Some say the world will end in fire

[pinnaculum]

Characters: Sephiroth and open!
Setting: Floors 73, 50, 56
Format: Starting in action, but I will match you.
Summary: Sephiroth deals with his feelings about the event, and also with his regain: a Fire Materia.
Warnings: Burning things?


I: Floor 73:
[In the cold of this snowy floor, not far from the ruined castle, there's suddenly a warm bloom of fire. At first, its cause is difficult to isolate. That is because, as small as he is, dressed in his gray clothes, with his silver hair, Sephiroth doesn't stand out in the snowy landscape. But the boy is standing facing where the fire appeared, his arm stretched out toward it. He may well have had something to do with it. Before he lowers his arm, it happens again, another red hot burst moving through the air.

Fire blossoms over and over, each red bloom as hot as the one before it, hanging in the air for a moment before fading and melting the snow beneath. It lights up the grim, gray scene.]

II: Floor 50:
[Sephiroth is seated on the marble floor of the stadium-like space. He's staring ahead, his gaze unfocused. It doesn't seem that his thoughts are quite there, unusual for the young warrior who is usually present and alert.

He was glad to receive the new Materia. He'd been tired of only having defensive and healing Materia, as they were all he'd been allowed to have back on Gaia. Yet his new weapon hasn't cheered him up a great deal. Even the usually largely inexpressive Sephiroth looks noticeably pensive.

Slowly, he puts out a hand. A flame flickers along it and out into the air before him. Anyone can use Materia, but there are varying degrees of control, and Sephiroth is especially skilled. He always has been. The Materia is still new and hasn't gained all the strength it will have, but he can already use it to make either a little fire or a lot. For now, he creates just a little, thoughtfully watching the flames as they appear beyond the tips of his fingers.

He had been experimented on again, had been forced to act in ways he hadn't wanted, unable to speak or control himself. It had been like being back in the lab. This place is like the lab, only everyone here is the experiment, not only him. In some ways, it's not really that different. It's just another lab, that's all. That thought doesn't appeal to him. He frowns.]

III: Floor 56:
[The hospital floor is even more obviously like the lab, like home. Maybe that is why he's standing here now, staring at the beds. They're like the bed where he slept for so much of his life. When the lights flicker out, and the hospital's illusory horrors appear, Sephiroth doesn't so much as blink. He sees them, but they don't frighten him. He knows they're not real.

He puts out a hand to touch one of the mattresses. A moment later, it's on fire.

Sephiroth draws back his hand and stands watching it burn. There's a colder than usual look in his eyes.]

Comments

Floor 50

[warriorscribe]

*He's taking the long way to his job. He doesn't want to work for Ruana. But if he doesn't, he'll lose precious time every time they decide to punish him. And now that he knows he could be in danger, he wants to protect his life more than ever - he doesn't ever want to be at Jason's mercy.

The flame catches Enoch's eye, drawing them to the young child that seemed...familiar. The magic he seemed to be using had his curiosity, though, and the distant way he moved was telling of the trauma Enoch assumes he must have been through.

...Maybe he wasn't going to go to the graveyard today after all. He steps off the staircase.*

Hello there, little one.

[pinnaculum]

[The fire dies out at the sound of the voice, as Sephiroth's attention is drawn, and he stops practicing with his Materia.

Sephiroth turns at the man's approach, but he doesn't rise from his seat as he ordinarily would. He's much more despondent than usual, and he doesn't feel like getting up. Despondent or not, he doesn't want to be impolite, and he nods. He's not used to being called "little one", but he doesn't object.]

Hello.

[warriorscribe]

*It's perfectly all right for the boy to stay seated. Enoch is kneeling to get to his level anyway.*

I couldn't help but be curious. What was that fire I saw? Magic?

*It seemed as if the child should talk, but not about what had happened. Enoch was just out to help people.*

[pinnaculum]

[The question does cause him to brighten a bit, and he nods. He does like talking about his Materia. He wouldn't want to say too much about it and risk compromising himself, but he doesn't think someone will easily be able to take his Materia from him.]

It is.

[He creates another flicker of fire.]

It's a Fire spell.

[Fire is one of his favorite spells, along with Ice.]

I'm practicing.

[warriorscribe]

Humans aren't able to do that so easily where I come from. That's why I couldn't help my curiosity when I saw you.

*Enoch smiles a bit at the kid's brightened, if only slightly, features. This was much more rewarding than that mockery of a job.*

[pinnaculum]

Humans can perform magic where I'm from, but they need Materia.

[He's exceptionally good at casting spells with Materia.

Without it, he can do some things other humans can't do, but spells are different.]

Most worlds have different magic than my world. [No one here seems to know about Materia, except his other self must know.]

Floor 50

[lightofhumanity]

[chaos didn't always come to this floor, but there was no harm in stopping by and looking around. New scenery was always nice. However, when he sensed a familiar person and saw Sephiroth create some flames, he smiled to himself and walked towards the person. It seemed that Sephiroth was alright now.]

It is good to see that you are back to your normal self.

[pinnaculum]

Hello, chaos.

[The fire died out, as Sephiroth politely stopped casting his spell. Sephiroth nodded. He hadn't liked being altered, but who would have?]

Thank you. I am glad to be back to myself.

[lightofhumanity]

So am I..the destruction of free will and choice is a terrible thing. It is good to see that you have it back..even if Jason was using some of the affected to gather information.

[chaos kept up with the network, even if he didn't post all the time.]

[pinnaculum]

Yes, it is. [He thinks for a moment, then shakes his head.] They can take it at any time.

[If it can be taken away, then he only has free will because they allow him to. He is under their control.]

We are experiments.

I was not used to gather information. [He says this neutrally, not as if he minds or is pleased about the fact.]

[lightofhumanity]

While I am glad that you were not used to gather information..just because they have the ability to steal away free will any time they wish does not make it right.

[After all, he didn't like the fact that Wilhelm manipulated the universe, and even Testaments got to choose whether they wanted to be Testaments or not.]

[pinnaculum]

I know that.

[He says this bluntly, as that isn't at all what he meant.]

It is not right to experiment on another person. But if they can take our will at any time, we are not free.

[He has been thinking about this.]

floor 56

[sicharia]

[The first thing Claudia notices is the fire. It's unexpected and jarring, and enough so that it's a few seconds before she notices Sephiroth's presence. For a moment, she freezes up entirely, but then she opens her mouth to call out to him.]

I—

[She can't help but feel anxious when she opens her mouth to speak—to draw his attention to her—but she reminds herself that what happened wasn't his fault. She's sure of it. He's just a child. He had seemed friendly before, and so helpful.]

Are you alright now?

[Maybe it's ridiculous for that to be the first thing she says to him, but that's what comes out of her mouth. Her good eye flicks to the mattress again, and she can't help but be concerned by the fact that it's on fire.]

Sephiroth— Did you do this? You should be careful.

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth turns toward Claudia. He remembers what had happened, but he doesn't say anything about it, not yet. He studies her, silently at first. Some of the coldness fades from his eyes.

He lets the mattress continue to burn. He's not worried about it. He doesn't care if he damages this place. Property damage isn't usually like him, but there's something in him that had felt satisfied about watching the fire.]

I'm all right.

[His body and mind are back to what they were, even if he's feeling strange.]

Yes, I did this. I am careful.

[He knows what he's doing. Setting mattresses on fire is totally careful!]

[sicharia]

Are you sure? It's okay, if you're not.

[She steps forward as she asks, but the movement is shier than it would normally be, her hands clasped lightly in front of her skirt. She continues to keep her distance, though her expression is no less worried as she looks him over.]

I don't know if setting something on fire is being careful...

[She doesn't care about property damage, really, but she does find the idea of a child doing something like that concerning, even if he is obviously not an ordinary one.]

[pinnaculum]

I am sure.

[He doesn't like admitting to any weakness. He does feel upset but he's not sure how to express it. Except for the fire. It burns on, expressing what he can't.]

I control the fire.

[At this, it suddenly goes out, making the room much darker and colder. Then Sephiroth gestures toward the mostly charred mattress again, and flames leap up once more.]

[sicharia]

Even so, that's still...

[She trails off, and then she sighs, finally approaching him enough to crouch down in front of him, her concern winning out over her caution.]

Can you tell me why you decided to light it on fire?

Floor 73

[destructiveprinciple]

[He wasn't fond of this floor. It was cold, it was snowy and faintly nostalgic; all things Angra generally avoided on the principle of the matter. But it was traveling through the floors of the fourth block, or taking the elevator to the next block and the Servant disliked that small, enclosed space just as much. So trudging through the icy snow towards the staircase it was.

The red burst of flames that bloomed caught his attention, flaring before it vanished. Then it happened again moments later. And again. His eyes move from the strands of hot red down to a pale blot of gray, arm outstretched. Huh. Sephiroth.

After a few moments, he changed his course, and walked towards the kid.]

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth was resistant to extreme temperatures. Not that he couldn't feel the cold, but he minded it far less than most people.

Having a good view of the rest of the floor from where he was standing, Sephiroth became aware of the man's approach. He let off another burst of fire, then lowered his arms, interrupting his practice session.

He nodded as Angra drew near, his expression neutral.]

Hello.

[destructiveprinciples]

[The whiteness of snow layered over everything in sight makes the view gray and bleak. Sephiroth blended in well with the muted landscape.]

Hey, morning.

[It's as much of greeting as Angra planned on offering. Snow crunched under his feet as he walks over.]

Neato ability you've got there. [He inclined his head towards the spot where the warm burst of heat, like the petals of a vivid-colored flower unfurling in the air, had occurred before fading.] Practicing?

so sorry for the slow tag!

[pinnaculum]

Good morning.

[Sephiroth continued to watch his approach, standing still in the snow.]

Yes, I received a new Materia, and I am practicing with it. [A pause.] Materia are objects that allow humans to manipulate the natural world, but it takes spiritual power to utilize them.

[He might as well explain Materia, since no one else but his other self seemed to know what they were.]

it's fine! :D

[destructiveprinciples]

[Eventually, he comes to a stop next to him. Angra glances out at the wavering trail of footprints left pressed into the snow in their wake before looking down at the child.]

Never heard of it before. [Spoken frankly. The Materia must be something unique to Sephiroth's universe.] It sounds useful, though. So, does it let you do anything other than pull fire out of nowhere?

[The ends of his wrappings were damp and wet with melted snow. Snow, sigh. He didn't like it.]

Floor 73

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[This Ruin suits him, suits his mood. He's lingered here before, drifting alone among the crumbing walls.
He wonders if this is not what Camelot is, now. If it is not even less. It seems they left no mark upon the world but a handful of legends-- his own tale of base passion and dishonor among them. Legends are seldom accurate. But perhaps they are not meant to be.

It had been Golden, though-- Camelot in its flowering.
Now the snow falls softly, inexorably covering all.

Into his reverie comes Light.
He has no wish for company, but he moves towards it all the same-- in only on his way to the door.
But here is Sephiroth, seemingly pulling Fire from the Air. It paints the snow like molten gold.

Lancelot observes the set of the boy's shoulders, but cannot see his face.
More than a child, surely-- but a lonely child, still.
He is tired still, after his most recent Death. Perhaps this one's company would not be so hard to bear.]

Sephiroth.

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth turns suddenly at the sound of his name, body tensed, fire still in his hand--then relaxes at the sight of Lancelot. He lowers his hand, and the fire dies out.]

Lancelot.

[He hadn't realized the man was here, but he doesn't mind being surprised, more admiring of the large man's stealth than anything else. Lancelot had impressed him before, and Sephiroth isn't easy to impress.

He takes a few steps toward the knight, over the snow.]

Hello.

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[Lancelot bows his head in greeting. He and this boy are like, somehow-- companionable silences have a way of developing easily between them. Though there are times when Sephrioth asks many questions, those questions never lack a point that once answered, ends them.

Today, many things are altered from their normal courses and ways. Sephiroth among them, for there are unknown currents shifting behind the young face.]

Well met-- though perhaps it is not a greeting suited to the day or place, still it is suited to the company.

I saw your light while I wandered. It was a most fierce and glorious thing.
May I know how it is pulled from the air so?