thefarshore | Heaven's BBS

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ω sephiroth | final fantasy vii

Heaven's BBS | Text

Posted: April 28th From: Sephiroth

[ After a disappointing arrival and probably too many hours spent reviewing old network posts, (note: Sephiroth should be banned from anything that could be described as 'archives', 'library', or 'repository of information' for a lot of reasons) he has some questions. And since he'd rather review this information on his own damn time and without actually needing to see or talk to people, it's all in text format. At least this way no one has to put up with condescending tone in his voice?]

The April 25th fire: Was this incident related to previous events? If not, has there been any determination of responsible parties?

'New' arrivals: From all indications we are not from this world. Has this been confirmed?

If so, there is no explanation for our arrival. Confirmed?

Some of these new arrivals have vanished with no indication as to how or why. Has any new information been discovered?

Selection process of who will be god or shinki is currently unknown?

Assignment criteria of a shinki to god on initial arrival is unknown?

What is the exact nature of an ayakashi: what do they look like, what can they do, and all pertinent information.

Blight: Can be caused by shinki and inflicted upon their bound god(s). Can be cured with some ease in the early stages. Can also be caused by ayakashi.
- How are later stages cured?
- What is the exact method(s) by which shinki blight their gods?
- Is the Blight caused by the ayakashi transferred only through direct contact?
Upheavals caused by other gods are not unheard of but not usual. Yes or no.

Upon becoming gods or shinki, we have access to new abilities, but these - aside from this 'borderline' - are not clearly defined. Explain.

((ooc: he'll probably respond to everyone in text only format))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Reasonable, perhaps. Logical. But incorrect.

[Remember that you're talking to Sephiroth remember that you're talking to Sephiroth remember that you're talking to Sephiroth.]

At the shrine. [It's still weird to think of it as his shrine.]

Edited 2016-09-26 03:23 (UTC)

[ Incorrect. That has yet to be determined.]

I'll be there in five minutes.

[ Four minutes and fifty-three seconds to be exact. Though Sephiroth takes a moment to look around, it's no more than a few seconds. Then that green gaze settles squarely on his god without wavering or the slightest hint of recognition. ]

Hephaestus. You were not at their ... festivities?

[Four minutes and fifty-three seconds. Sephiroth, he is truly surprised that you didn't wait the extra seven seconds to preserve that innate sense of exactness that Zack knows you have. Still, five minutes is such a short time to prepare oneself for a meeting that Zack doubts will go entirely smoothly.]

I'm still getting used to that name. [It's a quiet statement, made more to himself than to his companion. He hadn't been looking in Sephiroth's direction on the arrival of his Shinki; Zack turns now to face him. It hits him then, truly hits him: the lack of recognition. Sephiroth doesn't know who he is, or who — or what — he had thought he was. Perhaps that is ultimately a blessing, but that doesn't make this at all easy for Zack.

Not that he'll allow any of that to show on his face, of course. If there's one thing he had learned from Sephiroth, it's how to school one's emotions into perfect neutrality.]

I was. And I saw you. But I saw too the opportunity to try to get some answers, and I sensed it was fleeting. [There's a slightly apologetic smile.] So yes, I chose to delay our first meeting in favor of that pursuit.

And then, of course, there was the fire. [So much like Nibelheim...]

What name did you have before?

[ The concept isn't unfamiliar to him. A few of the gods he'd encounter at the picnic had two names. Just like the shinki, apparently, but Sephiroth has no interest in thinking about the tattoo on his arm right now. Instead, he watches Zack and contemplates what he says. The explanation mollifies Sephiroth a little.

After all, what Zack describes is precisely what Sephiroth himself had done. ]

These people have no idea what they're doing.

[ Or, it's all by nefarious design. However, Sephiroth hasn't decided whether or not he trust his god with that theory. ]

Zack. Zack Fair.

[It's a little strange to introduce himself to Sephiroth, but he knows what this place has done to his companion's memory. But Zack does know the man, and its that knowledge that sees him not offering the handshake that he would normally give on meeting someone; he knows well Sephiroth's aversion to touching and being touched.

He can feel too that some of Sephiroth's proverbial ruffled feathers have been smoothed. He takes that as a good thing.]

That is possible. [Zack shrugs. Technically anything is possible.] Or they're very good at pretending they have no idea what they're doing, as a cover for something a little deeper and more hidden.

[Someone's been hanging out with Turks.]

[ Sephiroth doesn't say anything when Zack gives his name; he just tucks it away for later. A smirk does form. ]

Or both. [ A hidden plan doesn't necessarily mean the ones trying to execute it are competent. ] What is it you plan to do?

[ As he speaks, Sephiroth begins a slow circuit around the shine. Would it tell him anything more about the god to whom he's contracted? ]

Or both. And possibly something more besides. [They simply have too little information for anything but conjecture. Even educated guesses are just guesses at this point.]

At this point? I'm too weak to do much that's going to gain answers. So the best course of action seems to be gaining more followers, more influence — getting stronger. Which means we're going to be working together for a while.

[Zack does nothing to impede Sephiroth's explorations. The shrine itself is simple; Hephaestus is known as a blacksmith or crafter and as such there are carvings and tools to suggest that sort of work. It doesn't really fit Zack, but he's not made a decision to change it — at least not yet. It's not a high priority.]

[ Perhaps it does not fit Zack, but Sephiroth finds familiarity in the unstated precision of craftwork. Gloved fingers explore one of the carvings with a curious tilt of his head. ]

That is what I keep hearing. [ 'Helping people' is how most described it. A foolish notion that he's not entirely sure he believes. A god's power should be an independent thing. ] So, you mean to play along with this insanity?

[ When he voices the question, his tone is surprisingly neutral. ]

For now, yes. [He tracks Sephiroth's progress through the space, trying to make note of what interests him. It's so weird, seeing the man he knew so well as so much a blank slate.]

I can see two main advantages: first, power is actually gained. That's the simple one. [And power is a good thing, especially if it turns out they are pawns in a higher game. Zack had been a pawn once; he'll not allow himself to be used that way again.]

Second, playing the part may lead to — let's call them opportunities to obtain some of the answers that have eluded us thus far.

[ For all of his firm, unwavering belief in his own power, Sephiroth does not discount the reasons that his god now gives. Yet the idea of playing errand runner for silly human wishes angers him. The emotion is a slow, cold thing right now that hums beneath the surface of every thought.

But Zack is right. For all that Sephiroth would rather burn this place to the ground and sow salt to the earth, he doesn't know enough about how it works to truly tear it down. ]

It will do. [ He says as if it were entirely his decision to make. ] For now. Did they tell you about the ayakashi?

[That anger, even though it's on what Zack would call a slow boil, is still felt. But he feels it best not to say anything. Sephiroth like this is too unpredictable; he doesn't want careless words to drive a rift between them.]

For now. [Seriously Seph, it's almost like you think you run the show here! Although Zack had been told to look to his Shinki for advice and even for guidance at times. That's going to take some getting used to.] Not nearly enough to satisfy my curiosity, but I could say that about so many things here.

[ And we all know what advice Sephiroth would give. ]

One of the other gods indicated that if we answer these prayers, we will likely encounter them. [ In retrospect, Sephiroth should have asked Sora for more detail, but at the time he'd had more than his fill of people in general. ] If they touch you they can make you sick; Blight they call it.

[ And they'd also said that Sephiroth's emotion could possibly do the same thing. Upon the heels of that thought, he looks back at Zack. ]

That's what I heard as well — that oftentimes these creatures are the true cause of people's problems. [Which had pinged Zack pretty hard actually; helping people is something for which he'S always felt a strong drive. What he doesn't know is how Sephiroth is going to affect that.

Pushing himself away from the wall where he was leaning, Zack paces the space with light footfalls.]

I've heard a couple things about this Blight, how serious it could be. [How Sephiroth himself could cause it in Zack.]

[ Those cat-like eyes follow Zack through the room without blinking even once. He gauges this god of his with every step and each word. So far he is satisfied- in as much as he can be anyway. ]

Does it worry you?

[ Sephiroth doesn't think it at all unlikely that Zack knows more details about the Blight than he. Apparently, gods got an actual introduction to their 'new' lives. ]

No. [Zack stops his walking and turns to Sephiroth with a small smile.] It doesn't worry me at all.

[Oh, the possibility is there. But Zack isn't careless and he isn't reckless. He knows that if they go out to meet and potentially battle one of these ayakashi, that there's risk involved. But back home Zack had been a SOLDIER; every day of his life involved risk.

And in terms of Sephiroth himself having the potential to cause Blight within Zack — well, if it gets to that point, they'll find a way to deal with it.]

[ Sephiroth goes back to examining the carvings once Zack answers him. The risk does not bother him either, but the topic makes him consider all of the information. Specifically, the nature of how a god and a shinki work together. It still seems preposterous to him that a god would need that kind of aid, but Sephiroth will be damned if he lets his god die as well.

Call a point of pride and the long-ingrained belief of being the best at anything he did. Therefore, Sephiroth will not allow his god to come to harm via any ayakashi. Feeling as if he's solved that particular problem, Sephiroth continues. ]

When do we begin?

Edited 2016-09-27 11:39 (UTC)

[Perhaps the necessity of having to work together is part of some higher plan. Zack almost voices the thought, but quickly decides it's probably not prudent. He doesn't think that Sephiroth's ego would allow for such a thought!]

Well, I don't need things like food or sleep anymore. That means that the necessities that shaped a day are no longer present for me, nor are the time boundaries that those necessities set. So I could start at any time, really.

[But what about the needs of his Shinki? Those are a bit unclear to Zack; he doesn't know if Sephiroth is as... his brain casts about and picks 'impervious' as a descriptor. It's not perfect, but he's not sure what can describe their situation.]

We could start now, or we could do a little reconnaissance and then make a plan. I'd like to hear your advice.

[ As with most of the information that Sephiroth has uncovered, the physical needs of a shinki was pretty vague. Yes, they need to eat and sleep apparently, but that's about all he considers reliable in scale. But since he doesn't currently feel the need for either one of those things, he doesn't think too much on it.

None of that is as important as Zack asking for his advice and he gives the request serious consideration. ]

There are abilities besides the vessel name we're given that shinki possess. One of them is called 'borderline'. Since ayakashi can often be found when answering prayers, it would be prudent to test and learn these abilities beforehand.

I agree.

[Asking for advice, Zack had thought, would flatter Sephiroth's ego; that's why he had done it. And in life, Sephiroth had been unmatched in terms of military strategy. While the man before him no longer has those memories, Zack is certain that some of the innate skill must surely still be present.]

I'd like to know how well we work together, identify our opportunities so we know what to train. Preferably before something tries to separate our heads from our bodies!

[The last is said with a bit of a laugh. While in some ways this is entirely new in others it's not unlike the old days. And considering that he can't talk about their shared past, that laugh is perhaps a bit of pressure releasing from a secret kept.]

[~~Zack uses Appeal to Massive Ego and it is SUPER EFFECTIVE!!!~~]

We should try it in a controlled environment first.

[ And that is a glimmer of the old Sephiroth, a man long since dead. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say it's a glimpse of what lays beneath the insane need to destroy the world he knew. Those reasons are absent now with the loss of memory. While that doesn't make Sephiroth any more tolerable on the whole it does mean that his focus isn't so intensely mired in one course of action that he cannot see the rest of what lies around him.

Though Sephiroth doesn't laugh as well. To him it is a foregone conclusion that won't die in such in a way; he won't allow it. And thus the humor doesn't register. Zack does get a quirked brow that seems to question his taste in jokes. ]

I agree.

[Someplace that's not the shrine though; it's much too enclosed to get a true feel of things. Zack mourns only that they no longer have the luxury of the VR training rooms he'd used back in ShinRa, but they'll be able to make do.

And while he hadn't really expected Sephiroth to laugh, Zack himself sighs a little. Apparently humor registers as much to this man now as it did when Zack knew him before. Still, it had been worth a try.]

Preferably a secluded one. I don't want to tip our tactical hand to anyone, just yet.

We'll see what's beyond the temples of the other gods. If there's nothing suitable, the living world might have acceptable space.

[ Sephiroth admits, to himself at least, that he's curious about what form he'll take and what that will mean when Zack wields that form.

And now seems like a good time to at least locate a suitable place. Without another word, Sephiroth turns and heads for the door of the shrine with his usual determined strides. There's no sense in loitering. Waiting won't get them anywhere. ]

I was thinking much the same.

[And he's off! Well, that's typical of Sephiroth at least. Zack just shakes his head and follows — and is content to do so for now. It gives him more opportunity to observe his Shinki, to learn (and unlearn) things about him. He knows what Sephiroth is capable of; more than power, it's his attitude that makes him dangerous. Zack needs to know how much and how to control that — without seeming like he's exerting control. It's going to be a fine line to balance.]

[ Sephiroth moves as he always does - an economy of motion and directed purpose. The difference now is the sharpness of his gaze that warns of trouble for those who fall into his ill will. Still, it's mild, at least for him. Now he has a direction and that's done a deal to settle some of his anger.

While they walk, Sephiroth pulls apart this meeting and rearranges it against everything that he's learned. The pieces are too few to give him a clear picture, but it's more than he had before. The most important conclusion is that Zack seems competent. This little training exercise should tell him more. These thoughts occupy him and as usual, silence seems to be preferable.

Nor will he stop moving forward until there's no other building in view. ]

[Truly, Zack loses track of the time they spend walking, lost as he is in his thoughts. He only really notices the lack of motion on the part of his partner; that's when his focus turns outward to see where they are. It's nondescript enough, distant trees and very distant buildings and plenty of space for them to work. Zack nods his approval, stretching his arms out from his sides.]

Ready?

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