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.
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year 5, quarter 3
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The man sighed; less heavily than he should have, considering he’d been found unconscious in the extreme elements. Instead, it sounded more like the entire last hour had been an inconvenience rather than a life or death situation, his voice calm and regal. What Angeal did recognize, however, was the way the man’s face shifted into one of visible confusion and concentration, as if trying to retrace his steps backwards through an elegant dance rather than what had happened to him over the last several hours.
He’d done the very same tango, hadn’t he? Trying to remember what came before, and what was supposed to come next.
Yet, when the man spoke, the Soldier found he couldn’t recognize most of what the man was saying. The only word that made any sense in his recollections was Bahamut -- but the only Bahamut Angeal was aware of was a dragon that could be summoned with materia, in dire circumstances. Certainly not a sky fortress. Was something like that even possible? Shinra had built a giant city up on plates, so maybe it wasn’t such a farfetched idea.
What was most intriguing about the man’s one-sided revelation was the way he seemed to space out for a moment. Lost in thought, as if the path between his former memories and his new ones was broken along the way. Angeal frowned, readjusting himself as he propped an elbow on top of his knee. How long had he been here, now, but felt the same way when trying to look back on his life before this strange world? The last thing he could remember was a meeting … prepping for an excursion to Wutai, maybe.
He probably wasn’t the best person to welcome someone else into this new, strange world. But, he wasn’t presented with much of a choice. If he had information that could help someone else, well, it was his duty to pass it along.
Soldiers were meant to help people.
“Please, forgive me. I have not formally introduced myself,” the long haired man returned Angeal’s cautious smile, “I am Vayne Carudas Solidor, patriarch of House Solidor, and Emperor of Archadia.... But, I suppose the usual decorum is rather moot here.”
Well, that’s a mouthful.
“Can’t say I’ve ever met an Emperor before,” Angeal replied, his deep voice humored at least as he eyed the man -- Vayne -- with an eyebrow raised, “Normally I’d offer to memorize your title in order to make sure you’re comfortable … But, I’d say this is far from normal circumstances for either of us.”
A bead of sweat dripped its way down from the Soldier’s hairline as he spoke, a reminder of the unfriendly environment they were both trapped in. The wind whipped against their sandstone structure, threatening to stir up the sand under their bodies. Thankfully the gust passed, and for another moment they were safe from dirt raining down upon them from the high windows. Angeal’s friendly smile slowly dropped from his features as his eyes glanced up at the structure, taking in the lack of scenery as the warmth continued to seep far too deep into his bones -- the words tumbling in his head, as he tried to decide the best way to tell a stranger that he was likely no longer home.
Angeal reached into his pocket, gloved fingers grasping the worn map he’d been referring to for weeks now. The words splashed across it were still as foreign as they had been the first time he’d looked at it, but the Soldier’s familiar scrawl over the paths he’d traveled were real as they could be.
“I … may have some idea, as to where you are,” Hewley grimaced, feeling that particular phrase wasn’t quite right for what he was trying to imply, “Does the name Serentestra sound, in any way, familiar to you?”
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.
Angeal watched with a silent awe as the man he’d found unconscious in the desert began to move of his own accord. A gloved hand reached to meet his own, carefully grasping the lid of the canteen from his grip. The Soldier let it go, keeping a wary eye on the man as he brought the source of water to his lips, carefully drinking every drop. Moments ago, the man had been nothing but an unconscious lump -- a real one, as Angeal was well aware of what a person faking unconsciousness looked like. How many times had Zack tried to pull that stunt on him during a particularly difficult training regimen?
The man extended his hand, returning the now empty cap. Angeal took it, his eyebrows furrowing as he screwed it back onto the canteen. Though his own body ached for water, he knew well that he would continue to survive with the bare minimum. There was no need to work through his supply quickly, especially if he would be traveling with another person. The stranger he’d picked up in the desert seemed to be quickly regaining his strength, but that did not make him a modified Soldier, capable of surviving the harsh elements.
The stranded stranger spoke, his face stoic and his voice unstrained, “I extend to you my deepest gratitude, ser.”
Ser? That was a new one. The man’s entire manner of speech seemed rather … regal, maybe, was the word for it. Far beyond a simple thanks, almost as if the words had left Genesis’ mouth. Poetic.
“Well, I couldn’t very well leave you out there to die,” Angeal nodded, giving the man a slight smile to show that he was still friendly and trusting, despite his burden’s sudden revival. The Soldier released a held breath, taking in the feeling of the light breeze as it cooled the sweat on his skin. He took a couple of steps away from the stranger, before putting his back to the same wall, removing the large sword from his back, and sliding down to sit. He placed the canteen between them, watching the stranger with a curious, yet still concerned, glowing-eyed gaze.
“I’m Angeal,” he offered the man his name, before gesturing toward him with a gloved hand, “Any idea how or why you ended up half-buried in a sand dune?”
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.
Angeal wakes up in a strange place, the last thing he remembers being orders for Wutai. He meets a man named Mu, who gives him a map of the land and explains that he's no longer in his world.
Traveling with a caravan bound for Provo, Angeal helps stop a man from ramming his out of control chocobo into a crowd of weary travelers. He invited the man to join him, and has since regretted it.
Angeal, down on his luck, goes to a bar in Provo that is doing some sort of dating event. However, he hardly expected a Turk to sit herself at his table.
Traveling through the desert, Angeal finds a man buried in the sand. He gets them to safety, but the man -- with a very long title for a name -- seems to recover more quickly than he should have.
Having a recurring nightmare while staying in a desert outpost town, Angeal takes an early walk to clear his head and finds another warrior out and about at dawn.
Footsteps softly parted the grass nearby, and Angeal only needed a passing, glowing-eyed glance to see that it was the stranger he’d offered some companionship to. He was honestly a bit surprised to see the man saunter back over to him, as most people seemed to want to keep to themselves in this world.
That, or they weren’t particularly interested in speaking to a man with a giant sword on his back.
”You left it a tad long, I think.”
Angeal raised a dark eyebrow, giving the man a curious look as he propped himself down on a log next to the fire. The poor fish was, indeed, beyond saving at this point, but he couldn’t really let it go to waste. Food was even more scarce now than it had been when he was growing up. He was no expert fisherman like his father had been, but the few he caught every other day were enough to keep him going. Not as much as he’d like, no thanks to his army-strengthened metabolism, but enough.
”But there’s no need for shame. It’s a simple mistake. I’m a tad out of touch myself, really.”
“Well, you know what they say,” Angeal mused as he pulled his fish away from the fire, pressing his fingers to the filleted sides to see how warm they were, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
The man’s brand of humor was nostalgic, as much as it poked fun at him. It reminded him of Genesis, who’s words were crafted so carefully to be harmless barbs -- enough to make him roll his eyes, but not actually designed to inflict any pain. The kind of humor that used to go over Sephiroth’s head when they all first became friends, as he took it all so literally.
His heart lurched.
Angeal cleared his throat, “Feel free to show me up though, chocobo jockey. There’s a couple of gutted fish in the net right behind you.”
The Soldier then picked at his fish, pulling off little bits here and there that weren’t particularly scarred by the fire. It was bland and filled his mouth with the aroma and taste of smoke more than anything else, but pulled up distinct memories of campfires by the sea and the harsh times at home with nothing but rough, tuber vegetables and whatever was biting.
Oh well. At least the chocobo-man constantly roasting him as thoroughly as he accidentally had this fish would keep him distracted.
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.
The sweltering heat of the sand hit a little different while carrying an entire body in his arms. Angeal desperately pulled each warm breath into his lungs, blinking away the sweat that beaded and dripped down from his hairline, irritating his eyes. The weight of the man was no issue, really, but the added layer of heat was enough to make even the kind-hearted Soldier reconsider traversing the dunes to the next stopping point. However, the man in his arms was desperately clinging to life, his ragged breaths urging Angeal to keep moving.
And so he did.
It seemed like an eternity had passed before the next camp on the map appeared. The outpost appeared deserted, most of the beige buildings having sustained various levels of damage on top of being partially buried under the sand. Gritting his teeth, Angeal scoured the area for a building that still held its shape and offered some respite from the sun. Blue eyes scanned the structures -- everything out here was the same infuriating color -- before his gaze landed on an intact doorway.
There was no door, of course, closed buildings offered no real ventilation in the desert. The doorway was partially blocked by a drift of sand, but nothing the Soldier couldn’t push his way through. The windows were high, allowing for the warm breeze to pass through on all sides. It was still warm, but definitely degrees cooler than it was outside. And, more importantly, they were finally safe from the terrorizing rays of the sun.
Angeal gently set his burden down on the sand-covered, stone floor. The man was barely conscious, but still fighting for his life. The Soldier let loose his own held breath as he knelt down beside the man, slicking back his own sweaty, raggled hair before removing his gloves. He set his supplies off to the side before reaching for his canvassed canteen, taking a gulp himself before dribbling just a few drops onto the man’s face with his fingers.
“I don’t know if you can hear me,” Angeal started, his voice hoarse as the water worked its way through his throat, “I’m going to pour some water into the canteen cap for you to drink. It has to be a little bit at a time, so it doesn’t shock your system, alright?”
He removed the cap from the canteen bottle, filling it with water. It was a decent sip’s worth, enough to start revitalizing the man one drink at a time, but not enough to choke him in case his body decided to revolt against him. Angeal gently set a hand on the back of the man’s neck, holding his head steady as he moved the edge of the canteen lid to the man’s dry lips.
“If you’re conscious, lean into it. I’m not going to be responsible for drowning you.”
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.
Can't process this other world shit, MOVING ON xDD
To detail how ungrounded Angeal felt would have been impossible. The more the mysterious, yet helpful stranger spoke, the more he felt like his feet were coming off of the ground. Like he was no longer gripped by reality. How did, how could any of this make sense? Attempting to grasp what the man meant felt like grabbing at bubbles -- physically they were there, there could be some truth to it … but they burst, just as soon as he wrapped his fist around them.
That individual could come from a different point in time as you
The Soldier tried to focus on taking the information one logical step at a time. He was in a different world. He’d been brought here, just like the man before him. Not only that, but people were being dropped off in the world left and right, potentially from … the future? Or the past? Angeal closed his eyes and took a deep breath, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as his eyebrows furrowed. However, no matter what he did to attempt to focus on the supposed facts being stated to him, it all slipped away. It was too hard to believe.
The ninja replied that he hadn’t seen anyone like Angeal, and to his credit, the man at least seemed sincere in his words. That little bit of humanity was likely the only thing keeping the dutiful Soldier from simply letting the confusing despair drop the ground from beneath his feet.
Was this man telling the truth? He’d have to verify it with others, but … the map felt real, at the very least, and it wasn’t like there was an entire city hidden that he’d never known about. Besides, for a city to be this technologically far along, it would have to be connected to ShinRa.
The white haired man introduced himself politely. Mu, it was an interesting name. That sense of normalcy pulled Angeal from his further cynical thoughts, helping him to find something stable to focus on. Introductions. Anything other than this … other world talk.
The Soldier cleared his throat, “I’m Angeal. Sorry, I didn’t mean to bombard you with so many questions.” He held his tongue from stating just how wild and unbelievable the entire story was, of course. Instead, he let the previous part of their conversation replay in his head.
Angeal glanced about the street. Strangers met his gaze for only a moment before looking away, going about their business, bathed in the neon lights and mutters covered up by the sounds of the night. He looked back to Mu, lowering his voice, “You said there’s a lot of crime here at night. Anything we should be concerned about?”
Sorry this is DUMB AND SHITTY I've been so scatterbrained sobs
Angeal had the good fortune of being handed a map upon his arrival to this strange world. He’d lost count of the days at this point, having not had anything to record his ventures down with for a while, but he was well aware that he’d hardly covered even a smidgen of the continent he was stranded on.
Well, he’d accepted the fact that this did seem to all be real, at least. Crawling out of denial was a step in the right direction.
His map was dotted with notes he’d made himself, slightly smudged, but otherwise perfectly readable. It wasn’t a topographical map, and so he’d added notes about the geography and flora on the paths he’d traveled so far, realizing only too late that he should have invested in a journal to take notes in. Reconnaissance wasn’t a typical job for a Soldier 1st Class, but that hardly meant Angeal wasn’t used to it. He was a true army grunt once upon a time and knew the importance of taking field notes and paying attention to every possible detail.
Lines crossed over the paper here and there, leading to Gaia-only-knew where. A week ago the Soldier traced a path with his finger, his eyes scanning unfamiliar town names and outposts. He hadn’t had any luck so far in locating anyone else he knew … Or anyone who even knew what ShinRa was, for that matter. It was time to find a new location to search. There were two long, distinct paths leading south -- one on the east and one on the west. Midgar was located in the west … Maybe someone else had wandered in that direction, hoping to find something familiar?
One way to find out.
If he’d have known it was nothing but desert, Angeal wouldn’t have picked that path first. He sighed heavily as the sun beat down relentlessly against his cloak, the stifling wind occasionally pressing underneath his hood. The map wasn’t wrong, this was a known path with outposts marked, but most of the little towns and outposts had been abandoned, from the looks of them. He’d been wandering on the outskirts of the desert for days now, sweating obscenely during the long days and near freezing during the nights. There was no clear end in sight, and if he were any lesser of a man, he certainly would have died by now.
Mako infusions were nothing to scoff at, apparently.
Grainy sand and curved dunes as far as the eye could see. Angeal shielded his eyes from the sun with a hand as he gazed across the landscape, finding nothing but the same monotonous views. The wind whipped and whirled the dangerous speckles; a sort of taunt that, at any moment, it could stir the ground into a torrential storm that would threaten to bury everyone and everything in its path. Even wildlife was scarce aside from the occasional reptile that skittered past his boots and back into the sandy depths.
In the distance, the Soldier could see a storm moving away from him. He’d likely been lucky to dodge it, venturing some minutes or hours behind the winds. The wall of tans and yellows moved further away, nothing but a dull hum on the horizon. If it had been somewhat closer, maybe it would have blocked out the sun, if only for a moment. Angeal drew his map from his travel bag, finger following along the path he’d traveled. Looks like there’s an outpost coming up. Maybe I’ll get luckier this time. Thank Gaia he was an over-preparer. Once he’d spotted the desert on the horizon, Angeal had stocked up as much water as he could shove in his travel pack and in the canteen at his waist.
He carefully folded the map and packed it away once more, scanning the barely-there path ahead, only clear from the occasional vague landmark. However, something caught his eye -- something shining against the light of the sun. Angeal squinted against the wind, blue eyes searching for more of what could possibly be buried in the dune ahead. A weapon, maybe, or a piece of technology? Well, it wouldn’t hurt to check it out.
His boots sunk in the disturbed sand as he approached. The wind was still upset, the last of the influence of the distant storm. Angeal pulled the tunic closer as the glare of the nearby metal guided him, huffing underneath the fabric. The heat radiating off of the ground distorted the image before him, pulling lines into curves. However, as he drew closer to the shining object, an unwelcome chill came up his spine. His gaze followed the lines, partially covered by sand; long limbs, sandy covered clothing, dark hair.
It wasn’t an object. It was a person.
Angeal hurried his steps, though a feeling of dread sunk into the pit of his stomach. A man collapsed in the desert … It was likely he wasn’t looking at a living person any more, but a corpse. The Soldier crouched down next to the body, drawing it out of the sand. The gauntlets on the body were what had caught his eye, metal on leather. Angeal brushed sand off of the body, before pulling off his glove and pressing two fingers to the man’s neck.
The body was warm, but that was no surprise. There was no way that--
Faint, rhythmic thumps valiantly pressed through to Angeal’s fingers. The Soldier’s glowing eyes widened as he quickly rose, leaning up to pick up the body bridal style. The man’s weight was hardly noticeable -- Angeal swung around an equally heavy weapon with ease daily -- but moving through the sand would take a bit longer. He gently shook the man, making sure the sand-covered shawl was shadowing his face as he walked back toward the path.
They weren’t too far from the next outpost. Angeal could get them there quickly, but of all times … He wished he had another way to travel. Moving far enough from the dune back to the path he’d been walking, Angeal took a moment to set the man down, supporting his upper body by keeping a strong arm wrapped around the stranger. He pulled his canteen from his side and pulled the tab open, taking a moment to lightly flick water against the man’s face. Hopefully, it would provide a first step toward waking him up. He couldn’t risk tilting the water into the man’s mouth after all -- if he was too far gone, he’d simply choke.
“Come on now,” Angeal urged the man, giving him another gentle shake, “Show me you’re still holding on.”
Whether the man did or not was irrelevant. Angeal placed the canteen back at his side and picked the stranger up once more. Even if the man woke up, he likely didn’t have the energy to walk.
Just a bit further. They’d find shelter in no time.
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.
The inexperienced Chocobo rider gave an exasperated laugh as he took the reigns from Angeal's outstretched hand.
”I’ll likely request a refund on my purchase. I can’t say I’m particularly happy with the result. It’s been ages since I’ve had cause to ride one. You see, where I left there are these excellent vehicles called cars. My, the speed nearly astounded me! Magnificent things. I haven’t seen a reason to leave them yet!”
The Soldier rose his eyebrows at the man's sarcasm, but yet more at his mention of cars. Right, Angeal hadn't seen a real motorized vehicle since he'd left Sonora. Where they were currently was certainly backwater, as Zack would have put it. Most travel seemed to be done with chocobos or walking, and there wasn't much of an in-between that he'd found yet. When confronted with a vehicle, a chocobo really did look more dim and grim. Not that they didn't have their uses -- even ShinRa had trouble with some terrain -- but the birds had become outclassed and derelict.
"I understand the feeling," Angeal muttered honestly, placing his hands on his hips as he sympathized with the stranger. Traveling on foot, camping out in the wilderness, and eating nothing but what you caught or found was entertaining for the first few days, but Gaia knew he was craving some modern comforts.
A humored smirk found its way to the Soldier's lips as the chocobo-rider admitted to needing to settle back into the old way of doing things. He sounded like an old soul, a back in my day type. Angeal had no issues with such a thing, even he was known to complain in such a way despite his younger age. Even his mother told him he was an old man stuck in the body of a strapping young man.
He was right, Angeal had managed fine. But, that was all he'd done. Managed. He was no closer to finding any of the people he was searching for, nor finding any sense of normalcy in this world. The map of the continent was crinkled in his pocket, filled with notes about the paths and areas he'd traveled through; dotted with the names of creatures he'd somewhat recognized, outposts, landmarks ... Hopefully, it would be of some use to him later.
"I believe the stable is that way," he pointed in the direction the man had come flying in from, returning his casual farewell wave. That was that, he told himself as he turned away to let the stranger get back to his evening of, hopefully, no longer running over people. However, Angeal paused before taking another step. He could almost hear Genesis chiding him for the thoughts in his head.
I don't care if that man is traveling alone, his shoulder Genesis argued with his psyche, You should not be inviting him to join you, you know nothing about him.
Hewley sighed, sagging his shoulders.
Angeal, don't you dare, Angeal--!
The Soldier turned back around to see the man's retreating back. He called out over the distance, "Let me know if you need help with anything else, alright? I'm traveling alone myself. You're welcome to come join me if you need the company."
With the humble offer of kindness extended, Angeal turned back to his nearby fire, still smoldering with a speared, darkened fish nearby. He tucked a strand of hair back into place as he walked back over to his spot. If the stranger decided he needed some company, or a charred fish, he'd easily be able to find Angeal. There weren't many people in the area traveling with a giant sword on their back, after all. He set back by his fire, carefully placing the Buster Sword into the grass, before picking up his sad excuse for a fish and warming it back up over the top of the small flames.
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.
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.