shut up.

actually . . that right there is sort of a lie. there been a few times where aeris might of lied such as the time where she told tseng she isn’t a ancient and not being able to hear those voices in her head. sadly, herself and elmyra knew the truth behind it . . she definitely could. at the time she was only a young child and just didn’t want to leave her adoptive mother’s side. if she did the truth then, they probably would take her by force. a huge possibility really. though, other times where she is suffering inside and pain and putting a smile on her face, that’s when she lies again . . and telling everyone she is alright. what an trooper. but when she is accompanied by cloud, she is more honest than anything. maybe, because . . she trusted him and maybe more than that. so, it has to be that. not only that, he was a great listener. vice versa, really. it was like they were really in tune with one another.

❛ no it won’t !! you’ll survive. pinky promise~. ❜

hearing his sarcastic tone, she was much sarcastic as he was at that moment. who knows, maybe her playfulness was quite infectious to him and began to show his true side to her. or at least, open his eyes to see the world around them. being so cold and well closed off for so long, doesn’t really help anyone. even yourself. maybe, the brunette was just the key he needed to unlock his heart.

as she once poked his cheek with her index finger, a soon gasp was released from her lips and felt his cheek brushing along the palm of her hand. it certainly brought a rose color to her cheeks and soon felt the warmth from his cheeks.  whether he was close to be a flustered mess or — not. it made aeris’s smile appear more. a smiling flower is what she was or so to speak.

her eyes glanced in his direction and seen his body started to rock back and forth in place, making a brow raised of hers. was he . . nervous ? well, this was strange and she was curious as to why. was it something about her ? her aura or just being close to her ? the things that are always questioned but never given an answer. at least in her boots, she wasn’t nervous, aside of feeling something in her stomach. butterflies . . it could be that.

❛  aw. how sad. guess that means i gotta keep all my gil for another day !! but now it sounds like a little ol’e date. which i don’t mind because i get to spend more time with my bodyguard !! teehee~ ❜ she giggled softly before tugging on his arm. ❛ so . . did you have a place in mind where we could go to ?  ❜

Cloud wasn’t much of a liar, either. He found that those who lied often did so out of fear of what others would think of them if they told the truth, and Cloud simply didn’t care enough about the way people felt about him to make lying become a priority to him. Being someone who ordinarily didn’t have much to say, Cloud was in fact quite a good listener. In fact, even when his replies made it appear as if he wasn’t exactly interested in the world around him that was anything but true, he simply only allowed himself to be moved inwardly and made efforts not to appear vulnerable to others. Yet around Aeris he couldn’t help but allow himself to feel. He cherished their moments together, and the only way to make the most of them was to truly open his heart to her, he was realizing that more and more as time passed.

He gulped as she grabbed onto his arm but gave in to her grip all the same, although he was in fact getting more comfortable being in her company, he still wasn’t used to her affectionate nature and he couldn’t help but take a solid breath inwards to help still his usually resting heart.

He distracted himself from how warm her body felt pressed against his own by  ushering to the trail ahead of them with a wag of his head.

░░░░░░ ☾ ty-lee frowns for the space between silence and fury, before she smiles brightly. “that’s okay!” she goes, because ty-lee understands holding onto her anger like she understands the weather: which is to say, not at all. “all the more reason to get you back.” then she falters, wiping the blood from her lip with her thumb. “though, maybe not right now.”

“You’re tougher than you look, y’know.”

“You want a free hit? Then we’ll be even.” 

A frown threatened to twist upon her face, something she thankfully prevented with a lick of her lips. The slightest twitch behind her amber eyes coaxed her to glimpse at the gil, but something far stronger kept her locked on his gaze. It wasn’t just her own fear of getting eviscerated by his blade, it was something deep, and not her own. When had she ever seen such eyes on a person? They were shocking shades of green and blue, and looking upon them brought forth a soft sense of familiarity. The voices were murmurs, pelting her ears like soft rain. They looked like the bright mako that hung in the sky. They looked like… the sweeping flows that once held images of her mother and many others; a memory of a childhood she sought to keep buried.

Eden gave her eyes a harsh blink, and with a rough mental shove, she tore her focus away from his gaze. The shining pieces against the dark floor were now gone, back into protective hands.  She visibly wilted with a silent sigh. Failure stung hard, perhaps more so than her empty stomach’s complaints. The Cetra prepared to pull further back and disappear back into the murky night.

 She shifted her weight on her heels, but the mercenary’s next words shocked her into brief stillness. He was offering her to sit beside him? Even after he knowingly caught onto her plan to steal from him? Her head tilted slightly, the confusion upon her face broke to read the room around her. Most of the other customers seemed to no longer pay any attention, but that didn’t mean her next choice of action would go completely unnoticed. If she ran now, it would only add evidence to the attempted theft. Any of these people could spread the word and her future hope of any success would die. Trying to save the last shreds of pride would be foolish now. 

Eden swallowed back her embarrassment and finally rose into standing. Instead of departing from the bar she settled on the seat he directed towards. Only moments ago Eden found it impossible to tear away from his strange eyes, now she couldn’t bring herself to lift her sight from the tarnished surface of the bar before them. 

Outwardly, Cloud was not the most welcoming of souls. However, that did not mean that he was some sort of hateful villain. He had a bleeding heart that was more capable of feeling empathy for others than he gave himself credit for. Ironically enough, if someone were to ask him whether he considered himself a good person, he certainly wouldn’t think he was anything of the sort, yet he always found himself doing virtuous, heroic deeds for others’ sake, he still didn’t wholly believe that he could be proud of himself.

Here he was again, though, sticking his neck out, and he couldn’t really place his finger on why he was doing so. Perhaps it was because he felt that the thief girl was a kindred spirit, like they were two sides of the same coin.

The blonde became silently aware of her shame as they sat next to one another, and although he appreciated the fact that she seemed to be guilt-ridden as she could no longer meet his gaze, he once more felt sorry for her. As much as he didn’t want to he couldn’t help it.

“Tch.. cheer up. It’s not like you lost a fight or something.”

“Ex…?” she replied, eyes widening a bit in surprise. Hadn’t joining SOLDIER been his dream since they were teenagers? It was why he left Nibelheim in the first place. The thought of their hometown made her frown and she shook her head. This wasn’t a time to be sad - not when Cloud had just walked back into her life! 

There was a story there, though, and she wanted to know it.

When he mentioned being a mercenary now, she hummed in thought. “Really? Hm. I think that suits you, actually,” she said in thought. “There’s plenty of stuff to do around here - the slums are always in need of extra help.”

His compliment made her smile, head tilting as she felt a blush cross over her cheeks. “You think so? I feel like I haven’t changed all that much since back then. Thank you,” she replied. 

“So…want something? On the house, of course.”

The question, although innocuous in nature, cut through him like a hot knife through butter, and he had to mindfully prevent himself from clenching his fists as he rested his hands against the surface of the bar. He had gone through quite a bit of suffering in his time apart from his childhood friend, and as he averted his gaze from her once more, he hoped that the trauma didn’t show.

“It ain’t all that. It was cute when I was a kid, yeah? The whole idea of it all. Being a SOLDIER. But it didn’t work out like I thought.”

Although his answer was vague, he hoped there was enough in his response to temporarily sate her curiosity. He knew Tifa all too well and instantly recognized the worry in her eyes, he figured that she had a boundless amount of questions for him. Cloud actually found her nosiness around his affairs to be rather cute, although that is a thought the blonde definitely kept to himself. He nodded as she confirmed to him that his help was needed around these parts. He knew it would be. This city had all sorts of problems that seemingly could only be solved with steel, unfortunately. It sure was fortunate for Cloud, though. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but feel that fighting was all he was good for.

“It works for me. No orders to worry about but my own now, just how I like it. I like working alone.”

He knew she would approve of his newfound career path. She always was a supportive friend to him, in all of his undertakings she could be found in his corner even since they were kids. As he continued, he couldn’t help but notice the rosy tint on her cheeks. He was glad he could still make her blush.

“I’ll have a drink. Have one with me, though.”

“And yeah, now that you mention it--you do still look twelve.”

Had it been another time, another situation, perhaps she would have seen this stranger as an ally. A fellow survivor who endured life’s storms and learned not to yield to them. This was a moment of desperation, however, and right now she saw him as a threat. He was a threat not only to her staving off hunger pangs for the night but to her life. 

The latter became even more a reality as the heavy slice of air broke the short silence, her amber eyes meeting with the gleam of that deadly blade. Sickening panic gripped at her stomach, it felt as though her ribcage clutched tight around her lungs. She couldn’t breathe, especially once she saw how fierce and wintry the mercenary’s gaze became.

“Such a gentleman.” She growled, her words dripped with sarcasm. She straightened up to widen the distance from his weapon, however, her open hands held up at chest height. She stuck to her passive façade despite her fear. This was another factor she had to come to grips with since leaving her old, isolated life as a hunter. There were codes of mannerisms, and while she caught onto them easily enough to keep up her act, she never fully understood their influence on people. Why would anyone’s sex be a factor in battle? Still, the Cetra needed to play along if she was going to have any chance of coming out of this with gil and her life.

“I look to help someone out and this is what I get.” A sigh escaped from her, and her eyes dropped away from him. It was a brief show of true exhaustion, a small price to pay to keep up some sort of authenticity. “Life’s hard enough as it is, shouldn’t we try to help one another out whenever we can?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

His perpetually uninterested voice didn’t crack in the slightest as she threw sarcasm his way, as he was quite used to snark and figured that this was her true character shining through, which he actually preferred to her feigning kindness. He hated liars.

Due to their respective backgrounds and tragic pasts, both of their hearts seemed to have hardened to the world around them, and neither one seemed to be capable of truly trusting one another, especially since they were practically strangers. This city had a way of drilling a certain paranoia into the psyche, in Cloud’s line of work especially.  The merc was constantly dealing with shady criminals and untrustworthy folk to the point where he had grown quite distrustful. At this point, it was uncommon for him to meet people that he actually considered to be of pure intention, unfortunately.

“Sure, help me out.. by backin’ up while I pick my gil up.”

Although her mannerisms were by all means not aggressive, he still kept his gaze steadied on her as he took a few steps forward, yet his posture softened somewhat as he sheathed his Buster sword and lowered to get down on a knee to pick up his money. He didn’t even face the floor as he did so, instead keeping his multi-colored irises trained on her until he rose to his feet and took a seat at the bar again, the now disinterested crowd taking their eyes off them once they realized a fight was probably not ensuing. For now. He gestured to the empty seat adjacent to him.

“If you weren’t tryin’ to steal from me, you can sit here.”

The evening was still young, and it was one of her favorite times of the day. It was before people got too drunk, their spirits were usually high when they came in for solace, and she still had her energy. The music from her jukebox was soothing, its beats filling the air with lightness and optimism. This was always needed in the slums, she found, and she was grateful to have a working machine to have it play. 

Behind the bar counter, she was working on an order, without a care in the world in that moment. Mixing drinks was second nature to her nowadays, and she’d take that over using her hands for violence. She knew she wasn’t as excitable about going out and tearing ShinRa people apart like her fellow AVALANCHE members were, but she shared the sentiment. Barret and the others were working really hard with HQ on plans, which she supported, but it was obvious that her heart just wasn’t in the bloodshed the same way. 

Sacrifices were needed for the cause, but she didn’t want to stoop as low as the suits topside. 

Finishing her drink and lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed the newcomer until she handed off the order to the patron at the corner of the counter. Glancing upwards, she felt eyes on her and she gasped. 

“Cloud…?” she whispered, shocked that she was staring into those all-too-familiar blue eyes that hearkened back to her childhood. Is that really…? What’s he doing here…? The barmaid paused, shaking her head and giving him a warm smile. Don’t look like a complete idiot, Lockhart! Nervously, she pulled some of her hear back behind an ear as he seated himself across from her. This close, she could see how much he had changed since she last saw him. 

The eyes, while having changed hues a bit (mako, she knew), were the same, though. At his words, she chuckled, moving to do just that. Setting the glass down in front of him, she continued to smile, still in disbelief that Cloud was here in her bar. 

“Here – enjoy this on the house,” she said, before clearing her throat. “I see you made it into SOLDIER,” she murmured, pointing a finger towards his guise. “You look…good, Cloud. It’s been a while.” 

I hope he can’t hear my heart right now.

“…Thanks.”

Cloud’s mako-splashed irises remained fixated on his childhood friend, and although the blonde remained stone-faced as he took her in, he couldn’t help but feel as if this were just another dream. The mako coursing through his body often made him the victim of hallucinations that all too often alluded to their tragic shared past. He physically shook the thought out of his head, as it momentarily broke his concentration on his favorite bartender as she whipped up a drink for him. He barely even took mind of the liquor as she passed it over to him, his gaze remaining focused on Tifa instead as he dragged a glove hand through his unruly blonde hair.

As she went on, he inwardly grimaced. The word SOLDIER cut through him like a serrated knife, and he felt air blow out of his nose before he gathered himself. The compliment she sprinkled in at the end there eased his nerves, although he’d never admit that to her, or anyone, for that matter.

“Ex-SOLDIER.”

That’s all he would say about the matter for now. He was infamous for being a man of few words, after all.

“I’m a merc’ now. I do freelance stuff.. jobs. If you ever need help with anything, I’m your guy.”

Although a lot had changed since the pair had last seen eachother, Cloud still was socially awkward-as-ever. He coughed to clear the air as he finally averted his gaze from her. He hated feeling flustered, and he figured that extended eye-contact with his friend who now happened to be a little too beautiful for her own good wasn’t a good idea for him unless he wanted to make a fool out of himself. Yet again, he wouldn’t share that notion with a soul, though. He felt his breath get hitched in his throat as he brought himself to lock eyes with her once more. He never was one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but when it came to Tifa he felt like she could read  him like an open book. It always did throw him off.  He had so much he wanted to say to her that had been left unsaid and he often agonized over the many ‘what-if’s’ between them, now that she was standing a few feet in front of him he felt daunted by those unspoken words. He often had trouble processing his emotions and even more of a difficult time trying to put them into words, so all he could manage to get out for now was a lame compliment.

“Also, you look good, too..”

“--older.. I mean.” 

If anyone asked Aqua if she knew that place or where exactly she was going, the answer would be no. Still, the keyblade master had to be there. She had went out on her own this time, going as far as she could looking for conections that had touched Sora’s heart, in hopes of maybe finding a lead, a single trace, of where he had disappeared to. His memories still remained so she knew he still existed, somewhere. She just didn’t know where.

Aqua had reached that strange new world in hopes of finding help, or maybe a familiar place that she knew lived around there somewhere.

No heartless in sight, thankfully, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t in any danger there, so it was time for two things, preparation and information gathering. Considering how it seemed completely different from what she was used to, it was wise to simply know more about her whereabouts. And an excuse to get herself better gear seemed like the perfect way of doing that.

In fact, she saw her change when a stranger tried to start a conversation with her.

Slowly Aqua elevated her hand, placing it on the back of her neck as she seemed downlight embarassed for being caught so easily.

“Is it the obvious?” The blue haired woman asked, in a friendly tone. “Yes… I just arrived here actually.”

The blonde tilted his head as she turned in his direction to face him, as he often felt uncomfortable during face-to-face exchanges with strangers. However, his discomfort would not break the stoic facial expression that seemed to be permanently carved onto his features. His façade only cracked for those who managed to get past his antisocial walls and many physical boundaries, which probably explained why Cloud could only needed one gloved hand to count how many people there were out there that he considered to be more than a mere acquaintance.

Most strangers uncannily found a way to irritate him right off the bat, but her pleasant demeanor had yet to do so. He could tell from her tone of voice and temperament that the girl was being genuine with him, and that was enough to keep Cloud docile for now.

“Knew it. Your clothes aren’t dusty, yet. They will be soon if you stick around.”

He motioned to her outfit with a flick of his wrist and then back to his own. The armor-clad clothing he was donning had quite a visible layer of dirt and grime beginning to veil over it.  Although Midgar was quite the technological marvel, the city’s blind pursuit of progress had prioritized industry over all else and left the environment and atmosphere to suffer as pollutants and toxins were pumped from out of the city’s many factories, and those harmful byproducts all flowed right into the tight residences and slums that had come to define this city, painting the whole city grey with ash & soot as if they were already marked for death.

“What’s a place like this even got for you?”

even during childhood and being practically the popular girl in nibelheim, she had many friends. mostly the days, when she was out playing with the other kids, tifa had tried to invite cloud to play, too. other times, he had just turned his head and not join in. it made her curious as to why. it made her to believe she was some kind of a bully. truthfully, she wasn’t. she was a kind-hearted girl and willing to share her kindness to others. someway, he seemed to overcome that antisocial antics of his and become an actually friend of hers. after from what has happened back then in nibelhleim.. cloud was someone she held close to her heart and meant more than anything. she is quite grateful to have met him and have the kind of friendship they have now.

❛  of course, i am a girl! do you not see my large u-um.. assets of mine ?! ❜

um. wow, cloud. you shouldn’t of asked her such a question and now, you really done it.. even if it was nothing but a silly joke. she was one that took things a bit too.. serious at times. but, either way, being a girl or not, anyone should not be afraid to punch her.. right in the face. well, that’s if they had the chance to do so, anyway. tifa can’t count how many times she had drop kicked or punched a man in the damn face. her punches were strong enough to cause a severe bruise or have them dripping blood on the floor. maybe, she shouldn’t be too proud of that.

as she flexed her arm muscle a bit, it appears she may have more muscle in her arms than he does. how interesting. it is probably from her training and then again, she was a martial artist, by heart so that plays a big part in her life. still, he trains more just as she does. guess they are equal when it comes to that.

❛ how rude. fine. have it your way and you’ll eat those words.  i’ll make sure i’ll win and not.. you. ❜

she really is getting competitive now and grits her teeth, meaning she truly meant business. he started this and now, she is gonna finish this. seeing him point a hand towards the closest table in the room, she simply nodded her head once before walking into that direction where he wanted to hold this challenge at.

❛  okay, i will. ❜

she accepts and tifa takes a seat at one of the seats before glancing an eye in his direction. that was until, she too, had cracked her knuckles, making sure she was ready for this friendly challenge. surely, she has this in the bag, don’t she ? or so, she purposely thinks.

Cloud had always noticed her determination to get him involved with her group activities in the village whilst they were growing up, but he simply was too hesitant at the time to feel comfortable in those sorts of crowds, whereas most kids their age at the time had their minds occupied with imaginary games and entertaining outdoors-y fun, Cloud’s circumstances weighed heavier on his shoulders, he had always wanted more out of life, and once he had got what he asked for and became a SOLDIER it turned absolutely nothing like he expected, and all that went to Hell, too. That’s why he thought it was for the best that he kept to himself, as it seemed like he was never going to be able to stay in one place for long, why dedicate himself to anyone or anything? At least that’s what he thought before Tifa and AVALANCHE were fatefully brought back into his life.

“Your what!?”

Once she pointed out her already obviously well-endowed frame, the quickly flustered Cloud couldn’t help but take his eyes off her and instead quickly shoot them to the floor in a bout of nervousness, as her general openness always did manage to surprise the oh-so closed-off Cloud.

“Don’t answer that!”

Be proud of your strength! Cloud always did admire how tough she was. He liked that she defied most people’s expectations about her, because truly if she wanted to she could have just found some rich sap to marry that would’ve given her  a way easier life than she has now, but no way in Hell he could ever see her doing that. She was too tough and wanted something more substantial than that so she chose to fight for what she believed in instead, and Cloud would always respect that about her.

“We’ll see about that.  Hope you’ve been doing your push-ups.”

Cloud spoke coyly, his lips almost curling into a smirk as his favorite bartender made her way towards him. As he examined her pre-fight-ritual, he couldn’t help but think about how much they had both grown up since they were kids, and he had to physically shake the thought out of his head before he distracted himself from what was important here: winning this arm wrestling match! He dropped an elbow firmly on the table, sticking a lean but muscled arm out towards her so that she could lock hands with him.

❛  yes, you is !! would a pretty face like mine would ever lie to you ? yeah, don’t answer that. ❜

maybe, his question might of been used a joke but she decides to go with it and answer either way. that was how she certainly was. but, no doubt he was bodyguard but cannot deny the fact they were beginning to come something more than that. its plain as day and probably her own mother probably could get that vibe. still, elmyra only hopes he keep his promise and protect her because when aeris is around, those whispers start to reappear. like as some plague or a curse may be a better word. it’s either you run away or fight them off. in which she chooses to fight em off. she is quite surprised cloud would just leave.. after seeing those. yet, he decides to stand beside her. it must of took strength and determination for that. he is so brave and she approves that about him.

❛ maybe, i am~ you got a problem with that ? if you say yes — i may have to bonk you on the head.  ❜

she says in a playful tone of voice and knew she couldn’t do that to someone like cloud. except for the teasing and flirting. that probably won’t stop as long as he dishes it out back at her. but being around him, she knows he wasn’t used to affection or being physical touched. well, aeris had that experience in that regard but not fully and yet, she was willing to show. guess because she was not as shy and had a outgoing personality. to see cloud more open and trying to tease her in some aspects, guess she was melting that frosty exterior of his and a learning a thing or two from her. such a good teacher she is.

❛  of course i missed you, silly head !! ❜ gently pokes him side of the cheek with her index finger before retracting her hand to the side. ❛  sounds like you may want to spend more time with little ol’e me. fine, you’ll get your payment.  ❜ with all the gil she has on her person, should be enough to spend time with her bodyguard. that’s if he was up for it. after all, he didn’t visit her for no reason, right ? that just be . . silly.

“I bet you’re a bad liar.” 

His eyes narrowed into a squint as he tilted his head in order to feign as if he really was trying to catch her in a lie, obviously that wasn’t really the case, though. Cloud was not one who gave bis trust away all that easily, but in the presence of a girl like Aeris he couldn’t see how he would ever be deceived by her. He was used to being oh-so cautious, it lifted a weight off his shoulders to have someone who he knew he could count in. After all, he’s saved her, she’s saved him, and around and around they go.

“Please, don’t. That’d flatten me.”

His sarcastic response indicated that he knew she was joking, her avid, infectious playfulness and brought out the more childish side of Cloud that he had oftentimes neglected. He was constantly reprimanding himself and holding himself back from truly opening his heart to the world around him, but she was teaching him to unwind.

He brushed his cheek into her hand as she poked him, subtly showing his willingness to be touched by her. Her hand was warm and almost made  his snow-pale cheeks flush, his skin was used to being so icy, he didn’t mind the warmth she brought him.

He rocked in place, his nerves still not completely leaving him as he attempted to swallow what felt like a lump in his throat. He was getting nervous.

 “I’m not gonna take your Gil, though. I can... pay for whatever if we go somewhere.” 

no doubt, tifa was a professional at hiding her true feelings within the mist of her heart. after all, her last name wasn’t ‘ lockhart ‘ no reason whatsoever. whatever she was feeling, it was mainly kept to herself so she wasn’t putting that kind of burden on someone’s shoulder. though, there might of been one person in her life she may open up and tell what was bothering her.. that being cloud; her childhood friend. there was some stuff, she just couldn’t tell to someone like barret or the other avalanche members for a specific reason. not, she didn’t really trust them.. its just because they didn’t experience the same thing as herself and cloud might of. that is why she put most of her faith and trust into cloud. though, moments like these  — she had appreciated him for distracting her from her inner thoughts with his playful banter of his. she never thought he has the ability to such.. things. maybe, because tifa always seen him as aloof and stayed to himself. not as much when it came to someone like this brawler.

❛  are you saying that because… i’m just a girl to you ? i hope that isn’t the case because i don’t have an issue to put a major beat down on that ass of yours. ❜

while at her attempts could be easily described as teasing  — did he just say.. her face was nice to look at ? who knows, she could instantly take it as flirting. yeah, right.. not like cloud has it in him to flirt to begin with. neither did she.. though, when she had tried.. tifa only ended up being embarrassed doing so. after all, even if she had a strong front about her, some way, some way, she had that shy side about her.. only a few get to notice. those, who may be close to her and definitely not her enemies.

❛  arm wrestle ? are you sure ? i don’t want to break your itty bitty arms of yours~. ❜

obbviously, the brawler didn’t want to hurt him and if there was a bit of friendly competition maybe, it wasn’t so bad. flexing both of her arms a bit, they surely shown a lot of her tough and strong arm muscle. guess, it was the outcome from  all that training she does in her spare time and of course in battle. cloud would know that all too well, wouldn’t he ? maybe, she hasn’t fought against him but a little challenge like this.. she wouldn’t decline. that’s her competitive side of tifa. if he was more than willing, she’ll be up for it.. that’s if he was, too.

Cloud had such trouble deciphering the feelings that stirred in his tumultuous head and heart, he too did not want to trouble anyone else with his inner turmoils, and although not many people would call him a cheery person it’s not like he was gloomy either, it just took some prying to get past his antisocial exterior, and Tifa had managed to do that since childhood, she was his only friend as a kid after all. He valued her more than he could put into words, he was pretty terrible with his words. Without her growing up in Nibelheim would have been an even lonelier affair for him than it already was, and he had always appreciated Tifa’s company even if he couldn’t always properly express it.

“Wait... You’re a girl?” Another joke. However, it held a bit of a deeper meaning than that. Cloud had resented seeing men fawn over Tifa and not treat her with the respect she deserved, he knew that she was beautiful but often enough that’s all men cared to see about her. Cloud wasn’t swayed by shallow things like that and from a young age decided he would treat her as a person and show her the respect she was owed regardless of her gender or physical properties.  

He was in good spirits, this was a rare sight indeed. Perhaps the euphoria from his earlier training regiment was still running fresh through his blood, that sword he swung around all day was quite heavy after all, or maybe it was just the fact that Tifa put him in a better mood than he’d like to admit. As he took a gander at Tifa’s muscle definition often made him wonder how he didn’t have a larger frame than he did, but he didn’t mind his size, the sword made up for all that. Besides, he had muscles of his own, even if Tifa did appear to have the bigger arms as she flexed at him. He tilted his head.

“Break my arm? I was thinking about letting you to win to be nice, but now... I’m not gonna.”

He begun to shake his primary arm out in front of him to loosen his muscles up for this little contest they were having, he did plan on winning it after all, he wasn’t lying when he said that. He pointed at the bar’s nearest table as he sheathed his weapon to his back, making his way over there to the adjacent side of the 7th Heaven in order to sit down.

“Take a seat.”

Name: aidan

Nickname: aidan (lol creative right?)

Preferred pronouns: he/him

Age range: 20 & thriving

Favorite animal: penguins!!!

Pets?: a pupper named jasper

How long have you been in this fandom?: been playing FF games since i was lil but i only just recently actually considered myself part of the fandom a couple months ago when i started XV

Tattoos/piercings: Tattoos: 1 of 1 tattooed on my forearm

Star sign: capricorn! 

Why did you choose this specific character/s?: i was drawn to cloud the moment he first had dialogue, i love them atypical protags with tragic pasts that seem like assholes but really have hearts of gold and i like to think that my portrayal of him does him justice! hes a lil shit so he keeps things interesting thats for sure

tagged by:   @shadowxcetra (thanks for the tag yr sweet!! ♥) 

when she had first met cloud on the streets in midgar, she was more surprised he was more than willing to lend in an helping hand when those whispers had came in and tried to attack her. when that happened, people often stared and thought of her as some slum drunk or such. it wasn’t all in her head as aeris suspected and when she seeked for help from cloud, he seemed to seen them too just from an simple touch of his hand. but after that and giving a flower to him for absolute free, he seemed quite distant and cold; especially being told in dangerous things, blah blah blah. yet, the flower girl didn’t care. as if it had never bothered someone like herself. but after their second meeting in the church, that’s when she crossed paths with him as it was fate or something as such. for the right price, she had even requested him to be a bodyguard when those pesky turks wanted to take her away. as for the right price; it was a date. maybe, even better than silly gil. but, it gave her the right time to get to know him on a much personal level to the point she was able to open him up even more. guess he was like an egg that was hard to crack or something like that. from the things he had been through, just as she was; aeris seemed to be attracted to him and just loved being around him. she couldn’t put a finger on it, just something could not be explained bu felt.

as she done her best to get an answer out of that man before her eyes, she noticed a grin had popped out at the side of his lips. something she didn’t see too often but must of happened when she was around her. well, her laughter and smiles were contagious. that is what this brunette had believed so. aeris was bright as the sun in the darkness of this city after all. without her and the help of making the city more beautiful with her flowers, it just remain nothing but darkness and gloom.

❛ what can i say ? i’m just oh so good at taking good guesses, don’t you know~ but hello yourself; dear bodyguard of mine.  ❜

she says almost practically in a playful tone just as the gentle poke on his nose was given. no surprise as she seen him basically turning away from a simple touch. who knows on how in shiva’s name how he would react to other touches like a kiss on the cheek. luckily, she hadn’t done anything like of the sort — yet. some would even ask to why she done all this teasing towards someone like cloud. all because she loved how he reacted, even if didn’t seeme to affect him much or sometimes had got a flustered expression out of him. that is close as it was going to be. htere was more of a reason behind it such as developing a crush on him. well, it was more of a crush as the feelings for him . . developed more. it was something she didn’t want to spit out to him and instead kept it to herself. for the time being, anyways. moments ago, when she had poked him on the nose, he had returned the same motion and as a reaction, aeris had crunched her nose before wiggling it.  ( “ oh how cute. he can be playful, too. “ ) as she simply thought into her mind.

❛ as you may say — maaaaaaybe i’ll accept a mere maybe from you. just depends. hehe~.  ❜ she says, before a smile had captured her own lips after seeing his own.

❛  awe, really ? you missed little ol’e me ? oh, how sweet !! if you must know — i missed you too, cloud.  ❜

He would never forget the first time they crossed paths, although he wasn’t particularly friendly to her that day he knew he had to find out more about Midgar’s flower girl and what she was running from, and sure enough after he witnessed the ethereal events that took place during their brisk introduction, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get her out of his head anytime soon, she had truly piqued his curiosity, and that was a feat all in itself. Even though the city often felt like an over-populated mess, she had managed to stick out like a sore thumb, and Cloud often felt like he was the same in that regard, and it made him instantly feel for her. The mako coursing through him often made him act out against his will as well, so he figured a girl like her would be able to sympathize with his hallucinatory outbursts.

The second time he got to saw her at that church he was literally thrown head-first into her life, and it did indeed feel like a fateful event that was meant to occur. He recalled believing that he was in a dream when he first opened his eyes in that bed of flowers that had shielded his fall, especially when he had saw who he had fallen next to. However, the battle that ensued with her wannabe captors definitely had him aware of just how awake he really was. As he recalled the Turks he felt a tinge of anger wash over him, he hated that such an innocent girl was wanted by such terrible people, but he was going to keep her safe, he had to. He often told himself he would never allow anyone to be taken from him again. Normally, Cloud shunned away from topics like destiny and fate as he liked to believe he could grab his life with his own two hands and fully be in control of it, often finding men who wasted their time obsessing over the conjectures of this chaotic universe to be foolish, but her magical entrance into his life had him questioning his beliefs. Maybe some things were supposed to happen after all, he had never felt anything in his life feel this meant to be before. He was glad that it was her who made him feel this way, even though they were both new to one another it had already felt like they were so familiarized.

The blonde often felt like he was living in a half-zombified state, his militant background and stoic nature often forcing him to mask his emotions in fear of stressing out those around him. Although he was often accused of being selfish, that couldn’t be further from the truth as he would gladly put his body and heart on the line for those he cared about, he often kept his feelings to himself just so that he wouldn’t bring anyone else down around him. With Aeris it was different, she was a breath of fresh air that revived parts of him that he thought had been killed off long ago, she made his heart feel not so cold after all.

“Yep, your one and only..”

“...Right?”

That was in response to the role she had given him as her trusty bodyguard, but they both knew he was quickly becoming more than that, and he really only asked that question at the end there as a joke, but he certainly was curious about her.. He had heard the whispers around town whenever he walked next to her, most guys often shot him dirty looks. He figured they were just jealous though, because why wouldn’t they be? 

“Now you’re hittin’ me with the maybes too, I see how it is.”

Another playful jest.

Cloud wasn’t used to affection. The physical touches in his life were often more violent than they were friendly, he was grown more accustomed to getting cut and beaten than hugged and kissed. In fact, she often made him feel more flustered than a challenging battle did. He had always thought of himself as a fighter, not a lover, but her warmth balanced him so well that he could see himself being both for the first time in his life. Her positive energy was contagious; her bright life-force eternally reassuring. He often had to bite his lip around her in order to keep himself from toothily smiling fully, as she was always managing to maneuver around Cloud’s many internal walls and emotional blockades. He could hardly suppress his joy around her, but he still tried to, as he always did. He felt his heart-rate increase as he knew what he wanted to say to her next, his eyes momentarily breaking away from hers in a moment of nervousness, as they often did whenever he attempted to flirt with her. These damn butterflies in his stomach wouldn’t leave him alone. He was gonna find a way to kill them if they kept this up, he thought to himself. 

“You missed me too?... Maybe... it’s time for another payment again, then.”

Midgar: The city that shines brighter than any star. Countless lights and billowing smoke rising from gargantuan reactors mask the night sky from citizens below. Many have never seen the moon or stars, not once in their lives unless they ventured away from the sprawling metropolis. Harmony was one of the few who remembers the heavens even before her soldier days that allowed her to leave the city limits and see the vast world. 

How she missed the comfort of the night skies, the skies she thought she would never see again. One day, she will leave the city’s limits to see them again. But for now, her priority is survival and escaping before they find her for if they do, death is her promised fate. Harmony quietly glances the world around her before keeping her head low.

 Damn it all. Is it coming off again? 

A weary sigh pass her lips and she takes the band of fabric that was coming loose from around he head. It was to keep her eye hidden and not raise any alarms. “How am I going to resolve this?” She paid little mind to the shop before her. It was not her concern until the door swings open. 

SLAM!

Pain rattles her brain, and she lets out a sharp cry. Harmony staggers back a few steps. Her hands, one of them concealed by a glove, reach to gingerly touch her face to check for anything broken. Then, she turns her head to the man before her, revealing the eye.

Her left eye shines a brilliant shade of green, but it’s not a normal eye. The sclera lining the green is jet black instead of white. The eye also lacked a normal pupil with a reticle in its place. Faint whirling reaches unsuspecting ears as the eye move in its socket before pinning Cloud. The reticle enlarges before it shrinks again after it sought the target.  Harmony staggers back and lowers her hand. A fervent patch appears on her forehead and pure rage fills her right eye. 

“You a SOLDIER?” 

SOLDIER?! 

That word she remembers very well. A word that was once her dream. She sacrificed everything for that dream, even her own life. How she regrets it. That word strikes her heart like an icy knife. 

Normally, Harmony prefers to answer politely and be as subtle as possible so she doesn’t draw attention. But that word, that accursed word. What if this man is a SOLDIER? If he is, then her life could slip into peril in the blink of an eye.

I won’t let him take me alive! 

 Her left hand  pulls out a handgun from its holster with the barrel aimed at the stranger, though she does not plan to shoot. There’s a chance that he is not a SOLDIER,. She plans to withdraw her gun if he isn’t, but she can’t take her chances. 

“What’s it to you? Are you one of them?” 

Cloud had grown up away from the urban, overly industrialized sprawl that was Midgar and all of its respective sectors, instead hailing from the quiet mountainous region of Nibelheim. Although he came from similarly humble roots they were just on the other side of the spectrum, he had grown up in a quiet rural farmland that hadn’t a tinge of neon. A local such as herself would be a great asset to Cloud’s team, as every alleyway held secrets only known to those who were familiar with Midgar’s nook and crannies, of which there seemed to be an almost infinite amount. Cloud had only been in town for a few weeks now, and he felt like he was discovering new things every time he made his way outside, he could tell he had just barely scratched the surface of what this glowing city had to offer, although sometimes he was sure there were some things going on here that even he didn’t want to know about, especially after the pretty eventful time he had in the infamously hedonistic Wall Market. Sometimes, this place sure could find ways to unpleasantly surprise him. Such as right now, considering he was now staring down the barrel of a gun.

His eyes peeled away from her single mako-webbed eye in order to instead focus on the more immediate threat; the weapon poised to blow him away. However, he was no stranger to being at gunpoint in the slightest, and in fact his breathing didn’t pick up as most people who’s life might be flashing in front of their eyes would, he actually felt his body do the opposite as his heart rate slowed down, the cones of his vision tunneling in on his quarry. Being on the line between life and death was his calling, and it also happened to be where he excelled the most. His posture didn’t break in the slightest, further representing his current hyper-focused mental state.

“Tch… put that away before you get hurt.”

However, once he realized that she was excommunicated and probably on the run just like he was, his voice softened somewhat. His speckled orbs flicked back up to her own as he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief upon arriving at the conclusion that she wasn’t a current SOLDIER, as this meant he narrowly avoided a fight to the death with the girl.

“Relax. I’m an EX-SOLDIER too. First Class. You?”

there was no doubt that cloud couldn’t forget something as simple to as to why tifa might of not been too thrilled about people who wield an sword. not when it had reminded her when she was struck down and left her wounded to the point of having a scar in the said area. everyday when she looks in the mirror and get dressed, she is reminded of the physical and emotional damage it had left her. it made her stronger right ? maybe, physically but emotionally is a totally different story. it just brought her pain and her own bit of suffering in her own silent way. but, the thing was.. she wasn’t the only one who went through the same kind of torment. just maybe a bit more severe and it was no other than her childhood friend, cloud.

just because of what she been through, there been nights where she couldn’t sleep.. those horrible nightmares and it had only relived the pain she had felt in the past. but being good with locking up her emotions within herself, cloud probably could never expect it. unless.. she came out and revealed those emotions. unless, he asked, either way. pushing those inner thoughts away, she felt a gloved hand resting on her shoulder as a faded smile crossed her lip and her dark brown locks of hair pushed to the side; if there was one person who seemed to cheer her up, maybe not by verbally since he wasn’t good with words but by actions. or so to speak. him trying to be affectionate or caring for someone wasn’t shown too often but then again, tifa knew him better than anyone else.

❛  that’s true.. glad you notice that i can kick some ass without something like a sword. ❜

it was good to see he had noticed that she can kick some major ass without any use of a sword because close combat such as using her fists and legs were perfect in battle. though, the downside is you can get injured a lot quickly, whether it be scratches, bruises or cuts. but, it is something a martial artist like herself is used to. there was a disadvantage to everything like there was advantages. though, probably using a sword could be quite handy. but her weapons were her hands and there is no better thing other than that.

❛  oh, you don’t say ? i don’t remember the last time we actually had sparred against one another. but, i think with my strength.. i probably would put a major beat down to you. who knows really. ❜

then again, with him having infused mako inside of him and enhanced abilities, he was a much stronger person than a normal human such as someone like tifa. there is a good chance, she may lose. but, she wasn’t one to give up so easily and accept defeat. that determination and courage had gave to her; knowing she was no quitter. maybe, that was her.. stubborn traits talking, too. one of these days.. it may became her downfall. even so, her inner strength was given to her by cloud.. maybe because he just.. been there and had gave his support. part of her had feared that he wouldn’t of joined a group like avalanche and yet, he was here. with him helping them out and getting paid the way he did. maybe, that is why he never said no. then again, it seemed it was making him open up more and actually be social. not only that, but to show his caring side for others than himself. she knew all too well, he was a big softie but only shown it to people he had grown close to, such as tifa. hopefully, he knows he wasn’t alone in this, as herself and the others were more willing to lend an hand; especially in those risky missions; never know what the outcome could be.

They both were very similar in regards to the way they often masked and downplayed their true emotions, a person as proficient at being stoic as Cloud could certainly recognize that same quality in others, and he could tell when Tifa was leaving something unsaid, which is why he was often quick in his attempts to distract her with some usually playful banter. He had always respected those who he felt were good-hearted, and he knew that she certainly was. As far as his friends were concerned, he’d rather be the one suffering and going through Hell than to ever to see any of them get hurt, especially a childhood friend like Tifa. He often had nightmares about what had happened to her just like she did. One of his biggest regrets was not being strong enough at the time to save her, it lit a fire in him that sparked his ferocity in battle and his dedication to training. He wanted to be as strong as he could possibly be, but strength often has a price and the same Mako that was coursing through his veins granting him power beyond most mortal’s reach was the very thing destroying him too.

He grinned inwardly, figuring by her now playful response to him that his attempt at distracting her from thinking back on their mutually tragic past was a success. He wasn’t sure if he could handle seeing Tika break down, the only thing he knew how to do for sure was take chop down his opponents, when it came to all other areas of life he most definitely needed work. The constant socialization that this city provided him was getting him out of his shell, however, there were some parts of Cloud that would never change. He was a stubborn soul after all.

“Oh really? I don’t know if I could bring myself to do that, y’know, your face ain’t half-bad to look at, I wouldn’t wanna bust it up.”

Things like his half-compliments, those would never go away. It was his way of being affectionate; he often sprinkled flirtations in his teasing to keep things light-hearted. As unbothered as Cloud often seemed, he really was quite socially awkward and often didn’t feel comfortable expressing true admiration. Sometimes he felt like if he was too open with those around him then it would just lead to even more pain if he ended up failing to keep them safe again, and in this uncertain way of life they had grown accustomed to he was constantly trying to remind himself not to let others’ get too close, when perhaps that was the opposite of what he should be doing. Oh, well. I did say he was stubborn after all.

“Maybe we should just arm wrestle.”

❛ woooow. rude much ? stop being such a mister grumpy-pants !! it won’t kill ya.  ❜guess this was to be expected when her playful teasing seemed to have no effect. at least, to her and in her eyes didn’t seem like that. he didn’t really sound rude just . . more sarcastic if anything. she could always be sarcastic in return if she was willing. but, that sort of trait is more fitting for cloud and not herself.

to her, she had never thought that he would do something like speak to her beloved flowers. she only hopes he did it because he wanted to . . and not feeling pity for someone like herself. people tend to do that when they feel sorry for someone like herself but it makes you wonder if the flowers listened to both of them when they talked to them. but, no doubt, they did. flowers had feelings just as any living thing out there. they were more human than anyone or . . anything. with them being talked to, it had gave them the determination to continue to grow and blossom to its outer beauty of flora.

her eyes and the use of her hands had ushered him into her home and with that smile on the flower girl’s face, seemed to swayed him, as her emerald greens watched him enter her beloved home. her home had a good airy feeling and made just about anyone feel comfortable at home. as the line goes; home sweet home or something . . out of the sort. closing the door behind her, it made a loud sound and made sure to not allow another intruder inside. except . . cats. those feline animals are okay in her book.

after inviting him inside, her eyes had met with the blond’s form and caught an glimpse of him clenching his fists. what was that about ? surely, she was curious. aeris was always a curious woman but proceeds not to question him. at least for now . . though seeing how much she truly wanted to. maybe, his thoughts was elsewhere ? like into another world, maybe ? that could be it.

❛  that’s not all ? does that mean i was right then ? though, it was just my lucky guess. ❜ she said as taking a step forth and playfully poking him on the nose. being the way she was around him, she wonders if he is used to it by now. probably not. her aura always a nice breath of fresh air. her smiles, giggling and laughter had brought that to anyone . . everyone. whether they are grumpy or not. who knows, it may of had that effect on cloud, too.

❛ maaaaybe, you say ? how about a more clearer answer. i don’t know — yes or a no. so what could it be ? i could always accept that maybe from you, but, you know~.  ❜ for what’s it worth, she had missed him too. how could she not ? there was something about him and obviously, in a good way.

Cloud wasn’t used to being so compromising around anyone that he held dear in his life, let alone this girl he had just met so recently, yet she had managed to get more out of him than those who had known him for years. Her energy was always so radiant no matter what was happening around her, and it truly did enough to lift Cloud’s spirits, he was so used to the darkness that comes from being downtrodden that he forgot that light was capable of shining through too, and to him she represented everything bright and good in this world that was worth fighting for. She made his quest for justice feel all the more purposeful, as he knew that she deserved to live in a place where the flowers talked back. He was going to keep on fighting to make that peaceful planet a reality for her, always, and although they had indeed battled hand-in-hand together in the past against those who pursued her, he truly felt as if she was his respite from all the violence and fights he had grown so accustomed to. His posture softened; his fists no longer clenched as he began to ease up once she made her ways towards him.  

As she worked to get a straight answer out of him, he couldn’t help but inwardly grin at her clear desire to know what he was feeling, although his facial expression didn’t betray his true feelings for her just yet. He had become very experienced with keeping his true emotions deeply locked within, and he often found himself questioning if he even deserved someone like her after everything he had already done.

“Pretty good guess—Hey there.”

That last part was in response to her out of the blue poke. He wrinkled his snow-pale nose as she playfully tweaked it and recoiled his head backwards as if he didn’t want to be touched by her further, even though that was really the opposite of how he was really feeling. He wanted her endlessly. Sometimes, it made him wish that he didn’t have so much responsibility; he wanted to just stay here with her on this farm for as long as he could, she made his problems feel so powerless. Although if his life had never taken the war-torn, battle-hardened path that it did, he probably never would have met her in the first place, and this helped him to not have so many regrets. In his mind, if a girl as flawless and golden hearted as Aeris could see good in him, he couldn’t have really been as bad as he thought after all. As she continued to question him, he decided to up the ante and take a step closer to her as she stepped closer to him, using the tip of his nose to poke hers as a rebuttal. Now they were even. Although the room was by no means cramped, they were now standing so close to one another that he could feel her breath on his face as she took him in with her eyes. Yet again, he didn’t mind.

“You’d even accept a maybe from me? I must have a pretty strong effect on you.”

A smile finally graced his features.

Eyes kept forth as she paced to contemplate the destinations before her. An acknowledgment of a citizen had her staggered a tad when the dust of rocks aimed at her. Dust dispersed to stain her clothing. Such first impression of the city alright. Blue tinted in green orbs shot a glare to the male as her teeth gritted a little. “Watch it.” She hissed under her breath. In an instant of realization to her reaction, she placed a hand on her chest and stepped backward. Her eyes closed with a hint of facial annoyance displaying. Her shoulders eased the tension. This stress was stimulated to her own problem of waking up in an alley and unknown of reasons. Oh, Etro was this her punishment or sort, is what she was beginning to question. The thought provoked her to recall Hope and Serah’s lecture about trying to ease her arrogance. At least he apologized. Her eyes averted as her lips parted to form words. “… Just watch it.” She began with calmness residing her vocals. An exhale escaped, to think she was past her little attitude fit, but here proved otherwise. Her arms crossed as her eyes returned to study the male. A sword was with him. So he was a fighter and the least she wanted at this point was to stimulate anything of battle-related. … Unless she must, then she will not hesitate. Oh etro, I must really deserve this. 

“It’s nothing..” She accepted the apology. Her glance fixated on the male, he was probably lost in thoughts for him to not quite be aware of her passing. A related mood. She blinked and her lips part upon realization of what she wanted to inquire. “Uh.. do you know what this city is called?” A start somewhere.

Cloud dragged a gloved hand through his always unruly head of hair, his posture easing up once he could tell she wasn’t looking for a fight. From his many experiences in battle, he could tell when an opponent was sizing him up and as his multi-colored blue-green orbs met hers he could tell that she was doing just that. Cloud began to make assumptions about her in his head, definitely coining her for a fellow militant. Those who can handle themselves recognize that quality in other similarly tough folks. He definitely wasn’t about to battle with this stranger, he had no idea what she was capable of and her tactical garb suggested to him that she was ready for a fight.

She was calmer about his indiscretions than he expected her to be due to the all-business nature of her facial expressions. However, the question she slipped in at the end there threw him all the way off. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her as she finished her response quite outlandishly, and although he breathed an inward sigh of relief at her prompt acceptance of his apology, he couldn’t help but feel as if she was just as lost as he was. In that moment his newfound empathy for the stranger he had just kicked dirt on went up exponentially, because Cloud was oh-so used to feeling like a fish out of water in this city as well. He was a farmboy at heart and here he was in a stimulatory overload of technology and industrialization. As he had enlisted straight into the military from his childhood home and had only been in this city for a matter of months, each and everyday he was discovering new routes to traverse around this strange new place, each coming with their own respective nooks and crannies for him to discover. It was exhausting.

“You’re pretty hard to miss with that hair, I dunno how I didn’t see you.”

The blonde offered her one last final explanation before turning his attention towards her almost comedic question. She didn’t even know the name of Midgar? Cloud had heard heaps about this place before he even stepped foot in it, so it struck him as extremely odd that she had absolutely no idea where she was in the world. Was she even of this planet?

“You serious, lady?”

Was she high off Mako? Drunk? He yet again attempted to assess her via eye-contact and was somewhat shaken by the fact that she appeared to be dead serious. He sighed as he realized that yet again, he was feeling a sense of relatability towards her. He normally shunned away from helping out strangers free of charge, but his curiosity about this woman was now piqued.

“You’re in Midgar, the Sector Seven slums. This place isn’t a vacation spot, not many people who are here are here because they want to be, so… how’d you get here?”