002 [Video]

[pauldrons]

[8:45 AM]
Didn't see you during last night's patrol, man. Everything okay?

[4:20 PM]
General? You still reading me? Not like you to ignore a hail like that.

[7:20 PM]
Hey, Seph...where the heck are you? Just...let me know, okay? I'm getting worried.


[Evening, Animus-folk. Have a rather concerned looking Zack on your network today. He's definitely worried about something, and considering the late hour, that's not surprising. Monsters will be out soon.]

Has anybody seen General Sephiroth around today? I looked all over and I can't find him anywhere...his name's not on his door anymore, either, but that doesn't mean anything, does it? [a glance over his shoulder, probably at that door in question, then he looks back at the screen.]

Just...lemme know if you've seen him around, okay? It's not like him to not check in.

Comments

[midgarhorizon]

We didn't get to say goodbye before.

[pauldrons]

[That gets him to make a face, adding annoyance to his already sore heart. Reno, you're kind of being a pain right now!]

Man, this is my first time going through this. You forget that or do you just not care?

[He'll probably apologize for being snappish in a day or two, but right now? Right now he's just tired of this and of Reno's attitude.]

[midgarhorizon]

I-

[He looks surprised, like he had forgotten it. Or just didn't think of it.]

...Sorry. Been kinda under a lot of stress.

[pauldrons]

[It takes a moment for Zack to shake his head. It hurt, sure, but Reno didn't seem to mean anything nasty by it. He can let this go.]

Forget about it. Been a long week for everybody.

[Well, mostly let it go. But he can at least try right now, hence his shrug.]

Besides. It's not like you to be sympathetic or anything. That was Cissnei's job if any of you Turks were gonna do it.

[midgarhorizon]

[There's a long, heavy silence before Reno answers, and when he does, his voice cracks- just for an instant before the mask drops back down, but there it was if someone was quick enough to pick it up.]

Sympathetic? Yeah... you're right. Not like me at all.

[Zack hit on something.]

[pauldrons]

[it's the heaviness of the silence that gets his attention more than the voice crack; Zack isn't fast enough to pick that up entirely and it's more of a feeling that something's off; that odd awkward sense of missing something.

He's not used to it, hence his confusion.]

What? Was I wrong about that?

[midgarhorizon]

Nah, you're right. Take it easy, Zack.

[pauldrons]

Right. Take it easy. [headshake, but...he's smiling again, even if it doesn't reach his eyes.] Last time somebody said that, I ended up with green dye in my shampoo. Think you'll get it if I don't take it easy for a while.

[midgarhorizon]

[Well, this was sufficiently awkward.]

Uh yeah...

[pauldrons]

[Definitely a little awkward, at least.]

So. Still gonna say I was right?

[midgarhorizon]

Huh? For what?

[pauldrons]

[shrug] For saying you're not the sympathetic type.

[midgarhorizon]

Just forget about it, all right?