towerofanimus | Some say the world will end in fire

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.

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.

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.]

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.]

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.]

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.]

..Perhaps. However, when we do have our will, we are free to make any choice we want to. Therefore, it is free will..even if it can be ripped away at times.

I think they let us keep it as part of the experiment, to see what we do.

Perhaps..or he just doesn't care about those who are not in his interests.

We are all experimented on. We are all tracked and collared. We are all part of the experiment.

I have not been experimented on just yet. And this whole Tower is not an experiment..and the collars help us.

You have no proof of that.

You can be experimented on without knowing. The collars may allow us to survive, but they can track us with them. We do not know all their uses.

As far as I understand it, they keep our souls safely in these bodies. It is true that they might have hurt or altered me without my knowledge..but you have no proof that they are either.

That is what I said. But they also track us, as is evidenced by when they take us in to check the collars. Objects may have more than one use.

If this is a behavioral experiment, then any behavior will be monitored and will be part of the experiment. Simply by existing you will be part of it.

I have proof of mass experimentation. You may be in a control group.

Experiments have happened before, and there may be control groups. This is true. However, judging by things said in the network and past experiences..this was originally meant as a rescue operation that went horribly wrong.

I do not believe that statement to be true. There is no proof of it.

Even if we have been rescued, we are now test subjects.

That is how it has gone horribly wrong..but what you do believe us to be test subject for? The experiments either seem to be gathering information, hiding things from us, or simply for the Administrators amusement..but not outright plotting.

It was a deliberate choice on their part.

Experiments are for gathering information. To further knowledge. Scientific discovery.

Yes..but while they seem to be gathering information at times, from what I have heard and seen, the things that Ruana does are more twisted games than experiments.

I did not say they were all experimenting, but one can experiment for amusement, too.

[He was well aware of that phenomenon before coming here.]

That seems to be what you're saying. And if she is just playing and not using whatever she has found, how can you call that an experiment?

It is not.

I said this was an experiment. It is known that of the administrators, Jason is the most likely to experiment.

Experiments are not always performed by people who are sane. [He knows this all too well.] Getting results does not mean you will use them. To see what happens...

Jason is experimenting and working. That, you and I can agree on perfectly well. However..it seems that Ruana is just playing to have fun. While she does horrible things, she seems to think that the majority enjoys them..or should.

Of course, this is all my opinion. You are quite free to think and believe whatever you wish.

I do not care about their intent. [There's a flicker of anger in Sephiroth's eyes.] Whether it is amusement or research.

They are unethical. People are altered. The result is the same.

..I agree that while the reasons are different, I do not like what they are doing. Free will and choice are important things that should not be messed with, in my opinion.

(no subject)

pinnaculum - 2013-05-06 02:23 (UTC) - Expand

lightofhumanity - 2013-05-06 03:02 (UTC) - Expand

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