#|| ᵃᶰˣᶤᵒᵘˢ⁻ʰᵉᵃʳᵗᵉᵈ ˢᵒˡᵈᶤᵉʳ ; ᶤᶰ ᶜʰᵃʳᵃᶜᵗᵉʳ

[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]

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]

“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]

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]

Flecks of icing cling to a fair cheek, swirl along bare arms and dot a worn apron-- Barely an inch of her spared from the results of another feverish baking endeavour. “You’re home too early, Cloud! Nothing’s ready yet—” Disappointment coats her very tone. She persistently guards the door leading into the kitchen, foot tapping against the floorboards and a batter-dipped whisk waving in his direction. “The kitchen’s off limits, I’m afraid. You’ll just have to come back in a-- Uhm... An hour!”

belated birthday replies || @lockethart

    for the most part, his day had been quiet. this day much like  ANY  other, cloud had gone about his deliveries, taking a brief detour to the chocobo farm;  gifted them with some sylkis greens, before heading on back to edge. for better or for worse, there hadn’t been much to do. suffice to say, when he steps inside,  &  starts heading for the staircase, he’s startled;  taken aback by the abruptness of tifa’s voice. he was just going to greet her, but …

    ——  oh.  the sight of her, whisk in hand  &  flecks of icing everywhere is almost enough to evoke a bemused smile. he represses it, though;  if only to spare her the  MILD  embarrassment. she seems to be taking this quite seriously, and cloud supposes there’s not much can be done about it. with a gloved hand, he gently itches at the nape of his neck,  &  offers a hesitant  (  …  defeated )  nod. surprise or  NOT,  he greatly appreciates her effort.

    turning from her with a  (  …  quite indiscernible )  smile, cloud sets a hand on his hip  &  makes for the stairs. he supposes he can deal with some paperwork, until then.  “ right, right. ”  he concedes;  wasn’t really needing to go to the kitchen in the first place, but best not argue. will she be alright in there ?  he considers, momentarily. looks like she’s  FIGHTING  with the stuff, more-so than baking …  “ ——i’ll be upstairs, if you need any help. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

Sticks a cheap birthday candle in a blueberry muffin. There, birthday cake on the fly. ❝Special delivery just for you!❞

amazing gift || @fiircstartcr

    not that he doesn’t appreciate the sentiment, but rather ——  cloud believes he has every right to be cautious, if only taking into consideration the one offering the gift. he isn’t adverse to sweets, but not overly fond  of them, either. then again, it isn’t as though cloud expects the likes of a turk to understand what he likes  &  dislikes, as such;  not unless they’d used controversial  ( … PRIVACY invading )  methods to find out. seems he’s safe, then.

    with the passive wave of his hand, cloud turns  &  heads for the door. for all HE knows, it’s an elaborate prank. he’d rather avoid food poisoning, or anything of that nature ——  provided he can.  “ think i’ll pass, but thanks. ”

[adventhero-blog1]

offers up some space cake. happy birthday, hero

space cake ?? || @shiroganc

    it’s uncommon;  receiving this kind of gift on his birthday. for the most part, he prefers not  to make a big deal out of it. having so much attention drawn towards himself,  &  the bittersweet nostalgia of it … is often a little too overwhelming for something so ordinary;  recurring,  EVERY  year. that’s not to say that others never attempt to celebrate it,  &  suffice to say … this is no exception. even so  ( … undeniably )  the gesture is quite unexpected.

    with the slight raise of his brow, cloud accepts the peculiar offering;  well, it’s not much  UNLIKE  any cake he has seen in his life thus far  ——  &  lifts his free hand, scratching at the nape of his neck.  “ … yeah, thanks. ”