Is this town big enough for two Clouds? | OTA

[darkshroudingcloud]

Around Town

The sight of a spiky-haired blond around Edge is hardly unusual. The sight of one wearing a tattered cloak like Vincent Valentine's with a leathery bat wing protruding from the left shoulder is, perhaps, more unusual. He's been around since October, but mostly just trying to fix that problem with the portals after discovering he could dreamwalk like the Sephiroths. Probably no one really expected him to stay on after that.

And he could have gone home, probably. It seems like most people who came through the dream portals were able to go back. He, however, found he didn't want to. Zack is here, his Zack, alive and well. He was never dead, like they'd thought. And Sephiroth....

Of course, now that he's had to accept that his Sephiroth isn't a villain, life is much more complicated for him. He could make the excuse he's staying on to protect this world and Zack from Sephiroth, but it would just sound stupid and make him look like the jerk after Sephiroth worked overtime to fix the mess with the dreams. So if anyone asks him why he's there, he'll probably make up some other excuse. He's too prideful and too shy to just say he's there to be with his friend. And he'll never in a million years say that deep down, he wants to be around Sephiroth, to try to start figuring him out, to finally make sense of that living mystery who really isn't part of him but his own person.

Staying on will have its own problems, though. Like, what if he encounters ... himself? He's avoided it so far and hopes to continue avoiding it, but he knows that's unlikely. And anyone who didn't realize he was here fixing the dream mess will probably be confused by him. He can't retract that wing anymore, so that's always a glaring signal that he's not the Cloud anyone here knows.

Sighing to himself, he keeps walking down the street, bandaged buster sword slung over his shoulder.

Network

He really doesn't want to do this. But if he's staying here, he can't just bum around. So ...

"Anyone got any work that needs doing? I'm hiring out."

Just voice for now, but a lot of people here will probably recognize that gruff voice with the slight country drawl.

Comments

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

He nodded. "A paper fan... and yet he can stop people with swords and monsters and..." he shook hsi head. "I have to get better! Please! Teach me!"

He wanted to be taught by as many people as possible. To learn as much as he could. He needed to get better, get stronger.

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

"That's wild," Cloud said. "Did he enchant it or something?" He could scarcely fathom a paper fan with such power. No wonder this kid felt so inferior.

A shrug. "Sure, I can teach you some stuff. Just don't expect to be picking up my sword any time soon."

He didn't want to feel responsible for him getting hurt with it somehow.

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"No, he's just that good...."

At the offer however, he perked up and then bowed deeply. "Thank you! I promise, I'll do my best!"

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

Cloud grunted, still wondering if there was more to it.

He nodded. "Fine. We'll just need a place to train."

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Yes! Thank you!"

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

"Sure."

He looked around for a nice, private spot. Sephiroth might be fine with the courtyard at the hotel, but Cloud would prefer something ... quieter.

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Some one else here is also helping me, I can show you where we train?"

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

“Yeah, who else?” Cloud asked.

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"He said his name is Sephiroth. But he makes me stop over small wounds," he said, shaking his head. "Tenka would point out that criminals wouldn't."

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

Cloud grunted. Sephiroth. Of course.

“How small is small?” he retorted.

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"I could still move, could still fight." He lifted his arm, where the wound was now mostly healed. "It was a small slice. I was fine."

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

“Yeah, I kind of doubt that, kid,” Cloud said flatly. “Sephiroth wouldn’t make you stop for something minor.”

He could already tell the level of hero worship the boy had for his brother. He wondered what he was getting into. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so quick to agree. He wouldn’t have before. Training people wasn’t his thing.

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"It wouldn't have stopped Tenka," he said, bitterly. "Sephiroth sees me as weak..." Everyone did. "I have to be stronger."

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

"Sephiroth would have tried to make Tenka stop too," Cloud retorted. "Maybe he wouldn't have listened, but Sephiroth still would've tried."

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Tenka's Tenka, he doesn't listen to anything. But... he also wouldn't have missed that block."

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

Oh, one of those kind? Ugh, what a pain, Cloud thought.

“If he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t listen to his teacher, you’d better not copy him on that,” Cloud said. “That’s just stupid.”

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"I have to be as good as him, I just have to!"

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

"If you don't listen to me, I won't teach you anything," Cloud said. "I don't have time to deal with know-it-all kids."

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Please!" He said, desperately. "Please! I'll do anything!"

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[darkshroudingcloud]

Cloud sighed, rolling his eyes. "We'll try it once," he said in resignation. "So where does Sephiroth train you?"

Re: Spoiler warning for Laughing Under The Clouds

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Thank you!" he said. "I'll show you, come on!" he said, eagerly, leading the way.