[The way those words make Sephiroth's entire chest ache is profound. It doesn't quite reach his face beyond a subtle twitch of his mouth and the furrow of his brow, but he finally meets Angeal's gaze again.
He wonders... if they had a chance to speak again, would his Angeal still speak to him this way? If he's been watching over things from the Lifestream, he'll have seen every wretched, hateful thing Sephiroth has done. Surely he would be disgusted, honorable as he is. So many lives have been lost by Sephiroth's hand alone, and many more by the domino effect of his actions. Cloud - by far - had suffered the most, but he was also the one to free him from Jenova's shackles, to help him reclaim some of his memories. It's because of Cloud that he's able to be here at all, speaking to Angeal like this-- like a man rather than a cryptic monster with a sinister agenda. They'd shared some kind of kinship by the end-- nothing that could ever fill the respective voids in their hearts. They'd done too much damage to each other, but... the least he could do was grant Cloud peace after that, to allow him to be with his loved ones once more.
It meant leaving Sephiroth to his loneliness again, but... it's what he deserves, really. Even as it rankles him with rage and hatred.
He doesn't deserve... this. Angeal's empathy, his kind eyes, an ear and shoulder free of judgment. For a moment, he's even tempted to turn him away-- to cut the floor underneath him and return him to his timeline without a word. His fingers even tighten around Masamune, the leather of his gloves creaking with tension.
...But something stays his hand. For a moment, he could almost swear he feels fingertips brushing against his knuckles, the back of his hand. A squeeze. 'Stop.' But of course... when Sephiroth spares a glance, there is nothing. If he hadn't already been riddled with madness once, he'd say he's losing his mind. An exasperated breath pushes from his nose, his lips pressing into a thin line... but his grip on Masamune loosens.]
Stubborn fool. [It somehow sounds as fond as it does annoyed.] As you wish.
...There is nothing for me to return to. Merely emptiness. I am forbidden to join with the Lifestream, and so I wait only for the world to begin anew. Changing fate for others has done little to change mine.
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He wonders... if they had a chance to speak again, would his Angeal still speak to him this way? If he's been watching over things from the Lifestream, he'll have seen every wretched, hateful thing Sephiroth has done. Surely he would be disgusted, honorable as he is. So many lives have been lost by Sephiroth's hand alone, and many more by the domino effect of his actions. Cloud - by far - had suffered the most, but he was also the one to free him from Jenova's shackles, to help him reclaim some of his memories. It's because of Cloud that he's able to be here at all, speaking to Angeal like this-- like a man rather than a cryptic monster with a sinister agenda. They'd shared some kind of kinship by the end-- nothing that could ever fill the respective voids in their hearts. They'd done too much damage to each other, but... the least he could do was grant Cloud peace after that, to allow him to be with his loved ones once more.
It meant leaving Sephiroth to his loneliness again, but... it's what he deserves, really. Even as it rankles him with rage and hatred.
He doesn't deserve... this. Angeal's empathy, his kind eyes, an ear and shoulder free of judgment. For a moment, he's even tempted to turn him away-- to cut the floor underneath him and return him to his timeline without a word. His fingers even tighten around Masamune, the leather of his gloves creaking with tension.
...But something stays his hand. For a moment, he could almost swear he feels fingertips brushing against his knuckles, the back of his hand. A squeeze. 'Stop.' But of course... when Sephiroth spares a glance, there is nothing. If he hadn't already been riddled with madness once, he'd say he's losing his mind. An exasperated breath pushes from his nose, his lips pressing into a thin line... but his grip on Masamune loosens.]
Stubborn fool. [It somehow sounds as fond as it does annoyed.] As you wish.
...There is nothing for me to return to. Merely emptiness. I am forbidden to join with the Lifestream, and so I wait only for the world to begin anew. Changing fate for others has done little to change mine.
A fitting penance, I suppose.