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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Angeal is the least accepting of this NEW WORLD THING than any of my characters lmao
It was hard to discern the other man’s expression, but if Angeal had to put a word to it, it was be; contemplative. It seemed his request had brought some sort of recognition to the ninja, something familiar. He didn’t look at the Soldier like he was a complete crazy person for asking such a question, at least, so that was a bit of a relief. Well, for a moment, anyway.
“Someone else not of this world..."
The ninja had muttered the words softly into the wind, but Angeal’s enhanced hearing had picked them up clear as day -- or the neon sign flashing just above their heads. His lips parted for a moment as he very nearly scoffed, before snapping his jaw shut and turning his bewildered gaze to his boots. He didn’t have long to think over the bizarre set of words he’d just heard, before the man continued. At the sound of his voice, the Soldier looked back up, his glowing eyes growing ever concerned, yet rapt with attention.
"From the sounds of it you are from another world. I realize that this will be quite much to take in, but listen well and do your best to keep your composure. This is not the world that you know. Like many of us you have been transported here. Here we stand on a planet called Zephon. The country is Serentestra and this city is Sonora.”
Maybe in another time, Angeal would have reacted better to this strange news. It was only out of forced politeness and not wishing to make a scene that he didn’t immediately scoff and walk away, or remove his glove and check the man for a fever. Another world? That certainly wasn’t … No, that sounded like the story of some cheap fiction book he’d bought to read on the way to a mission. People couldn’t just be transported to other worlds, right? Angeal was a simple man with simple beliefs, but even he would call such a thing a stretch.
Those names didn’t sound familiar, though. Zephon. Serentestra. Sonora. If this was some sort of guilt laden fever dream, it wasn’t anything he remembered reading before.
Angeal’s lips drew into a thin line as the other man shifted and began reaching for something in his bag. Half of the Soldier’s instincts screamed to grab his sword, while the other half were ready to accept fate at this point. Maybe he’d get hit over the head, and suddenly everything would make sense. However, the ninja didn’t pull out a weapon, but rather a piece of paper that he carefully unfolded.
"Here. This is a map of Serentestra. If you are looking to depart the main cities would be here, Torensten, and Provo. Sonora perhaps isn't the best option of the three. Crime runs rampant during nightfall here."
Well, at least something is familiar, the large Soldier thought bitterly, knowing well the crime statistics in Midgar. When he was still nothing but a 3rd class, Angeal was sent out into the seedier parts of the city to try and control the rampant crime. Desperation was nothing to shake one’s head at.
Angeal took the map carefully, his eyes glancing over it for a moment. It took only half a second for him to realize; nothing on the paper made sense to him. Not the names, not the topography, nothing. He sighed in irritation, gloved fingers crinkling the edges of the map as he tried to control his frustration, “This is a lot to take in. And it’s very, very difficult to believe.”
The supposed crime in the area was the least of his worries. Right now, the Soldier was much more focused on the growing nausea in his stomach and the whirlwind of questions in his mind. Where was he, really? Was he dreaming? Dead? Hallucinating? For some reason, the confusion was frustrating him more than he figured it should. The unending questions made his gut clench and his heart fill with unease.
And if he was here … Wherever here was … where were Genesis and Sephiroth? Zack? HIs mother?
“If … If what you’re saying is true,” Angeal attempted to ground himself, pinching the space between his eyes as he felt the rising tension headache coming on, “And I’m in another world, what about my friends? Everyone I know?”
The question was more to himself of course, but … What if his friends were here as well? Were they alright? Likely yes, Genesis and Sephiroth were more than capable of taking care of themselves for the most part but, were they lost and confused as well? And Zack, too young and trusting, if he was around, how much trouble had he gotten himself into?
“Have you seen anyone like me?” Angeal asked the ninja suddenly, the question falling before he could stop himself, “With an outfit like this, or a big sword? Maybe a long red coat, or a long black one?”
Angeal lecturing villains is my new favorite activity
Well, at least the man on his out of control chocobo seemed in good spirits, despite the near disaster.
Angeal finally got a decent look at the rider rather than the chocobo as the man chuckled, waving off his ignorance about riding the bird. He seemed to be a bit older, though once anyone was in the age range of 25-40 Angeal found it impossible to tell their true age. However, his outfit seemed even stranger than the Soldier had previously given it credit for. It appeared aged, like it had been worn and washed time and time again. The man’s hair spilled out from underneath his hat, and though it was difficult to tell the color in the dark, Angeal would have guessed it some sort of red.
Then, the guy started to speak, and Angeal really had to try hard to stay stone faced. He didn’t offer the rider a hand as he stumbled down from the bird -- the man was clearly okay, hardly even shook up -- and he bit his tongue as the man dramatically thanked him for his efforts.
Even Genesis hardly spoke so … froo-froo, for all of his poetry quoting. Maybe it was just a difference in tone and gestures? Or maybe he was just far more used to his dear friend’s flavor of dramatics.
Angeal kept a hand on the chocobo’s reigns, giving the bird a pat on its beak as its rider collected himself, brushing away a few stray, black feathers. The Soldier watched them fall, a feeling of familiarity washing over him for just a moment. As if black feathers falling was something near and dear to him. Strange.
“Please, all I did was stop a chocobo,” Angeal waved away the term savior with a barely-there smile, “I’m Angeal. Maybe you should get a few refresher lessons on riding, sir.”
His comment was made in good humor, of course, but the Soldier did indeed hope that the dramatics were done. He offered the reigns back to the clumsy rider with a gloved hand, checking over his shoulder toward the people around the fire at the caravan. They seemed to be settled, despite the near disaster. They were back to quietly chatting and cooking over their fire and -- oh. Crud. His fish was probably cold.
How long can you swallow the pain? Before it comes round again, And a shadow in the valley will lead you to them, So don't follow.
Hello thank you for being a ninja, now I get to also thrown in a little PTSD xD
Focus. Come on.
Angeal threw one arm out to steady himself against the closest surface -- the dumpster, of course. He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to ground himself with a few calm breaths. Yet, all the knowledge in the world he had for staying sound of mind in a terrifying situation was practically thrown out of the window when everything around him was foreign. Strange. Was he having a stroke, or a fever dream, and simply seeing these visions in his head? He bit down on his tongue as he forced his eyes open once more, gazing out over the strange landscape.
It gazed back into him. The neon signs colored strange shadows against his skin, the echoes of noises and talk swam in his ears. It reminded him of being in Midgar for the first time after being truly infused for the Soldier program; everything was so loud, so bright, it was practically unbearable for his heightened senses.
Heart racing, the Soldier attempted to focus on something. At least one thing that might help him figure out where he was. His eyes fell down the slope of a building to the street, tracing down to stomping shoes and cracked stone. A newspaper blew by, too quick for him to read anything on it.
"Hey are you alright? You appear as if you've seen a ghost."
If Angeal were a lesser man, he would have screamed. He still nearly did, of course, so lost in his own head -- the voice startled him. The large Soldier moved quickly, turning fully toward the sound of the voice, resisting the urge to throw his hand up toward the hilt of his sword. He was never one to resort to violence first, but here, dazed and confused, he felt like an animal cornered in a cage.
Instead, his gloved hand fell to his chest over his heart, as he slowly released a held breath.
However, concern seized the man’s body quickly as he studied the person who had noticed him. The other person appeared to be dressed in some sort of ancient-looking armor of sorts, face hidden behind a mask. While the color and style were something he hadn’t really seen before, it was reminiscent of …
The blood of beasts and men mingling among the grass, the distant sound of bombs and gunfire, the foreign screams.
Wutai.
Angeal tried to soften his expression, his glowing eyes likely more intense than necessary for a simple conversation. He loosened his clenched jaw, relaxing the hand on his chest. Surely, he could play off his sudden stiffness as nothing more than surprise at being spoken to. He wasn’t nearly as suave as Genesis, but truth be told, Angeal would avoid a fight any day if he could.
“... Not a ghost, I think,” the Soldier finally spoke, his tone strong even over the hum of the nearby people in the street, “I’d be lying if I said I was alright, though.”
Angeal glanced around the area again, the hairs on the back of his neck standing as he frowned deeply. He wasn’t sure if his feet were itching to run, or if he was more tempted to try and wake himself from whatever bizarre dream he surely must be in.
“Could you tell me -- Where we are? I don’t recognize this city.”
I promise this is the only part where Angeal will be so moody xD
Angeal sipped at his whiskey and blamed that for why his face felt so terribly hot.
Why had he done such a thing? Filling out some sort of match making game card … It seemed like something Genesis would have done to him as a prank. Instead, he sabotaged himself. The Soldier rolled his eyes as he sipped at his drink once more, watching as the bartender swayed the thoughts and ideals of others. Some giggling and participating like it was their life’s mission, others like him; reserved and cautious, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and few excuses on their tongues.
Perhaps it was his inner cynic speaking, but Angeal Hewley was never meant to find love in a bar. Or, maybe ever, really. Despite his parent’s near perfect marriage, he’d never given the topic much thought. Angeal had love for his comrades and his brothers in arms, but really, he had such little interest in the typical romantic activities. He was comfortable alone. The thought of buying flowers and enjoying a nice meal … It sounded like a more attractive venture alone than to be shared.
Maybe he was aromantic. Or, also very likely, exposure to his two best friends and other meaningful cadets simply made him too tired to deal with people outside of work.
The bartender slid a paper toward him: Table 1. Angeal gave the man an awkward nod, grabbing another glass of whiskey as he went and searched out the table. There was no one there yet -- thank Gaia, he could try and get his thoughts together before they arrived. Setting his weapons out of the way, the Soldier took a seat at the booth, trying his best to be comfortable despite having to squeeze in a bit on the bench. Right, most places weren’t built to deal with tall, bulky men like him.
Angeal cast his glowing eyed gaze back over the rest of the bar once more, resting one arm on the table while sipping from his glass with his other hand. It was time to pocket the awkward feelings and regret, and face up to what he’d done. He was the one who filled out a card, it was his choice. Time to face up to whatever may come. No matter what were to happen, he could at least gain a new friend out of the experience. Maybe even someone who could relate to him.
Right. That wouldn’t be so bad.
How long can you swallow the pain? Before it comes round again, And a shadow in the valley will lead you to them, So don't follow.
Sorry for the rambling, most of this post isn't important xD
Camping was one of Angeal’s favorite things to do as a child. It really made no sense, other than his thirst for adventure, considering he lived in the middle of nowhere town in a house that could barely be constituted as such. For whatever reason, though, he loved to grab his makeshift tent and walk the few dozen yards or so into the nearby wild trees and pretend he was a mountain man of sorts. Living off the land, sleeping under the stars, and most importantly to a boy of about age 8, not having to shower or do homework.
Of course, after one night, a growling stomach usually dragged him back home rather quickly. It was harder to survive on nothing but apples and berries than he’d originally thought.
The SOLDIER program expanded on the concept of camping, of course. Often in the field, Soldiers had no roofs over their head and nothing to eat other than terrible army rations and what they found themselves. Angeal Hewley had spent weeks counting stars to fall asleep at this point in his life, and while camping had lost its boyish charm, he found himself still rather enjoying it. The thrill of adventure, the sounds of creatures and insects in the wild, and the rare chance for some peace and quiet were quite enticing.
However, the Soldier mused to himself as he roasted a fish over his small fire, it was much more difficult to fall asleep in unfamiliar territory. Angeal’s blue eyes stared at the roasting fish, unfocused, as he thought over the same line of thinking that had been going through his head the last couple of weeks after waking up in the middle of a foreign city.
”Sonora? I’ve never heard of that city.” ”This can’t be right. Nothing on this map makes any sense.”
The map, that was the real wake up call and head scratcher. Thankfully, Angeal still had enough money stashed away on his person to be able to afford some simple supplies. As he’d browsed the little shack for the necessities, he’d come across a map of the region. Which looked like … gibberish. Like a map in one of Genesis’ fantasy novels. Confused, Angeal had turned to the man and asked if this map was real.
The shopkeep looked back at him like he was crazy. Well then.
Angeal glanced up over the fire to look at the nearby travelers, who (intelligently) were caravaning together. He had a strong urge to go and introduce himself to them, maybe join them for the time being, but something was holding him back. Something, lurking in the back of his mind, consistently turning his gut when people looked at him for too long. He avoided their eyes. It wasn’t like him --- he was typically quite friendly with strangers -- maybe it was just because he hadn’t been sleeping well? The unfamiliar territory and the strange nightmares he’d been having would do that to just about anyone.
The lonesome Soldier pulled his fish from the fire with a sigh, stabbing his makeshift spear into the ground to let the morsel cool off. He slid his gloved hand into his pocket, pulling out his PHS and giving a long, glowing eyed stare. Angeal kept it turned off most of the time, as it hadn’t had any service ever since he’d woken up. He thumbed over the keypad for a moment, contemplating trying yet again to see if he could reach anyone. To see if there was any sign of his old life out there. Genesis, Sephiroth, Zack … Were they here as well? They had to be, right? People didn’t just up and vanish and … and …
What? Land on another world? Yeah, right. I’m probably lying in a hospital bed in a coma.
Angeal slid the PHS back into his pocket with a low grumble, slowly lowering his back against the grass to stare at the sky. The soft blades tickled at his bare arms, much too soft to poke through his thick uniform. Next to him, the Buster Sword lay in the grass as well, as shining and pure as it should be. His other sword was stabbed into the dirt nearby, the little rucksack he’d been able to afford lying next to it. He didn’t have much to his name, hardly anything to trade, and only enough meager food to last another day or two. Maybe someone needed some work done, and he could make money that way, just like he had when he was younger.
However, before he could sink any further into his confusing thoughts, something dragged Angeal back into the present. A familiar noise -- the thumps and stomps of a chocobo. He furrowed his brow, laying still in the grass, before remembering that there was a man nearby who was renting chocobos out. As if he could afford that, and even if he could, his feet worked just fine -- besides, he was in no hurry to get to the next made up city.
But, soon there came a distressed squawk. Some apologizes and the confused shouts of surprised people.
He could feel the tracks.
Angeal sat up quickly, turning toward the source of the commotion. Two people on the ground and a man on the back of a black chocobo that was --- -- coming right at him.
“Shit!” The curse came out before he could even think to stop it as the Soldier clambered to his feet, hurrying forward to meet the Chocobo before it got to him. It had changed its path slightly, instead heading straight for the caravan and their fire, all the people sitting around it, but Angeal couldn’t let a runaway chocobo potentially injure itself or anyone else. He knew the creatures well, he’d helped look after a few in Banora growing up, and he knew exactly how to stop one running at full speed.
Chocobos will stop if there’s something big enough in their path. They won’t risk running into anything that could trip them up, because if they injure a leg, they’re dead in the wild.
And, thankfully, he was plenty big to intimidate a chocobo. It seemed like suicide to throw yourself in front of a renegade chocobo, but he’d had plenty of cadets in the past lose their chocobos thanks to their inexperience and nervous natures.
“Woah there!” Angeal shouted as the bird approached, throwing his arms into the air to make himself even more visible, “Easy, easy!”
The chocobo squawked in surprise, flapping its little wings and digging its talons into the ground. It didn’t stop immediately, but it slowed down enough for Angeal to grab at one of the reigns, pulling the bird’s head towards him as it slowed its pace, attempting to calm it with an easy, easy there girl, easy, it’s all right. He jogged alongside the chocobo and its rider for a moment, pulling the reign he had in one hand to keep the beast close until it felt natural to let it stop. The bird stilled, ruffling its feathers and cawing impatiently, apparently still ready to go at top speed at a moment’s notice.
With the creature’s reign still clutched in his hand, Angeal took his attention to the rider, “You alright up there?”
The man seated in the saddle was much … different looking than Angeal was expecting. Why he was expecting anything anymore inside this strange hallucination of his was beyond him, but the man riding the bird was wearing what appeared to be too many layers of clothing and a hat, somewhat ruffled; it kind of reminded him of what one of the actors in a LOVELESS production might wear. The Soldier bit back any offending comment he may have had, and hope his expression conveyed more concern than annoyance. It’s not like the man was purposefully going full speed ahead at a line of people and caravans … The bird was probably just spooked, that’s all.
How long can you swallow the pain? Before it comes round again, And a shadow in the valley will lead you to them, So don't follow.
Typically Angeal considered himself above going to a bar when he wasn’t feeling his best. After all, alcohol was a depressant -- why give the beast any more fuel than it needed? But, he was lost, confused, tired and thirsty. Even he needed a shot of something strong at the end of a long day sometimes. Just enough to relax.
But good god, this was not the kind of thing he was expecting to walk into.
The bartender had caught his eye as he’d barely made it over the threshold. Angeal stared him down warily, his pace slowing the closer he edged to the bar. Surely he was misreading things, but the bartender seemed rather … forward, in his gaze. He almost had that look in his eye that Angeal typically saw in women fawning over Sephiroth or Genesis.
“Er…,” the Soldier realized there was something shoved into his hand upon walking into the establishment, which he was now realizing was much more gussied up than he would have assumed, based on how it looked outside. He glanced down at the crumpled, heart-shaped piece of paper in his gloved hand, then back at the bartender as he began to speak, soft and smooth.
What… ? What have I walked into here?
“I just … came in for a whiskey,” Angeal finally admitted, clearing his throat, caught off guard by the soft tones of the piano and the streamers, “That’s all. A drink. None of this…”.
And yet, after a sip of his drink, he somehow found himself with a pen in hand, his stare boring holes into the paper he’d been handed. What was he doing? He’d never had time for dates before -- he certainly didn’t now! But, no one here knew who or what he was, right? Maybe, then it would be alright … Just for a night. To have someone to talk to. Angeal wasn’t sure if he even had a preference for either gender or romance in general, but, surely nothing would go horribly awry.
He wanted to kick himself.
Your Name: Angeal Hewley Partner's Preferred Gender: Any. Likes: Dogs, cooking, photography, stories … exercise? Dislikes: Egos? Egos. Someone too quiet. Whining. Anyone without honor. Scientists.
I made Angeal and was immediately mean to him, I'm so sorry Ang ksdfkd
Nostalgia was a funny thing.
Angeal Hewley had traveled quite a bit in life, yet still, there remained two places that definitely felt like home to him. Banora was a breath of fresh air, the smell of sweet flowers mixed with the saltiness of the nearby ocean. It was greens and whites and purples, it was smiles and hellos from fellow neighbors. It was warm rays from the sun, and quiet, whispering winds. It was memories from what seemed so long ago, climbing trees and running through forgotten fields.
That was no longer home, though, and it hadn’t been for many, many years. Home now was a sprawling metropolis, neon lights and crowds, the hustle and bustle of city life. It was the buzz of humanity at all hours of the day and night, the purposeful avoidance of eye contact, shop after shop with their own assortment of glitz and glam. It was anything you could ever need or want, a quick walk from your own front door. It was the clash of metal, the sweat and pain of workouts, the sear of magic across his skin.
Home was unnatural lights and chemical smells. Home was orders, men in leather and heavy duty cotton, others in white lab coats.
Sometimes, home was darkness under a metal sky, too much garbage piled up from one place to another. It was rotten smells and foul odors with no place to escape to. It was the incoherent, desperate screaming of people with nothing to gain and nothing to lose. It was fear in the eyes of those he wished to call neighbor. The never ending chorus of machines and lost hopes and dreams.
Angeal stirred from his jarred thoughts, nose immediately wrinkling to the familiar stench of garbage sitting out too long in the elements. A deep, rumbling cough shook his chest as he opened his eyes, blinking away the haze of an unwelcome sleep. It took a moment, perhaps two moments too long, for his mind to truly come to as he realized he was staring dumbly at a brick wall, cheek pressed hard against cold, unforgiving cement. Furrowing his brow, he immediately felt it.
Something … isn’t right.
The Soldier’s arms ached as he urged them up toward his head, placing his gloved hands against the frigid ground to push himself up. The world came to in an ugly swirl of color and smell -- bright, unnatural lights and putrid scents. Angeal grunted with effort as he came to his knees, squinting his blue eyes at his surroundings as the dizziness in his mind began to settle. There was a familiar buzz in the air … Civilization, and a lot of it. The splatter of color finally began to slow, a lit neon sign, the dusting of snowflakes, different colored boxes and crates and bags.
Angeal groaned and shoved the butt of his hand against his forehead, rubbing it between his eyes, grumbling, “I know SOLDIER isn’t well liked across the planet, but I have to take some offense to being dumped with the literal garbage.”
Dropping his hand, the man stared blankly at the dumpster next to him for a moment, trying to allow the gears in his mind to start turning. He, of course, remembered his training on concussions well enough, but it was much harder to execute when one was dizzy and still coming-to. Angeal forced himself to his feet, slowly, using the overflowing dumpster as a brace to balance himself. Again, he shoved the back of his gloved hand to his nose, eyes beginning to water as his enhanced senses caught up to him.
First things first -- who are you?
“I’m Angeal Hewley,” the Soldier mumbled the answer to himself, “SOLDIER 1st Class.”
Secondly, where are you?
Where? That was a good question. Considering the sounds and lights, it seemed like Midgar but … Something was off about it. The dazzling gleam of snowflakes glinted off a nearby sign he couldn’t quite understand, and ah -- ! When had it ever snowed in Midgar? There was a first time for everything, Angeal supposed, but snow that far south? It typically only rained in Midgar, and even then, not very often.
“I’m either in Midgar,” he sighed, “Or a city further north, despite the fact that I’m fairly certain there are no cities this large or advanced anywhere near the northern crater.”
Why are you here?
There was something he had no answer for. Angeal straightened himself up, eyes narrowed at the entry of the alleyway he was currently occupying. He briefly checked himself over for injuries, finding nothing but a couple of already-healing scrapes. He appeared to have most of his equipment as well; a few materia, two swords on his back, the typical supplies for any outing. The only thing that stuck out was a few white feathers in his pocket -- probably threw his pants in the dryer after Genesis used it to dry a gaudy coat or fluffy comforter.
That was strange. He couldn’t remember the last thing he had been doing before waking up face down in a disgusting alley. Had he been in a fight of some sort? Surely he’d have more injuries or torn clothing if that were the case. Besides, there weren’t many people or creatures out there that could take down a 1st Class SOLDIER easily. Yet, his standard issue Soldier sword barely seemed used, and the Buster Sword was in perfect condition, as always. If anything, it seemed like he’d simply walked out of the front door and suddenly collapsed down below the plate somehow.
Well, perhaps getting the lay of the land would help jog his memory. If he were unceremoniously dumped next to a dumpster, surely there were other Soldiers around as well? Angeal hardly ever took missions alone these days -- always paired with a younger Soldier for training purposes. There was no sense in answering to the rising panic swelling in his gut just yet. Some patience and information gathering were sometimes just the cure to any predicament, anyway.
Boots echoing against the brick walls, the Soldier confidently strode out of the alleyway and …
Stopped.
There were people around, walking down the street under the haze of the neons, but he -- he didn’t recognize what any of them were wearing. Angeal was no fashion aficionado, yet he was pretty familiar with the style of people in Midgar and around most of the planet. His eyes quickly turned to one of the flashing signs, and he realized he had no idea what kind of place it was even advertising. The baffled Soldier barely had time to read the letters before it changed in a stream of light, on to the next strange thing. The people moving around him gave him more than the usual barely-there glance he was accustomed to; instead staring, their eyes filling with confusion and … was that fear?
Angeal wasn’t usually one to be stunned, yet there he was, standing in the street with his mouth slightly hanging open in confusion, eyes darting around to find something familiar other than the hum of words he understood.
Post by Angeal Hewley on Feb 10, 2020 18:50:19 GMT -6
Angeal Hewley
"Angels dream of one thing … To be human."
I. BASICS
FULL NAME:: Angeal Hewley NICKNAMES:: None GENDER:: Male AGE:: 25 ORIENTATION:: Unknown ALIGNMENT:: Harmonious EQUIPMENT:: Weapon: The Buster Sword Materia: (Mastered) Thunder (Mastered) Binding Materia Wall Haste
HEIGHT:: 6’0” (ish) HAIR/EYES/SKIN:: Black/ Glowing Blue / Lightly tanned DISTINGUISHING MARKS:: Does being built like a tank, count? No? Angeal sometimes has two white wings, one large and one smaller, coming from his left shoulder. However, he typically hides these if he can.
II. PERSONA
Stand anyone between Sephiroth and Genesis, and they’ll look like a saint in comparison.
Angeal Hewley is a stoic and disciplined man, bound to a strong identity of following his dreams and always upholding his honor. At first glance, he seems quiet and studious, typically waiting for others to speak before he does, silently studying every situation he’s in with a critical eye. He doesn’t always appear immediately friendly, which others tend to find intimidating, considering his size and strong expression.
However, it couldn’t be further from the truth. While he does take himself and his work seriously, Angeal is an incredibly friendly person. He enjoys speaking to others, especially those outside of his usual circle of associates, and making friends. An avid explorer and amature photographer, the Soldier loves hearing stories from anyone he bumps into while on missions or out and about -- and enjoys taking pictures of the interesting people and places he visits, to send back to his mother.
And dogs. Angeal loves dogs. He can’t help but make a fuss over every dog he encounters, always asking the owners if he can pet their dogs, commenting about the dogs with whoever is unlucky enough to be walking with him at that time. The more adorable the dog, the longer Angeal will fuss over it. His love and adoration for dogs extends even into his Soldier life, as he affectionately refers to Zack as a “puppy” in a letter written to his mother.
Angeal keeps his friendly demeanor even when working, though he is able to switch between his “friendly” and “this is work now” personalities at the drop of a hat. He encourages the younger Soldiers and gives them someone to look up to that will actually talk to them and train with them. Sephiroth and Genesis tended to keep more to themselves, but that didn’t phase Angeal. He was more than happy to inspire Soldiers and cadets alike, earning him the title “the spiritual leader of Soldier”. He wasn’t as strong, fast, or famous as Sephiroth, but that never bothered Angeal. He never dreamt of being the “best”.
Outside of the hectic life of a Soldier, Angeal kept to calming activities, inspired by his homelife. He was a known gardener, keeping many plants in his room, shrugging off the occasional insect that shared his room despite Genesis’ protests. He also loved to cook, specializing in cooking with leftovers, a habit from growing up poor in Banora. Those hobbies, along with photography, kept his time off from Soldier activities calm and almost normal.
Almost.
Angeal considered Genesis and Sephiroth to be his closest friends. They grew in the Soldier program together, and Angeal cared for them both deeply. He kept a healthy rivalry with both of his friends, but he never idealized being greater than the two of them. Angeal specialized in hand-to-hand combat, and considered that his edge over the magic-abusing Genesis and the sword-loving Sephiroth. However, he often had to play peacekeeper between his two friends as their egos constantly clashed. Snarky comments would turn sour, spars would turn deadly, and despite the damage he inevitably accrued from stepping between them, Angeal was always there to force his friends to settle down.
While Angeal cares about everyone, even strangers, he holds his close friends to his heart. He has a habit of mother-henning those he cares for, constantly making sure they’re taking care of themselves. He can pick up on even the most subtle weight or mood changes, and will go out of his way to help his friends no matter what they need -- whether it’s a helping hand, an ego boost, or even a blood transfusion.
Training with the Soldier 1st class is no walk in the park. Angeal takes his job very seriously, and is known for his killer training programs. If one were to ask Angeal for help, they would find themselves pressed into doing everything they needed to be at 110%, with Angeal by their side every step of the way. While he’s kind and helpful, he’s also pushy and stern, reminding people what they’re there for, and what he’s doing to help them. He wants to help others improve, but he doesn’t pull his punches. If someone needs to hear something, even if its hard, he’ll be the one to deliver the news without sugar coating it.
Angeal’s extreme views on his pride and dignity, while useful at helping him become the absolute best Soldier he could be, are also his downfall. Because he has such a clear defining line between “good and evil” or “black and white”, he’s quick to put anything into its appropriate category -- including himself. After discovering that he was a monster -- the very thing he worked all of his life to protect others from -- Angeal couldn’t stand himself. He considered himself a monster, an evil upon the world. He was depressed and wallowed in self-loathing, unable to live with himself to the point of attempting to force his friends to end his life for him. Angeal’s reactions to things that go against his beliefs are sometimes very strong, and at times, very confusing for himself. He has a hard time personally processing extremely shocking information, and depending on what’s happened, he’s unlikely to get over it quickly.
Under the right circumstances, Angeal is depressed, filled with rage, and near suicidal.
Overall, Angeal is a kind, caring, and strong man -- physically and emotionally. A pacifist at heart, he doesn’t enjoy unnecessary bloodshed, and dreams of saving not only as many people as he possibly can, but the world itself someday. He proudly sticks to his dreams, his honor, and his dignity as he fights every battle life throws his way, both figuratively and literally. He’s never known a true stranger, and would be willing to help near anyone that needed him. Typically prone to keeping his cool in most situations, Angeal can be upset by just the right combination of things that make him cast doubt of himself and his honor -- causing him to be temporarily enraged, irritable, confused and difficult to deal with. However, as long as he has the help of others to overcome the trials that come his way, Angeal Hewley believes he can attempt to give life a second chance.
III. HISTORY
Angeal’s birth is a product of Project Gillian, a branch of the Jenova Project that aimed to create a Cetra-Human hybrid. The project was under the direction of Dr. Hollander, who was fighting to create the perfect Cetra/human hybrid before Professor Hojo. The project’s focus was Gillian Hewley, who was injected with Jenova cells, and then had her cells injected into others. The Project, short-named “Project G”, produced two surviving children. One of those children was Angeal -- who was born naturally to Gillian, unknowingly inheriting his mother’s Jenova cells.
Gillian eventually became ashamed of the project she had participated in, and attempted to flee ShinRa with Angeal. However, she was caught attempting to defect, and thus was sent to Banora. At the time, Banora was a ShinRa crafted village, built there for mako mining. Most of the people living there worked for ShinRa, and had no idea the truth behind Angeal or Gillian’s presence there.
Angeal grew up in Banora as the only son of a rather poor family. Gillian refused any payouts from ShinRa, as well as refusing the wealthy ShinRa education, wishing to keep Angeal far away from the company that she previously worked for. Gillian married the man who would become Angeal’s step-father -- a poor man who worked hard to keep his family afloat.
During his childhood years, Angeal became best friends with another boy his age; Genesis Rhapsodos. Though Genesis was the son of the rich landowners of Banora, the two never let such differences come between them. Being poor as he was, Angeal would often steal ripe dumbapples from the trees of others in town, yet he never took any from the land that was Genesis’ family’s property. He could never steal from his best friend, even if the dumbapples on that land were the biggest, best tasting dumbapples in all the land. Even at a young age, Angeal had his honor and a strong, moral compass.
While they were teenagers, Genesis volunteered for the SOLDIER program. Angeal volunteered alongside his friend, determined to stay by his side. Angeal had his own ambitions for becoming a SOLDIER -- they were toted as heroes to the people, civil servants of sorts. It was Angeal’s dream to help others, or to even help the world. He held his dreams and his honor close to his heart, and used them as his stepping stones up the ShinRa SOLDIER ladder.
Following his joining of SOLDIER, Gillian and Angeal’s father surprised him with a gift. The gift was a sword -- The Buster Sword, as it was deemed; a reflection of his family’s honor.
During his time in the SOLDIER program, Angeal managed to befriend a fellow Soldier named Sephiroth. The latter already had fame and notoriety following him, and Sephiroth gave both Angeal and Genesis a goal to reach for. Throughout their years at SOLDIER together, and even after all three men had managed to become 1st Class SOLDIER’s, they still remained close friends.
The three men made an interesting trio, as they each had their own quirks about themselves that had to be learned, mastered, or ignored. When they sparred together, they always almost seemed to be a worthy match for each other. However, Sephiroth somehow always seemed to be a step ahead of the other two. Angeal shrugged such a thing off, typically giving his friend a sarcastic retort or a gentle roll of the eyes when Sephiroth’s ego inflated. However, Angeal found it much harder to keep Genesis calm when it came to Sephiroth’s natural talent and inability to avoid the spotlight. Angeal did his best to mediate between Genesis and Sephiroth when need be, and thankfully, the good times heavily outweighed the bad. The three were close, and Angeal cared for both of his friends deeply.
“The spiritual leader of SOLDIER” was what Angeal had become in the eyes of his fellow SOLDIERs. He was known to mentor and train 2nd and 3rd class SOLDIERs, helping them along in the pursuit of their dreams. It was around this time that Angeal began to mentor his star pupil, the young Zack Fair. Though Zack had relentless amounts of energy and trouble keeping focus (earning him the affectionate nickname, Zack the Puppy), Angeal was determined to help Zack obtain his dreams. His training was intense, but he was always there to catch the Puppy when he fell, and to help him improve. Angeal taught Zack the most important lessons of all, to follow his dreams, and to never lose his dignity or honor.
Though he spent a lot of time training others on the side, Angeal always had time to spend with his friends. They typically spent a lot of their time in the training rooms, where they could let loose on each other and show off any skills they’d picked up while out on missions. As their latest spar began as they usually did -- Genesis quoting Loveless, and Sephiroth eventually mocking him -- Angeal led the way in their attack. Though he possessed excellent swordsmanship and strength, he was easily dispatched by Sephiroth, as was Genesis. After trading blows, Genesis requested to fight Sephiroth one on one. Not eager to get in the way of the battling egos, Angeal stepped aside, watching until it was necessary to intervene. As the spar got too intense, Angeal tried to stop Genesis from tearing the room apart -- but his friend dispatched him with a blast of magic. After a quick recovery, Angeal was finally able to come between his friends, blocking Sephiroth’s blade with the hilt of one sword while blocking Genesis’ with another. However, the blade from his standard-SOLDIER sword was broken from the force, which flew forward, slicing through Genesis’ shoulder.
It was a rough injury, to be sure. Genesis shrugged it off and left the worn training room, leaving Angeal and Sephiroth to wonder how to make up such a thing to their friend.
However, something strange happened. Genesis’s injury didn’t heal as quickly as it should have. In fact, it didn’t seem to be healing at all. Both Angeal and Sephiroth offered to step up as blood donors for Genesis, as Dr. Hollander thought it may help, but Sephiroth was denied. Angeal was able to donate blood to Genesis, and though Genesis hid his injury well, Angeal couldn’t help but worry for his friend.
Meanwhile, outside of ShinRa, the war with Wutai was beginning to escalate.
Angeal continued his life as normal, running missions for ShinRa while also taking time to train his pupil, Zack. They used another of the training arenas, and while Zack had improved a lot from his younger days, Angeal found him still getting in way over his head. His pupil was headstrong and confident, but lacked tact and some reasoning skills on the battlefield. Nothing that couldn’t be fixed. After saving Zack from a computerized Sephiroth, Angeal gave him another reminder of what to focus on; his dreams, and his honor. Merits for a true SOLDIER.
It was during this exercise that Angeal received a disturbing call about the progress of the Wutai war. Genesis had been dispatched to Wutai, and had seemingly defected from ShinRa. He was reported as missing.
Angeal meets with the SOLDIER Director, Lazard, and suggests promoting Zack Fair to 1st Class; provided he did well with his upcoming mission in Wutai. Angeal calls Zack into the briefing room, and after fending off Zack’s overzealous hugs and attention from being told he might be promoted to 1st class, Lazard explains the current situation to the two Soldiers. Along with the missing Genesis, there was a mass desertion of Soldier operatives who had been dispatched along with him. Angeal and Zack were then sent to Wutai with a two-fold mission -- to help bring an end to the war, and to gather information on the desertion, if possible.
After a long journey, the two SOLDIERs land in Wutai outside of Fort Tamblin, and Angeal doesn’t skip the opportunity to teach Zack a lesson about dumbapple trees, aka Banora Whites. The story was that of how he grew up -- poor and having to steal to survive, yet never stealing from his best friend, despite the circumstances. He relates this story to his past and honor, and Zack asks what the relevance of the story is. Angeal simply replies that “no story isn’t worth hearing”, before chuckling at Zack’s confusion and continuing onwards toward their mission.
“Honor can be quite the burden, at times,” Angeal explained to Zack, when his pupil asked why he didn’t simply ask his friend for the apples from his tree.
Shortly thereafter, he and Zack arrive at the Fort. Angeal entrusts Zack with storming the front gate, while he goes to place the bomb inside. As their mission nears the end, he shows up in the dojo, just in time to save Zack from getting killed by one of Wutai’s anti-SOLDIER monsters. Despite the monster’s size and incredible strength, Angeal is able to easily dispatch it with the Buster Sword.
Zack apologizes for having made his mentor use the Buster Sword, and Angeal assures him that he’s more important than the sword (but just a little!). He helps Zack to his feet, and the two escape Fort Tamblin before the bomb goes off.
On their way out, Angeal and Zack meet up with Director Lazard. However, they are ambushed by Genesis copies (disguised as Wutai troops). Angeal sends Zack to protect Lazard, and deals with the copies himself. After making the disturbing discovery that he just fought copies of his childhood friend, Angeal “defects” from ShinRa himself -- but it’s just a ploy. His only intention is to find Genesis, find out what was going on, and bring his friend back.
Angeal finds Genesis in Banora, where his friend had set up a sort of “operations” outpost. Along with Genesis, and a disturbing amount of clones, was Dr. Hollander. On top of that, Genesis had killed everyone in the village -- aside from Gillian Hewley. It’s during this time that Angeal finds out the truth behind his birth; that he and Genesis were failed experiments of ShinRa, and that they weren’t human, but monsters. Having always had faith and honor in himself, having always stayed true to his dreams, this knowledge shattered Angeal’s perception of himself, and more importantly, his spirit and his heart. He began to hate … Not anything in particular at first -- the experiments, the lies, the company … and quickly, he began to hate himself. He couldn’t return to ShinRa, knowing what they’d done to him as an infant, but he didn’t agree with Genesis’s plans for revenge. He didn’t believe hurting innocent people was right, no matter the circumstance.
For the moment, Angeal stuck to what he’d originally set out to do; save Genesis.
But it was no easy feat. Every waking moment of every day, Angeal began to wallow in despair, self-hatred, and confusion. No longer sure of who he was, or what his purpose was in this life.
Or if he even had a future.
During this time, Angeal confronted his mother about his birth, their past, and the experiments. What all Gillian revealed isn’t known, but Angeal was so disgusted with himself, that he left the Buster Sword behind in his family home, no longer believing he deserved it. He leaves his mother, still shaken, confused, and abhorrent.
Two months pass, and Angeal isn’t surprised when ShinRa finally dispatches someone to look into the strange dealings happening in Banora. However, he is surprised to see that they sent Zack Fair, his former pupil. As Zack begins to piece together what’s going on in the village and finds his way to the Banora Warehouse, Genesis attempts to pick a fight. However, Angeal comes between them, taking Zack’s sword, and pointing it at Genesis -- silently choosing a side. However, as Genesis speaks, Angeal finds his resolve wavering once more. He pushes Zack out of his way and leaves the Warehouse, heading back into the village.
Angeal arrives back at his house to find his mother dead, her lifeless body splayed across the floor. He stands close to the door and stares at the scene, trying to put together all of the confusing pieces in his head. Zack arrives shortly thereafter and tosses Angeal around, asking him how he could do such a thing -- accusing him. However, the ex-1st Class can only come up with a confusing answer, that his mother had nothing to live for anymore and that he bore the same fate, before Genesis arrives again. With the death of his mother now on his shoulders, Angeal could only leave the scene. He couldn’t face Zack until he figured things out for himself, and he wanted to drag Zack into this as little as possible.
His former life was shattered, and the people he cared about were leaving in one way or another.
Angeal remained out of sight for quite some time, struggling with himself. Despair continued to hang heavy on his shoulders, confusion about his future nagging at him every day. He was now fully convinced that he was, indeed, a monster. And though he didn’t approve of what Genesis wanted to do, Angeal stuck by him for the time being. He was directionless, his drive for life fading. Hollander was using Genesis to create the Genesis-Copies, and during this time, the Professor took blood from Angeal as well -- making the first Angeal copies.
Four months pass before Angeal reappears in Midgar. Zack is dispatched to the Sector 5 reactor, where he encounters an Angeal copy for the first time. As Zack chases Hollander, intent on capturing him, he’s stopped by Angeal. The meeting between master and former pupil is awkward, and Angeal attempts to share some of his confusion with Zack. Zack asks what Angeal’s objective was, and the man sarcastically replied, “World domination”. That and revenge were the only things he could believe that a monster would want. Angeal didn’t notice that Zack wasn’t disgusted at all by his monstrous wings, but instead thought of them as angel’s wings.
While it was a nice gesture, the words didn’t sink in for Angeal, who had spent months on months wallowing in despair about what he’d become. He angrily asked Zack what angels fight for, or what they dream of. In his desperate rage, he jammed the Buster Sword into the steel floor, forgoing his honor, and helplessly told Zack that angels only dream of being human. He then attempted to goad Zack into fighting him, but his pupil refused, and in his desperation, Angeal threw some magic Zack’s way, and knocked him far into the slums below.
After this incident, Angeal finally settles on some sort of path for his new life. Having a change of heart, he returned to Midgar, intercepting Zack on his way to ShinRa’s headquarters. The building had been overrun with Genesis copies, and the situation appeared grim. Angeal finally began to let Zack in a little, bit by bit into madness, admitting to Zack that he doesn’t really know what exactly he’s doing anymore. But, Angeal’s made up his mind that he needs to protect his honor. He asks Zack to join his side, to destroy all that creates suffering. Zack agrees to help his cause, and Angeal grabs Zack and flies him to ShinRa.
Together, they land at the Soldier floor, where they find Sephiroth. Angeal immediately takes to his old role of mother henning his dear friend, asking Sephiroth with worry if he’d lost weight. Sephiroth remains silent, and Angeal gives the trio instructions -- he’d handle clearing the outside, Sephiroth could clear the floor, and Zack was to find Professor Hojo, who Angeal knew Genesis was after.
By the time Angeal makes it to the lab, Genesis and Zack have their swords drawn at each other, while Hojo continues to taunt the situation as a whole. Angeal steps in and commands Genesis to stop, ignoring the grating voice of Hojo as the man commented on how surprised he was to see them both with wings. Genesis quotes LOVELESS, and to the surprise of all parties involved, Hojo continued to explain the story along. Genesis flees the lab, and Angeal grabs Zack and flies after him. As they approach Genesis, the other starts a summons, and Angeal leaves Zack to deal with what’s to come, assuring him he can take care of it. Meanwhile, Angeal flies after Genesis, and begins to battle with him in the air.
The battle is short-lived, and Genesis flees once more.
Angeal continues to keep an eye on Genesis and Hollander, while at the same time keeping in contact with Lazard about the two. He meets up with Zack shortly after the incident with Hojo, and apologizes to his pupil for leaving him to deal with the summon. He then tells Zack that Genesis and Hollander are hiding out in Modeoheim, and that Zack would be dispatched there soon. When Zack asks him if he’s actually working, Angeal stiffly replies that he’s still a Soldier at heart.
But, other than that, he doesn’t give Zack much else.
Angeal approaches Genesis and Hollander in Modeoheim, and the ensuing conversation leaves him feeling at his absolute worst. He can’t kill Hollander, both because it would be against his moral code, and Hollander was the only hope to actually curing Genesis of his degradation. However, Hollander praised Angeal for what he was, a perfect experiment, leaving Angeal to hate every fiber of his own being.
He was drowning in his own self-created suffering.
Zack is dispatched to Modeoheim, just as Angeal knew he would be. By the time Zack defeats Genesis and locates Angeal in the abandoned, run down bathhouse, Angeal has made a decision for his future. That there would be no future. He couldn’t conquer his own suffering, no matter how hard he tried, and he knew that continuing to live would only cause more suffering to those he cared for. He would end up destroying them with his own hate.
As Zack approaches Angeal, the mentor apologizes to his pupil again, for making him face Genesis. He admits that he should have been the one to do it, and Zack stubbornly acknowledges that it was true. Angeal then begins provoking Zack to fight him once more, forcing his pupil to draw his sword, and they begin a very quick battle. It’s ended, though, by the appearance of Hollander, who begins to praise Angeal and tells him to take revenge for their “family”. Angeal turns his fury to Hollander, shouting that his father is dead. Then, as Hollander begins to speak of Gillian, Angeal again shouts at the Professor to never say his mother’s name. However, Hollander continues -- well aware that Angeal won’t kill him -- and Angeal hangs his head as hearing once more about how he was a perfect monster.
Hollander explains the results of Project Gillian, how Genesis was a failure, but how Angeal was perfect as he was bred from Gillian. Angeal possessed a two-way conduit, able to absorb the genetic traits of others, and able to implant those traits into anyone as well. He did not suffer from degradation. He had “perfectly” adapted Jenova’s genes.
Angeal tells Zack that he is perfect. A perfect monster. He reminds Zack that they agreed to destroy all that creates suffering in the world, and reveals that he’s created his own suffering. Zack attempts to argue with him, as does Hollander, but Angeal ignores them both, his mind clearly made up. He summons the nearby Angeal Copies, and absorbs their genes into his own -- transforming into the monster, Angeal Penance.
Zack is forced to fight the monster Angeal has become, or die himself. He manages to defeat Angeal Penance, leaving a mortally wounded Angeal where the monster once stood.
In his final moments, Angeal thanks Zack for what he’s done. He then passes the Buster Sword to his pupil, and reminds him to protect his honor, always. As Zack takes the sword from his weakening hand, Angeal closes his eyes, and passes onto the lifestream, leaving his crying pupil and dear friend behind.
For the most part, anyway.
Zack Fair still needed a helping hand at times, and Angeal would always be there for him. A surviving Angeal copy, a wolf-like creature with two white wings, watches over Aerith and her church. Angeal later appears in a vision of Zack’s, giving Zack an emotional boost that helps him break out of Hojo’s lab. Lazard is turned into an Angeal copy, and gives insight that Angeal didn’t only want to help others, he wanted to save the world. Lazard and the wolf-copy, who are both degrading, fight against ShinRa to protect Cloud, and they die and go to the Lifestream as well. Angeal is seen one last time, after Zack’s death, helping Zack to his feet to take his first step into the Lifestream.
IV. AUTHOR
PLAYER ALIAS:: Lala OTHER CHARACTERS:: Warrior of Light ROLE-PLAYING EXPERIENCE:: TOO LONG HOW YOU FOUND US:: beep NOTES FOR CONSIDERATION:: The RP Sample is JUST FOR FUN, it doesn't apply to the site. I'm giving Angeal a lil amnesia cause we LIKE IT THAT WAY. So, he's technically experienced his entire life up to death, he just doesn't quite remember all of it. For y'know. Dramatic reasons. ROLE-PLAY SAMPLE:: Spring.
Spring was, truly, the most beautiful time of year. The harsh cold of winter would sail away, replaced by warmer temperatures and sunny skies. The life underfoot would transform, bloom from a dead, dreary state to green, filled with life and color and vigor. Animals would reappear from their hiding places, flowers sprouted and opened their beautiful, colored petals; spreading out to be seen. Insects buzzed about, and birds sang the very songs of the earth. It was the season of life, and the season of rebirth.
It gave way to flowers. To trees and plants. To newborn animals.
It wasn’t meant to rebirth monsters.
Yet there he was, sitting underneath a great tree, fully in bloom in the light of the moon. His form was limp against the trunk of the ancient wood, sitting, propped up against it, as if Minerva’s cruel hand had set him that way herself. The pale light of the moon and stars above bathed him, revealing a dark uniform, straight dark hair, a stubbled chin and tired, glowing blue eyes. His body was splayed in the grass, his dirty boots upright, gloved hands clinging to the fresh grass beneath them. A cool breeze blew by, rustling the leaves of the tree, peppering his body with spent, colorful flower petals.
Finally, some life seemed to come to the Soldier’s body. A sharp intake of breath, a fluttering of the eyes. A groan, more like a rumble, deep in his broad chest. Haunted eyes glanced about, taking note of seemingly everything in the near vicinity. The landscape was beautiful, the nighttime sky stunning, and the very planet beneath him seemed to brim with life.
Yet, as Angeal heaved in another harsh breath, trembling with effort, only one word could come to mind.
Why?
He’d been aware for a time, before his body had decided to awaken. Before, his mind had been nothing but scattered thoughts, at peace, because his work in the world was finished. Life had ended for Angeal Hewley many years ago, and after Zack’s death, so had any reason for him to hang on any longer. He’d let the Planet take him away, to the peace he didn’t deserve, but peace nonetheless.
Those scattered thoughts were now dancing behind his eyes, trying to piece themselves together in a way they knew they should fit. It was bewildering, to see one’s life play out in front of them in mere moments, but Angeal had no energy to marvel at the effort. Instead, he instinctively felt for the peace of nothingness, and groaned as he realized it was gone. It was replaced by the familiar pains of living.
Sore, tense muscles. Cloudy, broken thoughts and memories. An aching body, and an aching heart.
Angeal remained still, listening to the whispers of the wind as he tried to collect his thoughts. Any of them. Anything, for that matter. What was this? Where was he? Why was he here?
Is this life, or death? Am I dreaming?
Pain blossomed in Angeal’s back, the feeling like an old friend, and he groaned as he shifted against the tree, finally finding the will to stand. Slowly, his gloved fingers worked against the bark as he pulled himself to his feet, boots struggling in the soft grass. His knees felt weak, and his vision momentarily swam, the few colors he could make out in the darkness mixing and matching horribly together. He resisted the feeling to wretch best he could, closing his glowing eyes and pressing his head against the tree.
Finally, the world stopped spinning, and he was able to take a look around. He appeared to be in an open patch of land, an open forest of sorts. Long grass shifted softly nearby, and leaves rustled in the nearby forest land, where the trees began to thicken. There were no paths nearby, no houses, no people that he could see. There was nothing but … Himself. Groaning, Angeal moved his feet a bit, biting through the ache in his knees. He felt like he’d been by a truck. Or tackled by Zack when he wasn’t expecting it.
Dazed and confused, the Soldier began to wander toward the trees, attempting to come up with a plan of sorts as he went along.
Remembering, how to live.
Angeal wasn’t sure how far he’d gotten into the forest, but he knew that, by this point, days had passed. His internal clock didn’t quite work like it used to -- even human brains needed to be recalibrated he supposed -- but the days wherever he was seemed to be just as long as the ones back home had been. However, that was about where the similarities between the two ended, as far as he could tell.
The vegetation was similar, yet very different. The trees felt different, and the leaves they dropped felt strange. The birds that chirped sounded like none he’d ever heard before. He had yet to run into any people, but he feared the same result -- the Soldier wouldn’t be running into people that looked familiar to him. If there were even any people around, Angeal blearily reminded himself as he trudged onward through the trees, his body stiff with exhaustion, his throat dry.
The fourth night was beginning to set in, and the temperature began to drop. Typically such a thing didn’t bother him, Soldiers were crafted to deal with extreme temperatures, hunger, and everything else under the sun, but having spent several days with inefficient rest, little food and water, Angeal wasn’t feeling at his best. The sword on his back felt heavier than usual, as did his boots. The wind bit at his exposed skin, and as he rubbed his gloved hands over his arms, it only granted an extremely temporary reprieve. He needed to find shelter, food, and water.
And eventually, hopefully, civilization.
The only thing that was dragging Angeal along was some sort of morbid curiosity. He needed to know where he was, and why he was there. He knew he was supposed to be dead, and though he couldn’t clearly recall the circumstances of his death, he was well aware that it had happened. No one could ever forget the peace of the Lifestream if they’d ever been a part of it. The Soldier coughed into his gloved fist, pausing against a tree as he looked up to the unfamiliar stars overhead, twinkling at him in their infinite mystery.
Angeal suddenly found himself humored, thinking of some prose that Genesis would throw about if he were in this situation as well. Certainly, some verse from Loveless was bound to reflect wandering around and slowly dying. The thought of Genesis comparing his predicament to Loveless, in between the impressive amount of complaining the red-head would be doing as well, at least brought a smile to the somewhat-delirious Soldier’s face.
The thought was broken, however, as strange sounds began to stir the night air. Angeal became as alert as he possibly could, listening for the source of the noise. Something was making noise beyond the trees, out of his line of sight. It sounded loud and low, shaking his teeth in his skull. The Soldier slowly drew the sword from his back and waited, eyes darting around the horizon, waiting to see what was coming. However, at the same time, the ground beneath his boots began to slowly quake as well. At first, just a small tremble, that began to evolve into a violent pounding.
“What in the god’s name,” Angeal quietly breathed to himself, eyes widening as the forms coming closer began to take shape.
Monsters. Lots of them. Creatures that resembled forest animals of all shapes and sizes were stampeding towards him, squawking and crying as they went. They trampled bushes, stumbled over each other, desperate and panicked. Their cries were loud, nearly deafening, yet everything seemed to be silenced as a roar lit the night sky.
Appearing above the trees, just in sight, was a dragon. It’s claws ripped at the tops of the thickest forest limbs, tearing them with ease, reaching desperately for its desired prey. It’s leathery wings beat, sending blast after blast of hard, cold air forward, its bright scales twinkling along with the innocent stars above.
Angeal felt his stomach drop. He didn’t have the energy to fight a panicked hoard of monsters, and he definitely couldn’t fend off a dragon. A dragon for god’s sake. With the stampede quickly approaching, the Soldier let his own animal instinct take over. He threw the sword back onto his back and pushed himself off of the tree, running for his own life. Angeal took in gulp after desperate gulp of air as he ran, boots pressing off of the uneven ground, eyes searching for anything he could use to hide, or a different path he could run to. Behind him, the screams of monsters became louder, and the roar of the dragon began to deafen him.
“Come -- on --,” the Soldier grit his teeth, desperation seizing his spirit. Finally, he spotted it -- a small, but manageable pit buried in the side of a hill ahead. Angeal pressed forward as some of the monsters began to pass him, ignoring the way their spines and claws tore at his uniform and his arms. Almost, almost!
Angeal heaved himself into the small open mouth of the hole in the hill, having to crawl his way through the rocks and dirt. His skin flared in protest as he smudged small, oozing wounds into the exposed earth of the den as he worked his way through the opening. Clawing at the ground ahead of him, the Soldier lost his breath as he tumbled forward into the open den, landing hard on his side.
Face to face with another creature in the dark.
For a few moments, neither of them dared to breathe. The Soldier could see the monster, a wolfish creature with terrifying claws and large teeth, thanks only to the ability of his increased senses. The wolf-like monster was on its feet, perfectly still as it stared him down. Angeal stared back, remaining on his side, refusing to break eye contact.
Outside of the den, the dragon screeched, and both Angeal and the monster found themselves scooting further back into the safety of the earth. The sounds of other creatures running by, and others pitifully dying a quick, painful death, echoed on the small walls of the den. The wolf-creatures and the Soldier sat still in silence, pressed together as far back as they could go in the den, eyes on the opening.
They stayed frozen in that position for quite some time as the chaos continued outside. The occasional smaller creature joined them -- a few things that resembled mice, and other animals that Angeal couldn’t identify. Together, they all remained huddled in the dirt and darkness, a temporary truce called between all life forms present.
Monsters of all kinds, sharing a small amount of peace.
In the few moments Angeal had to think to himself as chaos rained down on the forest outside of the safety of the den, he couldn’t help but feel the subtle irony. There he was, a former Soldier operative and perfect monster hiding with his own kind. Yet, they weren’t tearing at each other, even though they could all sense the varying strengths and weakness of one another. Even monsters seemed to have some sort of moral code.
The smaller creatures curled up at Angeal’s knees, shaking as they dared to find sleep. Even the wolf-monster settled next to him in the cold dirt, its warm, matted fur pressed against his arms, its eyes heavy as it attempted to keep watch on the opening of the den. The roars and cries seemed to remain nearby, but at least less frequent. With no sense of time, and exhaustion taking over as adrenaline stores ran dry, even Angeal felt his eyes struggling to stay open. He didn’t rest peacefully -- none of them did -- but together, the family of monsters managed to stay safe until daybreak.
As Angeal crawled out of the den the next day, before any of the other monsters bothered, the light of the sun lit up a cruel sight. Trees, snapped like twigs. Blood smeared across the grass, across the treetops. Deep gouges in the grass and dirt. It truly appeared like a massacre, like some sort of storm with claws had crippled the land. The Soldier stared at it in awe for a few moments, taking in how truly lucky he’d been to spot the opening to the den in the dark. It could have easily been his blood splayed across the earth.
However, now that he’d survived near death for a night, his body began to remind him that there were still dangers about. His stomach growled hard, nausea crippling his abdomen. His mouth tasted of dirt, and the scratches on his arms, though slightly healed, were covered in grime and continued to throb. His uniform had been ripped at during the ensuing chaos, and his body still felt ragged and heavy.
Angeal grunted as he stepped over a large, splintered tree limb, “May have won the battle, but I’m going to lose the war at this rate.”
The war to stay alive, anyway.
The sound of familiar squeaks reached his ears, and Angeal glanced back at the den, seeing the small, mouse-like monsters begin to flee back into their true homes in the woods -- safe. Even the wolf-creature was staring at him through the maw of the den, blinking a few times before retreating inside. A code of honor between a group of monsters, to leave each other be in a time of crisis. That’s something I never thought I’d experience.
Angeal lucked out during the final leg of his trek that day. The sounds of civilization reached his ears, and slowly, he was able to make his way to the outskirts of the city. He saw people, and while they weren’t dressed in a fashion he was familiar with, the Soldier was relieved to, at least, hear them speaking the same language that he spoke. The few people that he passed at dusk gave him odd looks -- definitely judging the layers of dirt and grime caked to his body and the way he stumbled through his exhaustion down a narrow alley.
He hadn’t made it far into the town, but he hardly had the energy to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
The Soldier picked a deserted side of a building and pressed himself against the cool stone, slowly dropping down to a sitting position. His head swam with a mixture of confusing thoughts and those necessary for survival. As soon as he was able, he’d have to seek out water, at least. Food as well, preferably. But, that would cost money. He had no money. He barely had anything. No PHS, no friends to call on, no clear memories or motive, no idea where he was.
Angeal was pulled from his thoughts by a woman’s voice, and the feeling of someone tugging at his shoulder. Blearily he opened his eyes, unaware that he’d even closed them to begin with.
“Come on big guy,” the older woman’s voice made its way through the fog, “Wake up, will ya? It’s not good for business if people are sleeping outside of the Inn.”
He didn’t quite grasp what she was talking about. The Soldier squinted at the woman, blinking a few times, before hoarsely replying, “Excuse me?”
The woman tutted, nudging his splayed out legs with her boot, “You had a rough time out there, didntchya?”
Angeal swallowed dryly, trying to keep a firm grasp on what little energy and sense he had left, his voice tainted with a thick layer of sarcastic humor, “You could say that.”
Slowly, he forced himself up, not shooing away the woman as she helped him steady himself. She chattered on, telling him how lucky he was he’d managed to stumble upon her Inn, and how she’d been helping as many people as she could when they’d come in from the nearby forests looking exhausted and confused, or hurt.
“You look a lot like another man I took in,” the woman muttered as she set Angeal up with a room, despite the fact he had no way to repay her, “He used to help out around here. Maybe you can do the same, to make up for the room.”
Angeal muttered an agreement as the woman ushered him off to room to clean up. He managed to clean himself up to an extent between drinking glass after glass of water, before he couldn’t manage to stand any longer. The Soldier fell onto the bed he’d been graciously given, and began to think of the ways he could repay the woman for her kindness the next day.
Right. The next day.
There were still so many unanswered questions swimming around in his mind as sleep quickly moved in on him. Where he was, why he was there. What he was doing.
One day a time, Angeal reminded himself as his mind finally began to quiet down, Let’s just take things one day at a time.
