supersoldier | ( aefenglom inbox. )

Yes. If you'll be at the board, I can meet you there soon.

[If Cloud's in a bind, well, he has no reason not to lend a hand. With time, comfortability has slowly grown; no doubt blame the Bond and then some for that.]

We can take up more than one request if you want to feel caught up. But try to pick something interesting for both of us.

Yep. See you later.

[And. Later. When Sephiroth approaches the board, he should see Cloud standing, arms crossed, in front of it. His expression isn't good. The board itself is pretty much cleared by now, with only a single piece of paper on it.

Cloud... knows he's approaching. His attention isn't on him- of course, it's not- but he knows. Of course, he does. He half-turns to face him as he approaches, his voice distant.]

The interesting stuff's gone already.

[And. ...Might be best to stand in front of the last remaining one. ...Because it's stupid. And Sephiroth seeing it makes it even stupider.]

Looks like I wasted your time.

[He arrives, finding Cloud as easily as he often does. And he’s met with a surprising sight — the board itself, emptied of all postings except for one that’s strategically blocked by the other man.

Not promising. Especially after being told that he’s wasted his time; but Sephiroth is a stubborn sort, and he isn't keen on believing that just yet.]

...And the one that’s still present? You wouldn’t call it ‘interesting’?

[His gaze slide over Cloud’s shoulder and at the posting peeking up over it.]

[He noticed. Great. Just great.

He exhales, stepping aside with a light step in a heavy boot, his eyes roaming... well, away. The outpost is harshly lit in the night- with a multitude of large, piercing floodlights placed here, there, and everywhere. It's pretty apparent that the place is still pretty much a construction site, save for a number of makeshift shelters on the edges of the outpost. Probably for the workers and their families.

Should Sephiroth look at the board, he'd see something, written on an interesting choice of paper. It reads:

Our cat, Princess, escaped from our place by chewing through drywall, scaling a metal door and breaking a double-paned sheet of glass. She's very tender and great with kids... Just a little misunderstood.

An address and a meagre reward follows. As Cloud's eyes move back to him:]

It's dumb. Not worth our time, either. May as well wait until tomorrow night for something worthwhile.

[Such a defeatist!]

[He steps forward when Cloud retreats from his post, moving into the harsh lighting the board exists beneath. The environment itself doesn’t bother him; this place will always be a far cry from Midgar, and even its more industrialized endeavors are lacking in comparison.

Instead, he notes the paper, frowning slightly. Eyes rake over the writing which is penned in a loopy, bubbly hand.]

…

[To say that this is beneath him is an understatement. He’s never been tasked with fetching someone’s lost (and very horrendous-sounding) cat in all his years of living, and to think that he should do so now—

Well, what’s the alternative? To return empty-handed, time wasted, back into idle hours of having no task set before him, no mission? He’s lived enough of that on this planet, and there is only so much readjusting he can take in one day. He has to work, has to do something — he wasn’t made for stagnancy.

And so, a gloved hand reaches up and plucks the paper from the board. Sephiroth half-turns to face Cloud, the cartoonish parchment shivering in the breeze.]

I’m already here, and you’re going to take advantage of that. We’re finding Princess.

...You're kidding.

[He's well used to Sephiroth now. Their bond, as well as what little time they'd spent together makes him not see him as an enemy, and honestly? Things he thought he couldn't control, such as all-encompassing pangs of fear that were natural to him at the sight of the man have... died down. It's a niggling feeling in the back of his head now, if anything, but even so- there's not exactly any sort of comfort in being around him.

...Still. Of all the things he ever expected him to say, that- in the way it's said-]

Forget it. Unless you're planning on shaking 'em down for more money, that reward split won't even cover getting something to drink afterward.

[So negative!]

[Look at this face, Cloud. Does he look like a kidder to you?

The instinct is to twist this request into an order, but Sephiroth has to remember himself. That this is now, and not “his” time of several years ago to Cloud. That he cannot just expect the infantryman to put everything aside and follow, dependent upon his own whims. So he sets his jaw, biting that back.]

Then we don’t split it. You keep the reward.

[He’s not here for the pocket change. And he will not be dissuaded by Cloud’s inherent negativity. Sephiroth himself is given to cynicism, but the other just seems to be digging in his heels for the sake of it. It makes him do the same.]

…Or don’t. If you think it’s not worth your time, then I’ll do it. You can try again tomorrow, but I need something to do.

...

[That's what it is? Something to do? His brows furrow slightly at that, eyes searching his face- really searching- piecing the situation together. He'd already worked out Sephiroth wasn't doing this for the pleasure of his company. That's apparent enough- Bonded or not, it was something out of necessity for the pair of them. Other than the odd training session here or there, (the odd asskicking for Cloud of course), they seemed content enough to go on with their separate lives.

And as such, Cloud really didn't know that much about him.
...Not beyond the obvious, of course.

And he can relate. Extensively, actually, to the feeling of feeling listless. Ex-military or not, it's a difficult thing to shake. With Sephiroth being present military, it's got to be impossible.

He shifts from one foot to the other, occupying himself with idling fiddling at a gauntlet.

And passively, even if he's already decided he's looking for the damn cat:]

I'm gonna walk to the teleporters. If it's on the way, then it'd be stupid to not pick it up.

[And off he goes.]

[Sephiroth's always been observant, always been able to read others very well despite the steel wall he shores up for himself. And Cloud — oddly, to him — is like an open book. His reticence is just a very thin veil, his dismissiveness barely hiding his resignation. A sense of victory twinges in his chest, and after Cloud turns to walk, Sephiroth's lips twitch just a little, knowing. Maybe there's a small amount of gratitude in seeing this through, but that much is kept to himself.]

Reasonable enough.

[But, as if to point out the fact that he knows both have accepted the task, he begins to read aloud Princess' description scribbled at the bottom of the note. He stays two steps behind Cloud, and his pace is languid.]

'Long-haired tabby cat. Dark grey coat, green eyes. Responds to both Princess or…'

[Ah. Hm.]

'…Sweetie-Poo.'

[Thier bond means that a tiny little sensation of ...smugness? goes through him too, and the feeling, for him, is so misplaced and so odd compared to his own resignation, that he slows. He turns toward the other man and... yeah. He sees it- about to open his mouth and say something, but he decides not to.

Not while he's talking, anyway.
He listens to the description, filing away... well, what he can of it before the last point. Which... it's a weird one. But it sounds even weirder coming from him.]

Let's go with 'Princess.'

[A few more steps, and there's the sound of some containers falling, directly to the pair's right-hand-side. A cat, coincidentally enough, of a description similar enough to what Sephiroth read out (What are the odds?), runs across the street a few yards ahead of them.]

...!

[No, he's not saying either 'Princess' or 'Sweetie-Poo.'
The cat's gone almost as quickly as it came, clambering over a fence with some agility. Cloud moves into a half-run toward it, hitching himself up on his arms to look over it. Somewhat private property. About as private as a makeshift settlement can get, actually, but that's never bothered him before.

He drops down to his feet, before he looks to Sephiroth.]

You coming?

[A few steps back, and he runs at the thing before getting up it himself.

....Now where did that thing go...]

[What convenient timing. The cat, a tabby with long grey fur like the note described, bounds away and across the street. Cloud decides to take the lead, moving towards the fence which encompasses private — but seemingly deserted — property, with Sephiroth moving at a quick pace behind him.]

Lead the way.

[Not his usual role, to follow someone else’s lead, but neither is seeking lost cats for a minuscule amount of money that he doesn’t even care for. Today is a day of defying the norm, it would seem.

Cloud gets a running start to leap over the fencing, but Sephiroth doesn’t need quite that much. The jump is easy, effortless, and he lands on the other side with a surprising dearth of noise.

Beyond them, a glimpse of that same cat, back to them, moving away. Sephiroth straightens and calls out—

P...rincess. S...weetie-poo.

Okay, he actually doesn’t say anything, deferring to Cloud instead.]

Call for it.

[It's kind of weird, to hear no sound from a man as tall as Sephiroth dropping down from a fence that's probably about 8 foot tall. But he's not questioning it. Not when so many other things seem to bend themselves to his will, even when he's not trying.

...It's just one of those things. Besides, it's weird to call attention to it. Besides, he's looking for that damn cat. Using the traits of the other side of him isn't possible- He doesn't have the creature's scent. But he can see well enough in the dark. And he does- spying the thing tiptoeing around a corner.

He moves- bringing his hand to the hilt of the sword at his back, (...Not for the cat. More like for anyone that might be around said corner, armed, and inclined toward defending their property) and he starts to creep forward.]

...

[His gaze moves to him, at the order. Quickly.]

Not happening.

[Brisk? Yes. Rude? Probably. But no way. He exhales, turning the corner, and immediately dropping down to a crouch. There's a little alley. Tiny, actually. Filled to the brim with broken tools, shabby furniture as well as all manner of other trash, far too narrow to by any kind of back exit. But at the back of it, there is a cat. ....He can see the glint in its eyes as it stares at him.

And as for what he said:]

...We don't need to get on first-name terms with it. We just need to catch it, bring it back, and get paid.

[He inches forward. Slowly- extending a hand.]

...Here, cat.

[This is just as stupid.]

...Cat, cat, cat....

[A few more inches.]

Here...

[Suddenly the sound of clattering.]

Shit!

[The creature yowls, making a leap right at Cloud, clawing it's way up him and to his shoulder- then makes a jump for Sephiroth. It lands just shy of him, darting underneath his legs and toward the street again.]

[His order so thoroughly denied — something else he’s not used to, and certainly not in such a brusque manner — makes Sephiroth’s lips thin, his look disapproving. But he does not argue the point; if Cloud is certain that he can coax a strange cat out from its hiding spot, then he’ll gladly watch and see if that’s the case.

What follows is a very good example of what not to do.

In the wake of cacophonous racket, the angry yowl of a feline and trash clattering to the ground, everything goes pear-shaped in a matter of seconds. Suddenly the cat is angrily clawing its way up and over Cloud’s shoulder, leaping at Sephiroth but landing at his boots. The animal slips between his legs, and he does little more than turn to watch it run and squeeze its way through the fence behind them.

Sephiroth glances behind him, raising a pale brow at Cloud.]

Because “cat” was much better.

[Sarcasm, Cloud has unearthed it. He is not impressed!

But to be fair, the failure is on both of them. He could have reacted fast enough to swoop down and pick the thing up, but missed that opportunity — surely if the whole of Shinra’s science department was gathered ‘round, they’d take note of this failure and wonder what it meant for his performance in any future cat-gathering expeditions. But such sardonic musings are best withheld for another time.

Right now, they have a cat to catch, and so Sephiroth wastes no time in running after it in a rush. This time, Cloud can do the following, because in a few more seconds he’s already making a second leap to clear the fence once more.]

[They're both not that great at this, that's for sure. Shinra's science department would certainly get a ...lot of data off it too. Not exactly helpful data, but data.

...And even if the thought's a sardonic one, ...It's kind of right.

Regardless. He can only really narrow his eyes before Sephiroth is off, and, since time is something of the essence in this sort of situation, he's got to follow. Even if the damn thing clawed him pretty good while climbing him. He's up and over the fence again seconds after him, swivelling his head around the makeshift street until the clattering of something else tips him off.]

Over there!

[Rubble. Stored building material- concrete breezeblocks, lengths of timber, gigantic bags of cement mix and other assorted stone. There's a small opening inside of it where blocks have been arranged haphazardly- and he can make out the light distorting as something small glances it, interferes with it.

His hand moves to his sword again. This time, not to ready it. More to adjust it after that jump. And he moves forward.

...A swallow. Sephiroth's...
Probably far too tall, and far too broad of a man to get his shoulders through there. So.]

Think it'd be better if you stay here? That way, you can make a grab at it if it decides to bolt again.

[A second clattering of noise reveals just where the feline had darted off to, taking refuge in a mess of unattended construction material. Likely for one of the empty plots nearby, he thinks, glancing about to consider just where “Princess” might flee a third time if they neglect to catch her again. It would probably squeeze its way through another fence, towards a thick row of bushes lining yet another neighboring section of private property. Sephiroth, ever strategizing, makes a mental note for later, and nods at Cloud’s suggestion.

No, he’s too tall to squeeze into that space, and probably too broad, too, even if he tried.]

That’s for the best, considering I won’t fit in there.

[If this were a dire situation — or a battle situation — Sephiroth wouldn’t be so easily deterred by something as mundane as building material. However, this is the simple retrieval of a cat, and there’s no need to rely on extreme measures; that would just be a show of incompetence.]

Go on, and I’ll stay here.

[Alert and waiting.]

[Incompetence, and it'd probably scare the cat half to death too. He nods at Sephiroth's confirmation, straightening up before removing his sword. He might fit, somewhat, but it won't.

It's leaned against the pile of breezeblocks. It's fine if it stays there. He's sure as hell not going to ask Sephiroth to hold it anyway. And. As he enters a gap that's probably wide enough...]

Here... [His voice lowers.] ...Princess.

[Sigh.]

Here... [This is so embarrassing.] ...Princess, Princess.
Good... Princess.
Sweetie- fuck this.

[If Sephiroth can suddenly hear hissing, he would be right. It's low- tinged toward the end with a long, low yowling sound. Suddenly, it increases in volume. It becomes loud, all at once, and it's accompanied by hissing from Cloud himself.

He's... got it. Or, more accurately, had it- it's wriggled free and is scrambling up the breezeblock tower from the inside.]

It's moving up!

[He can't get through there. But he can sure put his hand through, after it.]

[Contrary to what most might think about him, Sephiroth does have a sense of humor. It’s merely buried under layers of seemingly cold unaffectedness and wrested from the surface by only a select few. And while nothing strikes him as comical at the moment — after all, this is akin to a mission, and they need to do what they can to fulfill it — he'll not forget Cloud’s continued utterances of “Princess” when he takes the time to remember this entire experience later. In fact, he might make certain to remind the other man, too, at some point, if he’s feeling particularly affable.

For now, however, it’s all business. There’s a yowling sound, then a hissing from both (likely not promising), and then Cloud telling him that the feline is trying to climb up and escape. He can see his fingers peek through a crack between blocks as he tries to pursue it.

Sephiroth makes his move, rounding at the right angle to reach his own hands towards the shadow of a cat creeping up into daylight. Its head pokes out first, then part of its body, and he reaches for it, both hands at its sides just beneath the shoulder blades.

It hisses at him, ears pinned back, and swipes with a claw, which catches on the material of Sephiroth’s sleeve.]

Stop. [—he commands, as if the cat were a low-ranking officer, cold and stern.]

Cloud, I’ve got it. [But it seems rather… hm. Stuck around the middle.]

[That eventuality is the last thing on Cloud's mind at the moment. This entire thing was nothing but a pain in the ass- and the longer it went on, the more and more the cat itself seemed to be far too much trouble. For this pay, and for three times the amount offered.

As the cat scrambles upward, he moves himself into a crouching position underneath the creature, shifting a block to the side to afford himself more of a grip.

It's... probably not a good idea to move more. But his torso can fit after it now, and as it gets stuck (and indeed proves that the long-accepted fact that cats were actually liquid is bullshit) he's rewarded for all of his effort by the creature's back legs kicking, and getting clawed in the face.]

Shit...

[Honestly, he should start a swear jar at this rate. He pulls back to avoid more flails of the cat's back legs, bringing his hand to his face. Then, he listens to Sephiroth's voice.]

Yank on it.

[Whether the thing got hurt or not, he's past caring.
But... actually...

His strength would probably split the thing in half. He sighs- adjusting himself and inching back toward the way he came.]

Actually... hang on. I'm coming back.

[Strangely, the sounds of the cat seem faint now. Was he desensitised to the sound of yowling cat, or... was it listening to him? Weird. That little thought's answered as he comes out of the opening- dusty, sure. Bleeding slightly? Why not. Sporting a few bumps on his elbows and knees that'd probably bruise? Sure, add that in too.

As he emerges, he claps the dust ff his gloves before he moves to the top of the pile (...He didn't have the luxury of Sephiroth's height to lean over the thing, after all) and he gazes at the cat. ...It seems scared of him? It's ears are pinned back, and it's sounds are a low, warbling hiss- eyes locked onto Sephiroth's... similar ones.

....Okay.]

I'm gonna try moving some blocks. You gonna keep hold of it, right? Thing'll probably try and run again as soon as it can.

[Sephiroth does give the cat experimental tug before Cloud even suggests it, but not so hard as to rend the agitated creature in two. It wiggles and kicks and tries to squirm, but even a feline cannot make its framework of bones much more malleable, and remains firmly stuck. He pushes down a sense of exasperation, refusing to give into the inanity of it all just yet, and holds “Princess” captive until Cloud manages to free himself from the confines of the stacked blocks.

He looks worse for wear, to say the least. Like he’s just come back from battle — maybe that’s not too far off the mark, he thinks to himself wryly.]

...Your face.

[You’re bleeding, Cloud. Why are you always bleeding?

The cat hisses loudly again at the other man, and Sephiroth can feel the working of lithe muscles under the firm grip of his fingers.]

I think it likes you even less than me. [A beat.] Playing into the stereotype of “fighting like cats and dogs”, maybe.

[But yes, he’s not letting go.]

Edited 2020-05-03 00:23 (UTC)

Yeah, I know.

[Just scratches. Probably going to be mostly healed by the morning, for certain gone by the morning after that, but ....he sounds pissed. Kind of childish too, actually- given the fact that little shot by said cat's hurt his pride far more than his body.

It's... really not Sephiroth's fault. But he's annoyed- and with lowered eyes and a faint sigh, he starts to move the blocks, picking, with little effort, what'd normally take a man both hands to push, up a block with a hand and tossing it to the side. Sullenly.

But his eyes move up at Sephiroth's next statement.

...Then they look away, to the side.]

It's weird. Cats're... cats. Don't like 'em. Don't hate 'em, either. They're just there. Normally.

[But.]

I think it's this place. Or the changes. Can't stand this thing, even before it decided it's an asshole.

[His hands clasp around the block underneath the one he removed.]

Anyway, this one'll do it. You good?

[Cloud’s irritation rolls right off of him, noticed but ultimately ineffective in quelling Sephiroth’s commentary — very little does.]

That’s to be expected. I told you about my preference to sleep in high places, and that being planted to the ground is less and less appealing by the day.

[The changes were subtle, but steady. Psychological more than physical. Which was more worrying, in the end?]

It makes sense that a cat would avoid a wolf, and a wolf would see a cat as—

[“Princess” hisses again, low and lengthy.]

—irritating prey.

[Nothing to be done, other than to make certain that he’s the one holding this angry animal the entire time. Sephiroth isn’t one for pets, but it’s still a task he can manage without complaint.]

I’m ready. Remove it.

[There's that, yeah. And as he removes said breezeblock:]

I figured that was some kind of weird joke. At the time.

[Sephiroth's.... not exactly the best with them, so he figured it was either that or some flippant comment. The block is shifted easily enough, discarded over the edge of said pile with a flick of his wrist. And as said cat is freed, it growls in a manner that's far less than happy.

But, Sephiroth's got hold of it. So, he clambers down the pile.]

You think you're going to leave the city? There's highrises, sure. But it's not the same. Right?

[Once freed, Sephiroth keeps a steady grip on the cat, cradling it closer to himself so that it’s not just dangling in the air. It squirms, tries to push its clawed back legs against his arms to leap out of his hands, but to no avail. After a while, it gives up, eying Cloud warily as he emerges from the breezeblock pile, tail swishing with agitation.

It’s quite a sight, Sephiroth standing there, holding… a cat. But there’s nothing for it.

Despite himself, he chuckles a little at the question, amused at how it’s equal parts ridiculous and practical.]

If you’re asking whether or not I plan on nesting in a tree any time soon, the answer is no.

[But the amusement fades back into his usual detachment. Sephiroth brushes past Cloud, walking down the way they came, though he pauses just long enough to let him retrieve his sword.]

There has to be a balance between who we are and what this planet is trying to make us become. If I have to change, I won’t allow one to completely overtake the other.

[It... really is. That cat's not going anywhere and honestly? he hadn't expected Sephiroth's presence to be as helpful as it was. It's... a good thing he's here. Otherwise, he wouldn't stand a chance at catching it.

The cat in particular hates him. It's pretty obvious from how it hisses and how it bristles when he gets close, the fact it calms immediately after he withdraws from the block pile, and goes right into staring at Sephiroth in, what he thinks is its own part-fascination, part-fear. When it's finished wriggling, that is.

No skin off his nose. He didn't think much of the creature either. And Sephiroth's holding it, so he didn't have to. So he keeps his distance, collecting said sword, and putting it on his back.

...And he looks over when he hears Sephiroth's faint laugh. Not so long ago, he'd have been surprised to hear it. His memories had been full of it. Either... unrestrained in his insanity, desperate too- or just unfathomably cruel.

But now? It's neither of those things. It's amused, sure. Bright- beholding of a genuine amusement. But it's small. Ending just as soon as it began. A hand moves to the back of his neck as he then averts his gaze, focusing on following.

And responding.]

I don't know.

[A pause.]

We're from another one. [Another.] Look, I know you don't believe it, but... every planet's a living thing. Everyone born on a planet, is from that planet. Part of it. So... something from another...

[He tries to think of an example.
...Jenova.
No. Better not.]

Look, forget it. What you're saying could be possible. Probably be best to find the people that've been here the longest, right? If it's possible to find any kind of balance, you'll know by talking to 'em. Seeing how far gone they are.

[He walks, an uncertain feline in his arms the entire time. The cat looks up at him warily, curiously, and Sephiroth glances down briefly to meet its eyes. It meows at him, obviously unsure.

Still, he’s listening instead to the point that Cloud is trying to make. The planet, alive — more talk that reminds him of Avalanche, but it’s hard for him to spin Shinra’s rebuttal on the subject these days. His heart isn’t much in it; it hasn’t been for a while.]

Then what would that make us? Unneeded organisms in this planet’s ecosystem? And yet it tries to make us a part of it, regardless. Subsuming something alien.

[It still sounds far-fetched to his ears, but he’s more open to the notion now than he ever was. Skepticism crumbles under the weight of literally being supplanted to a new world, where the rules are very different.]

Still. Asking others for information is advice you should take for yourself, too.

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