001☆Intro

[first_class_asshole]

[He had hurried out of the Honey Bee Inn as quickly as he could without attracting too much (more) attention and ignoring the chattering of the crowd around him. His heart was still hammering in his chest and honestly he wasn’t entirely sure how he had managed his way through that. Dancing certainly wasn’t his forte and neither was… well, the dress. Or moving in it. The mercenary still wasn’t entirely sure how Aerith had maneuvered him into this little plot but… Well, if that was what it took to save Tifa, he supposed there wasn’t much choice. He needed a moment to catch his breath and possibly calm his nerves - the stage and all the eyes on him was almost overwhelming.

Finally he had reached the door, the lights practically blinding him - which was odd considering the stage had been much brighter. It had managed to completely obscure his vision and by the time he was able to see his surroundings… they were… completely different. His brow furrowed as he took a few steps further into the hotel lobby, his heels clicking against the marble floor. He reached back for his sword - only to remember that it was left back at the Honey Bee Inn.

Cloud turned, grabbing the handle to the door and attempting to open it. The damn thing wasn’t budging… Well, there wasn’t much else left to do but turn around and start towards the check in counter towards the back. Perhaps there was someone around who would be able to shed some light on this odd situation.

He really wished he wasn’t in this ridiculous dress and all this make-up right now…]

Comments

Meanwhile.....

[onewinged_angel]

[Nearby, currently unaware of his new surroundings, was Sephiroth. The general, too, had only recently arrived; however, he was unlucky enough to show up at the hotel unconscious and face down on one of the leather benches around the lobby area. His distinctive, silver hair cascaded down either side of the bench to pool on the floor while his legs were sticking awkwardly off the end due to his height.]

[first_class_asshole]

[At first, Cloud had passed the bench by but as he did, he felt something tugging at his mind. The sensation made him stop, a sense of dread clenching his chest. Because he knew the feeling, as if something was calling out to him. As if he was calling out to him. The blond nearly tripped over himself as he suddenly turned, hand reaching again for that sword that wasn't there.]

"...Sephiroth?!"

[...Though perhaps seemingly passed out on a bench wasn't exactly how Cloud had expected to see the other man. He took a couple cautious steps forward, bright mako-blue eyes trying to both keep an eye on the silver haired man while also looking for a makeshift weapon. Just in case. He had totally forgotten about his current state of dress in the moment, naturally.]

[onewinged_angel]

[As it so happens, the sound of his name seems to be the trigger which snaps Sephiroth awake. It's a rare thing indeed for him to be caught off guard and he spends a brief moment disoriented as he pushes himself off of the bench and rises to his feet. He manages to make it look graceful, even with his hair in the way.

A cursory glance at his surroundings causes Sephiroth's confusion to compound when nothing looks remotely familiar. The last thing he recalls is leaving for the reactor in Nibelheim... Being stopped in front of the Shinra Mansion.. The flash from the villager's camera.

A faint imprint from a seam in the leather bench is on his cheek when he turns his head and spots the blonde. There's something familiar about her, though the dress she's wearing is glaringly new to his memory.]

"Do you know who brought me here?"

[He doubts she could've carried him anywhere, and this is quite obviously not Nibelheim.]

[first_class_asshole]

[Something certainly felt different about Sephiroth but he wasn't entirely sure quite what it was. Regardless, as the other man stood Cloud took a step back. Every muscle was tense, almost as if he was prepared to have to defend himself. The imprint left by the couch might have actually been funny if it wasn't for the fact that Sephiroth's mere presence put his every nerve on edge.]

"...If anyone knew how we got here, wouldn't it be you?"

[There's obvious suspicion in his tone as he speaks. Yes, he. Definitely a male voice there. Maybe even one familiar to Sephiroth. But even Cloud felt his suspicion was somewhat off here - if Sephiroth had somehow managed to magic him off somewhere else he somehow doubted the man would have been unconscious.]

[onewinged_angel]

[Sephiroth is staring at the bright, mako blue eyes when something in the deepest recess of his mind stirs, a feeling like threads being tugged upon. He takes several steps forward, mindful of the other's tension. He may not have Masamune (another question on a growing list of questions), but he is confident in defending himself without the sword and doesn't plan to be caught off guard a second time.

The voice, now that he is awake to hear it clearly, comes as yet another unexpected element in this scenario. Male and oddly familiar.

Sephiroth stops several feet away. At this distance, a vibrant perfume reaches his nose.]

"I don't.." [He shakes his head, then gestures at the blonde.] "Your eyes. You're with SOLDIER?"

[first_class_asshole]

[He takes a couple steps back as Sephiroth moved closer, wishing more and more that he had his sword on him. He's obviously still tensed for a fight but doesn't seem about to make the first move. There's a moment of visible confusion as Sephiroth asked if he was in SOLDIER. There's a headache forming at the question as well but the blond shakes his head.]

"...Formerly. You should already know."

[But oddly enough, he didn't feel that Sephiroth was feigning. And Sephiroth himself seemed...different. Also noted was the lack of his trademark blade. Which was another oddity because he's not sure the other man was ever without it. He decided to focus on a different topic.]

"...Do you know where 'here' is?"

[onewinged_angel]

['You should already know'? A peculiar statement that causes Sephiroth to further scrutinize the individual before him. The silver-haired man remains where he is after the other moves away, allowing the distance.

The slight familiarity clicks after a second. 'He looks like the infantryman from the mission....' Sephiroth is positive the infantryman never made it into the SOLDIER program, hence the title. He also hadn't had the mako-infused eyes.....or the dress. 'Wasn't his name Cloud...?']

"Humph." [Sephiroth gives the room they're in - the exquisite lobby that would be up to Shinra's standards, maybe higher - a pointed, sweeping glance. Far too fancy a place, and much too large, to hide in the small village of Nibelheim.]

"No. However, I'm certain this isn't in Nibelheim...." [He trails off with a thoughtful expression, mind racing to figure out what had happened to cause him to awaken here. This is a situation he's never experienced. If whatever brought them here caused the change in the infantryman's appearance, then Sephiroth considers himself lucky to not have been changed. He's almost sure it's the same man, despite the differences. Where the infantryman was clearly green, there is an underlying aura of power present in this blonde. The quiet hum of it seemed to call to him.] "Your name is Cloud, right? What happened to you?"

[first_class_asshole]

[He was somewhat relieved when Sephiroth maintained the distance though he did shift slightly under that scrutinizing gaze. He waits for Sephiroth to do or say something and while it takes a moment, what he does say seems to take the blond by surprise. The mention of 'Nibelheim' brings a sharp pain, gritting his teeth and clutching his head for a moment before shaking it off and turning away from the silver haired man, looking back towards the desk.]

"...Nibelheim was razed five years ago."

[Which he felt sure Sephiroth SHOULD have known, not to mention that he should have known Cloud's name without asking. He decided not to answer either of those last two questions, heading towards the desk he'd been heading towards before speaking with Sephiroth.]

[onewinged_angel]

[Sephiroth observes the blonde's reaction with a small measure of concealed surprise. He is about to ask what's wrong when the comment about Nibelheim drops. He finds this difficult to believe, considering he had been in Nibelheim what felt like mere minutes earlier.

It seems clear that the blonde (Cloud?) doesn't want to talk to him as Sephiroth watches him walk away - with an impressive swish of that dress he's wearing, no less - without answering his other questions. The clack of heels upon marble echoes in the large space. Though somewhat annoyed at being further than before from answers about this place, Sephiroth feels no need to pursue him at the moment. While Cloud heads for the desk, Sephiroth decides to test the front doors. Pausing in front of them, he pulls on the handle. It's clearly marked "pull," but he attempts to push it after pulling it does nothing. Still nothing. He tries to pull it open again, using considerable strength this time, but the door doesn't move..]

[first_class_asshole]

[Cloud glanced back as Sephiroth seemed to decide to try the door - which Cloud himself had already attempted. Shaking his head, he steps up to the desk. It seemed to be empty for the time being but there were a few things sitting atop the counter there. Two envelopes - one with his name and one with Sephiroth's name and two small plain boxes. The boxes also had their names on one. He frowned softly, picking up the envelope with his name on it and observing the envelope a moment before looking back towards Sephiroth.]

"...The door doesn't open. I tried that earlier. There's something here on the desk though. With our names on them."

[He isn't honestly sure if opening them is a good idea but... the odd arrangement certainly gave him pause - and casting further doubt on his own suspicions of this being Sephiroth's doing somehow.]

[onewinged_angel]

[The door has been confirmed as a clear no-go by the both of them, so Sephiroth strides back toward the blonde with a graceful gait that manages to be silent with his heavy boots. His long hair sways behind him as he walks, having returned itself to perfect order immediately after he picked himself off of the bench. As he goes, his sharp eyes take careful note of the area. It seems to be just the two of them.

He's at Cloud's side in moments, looking upon the items with mild curiosity. The written names confirm his guess - this is Cloud after all, some how.]

"Cloud," [he starts as he picks up the envelope with his name on it, opening it as he speaks.]
"I was in Nibelheim before waking up here.. We both were. Nibelheim is still standing." [Inside the envelope, Sephiroth finds only a small, folded piece of paper and a hard plastic keycard. The card is emblazoned with "Hotel Nexus," his name, his picture, and a number: 1997. That someone would know who he is and have his photograph doesn't strike Sephiroth as odd - he's relatively famous and well-known, after all. The more perturbing piece of this puzzle is how he was brought here without his knowledge and why. Opening the paper, he reads it quickly as it only contains two lines: "Welcome to the Hotel Nexus. We’ve been expecting you."]

[first_class_asshole]

[He had shifted aside and slightly away from Sephiroth as he returned. He had been examining the envelope again when Sephiroth spoke up. His grip on the envelope tightened slightly as his gaze moved from his envelope to the silver haired man.]

"Stop screwing with me!"

[The words were oddly harsh coming from the generally soft-spoken man.]

[onewinged_angel]

[The keycard and paper are deposited inside a pocket of his coat for keeping and Sephiroth picks up the box with his name on it next. One silver eyebrow rises as he turns to look at Cloud.]

"It's the truth." [He pauses to give an amused hmf.] "From my perspective, at least."

[Sephiroth thinks that the blonde's earlier "five years ago" statement could be significant. How, though.... he's not sure. Five years haven't passed for him since they were at Nibelheim. Surely he would have noticed or his hair would have grown - something would have changed. 'Is this the work of Shinra...?' Strange as the situation is, he can't discount the possibility that Shinra is involved. They're responsible for shady happenings, and that's only the things he's aware of. He has no doubt there are many more skeletons in that particular closet. That's part of why he was heavily considering retiring from their military after the mission he was on.]

[first_class_asshole]

[Mako blue eyes were narrowed in a mixture of anger and suspicion at the taller man, though the expression softens slightly at the mention of 'perspective'. There's more confusion in that Mako blue gaze than anything else because... this wasn't the same Sephiroth he'd encountered after that first bombing job with AVALANCHE. This Sephiroth didn't seem to be taunting him - at least not intentionally - about his home. About his mother. In fact if anything he seemed as confused as Cloud himself were about the situation. His own mind was turning roughly to the same conclusion as the silver haired man's... But what would be Shinra's aim here? And could it even possibly have the power to accomplish something like this...? As much as he wanted to be angry and wanted to blame Sephiroth... Logically, he was having a hard time doing that. He glances away and back down at the envelope Cloud was still holding in his hands, seeming to focus on where his name was written there. He dreaded to ask the next question on his mind and honestly just the mere thought of the question sent more pulses of pain through his head.]

"...You said you were just at Nibelheim before coming here...Have... you..." [He shook his head, trying to ward off the headache. Now wasn't the time for that.] "...Have you visited the reactor yet? ...Or the mansion?"

[There was something in Cloud's tone, almost as if he were afraid to ask the questions.]

[onewinged_angel]

[Simply holding his box for now, he waits for the response he can see coming. It's clear that the words are painful, and they strike Sephiroth as distinctly specific. That low hum of attraction in the back of his mind pulls at him again. The tug is stronger this close to the blonde. It feels almost... right? No. Not quite. But nearly.]

"... We were just heading to the reactor. It was the first morning after our arrival."

[He recalls walking into the village the previous afternoon and nearly forgetting to give Cloud permission to visit family - a friendly family visit wasn't something Sephiroth ever did, after all - and how familiar the scenery looked and felt. In hindsight, perhaps that should've been his first clue something was about to go wrong.]

"Somebody wanted a photo, so we stopped by the gate to Shinra Mansion. That's the last thing I remember."

[first_class_asshole]

"Don't."

[The word was out before Cloud himself even realized it, almost as soon as Sephiroth mentioned that they were about to head to the reactor. Some part of him knew that nothing could be changed, that ultimately his warning would be useless but... He had to try, didn't he? If a simple word could prevent what happened to Nibelheim, what happened to him...]

"...Za...ngh!"

[No sooner had the thought occurred than another sudden blinding pulse of pain shot through his head, causing the blonde to actually stagger. The second part of what Sephiroth said more or less went unnoticed, caught up as he was in his own mental dilemma of the moment. The envelope slipped from his hands as they moved to clutch at his head and those heels suddenly losing their traction against the smooth marble floor, sending Cloud falling forwards Sephiroth.]

[onewinged_angel]

[He recognizes a warning when he hears one. Momentarily distracted from the box by the firm tone in that one word, he glances over to see the other man is still struggling with himself. Some sort of internal conflict. He's about to inquire further when the blonde staggers and slips.

Sephiroth's reaction is instantaneous.

He turns toward Cloud, catching his shoulder in his free hand and preventing the blonde from falling further than against Sephiroth's solid chest. With a soft, fluttering sound, Cloud's envelope lands on the ground at their feet.]

"Those shoes disagree with you."

[His dry humor surfaces a little, but the silver-haired man is nonetheless attentive to the the fine details of this conversation and the issues the blonde is having. Faintly-glowing green eyes study Cloud with interest. He wants to know more, especially about the Nibelheim comments, but he is taking the whole situation calmly, one step at a time. With the physical contact, the pulling sensation layered away in the back of his head becomes stronger. Curious indeed.]

"....What's wrong?" [Those fits don't exactly present the sign of health. Maybe the mako-infusion Cloud received...at some point...was also disagreeing with him.]

[first_class_asshole]

[For a moment, the blond doesn't seem to respond. He feels the tug in his mind amid the pain, jumbled memories and it takes him a moment to recover. He pulls away, shaking his head. It's clear that he's forcing the fit away, trying to ignore it in favor of keeping in the here and now.]

"... It's... nothing. I'm fine."

[There's another shake of the head. This wasn't the time for this. He had to keep it together. He decided to focus on Sephiroth's other comment as he bent down to pick up the envelope.]

"...I disagree with the whole outfit. Anyways, we should probably focus on finding out where we are."

[onewinged_angel]

[Sephiroth looks at Cloud for a long moment. Ultimately, he doesn't pursue in questioning the blonde's health at this time. He waits patiently for Cloud to open his envelope, though he already suspects its contents match his envelope. While Cloud is doing that, he finally opens the box with his name on it.]

"It's possible Shinra is involved."

[More than possible. He's nearly sure of it, at the moment. With the box open, Sephiroth finds a phone inside which he takes out to inspect. It's already on, so he flips it open to look at what's programmed inside.]

[first_class_asshole]

"...I would be more surprised if they weren't."

[He frowns a little, finding (just as Sephiroth suspected) the same as the other man. He looks at the note and the keycard. He turns over the keycard, examining it closely. 'Hotel Nexus'... Well, it was no hotel he'd ever heard of but that didn't mean too much. While Sephiroth may not have been surprised that they'd had his picture, Cloud was. He wasn't quite Sephiroth-level when it came to celebrity.]

"But wh--"

[He was suddenly cut off by the sound of a Chocobo... coming from the little box with his name on it. He turned a baffled gaze on box. Well, it definitely wasn't big enough to have a Chocobo inside...]

"...Ah?"

[That was more or less his way of asking if Sephiroth had heard that too.]

[onewinged_angel]

[Yes, he definitely heard the distinctive call of a chocobo from that other box. He had been keeping an eye on the contents of the other envelope, seeing they matched his. The keycard with Cloud's photo is yet another inkling of Shinra's involvement. Surely there weren't too many people who had that kind of information about the other man. Giving a little shake of his head, Sephiroth then looks pointedly at Cloud's unopened box.]

"Open it."

[first_class_asshole]

[Cloud obeyed without even thinking about it, immediately reaching for the box and starting to open it. Inside he found a flip phone, black and sleek. A small display on the front displayed the time, his name and that he had one message. His brow furrowed at that as he carefully opened the device to reveal a rather nice looking touchscreen. Accessing the messages of the device, he found the following text: ]

'Mr. Strife,
We welcome you to the Hotel Nexus and hope that you have a pleasant stay. Questions can wait until morning, for now we suggest resting for the night in the room we have provided you. Your room number can be found in the upper right corner of the notification bar on this device and also on the keycard you have been provided.

Thank You,
Hotel Nexus'

"...'Hotel Nexus'...I've never heard of it. Have you?"

[Mako blue eyes moved away from the screen and back up to Sephiroth. He assumed the other man to be quite a bit more travelled than himself. But at least this explained the Chocobo sound - he assumed it must be the device's notification sound.]

[onewinged_angel]

"....No."

[Hotel Nexus is a new name to him. The welcome message was in his inbox as well, but did little to answer any of his questions about the situation. The phone he was provided started on silent, so he switches it to vibrate in case something else comes through. He discovered there was a series of browsable information on the hotel network, including a list of residents which contained only two names: Cloud Strife and Sephiroth. He wonders, not for the first time, whether they are the only two here, and what the purpose is for this whole arrangement. For now, he pockets the phone and studies the area again.]

"Nothing about this is familiar."

[Moving away from the desk, Sephiroth heads toward the area beyond the desk where there is another hall leading to elevators, committing it all to memory. All of this space, empty seating, high ceilings, and no people. He is vaguely aware of the faint presence of....something; as if he expects to turn and see somebody there. Despite the feeling, no others make an appearance. He has decided to see if any other clues are in the room supposedly provided to him. One black-gloved hand presses the button to call the elevator.]

[first_class_asshole]

[There's a sigh from the younger man at that. Well, he should have expected as much - something was just not at all right about this situation. He felt the same uneasiness as Sephiroth but lately that had been a fairly common feeling for him. Ironically due to the silver haired man himself. Cloud looked up, watching Sephiroth starting to walk off before moving to pocket his own device... And remembering there were no pockets. There's a soft barely audible sound of frustration from the blond as he just held the phone, keycard and note for a moment before remembering something he had seen women do before and attempting to put the phone into the neckline of his dress.

Alas, his cleavage was insufficient and the phone falls through only to be caught uncomfortably midway, caught on the under corset of the dress. He sighs heavily, shakes his head then starts to walk towards where Sephiroth had gone. Not that he got far before feeling a slight twinge in one ankle, sighing again as he stopped, removed the shoes and started towards the hall with the elevator.

He started to go for the stairs but his ankle was already complaining. It wouldn't have been a great idea. He wondered vaguely how he managed to fall from a reactor, through a roof and be fine... but one little stumble and his ankle was sore. Ridiculous.

He pauses there, glances back towards Sephiroth, then the door to the stairwell... then went through the door. He'd take the physical pain over the awkwardness of being stuck in an elevator with Sephiroth...]

[onewinged_angel]

[A ding signifies the arrival of the elevator in no time. As he steps in, he turns and spots Cloud going for the stairs. He hadn't expected the other to separate from him, but makes no protest. He has the feeling he will be seeing Cloud again. They both seem to be stuck here for the moment.

Sephiroth makes his way to the 19th floor, 97th room, and tests the keycard he was given. It works. With senses on high alert, he enters the room and..... it's empty. What appears to be a suite, as he notes multiple rooms and living spaces, taking his time to inspect the entire area. He pauses when he pulls the curtain aside from the row of large windows at the far wall of the main area.

Through the glass is Midgar. There's a glass door which he tries - it opens, and Sephiroth steps out onto a balcony, eyes fixed on the city before him. Everything from the heavy air to the sounds makes him feel as if he's there, but he knows - somehow - it's not real. Still, Sephiroth finds himself standing there for a while, studying what looks like Midgar.]

[first_class_asshole]

[It takes Cloud a considerable amount of time longer to make his way up, given that he was taking the stairs. There's some measure of relief when he does reach the 19th floor - despite his mistrust of the place the idea of getting somewhere he could sit down a minute was one to be relished. He pauses a moment as he exits the stairwell to catch his breath before making his way down the hallway. He pauses in front of the door marked with the number '1997' and swipes his card. The door unlocks and he opens it to find himself in a hotel suite - not a huge surprise there, considering where he was.

No, the surprise came in the form of what he could see outside the glass door in the main common area. Sephiroth was a mildly unpleasant surprise but not as big of a surprise as the landscape beyond. His brow furrowed and there's a moment of hesitation before he decides to head towards the balcony. His curiosity was enough that even Sephiroth's presence wasn't enough to stop him.]

"...Midgar...?"

[It's not really clear if he's talking to Sephiroth or himself as he heads out onto the balcony.]

[onewinged_angel]

[The chirp of a keycard opening the door alerts Sephiroth to another presence and pulls him from his inspection of the "city" off the balcony. Calmly, he watches as Cloud approaches, then shakes his head.]

"We're not in Midgar. There is no building of this size at the location that would allow this view."

[He adopts a pensive expression and folds his arms across his chest, reflecting on Cloud also being sent to this particular room. Of all of the rooms in this hallway alone. What did it mean? It's time for some answers.]

"Cloud. What's the last thing you remember?"

[first_class_asshole]

[Cloud moves over, resting his arms on the railing of the balcony to gaze out at the faux cityscape beyond. It would have been nice to have been able to disagree with the silver haired man - being in Midgar would make things much easier to figure out... But he knew he was right. A building with a view like this would have to be big enough to rival the size of Shinra HQ and while he didn't know his way around Midgar as well as many, he at least knew that wasn't possible. He sighs at Sephiroth's question, frowning softly.]

"...I just left Honey Bee Inn in Wall Market - a friend and I were on our way to save Tifa from Don Corneo. She'd been selected to participate in some sick 'contest' to become his next wife. Men can't really get in there easily... So... my friend had an idea..."

[He motioned to the dress, his tone edged with embarrassment.]

"....Right after all that... I walked out... and that's when I appeared here and ran into you. I don't normally dress this way."

[He seemed to want to make this pretty clear.]