Log 23 | Forever to keep one step ahead...

[neverbeamemory]

Characters: A: Sephiroth & Ganondorf [Closed], B: Sephiroth & Sheba [Closed], C: Sephiroth & YOU [Open]
Setting: 22nd July, Afternoon. A: Floor 75, B: Floor 81, C: Floor 38
Format: Action, can switch
Summary: Sephiroth offloads his latest acquisition onto Ganondorf for 'safe keeping', Encounters Sheba on the way back and then eventually settles in the Floor 38 Lounge to do some reading.
Warnings: None specific yet, usual Sephiroth violence-warning applies.

A: Floor 75 [Closed to Ganondorf]
[There isn't much time. He's already spent an entire night of sleeplessness pondering this fact.

A fool would think that they weren't already onto him. Between his network post which initiated the boycott nearly two weeks ago, his own shadow of a retrieval unit always watching and the cameras between the Infirmary and the Dormitories there is no way they don't know he's got it. Or at least, if there was any doubt, whomever looked on the network already today would know as well, courtesy of a certain loud mouthed girl - he should have cut her tongue out instead of outright killing her. Sephiroth is certain there are others within the Tower who will be looking for him as well, soon enough.

Even without Yukiko's little broadcast Sephiroth knows he can't hold onto this treasure. As precious and as crucial to him as it is, as it will prove to be; it needs to be put somewhere safe. Somewhere hidden, or at least as hidden within the Glamour as he, or rather someone he knows can possibly make it.

In order to gain as much distance as possible from the stairwell, and any other prying eyes, Sephiroth had taken to the air as soon as he stepped onto this floor. He waits hovering, one large black wing beating at the air intermittently as if it were really keeping him afloat, level to but not too near to the top-most platform of the Tower within the Tower. Both arms wrapped unrelentingly around that blasted container, wrapped in a bed sheet and with his jacket pulled around it as much as he can make it.]

B: Floor 81 [Closed to Sheba]
[Is he supposed to feel lighter now? He doesn't.

Who would have thought that he'd had to ask Ganondorf for help. It prickles at his pride like an unwelcome stitch that he doesn't have the means to conceal anything in the Tower, well as much as anything could be concealed here. Ifrits-hell such tactics are not his usual forte, but going down furiously defending that thing certainly wasn't an option. He'd be right back where he started with nothing to show for it - or worse.

Sephiroth presses the button to call the elevator but then wanders away from it more into the lounge area of this floor. As ever his gaze drawn to the window before he realized he was doing it. He blinks harshly and forces his gaze away. It's just a wall, there might well be something out there but it's probably not the beauteous cosmos that it appears to be. The ghost of broken hands cramps his knuckles momentarily and he takes the moment to crack them.

He shouldn't linger, he knows it won't be long before his supervisor catches up to him --he's been lucky enough to have learned how lose him on stairwells quite well. Sephiroth turns and strides back towards the doors to the elevator-]

C: Floor 38 [Open]
[Having retreated back up to his dormitory via the showers Sephiroth has resolved to grab a book and head for the less residential lounge. He seldom makes the effort to climb all the stairs from the 21st Floor but by that fact alone, it might earn him some privacy. To finally try to place the recognizable voice that he hears every time he reads through this poem book; the name always escaping him always and plummeting into a great black hole of a missing memory. There was a red head who had lived here once, with a similar tone to her voice but it wasn't quite a match.

Sephiroth's expression, as he lays back across one of the sofas reading is one of concentration - as if he were studying some complicated science, or trying to learn a new language just by reading the words. That retrieval unit lurks nearby, and every so often Sephiroth will force himself to look away from the book to make sure it hasn't switched into grab mode. It's paranoid and he hates it, but he's expecting it.]

Comments

C

[warriorscribe]

*Well, he'd taken the shorter route here - his armor made it incredibly easy to get any squashed bugs off of them, and he could move quickly if he needed to. His motivation in going to this suddenly emptier lounge?

He wants to take the time to be the old man he is. Even though they're making great strides (even greater, once Ganondorf replies to his message tomorrow morning, though he doesn't know that yet), it's not enough to stop these low moments, these times when he's feeling so, so...old. His mind even imagines vague aches in his limbs and back sometimes (lacking the psychological knowledge to know that it had nothing to do with his mental age and everything to do with his mental health).

He stops short a moment as he sees there's someone else here. But he doesn't let it deter him; the man's just reading, after all. He curls up on a couch, head resting on the armrest and looking out the window at the fog.*

((ooc: I don't know if Sephiroth knows about the mutual info arrangement with Ganon or not; if you want to set up the deal about the research tools here, we certainly can! If Sephiroth would tell him about the plan at a stage where not even Ganon has just yet.

If not, I am so sorry for the boring tag, I would have thrown in a monster or something if it wasn't for this possibility, so feel free to bring in a couple of monsters or something if Sephiroth wouldn't react!))

[neverbeamemory]

[Sephiroth looks up from his book just as Enoch passes his line of sight, on one of his intermittent looks around every so often. If only to clarify the ping at his spacial awareness that someone was approaching him.

Well now, what luck. Here was Sephiroth with a mental note to go and find Enoch at some point with regards to certain equipment that they were clearly lacking in this area of the Tower. Despite his reservations regarding the application of science in general, he certainly has a knowledge enough about physics and he understands 'souls' as far as it goes in his own universe at least; Sephiroth fancies he could learn a great deal from that collar liquid. He might even find the 'key' to his own freedom, now that would be clearly worth the mild comparison to his father - besides it's not as if anyone else here knew.

He doesn't gaze over at Enoch for long, watching for the time it takes for the other man to get settled in the nearby armchair, before Sephiroth forces his gaze downcast back at the pages of LOVELESS. Though suddenly it's not as important. The words run together and he starts to not take them in over the course of the following minutes. Eventually-]

Good to see you, Enoch. [The greeting is very uncommon, coming from him. The one who wouldn't usually break a silence.]

[warriorscribe]

*That does seem uncommon, and uncommonly friendly for him. Enoch turns his head to look at Sephiroth, as if there might be some visual cue to what has caused this.*

And you, Sephiroth. You sound as if you wanted to speak with me.

*Because he's never heard him use that phrase. Granted, he hasn't been around him all that often either, but all the same...*

[neverbeamemory]

[Well, it is good to see Enoch in this instance. While it might be entirely considered a friendly greeting for most, Sephiroth is just stating a fact. He raises his eyes and lowers his book as Enoch looks over and offers a nod in the other mans direction. He doesn't move from his reclined position however, he doesn't see the need to.]

Well this certainly removes the need to have to comb the entire Tower after you.

[He doesn't believe in coincidences but then what other reason could there be for it. This sort of strange occurrence must have a reason somewhere. His gaze flicks for a moment over to the nearby retrieval unit, as if trying to decide whether he cared if he were overheard or not.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch follows Sephiroth's gaze to his retrieval unit, then to his own.*

You were searching for me?

*For now, the conversation is neutral. He'll move closer to Sephiroth if it shows signs of becoming more sensitive. Possibly under the guise of taking an interest in his book.

If he immediately moved, that would just look suspicious and he's sure Jason would want his retrieval units to get closer.*

[neverbeamemory]

Not as any matter of great importance, you understand. Or rather, I was pointed in your particular direction by one who could be considered to have mutual interests.

[By which of course is the greatest hint that yes actually it is a matter of at least some importance. It's fairly obvious Sephiroth refers to Ganondorf but his retrieval unit, at least, has already seen them in the same vicinity several times and not to mention has been displaced on numerous occasions as a result of the meetings the troll-king held.

This would be nothing new to the Administration, and from Sephiroth's point-of-view: let them cower in the knowledge that, until-now definable groups may be prepared to put their differences aside and push in the same direction. Right or wrong, Sephiroth would always prefer to take the more-aggressive stance. He cares little for what the unit would think that it's reporting on.]

[warriorscribe]

Mutual interests?

*Enoch got up and crossed the space between their couches to sit beside Sephiroth, leaning in as if to look at his book. It would only be polite to lower his voice now that he's sitting right next to the guy, right?*

What interests?

[neverbeamemory]

[He gets the hint quickly enough, and though loathe to close near-physical contact with anyone when it's not of a violent nature Sephiroth crushes that feeling of repulsion deep down away inside of him. He even moves his legs to the side to let Enoch sit down. Opening the book slightly between them as well to keep up the appearance of sharing something in this book of poetry.

Sephiroth lowers his voice to nothing but a low whisper-y rumble, as quiet as his vocal chords enable him to make words. Though he is careful to flick his eyes to the pages of the book between glances at Enoch's face. He needs to make sure that they are clearly on the same page. If he needed to be quieter, they'd have to figure out some other way to communicate.]

There is the means, but no tools with which to unlock the same.

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch does actually read the pages as Sephiroth talks, which helps their cover. Even if nothing they say has anything to do with the book. Hopefully the retrieval units don't get too close.*

So you know we seek the same thing. Do you want me to tell you if I find anything?

[neverbeamemory]

[Considering the way things are in the Tower recently, Sephiroth's not too bothered by the retrieval unit overhearing them - it's not like he's in custody of his tank of collar liquid still and if Ganondorf's powers were anything like he expected them to be then it would remain hidden at least for the time being.

Though, however the Administration would be expecting an infiltration to go ahead, the more details that could be kept quiet the better. Sephiroth draws his gaze over the much read pages of Act III of the poetry-book-come-play as he replies to Enoch]

So I have been informed. I'm sure you'll agree there is much to learn of real things.

[Sephiroth pauses and looks back over Enoch's face.] Anything of use to this end would be much appreciated, I will be occupied in other ways with regards to the forthcoming expedition.

[warriorscribe]

*Expedition... So Ganon was planning to go below too? And Sephiroth had just spoken of their endeavors as one and the same. It seems he knows Ganon's response now that he's said it.*

I agree. We can only learn so much with what we have. I'll do what I can to help.

[neverbeamemory]

[Their ill-fated infiltration last time had ended in the worst way possible and they hadn't come away with anything to show for it other than another death being chalked up to Ruana - and then later he'd gained a near-constant supervisor. A permanent, bitter reminder of said failure.

Of course though, infiltrating seemed to be the only logical route in gaining any foothold in information or means with which to develop a plot for Ganondorf's desired take-over: though it would be only Sephiroth's first step. Needless to say, now more people had a reason to be needing real tools and if there were more of them all going at the same time, well, the boycott has showed the power in numbers well enough.]

I'm glad that we understand each other.

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch nods and smiles in acknowledgment. Well, he might as well come up with a plan...but for the sake of their (admittedly flimsy) cover - and his own curiosity - he decides on continuing the discussion in a more mundane way.*

Is this a story from your world?

[neverbeamemory]

[Well that certainly was easy. Enoch is intelligent enough to figure out what he's implying at least. The less said on the matter the better; indeed there isn't much need to even say much more.

Sephiroth's gaze easily drops back to the open pages, which he flicks over on to the next with a deft movement of his thumb.]

Somewhat. It's just poetry at it's most basic, but there is a lot to be said for underlying - [His eyes flick to Enoch's and back in a second.] - themes.