towerofanimus | 016 | Not-so-much Fallout?

Entry tags:

016 | Not-so-much Fallout?

Characters: Sephiroth & YOU
Setting: Anytime between 28th Feb and 5th March. Locations in below.
Format: Prose to start, can switch to Action if preferred.
Summary: Recent events taken into account, Sephiroth had best prepare some for the return trip down the elevator. If you could please put dates/times in your replies, so I can order it around in my head.
Warnings: Usual Sephiroth violence warnings, though he's not much in the mood for picking a fight.

[Location: Dormitory 03-02 & Dormitory Floors]
What a month. Between their visitors from another world, Ruana's games and all the fallout from his preemptive exploration downstairs; Sephiroth had a lot to take in. A lot of truth, or rather that which he had seen with his own eyes, had been revealed and it all had to have the time to be considered. Gaia, for example, had to have been destroyed in order for his soul to even have been extracted to this place. It had been his Planet after all. In some ways it was a relief to finally have some clarity in what exactly was his position here, in others it only served to further frustrate him. It all made such terrible sense now.

Needless to say Sephiroth hasn't had very much of a desire to leave the Dormitory for the last few days. Other than the essential trips out to the bathrooms twice a day, even then they had been quick showers. There was no way he was going to stay out in that mist with it's whispers inside his head. Just repeating over and over what has now been largely proven, what he feared to start with; there wasn't going to be anyway back. He's been sleeping a lot out of mental exhaustion, largely ignoring his room mates, re-reading the letters that he'd kept from his first day in the Tower, pouring over the details in Shion's survival 101 as if there might be some detail he's not considered before. As if there may be a great loophole somewhere in their existence here. Finally he went out in search of Ganondorf when the mist had lifted, indeed it would be vital to share his information considering the plot that lay waiting in the wings. Soon afterwards the terminals had lit up and couldn't be ignored.

It really was never-ending, wasn't it. Sephiroth hates it all the same, the level of utter disgust at his containment here has just been inflated by it all. Though, as only would be inevitable there came a point that Sephiroth resolved he would have to move on. What good was it doing after all, isolating oneself away when the answers- no, the direction he should be taking was undoubtedly out somewhere in the fabric of the Tower. There was a great amount of work to be done. He'd start with a patrol of the Dormitory levels, similar to how he had on his first day, even if the only fact that might be gleaned from this would be how their visitors had all left as abruptly as they had arrived.
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[Location: Gymnasium Fl 39]
It's time to put that incident with KOS-MOS to the back of his mind. The events within the Administrator levels and all of the revelations, though not as shocking to Sephiroth as they may have been for other residents, still weighed heavily on his mind. KOS-MOS had delivered only one of undoubtedly many deaths that Sephiroth would have to endure and be remade from in his time here before-

Before what exactly. One of those videos overseen on the network had certainly hinted at an end. The same end that had taken Gaia from him? And then where would his soul go? The extension of theories was enough to make anyone feel more than a little sick. Perhaps he should be more than a little grateful at least, that while being contained in the Tower, he has a body. Isn't that what he had wanted?

Not to be contained, so powerless without an anchor in this realm, of that fact Sephiroth was certain.

Though, if their souls are transplanted into new vessels every time they die then one could question what the point of training in the Gymnasium is. Improving physical prowess would only go so far as the next death and then one would be reset to the condition they had when they were first pulled here. Whatever condition they had 'on file' for each person? Before then being messed with in some way that doesn't bear thinking about. But in order to have any chance of avoiding that next death, clearly Sephiroth needed to continue to improve himself physically. To be stronger, to be faster, to be more prepared for whatever experiment their Hosts dared to throw next.

Ganondorf had made no illusions that certain death awaited them in their pending expedition. Indeed, there was a lot to prepare for. Which is why every day since the 28th Sephiroth can be found training as hard as ever in the Gymnasium. He needed to be at his best. Heavier weights, grueling circuits and there was more than enough room to practice near-ground, faster aerial maneuvers as well - sure he might have to do all of this training again in his next vessel but he'd just have to work as hard in that body as well, it wasn't an excuse for being lazy. Vicious circles.

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It's not like Sephiroth ever trains with a companion so there was a curious look back over his shoulder as they got closer to the track.

Well, this might be such an opportunity as was needed to learn more about what she is capable of. He smirks back at her before starting to jog at a gradual pace; because clearly, speeding off can only result in pulled muscles and stitches.

She continued following, running laps may have been her least favourite activity in the temple, but if running laps before dawn every day, often with a hangover, had taught her anything it was stamina, so she kept up well.

"Have you been being her for a long time?"

It's not a race, it's a warm up and so Sephiroth is content enough to keep up a slightly-faster-than jogging pace. Nesir's stamina is noted however, from about the fifth lap around the track - that point where most humans would be struggling to keep their breath steady.

Sephiroth's breathing is as controlled as it needs to be, the only thing he knows more about than his own body is his sword-fighting techniques. As such it doesn't take much effort to word a response, he's not sure what to think of her apparent curiosity though.

"6 months nearly, or thereabouts."

But then, knowledge is power. The more you know, about more people - Sephiroth doesn't have an end to accomplish yet though but he's sure it fits in somewhere.

6 months... half a year. Such a long time but then, Nesir realised suddenly, she had been here for five months already. A very long time... Well hopefully they would have more information and options in a few days.

"So you do be knowing this tower quite well."

He doesn't reply right away, pushing the pace of the jog up a notch. Testing to see how well Nesir could keep up. Only when she was back pretty much level with him, or nearby at least would he carefully take a breath to answer with.

"I don't think anyone could claim to know this Tower quite well."

A few paces more and Sephiroth will add to that.

"I know enough of which floors I do not trust."

She's smart enough to know when she is being tested and she pushes herself to catch up. It was hard, especially since they had been running a while but she managed.

"That do be good at least."

Sephiroth could keep this current pace for a long time but running around the track isn't the sole reason he spends his time in the gym. Without any further comment to Nesir, he concentrates on finishing the next two laps before slowing down and eventually coming to a stop.

His chest rises and falls heavily with the cooldown though he's not anymore out of breath than if he'd only done half of that warm up. Sephiroth recovers so quickly though, that any sense of him being entirely human would be dashed to oblivion. He looks back and turns to Nesir if she followed with his pace.

"How about you? Spend very much time exploring?" If Nesir was going to try and get more information out of him about himself then there is no reason why he shouldn't do the same. Tit-for-tat. Besides, they were clearly trying to find out more about the other for the same reason; what else could it be?

Nesir is breathing very heavily and it takes a long time for her to recover, she glares at him, though not really angry, just annoyed that he was able to recover so quickly.

She nodded, and took a few more deep breaths. "I have been... it do be interesting to be in a different place with every floor."

Sephiroth at least acknowledges the drive in Nesir, that she had the willpower to even keep up with him when quite clearly it's not like she's much more than human. A trait that does her credit at least in Sephiroth's eyes.

That's why he hasn't just walked off and continued with his own workout, instead standing there and waiting for her to catch her breath enough to speak. The urge is fold his arms while waiting but he refrains from appearing impatient.

"They are going to great lengths to keep us occupied. It will be good to know why."

She outwardly get's herself together quicker than most, even if she is still exhausted and feeling like she needs to drink a few buckets of water.

"Even the most peaceful or obedient people could be finding ways to disobeying them if they did be being bored. And constant challenges do be stopping us from thinking too much."

"So weak-minded are most of the denizens here."

Sephiroth hopes that Nesir isn't one of those so easily distracted by the admins constant games-to-some-extent with them all. Indeed, being the other extreme, Sephiroth spends a great deal of his time thinking too much.

It's necessary for him, being unacceptable for him not to know exactly under what terms he is existing here. Granted, the recent revelations have only added to the questions but at least his thoughts can now be a lot more focused than the 'WTF?' that all of them awaken with when first brought here.

"People do be generally weak minded wherever they do be going." She told him sounding slightly annoyed, she sadly hadn't actually been that surprised at the fact that people here were so easily distracted. Some fought back and even if they did it in the name of light she could respect that, but for the others...

"Indeed. An all too-human trait. Especially being so many all contained in one place." Sephiroth nods in agreement. Not giving any care for how human Nesir might be, or not.

"As irritating as it is-" He comments picking up on her tone. "-I suppose opportunities would be even rarer if all were of the same mind." Sephiroth looks back away from Nesir and over at the other equipment in the gym; trying to decide what he needed to work on today.

Nesir kept her face blank though she noted the words, he wasn't human then no matter how much he looked it. That was interesting. She didn't sound offended, since she supposed it was a human trait, the other creatures of Nesir's world did not have any qualms such as the light addled did.

"I guess you do be right, but it do still be irritating."

She watched him, wondering what he would chose, still trying to weigh up what kind of person he was.

"But would you fix it?" Sephiroth inclines his head towards Nesir once, his tone clearly testing her with this question. Some people were not meant to be 'fixed' after all, there could not be those who were elevated above others if all those underneath were as flawless.

It feels as if she would still follow and continue the conversation and so Sephiroth heads over to the weight rack and starts to check what sized-dumbbell is what real-weight. This is something that must be done at least once during his time in the gym, to ensure that the game hasn't been changed on him. True enough, it was foolish indeed not to test a weight before picking it up in the first place.

Nesir shrugged, "It would be being less irritating, but it would be making things harder." She followed him over to the weights, testing a couple herself, though they were much smaller than the ones he was testing.

"Agreed."

Sephiroth frowned as he picked up one of the larger looking weights to test it. As impressive as he might look holding it, it's not of the weight it should be. In fact, as the fourth such one he's tried so far while he's been stood there it's quickly getting old. Clearly this is one of those days where the smaller looking ones would be the heaviest.

"I get so sick of these games."

Putting that weight down again he reaches over towards Nesir and carefully lifts one of the smaller looking weights off the rack. It's clear from the way arm muscle tenses that this one is more like the weight he would be working with.

Meanwhile Nesir was testing smaller ones, barely able to lift some of them. When she sees him swap she went over to the large weights, finding it more what she could work with.

"It do be such a weird thing to be messing with."

"They do so enjoy messing with the weird things. Just to constantly remind us to what extent such things can be messed with."

There is such a tone of utter disgust in his tone as Sephiroth says that. He hates this experiment with such fervor. The very notion that anyone should be able to contain him is insulting on it's own; the fact that their Hosts' see the need to push him into or indeed beyond what should be even possible, daily tests Sephiroth's patience. And it's not his most natural trait.

Sephiroth curls the smaller looking weight up into his chest and then down again slowly, carefully while he pulls the cracks in his calm facade smooth again. Before turning his gaze from some spot on the weight rack back towards Nesir as she handles the larger looking weight.

Nesir pulled the weights up, the size more awkward than the weight. She was quiet a moment thinking, it did seem more to annoy them rather to teach them something or test them.

Nesir hadn't quite got used to being in a place where things weren't designed to teach important lessons though.

Sephiroth takes the silent moment as simply that. He's not usually one to hold a conversation for so long either. He takes the selected weight and heads over to one of the benches nearby with it.

Carefully placing it down to one side of the apparatus he reaches up and pulls all of his silver hair forward over one shoulder; putting a quick half-braid into it so at least while he's training there is no chance that any hair would fall in the way or otherwise get trapped. Then he will go about testing how sturdy the bench is, leaning down on his hand on it every foot or so to make sure it might take his weight before sitting down.

Without any further interruption, Sephiroth will focus on one arm at a time. Working with the dumbbell in small sets of motion; shoulder pressing up and down over his head, curling biceps from floor up into his chest - no muscle will be left unworked.

Nesir didn't go over at first, in fact she just stood and watched him as he lifted the weights. They weren't things that existed where she lived, not like this anyways. There were other ways to build strength. And Nesir wasn't one to attempt something knew without watching first.

If he had been a kinder person, Sephiroth may have gone further after having noticed the way she was observing. It was clear to him that she wasn't too sure now what to do with the weight she had selected. But he wasn't the one to be showing anyone how to better themselves. What even was she doing in this part of the gymnasium if she wasn't familiar?

He was happy enough to allow her to watch him, and to take what demonstration she could that way but at the end of the day all of his own skills and perfections have been attained largely by his own pursuance of excellence. So it should be the same for everyone else if they wished to even scrape anywhere near to his level.

Sephiroth would even flick the mass of silver hair off his shoulder so that she could see better how the muscles move, after all it satisfies his ego well enough to show off.

Nesir didn't mind, she had no issues in asking for training, it was the only way you learned after all. But she had her reasons for keeping quiet, she had to lead in a few days and knowing nothing about those she was leading or the worlds they were coming from she could not afford for any of them to know any weakness or for her to be in anyone's debt.

Anyways it seemed easy enough once she watched for a while. And she went over to a bench to try herself, it took her a while to work out the grip, adjusting her right hand so she was holding it tight despite having less fingers than most people.

It took her a moment, she didn't want to drop it because of something so stupid.

Curious enough Sephiroth can't resist from at least watching. He raises an eyebrow at the longer-than usual time Nesir spends getting her grip on the weight; he had never even noticed she was missing fingers before. Hands really aren't anything profound unless they are equipped with a weapon, after all.

Looking over a bare shoulder at her as he rests his own smaller looking weight back on the floor as if he were about to switch arms. It struck him as strange, lifting weights are such a standard way of working to acquire more strength. Though maybe there was something new he could glean from her.

"So how would you usually train?"

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