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Characters: Ghoulia Yelps + Sephiroth
Location: Building rooftop next to the Watch HQ
Rating:G
Time: 10th of June, late-afternoon.
Description: Sephiroth comes back from beyond the mirror to Death City. He'd been out doing a little training of his Deathscythe abilities. While he intended to spend the rest of the day alone and reflecting on his discoveries, a certain zombie girl has other ideas.

The training he'd done for the first part of the day had been worth it, more or less, even if his mind had been straying to other things. Sephiroth had mastered a few of the abilities his ascension to Deathscythe had given him, but it appeared as though the ability to at least travel through the shadows was something that could only occur while resonating with his partner. He hardly saw that as inconvenient since his power far outweighed most of who he was facing. Sephiroth had yet to attempt his power against a Witch, but while he felt as though he could at least go head to head with one, the ex-General had felt no desire to. No, he much preferred the satisfaction of doing such a thing while resonating with his younger partner. There was an odd sense of fulfillment that he felt within when they won as a team, and he knew well that Cloud experienced something similar.

His large wing tucked in against his body as he swooped in towards one of the rooftops. Sephiroth knew well that Cloud would be working within the building, he could sense his partner within, and so he came to land on the edge of the building beside the Watch to wordlessly announce his own return to the city. He should have simply left right away, but something had him pausing as his feather wing fluffed and fluttered out before settling against his shoulder. His gaze travelled to the building the other was in and lingered there while he stood in silence.

Cloud's words to Sion rang through his mind in that single moment. It shouldn't have, but the ex-General hadn't been able to rid himself of such a thing regardless of what he tried. Peering over towards the direction of that Cetra's dying garden, Sephiroth seemed to war with himself over the decision that needed to be made. Cloud would never return there, he knew. The garden held far too many painful memories for the fighter, promises seemingly unkept, and yet Sephiroth knew well what would befall his partner should he happen on the area to find that all of the plants there perished. Yet Sephiroth was aware of what actions would bring unto himself.

Sephiroth couldn't simply ignore the possibilities of what could eventually happen, however, and found his eyes closing as he 'glanced' down to consider his options. There seemed to only be one in his mind, which meant that there was only one path to take.

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He frowned subtly at her following words. Sephiroth said nothing though in relation to her words, and simply huffed softly beneath his breath. Given how long he'd been here, and how often he'd been lingering on the roofs of buildings, he had a fair enough idea of what to expect until recently. The influx of others invading his isolated areas was perhaps the most off putting idea when it came to them, but Sephiroth hardly felt the desire to find a new location by delving deep into the park or other less travelled areas.

"Such things are of no concern to you," Sephiroth said in return. Of course he had taken in the knowledge of the books he had gathered along with the one she had offered, and he had formulated the correct treatment towards tending to the flower he was considering salvaging. Yet it wasn't the new-found knowledge that was holding him back, but more what the plant represented.

What a reaction.

Not that it was really off-putting, because she was being a little bit nosy, and that's exactly what she intended to highlight with her little reply. She wasn't going to force anything on him, that much was certain.

"Oh, I am quite aware that they are not, and yet I inquired even so." She offered a little bit of a smile. "A mere curiosity is all. Otherwise, may I remain until your partner joins you?"

Ghoulia had figured that part out rather quickly, rather simply, given that no one really ever waited in place for no reason. So clearly he was waiting for Cloud, from the Watch, to finish and join him. Easy to realize that much. But she'd have to wait for him to warm up to her presence at least slightly.

Her offer, however, had Sephiroth frowning subtly. He glanced away from her as he instead turned his attention once more to the city. "Do whatever you want," Sephiroth lightly muttered as he stood there.

He hadn't intended for Cloud to emerge to meet with him, not intentionally at least. Sephiroth knew well that the blonde was busy taking care of things with his territory... or at least occupy his time with the photocopier and shredder. It didn't seem to matter whether there was a SOLDIER program or not, they would always end up in a similar light. While he'd never admit to it, let alone join in, the ex-General did find some comfort in the notion.

The moment of silence stretched out as his mind wandered. Before too long, he seemed to huff lightly in amusement, but whether that sound was to himself or directed towards her, that was anyone's guess. "However, he will not be emerging onto this rooftop."

That was an interesting reply, as most of what Sephiroth had offered had been. Nothing predictable, each action with unique reasons or motivations behind it. His experiences with others, from his home, and a number of other things defined him and she couldn't begin to understand it. But that just meant she didn't force anything.

Which was why she didn't interrupt his thoughts to himself, and she allowed a few more moments following his final comment before she decided to offer his reply. Just to be certain there wasn't a third comment to follow.

"I presume this is a plan of your own making, then." the finding Cloud part, waiting on the rooftop. "Returning from something you took care of on your own, the two of you trusting that the other would be fine on his own." she nodded, really just making an observation of their behavior. They were still two very independent individuals even if they were partners, as far as she could tell.

The mention of a plan had his brows narrowing subtly. He had spent enough of his youth and young adulthood being observed and and mentally dissected. It was something that he hadn't enjoyed back then, and it was something that he didn't enjoy now either. So he remained silent watching and observing in return. She could have simply been the inquisitive type, but that didn't make it any more comfortable.

"You presume much," Sephiroth muttered in return at first. The thought that either of them wouldn't do well without the other initially had his fighter's pride flaring up, but that was the briefest flicker of emotion within his chest. Instead his gaze lingered on her small form as he stood there quietly observing. "Why the interest?"

Always with the reasons why. She understood, of course, seeing as how they were entirely strangers to each other, and a random individual stepping forward to pry into any details at all could seem too overly forward. Pair that with recent events in the city or a past filled with unsavory individuals and there were all kinds of reasons that he could have for keeping his guard up.

But that's what the truth was for.

"No reason at all, truthfully." she answered, essentially repeating her answer from when she'd met him in the library. What was it that she wanted then? Nothing, really. Aside from also some fresh air on the roof, she was just here. So she follows it with just a(n attempt at a) smile (being a zombie had its downsides okay) and a comment.

"Curiosity, really." a pause "Or a chance to fill the time."

Sephiroth's keen eyes remained fixated on the young female while he waited his reply. He didn't say anything, even when she finally answered with no reason at all. The attempted smile didn't bother him in the slightest. It was far better, and seemed far more honest, than any that he had ever given. Noting that fact though didn't have him lowering his gaze though, and he continued to watch her with a cautious air around him.

"People rarely seek my presence to 'fill the time'," he finally said in return before glancing away as if that would prove his point. "Curiosity, however, is why they approach or study from a distance."

"Their loss." She offered the response before thinking about it. Honestly it was the exact answer to anyone implying that others should typically keep a distance. Sorry, Sephiroth, she disagrees. Precisely why she's not looking away from him, and she... actually decides to give him a zombie groan and roll her eyes. No easy task for a zombie, but still.

"Rarely isn't never, though. So, surprise, your presence is filling the time." she's to the point with her words, deciding to try the blunt approach to see how he takes it. If he was comparing her to others so quickly, she was going to do away with the assumptions first. After all, she continued to confirm that most others did not have a zombie in their life; much less a zombie genius. So there was that, at least.

Sephiroth didn't say anything as her words weighed on his mind. He wasn't quite certain what to make of all of this. It was unlike anything that he had experienced before, and yet while he knew he should simply just turn and leave, the ex-General remained where he was watching the young undead child.

To fill time. That was a situation he had never thought he'd find himself in. Even back when he'd been the General, there weren't many who had attempted to simply socialize with him. Angeal and Genesis had been the closest, but as time wore on, most of their attention had fixated towards each other. That had been fine in his mind, for Sephiroth knew his weakness well enough to understand that he simply wasn't terribly good at social situations, especially as he found his wandering thoughts returning at the realisation that he'd been silent for some time in this poor attempt of a conversation.

Glancing off to the side, he remained where he was as he muttered, "Then do what you need to in order to fill that time."

[ooc: so sorry for the delay. I was helping a friend finish off his cosplay for the last 1.5 weeks, and then had the convention over the weekend.]

Well that was at least better than nothing, and she reacted appropriately with a thumbs up in his direction. She was doing precisely that, and now she at least had him on the same page with her. Talking to an antisocial deathscythe mostly against his will until just now? Seemed like a good idea.

"I am, and thank you for bearing with me." she nodded to him, offering a smile at least. It was thanks to his patience at least that they were still talking and he hadn't left. So there was that much to be thankful for.

[ooc: No worries! Welcome back!]

He still wasn't used to being thanked. Even in the few times that Cloud had offered such things, Sephiroth had still found himself awkward and uncomfortable with such gratitude. Now was no different even if he hid it better. The acts that he had done were done because it needed to be, and to him such things had never needed to be given, not to him at least.

Try as he might, he found his eyes peering at her from the corner of his eyes. Nothing was said for a long while, which wasn't unusual for him. Silence was something that he never felt uncomfortable about, unlike most others who grew restless and felt the need to shift that silence away.

[ooc: thanks! I'll be disappearing again US time from Wed - Sun for a convention in Melbourne, so I won't be replying during those few days. That's the last con though until the end of the year though! Also if she asks questions at this point, there's a high chance that he'll answer them (depending on what she opens with) xD ]

She views it completely different, of course, but she's quickly realizing how some of his decisions are made, how he approaches situations, and most of all confirming exactly where his social shortfallings were. If she could avoid those, things would go fine.

Idly, she moved to the edge of the building, peering down from the edge. Too high, honestly, and the other building was too far. He was staying over there, and she wasn't about to ask him to change that unless he wanted to. After all, she wanted him to be a part of the conversation in his own way, on his own terms.

So that meant it was time to see if there was a conversation he was willing to engage in.

"If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been here? In Death City, that is."

[ooc: ACK; sorry that it took me so long to get back to this! I hope the convention turned out to be fun, by the way!]

Sephiroth was never one to break the silence unless he felt a need to, which was something that he didn't in the current situation. He was just as happy to remain silent for extended periods of time while waiting around until he had fulfilled what it was the other person required, and right now was no different. Of course he would deny it all if asked before huffing and flying off, but up here there would be no questions, he knew, and it was the only reason he remained.

It took some time before the silence was broken. Pulling his mind from his thoughts, Sephiroth peered back over towards the young female and regarded her thoughtfully. How long had he been there for? His mind worked back from the current date to find his answer. "Nearing eleven months," he answered. Had it truly been that long? Sephiroth hadn't realised that until that very moment. It had almost been a year that they had both been pulled from that filthy world and drawn here. That realisation had his mind whirling as he considered the implications behind it.

Eleven months? She had barely been in Death City for a single month, so to hear such a staggeringly large number took her by surprise. She'd heard that the war was at a standstill, that seemingly neither side could gain any ground, but she hadn't realized that some had been here for so long. More than that, it meant that in less than that span of time, he had gone from a new arrival to becoming a Deathscythe. Either he learned quickly when he was here, or he was considerably skilled prior to his arrival; and she had reason to believe it was the second.

But it was a good turn into her next question, which she hoped wasn't too personal of a thing to ask, but she was curious. She had heard a number of different tales about other worlds, with histories and cultures entirely unlike her own. Most often in that they did not possess zombies like her, or at all, or only in fiction.

"Do you ever feel homesick?" she paused, before adding "If you don't want to discuss that, don't feel that you need to, I apologize." for prying so much.

Homesick? The thought brought the barest hint of a smirk to his face as he subtly glanced away and chucked at the mere notion. "What is there to be 'homesick' over?" Sephiroth more stated than asked in return. He had never considered that fool of a Planet as his home, even before he'd discovered the truth. Sephiroth had always felt different, isolated, and that he didn't belong where he was, and that filthy Planet and its infectious people had proven that to him.

Returning his piercing gaze on the young female, he offered her more of a full smirk as he said, "All I had desired was to leave that Planet." It was a desire that he had been granted even if it had been at the price of his immense powers. Although Sephiroth knew that it was a price he would pay twice over if it meant that he could keep the one thing he considered his home by his side.

He had no desire to stay, so his arrival here was in stark contrast to almost everyone else already here. Most residents wished to return home, lamenting the fact that they were brought here. She, too, admittedly wished for a return home, but at the same time the wealth of knowledge this place possessed was too tempting a lure to simply walk away from.

She would miss this place just as she missed her own home.

But in his case, she knew that he was not telling a lie. He had answered honestly, truthfully. He would much rather be here than there, and that his world likely offered little that could ever sway him. He wasn't a fickle young thing hating the planet on a whim, he had legitimate reason to despise it.

"Was it the planet itself, its population, or something else?" the question slipped out before she could stop it. She was curious which it could be, or was it simply that it was everything that something he already had possessed and could never replace?

Sephiroth wasn't so forthcoming this time with an answer. Not that there wasn't one, but the answer itself was long and intricate and one he hadn't spoke to many here within the city. Those that he had spoken of it to had long been returned back to their world, and the reminder of those moments caused his mood to subtly mellow in return.

"All and none of it," he finally answered. This young female was a curious one. For every question he poorly answered, there appeared to be many more to replace it. Tilting his head subtly to one side, Sephiroth regarded the young female. "Why does it matter?"

Ah, the change in his demeanor told much. All in all, she was asking questions she really shouldn't have been asking, but she was more familiar with others being open rather than closed. She needed to stop letting her curiosity get ahead of her, she knew better than that.

But to his question? "It doesn't." because it didn't really matter, it was more to satisfy her own curiosity than anything. Time for something simpler, potentially sillier. To see how he took a different question; to see how he took to being questioned so much about so many things.

"I've been wondering, is that your actual hair color, or do you dye it?"

His past was something that he rarely shared with anyone, especially as his time went on here. Sephiroth had no care either way to what others ultimately end up thinking of him because of it, but he saw no reason in speaking of such things to those he didn't think deserved such knowledge. When it all came down to it, the ex-General had no interest in allowing others that close to him. As both this world and the previous world had proven, it simply wasn't worth the risk.

The following question had a slender brow rising up in return. She was too far away to hear the amused humph on his end as he lightly hook his head and glanced back to the city. "This is my natural colour," he offered in return. It was something that had made him stand out, made him different, and he had loathed it in the past. Now those who had too many of his cells found their hair following suit, just as Cloud had begun to realise a few months ago here in this world.

All the more reason she didn't want to pry for more, and it made her that much more pleased that he proceeded answering questions, even if they may have seemed strange. His answer wasn't much, but it answered a few things. His natural color, huh? Not unusual, if he had been from her world, but she suspected such a color wasn't the norm. She'd come across a number who had commented on her hair, and that meant that she was going to follow the strange direction her questioning had taken.

"It's a good color, for the record." She nods, commenting on his hair first before... "Your turn, do you think you can figure out if mine is my actual hair color or not?" ..After all, she hadn't come across many (or any) individuals in Death City with hair like hers, so she hoped it would be a stumping question.

His brows knitted together when it was thrown back in his direction. Sephiroth couldn't understand the reason behind it all and idly wondered if it was some other social situation that he held no such knowledge or interest for. The times he had been within Cloud's and the other clone's minds hadn't given him such information, but he hadn't been searching for it either. There had been far more important matters to attend to after all.

Sephiroth looked as though he almost wasn't willing to answer at first before his expression twisted up into suspicious caution. With his brows still knitted, he slowly questioned, "...Why would it matter if it was or was not?" He was, perhaps, the worst person to ask such a question to, especially when it came to anything about females.

Perfect. She'd been hoping that the conversation would take such a turn, because she could start thinking outside of the box with things. Purely theoretical, of course, and she wasn't taking the conversation in a girly direction. If she'd needed that, she would've sought out Cupid. After all, she suspected she wouldn't ever even catch Sephiroth dead anywhere near a salon, so that was that.

But this, here, she could turn the tables and get him thinking tactically.

"We're at war, aren't we? Would it not be an asset to have an easily identifiable ally on the field for missions?" She motioned at her hair. After all, in the heat of battle, a flash of blue hair would hardly be easily missed. She wasn't going to bring up that she was a weapon, so she would hardly be identified like that, but she was speaking theoretically.

"So the question is: Was it intentional for that reason, or was I lucky enough to simply have hair this color?"

That was something that he had to disagree on in his mind. Perhaps it may have been advantageous to those less-suited or used to battle, but those such as himself had no need for such displays to know who his 'allies' were while on the battlefield. Besides his position as a Weapon had him hardly fighting on his own even if he was far more than capable of doing such.

"Perhaps to some," he eventually muttered, his voice quiet for her while her next question rolled over him. Sephiroth hardly doubted that hair colour was a requirement for being drawn here. "Although I hardly doubt that the colour of your hair dictated your reason for being here."

Ah.

Always learning something new from how he responded, from his vastly different worldview. Perhaps it was her lack of experience, or perhaps it was any number of other different things she couldn't identify but. At the very least he was still talking. But he'd taken the conversation to a new point, one that she'd been curious about for quite some time.

"I doubt it as well, I admit. With the vastly different individuals and species, as well as so many home worlds that we all seem to come from, there does not appear to be much rhyme or reason behind why those here were chosen." she shakes her head. "Especially not when there is a deity, a literal goddess, among us. Everything only becomes more confusing when you try to analyze why certain worlds have more individuals brought from them when others remain with a sole hero to represent them"

The talk about there being an 'actual' god had him smirking subtly, the gesture something less than amused, before it disappeared from view. He hadn't ever thought it all that important to consider why people were plucked from their world to come here or when they were thrown back through BREW to their original worlds. To him, all that was important was the constant that had remained since the day he had arrived. So long as that remained by his side, nothing else mattered.

"I doubt there was much reason behind the choice, only that the individual could provide something to help aid and end this war," Sephiroth finally said in return. For him BREW had known of his strengths and abilities, but there were times where he had wondered if it also knew of what he had needed alongside that, which was why his partner had been drawn to this world also on the same day.

Likely Sephiroth wouldn't be as content without Cloud in the city, but the level of their bond hand't dawned on her at all. Except that she knew they'd been in the city the same amount of time. Maybe she'd find out eventually.

"So it is merely grabbing individuals who are of use and hoping they live up to their potential."

What a lovely notion for BREW to be doing. She never wanted to pretend to know or predict what they would be up to, but at the very least it wasn't out to hurt anyone. Even if it was really ambiguous what it and Shibusen were up to. Oh well.

He didn't bother responding to her observations. In his mind he'd already answered it the first time, and Sephiroth was hardly a man to waste words. Still regardless of his silence, he remained where he was just as he had promised. While he would never admit to it, he had slowly begun returning to something similar to what he had once been prior to discovering all that he had in Nibelheim, even if his sense of trust remained elusive to him.

He had indeed answered it, and given his lack of an answer it took her only a moment to realize she'd need to shift the topic a little more. But she was running out of things to ask, and didn't want to break out anything too big or intrusive or... well, a lot of things, since they were more or less at the level of acquaintances.

Which meant that there was only a kind question to ask. After all, it would be unfortunate for this to be the last opportunity.

"Would you mind talking with me in the future as well?"

The following question did draw his attention back to her. Sephiroth couldn't quite believe that someone actually wished to converse with him again, which was partly why his brows furrowed initially at first. Most tended to avoid him due to either what he was or his lack of social skills, and he could think of only two who had desired to willingly seek out his company a second time.

He was silent for a long while as his mind worked over such a question. It may have almost appeared as though he wasn't going to say anything at all until he finally broke his silence. "If that is what you wish," Sephiroth muttered in return. Some part of him doubted that such a thing would occur again in the future, but if it happened to, he found no objection.

That's a long silence.

Longer still.

She may be a zombie, but the amount of thinking time he needed on this one had her kind of stumped. It at least meant that he was considering both sides and weighing them against eachother, so she had at least earned above instant-reject. That alone was an achievement, hurray. But when his answer finally comes, she manages a lopsided zombie smile at him. If that's what she wished? She did ask, didn't she? What a life he must have lived, and it makes her that much more curious. What sorts of secrets is the planet-hating fellow hiding?

"It's decided, then, isn't it? Though are we going to do the whole rooftop thing again, the library thing again, or should I just text you or message you or something like that?"

The lopsided smile wasn't returned in any fashion. It was rare enough for the ex-General to show such an emotion at all, let alone one that was actually positive and without the taint of mocking hidden within it. So he simply kept his expression neutral during that time. He did, however, take note of an almost 'enthusiasm' within the rush of questions that followed.

"It does not matter," Sephiroth finally said. That was the truth, to him at least. He wasn't the type to message anyone, even Cloud, but the few times people have messaged him he had at least returned it with a reply.

Okay, that made things easy. No preference on how to contact him. No worries about not following his requests. Simple. She intended to contact him again in a few days with what would be considered a ridiculous idea by most, which stemmed into her next question.

"I don't suppose you have a favorite food I could treat you to?"

For no reason other than it gave her more opportunities to chat. But also because if he answered any kind of fast food, she'd be excited beyond words. There weren't many pure fast food fans out there.

If there was one thing that he had taken notice of, it was the near-obsession quite a number of people had with food. That was something he hadn't yet figured out, and yet so many had been drawn into the lure of it all. Kuroro had been nearly obsessed with trying to get him to eat most things, which had spiralled into a number of others within his life that had done the same. He supposed that their enthusiasm for it all just went to remind him of just how different he was to everyone else.

That was why when it came time to answer, his gaze dropped away to once again regard the city around them as he said, "I rarely eat." Sephiroth stopped talking for a moment as he considered his next reply, and when it came, the honesty within it surprised even himself. "...I do not enjoy sweet foods." Sugar was something that had rarely been allowed into his diet during his days in ShinRa, and it was something he had never grown any appreciation or liking for since.

Food was life for many, so it was an understandable thing for many to obsess over. For her, it doubled as an easy thing to converse over or about. She would never specifically force others into consuming any kinds of food, fortunately for Sephiroth, and though she had her favorites she preferred to put the tastes of others above her own. She had enough personal time to cater to herself, after all. But after his first answer, she was wondering what she would do about taking the conversation in another direction. She hadn't planned a next topic, but then he added a little bit more and she met the revelation with another attempted smile. That was a start.

"Not many have a sweet tooth, fortunately or unfortunately. As for food, if next we meet happens to be one of those rare occasions, I'll be sure to suggest somewhere that will avoid sweets." she nodded towards him, already thinking through various options in her head that she could take him to. So many options, so many with too much sweetness on the menu. But she would find a place, hands down; she was admittedly becoming curious about why he rarely ate, but the question could wait.

Glancing away, he paused before leaving as his mind worked over that information. He still wasn't certain what to make of any of this. In one way, he wanted to simply deny any future meetings and simply continue on as he always had while the other part of him found it difficult to say no. It was an annoying part of himself, he noted, while he stood there quietly listening to the words she spoke. There were many foods that he didn't care much for.

Now though, he noticed that he was getting far too distracted by a trivial matter, and in his mind it simply wouldn't do. That wasn't to mention that slowly seeping knowledge that Cloud would be curious to know why he had lingered on the rooftop for so long when he typically remained for only a moment before continuing on.

The wing against his shoulder flexed at his thoughts, and Sephiroth didn't return the nod at all when she offered one. His large feathery wing stretched out in the next moment while he stepped up onto the edge of the ledge. Feeling the wind brushing against the dark plume, Sephiroth paused momentarily. "I will keep such things in mind," he muttered before leaping over the edge and allowing his wing to catch his weight.

Aaaaand he was off, just like that, leaving her to watch how well his single-wing assissted him in his descent from the roof. Honestly, she was surprised and impressed at... well, how he defied physics. From what she understood about birds and their wings, two were needed for balance and stability. So there was something more at work with that one wing. He hadn't denied anything before he departed, so all that was left was to plan for their next meeting.

With her company having departed, she turned away and made her way back to work. More paperwork, more to do. But things were a little brighter for the day.

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