firstsoldier: (pic#17626928)
Sephiroth ([personal profile] firstsoldier) wrote in [community profile] route666rp2025-04-28 04:00 pm

[open] omnomnom

Who: Sephiroth, OTA
What: Dealing with the nagging compulsion to 1. Hunt things 2. Eat something that doesn't disgust his more civilized morals. A whole-ass Chimera transformation complicates things.
When: Post Moon-Warp; 'now'?
Where: Still that miserable hot scorchy desert, oases, etc.
Warnings: May contain one or more of the following: Violence, bloodshed, gore, trauma, aggression, hierarchy scuffles, predator behavior, monster-connected trauma, and FF7 typical angst. Tiny kaiju battle in the parking lot.


Gone HuntingThe concern of an entire Convoy to feed is a good excuse to leave once it's parked for the night, and Sephiroth's made no secret of his excursions to find what he can that looks or smells edible, and hasn't yet bothered much with company. So far he's been as successful as anyone can hope to be, bringing back more strange creatures than plants that might be edible, but he hasn't touched any of them himself for meals.

Or much of anything else for that matter. While he does try now and again at mealtimes, nothing ordinary seems satisfactory, or sits like tasteless lead in his stomach. The creatures he kills for the convoy are as tempting now as they were with the Tower intact, though he doesn't eat them.

It hasn't affected him much so far by all appearances, as evening arrives and he prepares to head out again, exchanging his long black jacket for a more ordinary shirt and a sturdy pack to bring things back in. A small array of knives, no sign of the longsword he fights with, the key to his truck and a bottle of water are plenty to bring.. right? Except this time he's asked for another set of hands, intending to try to catch something more sizeable. Something that would struggle, and bleed, and be all the tastier for it--

Maybe you've volunteered. Maybe you got conscripted because you looked reasonably good at hunting or cleaning up the results of hunts. Either way.

"Ready to go?" He sounds and looks distracted.



Sometimes, you wake up as a monster.More often than not, Sephiroth sleeps in the back of his truck. It's not comfortable by most people's standards, but it's his, and generally he's not bothered there so it's an ideal refuge to withdraw to when the convoy and its people are too much. The longer he delayed in dealing with his own changes, the more he ignored what struck him as unnatural instinct, the harder it grows to brush off, and it's ... easier, in solitude. That he doesn't turn up in the morning after a stop isn't too much to worry about, the vehicles all have autopilot and his truck's placidly followed anyway.

He also doesn't turn up during the scorching heat of the day, and as the convoy once more parks at sunset, only then does he stir from the covered back of the truck, irritated, restless and hungry.

There's a large, feather-covered dinosaur in camp, on the wrong side of the shield; monsters aren't supposed to be able to get in. A dinosaur or a wingless bipedal dragon, a not-quite seamless blend of bird, mammal and reptile, disturbingly silent on huge clawed feet for all that it's the size of a large horse. Black feathers, silver scales, patches of tawny fluff that might be fur,eyes that glow faintly green in the dark, and rounded ears half-hidden in a lionlike mane of thicker, longer feathers. For those who have sharp enough noses and familiarity, the scent is still the same, for all that appearance has radically changed - that's the long-haired SOLDIER. Maybe he shouldn't have waited so long, but it seems ... so, so difficult to focus on anything other than the gnawing itch to hunt and NOT bother to bring it back this time for everyone else.

And he's prowling the convoy and its parked cars instead of out in the parched landscape, sniffing like a beast between vehicles, poking into open windows, following any alluring scent of bloody red.
coffinturk: (Vincent-eh-eyes)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-28 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Well... #@&$!

Rolling to his feet, spun around but not quite further than a crouch- all the better to spring back into action from- Vincent regards the creature. The cloak only slightly tremors as it settles in place and a small breeze stirs the edges.

Vincent hasn't drawn his gun yet. Make no mistake. This doesn't mean he will not fire on the monster. Right now, he's assessing intent. Looking for weakness. ... the
'reptilian' beast seems best by several oddities, not least which is an unmistakable conformation of forelimbs similar to a levrikon. Feathers, lion-like tufted ears and the piercing eyes.

When the chimera manages to both catch the bird and retain his focus on the moving target with little visible effort, he isn't liking his odds. Delaying as long as possible until the sun goes down fully and he can feel more himself again wasn't... going to be an option here, was it?

"Not going to give up, are you?" Vincent mutters. He doesn't expect an answer that makes sense. His right hand, with something like a resigned sigh, begins to subtly shift to the holstered gun.
coffinturk: (Vincent-shoot)

okay but what if you just snagged wallpaper silver rathtalos from EC as standin

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-28 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Being sluggish doesn't mean Vincent is completely incapable of battle. It takes more effort, it's going to tire him faster, but he can muster the energy and effort to nimbly time his leap to the side and draw his weapon.

The gun cracks off two shots in whatever space of time he has in this fleeting moment. It's a formidable weapon of their world and powerful on its own. Yet this would be nothing more than an opening volley; a sting of pain to suggest it can cause harm, should either hit their target.

...Joints, probably. Places that could impair movement in the powerful legs. Those are what Vincent seeks in mid-air.

He'll strive to land somewhat away from the tail of course, but won't be fully out of range.

Food seemed to no longer be an issue. The offended snarl implied that Vincent hit a nerve with the instincts of this chimerical amalgamation.

He'd thought it would be likely to happen. But better a battle in dominance than one where everyone here is seen as prey; starting with Vincent himself.
coffinturk: (Vincent-daze)

What a delightful stand-in lad.

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-29 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
One hit, but it's not enough. Vincent knew it wasn't going to be enough even if both had.

Known enough that he had calculated his landing trajectory to pair with the expectation that he would need to dodge the tail.

If it had been the tail, he would have. Too late to dodge but not enough to rase his left arm to block the claws- a shriek of hard nail against metal follows- and prevent them from ripping into his flesh.

The disparity in strength and weight, the fact that Vincent had chance to brace, all factor into why he's sent flying back into the side of one vehicle. Maybe denting something, perhaps cracking glass. But the gunslinger had to have absolutely felt that while simultaneously rebounding forward a bit.

But in that moment where he had been close, raising armor-clad arm to shield himself from some of the danger, Vincent had been close enough to catch more than a passing glimpse of the chimera's eyes. It was getting dark enough now to accentuate the glow. A familiar one, nesting in greeny iris and slit pupil.

"Sephiroth." The name was so silently uttered it may as well been just mouthed. And then there's no spare breath at all for it as Vincent goes flying back.
coffinturk: (vin-eye)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-29 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
There is a lot Vincent's body can take. He is not without protections common to their world but fundamentally the experiments he suffered had made it all but impossible for him to die. At least that used to be the case.

There's no reason not to think the same thing continues here other than the slim possibility that some of those abilties he seems to be 'missing' or appear locked away somehow would include this particular resilience. In any case, he could still suffer pain to a certain extent. Get winded or be poisoned, particularly by magic. There was this new weakness under sunlight though that was rapidly disappearing. So much was in shadow now that it wasn't even a problem.

He had heard the rattle. He'd caught himself before falling completely forward, a knee slammed hard into the ground. Vincent was breathing heavily. Getting so winded was... a surprise, for a moment.

Vincent looked up. The ruby eyes hold no sign of submission; if anything, there was a deadly, potent presence just below the surface. The common sense thing here would be to submit. And so he tried to hold it back. In the face of teeth and claws and that slow, methodical approach, A human mind and a beast's surfacing instincts were having a war.

Later, Vincent will not be able to tell if he had lost the battle or just given into the urge.

Power surged. Call it mana or spiritual energy or a power that was ascended to as one broke their limits. That energy was part of the transformation and if Vincent felt pain, it was buried in the roar of a beast as something purple and red surged up and launched itself at the approaching chimera.

It had claws and teeth and horns; larger than Vincent but not quite the mass Sephiroth's transformation has bestowed on him.

That wouldn't matter right now. Claws and teeth are wielded as the beast Vincent has become seeks to lash out at the offending monster before him. How dare. How dare you ask him to submit so readily?
coffinturk: (ffec-galian)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-29 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
It's just the sort of thing that happens, here. Monsters, right? Neither are out of place.

Just alarmingly on the wrong side of the shield and sort of maybe have some people to apologize to later. Maybe. Right now something important needs to be established.

Bitter and chemical? Well the beast has probably tasted that sort of blood before, in their fight against Shinra and its hint in their SOLDIER unit. Maybe. Possible. Thing is, there's a new dissatisfaction with the taste that will be remembered later in the subconscious.

The initial collision was rewarded with contact and the smell of blood. Good, good. The purple beast tries to find purchase against the ground, to push up and maybe onto the large chimera's back.

It goes nowhere and claws, powerful back legs are digging into the soil under Vincent's transformed feet to try and brace against the force that's driving him down. Sephiroth is too fast for his own good even against the heightened, dextrous galian beast, and is quickly forcing Vincent down

....The way the massive jaws are positioned around the beast's head is cause for ringing danger and it turns its efforts from the frontal attack of raking claws to trying to worm back and free again.

...There is after all, a certain cunning to the beast. And while Vincent may not be conscious, he is ultimately there. It can understand that an aggressive, blind frontal 'attack' is not going to lead anywhere but death. Thus, he seeks to break free and find a way out of those dangerous jaws and the domineering force of weight and strength that will overcome.
coffinturk: (37)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-29 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
The behemoth-like beast almost does win free. Though no more time conscious than Vincent, the beast's 'existence' was tied inexorably with the former Turk. There was a war between beast and human mind, but it was for mental dominance rather than instinct. There'd never been a part of him trying to say 'maybe we should find a nest of sun baked rocks to curl into for the night' while the other said 'it's night, time to hunt'. He was what he was. He was smaller, there were horns on that head to jerk and twist and block any biting jaw as they sought the right angle to hold.

What he had, essentially, is experience being a monster. this kind of monster. One that doesn't get bothered by wounds that would never kill him anyway... what are those teeth, tracking deeper as he pulls and twists? Vincent finds himself nearly free and almost there... When one of the short limbs snatches an extended arm, a part of his mane.

Angrily the beast's tail whiplashes up toward the side of Sephiroth's face- once, twice- but it is too far back to do more than stinging, surprise force. All he needs to do is hold on and put more weight in.
coffinturk: (ffec-galian)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-29 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
This is a beast that is not used to backing down, not accustomed to battling anything that would not be killed. There were no other beasts in its hierarchy save one, and that was ally and...friend? Something there was never time to linger and establish rank with in any case.

The squirming, muscular beast continues to worm up until that point where the saurian-like jaws finally manage to clamp down into the thick main and get a grip on his neck. Even if this was a scruff, there's not a lot of loose flesh to scruff and that would have had to happen by the main. This...

This elicits a protesting rumble and a cut off roar. Something that seems crossed between outrage and surprise. The beast is still lacking its usual affinity with fire, so it has no other recourse than physical. And though it still seems to wiggle, the struggles are beginning to lessen.

Exhaustion? No. An internal realization that he lost and he's not happy about it.

The tail lashes with irritation, but it's no longer trying to whack the side of Sephiroth's face.
coffinturk: (42)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-29 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
For humans this probably would be mortifying. The beast version of Vincent is a bit human. But his instincts... yes. He might not like it, but he will submit. He lost and this chimera thing is stronger than he.

....And ultimately, this had not been a battle between enemies or about territory or food.

Slowly, he relaxes. The tip of the tail swishing, a few more rumbles and then... silence.

Vincent... doesn't need to be knocked unsconsious to regain control. Sometimes it's random how long this lasts. At other times it's a matter of energy to sustain the transformation... perhaps. In many ways, it's how his mind slowly awakens beyond its fragmented and piecemeal awareness of events during his transformation. The more it does, the urge is strong to assert his humanity.

That in itself starts an irreversible return to his human form. Even if he were aware fully of his plight, it wouldn't change anything. Sephiroth will find the energy that first surrounded Vincent is now dispersing, melting away the purple behemoth-like beast and returning to the shape and clothing and flesh of humanity.

...There's hardly any difference in the taste of smell in many ways.
coffinturk: (vin-shadowed)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-30 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
He's still breathing. And a half-lidded gaze suggests Vincent is awake. He remains still when he's put down, waiting for his mind to wake up and focus on the present. The priorities. Sephiroth, as a chimera, is all but pinning him against a vehicle. And it's clear this is an effort to keep him in his place.

Vincent... hurts. Pain is not something he's a stranger to, he does feel it, but the gunman is also used to it gradually... easing. Time ticks on.

...Bones crack and crunch. But at least they're not his. Ruby eyes open and look up at the chimera. There's a soft... noise that's almost a chuckle. However, it sounds chuffed and ends with a grunt of pain.

Ow.

"...Been decades since pain stuck around. Feels novel." ...It's honestly becoming a bit of a concern. But his tone is dry. "Can't say I like it. Mind if I get up?"

...If Vincent can.
coffinturk: (Vincent-eh-eyes)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-30 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"...Thanks."

Vincent had been watching. There's a lot to unpack here but one thing he'd always done, even if the situation hadn't seemed so dire; do whatever it takes to gather as much information as he could on his current circumstances.

1. Half eaten raw chicken. Makes sense.

2. 'Mildly Vandalized' vehicles. Yup, he remembers hearing the abuse of metal before...

3. Chimerical Sephiroth. Yes. He doesn't want it to make sense. But it does. Also speaking. Good.

4. Body's still in a lot of pain. Things seem to be getting worse. ...Not so good. Definitely mixed feelings.

There's a lot more to consider like who noticed, who's around. Vincent chooses to work on trying to get up. He... can. The leather and belts he wears kind of keeps things stable. Certainly keeps the blood from soaking the ground under him. Is that a broken rib or where the teeth had bitten into his flesh?

"Can you change back?" Given he's just shown himself as a shapeshifter, the almost mild curiosity suggests that he's more interested in exploring what's going on with Sephiroth's newest ability than himself.

Don't mind him, he's just trying to distract everyone and himself from the discomfort. Sephiroth might catch a grimace or two when Vincent bites back the pain. They are right next to each other even if he has 'stepped back'.

coffinturk: (62)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-30 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Finally he's standing, even so much so that he's not leaning against the vehicle.

"Mhn." His opinion on his own needs may have just been summarized. It had a tone of agreement. Then a glimmer of ruby eyes is caught glancing at Sephiroth. Hooded, but not intended to provoke further challenge.

"So should you."

Blood on his hands, in his teeth, still chemical and... something. But it's not his own. Certainly not the chicken.

"May as well go together. Don't leave the bird."

It's not criticism but good sense; they've already done enough damage as predators after that stupid thing. Best not to leave another tempting morsel. And Vincent will not be doing anything that looks like he's claiming it.
Edited 2025-04-30 19:53 (UTC)
coffinturk: (16x)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-30 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"You're in luck. I know a little bit about beast anatomy."

He traveled with Red XIII, now better called Nanaki in his time. He'd probably read some books about monster biology or his own changes trying to... what? Well he certainly wasn't going to be able to reverse it. Anyway. He does understand a bit about beasts.

Vincent finally glances briefly toward the bird. Well. Generously we'll call it bird.

"...Try not to think too hard on it when you do."

It's a clear suggestion. Eat up. Vincent has noticed that Sephiroth is speaking now, not communicating with the language of beasts and monsters. There is... a trace of empathy in his tone. May be missed.

He turns as if he's about to walk away as he generally does; abrupt and without the typical parting words. Then the gunman pauses mid-effort, following it with a sigh before looking up at Sephiroth again.

"...I find, focusing on my memories as a person helps. To get back after a change."
coffinturk: (Vincent-stand-back)

[personal profile] coffinturk 2025-04-30 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Things have been said. Vincent turns then and heads off; though it's clear he's not going to the first set of trailers in the Convoy where the medical trailer is. ...Well it's not as if there's much there that he wouldn't have to use on his own anyway. Asking someone else for assistance is too much.

He'd tucked away some bandages and gauze for his personal use and tucked them somewhere he could access them in private. Thus, he wends his way through parked vehicles and into the now-dark of night, until even the crimson cloak is lost in shadows.

...But he will track down Sephiroth later. And that comes by way of a metal plate of his gauntlet 'knocking' on the metal of the truck's bed. Walking less slowly, the smell of some sort of antiseptic and bandages suggesting he had seen to wounds. Both know the other is there by this point. Naturally the knock is courtesy.

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