thenearshore | [ OPEN ] Time and Time Again.

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[ OPEN ] Time and Time Again.

Who: Sephiroth and you
Where: Hephaestus' temple and the Near Shore
When: May 11th
What: Sword work and shampoo.
Warnings: Standard Sephiroth-is-a-jerk warnings apply.

Prompt I: Practicing

It's barely past dawn and the weak light of the sun spills over a flat, circle area near Hephaestus' temple. In that circle, Sephiroth moves with the Masamune in his hands. The long sword sweeps in elegant arcs through the air with the utmost precision. Sephiroth makes no mistakes as he switches easily between one hand two handed styles.

The show is almost beautiful if a person has an eye for such things. However, the red light of dawn licks down the length of the sword, casting a red tint upon it that gives the impression of blood. A closer study of his movements might reinforce that impression as many of his strikes are clearly designed as killing blows.

Sephiroth notices that he has company, but he doesn't stop until he's damn good and ready. Flipping the great sword back behind his shoulder, he looks over and arches a single brow in silent question: what do you want?

Prompt II: Supermarket fun.

Arms crossed over his chest, Sephiroth studies the long line of shampoos and conditioners as if this is a matter of life and death. One glance at the length of his hair, at it's glossy shine indicates that while maybe not life and death the wrong product could be Very Bad for the pale length of hair reaching nearly to his knees.

This is Serious Business.

He also hates begin here because humans are grating and even though they can't see him, their constant chatter sets his teeth on edge.

Locking out the noise as well as he can, Sephiroth goes back to reading ingredients lists in order to find something that will work well. Until, that is, some multi-armed ayakashi goes tearing down the aisle and disturbs the 'might be okay' pile Sephiroth had started to form.

Now, he's just pissed and the fireball forming in his right hand looks powerful enough to take out half the damn store....

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[Lucky for both the store itself and Sephirith, Forrest also happens to be here doing some hair care shopping if his own. And when he sees the disaster that's about to go down, he rushes over with an expensive bottle of product, shoving it toward the hand that isn't occupied with creating a dangerous fireball.]

Ah, excuse me... if you're looking for something to preserve softness and shine, this is what I use.

[And with those beautiful curly locks of his, Forrest clearly knows what he's talking about here.]

[ Shoving anything at Sephiroth when three quarters of his mind is bent towards destruction is a risky proposition. In this case the risk is mitigated enough because finding appropriate shampoo and conditioner actually matters more to him than setting the store on fire. With one last baleful look at the ayakashi skittering out the door, Sephiroth lets he fire diminish before looking at the bottle.

Then he asks the most pertinent of questions. ]

How likely is it to cause build up?

[ Because he has a lot of hair to tend and build up is a pain. ]

Edited 2016-11-01 15:43 (UTC)

[Forrest lets out an audible sign of relief as the fire dies down. He knew he was taking a risk, but two things he can't ignore are innocents in danger and a beautiful head of hair in need of help. Probably in that order.]

It's a clarifying shampoo formulated for daily use, so it should protect against any buildup as long as you make sure to rinse it out thoroughly. It's worked well for me so far, at least. I had an awful time finding something suitable, so I can certainly understand your frustration.

[ Sephiroth considers this suggestion with an amazing amount of seriousness. Thorough rinsing won't be a problem; he is meticulous like that. So far he's been making due but he itches for a proper hair washing. ]

Most of these bottles are the same thing with different packaging.

[ Mild annoyance colors his tone, but after he gets finished reading the list on the back, he deems this one work a try. Sephiroth looks up and nods, which is as close to 'thank you' he'll ever get. ]

Yes... it took a long time and lots of research to sort through it all. I had to learn what all of the ingredients were first. I'd never encountered most of those words before.

[His own tone is somewhat embarrassed at the admission, but he offers a smile all the same in reaction to the nod.]

I hope it works well for you. And if you'd like, I also have a small salon at my temple where I offer other hair care treatments.

[ A salon suggested that Sephiroth knew this stranger well enough to allow touching of his hair. ~~You gotta take a guy out to dinner first.~~]

I will think on it. [ It might get dire, after all. ] You're aid was satisfactory.

[ And nothing got burned to the ground; it's a miracle. He even manages a crack of smile. ]

I'm happy I was able to help.

[He won't push it any further than that. The offer is plenty.]

Oh, my name is Forrest, filling in for the goddess Lakshmi.

[ A deity with a salon. At this point Sephiroth isn't surprised. He isn't disgusted. There's just a vague disappointment as the revelation reinforces his dislike. He doesn't blame Forrest but rather the Heavens. Hair salons should not be the domain of gods.

Someone has a very absolute idea of godhood. ]

Sephiroth. I am partnered with Hephaestus.

[Well, Lakshmi is a goddess of beauty, after all.]

It's been nice meeting you, then, Sephiroth.

Say what you want about the man, Sephiroth is beautiful in his swordwork. He's designed for it, Zack knows, genetically engineered and trained from the moment he could hold a blade. That knowledge doesn't detract from the beauty that is the fluidity of his movement. He moves with an economy of motion, not a single bit of energy wasted as he flows through forms Zack recognizes as his Shinki's training routine.

It makes his heart ache in ways he doesn't truly want to contemplate.

But for all that he's avoided his Shinki since their falling out, he can't put this off forever. They have to work together and more so, Zack doesn't give up that easily on his friends. He knows that Sephiroth doesn't consider him to fall under that characterization, but he won't allow himself to fail the former General as he had in their former life.

There are times though that it seems that all Sephiroth truly understands — or trusts — is his sword. Maybe that's truly where Zack needs to meet him; he's pondered the possibility all morning while puttering around his temple. Zack had originally thought to clean up some of the creepers and vines around some of the columns, but he'd seen tiny buds on them. Flowers made him think of Aerith, and he made the decision to let the vines stay. She'd like that. She'd also want him to keep trying to reach out to Sephiroth and it's that thought that sends him out of the temple, his own sword in hand.

If he wants to reach Sephiroth, perhaps he just needs to speak with the right language.

He won't bother with a greeting, or with too many words at all. Sephiroth has made it clear in past encounters that he doesn't wish for conversation with Zack. Instead, Zack simply takes a guard position, a silent invitation to spar.

Speaking or being good with words was never something Sephiroth was trained to do. Language was another tool and he'd had no use for manipulative tongue. The man does not know these things, of course, but the marks of them carry well past death and a lack of memory. As too does the belief that the sword in his hands has never let him down. It has never failed him and never betrayed him. Like so many things about himself, Sephiroth does not know where his complete hatred for betrayal comes from or why he assumes that anyone that crosses his path is likely guilty of that particular sin.

He can assume that once upon a time it happened and it too left marks that would not be erased. Sephiroth takes some strange solace in knowing that while this place might erase his memories, it cannot erase him. Perhaps that's why he seems to have even less use for words now. Words deceive; actions do not.

Zack though is a quandary, a problem, that Sephiroth has yet to solve. To fight with his god, he must place some trust in the man. The idea wars within him compounded by that arrogance which refuses to be anything less than perfect. Outside of their last meeting Zack has done nothing to set of warning bells and even then Sephiroth can somewhat understand that Zack hadn't asked before transforming him. Battle is not a place of niceties. Was that all? Was that the only reason he'd gotten so angry?

No, it was more than that fact. The drain on his very being and words that sounded like dismissive orders had played a part in his ire. Away from it and with a few days to think it over, Sephiroth could see his own miscalculation. It wasn't an error; Sephiroth didn't make errors. (Welcome to the mental workings of admitting you're wrong while still assuring yourself that you're right.)

He knows Zack approaches; if Sephiroth minded, he would have found somewhere else to practice. When Zack steps into the circle, Sephiroth says nothing. The invitation is enough and so he lunges forward in a swift attack. The only change in his practice before and his opening move now is that some of the killing edge is gone.

Sephiroth attacks him and that's good too, because it doesn't leave room for contemplation of words or of whether or not this is the best course of action. No, it leaves room only for reaction, for a block that Zack steps behind to turn into a vicious attack. Sephiroth might not be aiming to kill but he's still a masterful swordsman and Zack will need everything he's got to hold his own.

He welcomes the challenge. It's easier than trying to talk to the man.

It's been years since Zack had faced down Sephiroth — years spent in a Mako tube, years spent being injected with Sephiroth's own DNA. While it might not have turned Zack into the perfect Sephiroth clone than Hojo had wanted, it had impacted his strength, his speed, his reflexes. Combined with a year spent on the run and Zack had honed his skills even further. It's for that reason that he pushes this fight so hard, attacking and retreating, trying to outsmart the man who had been ShinRa's greatest military mind.

And in a way, he needs this fight as well, needs a channel for his heartache and his frustration.

Perhaps it helps that Sephiroth himself is relatively calm. There's always that under current of anger in him, but it doesn't bubble and threaten to boil over. Zack does have all of his focus and Sephiroth watches carefully when the other man blocks and then counters. He knows sword work and any familiarity he might feel now, he decides is for that reason. This is natural and as easy as breathing.

Sephiroth catches Zack's sword against the Masamune, bracing his right wrist against the blade to stabilize it more. His opponent hits hard and that pleases Sephiroth. But that feeling doesn't interfere. Pushing back hard, Sephiroth then lashes out with the blade in three quick strikes. That he swings the sword in one hand lends an almost careless quality to the untrained viewer. However, the precision and force with which they're dealt is another but.

Nor does Sephiroth hold back. Doing so would only be insulting to them both.

Sephiroth pushes him hard and it's a welcome challenge. Zack feels like it's been too long since he's had a proper challenge like this, too long since he's been able to give his all in a fight. That Zack has the advantage of memory here is no advantage at all; Sephiroth is a creative fighter and keeps his god on his toes. That quick volley of blows has him giving some ground but it's hardly a concession on the fight. Now, Zack comes back with an overhead swing that leads to a turn with a kick; he's not pulling his blows at all.

If they could only talk to each other as well as they spar with each other, they'd likely be a pretty strong team! But Zack just doesn't know how to reach out to a man who responds to every attempt with hostility. It hurts that Sephiroth responds better to this violence than he does to any attempt at kindness or concern. Zack just doesn't know what to do about that, other than to spar until he simply drops from exhaustion.

Deflecting the swing of the sword and the kick takes a quick turn and some impromptu footwork. What is heart wrenching for Zack, has the odd effect of settling Sephiroth. There is challenge in the fight; he can feel the force behind Zack's blows, but there is no challenge directly to him. No attempt to gain an upper hand over Sephiroth himself.

At least none that he can detect. That allows him to settle into the spar without calculation on Zack's motives beyond a guess that this was Zack's way of trying to mend fences.

And so, while Sephiroth does push the other man, he's not trying to punish Zack and perhaps that is a notable distinction. Sephiroth executes a quarter turn, striking up and the right with the Masamune before bringing the sword back around to guard position.

It's probably Schuldig chuckling a bit from the end of the aisle behind Sephiroth that catches the man's attention. He'd been content to just let the store get blown up, but the very thought of it was plenty to get him smirking and then giggling in spite of himself.

"Don't mind me," he remarks. "I'll be happy to tell exactly no one that you blew up a store with... some kind of pyrokinesis is it?"

Just that much would have convinced Schuldig that the guy wasn't human in the past, but he knows better now. Still, he can't help but snicker once more at how feisty pyrokinetics are in his time and this one.

[OOC: I promise no telepathy usage unless you want to respond to my permission post c: ]

The sound of another person is enough to catch his attention. The fire in his hand doesn't go away, but it dims as he arches one brow slightly. Either the shinki/god knew he wouldn't die, or didn't realize exactly how large a blast Sephiroth had planned.

"Magic." He supplies with little thought to it. A part of him nearly launches into an actual explanation about materia, but Sephiroth doesn't need materia. Why he doesn't need it is a frustrating mystery that he bats away mentally with ease.

"We have not met."

"No, we have not," he answers back in a similar cadence. "Although I can see why we're both in this aisle." Schuldig pushes the sunglasses up onto his headband, then drags his fingers back down through his hair. "This unruly mess doesn't happen by itself, after all."

But then he smiles, gaze going to the miniature fireball now. "Magic. Alright then." Shame that it's not a kinesis, but it's not like magic by a variety of definitions is much different. And it's the only difference between his teleporting and telepathy, after all. "I did mean it though-" He gestures casually with a few fingers toward the ayakashi. "If you're interested in taking that thing out, I don't mind waiting to chat more."

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[ OPEN ] Time and Time Again.

Supermarket

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Supermarket fun

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