01 - Audio & Action - take your pick! Phone call or gun to the face...

[swooshycape]

[audio]

[ Vincent isn’t normally one to just try calling out of the blue, but he really wants some intel on this place - enough that he is willing to at least try, even if he is quite suspicious of, well... everything about this place. ]

Where is this? And to whom... am I speaking?

[ His voice is deep and quiet and mostly toneless - though there is a dark edge to it. He wants answers, and he expects to be given them. However, he has one last thing to add... ]

Yuffie, if this is your doing... [ ... well, if she’s listening, he’s pretty sure she can imagine the unspoken threat. ]


[action]

[ But even as he waits for any sort of response, Vincent doesn’t keep still. Instead, he carefully explores the mansion, moving quietly as he swoops down hallways, checking rooms and keeping to the shadows. You wouldn’t expect someone in a red cape to be particularly stealthy, but he manages it very well - unnaturally so.

However, stealthy or not, he is expecting a fight, so if he opens the door to a room someone is in, his gun is out and aimed right at them. ... really, he’s too used to a world where every space that isn’t a town or city is crawling with hostile wildlife. Don’t worry, though. He won’t shoot on sight. .... probably.

But you’d also better be careful if you meet him in a hallway - or more likely, he sneaks up behind you - as he is armed and dangerous and isn’t the friendliest looking person...

In either case, he won't waste time in asking questions. Unless he's already had the basics from someone else, in which case he'll probably lower the gun if he's sure you're not a threat. ... probably. ]

Comments

[action]

[selfrespecting]

[Martha had just been minding her own business. It's been a quiet day in the clinic, and so she's been doing the necessary amount of paperwork. It's nothing all that involved, but she still thinks it's a good idea to keep records of who comes in and out and for what reason.

So she's sitting at the desk near the clinic's entrance, engrossed in her work, when someone suddenly throws the door open and points a gun at her.

She can't really be blamed for shrieking, not when that came out of nowhere, and she almost falls out of her chair, instead managing to jump out of the seat as she puts her hands up into the air.] What? What is it? What do you want?

[swooshycape]

[ He almost feels a little bad for scaring her. But he doesn't lower the gun just yet as he looks her over, ascertaining how much of a threat she is. Even if he knew she were a medical doctor, though, that wouldn't necessarily be a good reason to trust... ]

What is this place?

[selfrespecting]

[Martha isn't thrilled that he hasn't lowered the gun even though she's clearly unarmed and working in a medical clinic, so she remains reserved as she offers her response. It's clear that he must be new, but honestly, there were better ways to go about obtaining information.]

It's called Wonderland. Wherever you're from, this place is completely separate from it -- another world. Everyone you meet here, we're all in the same position as you. We've been kidnapped.

[swooshycape]

Kidnapped.

[ Sorry, Martha. He's had bad experiences with doctors. ]

By whom? And for what purpose...?

[ Slowly he does lower the gun but doesn't put it away yet. ]

[voice]

[cetra]

[ Seems like it's the day to run into some old friends for Aerith. The voice is just as unexpected as Zack's had been, and the mention of Yuffie has her lips twitching. ]

Vincent Valentine, is that you?

[ She knows it's him, she could pick that voice out of any crowd. Still better to be safe. ]

Tell me where you are, and I'll come find you. This place...well, it's a long story.

[ And slightly strange, but they've run into plenty of strange back on Gaia. ]

[voice]

[swooshycape]

[ There is a long pause before he speaks, for her voice is at least as - if not more - unexpected for him to hear. It's been a long time since last he heard it, but there is no mistaking it. ]

... Aerith?

[ And yet, it still requires confirmation.

But wait - yes, she'd mentioned finding him, so he stops. ]

... a hallway. [ Helpful. ] Between the infirmary and the nearest stairs.

[voice]

[cetra]

[ She's near the diner on the eight floor, so she starts her way down the staircase. ]

Yes, it's Aerith. I should be there in a minute. Have you run into anyone else?

[ Too bad there's no elevators in this place, and she isn't going to run down the stairs. She would probably trip and fall, and she's never been much of a runner anyway. Just a brisk walker. ]

[voice]

[swooshycape]

[ He glances back at the infirmary before stopping and leaning against the wall to lurk and wait. ]

Yes. She explained much...

[ But not everything. For example... how someone who has returned to the lifestream can be here in the flesh? ]

Action

[seekinghome]

::Ed's been spending time in the library again, this time sticking to one book at a time with a notebook for notes.

When he hears Vincent approach he glances up and then back down. Oh, just a guy with a gun. Wait, what?

His head snaps back up to look at him again.::

Uh, hi?

[swooshycape]

[ Libraries are usually quiet and safe, but one never knows. So Vincent doesn't put his gun away right away, as he looks Ed over. He knows better than to dismiss someone just because they are young, short or interested in books. But... Ed doesn't seem hostile, and Vincent doesn't sense any monsters or anything in the library, so after a moment, he holsters his gun. ]

... Hm.

[ Not the most cheerful and friendly of greetings, but Vincent nods to Ed. ]

[seekinghome]

::Ed isn't... overly rattled by the gun, since he's been shot at plenty as a State Alchemist. Still, that was an addition to his day he wasn't expecting.::

Any particular reason you're pointing that at people?

[swooshycape]

... I'm used to monsters lurking in unexpected places.

[ He casts a glance over the room again. ]

I apologize for disturbing you.

action

[petabytes]

[ Coming from around the corner, a small voice steadily grows louder. ]

...so I think this will be a good opportunity. Come to think of it, I remember John mentioning her before, as well.

[ The voice is joined by another - indistinguishable from the first, save a barely perceptible electronic twinge. ]

Really? I don't remember... that must have been before I was activated, right...?

[ Closer observation would reveal that the girl is talking into her communicator, which is replying in her own voice. ]

Ehehe... sometimes I forget that we don't share memories! Come to think of it, one of those musketeers offered to train me too, didn't he...? ...Though... I'm still worried about what they... what they think of me...

But D'Artagnan made a man's promise with you! He wouldn't have told anyone!

...You're right... I know I don't have any reason to worry. Hm... if Oogami-san isn't too busy, I should ask her, too, shouldn't I? I mean, now that we're not at the school anymore...

[ She continues walking down the hall, seemingly talking to herself (?), completely unaware of Vincent's presence. ]

[swooshycape]

[ Hearing the voice - no, wait, make that voicees - Vincent pauses and moves to the side of the hallway, in a more shadowed location. He listens carefully, and once the girl comes around the corner, he watches her, somewhat confused.

But he doesn't say anything - not right away. He simply stands there and watches her, trying to make sense of the situation. He has no desire to interrupt her conversation with... someone who sounds exactly like her, as perhaps he may learn something useful out of it. If nothing else, he hears the names of other residents here.

If she doesn't notice him, then so be it. He will watch her walk on by, but if she does... well, he'll see how she reacts. ]

[petabytes]

...I'm worried that if I start off the way I am, it might be too much activity at once... but I'm also worried about training by myself for the first time, too...

If you train by yourself, I'll be there, at least! If anything happens, I can call for help!

That's true... but I think I might be more comfortable with someone else there...

[ She walks by Vincent, lost in thought, not seeming to notice his presence. After a few steps of passing him, however, she pauses, rubbing her eyes and slowly looking behind her, as if she saw something in her peripheral vision. ]

my apologies for missing this before

[swooshycape]

[ He's still there, right where she saw him, and now that she's looking at him, he supposes he ought to say something rather than just... creeping. ]

...Hello.

[action]

[runningfromhell]

[ There's no telling where her destination is, but she's in no rush. The hallway is long, and she has all the time in the world.

And when she spies the guy in a red cape, well, she just has to investigate, doesn't she? ]

Nice cloak. You snatch that from our resident werewolf?

[ She may not be best friends with Ruby, but she knows the woman has her very own red cape. She ignores the gun, because really? She's survived many a bullet in her lifetime. So, she seems completely at ease with her thumbs tucked in her belt loops and eyes slightly judging.

Seriously, a red cloak? ]

[swooshycape]

[ Vincent eyes her warily, not that his expression gives much away. Her demeanor is that of a predator, and her ignoring the gun marks her as either extremely confident, very durable or both. She may very well be a threat.

But... he's slowly coming to the conclusion that he doesn't need to be quite so on guard as to have his gun out, so he lowers it after determining that she probably wasn't going to pounce or anything, though her comment gets an eyebrow lift. ]

... resident werewolf?

[runningfromhell]

Oh yeah, we have all sorts of cute and cuddlies running around this place.

[ Her tone is a little snide, because yeah cute and cuddly and likely to gnaw an arm or two off. Good times. ]

I'm guessing you're new. Haven't seen you stalking the halls before. This a habit of yours or what?

[Action]

[neverbeamemory]

[Proceeding down a Hallway on the fifth floor, Sephiroth is just heading back to his room when he's sure he hears something behind him.

He'll stop after a few paces and glance in one of the mirrors to the side to try and catch a glance of who it is that's following him this time. Still he can't make it out (Vincent can be so stealthy at times) anyone there, but the finer silver hairs on the back of his neck are telling him otherwise.

Perhaps that gun is already raised and pointed by the time Sephiroth turns a little and peers back over his armoured shoulder.]

I'd put that down, if I were you.

[He recognizes this guy from somewhere...]

/tl;drs at you, whoops

[swooshycape]

[ The gun most certainly is raised and pointed at Sephiroth. He meets the man's gaze steadily and without flinching. He is unafraid - and if anything, when he sees Sephiroth, some part of him is sad. And some part of him is guilty. This close, he can see some of Lucrecia in Sephiroth's face, and for a moment he wonders what Sephiroth would have been like without Jenova. But he doesn't waste more than a moment on it, because the here and now is more important. There will be time for reflection and thought later - and it's nothing he hasn't pondered before.

He feels responsible for Sephiroth's existence in a way. It's not all on his shoulders, he knows. Lucrecia and Hojo are as much to blame, but still... he can't ever let go of the regret, the persistent idea that if only he had done something a little different, protested a little more - something, anything, then maybe just maybe so much suffering would have been prevented.

But Sephiroth... Vincent isn't entirely sure the man is human anymore, especially not the way he's died and come back so many times. Sephiroth is in many respects a monster, and so Vincent absolutely does not put his gun down. But he doesn't shoot, either. Not yet. ]

Tell me why I shouldn't shoot.

all the tl;dr!

[neverbeamemory]

Tell me why you should?

[Who is this guy? Red cape, black hair. He recalls Vincent vaguely through Cloud's memories but can't put a name to the face. Sephiroth slowly turns to face Vincent, those unblinking green eyes looking over him as if they might be able to pick him apart. He seems all too casual for someone having a gun pointed at them but if Vincent isn't intimidated Sephiroth is even less so. He seems unarmed as well, for the moment at least.]

You shoot and I won't let you get a second round off. Then I have to dig out bullets and you're less your ammo, and maybe your life. I've heard dying isn't to be taken lightly here.

[audio]

[colorofthesky]

[ He doesn't know the voice, but the name he mentions is someone he does know.

Or at least, he thinks it might be. ]

This...Yuffie, you mentioned.

She wouldn't happen to be a little too fond of materia and treasure, would she?

[audio]

[swooshycape]

Nothing makes her happier.

[ Well, besides bothering people. Vincent doesn't recognize the voice, either, but he imagines introductions will happen soon enough. ]

[audio]

[colorofthesky]

[ Well, that narrows down the number of places this guy could be from. ]

I guess we have an acquaintance in common, then.

I'm Zack.