whole time, so may as well add on "Anyway, you're welcome, you sanctimonious, fuckfaced viper." This felt good. It felt real good. And a part of him hated that it did. He was sure when he came down from the rage high later, he'd regret it. But for now? To hell with it. He was already screwed. Things couldn't get any worse than they already were for him tonight, why the hell not? Burn it all down on the way out. Prompto at least was a good enough guy that Alex would usually feel bad, but Caius? Nah. Caius was putting on the whole being above this act. He probably wouldn't even respond to that. If he wanted to act like some tough badass, let him. Probably make some stupid comment about how he was so graciously being a martyr for Noctis and Prompto or something like that, taking the verbal hits for them.
But he had noticed how Caius looked at him, and Alex shook his head with a snort. "But no, I'm not at risk, if you're thinking of asking me. I could absorb it from this person with little to no issue." In truth, it'd probably be good for him. His aetheric scale had always been tilted more towards light than dark, thanks to the Blessing of Light. Absorbing this Starscourge would likely just bring him closer to equilibrium more than anything, and then his Red Magic would grow stronger for it. But he didn't need to tell Caius that. "I just don't intend to step in for someone I don't know. I've done that plenty, and ever since I got here especially, it's brought me nothing but grief." He didn't expect constant worship or adulation, but goddamn, a little slack would have been nice. "My hero-ing days are done. It's cost far too much, and ultimately I have nothing to show for it. It'll be the same for you when you become me." Not the home he fought so hard to protect, or the loved ones he bled to save. One could argue that them being safe should have been reward enough. Maybe so. "Unless it's a threat to the world or I know the person, don't call me." But it was a cold comfort when you yourself were denied the fruits of your labor. When you couldn't see any of the future you'd fought so hard to procure.
Multiple personalities. No fucking shit. Alex looked away at that. "... It's called a coping mechanism, dipshit." It was much easier when you could just be the Warrior of Light, and things didn't have to reflect off Alex. But Alex was a disaster. He was realizing that people didn't like Alex. There was a reason they flocked to the Warrior of Light, but not to Alex. "This world's the first time in a decade I've been able to be Alex." Gods everything Caius was saying was just pissing him off...! Oh he never wanted it. Oh, he just does it because it's right. That's Caius, is it? The picture perfect hero right out of a fucking storybook?! What a load of garbage. Alex could only snarl at Caius for that. "I'm you in ten years, so you best get used to the pressure of their expectations. Fast." So humble, so selfless, so noble, so pure hearted, what a fucking joke. Alex knew people like Caius didn't actually exist.
So when Caius apologized for drawing on him, instead of accepting his apology like Alex likely would have normally done, he just shook his head. "So go fuck yourself."
Even at his best, Alex only did what he did because he simply liked his world, flaws and all, and didn't want it to end. He had people he cared about, and didn't want them hurt. Nothing more. So the idea that Caius was this noble, flawless, righteous hero of light and justice just pissed him off to no end. Especially when he somehow found himself surrounded by everyone else. He'd admit it, deep in his heart, that he envied that Caius seemed to have everyone around him who loved him while in the end, Alex was entirely alone. He'd rather choke on his blood than say it, though. What bothered Alex was that he wasn't even always this much of a disaster with people, and he couldn't figure out what changed. 'Ten years of intense trauma?' The thought crept in without warning and was cast aside just as quickly. He quickly dismissed that. The entire purpose of compartmentalizing everything into Alex and the Warrior of Light was so he didn't have to deal with that. The idea it could be the trauma was just stupid and he dismissed it out of hand.
Regardless, he wouldn't compare traumatic experiences with Caius. That was a red line even for him. Let the dead have their peace, not have them be used as some ridiculous measuring stick. Instead, he'd give a long exhale, to try and gain some measure of grounding. "I'm sure." He waved a hand dismissively. "You're the perfect hero with no flaws or vices. Blah blah blah." He was honestly surprising himself by just how much that sanctimonious crap coming from Caius was figuratively lighting him on fire. If Caius was seriously going to try and pass himself off as that kind of person, well, Alex could go ahead and put that to the test, and then simply put it to rest.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Demon plague. He had mentioned a demon plague, and Alex was so happy to hear that. This was something he was familiar with. This was something he could handle. A Long Night of daemons and darkness was so much easier than having to deal with Prompto. "You can't escape this sun blocking blight because it's a universal phenomenon. A Flood of Darkness." He remarked, as his golden eyes stared straight at Caius. "The Daemons are a result of a person's aetheric balance being shifted so heavily to darkness the scale breaks and they transform. You need stasis. Light aether. No, holy doesn't count. We've tried." In short, he knew exactly how to save this person Caius was worrying over. Of course, Alex was an ill fit for it. When it came to absorbing rogue Light aether, he was second to none, but this? Emet-Selch would be better. And he wasn't here, thank the Twelve. Granted, Alex could probably take it in himself to save this person and be relatively unscathed for this one time.
But he wasn't doing that for someone whose name he didn't even know. Let this stranger transform; Caius could put them down.
Alex crossed his arms as his lips curled upwards into a grin. "Well, that's the 'safe' way, quote-unquote. Nothing actually stops you from just taking it into yourself and saving this person, oh mighty hero. You could have fixed this at literally any time yourself." Yeah, why hadn't selfless Caius done it? Hmmmm? He prattled about being the hero for the sake of being the hero, here was his chance to back it up. "But of course, now the risk is on you and your soul. But, that's a small price to pay to save some hapless civilian, right? I did it with a Flood of Light, which is worse than a Flood of Darkness, you know. And if the dastardly Alexander Sorel could do it, how hard could it be for Brave Sir Caius, Warrior of Light?" The answer was obvious; Caius was just some sanctimonious asshole who would back down when push came to shove, Alex was sure of it.
The Yuna thing could wait. It really could. He'd deal with it later, with or without Caius. His teeth grit, as pure, icy rage filled him. No. Breathe. In. Out. Concentrate on your body. Heart. Lungs. Liver. Nerves. This was Caius Dragelion, was it? This was who he was? All Alex cared about was getting what he wanted, without giving a damn who he hurt along the way? Time and again, he'd seen everything reduced to Alex Bad, Caius Good, and frankly. He was sick of it. "... You're disgusting." What a horrid, atrocious human being. He looked at Caius's chest. Honestly, if a fight were to break out, then as he currently was... no. Even like this, Caius didn't deserve death, and he wasn't exactly pleased with himself that that was his first thought. Right. If Caius was worried about Alex not talking, he was about to get his ear ripped off. Figuratively, not literally.
Alex glared sharply at Caius. "I 'lured' you out here because you've got a head on me in size and you were threatening me with a knife, while I, a Mage, have nothing but my skivvies in that bath house. Literally anyone, anyone, would have done exactly as I did, and all you say is 'well you don't know your swordplay.' Yeah, that flimsy fucking justification just makes it okay. It's not like Ninja, professional assassins, use it that way or anything. Do you know why I'm still incorporeal? Because you keep fucking threatening me." It was called basic survival instinct. Maybe Caius should pose the same question to Celes, see what answer he got. Knowing him, he'd probably find some way to justify that this scenario is different. Caius gave Alex the impression that he believed that only guilty people called for their lawyers when they were arrested.
Taking a finger, he pointed in what... what he thought was the direction of the bar, anyway. "And then, and then you keep bringing up the bar. You don't give a flying fuck about Prompto, do you? You're just using him as a tool to justify how I'm such a bad guy and deserve anything you do. Nevermind that he screamed at me in front of everyone first and went for his fucking guns while I yelled at him. But because I'm the bad guy, I had it coming, and let me guess, I would've deserved to be shot, right? It's not like it's possible that both Prompto and I fucked up, right? Alex bad, right?" Now, did that justify his reaction? Absolutely not, and Alex acknowledged, even vocally, that his fuck up was the greater of the two. Especially as the older of the two. It had been his responsibility to defuse instead of aggravate. And he failed. He'd admit that he humiliated Prompto when it was completely unnecessary. It filled him with guilt, regret, and shame. Of course, that didn't matter at all to Caius, Alex wagered.
Alex Bad. Alex deserves whatever he gets, after all.
Before his finger pointed at Caius, as he took a step forward, fighting to keep things from exploding from last time. He would learn. If he were to ever be better, he would have to learn, and it took so much willpower to keep from screaming, and he hated it. He'd already fucked that up when he found out about Cloud. He needed to learn."And worst of all, you only admit to a flaw in the most weaselly, backhanded way. You're a blood knight who lives for battle, you actually admitted as much, especially since you keep threatening me and itching for a fight, and here you are trying to spin it as this noble, heroic, tragic thing. When you first threatened me, I had not done anything to indicate I was going to actually hurt Yuna, and you immediately jumped to threatening me. And then you justified everything after by bringing up Seventh Heaven again as your way of saying 'well you deserve it anyway.'" Don't get him wrong. Alex loved a good fight, too, the way his blood would sing the moment he found someone that could actually fight against him, force him to go all out.
But he didn't say one thing and do another regarding it. He didn't press for one as hard as he could while saying he didn't want it. He didn't imply that it'd be okay to go through with it because the other guy had done something bad.
Alex got in Caius's face, his neck craning up slightly, as he held his hands in front of him, fingers curling inward. He remained incorporeal, at this point he was still expecting violence. Why wouldn't he? Caius kept threatening it. "You are so godsdamned desperate to be seen as the hero, with being right, with being the good guy, that you will rewrite reality itself to be that way. I'm the best part of your night, aren't I? Because now you've got a villain to latch on to so you can preen and present yourself as this valiant and heroic noble soul. You say you don't want to fight, but you keep threatening me. You say I have no compassion and see others as inferior, but all you've done with Prompto is use him as a bludgeon to strut about how much better you are than I am. You say things aren't so simple with Yuna and Shiva, all the while reducing my entire situation to 'well you're the bad guy therefore you deserve it.' You admit to a singular flaw, only to turn around and spin it as 'this is a good thing, actually.'" He bit back a snarl. He was trying not to snarl. It still slipped through, though.
Alex let Caius say his piece, and then shook his head with a scowl. "You're an idiot." He said simply. He looked at the knife. A quick thunder spell should do if it came to it. But well, he wasn't the one itching for a fight. He was merely preparing to defend himself, with as much of an advantage as he could muster to keep the damage from getting out of control. "Only you have brandished weaponry. Only you have threatened my life. I see others as inferior as much as you live for nothing but battle and blood." He'd let the man in front of him work through that remark on his own. No doubt he'd take it as some harebrained confession if the way he'd been acting had been any indication. So be it. "But as you can't trust my judgment, I refuse to trust yours. I will only be satisfied when I've seen it myself." He dismissed the assurances that there was nothing wrong. No, for this, he would not be satisfied until he could verify such a thing himself. If he had ever done otherwise, then Alexander, the Primal that is, would've bled his world dry ages ago.
Still, Caius refused to budge, and fair, he could understand the why at least. Alex crossed his arms. "But fine. Drown in your ideals, then. May whatever happens be upon your head." If the entirety of the Dragonblades were to be tempered, then he would simply wipe them out as he had told Celes he could. Whatever problems this Adagium caused, Alex would just consider it to be Caius's fault. He exhaled through his nose, nonetheless. "Your best option is Cassandra." A fool's suggestion, but one nonetheless. Logically, it made perfect sense. "If you need an escort, send her. She's immune, just as I am." The problem was if he had to guess, Cassandra had joined up with them partially to get away from all the drama that came with being around Alex. If she knew that the Dragonblades heartily leapt into much of the same, "But if I know her, she won't come." She'd simply take the dog and run for the hills.
He sighed again. There wasn't even a guarantee Yuna would be killed. This could all be an Egi and thus completely unnecessary. And here Caius was trying to get into a fight. That they could just handle this without a care in the world. At times it was like looking at himself years in the past, and he despised it. Too much damage had been done from him treating it all like some grand adventure. That was all he had wanted. An adventure for the ages. Here was Caius, doing the same. He supposed there was no point. Sooner or later, Caius would get pushed in. Hremit would die and the Dragonblades would get framed, or he'd watch Celes die in his arms, or he'd give someone another chance only for it to bite him in the ass. It'd be something. Again and again and again. So, Alex simply pointed at Caius. "Your next line is 'then I'll come myself.'" He remarked in a weary tone. And he left it at that. Because of course Caius would just volunteer himself.
When Caius reached out to grab Alex, he would find that his hand just... ghosted through Alex. But it was enough to make him turn around, and he just let Caius unload. He took the time of the rant to prepare and spread his aether through the environment. Time simply gave him further advantage, and he would take it as far as he possibly could. His facial expression budged only slightly to a small frown, and he shoved any personal thoughts and emotions down. Simply losing his cool right back would accomplish nothing. So he stood silently, as he simply allowed Caius to say his piece, his long, time giving piece. This would do, if necessary. But all things ended, and that included Caius's raving, at which Alex seemed to almost dismiss it entirely with a shake of his head. "My many personal failings are irrelevant to the situation." Before adding on, perhaps out of some sense of courtesy. "If you wish to know if I feel guilt and regret over what happened in the bar, the answer is yes. But neither does anything to solve the current problem, and I acknowledge that things are most likely beyond repair as it is." It was regrettable, but in the moment, unimportant. It could be dealt with later.
But, whether he had done research. He would give an honest answer. "But no, I did not look into the clinic as I should have. That is my failing." Perhaps in his haste to simply be Alex, he had neglected to maintain certain standards. Perhaps the reality was that as much as he preferred to be simply Alex, it was a dream that he would have to let go of. He was what he was, and any chance to get away from that may have been doomed from the start. "I would have dealt with this much sooner if I had. A mistake I won't make again, and a correction I will extend to the rest of the Dragonblades." Which brought him to Caius's offer. "No." He stated simply. "A cornered Eikon can and will Temper, mentally enslave, everyone around it. I'm immune. You're not. I don't have access to the method we use to reverse Tempering. The less people I have to mercy kill in such an event, the better." Matoya was nowhere to be found, and he'd need a magic kiln. To be honest, he would much prefer to find Yuna alone, but he had a feeling from Caius's reactions, that it would be all hands on deck when he arrived.
Although, that left other issues, one of which he remembered coming up back in the bar. He looked at Caius. "I also recall you talking about an Adagium and a Parasite. Are there any other monsters in your closet I need to take care of?" It was basically his job at this point, he was realizing, and it was clear that Caius, despite all his bravado on helping others, was clearly doing it to such an extreme that he was ignoring what could be actual problems within the organization. Nevermind the issues from Eos. There were already enough problems from Eos, what with Ardyn, and he didn't need to be dealing with an Adagium, whatever kind of monster that was, on top of that. He also didn't buy that bit about being a mercenary guild with no desire for rewards. That was just completely contradictory. What, were they kept running and paying all their employees by donations? He didn't buy it.
The answer was short, but it allowed for conversation. And that gave Alex ample time to get on his shirt and shoes, but he'd hold off on the waistcoat and tie. Time was of the essence. At least that was the plan. The remark about Cassandra simply didn't register with him. A personal slight. Petty and unnecessary. It had no bearing on the situation. Rather, as the owner approached as they walked out, Alex took the moment to throw on his waistcoat and adjust his tie, letting Caius handle the man. He shared Caius's thoughts. Thin stone? Something was off, but it was irrelevant. He did take the moment to wait. At this point, even if it did turn to violence, he could make his way out easily enough. "Astral, Eikon, Primal. The function is the same in theory. But their existence threatens the planet." He spoke as he walked alongside the taller man. At the very least, he was being more chatty, which was probably what Caius would have preferred, at least. Though he was glad to feel the bristling air of Sonora against him, as he started to feel his magic return to him. Good, if this turned to violence, the outcome would already be decided, then.
He continued on. Perhaps Dragelion could see reason, but he doubted it. "Your magic is from Noctis, so I don't expect you to know or understand. We'll call them Eikons for consistency's sake, but the result is the same; they drain the land around them by simply existing, they corrupt the souls of those around them into lifeless, single minded obedience, they tear the world asunder over petty grudges." And unless Shiva were an Egi, it'd be the same here. And Zephon was not a world that could afford that. This was not Etheirys, where the world could afford to cushion against such blows. Zephon was far more fragile. "If left unchecked, they will suck a world dry like this one, and kill or enslave everyone in it." He continued. "All worlds have a Lifestream. This provides a constant source of aether, and is the way in which all life is reincarnated. Except for Zephon." Well, he assumed that all worlds had a Lifestream. At least all the ones that he'd glanced at and visited, even in memories, all had one, as well as the various Shards.
His pace picked up, as he tried to create some distance between him and Caius. "The aether here is thin, and there is no Lifestream. This is a dead world." It couldn't afford Primals running amok. Whatever had happened to Zephon, the world had no Lifestream, felt hollow, and couldn't fully sustain his abilities. Zephon was simply a branch of a universal tree that had long ago died, and was simply rotting away until it was pruned. A cruel metaphor, but an apt one. A few white wisps flickered and then vanished. The only sign that he had used Loom."I'll make my intentions clear." He would leave no room for misinterpretation, regardless of the consequences. Zephon was not his world, but he would protect it all the same. "I will confront Yuna. If Shiva turns out to be an Egi, I will drop the matter. An Egi is not a threat."
An Egi could only run off of one's personal aether, and only if they had been in touch with the real thing. In truth, though telling Caius was pointless, Caius's run in with Ifrit would have qualified him as a Summoner back on Etheirys. He could use that scar to channel and summon an Egi of Ifrit, if he were properly taught. But that was irrelevant. For now, it looked like violence was inevitable. So be it. He made a note to inflict as little damage as possible. Killing Caius was absolutely unacceptable, as was seriously injuring him. It would be counterproductive, not to mention that simply defending a friend was not worth a death sentence if it could be avoided. "If it is not, I will kill Shiva. If Yuna finds a way to summon her again, I will kill Yuna." And he simply waited for Caius to do his job.
Alex had been near the changing room when he heard the splashing of water. He turned around to stare at Caius, analyzing the situation. Caius would have to close the distance with such a knife if he didn't throw it. Unlikely, as the knife provided him a hefty advantage in a fight in their current situation. Alex surmised that Caius would try to bowl him over. Perhaps slit his throat. But the knife was just that. A knife. Small enough to be smuggled in. Sacrificing an arm to keep it lodged in flesh would be... undesirable, but could be worked around. Still, the optimal strategy here was clearly to stall, lie if necessary. The moment he was outside of this place, none of that would matter. So, Alex said simply. "It's in your best interest to refrain." If he were afraid of Caius, there was absolutely no sign of it. However, it would also be wrong to say that he looked disinterested, as nothing could be further from the truth. He looked more unconcerned than anything, as if he had already assessed the situation, and worked out a solution on how to deal with it.
It was a risky gambit, but he motioned Caius to follow him as he got into the changing room and began to dress himself. Keep Dragelion close if need be, but get to an area where he could use magic, or Dragelion couldn't strike without bringing down consequences. It would be hard to explain that away, and Alex was willing to gamble on Caius being unable, or unwilling, to jeopardize his king's mission if push came to shove. And the reality is that as much as the others may have been loathe to admit, they did need him for this. Of course, taunting Caius with such knowledge would be stupid and may simply antagonize him. It'd be like waving a red cape in front of a bull. Pointless. As he slipped on his undergarments and pants, he continued. "Shiva cannot be allowed to roam unchecked." He stated. He looked at the rest of the attire. He was strapped for time, he could make do without the tie or the waistcoat if need be.
One possibility entered his mind as he looked at his shirt, taking it in his hands. Perhaps Caius had been tempered? A ludicrous thought, quickly tossed aside. No, his concern was over Yuna, Shiva did not factor into it. In fact, he recalled Noctis remarking that Shiva had been one of the Astrals, and yet here Caius was, completely uncaring at the possibility of one of his own gods being subjected to danger. No, Caius's will was still his own. But the angle of the Astrals was one worth pursuing as well. "Describe the nature of your Astrals." It was a blunt command. "Yes. It's relevant." He added on preemptively, just to get to the point. To keep Caius talking was to get more time to simply step out onto the street, at which point, it no longer mattered what was said or done.
Only one thing really stood out to Alex in what Caius had said. He had ignored the muttering, couldn't really make out what he was saying, anyway, so it was unimportant. Rather, it was only when Caius had brought up the two ladies he associated with that Alex went quiet for several moments. "This Yuna can summon Shiva?" Such a person had been in Provo this entire time and he had not noticed? That was... problematic. "I see." He said simply. There was no roaring, raging, or anything like that. He made a mental note to pay a visit to this clinic after this was all said and done. Only prior engagements for Noctis and Prompto kept him here. He needed to determine the nature of this Shiva, was it an Egi? Was it a true Eikon? If the latter, he needed to find a way to dispose of Shiva, and its summoner if it came down to it. Needless to say, considering the context of the situation, he doubt that Dragelion would be more forthcoming with information, or would likely say whatever to keep any interest off this Yuna.
The alternative was violence. It was a possibility that the Warrior of Light would not rule out, considering how highly Caius seemed to regard this Yuna. Alex took a moment to glance at Caius with an appraising eye. Taller, leaner, unarmed capability unknown, but as one of Noctis's Kingsglaives, assuming no unarmed capability would be dangerous. Victory was less than certain in a place that sealed his magic, even if the same applied to Caius. "Most enlightening." He said simply as he rose out of the water. A soak would have been nice, but there were more important things taking his attention, as he ignored the chilly bite. Having already stood, he simply stepped out of the water and began walking back to where he would find his clothes. If Dragelion would preemptively choose violence for Yuna's sake, getting out of the barrier was imperative. "A productive conversation. Thank you." It was again, rather simple, albeit with a sharp edge to it.
He listened intently for the sound of splashing water, anything to indicate movement from Dragelion, but he did turn his head back to the man. "I imagine bathing here is expensive. You should enjoy the treat." After all, it was his lucky day, wasn't it? "I'll be heading back to the Seventh Heaven. Noctis and Prompto should have their comrades returned to them with all haste." Yes, that would be best. Wrap up this prison break for those two, then make a beeline back to Provo to deal with this potential issue. He cursed himself for his blindness on the matter, for allowing the clinic to bolster their forces. That would make this more difficult, even if he had a good idea on how to handle Monori as well. But the existence of Shiva in a summoner's hands was simply too much to let go unchecked. He needed to ascertain the truth of the matter, and deal with it appropriately.
And then it somehow got worse. Namely, as Alex glared at Caius, noticing the man adjusting something in the water with his hands. As he followed his arms, he took note of the trajectory. "Dragelion?!" He shouted, clearly outraged by something new and probably equally stupid. "Why are you fondling your junk while I'm yelling at you?!" Oh Gods, was Caius one of those who got off on being hit and yelled at like some domestic abuse victims? Alex wasn't one to kinkshame, in fact he was pretty damn sure Cassandra was into the same thing, but still, this was really not the time to be indulging those kinks and getting off on this! This was serious! He pointed an accusatory finger at Caius. "Don't you fucking flash me! Thal's Balls, man, you're gonna get us thrown out for indecent exposure!" Of course, the problem was that Alexander hadn't lowered his voice. At all. Meaning the people already screaming, were likely hearing all of this, too. How fun.
And as for Sephiroth, well, he knew what he heard, and he didn't care. And he would stand up for Sephiroth's good name; it was the least he could do for the SOLDIER basically carrying the Stones on his back these past few months. "And Sephiroth is fine! He's working for me now and... by all accounts, he's an upstanding employee who embodies the meaning of professionalism." His voice slowly returned to normal in the middle of the sentence. "I mean, I've heard the stories, but, I dealt with madmen bent on world destruction all the time back home. There's always a certain tell, and he simply doesn't have it." Oh sure, people always wondered what about people who were completely rational and calm, and he countered that to make the decision to destroy your world and kill everyone on it, and actually commit to it, there was no rationality or calm, and that would always bleed through, one way or another.
"Besides, if he snaps, I'll just kill him." Alex said almost dismissively, as if he truly believed that it wouldn't come to that, and maybe he did. "Reality is there's pretty much nothing on this planet that can actually threaten me, so there's nothing to worry about." He said with a shrug, again, as if he actually believed that. While he was in a place where his best weapons were completely useless. Not only that, but the faded scars from Sephiroth hitting him dead on with an Octaslash tried to argue with a dull ache, but he, of course, completely ignored that. That spar never counted, that was obvious. Besides, it's not like Zenos or Emet-Selch were in this world, he'd know by now if they were, so the only ones he figured that could actually threaten him were nowhere to be found as well. He nodded confidently.
He then switched back to an awkward topic. "Also, about earlier. What the hell? I mean, I get you've probably got a domestic abuse kink, that's fine, I think Cassie does, too, but that was a bit of a serious topic." He shook his head before narrowing his gaze. Did Caius just not know when a situation required appropriate concentration and attention, was that it?
Literally everything Caius said after one single word went completely out the window the moment Alex heard it. Well, less a word, and more a name. Really, this was a long time coming. A long, long time coming. As Caius went on and on, Alex said nothing, but clearly shaking in unbridled fury. Small flicks of flame left his mouth before being throttled away by the barrier in place, as his eyes would occasionally give off small sparks. It it was clear that Alex was testing the limits of the barrier as best he could. On the flip side, it'd be easy to tell for Caius that none of this was directed at him. Especially with the one single word he muttered. "Cloud..." It was the quake before the eruption, the soft shaking that predated catastrophe. Yeah, this was about to be a good reason as to why magic barriers were all over the place in Sonora. If he could, he'd probably be breathing fire and shooting lasers out of his eyes in sheer, unrestrained fury. Best, well, at least it was all out in the open now. At least it hadn't been Aerith or Tifa who had ratted Cloud out.
And Alex finally erupted, standing up and ignoring the immediate bite of the air. "STRIIIIIFE?!" He roared, baring his teeth in a complete rage. Gold eyes didn't look at Caius, so much as through him. "That fucking bum! I gave him work to fix that god awful bike of his! And it was him?!" Oh yes, he remembered him. His spiky hair. Though, he didn't have the giant sword. That... that threw him off. But well, he clearly just had more weapons, not that it mattered. "I should have strangled the life out of his eyes in Provo!" By the way, Alex was doing absolutely nothing to moderate the volume of his voice, as its fury carried out throughout the area, undoubtedly attracting the attention of anyone else in the vicinity. Man, it sure would suck if it weren't just Alex and Caius at the spa, now wouldn't it? But, well, Alex wasn't thinking clearly. Obvious.
He looked towards the direction of the changing rooms. "When I get back to that thrice-damned bar of Tifa's I'm going to murder him!" He would do it even if he had to board up Seventh Heaven and light the damn place on fire. Cloud wrecked his place, so it was only fair, wasn't it?! Yeah, it seemed that whole, relax in the springs and all that he wanted to do was now out the window. Only vengeance for his poor shop remained. This was almost certainly going to turn into a scene, well, at least unless Caius managed to get Alex to calm the hell down. Well, in a way, Ifrit had been completely outdone. Just... probably not in the best way. At least this wouldn't spiral out of control, surely.
Surely.
Well, at least until he finally did turn back to Caius. "And you knew this entire time?!" He roared as he pressed against the barrier again. He'd break this goddamn thing and fill that spring with thunder and fury. At least until another thought entered into his head. A supremely stupid one, especially considering what Caius had told him only moments before. "Fucker's a Dragonblade, isn't he?" He snarled. "Ohhh, I can see it now, Dragelion, you set him up to this, didn't you?!" Because obviously Caius would instruct Cloud to start a fight with Sephiroth in an area that would just so happen to level a block, including his shop. Totally.
