snowblindrpg | [log] Cloudy with a chance of meetballs [Closed]

[Three days after waking up to find himself trapped with in a snow covered hell, Cloud finally reached the half way mark between his starting point and there's. To say that those three days had been eventful was a pretty gross understatement. Between meeting a slew of people who he had never seem before but who claimed to know him, finding out a person he watched die was actually alive and well, speaking with Winter and now finally, seeing a murder life on the network.

No wonder everyone seemed so stressed out all the time.

The sun was setting low in the sky by the time he let himself into the house, taking a few moments to study the surroundings. He had gotten pretty lucky to find houses with mattresses in them the two previous nights. At least there would be room for everyone to stretch out on the floor.]

[When tensions running high thanks to the display earlier on the network, Zell wind sup feeling pretty anxious. He got most of his whining out bitching out to his friends, but he there's still a bundle of nerves inside of his stomach. Once they can actually see the house, he'll flash his version of a mischievous smile before booking it as fast as he can.

He turns the corner to get to the front door, threw it open with gusto, then turned around to scoop up as much snow as he can. Ducking back inside only to freeze as he realizes that there is company in the house.

Sure, they are expecting Cloud, but it's different actually seeing him. He scans him over to verify there is no weird static or monster like things on him. The height and hair definitely matches the description for Cloud.]

Yo! It's Zell. Nice to finally meet you, Cloud! [A quick look to the door to listen for the others.] Quick, grab some before they come. Going to get them. [He's canting his head towards the snow in his arms to say what he means.]

[Random items littered the floor, surrounding the place where he was hunkered down, sorting through one of the boxes, trying to find any blankets or anything that might currently be of use. He stayed locked in his current position, even as the door swung open and the other burst inside, body tensing slightly, ready to strike should the intruder prove to be someone else besides the group he was currently expecting.

And relaxes the moment the other introduces himself, settling back into his calm demeanor, gloved fingers hovering over the open box. It was an interesting proposition. They had the advantage of time and surprise in their favor. And really, when else was he ever going to get the chance to pelt Zack with snowballs?]

Nice to put a name to a face. [Even as he speaks he's gathering the snow up within his hands, forming it to a rather large, tightly packed ball that would, hopefully, explode on impact.] Who are we aiming for?

[It's a good thing Cloud isn't the swing first and ask questions later kind of guy. Giving an easy smile as he turns his attention to the open door. He can make out the distinct sound of snow crunching under a few pair of boots.]

Same, man. [Please ignore the star leggings under his shorts.

Once some of the load in his arms is gone, he'll start making his own snow balls as ammo.] Jim and Zack should be getting here first. Try not to hit the cat when you see him. [Mochi has it rough already.

He's going to wait until someone comes through the door before lobbing a ball at them. SURPRISE.]

[Once he was satisfied with the small arsenal of snowballs he had formed to use as ammo, he straightens, taking one in each hand, fully prepared to lob them at who ever was unfortunate enough to come close enough first.]

You guys have a cat? [There's a definite hint of curiosity contained within his voice. He hadn't seen another living being during his three day trek, so the sudden announcement that people actually have pets was a little strange.

Whatever else he might have had to say on the subject is lost as the sound of foot falls crushing over ice and snow grows closer, and the first ball is lodged in their direction. Hope whoever it is doesn't mind a very cold, very wet pile of snow exploding all over them!]

[In contrast, Zell only makes a couple balls. The person that comes after the first will get the leftover snow flung at them instead of balls in the face.]

Yeah, his name is Mochi. He's a good cat and surprisingly fat for living here.

[He's a very warm cat and he helps in his own kitty way by breaking creepy dolls or lightening the mood.

That's when Jim finally came in view. Zell actually hesitates a moment when he sees him, probably giving him ample time to see what's his hands, before tossing a ball at his chest.

The second ball is sent flying past Jim to hit the dark haired solider coming up. HI ZACK. He's quickly trying to make another ball to get Kunsel as soon as he sees the helmet. Tifa will be spared from any attacks from Zell.]

[ Have you ever done something to your cat that isn't actually harmful but which causes them to make a face of TOTAL BETRAYAL AND WOUNDED DIGNITY?

Yeah, that's the face Jim is making.

Rewind: Zell takes off running, Jim tries to follow him and trips over himself a bit because he's carrying a heavy pack and an unbalanced hockey stick through several inches of snow, he finally hits the door and -

Betrayal.

From Cloud, too, and Jim barely has a chance to take that in - Cloud! Alive! Being an asshole! - before he's diving out of the doorway to avoid further snow-missles. ]

You - you - [ Alien curse word goes here. ]

Edited 2016-02-20 14:34 (UTC)

[ ZELL, YOU BUTT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING.

Not that he's not used to him getting caught up in something and running ahead of the group sometimes at this point. BUT STILL, SERIOUSLY, MONSTERS AND SHIT.

That might have been the first thing on the brain when Jim goes freaking diving off to the side after that first projectile hits him- you know. Never mind the one that comes having at at he, himself.

BAM. SNOWBALL IN THE FACE.

And that's about when he picks up on what's happening- you know. After he's scrubbing said snowball out of his eyes. ] What the hell!? [ Even as he's shouting that, he's already in automatic-mode. Yes, this is Zack reaching down and balling up one to toss in retaliation!! Take that!! ] Jim, back up!

[Zack isn't the only one to tense up as a first reaction, fight or flight mode kicking in. But no, it's not a monster, just-

Whack!

Snow splatters across the visor of Kunsel's helmet exactly as he realizes what's going on.]

Hey!

[Oh, it is so on, never mind that he'd been protected from the actual attack. Kunsel doesn't bother balling any snow up, though, but instead digs his foot in and-]

Zack, get ready!

[No spelling out his plan before he kicks a spray of powder into the air. He trusts Zack to take advantage of the cover and the distraction. Maybe Jim or Tifa, too, if they can pick up on the plan in time.]

[Tifa, as the last one to arrive, at least has time to prepare for what's happening. She's spared from Zell's attack, but not Cloud's, and his snowball doesn't miss. She's quick enough to turn though, so the snow hits her shoulder mostly harmlessly, but she still gasps.

Betrayal. And she's extra shocked that he's throwing a snowball at her at all, because she's still not completely used to him being a big dork all the time yet.

Luckily, there's absolutely nothing for kids to do in Nibelheim after a blizzard except pelt each other with snow, so she's pretty quick at making a decent snowball and using Kunsel's distraction to lob it back at Cloud.]

[Laughter bubbles up in his throat as each snowball lands, continuing to hit better and better targets. Within his mind, he's started assigning them all points, tallying it up as he goes along.

Jim - 5
Zack - 15 (Seriously, learn how to duck bro.)
Kunsel - 20
Tifa - ...

Oh shi--

OH SHI--

Even before the projectile reaches it's destination he knows retribution is coming, that'll it'll be swift and merciless. That he has, possibly, if he's lucky, five to ten seconds to find something to duck and hide behind before -

BOOM. GIANT BALL OF SNOW DIRECTLY TO THE FACE.

Someone's definitely earned getting tossed into a snow bank.

Despite the cold wetness currently slipping down underneath the protective shell formed by his coat and turtle neck, he's scooping up more snow and running forward, fully intent on dumping it on whoever's unfortunate enough to cross his path first.]

[WHOA! He couldn't help but laugh as Zack gets hit dead on. He's not even sure who hit Kunsel between the pair, but it hit him right on the helmet! That has to count for a lot of points, right?

Tossing another at the rest of the group, only to falter at Jim's cursing. W h o o p s.

He gets nailed by a few balls because of the distraction. Zell is flinging whatever is left at Zack, before he starts looking around for Jim. Dodging and rolling out of oncoming balls and people. ESQUEEZE ME PEOPLE.]

Jim? [Feel free to take advantage.]

[ Jim is a great ninja, or he would be if he knew what a ninja was. He's sneaky, at least, as he uses the distraction of the others arriving and Kunsel's kicking up powder to nab some of the fallen snow and quickly shape it - with bare, freezing hands, mind you - into two balls.

Don't mind him, he's just going to be creeping around the back until he can rapid-fire off two missels, one for the back of each blond head. ]

Ha! How'd you like that?

[ 'Already on it!' had been Zack's call over his shoulder to Kunsel as he moves further out of range of fire, scooping up more snow. This is where he'll be so happy that gloves come as part of the standard issue First class uniform. He builds as he runs, managing to get out of range of some Zell's foray in the process, the one that do hit him hitting his legs more than anything.

Then he's twisting his body back around and tossing off his own at the two blondes, laughing hysterically when he catches sight of Jim's back attack. ]

Nice one! [ Never mind Cloud's barreling steps and that armful of sno- Wait. ] Kuns, watch it!

[Kunsel sees the threat as soon as Zack does, and while he doesn't know who Cloud is intending that armful of snow for, it doesn't matter. Time to intercept!]

On it!

[Sprinting, he ducks a stray snowball, then lunges, aiming to tackle the blond.]

[Since the boys are preoccupied getting up close and personal with each other, Tifa retreats a yard or two, quickly forming another couple of snowballs. Cloud threw onel at her, true, but she's a good friend, so she'll support him from over here, safe out of harm's way. Her first target is Jim - as sneaky as he's trying to be, he doesn't seem like he's playing close attention. She's aiming her second snowball at Zack when she sees Kunsel diving for Cloud.]

Cloud, watch out!

[You know, Tifa, when you're being a bro like that, it's difficult to actually want to pick you up and toss you into a snowbank. Good way to save yourself.

This time

There's a split second to realize what's going on, to target the threat, to analyze it and predict what actions are actually about to take place. It's only thanks to Tifa's warning that he manages to side step it, to keep himself from getting tackled and likely ending up in a snowbank himself. Most of the snow contained within his arms releases onto Kunsel's shoulders and which ever part of his body happens to come close enough before he's ducking, attempting to make it as close to Tifa as possible without suffering what ever revenge everyone else is planning.]

Thanks.

[It's quick, thrown to her over his shoulder before he's bending down and scooping up more snow, quickly forming it into a ball and launching it directly at Zell, followed quickly by another, this one aimed precisely in Zack's direction.]

[And snow is coming from all directions. Shows what happens when he actually gets concerned over Jim. Rude. He's not even sure where snow is coming from any more, but he does pout over at Jim for a second before launching him onto the other boy.

He's picking up Jim pretty quickly and doing his best to dodge the snow coming at them from all around.]
You forget I can do this.

[He laughs when he sees that Tifa turns against her fellow victims of attack. Really, Tifa? That's pretty great for team blonds-

up until Cloud betrays him!]

Hey! Traitors all around. [There is still mirth in his expression. Using his newly acquired shield to avoid some of the hits and still laughing as he probably struggled. NOT PUTTING YOU DOWN, MAN.

Finding the nearest mound of fresh powder away prying eyes and projectiles and basically flopping down into it, taking his captive with him.]

How do you like this?

[It isn't long after lockdown when Tifa seeks out Cloud. Even beyond the incredible relief that he's alive, there's something about being around him that makes her feel safe. Comfortable. It's like having a piece of home, even trapped on an entirely different world, and there's an easy understanding to their conversations that just makes everything feel so much simpler.

Well, mostly. He'd just been getting himself back together when she was brought here, and that two year difference between them is still hard to wrap her mind around. He seems so much more comfortable, so much happier. She couldn't have hoped for anything more when she'd helped him piece his memories together, but it's a little odd, thinking of all the things he's experienced with her that she has no idea about.

Still, though. It's Cloud, and that's all that matters. Just the sight of him is enough to make her smile as she approaches, and that doesn't fade as she pauses in front of him.]

Hey. What are you up to?

[Over the previous new nights he had taken up the habit of finding a corner and taking up position in it, knees drawn tight around his chest to preserve warmth, the extra fabric that had once hung from his waist thrown over him. It had allowed him a small amount of protection and retention of body heat, so once everyone is settled, he finds the most out of the way place he can, knowing it's like he won't be sleeping for a while. Fingers slipped over the screen of his tablet, pursuing the network, trying as best as he could to keep tabs on what was happening.

Funny how everything started as soon as he showed up. If he didn't know better, he might be lead to believe he was bad luck.

So when she found him, he was lost in thought, the soft artificial light illuminating his face in the darkness. Her voice broke through, causing him to glance upwards, features shifting into something gentler, more rare and generally reserved for those he was closest too.]

Couldn't sleep. [Which wasn't exactly out the ordinary. He got three or four poor, restless hours a night, going for days until exhaustion finally took over and he could manage more.]

[She doesn't think any of them sleep well, really, and she's used to Cloud not sleeping the whole night through. Still, she can't help but study his face as she sits beside him, her expression turning to concern.]

Is everything alright?

[It's been a rough couple of days for everyone, with what happened on the Network with Jack, but Cloud has had to relearn everything about Norfinbury on top of it. He's strong, she knows, but that would leave anyone unsettled. It's easy to feel helpless here, too, with so little information and so many people stripped of their abilities.]

[It was such a loaded question, with so many possible answers and responses. Did he lie, did he say that everything was alright in an attempt to keep her from worrying? Or was he honest, did he tell her everything that was currently weighing so heavily on his shoulders?

It was so strange to think about the span of time that separated them, to think about the things he remembered, that he knew, that he had experienced without her.

But she was still Tifa. She was still one of the best friends he had ever or would ever have. One of the only people he could talk to, could open up to.]

I just... [Bright eyes fall away, resting on the tablet that had currently come to rest in his lap for another moment before continuing on.] How is any of this possible?

[It's a relief when he doesn't brush her off, or insist that he's okay. She wants to help him in whatever way she can, even if... That's not a question she can answer.

Tifa shifts her weight, leaning forward just slightly as she picks absently at a line of stitching on her glove.]

I don't know. It's hard to believe, isn't it?

[There's a pause as she stares down at her gloves, trying to think of the best thing to say before glancing up again. There's nothing really comforting about this situation, is there?]

But... We're all here together. We can get through it.

[There it was, that gentle, soft sort of reassurance that only she ever seemed capable of giving. Just enough of a push with just enough force to ensure he would keep going, keep talking or acting.]

Tifa- [Voice soft, barely above a whisper, ensuring it would stay only between them and not float upon the air where it could reach other ears.]

Zack shouldn't be able to be here.

[Oh.

Her gaze drops from his again, and for a long moment, she's silent. She's already put together the pieces for herself, mostly. Zack was so insistent that he was with Cloud, going to Midgar, but she'd only found Cloud at the train station, with no sign of Zack. And ShinRa doesn't leave loose ends. It's been something she's been trying very hard not to think about, but considering Angel said she had been dead before being brought here...

Part of her doesn't want to ask. Whatever happened, it has to be hard for Cloud, but she wants to be sure. Hesitantly, she glances back up, scooting a bit closer so that they can keep their voices low and still hear each other easily.]

Cloud, he... He never made it to Midgar, did he?

[That's a simple yes or no answer, at least, an easy way for him to avoid getting into it if he doesn't want to.]

[Electric blue never leaves the artificial glow emitted from the tablet, even as the question sinks into his mind and circles, chasing it's self around, trying to find some way, any way, to answer. It may have seemed simple, may have seemed like it could merely be answered by a single word. But everything within him knew better, knew that it couldn't be condensed quite that neatly and easily.

Knew that a single would couldn't possible explain everything that had taken place within that moment, when Zack was alive and smiling. And then walking away from him in the next, even as Cloud had reached out desperately, using every ounce of strength he could muster to try and bring the other back, to try and stop him from walking out and facing his death.

Then everything was over. Everything was over and he was crawling across the muddy ground, icy rain pelting against his skin and soaking his clothing. Voice barely above a whisper as his brain tried to catch up, tried to understand what was happening. Tried to understand why the other was laying in front of him, bloodied and broken, asking him to make promises he didn't understand. Giving him the gifts of honor and pride and dreams that he would never be able to live up to. Couldn't understand until it was too late, until Zack's strength had failed and his life force had faded. Until he was all that was left behind, left to wonder around lost and alone and afraid.]

No. [It stung. It stung and it hurt and it ached, just as much as it had that day. Just as much as he knew it always would.] He didn't.

[Her heart sinks at the confirmation, even though somewhere deep down, she knew it was true. It just didn't make sense for Cloud and Zack to not be together in Midgar if something hadn't happened. After spending a month almost nonstop with him, she knows he wouldn't have just left Cloud.

Tifa swallows hard, trying to push down the grief suddenly rising in her throat. It's an odd thing, feeling that for someone who's just in the other room. But Cloud's feelings are far more important than her own at the moment, because as attached as she's gotten to Zack, she knows that's nothing compared to Cloud's relationship with him. She hesitates just for an instant, making certain she has her emotions in check before reaching out to touch his arm softly.]

I'm so sorry, Cloud.

[She can hear something off in her own voice despite her attempt to keep it steady, and she knows the words are painfully inadequate, but she doesn't know what else to say.]

Edited 2016-02-25 05:09 (UTC)

[There a deep, searing ache settling rapidly into his chest, twisting and clenching around his heart, splintering it further, shattering the already broken pieces. Glowing blue becomes hidden behind thick, blond lashes, even though it only serves to make the memories clearer, more persistent. As many times as he's seen it, as many times as it's played over and over and over within his mind, each one hurts just as badly. Each one leaves a ball of emotion lodged within his throat, one that no amount of force could quite remove.

Even as the words sink in, even as he feels her fingers against his arm, even as he allows himself to become centered within them, to use them as anchors, tying himself down to the present moment so he doesn't become lost in the past]

He didn't know.

[All she can do is nod, brushing her thumb over his skin lightly to let him know that she's there and listening. Zack didn't know, and she'd realized that when she started to suspect it had happened. Kunsel doesn't know, either, she thinks. He'd been so insistent on that point after Cloud had died, always saying "when Zack went off the grid", never anything about Zack dying.

She can only imagine Jim and Zell's reactions if they found out. It means, of course, that she's not going to tell anyone, or approach Zack about it.]

I know.

[This time, her voice comes out steady and quiet, like she'd aimed for, despite the ache in her chest.]

Does he now?

Yeah.

[It's so quiet, barely above a forced out, harsh whisper, as if he didn't want to confirm it, didn't want to admit that he had let the secret slip. Even now, after long minutes and hours and days had passed, it still seemed so unbelievable. So unfathomable that Zack was here, that he was alive and breathing and warm.

A deep intake of breath, in and out, followed quickly by a second, before bright eyes are slipping closed, dark lashes fluttering against a pale cheek. There's an equally soft thunk as his head falls back, coming to rest against rough wood as silence falls back over them. And there's comfort to be found there, in the surrounding quiet, in simply knowing that she's there. That she understands how difficult this is, even without him having to speak.]

Edited 2016-02-27 05:09 (UTC)

[When he closes his eyes, she realizes he doesn't want to talk. She pulls her hand away, scooting over to sit beside him and pull her knees up to her chest. She's trying not to get lost in thought herself, trying not to think about how Zack could have died and Cloud could have escaped, or how Zack had reacted to the news that he'd died. Whatever his feelings, she's sure he'll hold it in like he does most everything else, so that none of them worry about him.

Which isn't going to stop Tifa, of course.

And she's worried about Cloud, too, wondering what he's thinking. This is a kind of second chance, isn't it? Something good, having Zack alive and well here. But it must be like opening an old wound for him, two years out from Zack's death. She's trying very hard to focus on how he must be feeling rather than how she is. He doesn't need to deal with her emotions, too.

She lets the moments stretch out, not reaching out for him or speaking up. He'll say something when he's ready.]

[ After the initial SUDDENLY BETRAYAL EVERYWHERE snowball fight, logic did eventually have to take over. Or more specifically, making sure everyone got in the house before lockdown occurred. Already, they had lost far too many people to that. Even including...

But not this time. Not this time. It's something he's told himself over and over again. But in seeing Cloud in the flesh there and then... That just solidifies those thoughts all over again. Among other ones. Others that has him glancing over at Cloud time and again, even as they work on their current priority of barricading the house for the night. He knows they need to take care of it first, too. He's usually good about focusing on these things. But there's just so much... So much ground to cover. He can see it whenever the other catches his eye, too.

Almost done... Almost there. The others... He's gotta keep them safe. And it's not like Cloud's going anywhere. Double check for any low windows in the back rooms. See if there are any other doors that lead outside. Priorities, go. ]

Edited 2016-02-23 04:20 (UTC)

[Time seem to expand, seemed to extend until seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours. Every action seemed to take far longer than it actually did, as if everything and everyone was moving in slow motion. It was different, so much different to actually be within the other's presence, to actually see him without the artificial aide of the provided devices. To be able to reach out, to touch and feel and ensure he was real, that this wasn't all just dream that he was going to wake up from any moment.

Patience had settled in, focus turning to the task he had been given, checking and double checking each window and door, making sure it was secure and then checking behind the other's. It wasn't until everything was close to being complete, until he was certain everyone else wouldn't mind if they slipped away, that he finally caught Zack's attention, ocean blue seeking out the matching glow and nodded in the direction of the other, currently unoccupied room.]

[ Patience was never really a virtue of his by usual circumstance, but... patience he practiced and would have continued to practice had he not caught that nod. He hesitates but for a moment more, making sure the chair he'd settled in front of the window was sturdy enough. Giving it one last shove closer. Then there's another minute look at the others before he decides they'll be alright. That there's only some last little additions to add for extra precaution. And he slips into that next room after the cadet.

The first thing that really hits him after they're no longer caught up in the automatic cautious motions... is how much "cadet" may no longer apply to him.

In the dim light of his tablet, Cloud looks... older. Not really by much. Not so much physically. But there's something different in his eyes. Not only are they clearer, freed from the grasp of mako poisoning, but they are also calmer. Wiser. If not... somber in some ways. And it makes him slowly tilt his head to the side as he studies him. But no less doesn't change the way a finicky smile starts to spread across his face while he reaches to scratch the back of his head. ] You know, I'm really not sure what to say here. "Welcome back" still feels pretty morbid if you ask me.

[ ...Probably the lamest thing he could ever have said to start this conversation. Never mind the way he's blinking rapidly, mouth twitching in a way where it's like it's not sure whether to keep holding that smile or... ]

Edited 2016-02-23 05:05 (UTC)

[It's so strange, to be standing here in the darkness, in the middle of an empty room located in a barren house, across from someone who had been absent from his life for long. To be standing across from someone who he thought was lost, who had become part of an old life that was so far removed from the one he lived now, he sometimes doubted he had ever experienced it at all. So much had changed from that moment to this one, from the day he had left that fateful cliff and made his way to Midgar, dragging that more than just that sword along with him. Hopes and dreams and honor and promises. All of them heavy. All of them far more than he ever should have agreed too.

But he had. He had agreed to live for the both of them, to continue on a path that would make Zack proud, that would honor his memory. And he had failed, in one way or another, more times than he could possibly count.

And now here he was, trapped within a prison made of ice and snow, only to find that it held something precious, something he thought to have been lost to him forever.

Zack looked so different than the way he always tried to remember him. Different from the memories of someone who was young and energetic and full of life and optimism. Someone who was determined and willful. Someone who was strength and heart and honor and dreams and everything Cloud had ever wanted to be. Zack was then, now, and forever the best person Cloud knew.]

I could say the same for you. [Even in the dim, artificial glow provided by their tablets, his eyes never left Zack's face, never drifted away, despite how awkward this conversation may have been starting out.]

[ It's the very fact that his gaze never leaves Zack's that makes Zack, himself, break eye contact if only for a moment with his hands slipping to rest on his hips. ]

Fair enough. [ Despite the pun, his voice sounds gravelly. And he finds himself rocking back and forth from the ball of his foot to the back of his heel. That motion lasts for only so long though before he finally wills himself to stop. To take a deep breath and try to settle the sudden energy threatening to quash him. So much scatters and scrambles through his mind in that moment. And underneath, a heaviness lingers at the real truth under those words. That really happened. It's like that, huh.

But it doesn't change the way he looks back up at the former cadet. It doesn't change the smile that reforms on his features nor the way he finally steps off, breaking that distance fast. His arms come around the other without hesitance, finding him whole and real and sturdier than he's ever felt him be before. Where before, he was lanky, now there's definition and a certain grit to him that reminds him of the almost bone crushing hugs between he and Kunsel back in the day. He's filled out. Solid.

But most importantly in all of this, he's warm with life. He's alive and that's what ultimately gets those tears rolling as he tucks his head against his shoulder, squeezing tight the other tight. ]

[Everything stops.

Air becomes thick, no longer flowing in and out of his lungs with it's normal ease. The rapid thudding of his heart slows, a growing ache forming within his chest and radiating outwards. Even time it's self comes to a grinding, screeching halt, standing still for that one singular, precious moment.

Zack's alive.

Alive and warm and breathing. Strong and real and this can't be only a dream, because he's relatively sure that you can't touch dreams. That you can't bend them to your will, that you can't manipulate them until they fit what you want to see and experience most.

Muscles stiffen, a split seconds hesitation before his own arms are lifting, returning the embrace just as tightly, just as fiercely, no longer fearing the need to be careful, the need to not hurt or bruise. Two years had passed, since the last moment he had seen Zack alive. Two years of struggling to fulfill a promise. Two years of battling, of fighting to protect and save. Two years worth of life to speak of and share, that he wished desperately that Zack had been there to experience.

Somehow, contained within that tiny bubble of safety and peace, none of it matter. Zack was alive. Zack was real. Real and standing in front of him, and even as his mind races, trying to find the right words to say, the right things to do to comfort and heal, he realizes that none of it matters.

Both of them had played their part. Both of them had completed what they set out to do. Only one of them had been given the gift of life, the gift at a second chance. How do could anyone ever find the words to express something like that? He wasn't even sure they actually existed.

When he does finally find his voice, when the words finally do come, they almost fail him, almost die on his lips. A mere whisper, soft and barely audible.] I missed you.

Edited (what are words ) 2016-02-27 08:37 (UTC)

[ One moment, he can feel Cloud frozen in his embrace. The next, he feels those arms wrap around him to the surprising point where it almost hurts. Where he, himself, goes tense a moment in his own surprise. He's so much stronger. It's one thing to have felt it in the touch of muscle alone, but the actual execution of that strength far surpasses the point which Cloud had been before. It's a strange contrast, far different from he and his meeting with Kunsel months ago. Or maybe he's just that much weaker? It's hard to say.

He doesn't want to think about it like that anyway. Wants to concentrate on this moment. On the real feeling of Cloud right there with him again. On those soft words spoken in his ear that get him to stiffen and listen hard. Get his eyes to widen just a bit as the meaning sinks in. It's strange to hear that from Cloud yet makes all the sense in the world, too. That push and pull of context doesn't stop him either way from giving the other a squeeze as he whispers back, voice rough. ]

That makes two of us. [ It's funny how one little phrase can get his throat tightening again to the point that he has to just take a moment to try and breathe. Try and relax again. To loosen up once more so he can actually speak. His breathes in. Lets it out shakily. And then again, feeling his body loosen gradually with it. He clears his throat, starts to shift away- but in the end, he stays. They can talk like this, right? For a little bit longer. ]

So, two years, huh. Sounds like we've got a lot of catching up to do. [ The joke's weak, but work with him, man. He's still wrapping his head around all of this. ]

[There was so much Cloud didn't like to think about when it came to Zack. So much that he had tried to put out of his mind. Had tried to forget. As if he somehow believed if he could forget all of it, if he could force it from his mind, perhaps he'd come to find it had never happened at all. That day on the cliff had never happened and Zack was still alive, still warm and breathing and had simply been unable to find him in the disarray that had followed. It was a frail hope, a frail strand to hold onto, but it was far better than the alternative.

Instead, he'd attempted to hold on to the good memories, to the things that had made him happy, had brought him joy. Tried to think about the day they had first met, in a snow covered hell far too similar to the one they currently stood in. When they had stood there and laughed together and for once, he'd actually felt accepted by someone. Tried to think of Zack's smile each time he'd realized they'd be going on a mission together. Tried to think of his wit and sense of humor. Of his wisdom and knowledge. Of his kindness and goodness. For his dreams and honor. For his pride.

Had tried, desperately, to remember that Zack was, at his core, the best person he had ever known. That Zack was everything he had ever wanted to be. That Zack was, without a doubt, the first and only real hero he had ever been lucky enough to come in contact with. Tried to remember that he was smiling, even at the end of it all, even when his life was slipping away and there was nothing left.

He'd been remembering, carrying those thoughts within him for two years, drawing strength from them when he needed it most. Their promise was always at the back of his mind, always reminding him that he wasn't only living for himself, that he wasn't only struggling and surviving alone. Reminding him that he was what was left, that he was living out the life someone else should have had, the life someone else deserved. Even if he couldn't live up to each ideal that Zack had tried to implant within him, he had to try, had to do the best he could to continue on.

Those words give him pause, cause his muscles to tense, and the desire wells up within him to shift away, to lower his arms and return them to their previous positions. Of course Zack would want to know what had taken place within those last two years. Would want to know the things Cloud had done, the things he had seen. Even as hesitation wells up within him, the strange fear that Zack would somehow be disappointed in him returning.

A deep intake and release of breath, willing his heart and mind to slow, to cease that line of thought before it got wildly out of control.]

Yeah. [It's soft, accompanied by a small nod as he finally forces himself to pull away, to lower his arms until they're once more hanging firmly by his sides, to break the contact between them. Zack was real, whole and true and standing directly in front of him. No dream could breathe, could speak and touch and feel the way he had.] It's a good story. [Even now, it seemed like a fairy tale, something that had happened to someone else. Something that had happened in another lifetime, before another attempt to start over.]

[ That made the two of them.

That really did... make the two of them.

All that time, he'd denied. All that time, he'd convinced himself over and over again... that maybe that wasn't what happened. That maybe his life hadn't been over in that moment and that damn administrator was just messing with him again. That it was yet another hallucination conjured up by the travesty that was Norfinbury. He'd argued with himself over and over again that there was no way in hell he could be there otherwise. That people who died stayed dead. No one could come back. No one ever had and no one ever would. The people he had lost attested to that as much. Even Angeal... Angeal, who he had been so avid to believe hadn't really died... Even he was gone, too, in the end. He had had to accept it.

And then there were the theories. The reasons he further had argued with himself. Why they were there, how they had gotten there, and why they hadn't just used the townsfolk over and over again. How people claimed dead on the obituaries was really no different from ShinRa's K.I.A. reports. People hadn't really died. They'd just been falsely informed. Just a scare tactic. Just to corral them into fearing the worst and doing what the administrator wanted.

But then Tadashi had died. Tadashi had died and Hiro had told him the truth. About the fire. About how hadn't seen Tadashi since then and how he would from then on never have the chance to see Tadashi again. Then, the wheels started turning again, pressure only further pushed by Tifa's arrival. By her own disbelief at hearing his talk of Cloud- how he'd been there with him and how they'd both just escaped the army. How Tifa was so avid to tell him that Cloud had been with her, that she'd found him at that train station without him.

Maybe... Maybe that's when he'd started to believe, slowly but surely.

That maybe... maybe he was just trying to fool himself. He doesn't know for sure, but... it doesn't change the fact that he can't try to fool himself anymore. It doesn't change the way Cloud looked at him like he'd never in his wildest dreams expect to see him again. It doesn't change the words he'd shared in disbelief. It doesn't change the way he feels Cloud's arms tight around him as if when he lets go, Zack will disappear. He feels a hesitance... and he can't blame him. Not when the feeling's mutual. He's already lost Cloud once. He never wants to lose him again.

It makes pulling away difficult, but... Zack cedes slowly all the same if not without giving Cloud's shoulder one last squeeze. He finds himself wiping his face with an arm abruptly before he huffs in a breath, letting it out slowly to try and settle himself. Then his hands come to rest on his hips and he smiles fondly at the man before him. That same old smile of his if not tired and worn out by this town they've found themselves trapped in. ]

Well... I've got plenty of time if you wanna share. [ It's a gentle nudge. But an honest one all the same. He wants to know everything about what happened, even if... it's not a journey he ended up taking with him in the end. ]

Edited 2016-03-14 02:51 (UTC)

[Everything seemed so far away. Everything that had taken place within those two years seemed like nothing more than a book he had once read, written on blank pages by an author far more clever and talented than he. Like a long, unexpected journey that hadn't quite panned out the way anyone expected, the way anyone had thought when they'd first started out. Each twist and turn had brought new obstacles, new challenges, had opened up new paths for them to take, new decisions that would change the course of their lives. That would leave a mark upon the planet long after they had passed from it.

It was a good story. One of a group of misfits who had come together to stifle the rising danger, to stamp out what was threatening their world and save a planet full of innocents. Of a group who had met under a very specific set of circumstances, who had lost their way and found and lost it again. Who had broke apart and come back together, stronger and more reliable than before. A group of people who had become his friends. His family. Everything he knew and everything he had left. A group that had offered him a place and a future.

Standing here, in front of the key that held everything good about his past, it seemed so difficult to know where to begin, where to start. Should he begin at that moment, when he the fog had lifted and he had realized in horror that Zack wasn't coming back? That he wasn't going to keep his promise this time, that he wasn't going to make it through this? Should he start with Tifa finding him, sick and alone in that train station, wondering aimlessly, trying to find his way? Or maybe with how he had forgotten everything about himself, how he had mixed his memories of Zack with the ideal of what a perfect SOLDIER was supposed to be and imitated it?

None of them seemed right, none of them seemed quite good enough.

Maybe he should start with telling him how he'd become a mercenary, how he'd been hired by AVALANCHE, how he'd come to find and know all of the people he know considered his friends. How they had come together from so many walks of life. Maybe he should begin with his life now, about how he had formed his own business, about how he lived with Tifa and the children. About how everything was finally starting to rebuild and become better, how everyone was working together to ensure the same things didn't happen.

But the words weren't coming, no matter how hard he tried to force them. Standing here, in front of someone he'd thought had been lost to him forever, he couldn't find his voice, couldn't find it within him to start speaking of a life that Zack wasn't a part of.]

Maybe another time. [A gentle deflection, the words not holding the confidence they normally would.] Just know that- [Bright, electric blue fall away, sliding along the expanse of wall next to them, landing on a particularly interesting spot that could hold his attention as he finished speaking.] That everything turned out alright.

[ He waits quietly. Patiently. It's not the first time he's waited for Cloud to gather his thoughts together and he doubts it'll be the last. Especially now. There's so much to sort out, really. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Just the beginning. Watching the man in front of him paging through the memories they don't share though... the longer he waits, the more he begins to feel far away. Somewhere in the distance. Will that feeling only stretch and grow with these stories? Maybe... Probably.

But they're also stories important to Cloud. Stories of a legacy he never lived to see being carried out. A story he would otherwise have never known, right? This is a chance to hear that. To know that in his stead, that maybe things turned around. Cloud had apparently gotten better. A lot better. Had found himself again and then gone beyond that. He can read that well enough in his features and in his posture. That alone speaks volumes. But what else is there to his story? He seems to struggle, seems to debate...

Before he finally meets Zack's eyes again and dismisses the whole venture. Looks away, even as he reassures him that things turned out okay. Cloud... doesn't have the best poker face. But Zack can take a hint when he's given one. That doesn't stop him removing his hands from his hips and drawing them up until they're both clapping on his shoulders. And then he's offering that same old smile of his with a tilt of his head. ]

I wouldn't doubt it for a second. [ He knows hardship. He knows nothing goes perfectly or exactly the way you want it to go. But he also knows... ] You gave it your all, didn't you? That's all that matters.

[Everything about this moment feels so familiar, so similar to ones he had experienced in a past that he tried not to think about, tried not to dwell upon. Felt too close to all of those memories that had always been to painful to remember, too close to all of those scenes that had constantly threatened to play within his mind as he struggled to shut the reel off and bury it within the recesses forever, lost and forgotten. That gentle weight resting upon his shoulders, the reassurance gained from the knowledge and wisdom those words held. That smile that had haunted his dreams, his waking nightmares and moments of peace, warm and comforting and real. Nothing had ever quite come close to the brilliance of it, to everything that was contained within it.]

You always did have more faith in me than you should have. [Even now, even with knowing what's happened, even with knowing what fate has in store, Zack still carries that same amount of faith, that same amount of belief in him. Even without knowing the truth, even without knowing each story and each detail, it's still there, still tangible and reachable.]

Edited 2016-03-20 03:01 (UTC)

[ He can feel the tension in his shoulder before he even hears those words. Can see the way he hesitates to look him in the eye in that moment. Something tells him the story Cloud has to share? Is probably a lot more complex than he'll ever imagine. But then when aren't their lives complicated, difficult, and harsh? It had been one thing after another since that fateful day. And taking up his mantel like that... He's sure it couldn't have been easy. It might have even been cruel. But.

He gives both his shoulders a firm squeeze. ] Or maybe you just never had enough. You always did sell yourself short. [ It's a soft prod back... but honest all the same. ]

Cloud... If there's anything I do know, I could always trust you to have my back. Sure, that doesn't mean everything will go right, but even if it doesn't, that doesn't mean you didn't give it your all.

[It was difficult not to sell himself short, not to constantly underestimate his own abilities when for so long he'd been completely and utterly incapable of accomplishing the one thing he had set out to do. Not to doubt himself, not to wonder if pure determination really wasn't enough to carry him through, if lack of natural strength really could be made up for and if lack of talent really could be taught. If he was ever going to reach his goal, if he was ever going to be able to protect anyone, or if it had all been the foolish dreams of a child blinded by someone else's limelight.

It would be so easy to dwell upon those memories, upon those feeling of inadequacy that he still carries to this day, to allow all of that hard earned confidence to fall away. To let those emotions overcome what he now knew, to over take the knowledge that had come with age and experience.

No one person could save everyone. No one person could carry the entire weight of the world on their shoulders all of the time.

And yet he continued to try anyway.] Maybe you're just bad luck. [There's a hint of amusement contained within his voice, the joke spoken softly, gloved fingers lifting, wrapping securely around a forearm, as if trying to somehow keep that reassuring weight in place.]

We always had each other's backs. That's what friends do, right?

[log] Cloudy with a chance of meetballs [Closed]

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my net might go out.

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Jim -> Zack -> ???

who knows i don't

YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES FFFF

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for the traitor

R U D E

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For the no longer vegetale.

Excuse you Sonic

DON'T YOU START SHADOW.

EXCUSE YOU HE PREFERS KNUCKLES THANKS

WHATEVER MAN YOU TOTALLY TRIED TO COPY ALL HIS EVERYTHING AND WERE 50 TIMES MORE ANGST AND TRYHARD

W O W IS THAT ANYWAY TO TREAT YOUR LIVING LEGACY I MEAN HONESTLY

THIS IS TOTALLY HOW TO TREAT YOUR LIVING LEGACY

HE DIDN'T SIGN UP TO GET SNOTTED ALL OVER ZACK THAT WASN'T IN THE CONTRACT

GUESS YOU DIDN'T READ ALL THE FINE PRINT MAN.

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN SOME PRETTY SMALL PRINT

THAT'S USUALLY HOW IT GOES.

THAT'S IT HE'S GETTING A LAWYER

LIKE HE COULD AFFORD ONE. BESIDES IT'S HARD TO MAKE A CASE AGAINST A DEAD GUY.

Please pretend this isn't two weeks late thank you