paradisa | ⅴ┆a storm this way comes

Entry tags:

cloud strife

ⅴ┆a storm this way comes

[Did the weather forecast say something about having a nice sunny day today? Well, they were wrong!

Distant thunder can be heard over the journals, a storm is coming and it shows. There is a drop of water on the pages, then two... Then it seems someone left the tap open over the journal because it's suddenly pouring over it. Then the rain moves away but the thunder goes on and it can be heard passing by the corridors.

Hello people in the lobby, there is thunder and rain coming down the stairs. And at first you don't know who left the windows open, but apparently outside it's sunny and cloudless! So what the hell is going on?!

Oh, there seems to be your problem. Have a little stormy Ccloud coming from upstairs, moving slowly as clouds tend to move when there is a gentle breeze, only, there isn't any breeze coming from anywhere.

It must be your imagination but is that cloud a little spiky or something?

Huh... Run get your umbrellas!]

{{Loss start! There won't be journal replies but feel free to have your characters react to it and/or to find him passing by the corridors and lobby.}}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's a deep sleep, and long -- long enough that the sun is shining, albeit muted by curtains, when Zack rolls onto his back, the sheet slipping down a little. Hair tousled from sleep, head turned to the side, and one hand resting on the pillow by his head he dozes on, unaware of the time of morning, or that there could be anything unusual about the morning ahead of him. His brow wrinkles just a little bit, a fragment of a dream drifting across his subconscious, before it passes and he quiets once more.

[To be a cloud and not allow the winds to take him over the skies? It would have been ridiculous to avoid it! The sensation was phenomenal, and for several days Cloud let the winds take him away, it was a nice sensation... He didn't want to go too far from the castle in case he suddenly turned back into himself, it wouldn't have been good if that happened, so he kept himself close and observed what the others did from the heights. But in the end it was a little boring.

After a few days, he had gotten better at moving himself faster, he had noticed that if he didn't get all fuzzy about being a cloud, his body was lighter; something to do with humidity or something scientific about rain and thunder and et cetera.

He suddenly got an idea, why hadn't he thought of it earlier? Cloud drifted to a side of the castle, counted the windows, entering his room and checking it around! He hadn't been there almost all week, the door had closed on him after he had left the first time, and he didn't really had the need to get back since all he'd do was wet his bed, and he didn't want to do that.

Nothing was different, even his journal and everything that he had rained on was dry already; probably the castle's doing again. Hey, wait, there is something different in fact, where did those notes come from?

Hovers over them to read them and... Aw man, he had forgotten about Zack. Well! No! Not like that... But he would have never thought that he'd worry so much him disappearing a few days--granted that he had tried to let him know, but being unable to talk, to write, or to even move properly, he had given up to try to contact him in the conventional way. Now the poor guy was thinking he was avoiding him.

Ah... He should probably try to fix that.

Flying though his window, he started counting them as he had counted to find his and hoped he wasn't entering an stranger's room. This one had to be it. Zack's... Ah! The curtains were on his way, but he just wets them as he passes through them. This is so cool in its own way!

... and the guy in question is sleeping... And he's not going to lie, he envies him a little. When this ends he's going to hog his own bedsheets and not leave it a good while.

Hovers over him and since he can't poke him to wake up he goes...]

BROOOOOM!

[Zack had been chasing fragments of a dream -- snow and wind, steel and gunshots -- the whole thing indistinct and detached as if it was maybe a dream of a dream. The morning is peaceful and perhaps he'll just doze and work out a little later than usual...

...of course, that's before his sleep is interrupted by what sounds like Thundaga going off right above his head. He's awake instantly, reflexes pulling him from reclined to crouched on the floor, sword in hand and guard up in half a minute. He's ready to either defend himself or spring to the relative safety of a more advantageous position when the input from his eyes catches up to his brain: the room's empty save for himself and what appears to be a storm cloud. It's strange and he's more than a little wary, expecting a trick, but he slowly straightens, casting a glance toward the open window.]

Huh. How'd you get in here?

[Normally Zack wouldn't spend time in conversation with something so inanimate, but he's still a little fuzzy from sleep.]

[Though the window of course--ah let's show him because it's the only thing he can do right now. Cloud floats next to the window. There you go.

Ah, this is gonna be harder than he thought...]

[He's talking to a cloud.

He's talking to a collection of water particles, vapor given form through pressure and temperature and relative humidity.

He's talking to something that shouldn't be able to hold form indoors, where the castle has control of its elements to a degree of insuring its residents' comfort.

He's talking to a freaking cloud.

...then again, he'd spent a year talking to Cloud, to much the same response (or lack thereof). And come to think of it, he'd been cloud watching the other day, hadn't he? There had been one that he recalled in particular, a little spiky to the side which had seemed funny for a cloud. It had made him think of Cloud, which had caused a spike of bittersweet feelings.

Slowly, Zack lowers the Buster and straightens, coming back over to the bed and sitting again. Ahhh, bed. But he can't get lost in the potential for morning laziness... and he still has a cloud in his room!]

I can't believe I'm doing this... [Murmured to himself, but. Well, magic castle.] So uh... if you can understand me, can you, I don't know, drift back over here?

[Aw c'mon man, you should've gotten used to the crazy by now... Alright, maybe not. Everybody's got their own pace.

Also, excuse the cloud but it's approaching dangerously close to the Buster. In fact it's like it wants to grab it! Why in the world do you have it? Hadn't he seen it just a moment ago, resting in his room!? You have a lot to explain, young man!

He's definitely not leaving!]

Hey, don't you rain on that.

[Because hnnnng, he can just hear Angeal's voice in his head, the lecture about rain and rust and Zack knows that the man was overprotective of his sword, but still. He'd taken hours cleaning it, getting off the grime of battle, the blood and the dirt and yes, even the tears. And as friendly (?) as the cloud seemed to be, he didn't want that friendliness to extend into precipitation.]

It used to belong to a great man. It's very important to me.

[The hell are you talking about, buddy... If by great man you're talking about him then, that's good, but ... that still doesn't explain why you have it! Leaves alone the sword and hovers close to Zack's face. Maybe not as white as it was a minute ago.]

His name was Angeal. Commander Angeal Hewley.

[Zack is... not entirely paying attention to the cloud. It's drifting closer, yeah, but he just flops back on the bed instead, lost in his thoughts about the Buster. Seeing the cloud hover over it had made him think of rain, and rain had made him think of Angeal, and thinking of Angeal had made him feel a sharp pang of loss.

And quietly, a murmured truth, a version he's never told anyone -- six little words that hold all the pain he'd felt in that moment at Modeoheim, when Angeal had pressed the hilt into his hand.] He was killed by a monster.

[Huh... That's one sad story, or it would be if it was a complete lie!

It's not his problem if this Commander got killed by whoever, that one was still his sword, his entire life in there, and he wasn't going to let this punk have it!

Snap out of it kid, now!

Zap!]

Ow!

[Zack jumps; his eyes had started to drift shut but the bolt jolts him awake -- literally. He sits up, glaring at the cloud, rubbing a sore spot to try to ease the after tremors of electric shock.]

The hell was that for?!?

[Because! The sword! MINE?! Oh brother, calm down little cloud, you're not even making complete sentences anymore, not like you had worded any in a long time! He can't explain, this is so frustrating he'll just start raining again!]

What the--

[Rain? On him? In his bed?!? He doesn't know what's up with you, little storm cloud, but Zack is not at all impressed. He scrambles out of bed in the hope that the rain will follow him instead of soaking the mattress; if he's fast enough, there's still the chance it can dry out before nightfall. It's no fun sleeping in a wet bed -- missions were bad enough -- and he wants to be able to use his bed later.]

[Cloud indeed follows Zack, and lightning is faster than he will ever be as a cloud, so he sends a good one aimed at the brunette.]

[Yes well Zack has reached his Materia, because he's not too sure what else to do at this point. The cloud doesn't move quickly, and that's to his advantage, but how to combat a cloud, anyway? It's nothing but water vapor, air, few solid particles...

And a nasty temper! Being hit by lightning again hurts, and by the sting of his skin, he knows he's going to have a burn there. He's got to figure something out, fast!

The water has to be the key, because it's the largest component. And water can be crystallized... Zack casts Blizzaga as fast as he can, aiming for the cloud, hoping to trap its vapors in the block of ice. He's not sure to what end, but it's the only idea he has.]

[Ow, ow, that was cold! Not that it hurt really, but he could feel himself crystallizing! And suddenly everything felt heavy! And he can't stop it, but he starts snowing... Snowing! That's cool... Too bad he cannot move fast enough to freeze Zack on his spot with his awesome snow!

You win this one Fair, and not in the most fair way!]

[Zack is just so glad that his crazy idea worked! He rubs his side and slides down the wall, coming to sit next to where his sword is leaning and just staring at the strange little cloud for a moment while he catches adrenaline-sped breath.]

What am I gonna do with you? [He's not expecting an answer, of course, and just kind of shakes his head at the futility of even asking in the first place. What's clear is that he probably can't stay here, not if he'd like a night unmolested. He doesn't know why the little cloud seems to have a vendetta against him, but with the stories he's heard in the castle, he supposes anything is possible.]

[The little cloud is just there, trying to move towards his beloved sword and not quite being able to from all that ice in itself. There are no thunders either... Apparently the air has to be warmer for that too!

Zack... he really doesn't like you right now.]

[Well Zack is a bit preoccupied with Cure Materia, trying to close up the burns from the lightning. He still can't figure out what made the cloud so mad -- if it is mad, and he's not just writing a persona onto it. But it's strange; the thunder and lightning had only started when the cloud drifted over to the Buster sword.

...

Nah. That's ridiculous, just his mind being crazy. There's just no way that the cloud and Cloud's disappearance are related. Clearly he's just going crazy from too much thinking about the blond -- maybe it's best if he just gets away for a little while.

Standing cautiously, Zack edges around the perimeter of the room, with the intent to trade sleep pants for clean clothes.]

[Cloud has no intention of following Zack in that moment, all he wants to do is reach the Buster and leave with it somehow! So, while Zack is in the search of clothing, he hurries to the sword and holds (or tries to) to the handle. Of course there is no way he can grab it or lift it, let alone run away with it!

Why are you doing this man... You said you were his friend!]

[And Zack finds clothing, pulling on pants and boots, shirt on top. Harness and belts follow, fingers working the buckles with practiced ease. It's then that he notices the cloud floating next to the sword again -- maybe there is a connection between the two. And while Zack's pretty firmly decided not to stay here too much longer, he hasn't exactly figured out where to go, or what to do, or anything.]

Wish I knew what you wanted. [Leaning against the dresser, Zack watches the cloud hovering over his sword.] Aside from my sword, I mean. You can't have it; it means too much to me.

[How to let this fella know that he's wrong? That this sword is been with him since he can remember? And yet, Zack's voice doesn't sound as if he's making it up--why would he even try to lie to a cloud and in such convincing manner?

...

There couldn't be two Buster Swords, could there? It sounded ridiculous! Even if they came from the same place, and the same ShinRa, there was no way there could be two swords like that, exactly the same as water drops...

The fact that he didn't know who Zack was and, the fact that he was keeping the Buster from him, simply smelled like rotten eggs to him. Why hadn't he seen him carrying him before? If it was so important to him, why would he leave it abandoned in a suspicious magic room? It simply didn't make any sense...

Hmm...

He's honestly thinking of electrifying that marvelous piece of metal so Zack can't take it, but it probably take a lot from him to control that much energy for an undetermined amount of time. And then again he was a cloud... He could be stealthy as he wanted and follow this little liar until he found out what's going on.

That last sounded more logical, even for himself.

After sending a glance to his most favorite weapon, Cloud heads to Zack, hovering at the level of his eyes. He's watching you, buddy...]

[Zack doesn't realize he's holding his breath until as the cloud approaches him, doesn't realize until he lets it out in a puff that comes out as fog with the chill still rolling off the weird apparition. He's bracing himself to be zapped, but for whatever reason it's not happening. Maybe there's too much chill in the air from the Blizzaga-caused drop in temperature. Whatever the cause, he's thankful, for the moment.]

Yeah... [He's not even sure what he's saying, more talking to himself than the cloud. Surely it can't understand him, right? He'll try to edge his way around it, heading for the sword, his Materia, and his journal. Zack doesn't have a solid plan in mind, but something will come to him. It always does.]

You just... stay right there, okay?

[Yeah, you just run away, you little coward... The little cloud is going to follow you whenever it gets the chance anyway. The only reply that comes from it is a distant menacing thunder.]

[The thunder is noted, but really, Zack is concentrating more on getting out and away, hoping to avoid another lightning zap. He'll be heading for the door, stepping into the hallway and closing it firmly, then leaning against it with a small sigh before starting down the hellway to the stairs.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

ⅴ┆a storm this way comes

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject