![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
April | Test Drive Meme
Jikan Test Drive MemeMinimize
You've seen this before. The thought strikes suddenly, during whatever it is you were doing. Having an important conversation? Running away from home? Dying in the midst of a fierce battle? Where ever you are, one things is true: you're certain this isn't the first time you've lived through this. But upon realizing this, that's when it happens. Like someone hitting rewind on the VCR, you're back where you were ten minutes ago. And it happens again. And again. And again--Until finally, something is different. A door stands in front of you. Will you go through it? Nothing else seems to be working, so this might be your only chance.
Upon opening the door and heading inside, a strange feeling overwhelms you. It's comforting and warm, like being enveloped in a soft, heavy blanket. You hear a voice murmuring in your ear, but it's unintelligible.
And in the next moment, you've appeared in a laboratory, surrounded by the unfamiliar yet worried faces of people in lab coats, speaking in a foreign language that doesn't sound so foreign to you anymore.
Nanjikan Research Laboratory
There isn't much time to process what's happening before characters are ushered out of the arrival room. They're passed between a medical and a psychiatric team, checking them for injuries and psychological trauma. Their every need is met: food is offered, injuries are tended to, and questions are answered. "You're in the Eastern Kingdom of Nippon on a planet called Gaia," they explain. "You were brought here because you became aware of the timeloop... we'll explain everything."
Orientation Nanjikan Research Lab, Tokyo
Everyone is brought to a large auditorium, where dozens of other people looking similarly out of place are seated around them. The scientists and doctors from before file on stage, thoroughly explaining the situation. What they experienced back home was a timeloop. While the loops in their home worlds are smaller and likely to resolve on their own, the fact that such a small amount of time is being repeated is what makes them so dangerous for those who become aware of it. And they've been working around the clock in collaboration with the neighboring Western Kingdom, checking adjacent universes for others who've become aware. While the technical explanations may go over the heads of most, that's not the reason they were all brought together like this.
And they continue to explain: their own world was trapped in a year long loop for decades, if not longer. Through the use of an ancient form of bonding magic, they bound their world to the present flow of time, allowing it to progress past the timeloop. Or at least, that's how they thought it worked. In truth, Kizuna is very powerful reality-warping magic. And thanks to the powerful bond all refugees now share with the country of Nippon, the magic surrounding them will only continue to evolve.
Until they find the means of resuming the flow of time back in your home world, the refugees will just have to make due with this one. But not to worry, because Nippon is fully committed to taking care of everyone!
A Place to Call Home Tokyo, Kanto
Once orientation is over, characters will be allowed to choose housing in both Kyoto and Tokyo, enabling them the means of easily living between both Kingdoms if they please. These housing options will be fully paid for by the government of Nippon, with the NRL and MRU providing a stipend for food expenses in Tokyo and Kyoto respectively.
In lieu of providing transportation, all refugees will be granted an unlimited rail pass that they can use to travel all across Nippon! Thankfully, express routes connecting Tokyo and Kyoto will be running at all times of day, allowing refugees to freely travel between the Eastern and Western Kingdoms as they please. While this TDM and its prompts are focused on the Eastern Kingdom, you are welcome to have your character arrive in the Western Kingdom instead.
For those bound for Nihonbashi, be careful not to board the train too late at night. Because on Friday nights, the Loop Line's final train of the night is a party train! Every train car is set up with its own theme and decor, with this week featuring the return of the ever popular sexy maid cafe in the rear of the car! Dress up in a surprisingly demure maid outfit (this is 1921) and take customer orders, or have a seat and peruse the menu. Aside from a small bar, there's no actual food service or exchange of currency going on here, so it's all in good fun! The train will loop endlessly past the same station until sunrise, so hopefully they weren't planning on an early night's sleep.
In Little Edo, a Great Nippon Salamander has been spotted wandering the streets in search of clean water. While this may not seem like a big deal, these creatures range in size from that of a large dog to that of a large house. To subdue the creature, the local hunting clan, the Hanzaki, are searching for volunteers to help coax the salamander back out into the swamplands of the Tokyo Outskirts. While the safest method is to lead it using a hose or another source of water, those looking to get the job done quickly may instead choose to fight the creature, causing it to flee in whichever direction they point it in. Careful, they move faster than you think!
Over in Yoshiwara, the Tokyo branch of the refugee-owned nightclub, Club Hexxx, has finally opened its doors! Enjoy a dark and spooky atmosphere while listening to the latest jazz hits. And best of all, refugees will be offered a free glass of Club Hexxx's signature drink: Kinklist, a coffee-flavored drink that turns white after one sip, and causing the drinker's deepest sexual desire to appear written on their cheek in black ink. The text will remain until they finish the rest of the drink.
NRL Time Refugee Support Network
Once they've received their housing assignment, all refugees will be given small handheld devices called magi-tech communicators, or magi-comms for short. They're heavier than a conventional smartphone would be, but far sturdier, and powered by the ambient magic that flows through the city. Now available with limited sepia-tone color, and video cameras! They don't need to be charged, but they won't work outside of cities at all. Upon booting it up, they'll find a message linking them to a special channel for refugees.
#nrl_time_refugee_support - online
Use the following code for your top-level if you'd like! This is how network communication will look for characters in the game until more advanced magi-tech comms become available for characters.
Springtime Flowers
With the changing of the seasons, the cherry blossoms have finally bloomed, painting the landscape with dashes of pink and white on nearly every corner. Not even the busy citizens of Tokyo can resist stopping to smell the flowers, or even enjoying picnics underneath them!
And those looking for the best place to view the flowers need look no further than Little Edo, a suburb in south Tokyo that borders the vast wetlands that separate Tokyo from Yokohama. And between the lush parks, interesting shrines, and mysterious ruins, there's no shortage of things for those settling in to explore!
A Very Special Festival Kanayama Shrine, Tokyo Outskirts
While most residents are celebrating the spring season under the cherry blossoms, a different sort of celebration is taking place at the Kanayama Shrine, located just south of Tokyo on a tall, narrow hilltop that juts out of the flooded landscape. Once more, it's time for the annual Kanamara Matsuri, and all refugees will find themselves invited to the little island to see the festivities. And what sort of festival is it, you may ask?
Why, it's the Festival of the Steel Phallus! According to legend, there was once a plague of a type of ayakashi that was known to live in the genitals of humans, whose vicious bite caused the birthrate of a certain city to drop down to zero. To combat this, an afflicted young woman asked a blacksmith to forge a steel phallus in order to break the ayakashi's teeth, freeing her of the curse. It's said the original phallus remains enshrined in the innermost chambers-- and in honor of this most venerated dildo, a festival is held every spring to celebrate sexuality and fertility, all leading up to a procession in which a giant steel phallus is paraded around the island.
(And no, I didn't make this one up.)
Refugees visiting the shrine will find no shortage of phallic-shaped foods and merchandise. Outside of the wide array of oddly shaped dildos to choose from, in terms of food, there are stalls selling lollipops, popsicles, sausages, grilled squid, octopus balls, cream-filled dick waffles-- but there's more at work here than a simple theme. Those who choose the popsicles will find themselves with a temporary oral fixation, causing an urge to have something between their lips at all times. Now, is this a naughty trick, or merely a marketing ploy to sell more popsicles? It's hard to say.
But the real treat is inside the shrine itself, where a single dildo stands tall among gilded offerings and flowers. The inner chamber is only ever put on display once a year, and for good reason. Anyone whose eyes fall upon the majestic phallus will become overwhelmed with a desire to fill or be filled - which might just be why viewings are done in groups of two or more, with the outer doors of the shrine closed behind them for privacy. There's a nice pile of pillows and no shortage of lubricating oils available, so why not get into the spirit of the season with a friend or two?
Flowers of Evil Little Edo, Tokyo
Festivals aside, many people are coming out to Little Edo to enjoy the array of cherry blossom trees for Hanami, or flower watching parties. Of these, the refugees will find themselves invited to a special gathering, taking place under the shade of a massive cherry blossom tree that was planted in their honor the year before. And yet despite it's young age, it's the largest tree around, continually growing since the initial growth spurt when it was planted. Although most understand that it was likely Kizuna that caused its sudden growth, locals have begun treating it as something sacred, leaving offerings and making prayers beneath its branches.
And should the refugees decide to take part as well, they may be surprised to find that whatever they wish for comes true. These wishes are rather limited, and some may only exist for a few minutes. But for those wishing to meet someone from home, the may be surprised to find that the person in question will appear beside them in Nippon... (See notes below for details!)
But while everyone else is enjoying the cherry blossoms, a certain park in Little Edo is drawing crowds for a different reason. After last year's outbreak of jubokko ayakashi, the cherry blossom trees in this area were permanently stained by the jubokko's red pollen, causing the pink petals to develop distinct red veins.
However, unlike the jubokko's pollen, these petals carry a very different effect. Anyone who stands under the shade of these trees will feel an irresistible urge to confess something. This can be something minor, like a strange food combination they are particularly fond of, or something major, such as the name of the last person they had sex with. This urge will linger even after leaving the flowers, until they've either confessed enough to appease the tree, or until the trees go bare when the blossoms fall.
Underwater Mysteries Tokyo Outskirts, Kanto
Those who are familiar with some version of Nippon may find the changed landscape to be rather confusing. Due to a massive time surge many decades ago, the entire region of Kanto was flooded, leaving many cities underwater or transformed into swamplands. As nature took over, the flooded region surrounding Tokyo came to be known the Tokyo Outskirts.
Ordinarily, exploring this area can be rather dangerous, given both the presence of dangerous Ayakashi and the unstable landscape that's peppered with the ruins of drowned cities. But this week, those looking for a little adventure can take part in special boat tours exploring the ruins and viewing the cherry trees from a unique vantage point.
Up to four people can fit in a single steamboat, which is preprogrammed to follow a path that will take passengers past the top of a large hill that's almost completely covered in cherry blossom trees, with the ruins of a few old buildings just barely visible beneath the overgrowth. But beauty aside, the real marvel is within the water itself, which is clear enough that one can look down and see roads, trees, and even entire buildings still mostly intact beneath the surface. You'd think the water just appeared one day, given that nothing seems to have been destroyed when the flood occurred.
But not every trip will go as smoothly as planned. Hidden beneath the pink petals that pepper the surface of the water, unlucky refugees may spot the long, long body of an Ikuchi, the sea serpent ayakashi. Thought to be the longest Ayakashi to exist in Nippon, these thick, snake-like creatures may take entire minutes just to pass under a boat. Spotting the body is simply distressing, and thankfully not of much concern. But should someone make eye contact with the third eye on top of its head, the Ikuchi will climb over the side of the boat and coil around it, attempting to drag it beneath the surface. And for the one who initially made eye contact, they'll find themselves affixed with a curse that temporarily makes it impossible to float in the water.
Thankfully, this ayakashi isn't interested in attacking those who fall overboard, and there's plenty of spots where the water is far more shallow. But those who fall in will have to wait until another tour comes by to ferry them back to shore.
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's April TDM! The TDM is considered game canon, and also serves as the intro log! That said, whether you choose to carry threads over to the game or not is up to you!
• For this month only, please include in your top-level if you are a new player without an invite! Those seeking an invite can do so here!!
• CRAU characters may start regaining their CRAU memories one month after the TDM. However, vague feelings of familiarity are allowed between previous game CR! For more on this, please read the FAQ!
• You do not need to sign-up for housing! Choose whichever style you prefer. Roommates can be chosen by the characters or can be random. If you want to switch housing later, your character has the option of moving at the beginning of each month.
• Despite everything, Kanamaru Matsuri is considered an all-ages event!
• Wishes can be anything, from food items to items from home. All characters in the game will be allowed to redeem one item, magical or otherwise, from home using this prompt! However, for new character apping into the game, you have the option to have your character join the game by being wished into the setting. The wish can be anything from a direct plea to see a certain castmate again, or even just a wish for more friends that goes awry. These characters will still remember a time loop, but will not remember seeing a door, instead appearing in Tokyo after hearing the wishing-character's voice call to them. These characters will then be encouraged to visit the NRL for orientation, and will be offered an explanation that Kizuna saved them from the timeloop directly.
• While characters may attempt to fight the Ikuchi, it will not fight back, and cutting its body will cause it to grow another head and become another separate Ikuchi. This new head is also capable of cursing people, so it's probably best to leave it alone.
Please leave any questions about the TDM prompts in the thread below! General game questions can be directed to the FAQ!
Apps are always open!
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
jikan_rpg ⌛ jikan_network ⌛ jikan_oocRules ⌛ FAQ ⌛ Apply ⌛ Taken
Auxiliary ⌛ Hiatus/Drop ⌛ Activity Check ⌛ Bonus
Game Timeline ⌛ Code Directory ⌛ Contact
Setting ⌛ Housing ⌛ Businesses ⌛ Kizuna ⌛ Flora/Fauna ⌛ Magic
NPC Database ⌛ NPC Contact
Rufus Shinra | Final Fantasy VII (OG)
There is something liberating about being just another person on the street, hardly anyone spared him a second glance. He's not used to being lost in a crowd- all his life he was always separated by security with a Turk by his side like a shadow, isolated for his own safety.
He's sure one of the Turks will eventually find him but for now he's going to enjoy the taste of freedom that he's been afforded. Rufus has never been one to shy away from taking risks so that is what he does as he sets out to explore this new world. The air is fresher than it had been in Healen where everything was cold, sterile.
He was alive against all odds and even though he was lost in this busy city, it's still delightful. He had decided to wear a dark blue yukata to blend in a little more, his brother's small camping knife tucked away in a hidden pocket just in case.
But of course it doesn't take him long to get turned around, finding him in a place in Tokyo he can't figure out where to navigate from. If he's going to be lost then he's going to be lost looking as if he owns the city. The white silk fan he's holding is snapped shut as he places it upon the arm next passerby's arm to stop them and get their attention.
"I would be most grateful for directions to the nearest bar. I'm sure you can obligate."
Flowers of Evil
Mesmorizing- he reaches up to catch some of the falling petels with interest that would seem strange to many. He had spent most of his life in a city of steel and smog, not exactly a place known for it's natural beauty or somewhere nature flourished.
As he watches the pedels falling something shifts in him and those guards that he had put in place to conceal the truth crack as soon as he touches a petal. He spent his life learning to shape, conceal, and manipulate the truth in order to survive- honesty could be a dangerous weapon.
The petals fall from his hands, trying to focus himself as he starts to look for the nearest exit, trying not to bump into anyone in his haste but it's crowded, moving around isn't that easy.
Misc. et al
[Looking for another adventure? Hit me up at
At the bar - Let me know if this is all right
Reno was pretty sure they'd found everyone that was there thus far, but hanging out at the bar was a Turk past-time, and it gave him a chance to try and get his act together. He had a beer on the counter and a piece of outdated technology in hand, and was hunched over scrutinizing it. Sephiroth, Rude, Val, potentially Zack if he needed an extra hand. It was up to him to figure out what to do with all of them. Thus far his orders had been about figuring the city out and keeping an eye open for their other members.
Then there was a certain Ancient hopping around. He needed to make sure nothing happened to her. And, of all people, Genesis was out there, but he didn't need to do much about that. Genesis had cut his ties and was doing his own thing; nor did he need a babysitter of any kind.
Along with all of that was the need for money. True, he and Rude could camp out in a tiny apartment with no worry, but they needed to think bigger if their boss was going to show up. Unfortunately, even if he'd been part of a huge company, Reno had never run a company. So what he was investing in was a far cry from the 'Shinra Electric Company'. He had to go with what he knew, and he had a working knowledge of computers that could at least make him seem like a technology wizard compared to the native populace, and a decent grasp of communicating with people.
When Rufus got to the bar he would see the Turk first, preoccupied as he was with figuring out the technology. It was similar to home, but not always exactly the same, so he was going to have a bit of learning to do.
After he heard the door open he took a swig of his beer, clunked it back on the table, and lazily glanced over.
The shock on his face could have been photographed and placed in the dictionary as an example of "surprise". But that was fleeting, and promptly replaced by an elated grin. Rufus was there. And he was walking. Which meant he must have been from the past somewhere - he'd just have to find out from when.
He smacked the counter with a cheery order to the bartender, "Hey-hey, get me a second mug over here!", before giving his full attention to Rufus, "Was wondering how long it'd be before I saw you, Mr. President."
Of course, he wasn't usually the formal type. Even using the full title of "Mr. President" sound half-joking coming from him, but the fact that he was absolutely delighted couldn't be disputed.
it's perfect!
He was grateful that they had stood by him all this time and the look of delight that he sees in Reno's expression is rather endearing.
"It's almost like we are destined to always find each other," Rufus laughs as he takes a seat by Reno. It was nice to be able to walk around by himself but two years of almost constant bedrest left him feeling tired more than usual.
But he's not going back to that, he's alive once more and that's not an opportunity he's going to waste by sitting around. He's in a new world with new opportunities.
He takes the mug gratefully, eying the beer before deciding that it doesn't matter what it was, he could use a drink after all that he's experienced. "How long have you been here?"
no subject
The beer itself was middle-quality. After Rude earned such a large amount of money, he didn't have to worry about being super stingy with money. Not for the time being, anyway. But, he also wasn't one of the elites; nothing like nobility. He was used to the normal stuff rather than the super expensive. Fuck, the normal stuff was the rich stuff to him, considering his roots.
"Not very long. Hasn't been a month quite yet. Been figuring out whose here and gathering info so that we can take over the city. We, uh, haven't gotten a very big place yet, but I put Val on it to research what we can get."
He might have to hurry that up with Rufus here already.
"Rude and Val are here. No sign of Tseng or Elena yet. Sephiroth's from before he's lost it, and I've been trying to keep him busy so that he keeps it together. Aerith's here, so we're keeping an eye on her. Zack's here, and he said he'd help out if we needed. Or, maybe he just meant for me personally... and Genesis is serving drinks now."
Maybe he should refrain from sharing his theory that they're dead, given that would mean Rufus was dead, too. Can't have that.
"Might be a weird question, but what's the last thing you remember? Must be from before my time, 'cause you're... Well, you're okay."
no subject
"And Genesis is serving drinks," Rufus repeats as if it's just the most natural thing in the world after everything else Reno says. Sephiroth being here posed complications- if someone told him too much or if something tipped him, he didn't want to know how dangerous the SOLIDER could be here.
He doesn't care how cheap the beer tasted from a glass he is not certain has been cleaned but after what Reno tells him, he needs something, setting the mug down half empty.
"While I'm not going to bet on the warmest of welcomes, I will extend the same offer to Zack and yes, continue to keep an eye on Aerith." He knew how her death weighed on them years later and he's sure that he owes her for saving his life. He idly taps his fingers on the side of his glass, putting his thoughts together.
"As for Sephiroth- we should keep an eye on him and should something happen, be prepared. And I will have a drink with Genesis." He glances at Reno, raising his eyebrows at the question.
"I was with you, after I hung up with Kyrie. You were disappointed I declined the invitation to my brother's birthday party." If almost everyone was from a different point of time then Reno's reaction would give him some indication when he came in from.
no subject
"Wait, what?"
If he knew Kyrie and Evan, then it had to be after he had Geostigma. When else could it possibly be?
"But you're not—"
Suddenly he doubled checked Rufus, as if to make sure he didn't somehow miss an invisible wheelchair trick. Or miss signs of the illness that Rufus was trying to walk off.
"You're walking around."
Of course, by now it was super clear that he came within a certain timeline. Rufus had been having a lot of trouble, stubborn as he was to admit it, and the best they had was a treatment they'd been working on, but no cure. So how was it possible that the president could look like this.
And then, suddenly, there was one other serious matter. "Wait, how can you not go to his birthday?! He's your brother! Am I the only one who even gives a damn?"
Considering the only reason Rufus even met him was to shut Reno up about: possibly.
no subject
But then there was the matter of the disease that had been eating away at him for two years. Rufus rolls up his sleeves so Reno can see the bare skin that had once been covered with black sores and heavy bandages.
Sometimes it feels almost too good to be true, to suddenly be cured after the last two years. There are times he wonders if he looks down again it will have been a dream, another hallucination and that the marks will be back.
"You don't remember the rain." The expression on Reno's face tells him that much. He lowers his sleeves once more, his expression composed. "The rain, the pool in the church- it was the miracle cure."
no subject
He liked Evan. He did. But damn if it wasn't painful watching an awkward teenage boy fail all over the place.
But on another note, one that nearly took his breath away... "There's a cure?"
It was hard to believe. After all their efforts they'd been happy just to find anything that would delay it. To help deal with the pain. Finding a cure had been a long way off.
What more proof did he need than his own eyes? Rufus couldn't know these things unless he was from the future, so he had to be cured, no matter how unbelievable that was.
"You're serious," he said aloud as if reaffirming it to himself. His expressions ran through a series of emotions: disbelief, shock, the kind of joy that made one cry. If there was one thing he had plenty of, it was a zealous love for his crew, and finding out that someone they'd been watching slowly deteriorate for years was suddenly better was a lot to take in. Oh, he didn't cry, but his eyes were rather shiny.
no subject
He doesn't comment on how Reno's eyes are shinier than normal as he finishes his beer, setting the empty mug on the bar. It's a lot to take in after everything that's happened in the last two years but after a moment Rufus moves on.
"Evan is a Shinra, he'll be fine. He'll learn from his bad life choices and either survive them or, well I'm sure Kyrie will rescue him" Making questionable life choices was a proud Shinra family tradition though he's confident between Reno and Kyrie he'll be just fine.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
He's exchanged his uniform for something different, a simple pair of pants and a shirt, but even without it a SOLDIER's mako eyes are pretty distinct.
"I'm pretty new myself, but I think I passed one a few blocks back."
no subject
There is no use in trying to hide who he is- Zack may not recognize him now but it would only be a matter of time before he's found out. So he smiles, raising his eyebrows as he meet's Zack's gaze.
"Perhaps you can take me. The first drink will be on me, Mr. Fair, for your generosity."
no subject
"I'd be happy to, sir." Another habit he'll have to unlearn. He makes a gesture back the way he came from. "Can't say I'm much of a drinker, so I might need a recommendation."
no subject
"Of course. I think I have an idea of what you may enjoy." If they were going to have a difficult conversation then they might as well enjoy the drinks.
When they reach the bar Rufus asks for a table for them, ordering two tequila sunrises as they take their seats. Everything about this place is still surreal so he might as well go with things and have fruit cocktails with Zack. "How are you settling down here?"
no subject
He offers his thanks to both Rufus and the bartender when the drinks arrive, but he doesn't pick it up to drink it yet. "It's taking some getting used to, but I think I'm managing all right. And yourself?"
A pause, and with a faint grin. "I'm surprised the Turks haven't swarmed you yet."
no subject
Since Zack isn't currently trying to kill him Rufus is assuming that he's safe for the time being.
"So far it's been an interesting experience. Surreal, in many senses. I expect to wake up any moment and have this be some strange fever dream."
no subject
And really, he isn't the revenge type, despite having every reason to be.
"But I hear you, on it all feeling like a dream." He takes a longer drink, humming. "It's not a bad feeling."
no subject
"I suppose it's another chance for us, to start over in a sense. To freedom," Rufus raises his glass to Zack with a smile.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Flowers of Evil
Which is why he isn't entirely surprised when the person who collides with him turns out to be Rufus Shinra.
"Hm. I wasn't expecting you." It's said with about as much emphasis as he ever musters.
Sephiroth assesses the man in front of him. Rufus looks different somehow. Older. Sephiroth immediately realizes what this means, and as is quickly becoming normal for him offers an addendum. "Do not fear. I am not that Sephiroth."
It doesn't occur to him at all that this is not a normal introduction. He thinks he's being direct and helpful.
no subject
His vision doesn't glitch as it did when Kadaj looked at him, Sephiroth was truly standing there in front of him assuring him not to be afraid.
So he wasn't going to allow himself to be afraid.
"I'm guessing I'm not the person you were wishing to meet then," Rufus remarks with amusement as he picks some of the petals off of his clothes.
"You're not that Sephiroth- which one are you then?" It was a more direct way than he had wanted to ask but Sephiroth not stabbing him was a good start so he would go from there.
no subject
"The same one I've always been." It is said with the same deep certainty he always has in himself and this shows in his unwavering gaze where it meets with Rufus's eyes as well. He could give no other answer.
Sephiroth lets the petals enclosed in his hand drop almost as an afterthought. They have done their work.
no subject
"It's a pleasure to see you once more then. It's been awhile." Rufus chooses his words carefully, not sure where the compulsion to be honest is coming from but the wrong word could lead to questions he doesn't want to answer.
"You seem to be doing well here, General."
no subject
Which makes it all the more ironic how incredibly relieved he is to fall into his old role. The changes are minute but discernable to the trained eye. There's just a certain way Sephiroth relaxes right into it and it's in everything from his posture to the subtleties of him scanning the area for threats. Because of course he's guarding Rufus now and will follow him wherever he wants unless given other orders.
"So it seems."
Sephiroth gives his report without any further prompting just as any good SOLDIER should do. It covers what he's learned about kizuna and local history and the familiar people he's met (Reno, Rude, Valeria) but not those he prefers not to discuss (Aerith, Genesis) because they are either outside of or equal his duty to the company. He also does not include his mission update (good PR for Shinra -- from Reno) as part of this because they are still in public.
no subject
"Perhaps we can go somewhere a little less crowded. I could use a drink and perhaps something to eat," Rufus decides, he could use getting away from this place and perhaps the urge to speak the truth so openly will fade. Telling the truth wasn't always for the best.
"I'll trust you to pick where we go since you know this place better than I do," he decides. There were some things that he wanted to ask but were best discussed in private. Even if Rufus wasn't recognized and it seemed Shinra wasn't known, he preferred to take precautions.
no subject
It turns out they do have issue with Sephiroth's armor at the door, but he resolves this with a look and doesn't need to use any of the cutting remarks he has prepared. They are seated soon thereafter in a private room with tatami mat flooring. Sephiroth is getting used to sitting seiza and assumes the position right away as if this is totally normal.
He sets out the chopsticks and hands Rufus a menu while they wait.
no subject
"This is much better. I could hardly hear myself think out there," he glances at the menu for a moment before setting it aside once he decides what he wants. He's still trying to entirely wrap his mind around everything but right now he's hungry.
"You've seem to be doing well here though I'm sure it's been an adjustment."
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)