001. welcome to my world

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

...who were they...?

and dammit! those were my only pair of goggles!

Comments

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

I assure you, it wasn't my intention.

Cloud Strife? [He does recognize the name.] Do you have any information about this phenomenon? [No offense, but he doesn't think it's an infantryman's doing.

Strife was involved in the Modeoheim mission, of course. Sephiroth can't seem to stop thinking about what transpired there. Could this be an auditory hallucination? It's a troubling thought.]

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

[if only he knew how much trouble he was getting his younger self into... well, he might not care but that's besides the point.]

...do I have any - you son of a bitch. Yeah, I've got information and it's those stupid cells we share. Apparently being dead doesn't shut you up.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[No one speaks to him like that (except Genesis, but that's a recent development)--let alone in his head, so he's actually taken aback for a moment.

When he replies, however, he's more dry than angry. It's difficult to faze him, and he's talking to a voice in his head.]

Excuse me, but I have no idea what you're talking about, Strife. I am not dead, but currently surrounded by paperwork in my office. Some might say death would be preferable, but that's another matter altogether.

Last I heard, it was considered insubordination for an infantryman to address a general in that manner. [Although regulations don't specifically cover telepathy, they probably still apply.]

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

...

[that's - a very long pause.

And then a snicker.]

Paperwork?

is that a fitting punishment for eternity...?

might actually be...

Focus, Strife!

And I'm not a grunt. Haven't been for years. Lifestream must be striping you down to basics

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

Command isn't all honor and glory. There are a great many menial tasks involved as well.

[There's a pause from Sephiroth, too, at that. He's not sure what Cloud's words might mean. Years?

Lifestream?

Something is off, out of alignment, in addition to the fact that he shouldn't be hearing voices in his head at all.

He shakes his head, as if that might clear it.]

No, mere weeks ago, you were at Modeoheim. [That's where his knowledge of Cloud begins.]

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

Nobody goes to Modeoheim anymore. There's hardly anything left that hasn't been picked over by now. Your stalking skills are getting rusty.

...

shouldn't you be gloating or spouting world domination themes by now?

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

Stalking? I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean.

[He closes his eyes. Why is he reasoning with a voice in his head claiming to be that of an infantryman, yet not an infantryman? Perhaps it's because he wants to remain perfectly calm. After what happened to Angeal and Genesis... Maybe he's been working too hard.

Maybe he should tell Zack about this. There's no one else left for him to talk to, but they've all been so preoccupied lately.]

You were with Zack, when he went looking for Genesis there. That was weeks ago.

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

You -

huh

...should I feel bad?

You're behind the times. That was over seven years ago.

You shouldn't be in my head seven years ago.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

[Now he's talking to an infantryman from the future? Wonderful.]

From my perspective, that is the present day.

I assure you, I have no desire to be in your head or anyone else's. I only wish to finish this paperwork and return to my other duties.

I should leave ShinRa, this is ridiculous.

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

leave...?

I wonder if that would have changed anything?

everything?

You've considered leaving ShinRa?

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

I have.

The fact that I'm admitting this to a voice in my head makes me more inclined to think that's a good idea.

What should I stay for now?

...they went mad and died...

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

...

that's... I never knew that...

...

what would you do if you left?

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

That is the problem. I cannot simply leave.

SOLDIER needs me, and ShinRa would hunt me down.

There would be repercussions.

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

bet it beats the repercussions of if you stay

Shinra's pretty good at hunting down rouge specimens...

if I say anything will it make things worse?

worse than Nibelheim?







Have you thought about trusting Tseng?

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

Tseng? I don't trust the Turks. How can I trust anyone?

Except maybe Zack.

My friends betrayed me, and now they're gone. They died. Those scientists treated them like nothing but objects. Mere fodder for experiments.

No, I'm alone.

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

Hey!

Knock that shit off.

that's what gets you in trouble in the first place

Of course you can trust Zack. He's Zack.

...

And if you betray him the way your friend's betrayed you, it's going to break his oversized heart.

[no-hometown.livejournal.com]

They murdered my friends.

Why shouldn't I be angry?

[A sigh.]

You're right, such emotions aren't productive. I must focus on the tasks at hand.

I thought Angeal was Angeal. I have no intention of betraying anyone.

[findmyownreason.livejournal.com]

I didn't say being mad was wrong. I said the whole 'I'm all alone' bullshit was wrong.

[hello, Sephiroth. Let me introduce you to Cloud's unaware hypocrisy. Luckily that's in your future.]

Zack needs you. otherwise he ends up dead And you have a lot of people that count on you to be reasonable when ShinRa's not unless you go batshit, in which case, ShinRa has to start being the reasonable ones and that's unnatural Fuck ShinRa and their scientists but don't you dare fuck over Zack. Angeal already did that. Zack deserves better.