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“These are naval mines, Angeal,” Sephiroth deadpanned, blinking at Angeal. “Wutai doesn’t have a navy. Certainly not one we should be worried about, at least.”
He handed the PHS back, and leaned his head against the wall again. It’d been far too long since he’d had such a comfortable bench to rest on, even if he was still sitting up. It was so nice to close his eyes.
The helicopter rotor spun rhythmically, lulling him into a comforting half-sleep -- it reminded him of the fluorescent buzz of the lights back at the lab. And the evening light was so soft too, filtering in from the windows. He felt like a sunbathing cat. Or were dogs the ones who liked to sunbathe? It’d been a while since he was allowed to go to the library. His theoretical knowledge was getting a little rusty.
“It’s a game, Sephiroth. See? It’s randomly generated,” Angeal explained, and Sephiroth groaned quietly. Angeal had woken him just a few minutes earlier for introductions, and it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to catch a break from this guy anytime soon. He seemed nice enough, but he clearly lacked intuition for efficiency.
“Why would I need randomly generated naval mines? We’ll find plenty of mines once we land.” He eyed Angeal slowly, resigning to rest a little more next time.
“It’s kind of like a logic puzzle. I think you might like it if you give it a chance. Do you play any PHS games?”
“I’m not allowed to install anything. I have a PHS so that they can dispatch me,” Sephiroth paused in consideration. “You use company property for entertainment? And no one reprimands you?” He leaned forward in complete disbelief. Who does this Angeal kid think he is?
“I don’t think they care what I do with it. This game is pretty harmless anyway. I just use it to pass the time during transport. I’m sure its bugged, like they all are, but no one’s asked me to do anything differently.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Angeal said. With the younger SOLDIER’s eyes so wide, it was hard not to get a good look. The mako eyes and the slit pupils, combined with his shock at basic company policy, made him seem wholly otherworldly.
“Oh.”
“This is obviously an adjusted 1-2-2-1 pattern. You should double flag there,” Sephiroth critiqued, peering over Angeal’s shoulder.
“Why did I show you this game, Sephiroth?” He put on a grumbly tone, mostly for show. They’d been on the mission for over a week, and it seemed like Minesweeper would be his key to crack Sephiroth’s blunted affect.
After convincing him they wouldn’t get in trouble, and that it was good to practice their logical reasoning skills for their work, Angeal had been able to get him to try it. Sephiroth was hooked almost immediately.
They often sat together after meetings and played a few rounds, working up to the ‘Expert’ level rather quickly. Usually, Sephiroth ended up leaning on Angeal’s shoulder after the first round. He tried to keep a polite distance, but the PHS screen was pretty small, and the other SOLDIER just didn’t connect the patterns as fast as he did.
Sephiroth seemed loath to talk about his upbringing, but Angeal had gathered that this was the first type of game he had ever played. It was hard to imagine how his own childhood would have been different had he not spent every weekend playing pretend and kicking balls around with Genesis.
And the casual touch with Sephiroth did a lot for his homesickness. Like this, work didn’t feel as clinical and impersonal. Maybe they’d get closer and share some personal stories in the future too. He hoped so.
Angeal couldn’t help but wonder what game he’d show him next. Space invaders? Solitaire? Maybe Tetris.
But to show him a different one, Sephiroth would have to get bored of Minesweeper. For now, that seemed unlikely.