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Post by Sephiroth on Mar 2, 2010 10:15:36 GMT -5
"I never much enjoyed tropical locations. I prefer the cold of the north, to be perfectly honest. But tropical locations are good from time to time. The atmosphere it much less solemn." he said honestly. He had studied a bit of meteorology in when he was given his position as General, to account for how weather changes could affect the battlefield. He hadn't had much use for the knowledge, but it HAD helped win a minor battle in Wutai. He played along with her little ruse for the sake of simplicity.
"And you? I'm sure you haven't been to too many tropical zones. Your stay at Costa Del Sol was very short, from what I recall."
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Post by Sephiroth on Apr 18, 2010 22:51:26 GMT -5
Was she pondering a response? Had she run out of things to say? Or was she merely to focused on something else to pay attention to the conversation? No matter which way he looked at her, he was amazed that she had survived as long as she did on the field. Even though she had companions the majority of the way, she had made the last leg of her journey north towards her demise alone. But for the sake of breaking the silence, he pressed on with the conversation, trying to rile her into a response.
"Well, in any case, I suppose you're here now. You should enjoy the opportunity to relax yourself. You never know if you'll ever get it again."
Spoken from experience. However, they were experiences best left buried. They would soon have to turn in for the night. Which meant more that she would sleep and he would stay up keeping guard from the shadows. It was something he had not had to do in a great deal of years, so perhaps it would be a good refresher for him. Such skills were advantageous to have for situations such as this one, where the option of brute force was not currently available.
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Post by Aeris Gainsborough on Jul 3, 2010 21:04:45 GMT -5
"...I suppose you are correct." His words were finally beginning to seem menacing. "But you shouldn't be so pessimistic about it. Life can be taken at any moment, just as it can apparently be given." If he wanted to make references, she could play that game.
The fact that it seemed he was purposely tearing open old wounds just for the sake of bothering her made the pain in her chest feel a bit worse, however, which made her a bit more desperate in making it to her island friend's shelter. She motioned for the man to follow, though almost disdainfully, and gave him a small smile again. Weariness came over her in what seemed like a flash; suddenly all she wanted was warmth, and sleep. Several thoughts that she may not wake up haunted her for only a second, but were outweighed by her intense yearn for rest. It felt almost as if her body would drop within the next few seconds--- being killed by Sephiroth would at least imply that she made it into a building beforehand. There was doubt in her mind of just how much she could trust him, but it wouldn't be a very wise move to try murder where people could easily talk and react. And with a lack of strength, they may actually pose a problem for him--at least for now.
The pain was now nearly unbearable, and she could feel it in every step. The distance to their intended location was feet, but it felt like miles. She didn't look back for her comrade, but tried her hardest to look composed.
Upon finally reaching the door, she outstretched her hand and clenched it into a fist, feeling the first wave of pain shoot through her body. It was unnatural--unearthly--like an icy chill stabbing through her joints and scraping through her veins, and she was beginning to feel getting off her feet wouldn't do much to quell it after all. Nevertheless, she slammed her fist gently against the door, as more of a brace than a signal for entry. Whether or not anyone would hear it, she wasn't sure. But she feared her ability to stand would soon be lost to her if she was forced to do it for much longer.
Why wasn't Sephiroth getting the same ominous aches and pains...? Perhaps her state was a bit more special than she first thought..
Answer, please answer...! The woman prayed in her mind and leaned her body against the side of the doorway, beginning to feel lost and slightly hopeless.
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Post by Sephiroth on Jul 3, 2010 21:27:16 GMT -5
As he walked, he observed her closely. She seemed ready to collapse at any moment. He would have moved to help her, but he was much more content merely observing. He looked at every bit of her features with a scrutinizing eye, searching for the cause of her pain, and perhaps a clue as to their current situation. He too felt aches and pains, but they did not seem to be anywhere near the level that her contorted face seemed to tell. Everything had happened in a matter of seconds. As they stood by the door, he saw that she was about ready to fall apart and the doorstep. Feeling movement beyond the door, and noticing her increasingly worsening state, he did something very unlike him to smooth out the situation what would ensue.
Stepping up behind her, he wrapped his right arm around her waist with enough power to support her, and leaned her body back against his to keep her from looking like she was falling or drooping forwards. It was merely for the sake of appearances, but it made them look too...intimate...for his tastes. Either way, he inwardly sighed as a short, older man opened the door and greeted them with a curious eye, obviously wary of his presence. He could only hope that Aeris would play along enough to not make this situation more awkward than it should be, as he could see some energy return her exhausted body...
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Post by Aeris Gainsborough on Feb 14, 2018 17:23:32 GMT -5
The pain was otherworldly; resonating waves of it shook her core, made her legs feel weak. Leaning in the doorway of a stranger's home, with the unknown before her and a force of destruction just behind, she finally felt vulnerable. Flashes of the lifestream, memories of the warmth and acceptance found there---faces of those she guided and those she couldn't, those trapped to ponder the misgivings of their lives---bubbled to the forefront of her mind, and finally in that moment she felt small and alone. This was a mistake. Sephiroth being alive wasn't impossible---it seemed a part of him always would be, that the endless war between the Planet and its destroyer really was just that---endless. But her own life... I could do more good from the other side.
She bristled at the man's touch, panic flashing across her features. ESCAPE, ESCAPE, ESCAPE! But she didn't have the strength to move forward or pull away, and it seemed just as she'd wanted to try, the door creaked open in front of her to reveal a familiar face. She quickly covered the fear with an earnest smile (or so she hoped) and shut her eyes tight, knowing they would give her away. "I hope waiting for us didn't keep you up too late!" She quickly said, trying to steady her voice. She slowly opened her eyes to study the man's face, to find it full of trepidation. Of course, he was expecting her but not the imposing and stern figure behind.
"This is my brother, Seth," she put careful emphasis on the name to make sure both men heard it. "I've been sick, and he's been taking care of me." As she watched the elderly man, she noticed he was paying special attention to her companion's clothes. It was difficult to say whether or not he was a SOLDIER supporter, but thought it best to err on the careful side. "He chose to leave the military life behind when I wasn't getting any better. Family's all you have in the end, right?" She leaned her head back to look at her brother. The site of him made her stomach churn. Pointed nose, eyes so icy blue they cut like steel, silver hair hidden behind the traveler's cloak, utterly expressionless. Not even calculatingly so. Just nothing. He couldn't have picked a shirt and shorts, maybe put his hair back or chop it off... Another wave of pain made her squeak and clutch the man's arm, completely losing her composure. Paul looked concerned and opened the door wider to get a better look at the two of them.
"Family's all that matters," Paul said as he nodded to the other man and quickly ushered them inside. "My boy was in the forces---never made SOLDIER, but the money he could spare to send kept us afloat and let us rebuild after that tragedy years ago. Only got one room prepared, but I reckon' ya'll're used to sharin' and making do." Inside the wooden house was larger than expected for such a small village, but still very modest compared to urban environments. It was warm, homey. There was a faint smell of food. Aeris was too burdened to make out what it was---the only reason she was moving was because Sephiroth was moving her; her head lulled against his neck pathetically. His face was in her field of view again, and the nausea overtook her. She closed her eyes tighter than ever before. This was a dream. A nightmare. She would open her eyes, and the familiar glow of warmth and radiating light would wash over her, and she would be able to help more wayward souls find their place in the oneness of the Promised Land. And just like that, she fainted. As her consciousness was slipping away she thought she could hear someone frantically asking what was wrong. Nothing was wrong, though. She wasn't alone anymore.
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