supersoldier | ( aefenglom inbox. )

[Kill him? The arrogance that sleeps in Sephiroth, usually not so easily jolted to the surface, absolutely flares hot in disbelief. That is a very hard sell — given how much he trusts Kadaj in this moment (not an ample amount, no, hardly any at all) makes it even more impossible to consider.

Cloud may have grown capable over the years, might be able to fight more confidently than what he recalls from the past, but none have ever been able to match him. Even disregarding Shinra’s propensity to paint him as an untouchable war hero, he knows intrinsically that it’s true. None have proven to him otherwise.

He doesn’t believe it. Even though Cloud had looked upon him with antagonistic eyes when they met in that hazy dream, it is simply not probable, not possible, in the construct of his mind and who he believes himself to be.]

You’re lying.

Am I?!

[ He snaps back with a cold fierceness that easily matches Sephiroth's and he just... laughs. Softly. To himself. There. There it is! In those eyes that are so much like his own. There he sees the arrogance. There he sees Him and it makes Kadaj smile. So he's not entirely lost after all. Just... sleeping. He's sleeping, Mother! Sleeping.

But that amusement quickly fizzles out to frustration once more and he swings his blade to the side, leaning in to Sephiroth from where he stands. ]

That's the whole reason why I'm here. Why you ripped me out of you! To bring you back! For Mother! Because you died... You weren't supposed to. You weren't done yet.

[ His gaze drifts and strands of silver fall in front of his face as he stares off to the side. ]

And then I died. Big brother... killed us both. [ Softly, he laughs. ] But at least I got to die in his arms. I guess he cares after all!

[ A glorious shout and a spin on his heel, he stumbles back and glares to Sephiroth. ]

Why do you think I've never met you before? Because I couldn't... but I could... still feel you. All around me. Your presence... [ he laughs a little ] ...I'm you but I'm not! Because I'm only one piece of you. The other two... that makes us three.

[He is aware of that blade, in a way that every trained, military man is cognizant of a threat so near. But Sephiroth doesn’t so much as acknowledge it, eyes never moving from the young man even as he leans in closer.

What is he claiming now? Death, followed by— what? Pieces of himself removed? Even if this is supposed to be framed as figurative rather than literal, all Kadaj is doing is cementing the fact that he speaks in incomplete fragments, half-ideas that are never fully birthed by way of being tempted by another severed thought.

And so he focuses only on those pieces. There’s one thing that cannot be denied, as easy as it would be to dismiss it all as the ravings of a madman — he can feel Kadaj’s presence, too, like something deeply written into his veins. The connection exists, it is only a matter of discovering it in a more illuminating way.

If such a thing is even possible.

Sephiroth leans into specificity—]

“For Mother”. Doing what for her?

[And a second time—] And what about the other two “pieces” you’ve mentioned?

[Has Sephiroth ever aggressively air-quoted vocally this much in his entire life? Probably not.]

You know... so little, don't you? [ And as he laughs yet again, his words quicken then. It's really so annoying how little you know! Expecting me to explain it all when really, you should just know!

[ It's frustrating- M A D D E N I N G really! To think that this was all His will to begin with... and now he just... doesn't know. At all. Mother, it's just so... annoying. ]

Mother said she would speak with you. That she would make you understand... and maybe I should have let her do that! Should have let her be the one to talk to you but I...

[ But what? What does he want to say to him? ]

...I wanted to speak with you. Myself. [ a chipper beat ] I never got to before and you're just so you!

[ Again he laughs, stepping back a couple more steps, green eyes staring to those which look so familiar to him. ]

I'm going to tell Mother. Tell her that I spoke with you and then... then she can make this all better. Make you understand.

[This time, he doesn’t follow. And this time, he doesn’t fish, either, seeing that his previous attempt was utterly fruitless.

The smallest flicker of frustration, barely-there, in his otherwise cold tone.]

And you’re going to leave me without a name a second time?

Kadaj.

[ And he says his name... so proudly! A smile on his lips which speaks of sinister thoughts and childlike curiosity.

But he's bored now and The Great Sephiroth just doesn't understand, so he will take his leave. But not before he spins to look back to the silver-haired man and smile so bright and cheery! ]

Tell big brother I send him my love.

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