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[b]Level:[/b] 2 [i](18/20)[/i]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1,080
[b]Location:[/b] The Drowning Wench —> Limsa Lominscuttle Town
[b]EXP:[/b] +2
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Sephiroth had slept so soundly for the majority of the blast, the scalding white hot semi-sphere of death that had so thoroughly scoured the Dead Zone and given the Lord of Light cause to stir in its slumber, that his senses hardly registered its passing. It was only when Cloud emerged to invade his dreams, along with the strange fluttering in his chest that followed, that he awoke. Pressing a hand against his forehead, he slowly pushed himself into a seated position, growling as he did so. It appeared as though the sorceress' spirit had a greater influence over his... [i]desires[/i] than he originally thought, which was problematic to say the least. Sephiroth had always carried a twinge of subtle annoyance and even hate when it came to Cloud, the bastard wasn't even a proper SOLDIER nor first-class and he'd still managed to be a thorn in his side time and time again, but the influence of the recently absorbed sorceress was threatening to escalate that into a full on complex. That was the one thing he most definitely [i]didn't[/i] want to happen, especially if their paths somehow managed to cross here in this mad fusion of a world. The idea that he could go from fighting Cloud one moment to flirting with him the next was a very uncomfortable one to say the least, since the boy wasn't even worth that much attention or time. 

[color=#7A7A7A][i]Not from a being such as myself certainly.[/i][/color]

Sephiroth let out a tired sigh as he stared into the darkened abyss that was his room, eventually deciding that he needed to go and clear his head. It didn't really matter where, or even how, so long as he could get these damned thoughts out of his mind. For a little while at least. It was then that he recalled Cia's spirit once more. Specifically its dark powers and how he was as of yet unskilled when it came to their use. He'd wielded similar magics before, but for all he knew these spells might have had some hidden tricks or drawbacks he wasn't currently aware of. Reason dictated that it would be better to discover these intricacies now rather than later on or in the middle of combat, where every careless movement or minor miscalculation could cost you your life. So, his mind having been made, Sephiroth clambered out of bed to put on the rest of his clothes. Silently stalking out of his room he made his way through the much quieter yet still bustling interior of the Wench, only pausing once he'd set foot outside. Even then it was for naught but a moment as he pondered where to go, before eventually settling on a small training ground they'd passed on the way here. It had several practice dummies if he recalled rightly, and while it was nowhere near as good as the facilities offered by Shinra, he figured it would serve his purposes well enough.

A few minutes of brisk walking and jumping later, and he found himself at his destination. An empty patch of dirt no bigger than a small lot that was surrounded by a rickety looking fence, the right side of which was lined by a row of equally rundown looking dummies. Striding forward, Sephiroth made his way onto the field to stand opposite the ramshackle row. Stretching out his hand, he turned his palm upon the primitive constructs and summoned up an orb of dark energy, one that pulsed with a violet rage as it hovered before his outstretched hand. Willing it to move, he unleashed a geyser of darkness upon one of the dummies, only to switch over to the next one moments later and send a churning disk hurtling its way. The geyser hit its mark as soon as the disk did, though where the disk cut the geyser vaporized, leaving nothing but splinters and smoldering straw in its wake. Admiring his handiwork, Sephiroth destroyed a few more, this time using traps like the ones Cia had deployed against him back at the Bismarck. He did this until he was certain he had discovered every nuance regarding their use, striding away from the debris littered field with a smile on his face. Granted, he knew live combat would be a very different beast from the static exercises he performed here. Despite this, however, Sephiroth felt confident in his ability to translate and incorporate them into a useful battlefield strategy.

All of this had not, however, done much in the way of clearing his mind. Much to his chagrin. Thoughts of Cloud began to crop up more persistently now that his practice was over, and he found himself becoming even more agitated than before. Exhaling sharply, he made his way back out onto the byways and streets, realizing he needed something to occupy not just his body but his mind as well. Thus he found himself climbing up the side of a building, leaping back and forth from wall to wall until he finally reached the top. Upon doing so he made his way over to the rooftop's nearest edge, dropping into a crouch to gaze upon the streets below. He spied various groups of people milling about here or there, though what really caught his eye was one of the shipgirls, who was seemingly debating whether or not to pass through the alley he'd left only seconds prior. This attention was not directed at her for the reason a casual onlooker might think, for the SOLDIER was interested in her spirit rather than her body. More specifically, the power it could provide him. Although the machine had mentioned placing a spirit in one's head instead of one's heart, which was an equally tempting prospect, for who knew just what secrets that mind might contain?

In any case, Sephiroth had finalized his next move, as had the shipgirl. For she had begun to make her way down the alleyway from which he'd come, giving him the perfect opportunity to take her by surprise. Smirking, he placed a hand against the hilt of his blade as he stalked along the edge of the roof, slowly drawing it from its sheath as he awaited the perfect moment to strike...

[color=#7A7A7A]"There."[/color]

Lunging, he allowed himself to go into a sort of controlled freefall, blade held fast with both hands and its point angled down. Ready to deliver scarlet death from on high...

Should his bid prove successful, of course.

[quote][@Lugubrious][/quote]