#turk cloud befriends an avalanche spy whoops

[meteorshot]

rebelharted said: ❝ drink the fucking wine and smile. that’s what i’m doing. ❞

“This isn’t my scene.”

A Shinra holiday party wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time. Never did he feel as out of place as he did here, at these yearly torture sessions. Lengthy speeches dedicated to the truimph of President Shinra, while backstabbing politicians gorged themselves on gourmet cheese and wine while tripping over themselves to secure his favor.

The only mercy was that for once, he’s not on duty. Meaning that when Squall makes his suggestion, he can guiltless take a glass of wine from a passing waiter and down a mouthful.

Often times, Cloud felt as though he were little more than a broken branch grafted on to a mighty tree, feeling as though he were withering in the shade of longer shadows. Some part of the process hadn’t been done right, he was sure, he’d gotten most everything he wanted but still felt hollow. Being a Turk had never been the dream, but now that he was older and wiser he supposed going over to Wutai to be hailed a hero for beating their country into further submission wouldn’t have felt great anyway. Now he just did that behind the shadows.

Across the room, Zack Fair grabs General Sephiroth across the waist and hauls him out on the dance floor despite his protests. The other Firsts are laughing, the only joyful sound in the whole damn building.

“Why do you come to these things anyway?” Cloud leans his back against the wall, casting a sidelong glance towards his companion. “Isn’t it only mandatory for the top brass?”

A pause and the faintest of winces. That was inadvertently insulting. He doesn’t think about it until the words are already out and too late to take back.