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Dualis - Phonecall

[firacrux]

[Ring ring! It's important.]

[bravers]

[Ring ring!
Ring ring!
Ring ring!
Ring ring!Ring ring!Ring ring!Ring ring!

Ring... and answerphone. He's avoidant, okay.


...
Then 15 minutes later, a call back.]

Yeah? You okay?

[He's not used to calls, alright. Something must be wrong.]

(aef) text; un: kadaj

[aremnant]

Hello, brother. :)
Did you hear of what's to come?

[bravers]

[New phone who dis???
...No.]

No.

[He should leave it at that. But.]

What'd you hear?

text; he's back

[aremnant]

I feel sad, big brother. :(
I don't like this at all.

back again

[bravers]

Something happen?

4/3

[extirpator]

[ from a room away— ]

Are you awake?

[bravers]

Yeah. Something up?

don’t ask me what time it is over here

[extirpator]

[ one day, at cloud’s doorstep at around 4 in the morning, he’ll find a bouquet of flowers bound together with a blue silken ribbon. it carries:

hydrangeas, white roses, lilac carnations, and a gladiolus or two.

attached is a note. ]

Grew these and thought of you.

Did you know that flowers have meanings too? :)

- Nier

vivi!!!

[bravers]

[He'd assume that they're for Aerith- as unused to getting things in general, let alone of the pretty and delicate description.

...And yeah, he feels kind of jealous. Not of getting them, more agitated about someone sending her them in the first place. Because they're bought, aren't they? They're more-or-less perfect, and arranged nicely, and...

Yeah, they're taken in. And the note's examined. Who the hell-

- Oh.
Okay.

He's surprised, that's for sure.
...So... the flowers get put into some water. And he should respond, right?]

Thanks.

[...That's not enough. So.]

Didn't know that. What do they mean

[No, that's presumptuous. That note's screwed up.]

Thanks. Why flowers?

[No, that sounds ungrateful. Screwed up.]

I didn't know you were growing more of

[No.
...Fuck.

There's no response. until...]

text; un: sephiroth

[supersoldier]

I have a favor to ask of you.

[bravers]

[Seeing his name in notifs will never not be weird.
But.]

Yeah? What is it?

4/15

[extirpator]

[ cloud’s absence doesn’t go unnoticed.

it brings him more discomfort than he cares to acknowledge. he was free to move as he pleased, the lack of another pair of limbs no longer keeping him entrapped — but he knew better than most that to be free was to be alone, too.

he waits until dawn, after the sun’s rolled out. he should be sleeping, but he doesn’t. instead there is a small, wispy little creature, holding its wings tightly against its little form. it hangs from the awning of the balcony for hours. waiting, watching, a glint of foxlight in its eyes.

nier bides his time. there’d been a difference between stalking prey and keeping watch over your own. ]

[bravers]

[Cloud and Nier's sleeping patterns meant that there would always be some small space of which neither of them has company.

Nier's out and out nocturnal- he goes to sleep in the early morning, and rises more or less as the sun goes down- but Cloud's not quite nocturnal or diurnal. He tends to sleep at late night to early morning, and top himself up with varying naps both in the day and at night, like a wolf would.

Most of their sleeping arrangement thusfar had been him separating himself from Nier at some point during the morning and coming back in at varying points to take said naps, and then eventually waking up together.

Not like that's the case now.
After the sparring session with Sephiroth, he'd gone out of his way to avoid both Nier and Aerith, eventually slinking back into the apartment at dawn. When it was too early for Aerith to be up, but by the time Nier should be down.

...And he doesn't go to his room.
Instead, he goes to the balcony, kicking off his boots slowly, almost gingerly, undoing his belt in about the same way. His bracer and hsis shoulderguard soon follow, dumped on the floor rather than placed away, and he spreads himself out on the makeshift bed (a long bench, really. With varying blankets and pillows tossed upon it) he'd made for himself some time ago.

And he lies on his front, not his side- exhaling a quiet sound of faint discomfort.

...Why does he feel like he's being watched?]

litha

[extirpator]

[ parasol in hand (to account for his weakness to sunlight, of course), he's dressed aptly for the occasion; in fact, he's more well groomed than usual, hair tied into a neat knot as his fringe frames his face. a v of pale skin stretches down to his chest, and the collar of his dress shirt juts up, cuffs rolled up to his forearms to cultivate a more uncharacteristically sultry look.

again. probably the vampirism in play — but there's something else, too.

one of his hands drifts behind cloud's. it's gloved, and not quite touching his, but he lingers close enough that they don't break off for another...and conveniently cannot be mistaken for acquiantances. the cobblestone roads are lined with shopkeeps and carvans, each and every one with wares to offer: they range from vibrant, unorthodox sex toys to spiked rum and aromatic chocolates to rose bouquets bound by silken ribbons.

nier stops shy of a florist, and offers the woman enough coin to snag them a bundle of red roses that are far too big to have bloomed through the power of soil, sunshine and water alone. ]

Here. [ he says leisurely, gesturing it towards cloud. the beginnings of a smile pull at the corners of his lips. ]

We could look at the other wares too. [ definitely not eyeing the dildos to the right, and definitely not fighting the urge to laugh as he does. ] They might interest you.

♥

[bravers]

[He'd been unsure about Nier going out in the daytime. But the man had insisted- any reservations he voiced weren't any use. They were going out and that was it- and he didn't have a choice.

...Well, okay.

Nier's attire hadn't escaped him, either. The guy tended to dress more extravagantly when he wasn't working. He seemed to like showing his skin, seemed to like the way it made people look at him. Which, fine, that wasn't exactly anything he'd complain about. Ever, actually. Because he'd find himself looking, too. But... here, how dressed Nier is, next to his ...effort (Plain. Functional. A clean shirt and trousers which allow his tail freedom) is kind of...

Well. He... kind of wished he made more of an effort. Even if what he's wearing is the best he has, one of them... is getting all kinds of (appreciative) looks.

But whatever.
The stalls contents are of little interest to him. He's... not actually that big on sweets. The booze that the vendors are selling seems overpriced. And it kind of smells weird. And when the roses are waved in front of his face, his first impression is that they're going to be a bitch to lug around.

But then it hits him.
The clothes. The insistence on seeing this festival. The roses. This is...
A date right?]

...Thanks.

[Said thanks is quiet. But the flush rising to his face as he takes the wrapped arrangement and holds them between his forearm and his chest is far too pronounced to signal being unsure.

...As is the fact his tail's now moving around in multiple, complete circles of a wag. His gaze drifts to the stalls.]

Everything looks sort of...

[Garish?]

Neon.

[Weird. Still, he walks, alongside Nier and with a light bump of shoulders, to a stall. Dildoes, indeed. And plugs and beads and a multitude of other things beside. His eyes skip all of that. And he points out something in the back- a mannequin wearing a latex bodysuit and holding a whip.]

The armour this place has doesn't look like it'd deflect shit. And a whip as a weapon's a major liability.

[.......He doesn't know.]

post litha

[extirpator]

I haven’t heard from you in awhile. Are you alright?

♥

[bravers]

It's only been a day.

[And a little later...]

I'm good. Working later.
You?

[...And.]

You're alright, right?

text | un: zack | mid-july

[exsoldier]

[ Zack had stayed up late into the night, wondering where Aerith could be. She's not generally the type to be out at all hours, as far as he's gathered during the short time he's been staying in their little cottage. The possibility that she's gone creeps into his mind slowly, then claws its way up his ribcage and settles as a steady dread under his skin.

It can't be, he wants to think, or maybe just yell from a rooftop somewhere. They'd only just gotten to see each other again, they had a second chance, and now this? It's like the universe has decided they don't get to be together, and he's sick of it.

While he can't be sure, there's a part of him that already knows. If anyone's going to know for certain, though, it's Cloud. They've got a Bond, after all. ]

Aerith didn't come home last night. Any idea where she could be?

[ Play it cool. Maybe this is an overreaction. ]

[bravers]

[ That message would have reached Cloud while he was asleep. But, it's fine. He's a light sleeper anyway, and the small sound his watch gives off is something unusual enough for him to pay attention to anyway. So. He's awake, he's out of bed(?) floor. in the next instant, and.

Yeah, Zack's right. The bond- Something's weird. The same amount of weird that he couldn't put his finger on all through the night when he was working.

It's familiar, but it's...]

We need to go to the coven. Right now.
I know where her mirror is. If she's here, it'll be here.

Huh

[extirpator]

[ the moonlight washes over him, wresting him out of his slumber. it was easier to get a day’s worth as of late — he knows the reason why, but there isn’t much point in saying it aloud.

through the slits of his eyes, cloud’s face is in plain sight. delicate cheekbones, long eyelashes, pink tinted lips he’d memorized the shape of by now — a hand moves of its own accord, thumbing at his nose.

there is a selfish part of him that wants to spend eternity like this. the part of him that wants to be tangible, that wants to be, even in spite of the pain. for a moment, he indulges it. nier wonders if this is how the couples and apple cheeked families he had known lived. was this what they felt every morning? a warm, comforting flutter in your chest, one that spreads to your ribcage and lights you up like the sun?

it doesn’t really matter. gently, he presses a kiss to cloud’s forehead, drawing him closer with a shove to his back. ]

We have to go out later, don’t we?

[bravers]

[He's a light sleeper for multiple reasons. The first being his military background. Some habits, such as 4am wakeup calls were impossible to break. But the second is what he is now. A wolf, by its very nature, is a creature that sleeps lightly- sleeps often, and always has one eye open, so to speak.

So as soon as he feels the press of Nier's lips on his forehead, his eyes open- bright, chemical blue dimly refracting back what little light the moon affords them, and absolutely ruining any allusion to any form of delicateness his features might have provided otherwise.

He's shoved, and he freely, if a little sluggishly, moves toward him, lifting his head to press the side of his face against an ice-cold shoulder. And as his tail starts up... (damn it.)]

Yeah. We're pretty low on a lot of things.

[Organmeats. Skin. Flesh. Even bones. But most of all, blood.]

If we leave it another night and have a bad hunt tomorrow, might have to blend what we've got together.

[A hail mary at best. And not a great idea. A mish-mash of remaining organs in a blender does not constitute blood of a decent quality for a hungry vampire.

Howver pertinent that fact, He can't help but press his head a little further in to the chill of Nier's skin. And perhaps a little more lazily than he'd like... ]

...We going?

8/11

[extirpator]

[ when cloud wakes, nier isn’t next to him. there isn’t a trail, nor is there any note to speak of. the sheets are folded into a small bundle at the foot of the bed as though he hadn’t been there to begin with.

well, it’s more that he hadn’t actually rested. it was an elaborate farce, you see, because the kitchen’s brimming with flowers and streamers — and at the center is a large cake. it’s been crafted meticulously, with an...almost child-like (albeit cute) caricature of cloud’s face etched on its surface. it’s surrounded by candles, one for each year of his life, and the words “Happy Birthday Cloud” stretch across the cake.

Nier blows the party horn hanging from his mouth. there’s a party hat on his head, of course, positioned neatly at the corner. ]

Happy Birthday, Cloud!

aaa ♥

[bravers]

[Waking up to find (a lack of) Nier was disconcerting. But as he wakes up- as sleep fades into thought, he guessed that the guy had gone off to his sick bondmate.

...That's fine, he guesses. He said it was fine to his face, so why shouldn't it be?

So. He drags himself up to shower, dress, and pad around the house, lingering by Zack's door for a moment to- no. It's the night time. He's either out, or... well, out. Unconcious. Didn't feel right to wake him just for someone to talk to.

So. He moves downstairs and...
... There's a different smell. A sickly sweet smell of flowers and... baking? A few investigative steps later to follow the source and...

Well.

He blinks, dumbfounded. It's not like he's annoyed. Or ungrateful. He's just... confused, to be frank. At all the colours, all of the streamers, and... all of the effort.

He glances to Nier (and his hat), off-guard. Vulnerable.]

It's not...

[August 11th. Or was it the 19th? A headache's coming.]

...Yeah. You're... right. Thanks.

[A few (small) steps over. And a glance at the cake.]

Shouldn't have gone to all of this effort. It's... [He's undeserving.] ... You've got other stuff on your mind, right? This must've taken a long time.

text; early September

[supersoldier]

Do you have a moment?

delayed response; 24 hours later.

[bravers]

Yeah.
You alright?

Text;

[supersoldier]

It’s been a while. Care for another sparring session?

[It’s the best and only way to say hi, how have you been.]

[bravers]

[To him, it really is. Yes.]

Yeah, sounds good.

[There's a ton of stuff that should go with that. If he was alright, after last time. If he was pissed, after last time. About whether it being as long as it has since the last time is to do with any of the above.

But it's unspoken. As it often is, between him and everyone. But perhaps Sephiroth will feel some remnant of feeling with it. Bond and all. A very faint prickle of anxiety.]

You got a time and a place?

text • un: y

[velvetshot]

Did he find it?

( Hi, how are you, hope you've become a long-distance mind-reader since they last spoke because this is all you're getting! )

♥!

[bravers]

[Nope and who is this???]

You got a job for me, list it on the board.

If not, I got no idea what you're talking about.

Modranicht

[oathkeeper]

[There is a package for Cloud to find on the day of Modranicht! A red and silver wrapped gift with some homemade gingersnap cookies and a pair of really cool leather combat gloves.]

Happy Modranicht, Cloud!

-Sora

ooc; SORA YOU SWEETHEART.... (text)

[bravers]

[Modra-
nacht?
night?

...What?

Sorry Sora, unfortunately for you, Cloud's been living under a rock for the past month or... three. And, holidays have... yeah, he's got no idea why he's getting a pretty sweet set of gloves delivered. Much less cookies.

So have a text.]

Hey uh
Look, it's not my birthday.

I think you left something at my door.
Want me to bring it to you?

Modranicht gift

[thejoyrider]

[On the day of the holiday, a plate of homemade cookies and a sample of herbal tea mysteriously appears on his doorstep. The wrapping is decorated with a fresh lily flower (actually a Fae magic product, designed to fade away from existence in a few hours) and a ribbon. The attached handwritten note reads as follows:]

Happy Modranicht! Let’s have another great year here in Aefenglom!

M⚜️

Text;

[supersoldier]

Another from our Planet has disappeared.

[bravers]

Who?

$teambicycle to $fen

[strateagy]

Hey there. Is it ok if we meet up?

[bravers]

Why?

(aef) text.

[bloomly]

( short, sweet, and to the point: )

I need your help.

[bravers]

Of course I'll help.

[Cloud. Cloud. You don't even know what it is yet and you're saying yes?? ...Yeah. That's a given.]

...Uh.
With what?

(db) backdated to early February

[strateagy]

[He probably looks suspicious. No, definitely looks suspicious. Hood up, face covered, thick jacket, loose pants-- and a pair of sunglasses to boot. None of these cover the glowing marks on his body. One his right knuckles, both his thighs, a patch on his left knee and one on his right calf.

Still, he has to go out sometime, and he isn't the type who tries to hide forever. Just, you know, not right now.

His eyes are already used to the neon, so having the sunglasses actually makes it harder to see. It's for that reason that he ends up running into someone belatedly, especially since that guy wears dark clothes too.]

Oof--! Sorry, sorry.

[bravers]

[Great minds, and all that.

Cloud himself had opted to go out late at night, mostly because the neon lighting of the city after the sun went down was... well, better than nothing when it came to blending in. Or, at least, not sticking out so much.

It's not like he's got people he doesn't want to run into like this. That's not his concern. It's more the fact that he can't stand the staring. Most people, regardless of what they're ...radiating themselves, can't help but stare. Some gasp. Some point at one in particular, a blinding white mark at the very centre of his chest- matched with another of the exact same size and width on his back, directly atop his spine.

...It's annoying.
Troubling, too. For reasons he sure as hell doesn't want to go into.

Regardless. He's on his way back from a trip for groceries when... some guy he couldn't possibly identify as Teshima with his face covered (and more importantly, the hair's covered. Identification is impossible.) walks into him. ...And... bounces off of him. Mainly because. Superstrength, and all.]

Watch it!

[The hell's up with this place?
... Wait. That voice.]

...Hey. I know you, right? You okay?

(aef) delivery.

[bloomly]

( through tifa, it's obvious that something is wrong with cloud. she's heard about the chest pain, and though she can't explain it, she has a sense that something must be wrong. wrong enough that she's not going to push him, that it wouldn't help to push him, anyway, so.

it means that there's a gift, left at cloud's door, and hopefully he or someone taking care of him will pick them up for him. there might be more later, after all, and it would be a shame for his door to become a bouquet itself...

a note, nestled amongst a bundle of yellow chrysanthemums and white delphiniums, written in her handwriting, reads-- )

the yellow ones bring happiness and health. they are fearless, just like you. good stamina, just like you.
the white ones will protect you from things that are going wrong. they'll watch over you.
xo. a

text;

[bloomly]

Don't shut yourself off from me this time. Please?

[bravers]

I won't.

[But he kind of is. Evidenced by what's typed, but deleted before it's sent.]

Look, I
She's not

[And. More importantly.]

Stay with me and Zack for a while.
There's not much of a garden, but we've got room. And you shouldn't be by yourself.