008 | Fallout

[neverbeamemory]

Characters: Sephiroth [Open]
Setting: December 8th: Dormitory 03-02, Floor 2 & Floor 5
Format: Prose but can switch to Action
Summary: After End of the Angry Mob Plot Sephiroth feels somewhat deflated but no less bitter afterwards.
Warnings: Sephiroth: always threat of violence.

0204hrs December 8th - Dormitory 03-02

It was like falling within a dream and then waking as you hit the floor.

Piercing green eyes shot open in time with a sharp intake of breath, wide and hyper-actively looking around in the darkness. A heartbeat later and Sephiroth was sat bolt upright in his bed making out the details that he could in the gloom. Silver pauldrons sat undisturbed on top of the chest at the bottom of the bed as they would usually, his long leather trench-coat draped across the end of the bed.

It could have all been a bad dream, but for his shaking as if from the cold. He never shook from the cold. Strong muscled arms he couldn't remember resting back on after first sitting up shook just enough for him to notice this oddity. Sephiroth shifted his weight forward again and crossed his arms across his chest - each hand rubbing the bicep of the other arm similar to the way a normal person might keep warm.

He'd stopped rubbing, suspiciously narrowing his eyes at his own thoughts and feelings; as he apparently just held himself in a hug. Silver hair fell down like a great curtain across one side of him as restlessly Sephiroth continued to peer around in the darkness. Going through the events of the last three days in his mind again and again; scraping with a wire toothbrush at the festering mess of fresh memories inside.

It hadn't been a dream.

Early Afternoon December 8th - Infirmary
Like a bad hangover, Sephiroth didn't feel much like having his bi-weekly face off with the red collars today. For once, just this once he constantly reminded himself, he would attend the collar checkup today. Just on this one occasion he would submit. He would sit and wait, ignore the burning of every fibre of his body reminding him that this was wrong - that this was unacceptable. He was stronger than this.

The administrator lift looked so desolate, so un-used. The Infirmary itself had been restored to it's former spotless condition, but knowing how he'd indulged here Sephiroth couldn't resist to smirk as he watched the drones go about their tasks while he waited for his turn.

"Damn you do clean up so well." He muttered to himself mostly, not caring really who else heard him though.

Later Afternoon December 8th - Floor 5
A leather gloved hand reached out as if to touch the dead world of Gaia but found only the screen depicting it. Through lowered eyelids Sephiroth gazed in the hope that some understanding would come. He had never visited this floor before and just looked, forcing back the stirring wetness which stung in the depths of the corners of his eyes; he rubbed at them now and again. After all, he hadn't slept well.

If he and Hojo had the right of it and this had been in some way or form his doing, then why was looking at this screen making him feel this way. Of all things he should be feeling it should be the usual outrage that he experienced when he considered that their keepers here had stolen him away from the victory that was rightly his. The power of the Lifestream that should be coursing through his veins even as he observed the dead world on the other side of the screen sure did seem to resonate, like it should, with what he was seeing.

Whatever that power was, Lifestream or Jenova; it only told him one thing. He could taste the dust, smell the death and know the screaming pain of the entire planet. He wasn't a Cetra at all, but he might have imagined that this was a similar connection. The amount of his darkness that he'd infected the Lifestream with, was it a surprise that it now produced this link?

What he didn't understand, was what had drawn him here to gaze so unrelenting into a screen. He had a good idea now, of the extent to which their owners could realistically bend and distort the reality here - he wasn't going to believe any of it. But every cell of his was tricked into accepting it.

The developing headache might well be permanent.

Comments

[great_king_of_evil]

"But was it fun?"

Sephiroth could hear a familiar voice- That of Ganondorf as he was walking nearby, albeit he was going in the direction opposite for the moment. Sephiroth may have felt or not that Sephiroth had been present during the angry mob fiasco, only he had been observing it all from the shadows. This riot had been unnecessary and a waste of potential as far as he was concerned.

"Did you gain anything in it?"

He approached Sephiroth, with a calm voice, although legitimately curious.

[neverbeamemory]

"That depends very much on your definition of fun."

Sephiroth recognized Ganondorf's voice, he did after all have one of the more memorable ones out of all of their fellow residents. He watched Ganondorf approach, his expression a carefully held mask of blankness.

One always felt like one was being watched around the Tower, or at least Sephiroth felt that way. Another pair of eyes watching from the shadows on that day wouldn't have had any impact, or made any difference to his actions. He wouldn't be able to lie and flat out deny that he hadn't had any fun, however short lived that it was - at least the monsters he could take on tried to fight back.

"That remains to be seen." Sephiroth paused, curiously observing Ganondorf to try to ascertain his intentions in this exchange. He knew there were plenty of others who had differing opinions of Mondo's modus operandi, though if nothing else, for Sephiroth it was an opportunity to flex muscles and heck, it's not like he'd come up with any viable plot himself.

[great_king_of_evil]

"I shall be blunt, to see many of you there felt like a waste." he said abruptly, with true disappointment in the voice. "This operation attracted the attention of our administrators, it could have made quite a fine diversion-- And would we have known about it sooner maybe now it would have been fruitful..."

He was not only disappointed with Sephiroth's part in it though, he had seen others he thought should have known better- Richtofen, yet he could hardly be surprised at his foolishness any more. Nesir as well, but he would talk to her about this later... Well, he knew Sephiroth could do much better, and he hates wasted potential.

"However we both know you do not belong to the side of those who gives their life away as diversion while the others can attend to what truly matters." he said slowly "You are not like them... Am I wrong?"

[neverbeamemory]

An eyebrow twitched every so often at the hint of disappointment that was laced through Ganondorf's words. He detested being patronized, no-one dared to ever speak down to him before. But Sephiroth succeeded in curbing the spread of the distaste across the rest of his features except in that little twitch and a steeled jaw.

It hadn't exactly played out the way he had imagined it might after all, he'd have thought that after so much punishment even drones would give something away. They hadn't and all it had left him with was his burning anger to cool off with in those cells- Sephiroth turned away momentarily from Ganondorf at those thoughts, lest the troll see what went on behind green eyes that were too tired to hide behind.

After a short silence, Sephiroth again looked back to Ganondorf and after a steadying breath the silver-haired warrior answered him.

"You're not wrong. But you must understand also, I needed to know."

[great_king_of_evil]

Oh, speaking to Sephiroth in such a manner was probably intentional- Not only to show the disappointment but to evaluate his reaction. Mind you, Ganondorf would detest as much if someone was to speak to him in such a manner. The difference being Ganon probably would lack self control, and jump at the throat of whoever insulted him.

"You needed to know... Yes, I can understand this."

Next time though, he hoped Sephiroth would be on the other. of course, Ganondorf was speaking of experience. He had himself organized such an operation months ago... The difference being that while the other fools had been facing the administrators, he and a few select one had taken the occasion to infiltrate the control room. if only Richtofen hadn't set up the security system, today they would be in control the the place.

"I don't think I've been told your name before, have I? My name is Ganondorf."

[neverbeamemory]

"I'm Sephiroth. Nice to finally have a name for a face."

His tone delicately concealed his bad temper, the possible hostility towards Ganondorf for talking down to him. He had to keep control, despite the insults which always seemed to gravitate towards him of late. Awakening to an unbreakable collar fixed around his throat had been only the first insult and the longer he was here the more it seemed to accumulate. If anything had ever been a test of his willpower, this was proving the hardest challenge Sephiroth had ever faced.

"We have met before, that first afternoon, if I remember correctly."

[great_king_of_evil]

"Likewise."

Ganondorf had felt the same way really. Probably the main difference being that Ganondorf had died on his first day, yet again it's hard to survive when you're being ambushed by 5 different version of the Legendary Hero at once.

Either way, now Ganon was curious to see what mindset he was in after all-- And if this could be the start of a real 'friendship'. ... As much as a friendship it could be between two mass murderers with delusions of grandeur at least.

"Yes we did meet, at the Cafeteria. It's been quite a while now, what do you think of this lovely place we've all been made prisoner in?"

[neverbeamemory]

"It's an impressive illusion, or so I find myself telling myself."

He had been here long enough now for the illusion theory to start to fade away at the edges, though there were too many questions for Sephiroth to simply begin to accept the Tower for what it was. Not to mention the very idea of being contained here against his will was a constant riding insult.

"Or if it is real, there are too many unknowns to verify."

[great_king_of_evil]

"An illusion? I can assure you, all of this is real. Maybe the tower and floors themselves are convincing illusions..."

Being imprisoned was an insult to everyone-- probably more specifically to evil overlords like them. Ganon had gotten used to be imprisoned for hundreds of years in awful places, but at least he did rule over the dark world. Bah.

"However our the end of our worlds and our imprisonment here are two very real facts."

[neverbeamemory]

"If that's true then-" Sephiroth paused, thinking around his words before putting them to Ganondorf. It was the first time anyone had spoken to him so convinced that this was actually reality. That their worlds were really destroyed. How was Sephiroth going to put this into words without sounding like he was in denial.

- the end of my world was mine to bring about, I worked tirelessly to make it all my own. It makes no sense that I should be here when I was to inherit the fallout...

"Unless in the end, it wasn't me..."

That thought just adds the sharp tang of betrayal to this whole affair. That the Tower, or whatever the Tower claimed they were rescued from had stolen his Planet out from under him and destroyed it regardless.

"It doesn't make any sense."

[great_king_of_evil]

"Quite the contrary, Sephiroth. It makes a lot of sense."

Ganondorf smiled and walked around Sephiroth, wondering what he may be thinking. Maybe he would know in due time.

"In three months, I will have been here for a whole year. No wasted time, I studied every bit of this tower, every single information I could find, every theories proposed by other residents."

He paused before nodding.

"Whether we like it or not, our worlds are gone. Yet it appears this fate may be reversed. Do we wish to reverse it? That, I believe, depend on the world. The real question is do we sit idly, do we drown ourself in false hope, or do we go after the power that sleeps in this place?"

[neverbeamemory]

Sephiroth doesn't trust Ganondorf one iota. Despite wrestling with this thoughts, all while the troll walked around him Sephiroth doesn't let him out of his sight. Too many times betrayed to trust anyone; moreso one who was still such a stranger to him. When Ganondorf walked too far around him for him to see on one side, he'd turn his head right the way around to the other side - green eyes narrowed curiously as he listened to what Ganondorf had further to say.

He's been here much longer than Sephiroth, that in itself demands a kind-of respect. There were many things to be learned and Sephiroth would take advantage of any information Ganondorf would offer. That information itself though, might be biased or subject to interpretation - such was the same as any information he'd managed thus far to glean from the Tower and his fellow inhabitants.

He'd just have to take the risk, nothing ventured nothing gained.

"I'm not one for pining after lost gains, if indeed that destiny is now so far out of reach."

There was an interested eyebrow raised at Ganondorfs hint of conquest, he'd be lying if he flat out denied that going after the power, thus far exhibited here wouldn't be something desirable to him. Sephiroth refrained from saying anything though, erring on the side of caution - considering last night he had no idea if he was being monitored in any way.

[great_king_of_evil]

Ganondorf was very careful with what information he released. Enough to establish that he did know a big deal and help Sephiroth, but not enough to give Sephiroth an edge over him. After all, this wouldn't be in his advantage.

"Then we may have something in common."

Ganondorf appeared to guess what Sephiroth was thinking when he raised an eyebrow-- he had worried about being watched before after all. But ever since he managed to infiltrated the control room, he now had a good idea of how things worked in this tower.

"Do not worry, I do not think we are being watched. If a resident was watching us, I would know it." he said calmly "As for the administrators... It is true the control rooms is equipped with a large number of screen they use to keep an eye on us. However, Jason is only interested by his experiments and as neither of us are currently hit by one, it is safe to assume he is not watching us."

[neverbeamemory]

All very well noted, but there was no way for Sephiroth to be sure other than Ganondorf's word that he knows at least a little about how the Tower is controlled. It would be all to safe to assume he knew everything though.

"Certainly sounds like it. But say you could gain control of this place, what would you do with it? Considering the great amount of power that would be needed to resurrect a dead world."

That headache was starting to throb again, Sephiroth chanced to squeeze the top of his nose to try and relieve some of the pressure building up.