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[nimbuster]

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Audio

[sefirot]

[Since he got no answers from Abel ...]

What were you doing with Abel in the gym?

Audio

[nimbuster]

[What the fuck?]

None of your business.

[sefirot]

The two of you share the same answer ..

[nimbuster]

Yeah. Cuz it's none of your business.

[sefirot]

What were you doing, Cloud?

[nimbuster]

Fuck off.

[sefirot]

So that's what it is then.

[Just going to assume the worst and go back to sulking. Thanks, Cloud.]

[nimbuster]

What are you talking about?

[Because despite himself, Cloud can never just leave it be when it comes to Sephiroth.]

[sefirot]

You've made things quite clear.

[nimbuster]

You haven't. What is your problem?

[sefirot]

As you said, it's none of your business.

[nimbuster]

Dick.

[sefirot]

Your opinion is noted.

-> action

[nimbuster]

[Okay, so Cloud knows, he knows he shouldn't care. What difference does it make what Sephiroth thinks? Let him assume whatever he wants.

...that's when it occurs to Cloud that whatever he's assuming might come back to Abel in the worst way. Wouldn't be the first time Sephiroth went after other people just to torment him. And that means this is Cloud's responsibility to stop before it escalates.

He can't let it happen again. He can't.

So once again, Cloud crosses the hall to barge into Sephiroth's room unannounced if the door is unlocked, or pound on it if not.]

Sephiroth.

action

[sefirot]

[Sephiroth is totally not sulking sitting on the couch with the 'cat' when Cloud barges in. Yes, still in the dark. But hey, the cat has red glowing eyes and glowing bits on the tail so it's like having a light.]

Cloud.

[He looks over, but that's all. No getting up to greet him. The cat on the other hand makes that happy 'merp' type sound having recognized who is barging in and immediately goes over to head butt Cloud on the leg while purring loudly.]

[audio]

[inthebiblicalsense]

Excuse me, Cloud? Sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to let you know that I had a- well I wouldn't say it was a conversation, but Sephiroth visited me in the gym.

[This is audio because he can't keep his hands from shaking, but audibly he sounds totally fine.] I just wanted to let you know that I'm fine and I wanted to check in myself, to make sure you were okay.

[audio]

[nimbuster]

[Shit. Cloud just got here and it's already rapidly going downhill with Sephiroth. Not that that's anything new, but he's not going to let anyone else get hurt at Sephiroth's hands.]

Don't apologize. What happened?

[nimbuster]

Uh--

[Cloud looks down at the...whatever that is. Cat? Cat-like thing? It's purring, so...cat, sure. He reaches down to pet it sort of awkwardly.]

...no idea how you ended up with a pet this friendly.

Re: [audio]

[inthebiblicalsense]

It wasn't anything I can't handle. I told him to mind his own business and to leave, which he did.

[He's just going to leave out the part where he broke a weight in front of his face with his bare hand.]

He has no right to know what you do or who you talk to, or why. [His tone might be a little harder than intended, but it's not something he can stomach well. And since Cloud didn't answer the first time, he'll repeat himself.] Now, are you okay?

[sefirot]

It followed me back to the ship when we were at a port. It was a baby then.

[He looks away for moment.]

The you that was here before liked it.

[nimbuster]

[Well, that explains some things.]

I'm fine. You're the one I'm worried about. He...doesn't take no for an answer. He's gonna know everything eventually anyway, it's not worth you getting hurt over.

[There's a bit of urgency in his tone that may not be quite warranted given that Abel said nothing really happened.]

[nimbuster]

[Cloud's frown deepens. The Cloud that was here before...how did he handle Sephiroth being here? Is he the reason Sephiroth says he wants to make Cloud happy? Why?]

Surprised you gave enough of a shit to keep it.

[But this isn't why he's here. His already somewhat hard tone gets harder.]

You can spy on me all you want, I don't care, but leave other people out of it.

[inthebiblicalsense]

[Abel is still a novice here, but watching Shaw speak to Cain when he'd been here in his place was giving him all kinds of examples of what he should be.]

I will be fine. I didn't take this position because it was safe, I did it because it was worth it, and your safety is also worth it. [Not that he doesn't think what he'd just done was stupid, but in his mind it was necessary.] Just because he will doesn't mean it isn't worth protecting. No matter if it's tomorrow or six months from now, the only time he should ever get to know why you do anything is because you let him know yourself.

[His own name had been just gifted to someone he'd intended on telling it to eventually far sooner than he wanted because of Cain, even the little things that he shared weren't his to know or tell. Cloud deserved better than he got.]

[sefirot]

I left him unharmed.

[He thought about it, but being intimidating and breaking the weight was enough. Mostly.

But anyway, Sephiroth waves off Cloud.]

I have no interest in him if that is what worries you.

[nimbuster]

For now. Until you get some messed-up idea in your head and decide otherwise. I'm not gonna sit back and let you hurt anyone else.

[Never mind that he's unarmed and missing most of his strength. Doesn't matter.]