Mission 1 : [Accidental Video]

[argentimperator]

[It's obvious the pcd hasn't been activated on purpose; the video is just darkness initially, and the audio of the deep voice is faintly muffled.]

-unfamiliar terrain. Zack? Strife? Marshall?* Damn.

[Some rustling, and now the video has something to see, apparently the pcd was in his pocket and is now in a gloved hand, the landscape blurring by before it settles on a view of Sephiroth's face. He frowns for a moment before his expression smooths over into something blank and professional.] This isn't my- ...I assume there is someone else receiving this transmission. I wish to know where I am, why, and ideally, what's happened to my subordinates.

*ShinRa trooper #2 never actually got a name, poor guy, so he's getting one now.

Comments

[Video]

[argentimperator.livejournal.com]

[Does everyone here know Strife?]

No, not yet. Honestly, I'm more interested in Zack's whereabouts.

[Video]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

[Yes. Yes they do. But Horst is also Cloud's most obnoxious rival, he's obligated to talk when a certain name comes up.]

He's with Cloud. Usually is, anyway.

What's your name, stranger?

[Video]

[argentimperator.livejournal.com]

[He does vaguely remember Zack seeming friendly towards the young trooper...]

My name is Sephiroth. What is yours?

[Video]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Horst Cabal. I'm going to guess that if you know Zack and Cloud, you'll be good at settling in here.

Still! The clinic is here, [x,y]. You can get supplies or a place to stay if you don't get in touch with them beforehand.

[Video]

[argentimperator.livejournal.com]

...How long have they been here? [He'd only just arrived, after all, and they'd been with him.]

I appreciate the information.

[Video]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

[Hollow laugh] Longer than me, but it's all relative here. No one keeps track of the time. No one sane.

[Video]

[argentimperator.livejournal.com]

What do you mean, relative?

[Video]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Well, Cloud's been here a long time relative to me. I've been here a long time relative to you, but a short time relative to Cloud.

Seems I didn't drop out of university fast enough, hm? Look what it's done to me.

[Video]

[argentimperator.livejournal.com]

That could be said of anywhere. It doesn't explain why you say no one sane tracks the time.

[Video]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Because time doesn't really matter here. Not when the Animus can fuck around with your memories or, hell, the seasons or days or time itself.

How do you measure time, Sephiroth?

[Video]

[argentimperator.livejournal.com]

That's insane. How can any being do such things?

[He shrugs at the question.] Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years.

[Video]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

And those are presumably measured by the movement of the earth around the sun, or from our perspective, the rising and setting of the sun.

Well we had a week where the sun didn't move at all. Not an inch. So was that one day, made up of a hundred hours? That's what I mean. Time's pointless here.

[Video]

[argentimperator.livejournal.com]

I see... Some people have a natural sense of time that doesn't rely on external indicators, but that's hardly common. [Sephiroth shakes his head a little. A week where the sun didn't move. It should be impossible, but... Impossible only meant you didn't know how yet.]

I'll keep that in mind, thank you.