two.

[sicharia]

Characters: [AU9] Claudia Hortensia & OPEN
Setting: Room 3-03; outside the 100th Floor; Various (Floor 12, Floor 81, others)
Format: Action preferred
Summary: Claudia deals with the aftermath of the event.
Warnings: The first part contains references to suicide; this is likely to come up wherever her regain is mentioned.


[I. Room 3-03]
[The belt in her hands is just a belt; there's nothing outwardly distinctive or notable about it. Seated on the edge of her bed, Claudia runs it through her hands, the leather dark and smooth against her pale fingers. Unthinkingly, she seeks out the grooves left in the material, examining the places where it is worn from use with her touch.]

[...She can't say for sure. She never saw the belt for herself. But in this place, cool leather in her hand and monster written over her bed in blood, she thinks about the moment she heard that Kirei had hanged himself, and she then starts to cry.]

[II. 100th Floor]
[Claudia doesn't actually set foot on the floor itself, lingering outside on the stairs. She has no desire to see what will be there for her when she opens the door, and especially not after—after earlier.]

[So, then, why is she there? She almost wonders that herself. It's ridiculous. She knows nothing about the relative stranger she is looking for, just that she has met him once before on this floor. There's no reason for her to suspect that she'll find him here again, but—what other clue does she have? She needs to find him. She needs to apologize.]

[III. Various]
[The other person— He's stranger to think about, and he killed her rather than the reverse. But, even so, she feels it would be wrong to simply pretend it hadn't happened.]

[Of course, she knows even less about him. She spends some time wandering around the 12th Floor, but she doesn't really expect to see him there. She checks the 81st, too, which is even more ridiculous. She never even met him there, or at least not really. It's so strange to think that she had met someone both as a child and an adult here...]

[In the end, her searching is mostly aimless, directed purely by gut feeling.]

Comments

[sicharia]

Oh, I'm sorry, it's just... There's a smaller one of you running about, did you know that? [She's sure she can't be the first person to mention this to him, if they haven't already met, but... She shakes her head.] It's so strange.

...A-ah, I'm sorry, I still haven't answered your question! [She laughs nervously, because the truth is, she isn't sure what it is that she wants to say.] Ah, hm, it's just that I think you...killed me?

[neverbeamemory]

I am aware, yes. [Is spoken as if it might be the most natural thing in the world. It's not and little-Sephiroth confuses the adult version a great deal more than he'd like to admit; on account on their mismatched memories more than anything. Though it's hardly important, given the fact that they aren't on Gaia.

Nervous laugh over, finally she gets to the point. Sephiroth pauses for a long moment, narrowing his eyes a little at her while behind green eyes he connects the dots. He doesn't recognize this girl at all, and he would remember if he'd killed her recently. That is unless the Administration was yet again playing games, always a possibility.

There was a game on monsters, however. He had killed more than a few.]

...so you all remember everything...

[sicharia]

...Mm. [Her expression sobers some, the faint smile that does remain in place a sad one.] I'm afraid so.

[She takes a breath to say something else, but then she simply exhales it as a sigh instead.]

...I'm sorry. I'm not really sure why I'm telling you this. [She certainly isn't expecting an apology.] It's just— It seems wrong to act like nothing happened, so...

[neverbeamemory]

[Sephiroth watches her expression change all the way but then averts his gaze from her face before replying. Looking down at some spot on the floor between them as if he might draw all of his thoughts together at that point and read them.]

I understand. [Eyebrows crease together a little but then he relaxes his face. Having reached some sort of internal resolution, he even nods and meets her gaze again.] I'm sure you feel like you need to connect with everyone that you killed, or were killed by. Some might call it the first step towards healing.

[sicharia]

Ah, that... Well, maybe. [She nods slightly. It's a sensible enough conclusion, especially when she herself isn't sure what is driving her to do this.] Like I said, it just doesn't seem right not to, so...

[But she isn't sure what to say now, so she bites her lip, considering.]

Um, thank you for taking the time to listen to me, in any case. My...name is Claudia.

[neverbeamemory]

[He's not particularly sorry after all. And easily, if given a reason he'd do it again, and enjoy it as well.

Realistically Sephiroth doesn't have any chance at comprehending Claudia's intention here if she doesn't know herself. Small talk, never.]

Right.

[Like he'd had much of a choice other than to listen, he was waiting for the elevator. But sure, let her believe that if she wanted to.]

[sicharia]

[She bites her lip again, and then she sighs. Well, it's not like she has much else to say now, so...]

I'll, I'll see you around, I suppose. Thank you again. Um... I realize you're probably far more capable than I am, but if there's ever anything you need, I can do my best to assist you.

[She isn't entirely sure why she offers this, but she does. Maybe it's because she can't help but think of the smaller Sephiroth when she looks at him now (even though the smaller one is far more capable than her, too).]

[neverbeamemory]

I'll bear it in mind.

[Not that he will, he figures. Unless by chance he would stumble upon her proving of some use to him - but you never know in this place.

The elevator arrives and Sephiroth enters it without further comment.]

[sicharia]

[Claudia simply bows her head to him as he steps into the elevator. She can't seem to think of another goodbye more appropriate to the situation, all things considered.]