[Cloud tenses up at the sound. Despite knowing it's Sephiroth, and knowing where Sephiroth is, he can't be sure whether he actually heard the sound with his ears or not. He hates this. Loathes this feeling that's all too familiar by now, the dread of having to wonder what's real and what isn't, what's an intrusive thought and what's his own idea, whether what he wants is really what he wants. This is what terrifies him the most about himself.
Tifa told him to let her know if he was having any weird thoughts, but she's not here. Aerith and Vincent are closeby, but...he can't stand it when his friends look at him with that helpless pity, like they know something he doesn't but feels they shouldn't tell him. And Vincent's already had to bail him out once when he was out of his mind; he really doesn't want that to become a pattern.
Are these just excuses because he doesn't want them to know just how bad things have gotten in his head and he wants to justify leaving to find Sephiroth? Yeah, probably. But knowing that doesn't give them less power. That's the problem with feelings. They're often more powerful than sense.
So, with a quiet growl, he pushes forward into the darkness, toward where those green eyes gleam. His own eyes glow in the deep gloom, too. The bracelet Vincent gave him lights up as he goes along, giving him enough light to see the outlines of the corpses littering the woods and avoid tripping over them, but not enough light to keep at bay what feels like a strange pressure in his head that doesn't have the familiar, mesmerizing draw he now knows to associate with Sephiroth's fuckery.
Cloud stops when he's just shy of Masamune's reach from Sephiroth.]
[Sephiroth stays not quite perfectly still, but still in a kind of casual way. Not like a way you'd assume adversaries to be. It's more casual than that even if he is holding a weapon. Though it's not aimed at Cloud or anything in particular, it's angled towards the ground ... at least at the moment.]
For you, Cloud. Always for you. I'll be here when you call. A guiding hand to remind you of what you forgot. Many things.
[After those words he starts moving, the sword swinging backwards to be held behind him as he moves a bit to the side, towards one of the many corpses.]
Many things wish to harm you, Cloud. You should be careful. You friends would not be happy if you were to gain injury while out there.
[Aka Cloud should totally be grateful Sephiroth is here to kill all these things for him. Totally.]
[Cloud doesn't know - or at least, doesn't consciously recognize - that he is capable of calling for Sephiroth subconsciously, and may have done it at some point. How would he ever know?
He scowls.]
I'm protecting them. I'm their Sentinel and I don't need 'help.' Unlike you, I take missions seriously and I give a shit about the job I'm supposed to do.
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onlyembers
no subject
Date: 2026-04-03 07:11 am (UTC)Tifa told him to let her know if he was having any weird thoughts, but she's not here. Aerith and Vincent are closeby, but...he can't stand it when his friends look at him with that helpless pity, like they know something he doesn't but feels they shouldn't tell him. And Vincent's already had to bail him out once when he was out of his mind; he really doesn't want that to become a pattern.
Are these just excuses because he doesn't want them to know just how bad things have gotten in his head and he wants to justify leaving to find Sephiroth? Yeah, probably. But knowing that doesn't give them less power. That's the problem with feelings. They're often more powerful than sense.
So, with a quiet growl, he pushes forward into the darkness, toward where those green eyes gleam. His own eyes glow in the deep gloom, too. The bracelet Vincent gave him lights up as he goes along, giving him enough light to see the outlines of the corpses littering the woods and avoid tripping over them, but not enough light to keep at bay what feels like a strange pressure in his head that doesn't have the familiar, mesmerizing draw he now knows to associate with Sephiroth's fuckery.
Cloud stops when he's just shy of Masamune's reach from Sephiroth.]
What are you doing here?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-10 04:59 am (UTC)For you, Cloud. Always for you. I'll be here when you call. A guiding hand to remind you of what you forgot. Many things.
[After those words he starts moving, the sword swinging backwards to be held behind him as he moves a bit to the side, towards one of the many corpses.]
Many things wish to harm you, Cloud. You should be careful. You friends would not be happy if you were to gain injury while out there.
[Aka Cloud should totally be grateful Sephiroth is here to kill all these things for him. Totally.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-11 03:37 am (UTC)[Cloud doesn't know - or at least, doesn't consciously recognize - that he is capable of calling for Sephiroth subconsciously, and may have done it at some point. How would he ever know?
He scowls.]
I'm protecting them. I'm their Sentinel and I don't need 'help.' Unlike you, I take missions seriously and I give a shit about the job I'm supposed to do.