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year 5, quarter 3
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A consistent look. Was that what they were calling it these days? He squinted at her. There was a difference between a consistent look and wearing the same thing every day. He made sure to avoid that. Now that he thought about it, this was what she was wearing when he met her. And had coffee with her. Did she really have nothing else to wear? Part of him felt pity, should he help her get more clothes? People seemed to think he was mad about it. He was just... hygienic. Seven Hells, he was already looking at winter clothes for Ryne so she wouldn't freeze in her normal outfit. Cassandra may have gone out to proverbial grocery store for milk with Ryne, but he wouldn't. He twirled the very sharp hatchet absentmindedly as he continued to squint. It probably looked more like he was contemplating whether to go all axe murderer on her more than anything.
But he snapped out of it when she remarked on Sephiroth. It sounded like she was almost interested in Sephiroth. He thought about it for a moment before stating simply. "He was. He works for me, now, so maybe you can catch him at the Rising Stones." He sounded really proud of that. Truth is, he was. Sephiroth had been the best thing to happen to the guild. Maybe Matoya would get off his back now once she saw its fortunes getting better. Though now that he was thinking about it. He did have a bone to pick, as he squinted, and leaned in. "By the by. Would have been really nice to know about the super strength, Aerith." He remarked through gritted teeth, before leaning in further still. "Would have been really nice to know about the super speed, Aerith." How does something like being some sort of superhuman freak of nature slip by the radar like that? He mentally grumbled.
Really, he almost wondered if she was trying to get him killed. Fortunately, he was a bit of a cockroach, and even silly things like blatantly fatal wounds could be tolerated by him. Zenos was proof of that, needing immediate medical attention notwithstanding. That being said, as he thought back, he remembered. With him being in her face, he looked at her, and then down at her clothes, and he sniffed. Flowers. Of course, should have expected that. "Acceptable." He simply remarked. At the very least, she wasn't just throwing on the same shirt day after day after day without washing it. He never understood how the scions did it all the time.
A break in his sanity that was made permanent. Alex listened intently. The state of the star was a matter of interest to him, and well, if it regarded the possibility of the fellow in front of him going on a genocidal rampage again. Allegedly. That was something that he felt was in his best interest to know. Plus, best interest of the world and all that. "That'll do it." He nodded in agreement, yeah, that made sense. Every time a madman decided to destroy the world, there was always some kind of madness plaguing them. Every time, without fail. "But it sounds like you came here before it all happened, for the best. Judging by how much you're keeping yourself aloof and collected right now, I'm guessing falling to madness would be a fate worse than death for you." Alex would keep that in mind. Well, it served no real purpose to do so, the man was obviously sane. But, well, maybe Sephiroth would've considered dying an act of mercy in such a scenario.
Alex stretched. "I hope things are working out better for you this time. Truly."
And it seemed the man was getting impatient. But, well, it was relevant, and Alex couldn't really deny that. Fine, fine, he would acquiesce on this easily enough. Finishing his stretching, Alex remarked "Let me go suit up real quick." He got up, paused for a moment as he looked thoughtfully towards the room that held his armor. "Actually, nah, it'll be fine." From everything he had heard, he doubted he'd really need it. How bad could it be? Twirling Silversnake once, Alex remarked again. "There should be a clearing not far out of town." Sephiroth was dangerous, enough to cause collateral, he knew that much. It was just, Alex was perfectly confident that he could handle him with no real fuss. What was the worst that could happen?
----------
It was pleasant enough for autumn, the trees were definitely starting to show their colors. A small clearing allowed for freedom of movement, far enough that nothing should really go awry. Unless Sephiroth lit the, admittedly highly flammable, place on fire. Dead foliage and all that. That would just result in a forest fire right now. But Alex doubted it would happen. It was for the best, as Alex took a moment to enjoy the fresh air, not in his armor, which would definitely be fine. Besides, if it got a little chilly, Alex looked to Moon-And-Star, as the crystal floated around him. He'd long figured out how to send some aether through it to produce a pleasant heating effect. Nevertheless, he lifted his bastard sword pointing it at Sephiroth as the crystal moved to just float above the palm of his left. "Remember, like you mean to kill me!" Simple enough, right? He was confident. He was in his element. And he felt good.
Maybe things were finally taking a turn for the better.
Alex shook his head. "No, you didn't. You'd told me you had a fiancee, but what with you being a prince, I imagine there's some political context to it." Granted, Noct at the time had seemed completely head over heels, so maybe the guy got lucky there and was simply enjoying the best of both worlds. "Really, with being made Kingsglaive, that god of yours wanted to give you that trial, you wanted help, and you figured things would be easier if I were Kingsglaive." There had been no such romantic bond between him and Noctis. Oh sure, there was something Alex couldn't quite pick up on at the time, but as he continued his own adventures, he had simply come to realize that Noctis was probably the closest thing to him on Eos. So it was kind of like meeting your alternate self, you usually hit it off with that.
So, taking Noctis up on his offer of another beer, and popping off the cap, he took another drink. "But, of course, yes. Everything makes sense now. Thank you. Sincerely." It was genuine, with one of the few times he gave off a genuine smile instead of a smirk or some smug expression. Of course this was being done as he was silently pilfering the hair gel. Now, though, now he knew what it was that was bothering Prompto.. And it made sense. The outbursts, the distance, all of it. Now he could work things out with Prompto. All that needed to be done was assure Prompto that he had no interest in Noctis that way, and that he was not trying to steal the guy away. Maybe then the chasm could be bridged, and they could actually build something of a friendship. That would be rather nice.
There was no way this would backfire.
He did however, look away a bit. "But to answer your other question..." Setting the beer down on his table, he started counting on his right hand without a sound, allowing silence to reign. After all, it'd only take a second or two, until the count hit five. ... And then he started doing it again. ... And then another time. ... And then one last time before he finally answered "About twenty times, give or take a couple." There was another pause before he added on The universe, once. No, wait. Twice. Her Inflorescence was going to destroy everything if she got loose." Before adding an additional "Maybe three times? I think Omega planned universal conquest or something once it got back to Omicron, I don't know." Needless to say, that was not helping.
And then there was the Endsinger. "The Endsinger, though, was our bad." Of course, the last time he'd brought her up was when they were in the middle of a high speed pursuit, and all it'd done was make him feel sick and give him the mother of all migraines. Even the Echo hadn't caused anything like that. "One of the scientists of ancient days wondered what was the meaning of life on other worlds, because he hated his job. So he created a flock of birds that feed on emotions, sent them out into the cold, isolated vastness of the cosmos, and found that all the worlds he'd sent them to, the life there had already gone extinct or was in the process of going extinct." It sounded absurd when he said it, but then he'd figured there was always something wrong with Hermes. Considering he would eventually go on to become Fandaniel, or at least, the Fandaniel that he knew.
Bloody Endcaller.
But, at least Meteion hadn't gotten to everything. Zephon and Noct being here was proof alone of that. There was a snort. "You are what you eat, right? Take a wild guess what emotion is dominant when it's all gone to shit." And that warped the Metaia into the hivemind of the Endsinger. Fortunately, Alex had stopped the Endsinger, which most definitely meant that the universe was safe once again and would probably not be threatened again. Hermes. The universe was almost destroyed because of a disgruntled employee and his flock of depressed birds." It was just... so absurd when he thought of it like that. Emet-Selch really had a case of rose-tinted glasses when he waxed poetic about the days of the Ancients. At least he was gone now. He was sure of that.
He blinked before adding on "By the way, if you ever meet someone going by Emet-Selch, kill him. No words. Lots of light. To the face."
Time to update her wardrobe a little bit? His eyes scanned up and down the flower girl, narrowing in realization. "Now that you mention it..." Did she ever really change those? She wasn't like the Scions, was she? Just one or two outfits to get you through life? Urianger spent forever in that potato sack as it was, and it was only when he quite literally could not wear it anymore in the First that he finally abandoned it for something else. Was Aerith like Urianger? "Do you have anything other than that? You're not one of those who keep only one or two sets of clothing, are you? You really should make sure you have some variety." He had more money now, but he wasn't really sure he could finance an entire wardrobe from zero. Even his had taken months to properly set up. It was totally not why the Rising Stones hadn't been rebuilt yet. Had absolutely nothing to do with that, or his usual lack of money.
He gave her a long once over before nodding. "You definitely have Urianger's fashion sense, though. With a bit of Alisaie." Names she would in no way recognize, he knew. But it helped him frame some form of reference. Twirling the hatchet once in his hand, he brought it up as he pointed at himself, the spike on the top stopping just inches away from his chest. Did he not know how dangerous that was? "As for my finances. Things are looking up, thank you very much. I'm even about to make more." He remarked. "What with it being a Harvest festival, best thing to do is harvest and sell. And I'm something of a botanist, you know." Nothing quite like taking an axe to a tree or a scythe to some vegetation and selling it on the market. That, that was real botany.
Things were looking up. Especially for the Rising Stones. Really, it was so nice having a bunch of professionals that you could count on to get the job done. Well, professional. He wouldn't really call Noct professional just... naturally really good at anything he'd set his mind to. There was a reason he'd made a point of hoarding all the fishing jobs for Noctis. That and to bribe him into actually signing up with the Stones. Which, well, going into the matter of the Rising Stones. Alexander huffed. Rather proudly. "You'll also be happy to know I met Sephiroth. He's not crazy. Social graces of a brick, but not crazy. He actually thought Meteor was the dumbest thing ever when I brought it up." He could work with Sephiroth. It was surprisingly easy. No mass death, no grievous casualties, no world ending disaster looming on the horizon like he'd been told about. All was well.
A camping trip sounded good. Everyone get out, into the wild, and just get away from the problems of civilized life for a little bit. Hunt for food, maybe get a behemoth or something. He hadn't had behemoth steaks in forever. Maybe they could all even find a dungeon to delve or something. Sure, it might be a bit dangerous, but with experienced people like himself, it'd be fun. "I'll try not to." Maybe Noctis was right and Prompto did have his own demons to contend with. Best to put the best construction on it and let it go. Maybe when it was all settled and everyone else was out and free, the guy would calm down some.
Was it something he learned from one life to the next? Alex shook his head a bit ruefully in response, leaning over to one side. "Man, I wish. Can you imagine what I could do if we could all put our collective heads together for even five minutes? Or I could even just talk to them? Just have my eyes start glowing or something and then whammo!" If he could access the total sum of all his incarnations, all their power, even for a couple minutes, he knew, he knew there'd be nothing that could stand up to him. It'd be an easy way to deal with any Worldbreakers. Even just being able to talk to them for a few minutes could give him invaluable wisdom. No, it was something that while he never thought about it, he'd not deny the thought intrigued him. And while he'd never really cared for power for its own sake, well... He also wouldn't deny that, with the other incarnations technically being him, that said power wasn't also his.
But he shook his head, rerailing his own brain back on topic. "But, no, while the technique has existed for a long time, Alexander Sorel only discovered it in his lifetime." There was a pause before he let out a horrified scream. Leaning back as he gripped at his blonde hair. "Gods, it sounds so weird when I refer to myself like that!" He was Alexander Sorel. And he was a bunch of other people. And it felt so strange having to actually sit down and reconcile the fact that both were true. He felt like he had been stumbling on things that he just should not have known. He was not the only one to reincarnate, after all. But no one really had any idea of who their previous incarnations were. He was starting to wonder if that wasn't for the best as he leaned back forward, smoothing out his even more disheveled locks.
But the idea of him being Noct's teacher. As nice as that would've been, the gods he had named back in Sonora shot that one down. Granted, the names were strange, considering how the Primals were summoned in his world, but... "The gods must be truly desperate to send you to me for help." Needless to say, if the Primals or the gods they were based on were willing to turn to Alex for help dealing with Ardyn, then they were truly in a rough spot. Granted, there was a logic. Considering Alex had dealt with immortals like Ardyn and had laid the smackdown on the gods in question, one would imagine that he would be their best option. Still, desperation. But it was only with Noct's latest revelation regarding Ardyn that Alex had to pause for a few moments. He blinked a couple times as a few seconds passed, very visibly thinking on what to say.
Ultimately, he settled on "That's rough, buddy."
"Ummm." He tried to move on. "If it helps, I had to kill my old best friend. Or at least the best friend of my original incarnation. He tried to turn me into a Light monster and kill all my friends. And blow up another world. So I get the awkwardness. I do." Emet-Selch was not a nice man. It baffled Alexander that Atlas--Atlas? There's that name again.--He wondered how Venat was doing. Azem. He had meant Azem. Even learning everything he had, he still hadn't really gotten over everything Emet-Selch did.. Really, he'd rather think of Eos. Maybe learn more about Eos. ... Actually, now that he thought about it. He shot to his feet, knocking the chair over as he slammed his hands on the table. "Before I forget again, I've been meaning to ask, because it's caused me mixups with Prompto." He remarked, before adding on "Plus, I think it's fair to learn Eosian customs when it comes to dealing with you guys, so..."
Besides, what was the worst that could happen? "When I told Prompto you had made me Kingsglaive, he got really, really upset. Is the Crownsguard like, some kind of battle harem or something? He took it really personally."
Alex watched with pointed interest, ignoring the growing pain as best he could. He made no attempt to pretend he wasn't listening in. After all, this was something that might be worthwhile to him. So he waited for the man to be defeated before he turned around, and well... When the man turned around and actually spoke to him. It... really did not help, causing Alex to raise a hand to his temple and softly massage it, giving his head a brief shake. Yeah, this guy was causing him brain pain. At least enough that it was enough to really trigger the Echo for the first time in... since he'd gotten here, honestly. Alex was definitely able to come to one clear conclusion though. He looked like an older, more stylish Prompto. Alex also made it a point to never actually say that out loud. Knowing his luck, Prompto would just be rounding a corner or something if he did. He'd overhear it and then get sulky and it'd just be yet another faux pas. No, he was starting to understand just the extent of sheer bad luck he had with the guy.
What'd he want? Alex quirked an eyebrow. "Sorry. Headache." He dismissed what he was feeling. Best to go with something simple. He had a feeling the fellow in front of him would not understand the idea of a memory inflicted migraine. He paused for a moment, before realizing that he was staring at the guy again. He had really pretty eyes, now that he looked. Alex wished his glowed like that. A pair of glowing amber eyes in the dark or something would be really neat. Still, as an opportunistic grin broke out, Alex found himself sauntering closer, never really one to let someone's misfortune go to waste. Used car salesman indeed. "You, my spiky haired friend, look like you're in a spot of trouble." Namely that he could not afford to fix that motorcycle, which was all well and good for the blonde adventurer. Stopping to lean against the door way, the grin grew almost Chesirelike. "Bet it'd be real nice to have someone who could help you out right now." Not that he'd front the money, which he wasn't entirely sure he had, but, well, resources.
Though then the question was how. "But you seem to have some pretty good luck. I might just be able to help with that." How, exactly, would he help this blonde haired stranger who may or may not have been from his world? Though he was certain he wasn't. He had ideas. If the allure of jobs wouldn't work, then maybe he could talk the mechanic into cutting the guy some slack. He may have had difficulties with Prompto, but Prompto could just be hard to read. This seemed straightforward enough, and well, Alex was pretty confident that he was charismatic enough to work out a deal. Probably. Either way, the other, spiky haired blonde seemed to be rather competent... looking, at least. He obviously had poor money sense, but that just gave him something to work with.
Standing up straight, Alex steepled his fingers in a manner that wasn't at all suspicious. "But where are my manners? I am Alexander Sorel, guildmaster of the Rising Stones. Maybe you've heard of us?" After all, things were on the rise! Before long he'd be able to give the Dragonblades a run for their money. Drive them out of business, even. Surely.
Post by Alexander Sorel on Aug 25, 2022 20:53:34 GMT -6
[attr="class","ohlove"]
[attr="class","lacking"]
[attr="class","eyes"]✎ tag: @cloudofdarkness
Stories Sown Along the Way
tales of loss and fire and faith
Really, it's the shrieking that pulls his attention, the magic dissipating for just a moment. Amber eyes dart to the source, a worry growing in his stomach. The feeling was all too familiar, and if it were the same as the Final Days, then the boy would be his own undoing by panicking. The transformation into a Blasphemy didn't discriminate. The memory of Thavnair made that all too clear. There's only a moment of relief however when he sees that it's just that the child is about to be run over, before Alexander realizes that the child is about to be run over. Fortunately, there's a spell for that. Being a Purple Mage may have meant he wasn't the most powerful of Magi, but he'd eat his shoes if he could find one with a larger spell book than him. The Ascians did not count, he reminded himself. They never counted. Reaching an arm out, an orange tendril shoots forth, wrapping around the child's waist and yanking him over to Alexander. He only hoped the boy didn't scream like Prompto did. Though he wasn't exactly sure what that would say about Prompto if this boy, terrified as he was, kept it together better.
So Alexander knelt down to get on the boy's level. How hard could that be, right? Sure, interacting with Prompto might have been a disaster, but this was just a kid! How similar could it be? "Get inside, somewhere safe." It comes out softly, soothingly. Just to get the kid out of harm's way. Unless some magic nuke landed on wherever he went. That'd be his luck, really. Instead, he gave the boy a smile. A really stupid, dorky looking smile. Honestly, it probably didn't occur to him just how embarrassing he looked like that. "Don't worry, I got this. I'm a superhero. The Great Azuro. Just got caught in my secret identity is all." It wasn't... entirely wrong. He'd been the Great Azuro back home, and as part of things with Cissnei, it looked like that would be coming back. Now, whether he'd go around doing heroics like some costumed idiot was... yeah, that was actually exactly what he'd be doing, and he was lying to himself if he insisted otherwise.
Standing back up to his feet. He took a deep breath, and looked to the skies. They weren't burning at least. It seemed people were just in a panic over something causing that feeling of dread and doom. An oncoming storm. It was too familiar for his liking, but it wasn't the Final Days. The Endsinger had needed time to really ramp things up though, and he wasn't sure if this was the same. Was this as dangerous as it would get? Or would the skies bleed, the earth cry, and the people of Sonora turn to baleful fiends. He summoned his magic again, trying to find some kind of explanation as to what was going on. Simply drawing his weapon and charging forth would get him nowhere. One thing was for certain though as his eyes narrowed, and his brow furrowed. Whatever was causing this had to go. Alex had no intention of letting this get anywhere, not if he could help it. His eyes again scanned the area, determined to keep as many safe as he could. For as much as a grump he could be, he wasn't a villain, at least.
Though one thing did occur to him. "No, I haven't heard Meteion yet." She had tipped her hand last time. But he'd also had the Echo then. Perhaps without it, he was deaf to her as well. That wasn't a good thought, either.
Post by Alexander Sorel on Jul 25, 2022 11:56:21 GMT -6
[attr="class","ohlove"]
[attr="class","lacking"]
[attr="class","eyes"]✎ tag: @cloudofdarkness
Stories Sown Along the Way
tales of loss and fire and faith
As the chill in the air picked up, Alex stopped on the sidewalk for a moment, people passing him by. Some deftly weaved around him, some accidentally bumped against him and muttered a quick excuse. Some seemed to deliberately shove into him, which always got an instinctual shove back. Alexander, even when focused on something else, didn't like being pushed around. Literally. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, the hair on his neck standing on edge. No, this wasn't just some cold front coming in. This was that feeling that would creep into him when shit was about to hit the fan, when danger loomed on the horizon and there'd be too much at risk as always. It was a feeling he'd become well familiar with his life, and there was a part of him surprised that even after his time here, that instinct hadn't dulled at all. The only question was, what could be causing it? He looked to the sky for a moment, as if expecting something, before looking around. How many to get out of the way? Was he overpreparing?
Shuffling his shoulders somewhat, he muttered to himself. "I have a bad feeling about this." It felt odd, to be honest, being back in this state of mind. Ever since coming to Zephon, there hadn't been anything that caused this. He told himself to push it down, just a little. This was Sonora, and while the place in itself was crazy, it was well defended, with plenty of capable warriors, Outlanders or not, that could rush to its defense if need be. He tried to think of other possibilities, mist coming from his lips. Well, considering the past few times he'd been here. "Alright, then. Is it Nald or Thal?" Maybe Noctis or Prompto had gotten themselves into trouble again and he was going to have to step in. Again. Though neither of those situations, chaotic though they were, had the feeling of dread looming on the horizon. They just... happened. "Or maybe Ignis and Gladio broke out and I'm about to go four for four." Though that'd be nice, even if it meant dealing with Sonoran law enforcement. Again.
Nothing, and he pursed his lips. He still felt it within, a predator rising from its slumber to position itself, ready to lunge and destroy. It still bothered him that he didn't know the cause, but he'd been through it too many times to ignore it. Quietly, he began to prepare spells, unneeded, he tried to tell himself, but he could feel the aether welling up within, spreading it through the ground, the air, seeing if there was something he'd brush against with that magic to tell the tale. He didn't have his gear, that would be an issue. Quietly, with a face hard as stone, he finally began to move again, hoping to head toward whatever the source of this dread was, but it felt more like fumbling in the dark. He really hoped this was just some kind of bad memory flaring up bringing back horrid feelings, and not actually something about to hit the fan.
Alex watched Noctis play with the cat. He knew what was coming. Crossing one leg over the other, he slouched, resting his cheek against his fist. Sure enough, the calico reached out hesitantly. It batted at the fish a few times. It put on that cutesy act that Alex knew all too well. Then, with no warning, it snatched the fish into its mouth and darted off to enjoy what it felt was a hard won meal. Thing was acting like Alex never fed it. "Huh." He absentmindedly responded to the suggestion. "Maybe I will take him camping. That's a good idea. Might do you some good, too. Maybe once we get Ignis and Gladio out of trouble." Yeah, that sounded like fun, get everyone outside and into the wild where they all had to be a team to survive. What could go wrong, there? "But, no, I haven't. Prompto really kept to himself, and seemed like he wanted to be left to his own devices, so I left him alone a lot. Especially after things got rough between us." It was definitely an idea worth considering, though.
Without really thinking, he also added on a cheeky "You know, if it helps, you've never cut the most majestic figure to me." Then again, none of the great leaders ever had. Might've just been him more than anything. But would Prompto really not care about the Warrior of Light thing? A small voice in his head told him then there was no reason to tell him if it made no difference, let him remain a simple adventurer. The other part of him said that if he and Prompto were to ever get past the awkwardness and actually understand one another, then one of them had to break and tell the truth, and it might as well be him.
But he was grateful to know more about Ardyn, at least, and Noctis, despite the gloomy topic, seemed to actually be appreciating the advice. It was kind of nice, actually, even if the subject wasn't the best. "As for Ardyn..." He uncrossed his legs, pulling himself straight and steepling his fingers. "Either his regeneration is phenomenal, or if the body takes too much damage, he just gets a new one. Or both." It hit him then, the fact that he could just so casually work out immortality like that. He really was an expert, wasn't he? Made sense. Out of the thirteen Ascians, so far he'd killed for good; Nabriales, Lahabrea, Igeyohrm, Emet-Selch, Mitron, Elidibus, and Fandaniel. He knew Emmerololth, Altima, Duedalaphon, and Loghrif were dead as well, the last since reincarnated as a normal girl. Well, as normal as Gaia could be. That still left two unaccounted for, Halmarut and one other. He had their crystals, but naught else.
Pashtarot.
He blinked in surprise. Maybe he did have their titles, then.
Still, a new body would make Ardyn like the Ascians. Even worse if it was the best of both worlds; a nigh invulnerable body that was simply renewed upon its destruction. But he at least knew how to handle both. "The former, you burn him or overwhelm him. He can't regenerate what's still being destroyed. When the Glacian's damage was done, he might've been able to pull himself back together. He also needs energy to regenerate. If he's run ragged, his body should just give out and he won't be able to regenerate." That was, of course, only if he simply had phenomenal regeneration. The other possiblity was one he didn't care for at all, and he considered the worse of the two. "The latter, you need a Blade of Light. Which was our way of more classily terming 'a fuckload of aether,' raw magic energy. Because in such a case, he's just going to catch a new ride back to the mortal coil and you're exhausted while he's doing some stupid tap dance. You need something that can trap his soul when his body gives out, something that can hold a lot of aether. In my world, it was White Auracite. My guess is something like that will be some kind of crystal here. Natural aether traps." There were very little they couldn't do if they had enough crystals on hand, he had learned.
But even that had its issues. A sentient soul was more than just a clump of aether. Resting his chin in the cup of his hand, he continued on, his gaze narrowing in thought. "It won't hold for long though before he breaks out, so during that time, that's when you hit him with your Blade of Light and hope for the best. If he survives, you need more aether. Think of it like..." He paused for a moment. He was using terms that he realized Noctis might not fully get, different worlds and all that. But at least a good analogy came to him, snapping his fingers as his eyes widened in realization. "Shoving him in a box and smashing it with a hammer, if that helps. If it doesn't work, you get a bigger hammer." The problem would be getting a bigger hammer. Depending on Ardyn's overall strength, it'd require more aether. "I can teach you to make a Blade of Light." Alex offered. "Seeing as you want to learn how to kill an immortal, I'd advise taking up that offer, too. You can draw too much and accidentally kill yourself making one, and as much as I'm sure Ardyn needs to go, none of us would be happy if you went and died bringing him down. What do you think?" He'd lost more friends than he cared to, and he refused to lose a single more. He wouldn't even try to imagine how Noctis's friends from home would take it.
He sighed, leaning back as the chair tilted, pressing the sole of his shoe against the edge of his table, arms dangling at his side. "You know, every time he comes up, I learn something else about Ardyn. Anything else?" If he was going to give the best anti-Ardyn advice, it would be best for him to know what exactly was being dealt with.
Alex listened intently, nodding and making sounds of acknowledgement as Sephiroth explained himself. Right, right. Offensive, uses materia, even a list of spells he had. Of course, all of those made sense. Fitting for what Alex presumed was some kind of hybrid between a Samurai and a Red Mage. Where the only hiccup really was, was when Sephiroth brought up his ability to fly. Alex tilted his head sideways in a confused manner. "... Why did you hesitate? Does it hurt when you fly or--" And then it clicked. He used materia. Granted, while materia in his world couldn't quite do what Sephiroth said, the fact that he said he used materia and didn't just know spells explained plenty. "Ohhhh. You must come from one of the," He looked away, coughing slightly, as if he were about to say a slur. "Lower magic worlds. In my world, only the Garleans, tall Hyur-like people with a third eye," Alex pressed the middle finger of his right hand to his forehead, "Can't cast a single spell. Other than them, it's considered highly unusual if you have no magic affinity. So, don't feel weird about your flight, you're right at home with me." Some, like Cocobusi, were just unlucky. Others, like Thancred, lost the ability after taking a swim in the lifestream.
Overall that, it was an astounding history, with one thing in particular standing out to him. He leaned back with a whistling sound. Yes, he was very pleased. "But I gotta say; 10 years as a grunt in the army to a leading general in a war is really impressive. You've got me hooked there." Of course, the big thing he was pleased about was catastrophically wrong. At least this time in his defense, it could be considered a fair misconception. SOLDIER probably wasn't the best name, all things considered. But his eyes narrowed just as quickly, shaking his head as his mood seemed to shift just as suddenly. Nothing drastic, but there was a tinge of knowing in his voice. "Still though, quelling rebellions." In all honesty, it made sense, considering everything else swirling about the guy. That and while Sephiroth didn't really seem unhinged, he could picture the man doing some pretty horrible things with an almost serene expression. He could picture it all too easily.
But if it affected Sephiroth's prospects, it didn't show. Though he had pretty much made it clear this was a matter of formality. "Honestly, what with you supposedly trying to hurl a giant death rock at your planet, hearing that you once worked for what I am guessing is some oppressive empire doesn't surprise me at all." He paused, realizing that casually making such connections and casually acknowledging them might come off as a tad bit confusing. "Right, sorry, context. In my world, there was a Garlean woman that worked for the aptly named Garlean empire; Nael van Darnus. She tried to hurl one of our moons into the planet." There was a brief pause, visions of Cartenau flooding his mind before being banished in moments. "And while the Warrior of Light was able to strike her down, the moon was already pulled too far in to stop. My point is, I've had to experience this exact scenario before. The similarities aren't a surprise." The only saving grace had, ironically, been Bahamut. While the fragments of Dalamud exploding and the dragon's Teraflare caused catastrophic damage to the planet, at least there was still a planet.
At least he eventually fixed his mistake, he supposed. Still, that'd gone a lot better than when he normally talked about Cartenau. Maybe it helped with Sephiroth being military. One war story to another or something.
There had been others, too. But Nael fit the bill the most when it came to her actions. "Coincidentally enough, like you, she was tall and silver haired." He found that amusing, at least. But it all brought something else up. "Did you ever find out anything else about that meteor thing, by the way? It's completely irrelevant if you'd rather not answer, this is more for my own curiosity than anything." He'd at least give him an out if it was still a touchy subject. He definitely didn't believe Alex the last time it'd been brought up, and he doubted that would really change. It was more just a question that touched that sense of invasive curiosity Alex could have. But just like that, Alex had gone off topic. As usual.
