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[zacrifice]

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[miniroth]

He knows. I don't think he'll shoot him without significant provocation.

We spoke a little. Have you ever heard of a monster type called "heartless" from anyone, or a planet named Hollow Bastion? Maybe some of his own people are around he can be pointed at

[zacrifice]

I still don't have a good reason to trust that guy, but I'll take your word for it I guess.

never heard of heartless before. not the planet either.

[miniroth]

When it's Turks I find the easiest way to deal with that is figuring out what ways they can't be trusted. And then avoiding those things.

I haven't either, but if they're such a danger then possibly sooner or later someone will mention it, Thirteen seems to like bringing more than one person from a given world.

He asked about Cloud. And you. By name. I didn't tell him anything. It's a big multiverse, there's potentially a lot of Zacks and Clouds, who knows which ones he means.

[zacrifice]

Haha that makes sense. Turks away from Shinra are the tricky ones, no one's giving them orders.

Wonder if there could be Heartless in Exile. I heard monsters from other worlds sometimes show up there.

Other versions of us, huh. That's so weird to imagine, but if you met another Sephiroth, I guess it's not that crazy. There's multiple versions of other people here too. Man, though. I don't know what I'd say if I met another me!

[miniroth]

True. That we know of. If anyone could figure out how to get orders into another world, you know it'd be the Shinra, but surely they'd send someone who blends in more.

I haven't seen any yet. I did see a cactuar, but maybe those are just everywhere, like dogs.

If this other Zack acted like you, you'd get on like a house on fire I bet.

[zacrifice]

Isn't he like ex-Turk? He fought Shinra, pretty sure he's not taking their orders any time soon even if they tried.

You saw a cactaur? That's awesome, love those little guys. I'm still on the lookout for Touch Me frogs.

Probably! I like me. I'd like a second me.

[miniroth]

There's no such thing as an ex-Turk. Just Turks and Turks more undercover than the rest.

Keep an eye out, if there's cactuar there might be frogs. It seems as if I'll be in Exile a lot for a while so if I spot one, or anything like a Heartless, I'll pass it on.

[zacrifice]

Sounds like you haven't met enough people who left Shinra. They've got you fooled but Turks are still just people, they can leave, too.

What're you doing in Exile so much?

[miniroth]

In your world, perhaps. Mine's different. I'll believe it when I see it.

A six thousand year old vampire says I might get more from practicing there than in Cruel Summer. It seemed to me he might have a better field of experience on these things than I do. It's just such a long flight from Lapine. I might have to move again.

[zacrifice]

Do you think we're from different versions now?

Just be careful if you go there alone. I know you're tough but that place is still extra dangerous. Don't the swamps suck people in?

[miniroth]

If we aren't, either I fail entirely to change anything, or you'd be remembering events differently by now. I must assume a fork in the road, or all of this would be pointless.

It can, yes. I don't intend to go there alone, I just have to be selective with who I bring. The vampire, his name is Mayerling, volunteered, I'm certain Mr. Valetine would as well, and my broth

OH

I HAVE A BROTHER. Possibly more than one, maybe a sister too.

In that we're part of the same project at the very least, we may or may not share genetics beyond the alien. Tangent; have you ever heard of Deepground?

[zacrifice]

that's you assuming I know my history. how much did you change? how do you know you changed it?

wtf brother? sister? lead with that next time! who??

idk what deepground is, sorry

[miniroth]

Zack if you don't know your recent history even if I tell you you're not going to know if it's different!

His name is Nero, from the sound of things the project is simply moved there to Deepground instead of Shinra HQ. In my time it's just a place where SOLDIERs are sent to heal up after getting hurt. That changes at some point. I don't know the others' names yet.

[zacrifice]

I mean isn't the stuff you're doing like ten years ago for me? I'm barely out of Gongaga! I don't know anything about anything. I guess if you end up leaving Shinra or destroying them completely, things would really change.

Nero. Don't know him, don't know Deepground. What's he look like? And which project, the Jenova stuff?

[They have so many stupid projects.]

[miniroth]

And if I succeeded in killing the Professor and half of the board of Directors you'd still know about it. Everyone would. At this point I'm pretty certain the only ones I can safely leave alive are Mr. Tuesti, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Veld, Mr. Deuserichus, and the President's young heir.

So since you don't know that I did so, either we have different timelines or I fail.

I don't know much about Deepground except that's where a lot of the science department's projects went, when it pertains to SOLDIER. Yes, the Jenova stuff. His eyes are like mine, but red. Black hair, frankly looks a bit like Mr. Valentine, an extra pair of limbs that look like skeletal dragon wings. He's had a worse time of it than I have, from what I can tell.

[zacrifice]

wait IF? did you try, did you off anybody while you were gone? or is that just future life goals when you can pull it off

like maybe it doesn't change until you actually do it

oh yeah I did meet that guy! he was creepy ngl. he wasn't very talkative but he knew I was SOLDIER & I took down Genesis. said he and his brother were sent out to get him

[miniroth]

Yes. Many people, just not the ones that need it.

But you're right I suppose. Nothing I've learned has altered anything. It's the past after all.

I think he was born and raised in an underground caged death match. Creepy is understandable. This is the same Genesis that you said is my friend? Did Nero mention if they succeeded?

[zacrifice]

no point in worrying too much about it here. we'll find out eventually.

same Genesis, yeah. idk if they got him. depends on how long after I left him behind that they showed up. he was in rough shape but SOLDIERs can take a lot more damage than that and still get up. you know how it is.

[miniroth]

Not worrying about it isn't an option for me.

I'll ask Nero. Maybe whatever happened to him can be prevented too.

[zacrifice]

you can change anything here tho

if there's anything I can help with let me know

[miniroth]

That's what I'm hoping for; I've been working on some things for that here. I'm going to have to introduce you to my dog.

There is something I could use help with. But you might get angry.

[zacrifice]

aw you got a dog? good! love to meet him

what is it?

[miniroth]

His name is Casimir and I'm pretty sure he's a blood hound, he has the red hair where you can see hair. He knows sit, stay, give paw and give tentacle.

[..And the harder part. Separated by miles and miles, the apprehension that goes into writing any of it is impossible to know. This, if he wasn't careful, could be..]

Please watch out for your friend Cloud. I know you will anyway! But more specifically, on Friday nights through Saturday, every weekend.

I think I hurt him pretty badly. I don't want to do that again, but I hadn't wanted to call him to begin with, it just happened. If I can't control what I am then it will happen again, and next time he might not let me go.

So I'm going to try to learn. I don't intend for any of it to bother him. Or you. Or anyone else. But just in case it does.

[zacrifice]

[There's a pause between responses, and it's a hefty one after the bomb Sephiroth just dropped.]

you CALLED him? did he kill you?

[Because he could absolutely see Cloud killing him for that. But no one said anything-]

[miniroth]

[There's a reason he hadn't said anything. Whether or not he agrees that Jenova's power was evil, he knew how others would see it.]

I didn't know it was him, he was a bird and it didn't feel like someone else, just me. So I pulled on it. Nobody told me what it would

And when a bird turned up that seemed harmless and fun until it wasn't a bird.

He did not kill me. He's killed my grown self at least three times, so I'd be easy if that's what he really wanted. I think he was content with reminding me of that.

[Sephiroth's grasp of what is and is not proper punishment means this is probably vastly understating things.]