#L004 Text + Action Post

[spiffygloves]

[Text to Zack]
Did you find Angeal?
[/Text]

[Tired of waiting for the unsurprisingly late Zack--this was a SOLDIER who had made Sephiroth wait after all--Lazard had decided to do something about the situation. The best course of action that didn't involve getting eaten by monsters seemed to be to seek out the refuge camp Reeve had mentioned. The

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[motherkn0wsbest]

Another little lamb was straying closer to the new flock, and Jenova was pleased. She didn't hide herself even as the once famous Lazard of ShinRa approached completely unaware of just whom that he was dealing with. It was no matter though, not when this little lamb would only need to be herded into the flock.

Her mismatched eyes drew to the jacket being offered to her. "We are in no need of such material," she said simply, still feeling strange using her lips as a method of communication. It would take time, and that was something that she did have quite a bit of.

In the blink of an eye, her cells shifted and molded into a cloak around her nude form. It covered her visually, but she still was not wearing anything even remotely like human clothing. "What is it you seek, lost little lamb?"

[spiffygloves]

[Lazard turned around, not soon enough to catch Jenova's trick and thus surprised to see her wearing a cloak when he had been sure... It had been a strange week; he obviously wasn't in the best frame of mind for clarity.]

'Lost little lamb'? [He laughed, putting his jacket back on and walking closer, glancing at the dilapidated ShinRa Building.] I'm looking for the WRO refuge camp. I take it you are as well?

[He extended his hand to shake.] Lazard Deusericus, by the way. A pleasure to meet you.

[motherkn0wsbest]

Jenova watched Lazard with only a feigned interest, trying to decide what to do with this little one. He had strayed into her established territory, and he was one of the wayward of her flock. He could be used as an example to others, but that seemed much too soon after her return.

Oh, there was a refuge camp? She hadn't been looking too far, but that would be a wonderful place to have a start to the week. "Indeed, a refugee camp would be of use to us."

She looked at the offered hand and panned over Lazard's memories as to the formality of this human ritual. Slowly, she extended her own small hand and took his. "We know of you, ex-Director of the SOLDIER program. He who abandoned his duty after failing to achieve revenge. We know of you well."

[spiffygloves]

[He was taken aback by her professed knowledge of him. Apparently even his decade long 'disappearance' hadn't quite wiped his name from history. At least she didn't sound as if she were condemning him. He fixed a friendly smile on his face, not wanting to appear threatening.]

Haha, I'm afraid I don't know you though, my apologies, miss...?

[motherkn0wsbest]

Her grip on Lazard's hand tightened considerably despite the frail looking hands. It would appear that she was no longer recognizable anymore, which would only serve to benefit her efforts in the very near future. That refugee camp would be a good source of a meal, since Lazard was not yet an option.

"Professor Gast named us 'Jenova'," she said in a silky voice. She used her strength to jerk Lazard forward towards her. "We can feel each any every little star... including you, lost little lamb. What shall we do with you?" Her smirk took on the appearance of one Sephiroth might have given. "Suggestions?"

[spiffygloves]

[Lazard nearly fell as he was pulled towards the...woman. Shock--that had never been a name he'd been particularly afraid of, but he knew it well enough--and disbelief rang through his mind. He scrambled to make sense of this. She couldn't be-- It would be absurdly hypocritical for a walking dead man to start saying who and who couldn't 'be'.]

That depends on what you're trying to achieve. [An honest reply when what he'd rather say was the unlikely "don't kill me".]

If you kill me others will come looking. [And that was a flat out lie, but he really wasn't ready to die again just yet.]

[motherkn0wsbest]

That was such a hollow threat, and Jenova allowed it to slide by her without a change in reaction. He was playing right into her artificially formed hands, and that was a good feeling to echo through the fixed colony of her cells. It was so good to be walking again.

"They would have to have a body to find," she murmured and glanced around the ruins that they were currently standing in. "Besides, we may wish for them to come looking. One-by-one they can fall to us for all the wrongs that have been done to us. Revenge is a clear motive you can understand isn't it, Lazard?"

[spiffygloves]

[That hadn't occurred to Lazard, but it made sense. How long had she endured as an experiment for ShinRa? Longer than his time as Director, that was certain.]

...Yes. It is. [His hand moved slowly towards his pocket. If he could call... Who? Reeve? Angeal? Haha, Rufus!? There really wasn't anyone to dial and let hear this conversation in the hopes they'd listen and know, be able to do something.]

If you're looking for Hojo I don't know where he is. ...But I might be able to find out.

[motherkn0wsbest]

"We thought you might," Jenova said slowly as she allowed the nails on the hand still grasping Lazard's to extend pointedly. "But we shouldn't find revenge on you, hmm? After all, your SOLDIERs were our SOLDIERs, our little army of hard-willed men and women for us to use."

She smiled slowly as she considered the information. "Something interesting in your pocket," she asked even though she had not actually looked. She didn't need to; she was monitoring his muscle movements with the cells embedded in them.

"We know exactly where the one called Hojo is. We probably know better than all the SOLDIERs," she said and suddenly moved to backhand Lazard across the face. "Do not presume to know what we do not. Two thousand years on this miserable rock...."

[spiffygloves]

[Lazard didn't see the backhand coming and stumbled to his knees with a gasp, his face on fire, or so it felt.]

Y... You can't expect SOLDIERs to recognize you as more than a tool. They were chosen because they have the will to remain themselves. [He pushed his glasses on more firmly before trying to pull his hand out of her grasp.]

You don't speak well of the Planet for an Ancient.

[motherkn0wsbest]

Releasing her grip as Lazard's face met with her hand, Jenova remained standing and regarding the ex-Director. He was nothing like her son, but it was a matter that concerned her. Everyone and everything had uses.

"A tool?" She mulled over that phrase for a moment to determine its meaning in regards to herself. Her mismatched eyes suddenly rose and narrowed in what could only be described as severe displeasure. "We are not a tool, mortal," she said both verbally and along the Jenova cells in the direct area.

At the mention of Ancient, she paused from attacking him. Oh yes... this one still thought of her mislabeling as true. She laughed cruelly. "Ancient? This eye..." she said pointing at the red iris on the left side, "is the last of the Ancient we last consumed. We are much more than those pitiful weak gardeners of this miserable rock. They were fools."

Without waiting, she attempted to slash her claws across Lazard's chest.

[spiffygloves]

[After she released him he found himself transfixed, mind still scrambling to accept the information she was giving him. The thought 'run!' crossed through his struggling thoughts and he shuffled back. Not soon enough as her nails raked across his chest, ripping his clothes and drawing blood.

Pushing himself to his feet, he clutched at the steadily seeping lines even as he continued to stumble back. His free hand dived into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone and dialing Kira's number in record time.]

If you're not an Ancient, then what are you, Jenova? A spurned experiment lurking in the ruins of Midgar? [He continued to back towards the ShinRa Building, tense and ready to run. His conversationalist voice was more directed towards the phone than Jenova. Hopefully Kira would pick up...]

[motherkn0wsbest]

This was almost too easy, or she was used to dealing with prey that knew how to fight back. SOLDIERs were more challenge due to their high-level of training and usual weapondry. That was fine though, since Lazard would make a prime example for ShinRa, and then she would find that refugee camp and feast. Soon, soon...

She paused when he pulled out some device and peered at it. It almost appeared as a weapon, but when his fingers moved over the key pad, she felt nothing in regards to pain or the like. She scanned his mind to find out what in the world that little device was. Ah, an electronic communication system... she had no need for such things.

"Ah, we are much more than that," she murmured as she advanced further. "Perhaps you should do some research... or Hojo will know. Perhaps... or he might have been too consumed with his love for experimentation to figure it out." She moved in close and fluidly, closing the distance to impale her claws into his abdomen.

[spiffygloves]

[Eyes going wide as he struggled not to collapse, a gasping cough left Lazard. It took a moment for his nerves to properly process the large amount of pain he was experiencing and send it to his brain--but when it all pulled together he bit through his lip trying to suppress the feeling of Jenova's hand freely puncturing his flesh. Nausea welled up as he weakly tried to push her away. He had to do something important before shock set in. Once that happened everything was out of his hands.]

Very...fitting to die in the shadow of the ShinRa Building, ha...haha. What are y-you...going to do? [He spoke to Jenova, but he struggled to project his voice towards the cellphone he still held.]

[motherkn0wsbest]

Holding Lazard up, Jenova regarded the ex-Director with a disappointed look in her mismatched eyes. SOLDIERs were a little more difficult, but this was enough to let the world know that she had returned with a vengence. She allowed her cells to flow into the wound to strengthen the bond, so that she could keep track of him easier.

She withdrew her hand at Lazard's push and stepped away. Her interest began to wane. "You will not die here, that we guarantee. You will suffer as our cells infest you, but death is far from you. We have our uses of you."

Smirking, she looked around the ruins. "We will hunt. We will finish what we came here to do so long ago. The time comes soon," she murmured before she simply walked around where Lazard had fallen and left the area, no longer interested in the ex-Director.