on reserve @ onepassingnight

[anonfantry]

But I– Don't think I want anybody else to see what I'm dreaming about. That's kind of... Personal. Not to mention, hearing voices–

H-Hey, I mean it! Stop laughing!

...I guess it figures this'd be the one time you don't change your mind. It's not like it's too late, if I haven't even given that back...

Comments

[waterfell]

Are you saying you don't want to come to see your friends?

[anonfantry]

My... Friends?

[ as in, like. more than one? DOES NOT COMPUTE ]

I don't know if you've got the right guy.

[waterfell]

[Well, there's Zack. Aerith. The older Cloud. A Sephiroth ready to be... alright, maybe that's not friends.

She uses the term pretty facetiously anyway. So by way of answer, she simply gives his name.]

Cloud Strife.

[anonfantry]

[ Oh hey this is new. Strangers knowing his name without having to be told (sometimes more than once) merits a little stop-and-start hesitation, confusion obvious in the look he gives her– ]

Um, (I guess I was wrong...) do I know you?

[waterfell]

[Her grin spreads; she enjoys having the upper hand, even though she has no ill intentions.]

Mizuno Ami.

[And the clincher.]

Not yet.

[It's a funny story, really, and an unbelievable one, of other worlds and other selves and timelines that can meet.]

[plotdeviceturk]

Strife.

[anonfantry]

[ OH CRAP time to snap to attention and attempt to look professional like he didn't just get caught acting his age complaining like a kid in front of a Turk. ]

Sir!

[plotdeviceturk]

[Pffff, they've had their eyes on you for like ever Cloud. You just don't know it.]

At ease.

[Tseng's also like... a decade older than the one who trolls talks to you in Midgar.]

[anonfantry]

[ Yes, he sure does look a little different – but one does not candidly mention such things to superiors (regardless of department).

So he'll just awkwardly shuffle his feet, instead, and try not to stare as he settles back into a pretty bad parody of ease. ]

Thank you, sir.

[gardeningaia]

Friendly voices. [ Aerith, maybe that doesn't help as much as you think it does... ]

[anonfantry]

'Friendly voices'?

[ NOPE. He's already thinking of all the psych evals he's going to be failing, if he starts talking to himself. ]

[gardeningaia]

That's right. Like this:

Hello, Cloud. How are you?

[ Aerith will very thoughtfully remind him to be quiet before rambling away at him in his head, then. Because she's considerate like that.

Also that is an actual question he can answer. ]

[anonfantry]

[ It's going to be a steep learning curve; he can tell already.

And though he thinks for a few seconds that question might've been rhetorical, he manages to recover smoothly (except not even remotely so). ]

Oh, uh. I'm okay, I guess.

[ Except for everything. BUT PFF DETAILS ]

It's kind of strange to think about going to a place where everybody already knows me. Or... Sort of me.

/dies of cute

[seventhfist]

[Oh wow. This brings back memories.]

That's not nice of your mun, laughing at you.

[anonfantry]

[ Wait. What.

Grown Up Tifa is agreeing with him; he needs a moment to collect himself.

Okay. ]

Uh– Y-Yeah. It's nothing new.

[seventhfist]

[Grins! She may be getting a little bit of amusment out of confusing him.]

Really? Maybe you should try and get a new mun.

[anonfantry]

[ Tifa, you are evil in its purest form. ]

I'd like to, if I could, but... I think we're pretty much stuck with the ones we get.

Teeny Cloud - you have not gone unnoticed.

[findmyownreason]

[oh, look. Bitty!Him. And not the shin kicking size. That's... good. If seeing yourself in any form can be considered good.

And look. His evil friends are all upthread as well. This - can't be good. So he's kind of distracted as he mutters:]

You get used to it. The voices.

Oh good I was starting to think you didn't love me anymore. ;;

[anonfantry]

[ sup, Ghost of Christmas Future. There'll be plenty of time to be properly agog at his eventual self, later, when the fourth wall is back up, so for now let's just stick with sullen.

Not to worry, though – the shin-kicker's in here, too, somewhere. Just waiting to make his move. ]

I don't think I want to get used to something like that.

shh. shh. /softly cradles (just being IC and running late. As usual)

[findmyownreason]

[keep the shin kicker to yourself, Teeny. And we won't talk about the HoneyBee's 'inner man' either because you're too young for scarring stuff like that. Trying not to side-eye you over that comment though.

oh, Teeny, the places you'll go.]

It's not so bad.

...

Zack gets noisy sometimes.

but Cloud is never late. He is fashionably inconsiderate, because that's what the ladies like

[anonfantry]

[ thatsthejoke.jpg

But definitely don't tell yourself that, Cloud. He's got enough to deal with, right now. ]

Wh-What? You mean– That guy, too?

[ BUT THEY JUST MET isn't that a little soon to be sharing brains? They should at least wait a couple years or until one of them dies horribly ]

[yuffiekisaragi]

So, whatcha dreamin' about that you don't want anyone to see?

[Yuffie is on to you, tiny Cloud. And she's amused.]

[anonfantry]

Nothing.

[ Sssshut-up, Yuffie, other people might somehow be as genius as you and catch on!! ]

[yuffiekisaragi]

Uh huh. I know what teenage boys dream about. There's no shame in having those kinds of thoughts, you know. It's healthy!

[Yuffie is endlessly amused at the thought of Cloud having dirty dreams. Even if he isn't. It's what she'll always assume.]

[anonfantry]

It's not like that!

[ Okay sometimes it is but he definitely didn't mean it that way. ]