Log 022 | Monster Hunting

[neverbeamemory]

Characters: Sephiroth, Any Monsters & Anyone Else
Setting: Floors 41 -43 - 45 as in below & Sub-threads - throughout the Monster game event (15th-26th June)
Format: Usual long-Prose, Action prompts as Sub-threads. Can switch.
Summary: Somewhat catch-all: The ULTIMATE Jail-cell Tactic & Sub-threads as described. [Open at any point to All]  *OOC Note: This may turn into a 'running-log', depending on how the event progresses. I'll add more sub-threads/update the date range/warnings later. Sephiroth may not even keep this tactic up all event but this is the plan at least to start with.*
Warnings: Monsters-related fights/gore/injury/death. Sephiroth-related general warning.

Well clearly then, he's been playing the game wrong.

Though he's fairly sure that the first monster hadn't gotten back up after being decapitated Sephiroth hadn't hung around to check. Fact remains, it was becoming more and more dangerous every night after dark and more monsters had to be coming from somewhere. He'd started out so keen to hunt them all down personally if that's what it took to end this silly game.

Then there had been Ruana, taunting them all from the safety of the network. Though at least that had been a relatively good use of his time. He'd have to start putting monsters to people before this would get any more out of hand; not just for his own personal safety around the Tower anymore though. No, just to prove that he could do it. He could win. This game called strongly to a part of him that he'd spent a lot of effort keeping in check and only indulging in when it suited, that part that liked to kill. There was a certain jubilation in asserting enough control over another being to have the power to end it's life.

Each victory. Even against the usual fare of monsters in the Tower, reminded Sephiroth that despite the limited containment within the Tower, his skills weren't suffering as a result. He's still as sharp as the first day that he came here, perhaps more-so on account of what he- or rather, his soul- has learned experienced here.

There was a tactic that begged to be tried, but it could only work under the right set of delicate circumstances.

Step One, find a monster.
Step Two, capture/lure, or otherwise incapacitate/kill said monster and drag it to the 43rd Floor
Step three, throw it in a cell until morning
Rinse and repeat.

Then he'd deal with whomever turned out to be a monster, after they turned back.

Simple right? Not really. There was the question of how many floors around the jailcell floor he could afford to monitor whilst at the same time making sure (provided he caught one) that nothing somehow came out of somewhere to release the monster. Dealing with one at a time was bad enough, and sitting all night guarding one jail cell for one monster per night wouldn't be enough. Other monsters could be making more even as he ensured one wouldn't. On the other hand, Sephiroth knew he'd have big problems dealing with more than one of those at a time if they did get loose again before day. He might be an expert, appreciating of the challenge as well but he figured it'd take them all of a few seconds to rip him to pieces.

What a way to go. Though if this proves fruitful...

Sephiroth had settled for patrolling the stairwells between Floor 41 and Floor 45 to see how well this plan could be worked. Two up from the Jails, two down. Seemed logical. Floor 41 is an elevator-serving floor, this would be where the monsters could get under his radar. He wouldn't even have to step onto the floor much to launch a fireball at a mask if he saw one dancing inside the swarming, crushing mass of insects - just to attract attention before darting up the stairs. Floor 42 could be looked in on but he'd best be careful if one managed to chase him in there, he's not too sure about the extent these monsters disable powers but his telekinetic flight would be crucial there. He'd avoid leaving the stairwell on this Floor where possible. Up to Floor 44 and 45 would be patrolled as well just in case any one of them would come down behind him.

15th - 21st June Prompts:
A Bathroom Infirmary Cafeteria Dormitory Level 3 - Dorm 03-02

June 20th: 3rd Floor Library

Comments

[seekinganswers]

[Her hand clenches into a fist and her nails dig into her skin at his words. What he's saying is true, even if she doesn't want to accept it. And it's equally true that the quickest way to return the monsters to normal is to hunt them down according to the game's rules.

She breathes out slowly as she unclenches her fist. If it were me, she thinks, but doesn't say, I'd want someone to kill me before I killed anyone else.

She can still remember the sensation of it from the last time, the rush of power as she'd taken someone's life from them. The satisfaction she'd felt - and there had, at the time, been satisfaction, because she'd only been doing what was right after all, or so her altered mind had told her - as their life slipped away and she'd delivered "just punishment" in the admins' stead.

It was too easy a trap to fall into. She didn't want to enjoy it. She knew that sometimes killing was necessary, but - she didn't want to like it. It felt twisted, wrong, and reminded her of the glee her captors had expressed as they'd dragged her through the streets of her own hometown and struck down anyone in their way.

She didn't want to be like them. Not ever. But Ruana's games, and the other administrators' alterations... they were steering her towards that, steering everyone towards that.

She hopes her voice is steady when she finally speaks.]

The... sooner it ends, the better. [And then, more quietly -] ...if you need any help...

[neverbeamemory]

[He'd turned his attention back to the screen again in the meantime. Since April, Sheba has put herself in a position of use to him and Sephiroth's not stupid enough to ruin that with any expectant, or patronizing look; especially since she herself had looked away.

There is, indeed nothing quite like the thrill from killing. It's one of Sephiroth's favorite pastimes after all. He's good at it.

He nods when he hears the first part of Sheba's comment, but at the quieter part only just heard on account of their proximity he turns his head again towards her. Both eyebrows raised for a moment before they relax back to their usual position.]

Help? I'm not sure how you could, though. It's not easy luring them up and down stairwells.

[seekinganswers]

I'm faster than you'd think.

[Which was true, at least - she's rather agile, quick on her feet. She has to be to make up for how none of her physical attacks are especially staggering. But she can land three or four quick blows in the time it takes a harder hitter to land one or two.]

And -

[A small winged creature emerges from her chest in a ball of light, circling around her once before vanishing into a haze of vapors. When the haze clears away, Sheba is nowhere to be seen. Her voice comes from around the other side of the terminal and she flickers back into sight a moment later.]

I've got skills other than reading minds, you know. They can't eat what they can't see, but I can let them see me long enough to lead them somewhere.

[neverbeamemory]

[Just like everyone else that has tried to prove how worthwhile they are to him. If they were all to be believed, then they are all stronger/faster/more powerful than he thinks they are. At this rate, Sephiroth would be the weakest warrior in the Tower and he knows for a fact that's not true. Therefore, he isn't moved so much into believing her comment-

But then his attention is caught first by the winged creature, then the vapors and the fact that Sheba simply wasn't there anymore. He looks around carefully when her voice sounded away from him but then she slips back into sight anyway.]

Impressive skill. [He comments smally. There are vast numbers of people who have different powers in the Tower, not that any of them were worth anything really. All just their souls making it look and feel like they have their powers.

Sephiroth takes a few silent moments to try to decide whether Sheba could be someone to be trusted in helping him. Certainly she's done nothing but offer services to him since April, and she could prove useful in this game.]

I've been trying to trap them, on the forty-third floor...[He starts, waiting to see if she'll realize the rest first.]

[seekinganswers]

The forty-third... [It only takes a moment for her to understand what he means, and she can't help but chuckle. How many months has it been since she suggested the very same thing to Allen, when he was worried about being a danger to other people? And in April, she'd lost a fight and had been thrown into one...] That's a great idea.

[Assuming it works, anyway - which it should. Once the cells are locked, it's impossible to get out from their side. She knows that from experience.]

Have you had any luck with it so far? [She thinks he might. He's clearly capable - and if she didn't think it was possible for him to have succeeded, she wouldn't have bothered to ask.]

[neverbeamemory]

[Of course, he knows it's a good idea but that doesn't stop the slight grin that stretches across his features. He wouldn't have been spending every night doing it if he didn't think it was workable. Though he has had limited success so far, one or two at best and that's not without difficulty. Sitting back from the terminal a little he stretches his hands out; Sheba may or may not be able to see the telltale holes in his leather jacket on the left arm - the white dressing poking through the black.

There is, of course no guarantee that any of the monsters would come within those floor ranges he's been monitoring. But he doesn't dare to chance hunting further and then having to go further up or down flights of stairs to deliver them into a cell for the rest of the night.

That smirk-like grin quickly fades back into neutrality and Sephiroth shrugs, only once though before answering Sheba.]

There have been a few successes. Though I imagine it's doing nothing really, we need to find these starter ones.

[He doesn't want to go into how tedious it is patrolling the same five flights of stairs all night, how tiring it is even just watching for when the monsters transform back...and then having to deal with them before hitting the showers, before trying to sleep.]

[seekinganswers]

Right. I think... anyone who comes across any monster might be at risk for turning into one, but the ones who aren't monsters originally are easier to handle.

[If it hadn't been for the original Growling Monster's powers, she probably could have defeated it easily. But then...]

At least, while they're monsters. There has to be some way of figuring out who the ones who started turning into monsters after this all started...

[neverbeamemory]

Yea, these clues apparently.

[Sephiroth looks back to the terminal screen for a moment and then shakes his head. It's not like he's ever thought it necessary to take the time to get to know everyone and their abilities in the Tower. Sure he keeps an eye out should be come across someone fighting monsters usually but no one he has ever seen has fit any of Ruana's so-called 'clues']

[seekinganswers]

Maybe if we're... "too slow," she'll give us more of them.

[Or maybe she wouldn't. There was no way of knowing how or why Ruana did any of the things she did - she was just too difficult to understand. Sheba can't decide if she wants to understand or if she doesn't. The more you know about someone the harder it is to fight them.

If there's anything she wants right now, it's to fight Ruana.]

[neverbeamemory]

Hm. She might. She's not getting her desired effect with this game, clearly.

[Sephiroth is good at killing monsters, though this is starting to get very tedious now. He's slipping into part-nocturnal-ism and it's taking it's toll because he needs to keep all of his energy for the night time. He's a patchwork of half-healed scrapes, cuts and bruises right now.

Finding them during the day time would be less risky as well.]

Or maybe she intends to drag it out like this. I worry for what reason that might be.

[Understanding Ruana is important, but Sephiroth won't go on a Tower-wide rampage over a silly game. Though it might certainly kill off some of the monsters, precision is required here.]

[seekinganswers]

I want to say it's good that we're not doing what she wants... but then I worry that if we drag it out, she'll find some way to make it much, much worse.

[But though she worries about that, the amount she really cares is diminishing. The Tower has taken away their homes, it's taken away people they care for, it's even taken away their bodies and replaced them with false ones. What more can the administrators possibly take from them?

She's so glad that this will all be over in a year, one way or another. She can't imagine how the people who have been here for two years already must feel.]

But, as for what she's trying to get out of all this... [Sheba shrugs.] I just don't know. She claims it's good entertainment. But aren't there so many other ways she could find things that entertain her?

[neverbeamemory]

She's believed to be over a thousand years old right? Wouldn't you be searching for any and all new ways for entertainment? Something to give your existence a purpose.

[What's this? Sympathy for Ruana? Hardly. Sephiroth spent only a couple of years spreading his stigma from within the Lifestream and even after that comparatively insignificant amount of time he wanted them all to know it was his doing. He'd wanted nothing more than to have his own body again to make that clear...

Ironically, it's the same old story now. This gilded cage made to look like him isn't his body. Sephiroth snorts a 'hmph' before drawing his gaze from idly staring at the monitor back to Sheba, a displeased expression in his eyes if no where else..]

We still don't know what the losing conditions are.

[That concerns him. They've all been told how to win this game, there has been no mention of how they would lose.]

[seekinganswers]

If she were really saving people from destroyed worlds, that would be a purpose. A noble one, too.

...but no one could call this saving.

[She sighs and folds her arms over her chest. It must be difficult for Ruana too, being so old and being stuck in a place like this. But that doesn't change the way she's tormented all these people. Sheba's not sure she can forgive her for that and it shows in her expression.

Her frown deepens after a moment, and she nods begrudgingly.]

That's right, we don't. I'd think it would be that we'd lose if everyone becomes monsters, but... if it turns out that we lose if any monsters are still alive at the end of the month...

[If that were the case, they were right on track for a loss.]

[neverbeamemory]

I've never considered this to be a rescue. This is an imprisonment.

[That's what he thought to start with all those months ago but allowed himself to get over. Everything had seemed so real it'd even had him fooled, he'd been at least a part grateful to have for himself a physical form again. Which the Tower has used and abused at every opportunity it seems. Not anymore.]

My spirit is mine to do with as I will. Not to be played with.

[He mummers, mostly to himself. Sephiroth is purposefully avoiding eye contact with Sheba while his inherent anger simmers away inside. It's so easy to spark that hot rush recently, he has to be careful it doesn't dictate his actions but on the other hand - it's so tempting.]

Whatever happens, I'd rather not put her in a more superior position than what she has already attained for herself.