Nightshift 22, Sun Room

[per-ardua.livejournal.com]

Raine stopped just outside the Sun Room, which was only a little lighter than the rest of the Institute now because of the skylight; the moon was apparently out. She wondered briefly what the moon looked like, here, but pushed that thought aside. She didn't hear anything from inside...

Standing just outside the doorway, so anyone inside the room wouldn't be able to see her, she looked back at her companions. "It sounds empty. Let's go in." She'd only gotten a few looks at the room during the day, but she was fairly certain that once inside, they should take a left to get into the Arts & Crafts room; it still sounded like a poor place to find weapons, but it was worth taking the chance. She had yet to meet a god at full power, but the myths she knew were informative enough. If they could just retrieve what Amaterasu needed to perhaps get her to a stronger state...

Raine clicked her flashlight on and jumped into the Sun Room's entrance, flicking the beam of light around to hopefully reveal any monsters hiding in the shadows. She held Reinforce's discarded crutch, her only real weapon, at the ready just in case; she wasn't letting herself be caught off-guard just yet.

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[reunion.livejournal.com]

... Was he hearing that correctly? "Very good"? "Ingenious"? From Sephiroth?! The shock lasted for a couple of seconds before it melted away into a somewhat softer surprised pleasure. Of course, all of that would have sounded so much better if it had been Mother saying it, but hearing it from the favorite ranked a close second. Third would be from the president, or maybe the traitor. He already knew Yazoo and Loz admired him, so it wouldn't have quite the same ring coming from them, but they still came next. And then....

He kept his head turned away from them so that they wouldn't see his gleeful expression, his mind wandering even further. What else could he tell Sephiroth about? He had said Mother was with him, right? So really, praise from him was practically the same thing as praise from her. If he could just find something....

The clattering noise made his head whip around again, but he relaxed again once he realized it was just Yazoo. Giving his brother an amused look, he nodded and teased back, "Practice makes perfect after all."

And then, the unexpected. Even more praise from Sephiroth! That had to mean Mother was proud of him! He beamed as they continued walking, managing to get out a short, almost modest-sounding "I do what I can" in response. Well, not really modest-sounding, but at least he managed to keep himself from outright gloating. That had to count for something.

The change in surroundings cheered him even further, and, walking a little bit faster again, he replied, "This is the Sun Room. The cafeteria is just through that way, and the kitchen should be just beyond." He looked at Sephiroth a little expectantly, clearly hoping to be told what a wonderful job he was doing.

[deathinvitation.livejournal.com]

"You're managed to map this place out well."

The look Kadaj gave him was not lost on Sephiroth. So there was the key to this part of himself: praise. He wouldn't have expected that, but it worked in his philsophy of those around him. Everyone had something that drove them. The idea was to find that thing or need, make sure it was met, and then use that person to their upmost. Kadaj's seemed to be that he had a bit of an ego.

The idea that he himself was about as egotistical as one could get in fancying himself a god was completely lost on Sephiroth. That wasn't being egotistical. That was merely his birthright and what was due him.

Regardless, he had that key now and could use it. If it was praise that Kadaj desired, he'd give it out when it got him what he wanted. In the reverse, criticism would most likely be able to turn the remnant back into line when he strayed. Or so Sephiroth believed.

"Given all that fuss those humans made about the night here, I see that you've managed to prove why we are the dominant species."

Trailing along behind the pair, Sephiroth put these paths down in memory. Should something take him away from the remnants, he had no desire to wander around lost.

"You've done quite well, Kadaj. How are you with handling your weapon? I take it that you haven't been wounded like those I saw walking about in the day were?"

[reunion.livejournal.com]

Kadaj preened a little as they made their way through the room, thoroughly ignoring the clusters of other patients as he went. They just weren't interesting, even if it seemed like some of them were still on edge from whatever had been happening earlier. Really, why should he care about a bunch of humans? He hoped whoever (or whatever) it was that they'd been fighting woke up and slaughtered them all.

But back to more important things, like his ego. He was genuinely pleased by all of the things Sephiroth was saying until the subject of injuries came up, and his smile faltered slightly as he considered just how he was supposed to reply to that without losing face. One of the many downsides of his big brother having Mother with him was that it meant she'd know about some of his less than favorable moments in this place. How could he tell the story to show himself in the best light? It wasn't really lying, and if asked, he'd clarify for her sake, but still...

"I'm very skilled with my weapon, but you know... this place has slowed me down. It slows all of us down." He cast a disdainful glance over the rest of the Sun Room now, then let out a small snort. "I told you in the courtyard what happened with Elena, right? She's still limping, though, so I don't think it'll happen again. The only other times that I've been injured were the one I told you about with River and also several nights ago when I got the metal for those." He made a quick, agitated gesture towards Yazoo's daggers. There, that covered the major points. The minor ones just weren't worth mentioning.

"Anything else you'd like to know?" he asked shortly. The topic of his failures had dampened his good mood somewhat, but it was still salvageable. Kadaj got the feeling he wouldn't be hearing any more praise for awhile, though, so he kept himself from glancing at Sephiroth again in search for some. He's probably need to do something else to deserve it.