Banter only got so far. He knew Reno was quick to pull it, but there was a sense of respect that carried on with the snarky remarks. Reno didn't rebel as much as his reputation preceded him. To Rufus, he thought Cloud's little remarks were in the past-- especially when rejection was on the mark. There was still a sense of control that Rufus desired, and with Cloud's rebuke, there was little of it… until now.

Satisfied with his answer, he plucked at the material that wrapped high around his neck, expelling the heat that managed to rise from the outburst. "I'd deal out your punishment more, however I lost interest." A first perhaps. With a cold indifference, he left the room with a slam of the door, proceeding to his study instead. The bedroom would do him no justice tonight.

“Yeah!” Zack bobs his head, then stutter-blinks when he realizes that had not at all been the point that Cloud was trying to make and laughs. “I mean, that’s kind of their whole thing.” 

Judging by the dour expression darkening Cloud’s face, however, joining General Affairs isn’t his friend’s first choice. Maybe even his second. Zack sighs. “Look, Cloud, I’m not going to lie to you. If it were up to me, I’d have you in in a heartbeat. I trust you more than some of the guys I work with.”

Monsters thrive on war, slaking their thirst on spilt blood and utter domination. 

He thought he knew what he was signing up for, what it meant when his name showed up on the intake list and he held that uniform in his hands for the first time. 

Some days, he wonders about that.

Entire villages razed to the ground, burnt out fields, fortresses and castles whose walls contained centuries’ worth of history. The human cost of victory is not so glorious, even if the Company felt their triumph was all but assured. 

Zack waves the thoughts away. It’s not like he was any different from Cloud starting out. Planet knows they need more of the right people in SOLDIER. 

“Alright, alright,” he groans, jumping up to his feet. Zack strides up to the console, navigating past several screens and warnings before he pulls up the combat sim containing Sephiroth’s profile.  

“You better treat me nice after this,” Zack grumbles, stepping back as an irregular wave of light sweeps up the room and rearranges the render panels into a dug out arena with smooth, concrete walls and torches mounted along regular intervals. He measures his breathing and twirls the handle of his sword about his palm as he tosses a glance at Cloud. Even would-be heroes get a little nervous. “Stay back, Cloud. I mean it. Sim-Seph doesn’t fuck around and I don’t want you close enough to find ou–”

"I'm busy. Promotions aren't just going to be given to me." A flip of the page from his sutdy, an angle of his head so his bangs block out Rufus from sight.

Rejection or even the back talk of another wasn't permitted. All the Turks had a form of respect for Rufus and stayed in his good graces for the benefit of staying alive. Cloud held no debt to Rufus, only the opportunity to gain the ranks to First Class, his only goal and desire. The times that the Turks did manage to bark back were met in a mild banter; they knew that Rufus's orders were the law. If the Turks were present during his little retort, there would be a hush silence, apart from Reno's 'ohhh' under his breath. They all knew Rufus could hold a temper if he allowed it to unleash from his usual stoic deposition.

And it was a temper that Cloud was about to meet. While fingers ruffling through Cloud's hair was a gesture of endearment, it did not always lead to a gentle grasp. The grip was firm and unyielding. Twisting and pulling at his scalp, he thrusted his hold back so that the chair Cloud was perched on swiveled precariously on two legs. With a sudden yank, Rufus unleashed his hold and the chair crashed to the ground, sending Cloud tumbling to the floor with a loud thud.

A booted foot was pressed against the young SOLDIER'S neck, toying with the pressure of it as he loomed down to face him. "It won't happen at all if you choose those words to me." Teeth gritted, he applied more pressure. "If your voicebox is crushed, you won't be able to speak. Maybe it would be a blessing for both of us." The risk of sending him to the infirmary wasn't in his schedule for the night, so with a huff, he removed his boot and the pressure with it.

"I'll send you to get another bracelet if you choose this path. Do you understand?"

Rufus deduced that his growing attachment to everything Cloud produced was a mere fascination with how people tick. Though he's always had his Turks to move forward questions to sedate his shielded life, Cloud was his personal project that he very well should hold a notebook of notes on. Does that make him any different from Hojo? A few could argue with that.

This time, he emerges from his bedroom in his finest, at least one excuse to dress up from the norm of his usual mundane life, to find the kitchen quarters in a plume of humid air and the aroma of different spices. Cloud's typical stern face is seen through the mist of rising steam, causing Rufus to nonchalantly step over to the overhead fan of the stove and flick it on. The whirl of the blades is heard before he speaks, shaking his head but carrying a faint tint of a smile through it.

"And here I thought only the Turks got up at the crack of dawn during this week." Rude specifically. Rufus knows Cloud has taken a liking to scouring the cookbooks and absorbing all the knowledge of different recipes that leaped at him. Already, he's noting the additional sticky notes on all sides of the books, along with a few dogeared pages. A new hobby that struck Cloud and latched onto him and, to Rufus's benefit, not a bad one to have.

Even with Cloud's body hovering over the book, Rufus finds his fingers through the blond humid infused locks of hair. The ruffle makes for those legendary spikes to fold forward, the gel softer now with the added moisture. With a lean of his body, he trails his finger through the saucepan that was simmering on the stove. The flavor of the sauce held a distinct affair of Costa flair-- the usual trademark of Rude's cooking.

Statement was mulled over with a sip of coffee, the Major's brain weighing the correct response to give. There was no denying that Cloud had become something of a favorite problem child, and for good reason--she saw a lot of herself in the blond, and not just the physical similarities. While she would never dream of trying to pry things free of his iron grasp to confirm things further, many years of experience and a keen eye underlined similarities between them. Cloud was taciturn, blunt--bound and fucking determined to keep the world at a distance so it couldn't do further damage. Without Johnny and the changes he brought about in his time in her life, would she have been able to see the similarities so clearly?

...the pain at how things involving Johnny were still unresolved brought her focus back to what Cloud said, oddly enough.

"Keep a notebook by your bed. If you write down what happened when it's fresh, you'll be surprised at how much you can recall."

A pause; the Major offered Cloud a sidelong glance. Him opening up to her even this little bit was a big deal for him, and she wasn't about to put further pressure on him. When he was ready, he would open up more... and if that day never came? Then Sonya would understand all too well.

"The theory of dreams reflecting what goes on in your subconscious is--hit or miss, I think. Dreaming of flying really being about something else? That's bullshit. But sometimes... well, we deal with gods and monsters and shit like that, so it's possible that it can be useful. Or maybe it's a matter of trauma trying to rear its head."

Another sip of coffee.

"I wish it was simpler to know what's what, but writing it down's a good first step."

❛ here we go again ... you gonna just sit there and stare at me the whole time , or should i take a picture so it lasts longer ? ❜ lenses contract and narrow as gwen stares down from her perch ; back pressed against wall and feet flat while limbs fold against her chest with a tilt of crown. ❛ can we NOT stare at the girl on the wall ? you can't tell me this is the weirdest thing you've seen. ❜