[ OPEN ] Time and Time Again.

[prideinthefall]

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....

Comments

[bustered]

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.

[prideinthefall]

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.

[bustered]

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.

[prideinthefall]

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.