#|| ᵃᶰˣᶤᵒᵘˢ⁻ʰᵉᵃʳᵗᵉᵈ ˢᵒˡᵈᶤᵉʳ ; ᶤᶰ ᶜʰᵃʳᵃᶜᵗᵉʳ

[adventhero-blog1]

[safer seph voice] there, cloud. good boy.

unfortunate encounter || @adventson

    he’d gathered the pieces up;  with another’s AID, found himself once more. at least, for the most part. it’s true, that maybe not everything aligns just yet. he’s sure now ——  that he is cloud, but still … why is it that  ( being here;  face to face )   ELICITS  such indescribable unease ?  somehow, cloud feels as though dwelling on such things will prove troublesome, & so he sets his attention back upon the  ( massive; unholy )  creature before him.

    ——  wavers, but only for a moment. the battle ensues,  &  he’s wordlessly thankful that he chose not to come down here on his lonesome, after all. though he  IS  strong, their strength is  ( undoubtedly )  greater in numbers.  a flurry of clashes, crack of knuckles,  &  heaviness of breath;  they must be getting somewhere, right ?  cloud isn’t sure if it’s only him starting to feel HEAVY.  like he’s weighed down by something. growing fatigued, maybe.

    except, that’s  NOT  entirely true. he’d fought so hard up until this point, so why now ?  now that every move he makes could be fundamentally important —— towards the fate of gaia itself. something lingers;  familiar,  & unpleasant.  ( doubt, he considers;  it wracks his heart and  FESTERS  deep inside. )  he’s damaged, but aren’t they all ?  his own weakness has been exploited, more times than he can count … but things are different now.

    ( —— there, cloud. good boy. )

    his body grows weary, & mind HAZY. not entirely, but enough ——  for him to consider that something is truly wrong;  that maybe, things aren’t as different as he’d have liked to believe. his head inclines, and hand rises only to cradle his head. the voice which calls to him;  PRAISES him, is also familiar. though he expects his moment of weakness will offer sephiroth  ( —or what’s left of him )  an opportune moment to attack … nothing;  just silence. 

    … steadily;  trembling, his head rises. his allies, struck down ——  &  his sword stained, glistening  ( crimson. the colour so familiar to him )  and it can’t be real, is his first thought. it’s a nightmare;  a bad DREAM,  and any moment now he’ll wake. he knows who he is.  ( cloud strife;  jenova’s cells, sephiroth’s strong will and his own weakness are what created him ) —— right ?  his memories are real, & he isn’t a puppet. so then why now …

    with an unfiltered clatter, his sword FALLS down, and onto the crater floor. with meteor steadily drawing closer, the planet’s cries only continue to grow louder, louder …  &  louder still, perhaps——  is his own silence. volatile;  dangerous. was he always destined to be this way ?  too weak to fight the PULL.  the one that led him here, and now …  “ what have i … ”  briefly, he recalls something similar;  a flower girl, & his inability to move. to stop …

    ——  it isn’t him, he tries to reason.  ( sephiroth. it’s all sephiroth … or her. was it her ? )  but no matter who is to blame, the action cannot be  UNDONE;  a life cannot be returned, once taken. they’d told him to face up to it. made him believe he was capable. the hero of the story. what sort of hero gives rise to such tragedy ?  disgust wells in his abdomen. his own weakness … that’s it, isn’t it ?  it’s because he’s WEAK.  no better than back …

    in nibelheim, cloud recalls. he was young, insecure  &  impressionable. weakness is what had inspired him, to begin with;  brought upon his desire to become strong.  ( to be just like sephiroth )  —— IRONIC, he thinks. now, he’s gone and defied the very point of all that he stood for. caught between two defining, fundamental desires. to be noticed; understood,  &  to protect those that he LOVES.  what else remains for him now ?  perhaps it’s him;

    he should be the one to burn in the flames. but still, the voice in his head  ( & the cells in his body )  whisper … not yet. her voice doesn’t inspire hope, but terror. fleetingly, he considers —— does SEPHIROTH hear her, too ?  cloud’s gaze  ( stern, but wavering;  even now a war wages inside of him )  rises, & he’s on his knees;  pleading, almost. praying, to a false god. but even he knows  NOT  what for. his will tells him to move. to fight ——

    … but he can’t. perhaps it was fated, after all;  that just as he would  DELIVER  destruction unto the world, he would be forced to bear witness to it.  ( alone, except … )  divinity is his only company;  a poor excuse. less man than monster,  &  with that knowledge lies a gruesome, TWISTED empathy. is it not tragically ironic, that he was destined to watch the world burn;  himself, and his childhood hero to blame ?  loved ones rendered inanimate …

    —— resigned to despair, guilt & loathing … otherwise, an empty shell. ( a puppet ) where else would he go ?

[adventhero-blog1]

might just. slip u a nice. round trip ticket to wherever you'd like for you and a friend. just.... take a holiday. enjoy some fresh air. don't subject her to gross emotions tho.

belated birthday replies || @jjillekkot

    briefly, he ponders whether this is yuffie’s way of telling him to take a load off;  spend  TIME  doing something other than working, for a change. although the sentiment is unexpected  &  appreciated, cloud isn’t entirely sure he can set that time aside. ( …  no, maybe he’s just unsure  HOW  to have fun )  and his gaze turns from her, settling upon the ticket. he also thinks to mention that he has a bike,  &  chocobos  ——  so it’s not like he …

    … cloud digresses. it’s a little surprising;  that she’d remembered at all, never mind gone through the effort of getting this for him. gloved fingers  BRUSH  along the ticket,  &  he tentatively tucks it into his wallet. maybe it’s about time they all meet up again, after all. he could organise a trip for the lot of them … ( an exhausting effort, but it may be worthwhile )  albeit subtle, the corner of his lips  QUIRK  upward.  “ didn’t think you were the type. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

/ touches his hair

regret™ || @adventson

    somehow, it isn’t unfamiliar;  leather-clad fingers settling atop blonde locks. more-so… it doesn’t seem foreign, when it blatantly should. the  WAY  that he reaches,  &  the passive curiosity strewn across his visage is perhaps more unnerving than the act itself. despite this, cloud does falter;  startle, even. he’d been anticipating sephiroth would brandish his sword  &  attack.  ( … not quite THIS.  )  he never ceases to surprise, huh ?  but even so …

    cloud can’t comprehend WHY.  voices in his head whisper ‘reunion’  ——  but that isn’t it;  can’t be it. he can control his weakness, now. if not reunion, then what does he hope to accomplish ?  discomfort for the sake of it, cloud considers … but it still doesn’t add up;  the  LOOK  on his face. for a moment, he gets the strangest notion he’s being observed. something about the concept alone sends a shudder down his spine;  his fingers twitch —

    “ … stop, ”  is all he can muster,  &  it’s almost comical how it leaves his lips. cloud’s own hand rises, harshly  ( albeit hesitantly;  uncertain )  SWATTING  the other’s hand from his head. fumbling momentarily, he reaches back, and fingers find purchase on the hilt of his blade. still cautious, cloud purses his lips ——  &  shifts, boot sliding backwards some. blue eyes flicker toward sephiroth, and just a little  UNEASY … he utters,  “ … why ? ” 

[adventhero-blog1]

falls asleep on his lap.

random encounter || @mammaterasu

    he’d always had an affinity for animals, but THIS one is quite peculiar. not so much animal as entity;  beautiful, white fur with curious crimson markings. she is ethereal, almost —— & much unlike any wild beasts that dwell around these parts. he sits, back against a tree  ( tall, glowing;  the forgotten capital  HOME  to many unfamiliar sights )  and peers down through his lashes, one brow raising just slightly.  “ … you’re tired ? ”  he muses, quiet.

    ——  amid the dark of night, & the cold breeze which sends a shiver down his spine, she provides a familiar warmth. albeit hesitant, cloud lifts one leather clad hand;  cautious, strokes over her  FUR  with  ( —an almost subconscious )  tenderness. unpracticed, save for when he meets & scritches the feathers of his chocobos, but comfortable all the same. in his place of solitude;  grieving, he thinks: her presence is not intrusive, but assuring.

[adventhero-blog1]

presses on a bruise or other injury. are you listening, cloud

very old mistake || @adventson

    exhaustion wracks his limbs,  &  now that he has fallen;  thrust upon rubble and debris, cloud might finally find some time to gather his bearings. at least, he’d been so utterly TIRED  ( bordering on delirious )  that he’d hoped that would be, at least, partially true. his gaze wavers;  blurs, just momentarily ——  &  averts from sephiroth, to inspect his own abdomen. nausea wells in his  GUT  at the very sight. just how long had he been bleeding out ?

    one hand firmly grasping the hilt of first tsurugi, the other  ( ——  trembling, discreetly )  rises  &  cradles the injury marring his front. nowhere near as deep as prior  CHEST  wounds had been, but unpleasant all the same. cloud’s head turns,  &  breath strains to steady itself. just gotta get back onto his feet …  though, maybe that’s a little easier said than done. time’s running out;  gloved fingers retreat, and cloud  KNOWS  that if he doesn’t …

    fingers curl tightly at his side;  furl  &  unfurl,  jaw clenching and teeth grinding ——  the  PAIN  bordering on intolerable when the wound is provoked.  ( … be it the pressure on his damaged ribs or torn skin, cloud can’t be entirely certain;  doesn’t think he  WANTS  to know, either. )  it isn’t like he’s dying, but rather … aberration aside, he is still only human. suffering to this extent isn’t something cloud thinks he’ll ever grow accustomed to. it’s …

    “ ——  ugh … ”  rare, to say the least;  not something that happens often, nor that he looks forward to being made to experience all over again. dedicating one’s life to fighting  DOES  give rise to a numbness of sorts, but perhaps only because cloud has far surpassed all which could harm him.  ( that is, except … )  sephiroth really doesn’t know when to QUIT.  with ragged breath  &  furrowed brow, he snarls.  “ listening ?  listening to what ? ”

[adventhero-blog1]

tifa pressed her index fingers against the corners of her mouth, pushing them up into a smile, ❝ come on cloud! you have too nice of a smile to hide it away all the time! ❞

random encounter || @meiliva

    the corner of his lips curve upward;  subtle, but genuine. the sight  &  intent of her words alone are enough to evoke a quiet smile, but just as swiftly cloud  WILLS  himself to suppress it. not that smiling is inherently bad, but rather ——  he’s spent so long with a  ( truly … naturally occurring )  deadpan that most anyone is surprised to see him so much as smile. it’s become almost embarrassing;  when it actually  DOES  happen. his head turns …

    one gloved hand rises, curling before his mouth  &  instinctively guarding it from her sight. playing it off with a poor attempt at a cough, his hand lowers;  clumsily rests atop his hip.  “ yeah, i’ll … try and show it more often. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

❛ Like patience, passion comes from the same Latin root: pati. It does not mean to flow with exuberance. It means to suffer. ❜

‘house of leaves’ sentence starters || @adventson

    easy for him to say;  he’s not the one with an impossibly sharp  BLADE  piercing his flesh. his breath staggers, and brows draw together. head inclined, cloud lifts one hand —— & grasps at the blade. judging by the amount of pain;  overwhelming, but  NOT  intolerable, he deduces that  ( … at the very least )  nothing vitally important had been damaged. well, save for his self-esteem. why is it that every time it winds up this way ?  he digresses.

    mustering enough strength to tug the blade out, & hurl himself JUST out of reach ——  cloud settles on his haunches, and cradles the wound in his chest bitterly. now he’s got a deep laceration in his hand, to boot. what use is there in discussing that sort of thing at a time like this ?  then again, it’s not as though sephiroth is oft the coherent;  straight-forward TYPE.  “ yeah, well … ”  tired eyes skirt downward, & he swiftly retrieves his sword.

    —— it’s as curious as it is unnerving;  the  WAY  that he’d gone about phrasing it. then again … much about sephiroth had always been mysterious  ( complicated, if nothing else )  and he doesn’t expect that asking would help matters any. eyes narrow, & fix upon sephiroth. steadily, he rises to his feet and brandishes his sword. with vague unease;  cautious stature, cloud almost snarls.  “ i think i’ve felt just about enough passion for one day. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy birthday!” Sora's congratulations is, as always, loud and cheerful, and he shoves a colorful box Cloud's way, grinning widely. “Saved up my munny t'getcha somethin'! I thought about getting you some sorta sheath for your sword, but...” Sora peered over at the ridiculously large weapon, looking sheepish. “They didn't exactly have anything its size...” He'd settled for getting him a pair of new gloves instead -- infused with high defensive magic and damage reduction.

belated birthday replies || @thekeybladehero

    blue eyes widen with apparent surprise, skirting down  &  settling upon the brightly coloured box. had he really remembered what day today was ?  truth be told, even  CLOUD  had forgotten …  ( he supposes, someone was inevitably bound to bring it up at some point )  curious, he taps the side of the box. one brow quirks slightly,  and his attention reverts to sora. suddenly, he feels a little bad for never having inquired when-about  HIS  birthday …

    “ makes sense, ”  he affirms. not that he’d expected sora to get him  ANYTHING  anyway … but he digresses. one hand cautiously rises,  &  with a rather baffled expression, cloud goes about opening the box.  ( sora really is more practical than he looks, huh ? )  a series of awkward  TUGS  at worn leather, and his hands are clad in the gifted gloves. they fit even better than expected.  “ … hey, thanks. but you know —— you really didn’t have to. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

❛ Words aren’t the only way to tell someone how you feel. ❜

✧ ` / ffvii prompts || @gxnmetal

    “ yeah, i’m … sure. ”  cloud utters,  &  clumsily sets a hand against the back of his neck;  curls his fingers and scratches awkwardly. more than a little uneasy,  his gaze pointedly  DRIFTS  elsewhere. is leon … trying to imply something ?  cloud can’t recall ever having given the impression that he felt anything  ( rather;  nothing out of the ordinary )  towards anyone. questions like  WHY  he’s being confronted, dim to ‘why leon’ ——  &  he’s at a loss.

    hand settling back against his hip, cloud makes attempt to mask this abrupt discomfort  ( … terror, even )  with indifference, albeit in vain. he hadn’t  READIED  himself for a heart to heart talk;  never mind with the one person perhaps even less inclined than himself,  &  that’s saying something—— to bring up that sorta topic. fighting;  to vent one’s feelings they could fight, right ?  that’s … what he’d  LIKE  to think leon means.  “ i’ve gotta leave. ” 

[adventhero-blog1]

It's not that Yuffie actually expected to receive animal in return; and, surely, she would be able to handle a baby chocobo, or even a small chick-- but to receive a full-grown one, and an emerald one at that? It's completely different from the robin-egg or ebony ones she's grown accustomed to riding, or even bet on at the races. But she can't help but kiss the birdie's beak as she brings it closer to chocobo ranch, asks the owner price for a stall. Starting with baby steps, she knows.

pure bean || @jjillekkot

    albeit experienced in the art of chocobo breeding, racing & the likes ——  cloud certainly wouldn’t list teaching as one of his defining QUALITIES.  ( rather, it’d hardly make the list. )  even so, he is willing to give her pointers;  assist her with anything she might be uncertain about.  “ … here. ”  after some rustling about his pocket, cloud retrieves his wallet  &  hands over 10,000 gil.  not like he’s got anything  BETTER  to spend it on.  “ one stable. ”

    he’s been through the process  SEVERAL  times already, and turns from her;  before she has the chance to complain. one gloved hand rises, & gives some vague gesture that she should follow.  “ the stables are just out here, ”  glancing back briefly, he folds both arms across his chest.  “ ——you’ll need to buy some greens, here. they’re not all too expensive … unless you get the ones chocobos like best. ”  not that they sell sylkis anyway.

[adventhero-blog1]

she sets down a miniature cake before him, a single sylleblossom resting atop it. a soft touch on the outside of his arm, light as a bird's wing, and a smile just the same. "happy birthday."

a luna appears || @divinemotif

    he’s inclined to believe that now isn’t the time for celebration,  &  that her company could be better spent with those who truly need it. that said, she  HAS  been working tirelessly as of late, and maybe  ( … almost definitely, in fact )  deserves a break far more than he does. a break, cloud thinks … shouldn’t comprise of lady lunafreya using her own free time to bestow a gift unto him. even so, he can’t help but  FEEL  both … bashful  &  grateful.

    she has no direct connection to him;  no reason to  GIFT  him with anything, so why ?  his decision to help on her travels had only stemmed from having met  &  recognised her. his true duty now lies with  the late king’s son, but knowing that he is safe … cloud sees no harm in remaining here, if only for some time.  “ i … ”  he starts, the mild uncertainty in his  TONE  betraying his surprise. he turns to her, sheepish;  thankful.  “ you didn’t have to. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

there are two cupcakes being held out to cloud, each with frosting and a candle sticking out of them. "i... didn't know if you preferred chocolate or vanilla so i thought i'd get one of each! to wish you a happy birthday..."

alex is pure || @thornsong

    blue eyes drift towards the source of the voice garnering his attention,  &  his gaze downturns;  settles on both of the cupcakes in her hold.  ‘is this really necessary ?’  he briefly thinks to ask, but refrains. somehow, he’s fairly certain that isn’t the appropriate  ( … expected, perhaps )  response.  “ i, uh … ”  one hand rises, gloved fingers finding purchase on the back of his neck. now isn’t  REALLY  the time to be getting bashful, but … it’s strange.

    ——  no, he considers:  maybe HE’S the strange one. almost guilty about accepting either, cloud struggles to reason with himself that it’s perfectly fine;  ordinary,  &  it would be far ruder  to decline. so, he turns his attention back towards her and utters  (  …  almost )  decidedly.  “ both are good. ”  he reaches  OUT  and carefully takes each cupcake from her, mildly disgruntled scowl passing;  a gentle smile ghosting at his lips.  “ it’s appreciated. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

' happy birthday, cloud. ' with a cheerful smile the maiden wrapped her lithe arms around the birthday boy and gave him a big hug. { from fcragil }

birthday hug apparently || @fcragil

    fingers twitch at his side,  &  unnaturally blue eyes widen  (  …  in terror, but not quite )   posture uncomfortably rigid. his lips purse;  pressed together firmly, but he understands that her intentions  ARE  good. only … he can’t recall the last time he was this close to another person. suffice to say, he’s unpractised.  “ … uh, ”  cloud begins, albeit entirely uncertain  HOW  he should follow that up. it isn’t that it’s entirely unpleasant, but rather;  unfamiliar.

    ——  with a moment’s hesitation, he lifts one arm  &  tentatively curls it about one of her shoulders. the touch is feather light;  barely distinguishable, but it’s something. this  IS  normal, right ?  friends hug each other all the time. friends …  (  something else quite foreign, he feels  )  soft, but awkward all the same, cloud offers a gentle pat to her shoulder. his gaze drifts elsewhere, and heat rises  along his neck.  “ i mean, thanks. it’s no big deal. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

Sets down a cup of hot chocolate for him-- With extra marshmallows, courtesy of the kids! "Looks like you could use this."

random encounter || @lockethart

    extra marshmallows ?  he’s not sure what he might’ve done to encourage  THIS  treatment. well, he supposes it might have something to do with the rain droplets gathering at the tips of blond spikes;  dripping onto the bar’s floor, with a quiet pitter-patter. he’d been busy all day  ( nothing new, though today WAS quite unfortunate )  and finally;  slumped, with both elbows settled against the bar counter … gloved tugged off  &  passively set aside …

    ——  he can relax.  chilly fingers curve about the base of the mug;  really, he’s just using it as an excuse to warm his hands at this point. not overly fond of hot chocolate  ( but NOT begrudging, either )  cloud peers down, into the cup.  “ thanks. there’s, uh … ”  he gets the feeling marlene & denzel had something to do with the drink to marshmallow ratio.  ( … practically flowing OVER the edge. )  just a hunch. an amused smile hints at his lips. 

[adventhero-blog1]

" You called these things chocoblows earlier, right ? They looked tiny from far away, but man, I didn't think they'd be THIS big up close. "

random encounter || @earthcapt

   “ … yeah, sure. ”  he supposes that’s close enough. still, is it really  SO  uncommon for folk to see chocobos ? people who reside in the city, maybe. he remembers briefly encountering them as a child,  &  had known of their existence far before then. that said, this kid doesn’t look  like he’s from around these parts.  ( … cloud supposes, who is he to judge ?  )  stepping forward, he extends one hand  &  ruffles the nearest chocobo’s golden feathers.

    ——  well, he was right about one thing. cloud recalls thinking the same;  that for all that they’re birds … they are pretty huge. drawing his hand away,  he turns  &  glances back.  “ … they’ve gotta be, if people race ‘em. ” 

[adventhero-blog1]

❛ Did you really mean all those things you said? ❜

question sentence starters || @makoblue

    “ yeah, i … ”  it’s a little embarrassing, admittedly;  hence he’d chosen to send those messages  (  … rather than telling zack straight to his face, that is )  ——  &  in all honesty, cloud had been  HOPING  he wouldn’t ask about it. words has never really been his strong suit, but meeting someone like zack;  not only admiring him like the amazing friend he is, but just the fact he’s such a great GUY;  able to inspire so many. he had to convey it …

    well, somehow. cloud shifts on the spot, one gloved hand rising  &  awkwardly tugging his uniform upward, so as to guard his face. friendship is something quite foreign;  new to him  ( … as if  THAT  wasn’t obvious enough )  even if it has almost been two years now. strange ——  has it really been that long ?  he digresses. shifting his weight from one foot to the other, blue eyes idly  DRIFT  to his side.  “ err … your words !  they were inspiring. ”