Resident Rat Fiend

and Saïx learns about the omegaverse

Plus canon typical divorce...

She could have been a writer. A free-spirited, imaginative, author. The world was her oyster. She was happy and confident and outgoing.

And then, because one man - ONE man - couldn’t let go of his toxic, all-consuming obsession, all of that is ruined. Her friends are dead, and their blood is on her, but were they really even ever her friends, if they couldn’t even notice that she had changed so drastically ? If one of them could do something so vile to her ?

She could have been a writer. Now she’ll always be nothing more a murderer. Anything else she could be will forever be prefaced by conjunction. Murderer and writer. Murderer and murdered.

Even if, by some miracle, she remains in any fit state to go on after the movie’s climax - if the authorities know of the One Wish Willow and believe her story - she’ll forever be haunted by Bear’s actions. Forever be looking over her shoulder. Forever be doubting every word that comes out of her mouth, every thought that crosses her mind, because what if it isn’t her ? Forever wary of getting too close to another person, lest they take it upon themselves to misinterpret her closeness. Forever afraid of attracting too much attention, for the same.

She could have been a writer, now she’ll always be a victim.

And her friends ? We know she was a popular, well-loved person before the Incident. We know she went out of her way to help others. We know she was charismatic, and confident, and so many other things. Now, she has to live with the fact that none of her friends so much as lifted a finger to return the favour, despite her clearly needing help.

She has to live with the fact that the twisted power of the Willow - of Bear’s obsession - burned all the bridges she had made, embarrassed her in front of so many of her associates. Because even if they accept that the Willow caused everything, every time they look at her, they’ll never again see her.

It starts with little things: Squall poking Cloud in the side with one of his mini screwdrivers to make Cloud yelp. Cloud licking the last cookie on the plate while Aerith isn’t looking just to see Squall twitch.

You know, silly stuff! But then it devolves into tripping each other and aiming low level spells at one and other under Merlin’s dining table to see if the other will brake. It gets a little out of hand at times when one of them will just casually push the other on the edge of the crystal fissure, just to watch them shit themselves.

Yet it only ever gets a disgruntled “fuck you” face from either of them. Aerith keeps scolding them for being mean to eachother, and every time squall will say “what are you talking about? Cloud is literally the only one of you I can stand,”. It drives her insane. Partly because she can’t figure out why they keep winding each other up so violently, but also because she’s pretty sure they are dating in secret but she can’t PROVE IT!!

“Why do you bully Squall?”

“Who?”

“Squall! Leonhart? You’ve been tormenting him for weeks?! Is this the nibelhiem equivalent of pulling a girls pigtails?”

“Did you drink Merlin’s special tea again?”

“Don’t you gaslight me Cloud Strife! Are you flirting with him?!”

“Who?”

“SQUALL!!”

“Yeah?”

“IM NOT TALKING TO YOU IM TALKING TO CLOUD!”

“But you… whatever”

“Are you dating”

“Who’s dating?”

“You and squall!”

“Dating who?”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“Well be clearer with your questions!”

“Do you keep bullying squall because you like him?”

“Oh, sure if you want. HEY SQUALL!”

“Stop yelling asshole I’m right here!”

“Aerith thinks we’re flirting.”

“Are we?”

“YOU ARE!”

“Huh, cool”

“GOOD GODDESS I HATE YOU BOTH!”

They get endless hours of entertainment from winding her up with it. She will watch as Cloud uses his water bottle to squirt Squall in the face while their training and squint at them for literally any non-verbal hints of romance. She even drags Yuffie and Tifa into it, making them watch Squall like a hawk when he dumps a literal ton of paperwork on Clouds snoozing face, and walks away as the other flails.

Tifa was under the impression she knows Clouds love language, but even she’s confused with whatever this is.

Are they dating? Yes they are.

I think squall forgets the scar is there most of the time honestly. That’s not to say I think he’s not a little vain (no one who wears three belts and a fur lined leather jacket “doesn’t care” about his looks, let’s be real.) but I think his scar doesn’t really bother him much these days.

HOWEVER, Yuna, Paine and Rikku attacking him with make up for his date with Cloud, would be so real. They cover the scar without even telling him they’ve done it, and he’s not particularly fussed about looking in the mirror to see what they’ve done (he put a ban on over the top make up).

So he rocks up to the date, looking drop dead gorgeous, and he thinks cloud is staring at him because he’s wearing makeup. He kind of worries for a second that they’ve gone over the top, but a quick glance in one of the restaurants mirrors says they haven’t.

He doesn’t notice the scar is gone at all, because obviously Squall had 17 years of see g his face without it.

But Cloud is quiet all night, he keeps stabbing grumpily at his food, and then makes a face like he’s internally fighting with himself and puts way too much effort into acting “normal”.

Eventually Squall has had enough. He asks Cloud what is going on; if he’s done something, and Cloud just mutters “why would you do that to yourself?”

At first Squall is confused, and then he remembers the makeup.

“It’s not a big deal, it’s just make up. You wear it. Why is it different for me?”

Cloud visibly gets frustrated and tries again.

“I don’t care about the make up, you look good… but why’d you cover your scar?”

Squalls brain takes a second to process that, then glances back in the mirror and sees that, yep, the scar is covered completely.

“Does it bother you?”

“No! It’s your face I just… I’ve never really known you with out it, and it- I don’t- it’s your face, if it makes you uncomfortable then it’s your choice to cover it I just- I-“

Squall eventually takes pity on cloud and takes his hand to help him feel more comfortable saying why he’s thinking.

“I just- you’re beautiful with the scar too,”

It actually looks like it pained Cloud to be that sentimental in public, and Squall can’t help smirking at him when he says.

“Would it interest you to know that I didn’t do my make up? Or maybe that I didn’t even realise the girls had covered it?”

Cloud scowls at him and throws a napkin at his face.

Squall catches it easily and makes Cloud look at him.

“I don’t care about my scar. I never really have. I mean I picked at it while it was healing but that’s because I hate itching. Does it freak you out that much?”

“It doesn’t look like you…”

“This is what I used to look like, I didn’t always have it.”

“Yeah well you also didn’t always love me, but you do now and some things are just worth keeping around,”

Squall will never admit that he melts a little.