[ open ] Storms draw something out of us that calm seas don’t

[makoglow]

Who: Cloud Strife & You
Status: Open
Where: Various
What: Catch all if needed; questboard things mainly
Warnings: TBA





🌩️ Seahorse Midwife

[ Thankfully after the first time being around the seahorses with Tifa, the creatures aren't as keen to knock Cloud over. They are, by far, less rambunctious. But maybe that's because Cloud has been coming as often as he can slip away to check up on them. Maybe to feed them, but don't tell anyone if you had managed to catch him in the act.

Either way, Cloud is here today like any other. Too bad that today is going to be much different than the others. Being requested to help the seahorses give birth.

Well he is standing there with a look about him like a vacant chocobo. Excuse him what? He is supposed to what?

Please save this dumbfounded boy man. ]

🌩️ Unconventional Couture

Not happening.

[ Meaning that Cloud is standing there, with his hands across his chest. Going undercover is one thing. Cloud will gladly go undercover to deal with illegal trade and whatever. The issue here it is starting to look like a situation that he had gotten himself into years ago. Aerith had been there to help him at the time and both she and Tifa had been witnesses to the results.

It had been downright embarrassing the first time. Now they want him to what again? Dress in gowns yet again? Cloud is about ready to walk out that door instead of deal with this. Again.

In a brothel. Again. ]

🌩️ Latte Love Story

[ Cloud's already got his hands full here. There's a man in the gondola. Shouting. Clearly drunk on something but Cloud isn't really paying attention to the full story here. Rather, the blonde stands with his finger pressed firmly between his eyes. It's as if he's trying to will away a potential headache - evaluating on whether or not this is really something he wants to deal with right now.

The problem is that the man is trying to stand. And he's not steady on his feet. So that means that the boat is rocking and there's the potential for the man to just up and fall out of it. ]

Cut it out. You're going to fall and then you'll really be sorry.

🌩️ Wildcard

[ My plotting comment can be found here! If you'd like to do something with Cloud then by all means go ahead and hit me up. I'm happy to write closed starters or just go with something you feel like throwing at me. Also would be happy to do the headless pumpkin if anyone is interested. Otherwise, Cloud will be avoiding ships as much as possible. So he can be found loitering around on any of the leviathans. ]

Comments

[pinksidekicking]

[ It's a brainwashed one, that's what. For the moment, Nimona is quiet. ]

So this face I'm wearing right now? I maybe met his great-great-great-great-something grandmother a thousand years ago. Back then we were just young kids by most people's standards, her name was Gloreth. I never had any friends, always living in the wilderness trying to fit in with the other animals.

[ As she talks, Nimona goes from being Ambrosius to herself, gaze fixed on the racks. ]

I took the chance to come out of the woods when I saw her, taking on human form, and she accepted me as her new friend. I even showed her my ability to transform, which she thought was fun. Then one day, I was playing with her as a bear too close to her village. The adults saw and freaked out, they pulled her away - shoving pitchforks and torches at me. It hurt, and I kept transforming - trying to protect myself and show them that I wasn't going to hurt anyone. Trying to talk to them.

[ Any searching through the rack slows until she's just standing there. ]

People were panicking, I was panicking. They were calling me a monster, and all that fire caught the village on fire. I tried, one last time, to reach out to Gloreth. But she picked up a wooden sword and pointed it at me. "Go back to the shadows from whence you came."

After that, people hailed her as a hero. Wrote epic stories about how she defeated a mighty dragon, built their city around her statue, built walls to keep out everything they didn't understand and feared. Created the institute that teaches children that monsters are evil and have to be killed. Now, a thousand years later, here we are.

[ She looks up at Cloud with a sad smile. ]

History is written by the victors.

[makoglow]

[ Listening to her, a lot of things suddenly make a lot more sense. Her behavior. Extremism with that behavior. What she thinks of herself as well as why she might cling to people that aren't afraid of her. Or just surprised that there are people who aren't afraid of her.

Cloud can't say that he understands everything that she has been through. A thousand years. But what he can see is that there is someone standing in front of him that is still hurt by all of that. Someone that's looking for a friend. And that's what it all is about, huh?

So he reaches out. Runs a hand through her hair. ]

Victors or those in power. [ Because Shinra has done so much cover up... ] Though I'm not sure what they're all so afraid of. You seem pretty normal to me.

[ That's when he goes right back to ruffling that pink fuzzy head. There's not a lot of soothing words that Cloud can give. He's not that sort of person. But what he can give is pretty much his support. His friendship - and it doesn't matter what Nimona is.

Because she's just. Herself. ]

How about this. If we get what we need, I'll let you go nuts.

[pinksidekicking]

[ Nimona blinks in surprise at the hand on her head. It feels like... it's the first time anyone has ever done that. Or maybe that's just because she poured out part of her story and Cloud isn't running for the hills.

From his words, it sounds like there's a story behind them. Maybe one day he'll share it with her. ]

Or those in power. [ That's a tale for another day, she thinks. ] People see what they want to see, here is the only place I felt like the majority of people were seeing me.

[ And not a "monster". It's hard, being the only one who can do these things in the world. Who has any sort of power at all.

Her head bobs a little at the hair ruffling, but she's not pushing the hand away. Cloud probably found her annoying at first, but Nimona was trying to be a gremlin at him. But once she stopped, he's been one of the nicest people ever to her. ]

Really? [ She's definitely perking up at that. ] Metal.

🎀

[makoglow]

[ Honestly, there's no need for him to run for the hills. She's been honest with him and, quite frankly, his opinion isn't going to change. Nimona had been someone that had just wanted a friend and people fear what they don't understand. So they see what they want instead of what is actually there. ]

I think you're going to have more people like that from now on.

[ And one day he will share it with her too. His story, that is. The parts of it that he can remember. Even now there are bits and pieces that elude him. Things that he doesn't quite remember fully.

Another tale for another day.

Instead he grabs one of the dresses and motions for her to come along. They've got work to do.

And heavens help them when Nimona is on the loose. ]