Dual of the Fates [Closed]

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Who: Maul, Sephiroth
When: Early July
Where: Kiddilion, The Dream Width, Maul's Past
What: A long-awaited personal possession is waiting for Maul in the Dream Width, and so, with an eye towards possible future co-operation, he invites Sephiroth along so the swordsman may gain a better understanding of just who he truly is.
Warnings/Notes: Excessive amounts of edge. It's Maul & Sephiroth, after all.

A message appears in Sephiroth's MogNet inbox, simply titled "An invitation."

Apparently something is waiting for me to claim it in the Dream Width. My offer still stands, if interested.

Flying out of Kiddilion tomorrow evening. Will meet you in the Black Sun Cantina before departure.

Maul

Maul isn't certain he'll hear from Sephiroth, or whether or not the swordsman will appear at the appointed time, yet he remains hopeful. Of all the people Maul has met in Vaikuntha, Sephiroth strikes him as having the most...long-term potential. He cannot call the man a friend-Maul does not have friends, Maul has goals-yet he sees value in establishing some sort of working partnership with the man. And at the very least a mutual understanding that they'll leave each other alone to their respective goals.

And so Maul is seated in a table in the back of the Black Sun Cantina (which seems to have recently come under new ownership or at least is undergoing a sudden rebranding; the work crews renovating the outside are still in the process of pulling down the original signage that identified the establishment as "The Smirking Rat Tavern" attest to this fact) waiting while the clock ticks down to the appointed hour of departure. Not long yet, but still time for Sephiroth to arrive.

It's still early in the evening, so the usual bar crowd isn't out just yet it seems; apart from Maul, the surly-looking bangaa bartender and a handful of other bored patrons making whispered chatter at the bar, the newly rebranded "cantina" is mostly empty. The other patrons are ignoring Maul in favour of their conversation. It must be a pretty intense one, too, as their drinks are quite clearly untouched. Presumably they don't get busy until later in the evening.

Presumably.

Comments

[neverbeamemory]

Tomorrow evening, Kiddilion.

Sephiroth's first reaction when he read Maul's message could best be described as indignant; how far did Maul think to grasp at him, from half a world away and expect him to drop everything and jump at the invite? Had he really left such an impression? That he'd be so desperate for any expedition into the Dream Width, especially if it meant the chance to learn more about this like-minded individual he's by some twist of fate ended up sharing a Planet with.

Still, Maul was bold to follow up with such an invitation after they'd discussed it only once before. Reckless could perhaps be another word Sephiroth thought fit to apply to the other man, justified as it was in his opinion, through several sparring sessions.

The special observer role at the Deep Cloud Observatory he'd recently taken hadn't quite been what he'd imagined it would be so far; that is, at this early stage he was already impatient to unlock the secrets of the Dream Width for his own purposes, and simply observing for hours on end just aggravated his mood. Perhaps a few days away would do him good, it might help to refocus perspective before the mediocrity of life currently might threaten to swallow him whole.

Upon arrival at Kiddilion, it hadn't been exactly easy to find this Black Sun Cantina, either. It seems the locals still had a way to go still before it might roll off their tongues as The Smirking Rat did. Not that it matters, though it's a small delight to find Maul easy to spot when Sephiroth finally enters; bypassing the bar entirely on a mission to meet with the one who summoned him here.

"I'm going to presume that your occupation at the edge of this world is wholly intended..."

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Maul allows himself a small, satisfied smile as he senses Sephiroth's entering of the cantina before he actually raises his head to observe the swordsman cross the floor to his table. Not only is he growing stronger in the Force once again, or at least the asterisk's recreation of it, but that Sephiroth has actually decided to take him up on his invitation. He senses some indignation, impatience emanating from Sephiroth; annoyed at being summoned so far out? That makes sense. They barely know each other and yet Maul invited him to the very edge of the world based on a single conversation; presumptuous of him to be sure.

And yet he came nevertheless. Interesting.

"Kiddilion agrees with me." Maul replies. "And the pilots here do value...discretion, where their clients are concerned. They do not ask questions or make a fuss of things...provided payment, of course. You won't find that at the Curti Center." It's a bit of information Sephiroth might find useful, if he doesn't know it already.

In one smooth move he slides out from the table and rises to join Sephiroth. "Shall we be on our way? The hangar we will be departing from is somewhat off the beaten trail." The back-alleys of Kiddilion can be dangerous to traverse, especially in small numbers and yet Maul does not seem concerned by this.

The conversation from the patrons at the bar seems to have ceased, should Sephiroth be aware of such things. The drinks remain untouched. The bartender continues to clean out a glass that does not appear to have actually had any liquid in it.

[neverbeamemory]

Useful indeed, though Sephiroth doesn't have any need to say so. Kiddilion has seemed always about as pathetic as most of the settlements dotted about this world, and the obvious petty crime that goes on doesn't appeal much either. He's stayed close to the Curti center for the simple reason that he's certain it's somehow at the center of all of these circumstances, the best place to observe from, plus there is all the research ...

Sephiroth nods to Maul as he gets up; at least it's a case of getting right to the business he came for rather than loitering around in a place he'd rather not. A cursory glance at the patrons in the bar that have gone silent, and a note towards the bartender, right set instincts on edge. That being said the [Higher Lifeform] effect that's come from his custom asterisk could be at least partly to blame.

"I see no reason to delay, provided everything is arranged already-" He leaves the comment open, not quite a question but still careful. It wouldn't make sense for Maul to have arranged for an ambush on him here, not when there would no doubt be ample opportunity for such a double-cross once they were out in the Rift.

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Maul waves his hand dismissively, passing by the patrons and not outwardly sparing them a second glance, though privately he's fuming about how obvious they're all being; they will be properly disciplined when he returns. As much as he liked Sephiroth he didn't trust him; a small security detail was not uncalled for; good fighters all, or at least useful distractions should Sephiroth have planned for a fight, but their acting abilities left much to be desired.

It had been Diocletian who suggested them; Maul would be having words with his supposed employer about that.

"Yes, all already arranged." He says, his voice betraying none of the anger he feels at his minions' ineptitude. "I know you have matters of your own to attend to."

As they pass out of the cantina, Maul quickly takes them off the beaten path, through backallies, and quiet, dark streets. Despite the apparent danger, no one troubles them. At least once, coming down a street of what appears to be storage warehouses of some kind, a small group of local punks stand at the far end of the street. Their approach is noticed and for a moment a predatory look enters their eyes...but then just as quickly, some sort of realization hits them, and the two offworlders pass them by. They strenuously avoid meeting Maul's gaze.

Finally, the landing pad where the smuggler's (no use pretending it's otherwise, given what Maul has told about them) ship waits. It...well, it looks like a piece of junk, parts of multiple airships taken apart and welded together into an unsightly mess.

A human and a Bangaa wait next to the ramp. As they see the two approach, Maul holds a hand for Sephiroth to wait, and then approaches them alone. Maul produces a clip of cash, which the human passes to the Bangaa. There's a moment while the Bangaa flips through the gil, then he nods at the human, who turns and heads up the ramp, his partner following.

Having secured Sephiroth's passage, Maul waves him over. "It may not be the most comfortable ride, but these fellows know what they are doing. These ships are designed not to be noticed. Come, the Dream Width awaits." He turns and walks up the ramp to the ship.

[neverbeamemory]

As quickly as they travel through the lesser traversed back allies; the rotten underbelly of Kiddilion as far as it seems, Sephiroth neither allows himself to fall behind Maul's pace nor ignore what's going -or not going- on around them. He might one day have to remember the exact route, and he will. One day he might have to recall any one of the faces of the shady individuals they passed, he'd do that in a beat as well.

He's completely unafraid to meet any lingering glance; better to get a feel for exactly the role Maul has wound himself into, in this particular hive of scum and villainy. Sephiroth knows better than to utter a single word towards any of them, besides, he's so far above the trash of existences like these.

Coming upon the landing pad, it's immediately obvious the knocked-together airship that stands before him. So much grubbier than the vessels contained in the fleet of the Curti center. It strikes a sense of unwelcome anticipation in him; were they seriously going to be able to get off the ground, let alone be safe from the void out in the Dream Width itself?

Another spike of unease jolts somewhere deep in his consciousness as Maul held his hand up to signal for Sephiroth to wait, along with the sour edge of contempt; just who did this other offworlder think that he was? Quickly the rising desire to correct that mistake was smothered under logic though, he's not deluded enough to think himself above the way things worked here. He's still bound to a human frame, after all.

Self-preservation before pride, yet again. The tall silver-haired man reminds himself as he follows Maul and the crew up the ramp and into the ship. He wasn't about to trust either of the strangers to walk up behind him.

"I'd not imagine otherwise. Let's see what that anomaly of yours is all about."