Author's Note: I don't really have a ton to say to get things started here other than I really hope you enjoy this chapter. It was a real trial to write. Trying to pull different emotions from each scene and keeping character development moving as well is a serious chore sometimes, but I am happy with the result.
PS: This is the longest chapter I have yet written for this story. There were just too many important parts that needed to line up before we move on so make sure you have a few minutes to sit and read this one.
Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.
Chapter 11
Dreams always had a special quality to them, almost real but just slightly off, and memories were even more realistic. Talin knew he was asleep, that it was a dream, that it was just a memory, but for the moment he chose to forget all he knew.
He found himself sitting at a simple wooden table covered with half full jars and bowls of mixed ingredients. In front of him was a basket of berries and another of nuts, in his lap was a mortar and pestle set that was too small for him. With shaking hands, he picked up some nuts and starts grinding them in the mortar as best he could.
This memory, this day, had happened years ago. It was a few days before his 5th birthday and he had asked for his favorite berry crunch muffins instead of cake. Talin and his mother had hunted all that next morning for fresh berries and clusters of nuts on the mountain slopes. When they came home with so many, Silfra decided to make fresh bread with them as well.
The small kitchen and dining space was filled with the smells of warm spices, sweet honey, and baking bread. Looking up, he sees his mother checking ovens and mixing toppings together all while humming an old song.
Even as a child, Talin thought of his mother as a beautiful woman. Bright golden-brown hair bounces as she moves to dribble some honey over the latest bread loaves. Her eyes of soft mossy green are filled with a happy sparkle as she looks over to check on him before moving back to her oven. She isn't tall, but she moves with the grace of a dancer in her soft house shoes and a simple dress covered in a light blue apron.
A tear slides down his cheek as he watches her move around. She is less than a dozen feet from him and Talin wants nothing more than to run to her and never let go. He misses her so much.
The edges of the dream flicker as he thinks about how much time has passed, all the things that had changed, how he had changed. Desperately he fights the memories that start clouding this one. He doesn't want to think of the well he would find just months after this or the life-changing day when his mother marries a man named Rald.
Smoke starts tickling his nose and Talin squeezes his eyes shut. Please! Please just let me stay here a little longer!
"Talin, are you done with those berries yet, Love? The muffins need to go in soon," A loving smile greets him when he looks up. The darkness is gone from the dream and all he can smell is warm spices again.
"Almost, Momma!" The words roll off his tongue with ease. As if it was only yesterday instead of years since he used that name.
The words and voice are not that of the teenager he has become, but of the child he once was. Hands that had been too large for the small mortar and pestle are now perfect size as he sets it aside to continue plucking berries from stems. The pull of the memory is like the flow of a river and he watches it pass behind the eyes of his younger self.
"You have ta teach me to make these Momma, then, next year, I can make them for you!" Talin says in with an exuberant smile. Silfra wipes her hands on the apron around her waist and comes over to hug him from behind. She is so warm around his small frame and smells of some unnamed spices that he would never associate with anyone else.
"I would like nothing more, my little love. You're so clever, they might even come out better than mine," She teases, reaching around Talin's small body to help finish another stem.
"Better than yours?! No way! You make 'em the best!" Talin insisted, turning around on the chair to look at his mother. He is almost upset at the thought of doing anything better than her but loses his unease when she plants a smiling kiss on the tip of his nose.
"Anything you say little one," Her smile makes his heart swell and eyes sting with more unshed tears.
Together they sit at the little table plucking berries and grinding the nuts till the warmth of the kitchen and the long morning of hiking up the hillsides causes Talin to fall asleep at the table.
There was a small smile on his face and tear stains on his cheeks when Talin wakes in Callian's bunk. The smell of those long-ago spices tickles his nose and his mother's laughter was still ringing in his ears. He found himself just lying there trying to recapture the peace he had felt in that sunny and warm kitchen. All too soon, outside sounds filter into his ears as his Unit mates start getting up for the day.
As he pulls himself from the warm bed, he realizes that the effects of the stabilizer have worn off. The world is back to normal once again and Talin misses it already. Everything had felt somehow more real, more alive during those amazing few hours. What would it be like to be that way permanently? Would he grow accustomed to it or would he always get the same enjoyment from the heightened senses? With any luck, Hojo would get the formula finalized soon.
Talin cringed at the thought as much as he looked forward to it. If the test had been that painful, how bad was the final product going to hurt?
Shoving the thought aside, he got up and dragged himself into a shower stall. At least it was Sunday and they could relax before going back to classes tomorrow.
With a grunt, Talin hits the floor and rolls to lessen the impact.
"You're not paying attention, Cadet," Sephiroth is standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed as he watches the teen roll back to his feet. They had been at this for hours and Talin was starting to wonder if he would ever get it right.
"One more time, Sir," Talin jogged over and stood with his back to the other once again. He was sweating and bruised to hell but determined to pass this test.
It had been a few weeks since they started working together and the General had not been joking when he said he wouldn't go easy on Talin. In that time, they had only worked on hand to hand combat and wouldn't move on from a lesson till he got it right or gave up.
The goal this time was for Talin to dodge an unseen attack and get to a safe distance before Sephiroth could get ahold of him, but he was just not fast enough. Talin would dodge the strike most times without a problem, but as he jolted to avoid the punch or kick and then attempted to get away, the General always caught an arm, leg, or even his shirt collar before he could increase the distance.
Sephiroth was impressed with Talin's determination but could see that this would have to be the last attempt for the day. With quick steps, the man ran at his student and once again, Talin dodged the punch flawlessly. The General turned to reach for the Cadet, expecting him to have moved away as usual, but this time Talin was crouched below him and lashed out aiming to knock his Mentor off balance.
Instinct had Sephiroth jumping back from the attack and Talin sprinted away. Realizing he had been rather well tricked, the SOLDIER shook his head and couldn't help the small smirk as he watched Talin flop down in happy exhaustion.
"Very clever, Graft. Not what I had in mind, but you did succeed in your task," The General walked over and looked down at the still smiling teen before offering him a hand up. Together, the two walked over to where several bottles of water sat and Talin downed half of one while Sephiroth sipped more slowly.
Each was enjoying the mentorship in their own ways. At first, the General was only glad to have an excuse to skip the tedious military meetings and complicated political ones that were often held after lunch. But as Talin continued to prove more interesting and adept, he found himself looking forward to seeing the quiet and competent student. Talin himself was loving the challenge and the freedom to use his abilities. He never had to hold back as much of himself when in training with the General. He enjoyed their sparring matches, full of quick action and learning moments, but he also liked the quiet times like now as he cooled down from the session.
When they had first met, Talin couldn't imagine ever feeling relaxed around such an intense man. The SOLDIER had been so cold when they started together, but over time it had shifted from calculating coolness to, what he hoped, was a growing acceptance. He knew this mentorship held the key to his future as a SOLDIER and he would fight to prove himself worthy of that each day.
The first week of February held one of several surprises for Talin.
Classes had gone by quickly that morning for a Monday, even Military History had been interesting and left him wanting to read more about the battles they covered. Lunch was loud and boisterous as always with several laughing about the prank pulled on the 3rds over the weekend.
Someone had managed to get into the 3rd class training rooms and 'decorated' with cheap hologram enemies and busty damsels in distress. A harmless prank, really, but it had been a hell of a task to find all the projectors while monsters growled and the ladies cried.
Waving a quick goodbye to his Unit, Talin headed to the elevators and stretched a bit as he waited through the long ride up. Mondays had tended to be a sparring day with Sephiroth so he took what time he had to loosen the worst of his stiff muscles. He had been working with his unit most of the weekend for Commander Fair's close combat test but it had left him sore.
The chime sounded and he exited the elevator with quick steps. He would give today his all like always... The door to 50-C opened but the Cadet froze just inside as it clicked shut.
The previous week, Talin had come across a picture of his Mentor in his Military History book. The photo was from the Wutai War of the General charging into battle. That had prompted him to ask the SOLDIER about his sword, Masamune. Where he would see Commander Hewley in the halls with his Buster sword or Zack with a standard SOLDIER sword, Talin had never seen the General carrying the great blade. The answer had been a calculating look and a simple explanation.
"I only carry it when I'm training or heading into the field." The conversation had been dropped after that.
Talin could have kicked himself for asking, but he had kinda hoped... well, he wasn't really sure what he hoped for. Maybe for approval of his interest or an offer to work with weapons instead of hand to hand? Whatever had been his intention, he didn't expect this to be the delayed response.
The flash of steel, flow of silver hair, and the quiet ringing of air past a razor-sharp edge was mesmerizing. Sephiroth had removed his heavy jacket and gloves leaving only boots and pants. Nothing stood between himself and the blade if he made a mistake. It was beautiful and terrifying.
Talin immediately saw all that had been lacking in the book's photo. A perfect harmony existed between the General and a blade that no other would dare wield with such confidence. Sephiroth was... dancing with his lethal sword. No other word fit. It was a partnership that Talin wanted to emulate.
To find a weapon that was his alone, not a borrowed one from a smith or those practice blades in the gyms. Something he could know better than any other...
His thoughts distracted him for only a split second, but Sephiroth took advantage immediately.
Talin's lungs froze and his mouth went dry as the blade he had been admiring sang through the air and halted at his throat. Its edge was a feather-light caress instead of the killing blow it could have been and the silver SOLDIER met his fearful eyes when he looked up.
Sephiroth stood holding the sword almost lazily in one hand as the blade remained centered on Talin's throat. The enjoyment Sephiroth took from spooking his Trainee, changed to a serious expression as he spoke.
"Swordsmanship and hand to hand training are necessary when out on the field, your instruction in those skills will take years yet. However, there is something that can't be taught, something that is needed in a SOLDIER. The ability to follow orders," He paused and let the words sink in before continuing. "Some commands in the field cannot be questioned. For sake of time or to maintain secrecy they must just be carried out." Talin dared not move or breathe beyond the shallow breaths he was taking but his mind was a riot of thoughts as he listened.
"Just as you need to be able to trust my word when I give you an order, I need to know I can trust you to obey it... even if it scares you to do so."
The weight of those words was heavy on both as the sword withdrew from his neck, allowing Talin to nod his understanding. As Mentor and Trainee, they needed to be able to trust one another but Talin wondered what he could possibly do to earn the trust of the most private SOLDIER in Shin-Ra.
"Good, let's do an exercise," Sephiroth walked to the far side of the training room before stopping and turning back towards him. "All you have to do is walk in a straight line. Don't stop until I tell you to."
Talin dropped his bag and stood away from the door, ready but still confused by the odd request. Quickly finding a seam line in the metal flooring he stood on it, figuring it would be a good enough guide, and looked over to the General.
"I'm ready," His voice was steady but his pulse was beating faster. The orders were simple enough, but he knew there would be more to it than that.
"Walk," The word was said quietly as the SOLDIER raised his sword into an attack stance. Talin looked down at the line in the metal floor slats and took the first step forward. The sound of steel against steel rang through the room causing him to almost jump away but he caught the reaction just in time. His shock morphed into terrified wonder as he continued moving forward.
Flash after jagged flash of metal, a glimpse here and there of silver whiter hair, all in his peripheral vision was like being in the center of a deadly snowstorm. The air whipped around him as Sephiroth struck like lightning with his sword singing in place of thunder. Score marks appeared at random on all sides of his feet. In front, behind, even under where his next step was about to land.
Keeping track of the thin floor seam was a challenge when he was so distracted trying to guess where the next cut would appear.
The General's control, his complete confidence in his abilities, and the proof that he was right to be confident was staggering. Hitting a moving target was one thing, but missing one dozens of times in a row, by millimeters sometimes, is another.
Suddenly, Masamune was stabbed into the ground in front of Talin, cutting off his forward movement. Thankfully the blade edge was facing away from him or his boot would have been sliced when he accidentally bumped into it.
"Stop." Sephiroth was standing directly behind him causing that one word to slightly ruffle the light hair on the back of his head. He wasn't even breathing hard. The arm that was outstretched over Talin's shoulder, flexed and withdrew the sword from the abused floor. Together they turned to examine the training room's new decoration.
The Cadet wasn't sure what to be more amazed at, his surviving what he did unscathed or the ungodly amount of skill and control his Mentor had. Behind his boots for a solid ten feet was a trail of wild and jagged cuts ending abruptly just under where he stood. Slowly, Talin knelt down and ran fingers over the closest and tried to wrap his head around the experience.
The swish of the door opening distracts both as someone strolls into the room.
"Did you fail at playing tic-tac-toe, or did the floor call you a bad name?" Zack laughs as he scuffs his boot over the trail of cuts. Talin tries to cover his smile with his hand as he stands and Sephiroth can't help a small scoff.
"No and no. We were doing an exercise," The man can't help a slight curl to his lip at the young SOLDIER. "Did you need something, or are you just here to comment on my training room floor?"
"Na, I was just in the area and thought I'd come check in on you," Zack crosses his arms behind his head and wandered further into the room.
"No, he's bored because he doesn't have any missions coming in," The voice is unfamiliar to Talin but when he sees Commander Hewely walk in as well, shaking his head at the other's antics, he about jumps to attention. The Cadet restrains himself from the trained response but does straighten his posture, staying slightly behind his Mentor.
"Aww, Angeal! Why do you have to say it like that?" Zack whined and pouted at the older man. "I just really need something to do other than train cadets. Those kids couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. Not you Talin, or your unit, you guys are doing great," He amended with a lopsided smile at the redhead.
"Well, since you both are bored enough to come bother me while training, you can assist by being his opponents for the day," Talin about choked.
"Oh C'mon, I spar with him twice a week already. Not that I mind, but maybe you'd like a shot, Angeal?" Zack smiled when his old teacher chuckled and removed the buster sword from his back.
Talin's panic was allayed when the sword was handed to a suddenly respectful Zack and Angeal picked out a practice weapon instead. A firm hand on his shoulder drew the teen's attention back to his teacher.
"I know you tend to hold back against others but I want you to push past that reserve when fighting here. I would only put you against people I trust and I'll stop the fight if it goes too far on either side."
Talin found himself relaxing his tensed shoulders. Today's lessons appeared to be all about trust, now it was his turn to give a bit. He nodded and made his way over to pick up his own light practice sword.
Zack had been close enough to hear the quiet exchange chuckled and called out his form of encouragement.
"Not that you ever have to worry about Angeal going too far in a fight. It's getting him going that's harder," Zacks grin was unrepentant as the SOLDIER in question turned and silently mouthed something that Talin didn't catch. Zack's grin changed to that of challenge as he responded, "Any time."
The Commander just shook his head with an amused smile and turned back to the Cadet to start their match.
Talin tried to give it his all but still had a hard time letting loose. The swords they used were blunted, but could still leave a nasty bruise. But Zack had been right about his old teacher. Angeal was willing to engage with him, a few strikes and dodges here and there, but getting him to really fight took a sneaky move on Talin's part.
The practice weapons were light enough to him that, with a little Mako usage, Talin switched mid-swing to a one-handed strike. His now free hand was able to slip past the Commander's block to grab his collar but that was as far as he got.
For the benefit of the fight, Angeal had been using the sword with two hands as well. When Talin jumped from two to one-handed, he shifted to match. Before the Cadet's hand could fully grasp his collar, he had the boy by the arm and twisted downwards. Talin found himself on his back with his own blade pressed back against his throat by the force of Angeal's.
"Good try, Cadet, but not fast enough," Was all he said as he helped Talin up and they resettled to start again.
The second match was more of a fight than a teaching session and Sephiroth watched quietly from the wall with Zack.
"Talin's still holding back?" Zack's voice was quiet so as not to distract the two as they circled one another.
"I don't fully understand why, but yes. He doesn't with me most of the time but as soon as it's someone else... it's like he can't help it..." The words trailed off as he watched the fighters launch forward to clash again.
"If he's still that hesitant about it, then somethin' happened and it's still buggin' him. Have you had time to just sit and hang out for a while? Get to know him at all?" The look the General gave Zack said it all. "Of course you haven't. Well, maybe you should try sometime. He is your Trainee, after all, you should know who it is you're training." Zack turned back to the match as it ended and clapped his approval of Talin's efforts.
Sephiroth watched as the teen interacted with the other two men and knew Zack was right. He needed to make an effort to know more about Cadet Graft... Talin, he needed to know more about Talin. He already knew the dual-natured Cadet who would shift from confident fighter to blushing boy when receiving praise for a match well fought. But who was he before he came to Shin-Ra? He didn't want to tear open old wounds, so he would have to go slowly.
Keeping his thoughts to himself, he joined them and then returned to the wall when Zack offered to practice some hand-to-hand.
Angeal had pulled him aside before his first official session with his new Trainee to give him some pointers. One thing had stood out.
"Patience, understanding, and trust are all required for a good relationship between teacher and student."
At the time, Sephiroth had made a remark that it sounded like he was trying to tame an animal. As always, Angeal had been correct in his advice, but perhaps the two were not dissimilar. Earning Talin's trust would be much like taming a skittish bird...
The next day when Talin comes up for his lesson he is thrown a practice blade and catches it easily. This earns him an approving smile for his quick reflexes.
"You looked comfortable yesterday using a sword, so I assume you have some practice. Where did you learn?" The General waits patiently as Talin drops his bag and jacket by the door.
"My old town. They trained me for several years to be a Hunter," Talin had stiffened slightly at the question but forced himself to relax again as he moved to stand opposite his Mentor. He had to be relaxed to fight, had to be able to focus. The last thing he wanted was to be caught off guard and attacked as the General had a habit of doing.
"A Hunter? Why would you need sword skills for hunting prey?" The SOLDIER began to circle and Talin followed as he fought not to laugh at the question.
"We didn't hunt for food. Hunters in my town would track and kill monsters that got to close to people. I would go out for a few days, look for fresh tracks, and kill what had made them." There was no pride in the statement, just cold fact, but facts could hide the truth as easily as lies. Sephiroth knew that there were things being withheld from him but decided not to push... yet.
"Show me what you were trained to do as a Hunter, then I'll teach you how to fight like a SOLDIER," There was a challenging gleam to Sephiroth's eyes and a ghost of a smile as he faked a break in his guard. It was all the opening, and invitation, Talin needed and he charged.
Their initial match was mostly Sephiroth dodging or blocking while Talin shifted between the styles of fighting he had been trained in. While the range of styles he knew was intriguing, it quickly became obvious that the boy's education had been lacking in several key components. Understandable if he had only been fighting dumb beasts but it left many openings for a trained fighter to take advantage of. The next time that the teen's attack left an opening, Sephiroth commented on it and made a slightly slowed counter-strike, allowing him to correct himself.
Talin was reassured by the General's quick and concise instructions each time he corrected his form or gave feedback on an attack. Anything was better than having your ass handed to you each time you messed up as his old teacher had done.
Just as he was starting to get comfortable in the flow of their training, Sephiroth changed it up again and started making simple and easily predicted attacks. At first, he was able to block or slide out of the way, but soon the attacks became less telegraphed, feints were added, then combination attacks. The complexity of each series of strikes was quickly proving just how much Talin had to learn and he paid close attention each time he was given a critique.
Every so often the attacks would slow, letting the boy catch his breath, and then pick back up with a new element thrown in. When he stumbled from fatigue, they finally called an end for the day. Both had enjoyed the session. So much so, that neither noticed the time.
When Talin looked up at the clock after exhaustedly sliding down the wall by his bag, and groaned. Dinner hour at the cafeteria ended in about ten minutes, he would never make it in time.
"Shoot, guess I'm going down to the plaza for dinner tonight," With a sigh, he stood and picked up his bag before turning to his Mentor. "Sorry, Sir. I hope I didn't keep you from any dinner plans."
"No, not at all. I should be the one apologizing." Making a snap decision, Sephiroth offered, "Since you missed dinner, and I was already planning to order out, I'll order for the both of us." Before Talin could reply, the man was headed to the exit and only stopped to look over his shoulder when he noticed he hadn't been followed. Trying to suppress his apprehension, Talin quickly caught up and they headed to the SOLDIER's apartment.
He wasn't against spending time with his teacher, honestly. He really enjoyed training with the legendary man, but in training, he knew what was expected of him, listen, learn, and follow orders. In a social setting he felt... awkward. What did you even talk about with the General of Shin-Ra's most elite forces?
All these thoughts crowded his mind as they made the short walk to said man's apartment. His attention snapped back to focus when the door closed behind them. Leaving his bag at the door, Talin follows Sephiroth to the long couch that he vaguely remembers from his trial injections.
"Most of the plaza restaurants will deliver. What would you like?" From one of the bookshelves, the silver-haired man pulls a small group of to-go flyers and sets them on the table for Talin to look through.
"Burgers?" The response was impulsive and he quickly backtracks. "I mean, whatever sounds good to you, Sir." He was flustered at his pathetic response and wishes he could just run back to the barracks, but it would be stupid, and rude, to leave now. A quiet chuckle draws him from his thoughts and then a menu is inelegantly tossed at his head.
"Burgers it is, but you don't have to call me 'Sir' or 'General' when we are in private." Fighting the urge to say 'Yes, Sir' Talin just nods while Sephiroth calls to place their order.
Realizing that it would take a bit for the food to come, he offers Talin the guest bathroom to clean himself up or a shower if he wanted.
"First door on the left down the hall. Use anything you'd like."
Following instructions, Talin finds an ample sized bathroom with a glass-encased shower. The darker color pallet had been used throughout the apartment apparently. Tiles along the floor and walls of the shower are a range of dark greys to black and a small row of bathing products lines the in-shower shelf.
Quickly grabbing a towel and stripping out of his sweaty clothes, he turns the water on and lets it flow over him for a moment. It felt good but he also couldn't shake how strange it was to be showering at the General's apartment.
Maybe this isn't really that strange... maybe I'm just overthinking things like always.
Deciding to stop worrying about everything, he scrubs himself clean and changes into his spare workout clothes.
Sephiroth had taken the chance to remove his boots and replaced his heavy jacket with a loose grey shirt. As much as he enjoyed his leather coat, it didn't lend itself well to relaxation. By the time Talin came back from his shower the delivery person was just leaving. Settling at the table, they both start in on the meal.
Several times the General asks casual questions about how his classes are going, if he is settled into his schedule, and how he is getting along with his Unit. All general questions with rather simple answers.
"Do you like Midgar?"
"Well, I like what I've seen of it. I haven't really had a chance to explore since the weather had been so bad," The SOLDIER nodded. They had been having a rather long run of nasty weather, not uncommon for the city in winter.
"Not used to the rain? Your record said you were from Costa Del Sol, didn't you get similar storms there?" The question had been innocent enough, but Talin's subtle reaction made him want to dig further.
"No, I shipped out of Del Sol but I'm from inland." Pretending not to have noticed the boy's discomfort, he pushed a little more.
"I was wondering why you didn't have the local accent. What's your home town then?" The General continued eating while Talin tried to redirect the conversation.
"It's a little town outside North Corel. Back end of nowhere, really," Talin tried to convince himself that he hadn't just lied to his Mentor. It was true, in a roundabout way. His town was in the back end of nowhere and it was 'outside' of North Corel, just like Costa Del Sol was 'outside' of North Corel. A glance at Sephiroth shows that he either didn't care or didn't notice and the conversation moves into safer territory. Several questions follow about the monsters he hunted in the area and Talin related some stories of Needle Kiss, Grangalans, and even a few Tonadu that he had found almost on his doorstep one day.
"What about Cockatolis? They're rare but sometimes do wander close to towns," Talin about chokes and although he hates himself for it, he lies.
"No way. I saw them once, way up in the mountains, but stayed clear. Last thing I would want is to get paralyzed. They never came close to our town, thankfully," He keeps eating, praying the older man didn't pick up on his nervousness.
The conversation moves on to the topic of fighting styles and Talin is excited to hear that they will continue sword training now that he proved to be somewhat skilled and a fast learner. A glance at the clock shows just how much time had passed during their conversation.
"Oh man, I'm sorry but I gotta go, curfew is in about fifteen minutes." Talin is almost panicked as he gathers his things wishing he had paid more attention.
"While I admire your willingness to follow the rules, I could always sign off on you being out after curfew," Amusement at his Cadet's sudden activity wars with his annoyance from the earlier evasiveness. Amusement wins when Talin almost leaves without his jacket.
"Thanks again for dinner, Sir," Talin almost stumbles when the other end of his jacket isn't released. When he glances up, the older man only raises an eyebrow and retains his hold. Realizing what he said, Talin tries again. "Thanks for dinner...Sephiroth." He feels odd using the name but his jacket is let go with a small smile.
"You're welcome, Talin." A quick exchange of 'goodbye' and the boy darts out and down the hall to the elevator. When he is finally in and the door is shut, Talin lets out the breath he felt like he held half the night. So many easy questions had felt like grenades to him and he'd had to lie... There was no way Sephiroth hadn't noticed his anxiety during those questions, the man was too smart and too observant not to have. What if he starts asking more about it tomorrow?
Reaching his bunk, he just drops his bag and crawls under the covers much to the laughter of the others about the General having killed their poor friend.
The only thing he killed was my nerves. Talin thought as he shifted to get comfortable. If he asks, he asks. If not... With an annoyed huff, he cut off the line of thought and tried to force himself to sleep.
After Talin left and the trash from their dinner is cleaned up, Sephiroth finds himself sitting in his apartment office. On his monitor is a map or the Corel region, specifically the area around North Corel. There are no small towns within a hundred miles... but there are many just north of the mountain range. When the boy had spoken of monsters and encounters, one he had referenced was a group of Tonadu, but they only lived in the northern sector also. If Talin had been from south of the range, he would never have encountered them.
All the contradictions pointed to him living north, so why did he lie? A knock at his door is a welcome distraction. Unexpectedly, it's Angeal.
"What brings you over so late?" The dark-haired 1st greets him with a quick hug before they move to the couch.
"Just checking on how things are going and I figured you could use some company," Angeal knows the trials of being a teacher and had held back his curiosity about their progress till now. His friend's expression however became unexpectedly turbulent.
"I could use the company. As for how things are going... I need some advice," Seeing the man is truly in need of some kind of guidance, Angeal bumps his knee against Sephiroth's.
"I'm all ears. Did something happen?"
Sephiroth outlined his suspicions. The closed-off behavior, the contradicting information, and his confidence in knowing when he's being lied to.
"I know he is lying to me, or at least obscuring the truth, but I can't understand why. Why would he feel the need to hide where he's from?" Angeal wonders the same but offers another perspective.
"We all have secrets Seph. You, I, even Zack, as open and carefree as he is, has a few things that he won't talk about. Maybe your Cadet has things he wants to forget? Lots of people come to Shin-Ra to start over." Sephiroth had to admit that was true. Many of his men only spoke of their life after coming to Midgar, after becoming SOLDIER. But what if... Angeal saw that his friend wasn't wholly satisfied with that answer and started brainstorming other ideas.
"Well, other possibilities are that he's got a criminal past or maybe a runaway from a wealthy family?" Sephiroth could only shake his head again. Nothing hinted to such a past, nothing he had seen at least...
The rest of the night passes in quiet conversation with Angeal and several drinks. It didn't do much for 1sts, their bodies burned up the alcohol almost before it could affect them, but it did eventually add up to a solid buzz. At his Commander's advice, Sephiroth decided to give Talin space on the subject of his origins. As long as it didn't affect his performance, it wouldn't be an issue. If it did... Maybe I shouldn't make such decisions while drinking. He thought as he took another sip of his 7th drink. We all have secrets, some are just more dangerous than others. Wishing he could get drunk for once, the General knocked back the rest of his drink and poured another.
