#withoutanumber

[calamitysshatteredson]

❝ You’re sorry,  sorry?  No,  you’re a liar! ❞

Silent Hill Starters | accepting but slowwww

There was no flinching back. No retreating. There was no arguing, though Sephiroth's mouth opened once. Nothing escaped, no sound or breath.

Nothing he'd said would have been correct or comforting. That hadn't been why he'd approached in the first place, but he wasn't quite certain what had made him follow the familiar man. He'd been hiding with some success, hadn't he? He'd been intending to keep hiding away from the world, away from everyone and everything...

But there was no hiding from his past. From the very few survivors who had been present for... anything. Everything. This man, this... he...

Arms dropped to his sides, he wished he were armed. At least if he pulled a weapon, maybe he could inspire the blond to--

Gods. He almost, almost, felt the sob lodged in his throat give way. And what would Angeal have done under these circumstances? The same thing?

He couldn't, then. But he didn't know what else to do.

[churchflower]

“ figured you might be needing an extra blanket in this weather. you mind if i sit with you for a while? “ @withoutanumber

she used to be so scared of the sky. she used to feel like she was being sucked in, like the stars could reach out and touch her but now that she had been among them for a few days she didn't feel terrified... she felt overwhelmed. this was so vastly different, she could still feel the planet and how hurt she was but it was different out here. there was still some life in the planet. the people were trying to keep it that way. she wasn't surprised that he came and found her eventually. she had probably been away from camp for too long. she stretched her legs out and opened her arms to accept the blanket. "I was getting cold." she accepts his thoughtfulness, she knows he means it when he does. she happily pats the ground beside her. she knows he'll sit with some space and she doesn't hesitate to close that gap and huddle close to him. "what do you know about stars?"

[millionsnife]

‘I've never seen anyone fight the way you do.’

"Never will, either." Well, unless he met Vash and even then it wouldn't be the same; his brother preferred his guns and non lethal shots over Nai's much more expedient method of killing the problem with a knife.

Cloud's sword might enable him to do similar feats, but still nothing like Nai's work. Not unless he suddenly gained the ability to manifest blades like his. "Plant thing."

[a-vctlan]

for biggs: ❝ in a way aren’t we all responsible for my actions ❞

wolfpuppy meme

When Barret announced they'd be working with an ex-SOLDIER, Biggs couldn't really warp his mind around it. He knew of SOLDIERs in passing, sometimes seen in the slums, but mostly witnessed from a distance, a threat of violent retribution, the energy of the planet corrupted with human flesh and used to enforce it's own destruction.

That is to say, Biggs kind of expected them to be… scarier. Not that Cloud wasn't off-putting at times, but it was more of a general disconnect between their lived experiences than genuine fear.

If he had to name a main feeling when dealing with Cloud, it would be confusion, followed shortly after by slight amusement and a brand of exasperation he often felt around teenage delinquents making a mess of the slums.

"… Look, I'm not going to question why you thought that'd be a good idea — I'm just going to say you're a grown man and you can make your own choices and deal with the consequences on your own."

[calamitysshatteredson]

@withoutanumber

Much as he didn't mean to respond to the demand with more silence, he couldn't have given voice to much of anything in that moment. Throat dry, tongue stilled, thoughts temporarily more than a touch chaotic.

Of all the things he couldn't have expected from finally meeting again after so long, having an internal fight with himself was the most far-flung possibility. The urge to not respond, the temptation to embrace cowardice and force the other man's hand--

What a joke he was making of a second chance. If that was indeed what it was; he still had his uncertainties about that idea in particular, but it hardly mattered in the moment. He owed a good deal more to this man specifically than a non-answer. Than to simply be run through and left another mystery, leaking dread. He remembered Zack's friend. He remembered the young trooper, and to see him in that moment without delusion, without filter...

Sephiroth's arms remained at his sides. There was no point in a change of stance, either to plead or to defend himself. He swallowed, and he accepted whatever trying would bring him. "I don't know. The-- The latter. I'm not sure. The product of a questionable sense of humor." That couldn't have made sense to anyone but him. That also couldn't have helped his chances to be heard out, but...

What did he even have to say? He hadn't even intended to apologize, but he needed to the moment he had the chance. Honest as the words were, he rather understood the reaction. He wondered how much he even looked like himself in the moment, unable to hide behind a wall of what appeared to all the world a perfectly unfeeling coldness. He couldn't hide anymore, he didn't even quite know what he felt, but he was aware it had to be in his expression.

Who are you? What would be most comforting? Most damning? You know who I am wasn't-- It wouldn't be-- "There's only who I used to be, I think. There's no getting away from that, is there?" It wasn't some clever response, some side-step to get himself out of a situation. It was just... exhausted understanding.

@calamitysshatteredson | continued from [ x ]

“Don't just stand there – say something!” Cloud demanded, hands clinging gamely to the weapon in his hands.

He was here in the first place because he had heard rumors to the effect of Sephiroth being here. He hadn't really believed it; there were remnants, of course, and those pretending to be the real man. But this, Cloud knew, was no imposter. He had the look of the former first class perfectly, and even his cadence...

But his voice. That was the weird thing, wasn't it? No voice in his head, compelling him to do things he didn't want to do. He knew how to ignore the voice now, but. There was no voice.

It was almost like this was the Sephiroth from before. Back in Nibelheim, the Sephiroth who had known it was his hometown, had asked him what it was like...said he wouldn't know, because he didn't have a hometown.

Could it possibly be? Sephiroth wasn't acting right. He wasn't pulling a weapon, he wasn't giving Cloud that creepy smile he used whenever he talked to him, wasn't speaking in his head in a voice he couldn't quite ignore. Instead, he just looked sad, almost penitent. That wasn't the Sephiroth Cloud knew. Not at all.

“Who are you?” he finally demanded, not quite ready to put his sword away. “What are you?”

[meteorshcts]

𝘒𝘕𝘖𝘞𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘠𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘗𝘈𝘙𝘛𝘕𝘌𝘙 𝘞𝘌𝘓𝘓 𝘊𝘈𝘕 𝘗𝘖𝘛𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘐𝘈𝘓𝘓𝘠 𝘔𝘈𝘒𝘌 𝘞𝘙𝘐𝘛𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘛𝘖𝘎𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘙 𝘈 𝘓𝘖𝘛 𝘌𝘈𝘚𝘐𝘌𝘙.

repost, don't reblog!

NAME : Zack. Yes, yes, I know.

PRONOUNS : He/him.

PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION : uhhhh I guess I need to have @vctlan introduce us on discord before I can have a real conversation with you. I'm so bad at talking.

NAME OF MUSE(s) : Zack. I technically have @withoutanumber (Cloud) too but I only use him to send in memes as of late.

BEST EXPERIENCE : My best experiences are when I make a bunch of friends and we all have fun being idiots together. That's one reason I'm so fond of those 'texts from last night' memes, even though they're not so popular anymore.

RP PET PEEVES / DEALBREAKERS : Hmmm, I guess maybe assuming I'm here to ship? Like, I love shipping, but it's so hard to write a ship with someone I've never written with before. Just ask about it first!

MUSE PREFERENCES : Generally, I like assholes with hearts of gold. Zack is really an outlier for me.

PLOTS OR MEMES : Yes! Both are good! I love me a good plot, but I get to interact with so many other people because of memes!

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES : Depends on what I'm writing, and if I have a lot to say. I don't mind either, from my partner, but I'm inclined to write a lot.

BEST TIME TO WRITE : At work. No, not really. Uhhh, I usually write anytime I'm not too tired or anything.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S) : In spite of my name, I'm literally Cloud Strife -- in other words, I'm nothing like Zack, hahaha.

Tagged by : nobody! I stole it from @fourthclone

[greatxgospel]

@withoutanumber​ said: ❝  why do you stick around?  what is it you think you see in me?  ❞ EMOTIONALLY CHARGED SENTENCES STARTERS | ACCEPTING

There’s SADNESS in Aerith’s features, not because Cloud is asking, but because she can tell how he’s not confident about himself. Cloud is still a mystery to her, of course. She knows he uses Zack’s -- Angeal’s -- Buster Sword, but every time she has tried to ask, his reaction was weird. It makes her worry about him; she considers him as a friend now, even if she’s not sure he thinks the same of her.

“I feel like you’re searching for yourself sometimes, and I want to help you. That’s what are friends for.” She admits as a SOFT smile cross her features. “Beside, you’re after Sephiroth, and I want to stop him just as much as you do. He’s a threat to the Planet, and I can’t allow it.” 

[theomachst]

❀ What has made you completely lose your chill?

Pass the Salt? [ACCEPTING]

I used to roleplay in the Dragon Age fandom and one of my close friends and mutuals was bullied by some popular Templar OC/Chantry Apologist. They pretty much ran my friend off Tumblr and Skype. I never found out what happened to them... They didn't even say goodbye or anything.

But yeah, that actually pissed me off so badly, I quit roleplaying for a solid 3 years? I told that mun what I thought about them in private, but idk if they ever made a manhunt for me too because I deactivated my rp blogs.

Just thinking about it makes me mad, to be perfectly honest. You don't use your followers as your own personal army like that, I don't give a shit how popular you are or how special you erroneously believe yourself to be. You're still a childish bully. 

Oh, they were like in their late 20s too so it's not like they were just 'young and dumb' and just let popularity get to their head- this was a calculated move.

[fantasywoes-archive]

50 Random Character Questions

@withoutanumber​ asked: 10, 18, 32, 39, and 45 for cloud please!

10. Pick a scar/injury you have/had and talk about how you got it.

❛ My most prominent scar is the one on my abdomen, giving to me by Sephiroth... that day that I “killed” him. Looking at it just brings me back to that stab where he lifted me up with his sword right through me... other scars not many people know about is my self harm scars. I have them on my wrists. Which is why I always make sure I have gloves on or some bandages covering them. They are faded a bit because I have been clean for a while, but I used to self harm a lot when I was younger...  ❜

18. What your favorite color? Foods? Weathers/Seasons?

❛ I would say... the color green and blue, but specifically slate blue. I used to be a picky eater, but I have some favorites. Grilled cheese, red velvet cake. and... croissants. Fall is my favorite season. It’s a comforting kind of cold. I enjoy the in between of rainy, cloudy and clear skies. ❜

32. On average how many hours of sleep do you get per day? Do you have problems sleeping or waking up? Has this affected your daily routine with other people/your job?

❛ I used to never get sleep. I felt like my eyes could only stay closed for 2 hours a night. I ran high on mako energy I guess, but that only made me have burnout more often. My strength has allowed me to accomplish a lot, but if I didn’t take breaks I was doing more damage to my body. I sleep a bit better now, but still not what is recommended. It’s also due to me being on high alert. I sometimes wake up to any sound that I assume means danger.  ❜

39. What brings you nostalgia? Why?

❛ I know this may sound funny coming from me... but chocobos. When I was little I took care of a lot of baby chocobos and left them when I went to join solider. So anytime I have come across baby chocobos my heart melts. I want to take care of them. I don’t mention it much because I’m already teased enough for looking like a chocobo. ❜

45. How many blankets do you sleep with? How big is your bed? How soft/firm is it? Can you sleep anywhere or under certain conditions?

❛ I usually sleep with no blanket or just one. When I was a kid my bed was pretty small, so I’m used to it. I can fall asleep on a tiny bed, but I say mines is medium? It could be softer. But I can sleep on any surface. I’m used it. The only thing that would be bothersome is thunderstorms. I’m... afraid of them. Sometimes the loud sounds like trigger me. Makes me feel unsafe. ❜

[steeleidolon]

©

When off of deployment and stationed in Midgar, Kunsel did everything in his power to keep his personal life as separate as possible from his work life, a process begun as soon as he left the infantry for SOLDIER.

He took this to something of an extreme. For instance, never wearing his uniform while off-duty and out of HQ, rarely removing his helmet while in the building, and taking on night rotations and solo patrols whenever possible.

Of course, no process is perfect, and he got attached to people anyway, both inside and outside of the company. He still kept up appearances, at least, and that illusion of separation.

Outside of HQ, his civvies were vastly different from his Shinra-produced uniform, and he wore tinted glasses and/or sunglasses to mask the mako glow in his eyes while moving from place to place to avoid questions from civilians.

If asked why he kept the helmet as a Second Class, even when Zack Fair was clearly able to get away without, Kunsel would give all sorts of answers, different ones every time.

[calamitysshatteredson]

@withoutanumber

It wasn’t that he planned to stay there, exactly.  A house out in the woods and far away from civilization sounded a great deal more suiting, frankly, and he wouldn’t have to be as strategic about trying to hide himself... which he hadn’t been as thorough about in recent months.  He was simply--

Getting used to things.  To everything.  To the very concept of being alive, which likely wouldn’t get any less astonishing.  But he did continue to keep to himself, for the most part.  He could recognize the looks for what they were, people getting a little too close, those who might easily be convinced that he didn’t just resemble a certain horrific, destructive force.  When to turn away, when to divert.

Not that comments about the way he looked, who he might resemble, became any easier to laugh off.  He was a bad actor, he supposed; all the more reason to leave.  That, and having very few actual skills, though he had come to enjoy tinkering to some degree.  Taking things apart.  Attempting to fix them and put them back together again, with mixed results.

Sephiroth was ever so slightly grinning to himself at his own self-deprecating mind when he realized he was walking right into someone else’s path.  He moved to step around, to simply try to partially hide his face in the collar of his coat and brush past with a muttered apology.

The apology happened, certainly, but the actual words and their meaning fluttered away from him.  The intention to step around wasn’t quite seen through, coming to an abrupt stop instead.  There were plenty of individuals around with blond hair, and maybe with similar spikes.  But there was only... the one...

He shouldn’t have looked up.  He knew that immediately, but he just couldn’t quite stop himself.  Morbid curiosity.  Acceptance of fate.  There was a sharp laugh caught in his throat, choking him.  He didn’t move, save to take a necessary breath.

[churchflower]

@withoutanumber​ asked: ‘ I’m not going anywhere. ’

Did she look like she was nervous? There was always a gentle nagging in the back of her head, like a constant clock. Tik-tok, you are running out of time. Her fingers fidgeted, twisted anything between them to give her normally dirt covered hands something to do. He was just giving her deja vu, wasn’t he? “Everyone goes somewhere sometimes, Cloud.” she put her hands together to stop them from their antics, her bangles jingled when they clashed together. “What, you’re going to stay here forever?”

[wingsdreamt-m]

@withoutanumber--

* are you really going in there? 

The smell that rises out from the manhole would have knocked most people on their asses. For Zack...Well, Zack looks almost woozy from the overwhelming stench. Enhanced senses make the experience worse by several degrees-- he can practically imagine a swarm of brown and green molecules floating around him like the world’s grossest blanket.

“You volunteering?” the elder man pinches his nose when he says this, lending his voice an unpleasant nasally quality as he peers into the depths below. There’s a sound of slow-moving sewage under his feet, muggy water flowing and splashing up along grimy concrete walls.

A job’s a job...

Something like a whimper escapes him as he steps up to the very edge and puts one foot on the first rung of the ladder. Then another. And another. Until Zack can grip both sides of the ladder and slide all the way down.

From the bottom of the sewer-- “Oh, sweet Ramuh above it got into my boots.”

[a-vctlan]

[for barret] don’t cause a scene .

His eyes remained glued to the screen, rage turning acrid in his chest, acid bubbling in the back of his throat, anger so potent he felt he couldn't say anything without spewing forth all the feelings he'd been forced to hold back ever since platefall.

Don't cause a scene…

His one hand balls into a fist, shaking with the strain of holding himself together, as if the crumbled foundations of the seventh sector plate were his own.

"Les' go."

His voice is a deep, bitter grumble, ears ringing with the lies Shinra's News Channel was now spewing about what had happened… and the way people simply took it as fact, even as survivors of the platefall argued against it, spoke of Shinra's involvement.

He can't help but shoulder check Cloud though as he walks past him, a small act of petulant anger - he did not need to be reminded they were wanted men, he's been one ever since he'd set foot in Midgar, and his fight had now grown even more righteous.

[honorisen]

“ please don’t go… “

◈ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴄᴏᴍʙᴀᴛ ᴍᴏᴅᴇ — ▮ to be missed prompts.

@withoutanumber​

“ You really want me to stay, huh? ” 

The comment had definitely left Zack amused, but if he were being honest, then he would’ve been the first to say that slipping out the door quick wasn’t something he was looking to do either. Call it a habit, but there was a certain instinct he’d ingrained into himself that always made him hesitate when it’d come to leaving Cloud on his own.

“ You know if I do though, then we’re probably not gonna have any food tonight. At least, I know I won’t. I dunno what you’ve got planned for later, but...mine was actually heading out to pick some stuff up. ” But Zack would pause at that, an affectionate hair ruffle finding its way to Cloud’s head a moment later in place of the raven actually taking a step toward the door.

“ Unless you wanna come with me? ”

[meteorshcts]

cherry, teal, indigo

[ cherry ]  what is one thing you love about yourself?

that's a toughie. >_> i don't want to do this meme anymore. i don't know. my eyebrows are really nice, does that count?

[ teal ]  which fandom has been your favorite to be a part of? which has been the least favorite?

well i keep coming back to ff7, and it's nice that every time i do, there are still familiar faces around, as well as plenty of new people! i've tried to get into other rp communities and some of them, i've been successful with, but the ff7 rp community is just constantly wholesome (at least my corner of it) and welcoming. my least favorite was probably the star wars fandom. it was really hard to make friends there for some reason, even though there were plenty of people in it.

[ indigo ] when did you first start writing / roleplaying?

i've been writing for as long as i can remember, and before i knew how to write i was making up stories. i started rping probably around the year 2000, but i didn't start rping on tumblr untilllll 2014? 2015? whenever i made @withoutanumber.