[Just checking. You're not even close to That Thing but... the whole coming back from the dead out of spite Thing. But voicing that is stupid. So.]
I know the place. I'll be there at first light.
[And that's that. True to his word, he is- whereas, normally, he'd probably be bright-eyed and (mortifyingly) bushy-tailed from a hunt the night before, circumstances... haven't really meant he's been able to hunt for a while. Wolves, even Turnskins, are pack animals. Taking on other monsters unaided is... well. Not That Great Of A Plan. And his turned form tends to be... well, even smaller than other wolves.
So. He's more up for scavenging, nowadays. And it shows. Whereas he's not exactly foolish enough to not do the bare minimum required to adequately take care of himself, he looks tired, a little drawn, his gaze distant.
Although honestly, he does try to perk himself up a little at the sight of Sephiroth as he approaches the clearing. He'd notice, he thinks- and he'd certainly take offence to the thought of having to baby him any further than what he already is, because of something he could have prevented.
In his hand, this time, isn't the colossal slab of a greatsword he'd taken to using. it's a slim, narrow katana, nothing compared to Masamune, but another favoured weapon of Nier's. ...Using it isn't sentimentality. The guy left behind a veritable arsenal, and the greatsword...
...Well. He's not entirely sure what's going on with it. But when he uses it, it's not like he sleeps all that well.
Regardless.]
Hey.
[It's a flat statement of a greeting, marked by new additions- large, pointed ears perched high on his head, lowering slightly before one rotates at the sound of some breeze, somewhere else in the wood.]
[Sephiroth is already waiting for him when he arrives, punctual as ever, stoic and not unlike a sentinel awaiting an appointment. He turns to face Cloud as he approaches, shaded by the trees stretching overhead, noting the sword — and the ears.
He’s in a decent mood, it would seem, because the edges of his lips quirk ever so slightly upward. Cloud’s changes seem to be catching up to him, the way Sephiroth’s had done long ago. The great expense of his wings, the feathers in his hair, the pointed ears, and the sharp pointed tips of talons for fingers that no longer make room for his usual dark, leather gloves. He strides forward evenly to meet him.]
[All it takes is that quirk of a smile. His ears lower, instantly, seemingly instantly losing their rigidity to lie flat at the top of his head. They don't shrink back. Not quite- that's a motion that should indicate wariness, and... well, there's not all that much to be wary of. Not while they're not squared up anyway- and fittingly, his eyes drop to the dirt of the clearing.
But Sephiroth doesn't say anything. Even if he smiled that smile, he didn't say anything. So with a breath, his eyes raise again, and he turns them to the blade in his hand.]
Felt like a change.
[Sephiroth's probably, strangely, one of the closest people to him presently. But even then, he can't tell him the truth. Hell. He doesn't believe the truth himself. Just picturing telling him that he thinks the other sword might be alive is...
[His only reply to the notion of "change" is a small hm which rumbles at the back of his throat. There's no point in pressing the matter; questions might tumble through an inquisitive mind, but they'll all be answered through action. Through how he wields a blade that's so newly his, as though it might reveal the story through its utilization alone.]
Show me how well you can wield a sword like that.
[Against Sephiroth, at that, whose specialization just happens to be in swords of katana-esque shape, never mind the length. Masamune glistens as he brings it up into a ready stance, once that Cloud has seen time and time again. The implication is clear: the first move will be his.]
[The katana probably wasn't a great idea. He'd heard the rumours about Sephiroth and the skill he had with the sword he wielded, (Of course he had. Years of fanboyism saw to that. And he knew, damn well, from the years he'd followed the news reports about him that no matter what was said, it was true) but honestly? Anything was better than that greatsword. Even getting his ass kicked.
Him? He can use katanas. He knows well enough that they're not exactly like more conventional swords. He knows attacking with them is different, he knows how not to attack with them, and most importantly, how not to shatter them while you're attacking with them, but he's not an expert. Far from. That's about it, actually.
Still. Expert or no expert, bad idea or not, he's done this enough times by now to know better than to linger when he's spoken to. He moves forward in a rush, using the scant few seconds he's afforded before they clash to eye the way Sephiroth's blade is held. It's high- gleaming blade pointed downward, vaguely to Cloud's left. Sephiroth's right.
That means attacking from his right would be a mistake. A painful one. He elects for Sephiroth's left, aiming a slash at his side.]
[The katana was not generally a good idea, no. There is no archetype that Sephiroth is more adept in, no sword that he prefers to use more than Masamune — that much is obvious even to those who don’t know him that well, because there had not been a moment even in Aefenglom where he considered using a different kind of blade.
But he’s interested; he’s met others who can fight with the balance and precision needed to wield a katana with interesting results properly, and he has never seen Cloud raise anything less than hulking in his direction — this should be enlightening, in its own way. The way a SOLDIER finds excitement in a fight that isn’t the usual, that isn’t just another instance of the same that he can end in a few seconds flat.
The other man can read his opponent, at least, knowing that Sephiroth’s stance has invited the first move. And so his eyes fix onto the first foot forward, the directional weight in which Cloud shifts himself, and knows that he’s coming in left. A wise move, one that would be considered his less dominant side if Sephiroth had a less dominant side, and Sephiroth shifts to the side to avoid the bite of Cloud’s katana in his side.
The difference is already clear: when they fought last, his wings had gotten in the way, just unstable and unbalanced things at his back. Now, they seem to temper his balance, flaring out as though to fine-tune his stance and grant him more steadiness than before, which allows Sephiroth to feint backward with a heavy flap of black feathers, then lunge forward with Masamune. A straight, horizontal thrust towards Cloud’s center.
Easy to block with the large flat of an oversized blade. A katana? It’ll require a tad more footwork, and he wants to see Cloud dance dodge it.]
[dancedodge he does, and it's not exactly an elegant motion. He wasn't exactly expecting to hit Sephiroth with such a simple move. Of course not- if he had, he'd have likely dropped his own katana in confusion- he expected Sephiroth to feint, but he hadn't expected the benefit his wings now gave him.
Whereas he planned to make another strike- at his legs, most likely- in the direction of which he expected Sephiroth to move to, he's forced to adjust. Mainly because the added momentum that flap of the other's wings gave him meant what while he indeed moved in the direction Cloud expected, he moved far farther than what he had any expectation of.
He's still just as fast, though. While that planned blow to his legs doesn't come, it's... actually probably a good thing. Because Sephiroth's follow-up is giving him more problems than the usual. Sephiroth's follow up is always problematic. It's not like the man's in the habit of moving wastefully, or that he even makes mistakes. It's more...
...Well, a problem of his own making, this sword and all. Whereas, yes, Cloud does have a strength that could be considered SOLDIER standard, and yes- he can and does move while holding colossal greatswords as easily as most would move while holding something lighter, it's more a fact that he'd normally defend against something like that with parries and outright blocks. He can't here.
So. It's all he can do to outright dodge- lurching to the side in a light roll. He wasn't clipped. Nothing hurts, so he wasn't clipped. He's on his feet instantly, taking a bounding leap toward the other man, thin blade held above his head, in both hands.]
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no subject
You're not even close to That Thing but... the whole coming back from the dead out of spite Thing. But voicing that is stupid. So.]
I know the place. I'll be there at first light.
[And that's that.
True to his word, he is- whereas, normally, he'd probably be bright-eyed and (mortifyingly) bushy-tailed from a hunt the night before, circumstances... haven't really meant he's been able to hunt for a while. Wolves, even Turnskins, are pack animals. Taking on other monsters unaided is... well. Not That Great Of A Plan. And his turned form tends to be... well, even smaller than other wolves.
So. He's more up for scavenging, nowadays. And it shows. Whereas he's not exactly foolish enough to not do the bare minimum required to adequately take care of himself, he looks tired, a little drawn, his gaze distant.
Although honestly, he does try to perk himself up a little at the sight of Sephiroth as he approaches the clearing. He'd notice, he thinks- and he'd certainly take offence to the thought of having to baby him any further than what he already is, because of something he could have prevented.
In his hand, this time, isn't the colossal slab of a greatsword he'd taken to using. it's a slim, narrow katana, nothing compared to Masamune, but another favoured weapon of Nier's. ...Using it isn't sentimentality. The guy left behind a veritable arsenal, and the greatsword...
...Well.
He's not entirely sure what's going on with it. But when he uses it, it's not like he sleeps all that well.
Regardless.]
Hey.
[It's a flat statement of a greeting, marked by new additions- large, pointed ears perched high on his head, lowering slightly before one rotates at the sound of some breeze, somewhere else in the wood.]
...Don't ask.
[Please don't.]
no subject
He’s in a decent mood, it would seem, because the edges of his lips quirk ever so slightly upward. Cloud’s changes seem to be catching up to him, the way Sephiroth’s had done long ago. The great expense of his wings, the feathers in his hair, the pointed ears, and the sharp pointed tips of talons for fingers that no longer make room for his usual dark, leather gloves. He strides forward evenly to meet him.]
I won’t.
[And then a glance to the blade.]
Another new addition?
no subject
But Sephiroth doesn't say anything. Even if he smiled that smile, he didn't say anything. So with a breath, his eyes raise again, and he turns them to the blade in his hand.]
Felt like a change.
[Sephiroth's probably, strangely, one of the closest people to him presently. But even then, he can't tell him the truth. Hell. He doesn't believe the truth himself. Just picturing telling him that he thinks the other sword might be alive is...
Yeah, no.
So.
Briskly:]
We doing this?
no subject
Show me how well you can wield a sword like that.
[Against Sephiroth, at that, whose specialization just happens to be in swords of katana-esque shape, never mind the length. Masamune glistens as he brings it up into a ready stance, once that Cloud has seen time and time again. The implication is clear: the first move will be his.]
Come, Cloud.
no subject
Him? He can use katanas. He knows well enough that they're not exactly like more conventional swords. He knows attacking with them is different, he knows how not to attack with them, and most importantly, how not to shatter them while you're attacking with them, but he's not an expert. Far from. That's about it, actually.
Still. Expert or no expert, bad idea or not, he's done this enough times by now to know better than to linger when he's spoken to. He moves forward in a rush, using the scant few seconds he's afforded before they clash to eye the way Sephiroth's blade is held. It's high- gleaming blade pointed downward, vaguely to Cloud's left. Sephiroth's right.
That means attacking from his right would be a mistake. A painful one. He elects for Sephiroth's left, aiming a slash at his side.]
no subject
But he’s interested; he’s met others who can fight with the balance and precision needed to wield a katana with interesting results properly, and he has never seen Cloud raise anything less than hulking in his direction — this should be enlightening, in its own way. The way a SOLDIER finds excitement in a fight that isn’t the usual, that isn’t just another instance of the same that he can end in a few seconds flat.
The other man can read his opponent, at least, knowing that Sephiroth’s stance has invited the first move. And so his eyes fix onto the first foot forward, the directional weight in which Cloud shifts himself, and knows that he’s coming in left. A wise move, one that would be considered his less dominant side if Sephiroth had a less dominant side, and Sephiroth shifts to the side to avoid the bite of Cloud’s katana in his side.
The difference is already clear: when they fought last, his wings had gotten in the way, just unstable and unbalanced things at his back. Now, they seem to temper his balance, flaring out as though to fine-tune his stance and grant him more steadiness than before, which allows Sephiroth to feint backward with a heavy flap of black feathers, then lunge forward with Masamune. A straight, horizontal thrust towards Cloud’s center.
Easy to block with the large flat of an oversized blade. A katana? It’ll require a tad more footwork, and he wants to see Cloud
dancedodge it.]no subject
dancedodge he does, and it's not exactly an elegant motion. He wasn't exactly expecting to hit Sephiroth with such a simple move. Of course not- if he had, he'd have likely dropped his own katana in confusion- he expected Sephiroth to feint, but he hadn't expected the benefit his wings now gave him.Whereas he planned to make another strike- at his legs, most likely- in the direction of which he expected Sephiroth to move to, he's forced to adjust. Mainly because the added momentum that flap of the other's wings gave him meant what while he indeed moved in the direction Cloud expected, he moved far farther than what he had any expectation of.
He's still just as fast, though. While that planned blow to his legs doesn't come, it's... actually probably a good thing. Because Sephiroth's follow-up is giving him more problems than the usual. Sephiroth's follow up is always problematic. It's not like the man's in the habit of moving wastefully, or that he even makes mistakes. It's more...
...Well, a problem of his own making, this sword and all. Whereas, yes, Cloud does have a strength that could be considered SOLDIER standard, and yes- he can and does move while holding colossal greatswords as easily as most would move while holding something lighter, it's more a fact that he'd normally defend against something like that with parries and outright blocks. He can't here.
So.
It's all he can do to outright dodge- lurching to the side in a light roll. He wasn't clipped. Nothing hurts, so he wasn't clipped. He's on his feet instantly, taking a bounding leap toward the other man, thin blade held above his head, in both hands.]