You'll Always Be A Memory

[backoff]

WHO: Cloud Strife + You
WHERE: A room that's part office and part bedroom
WHAT: Calibration. Cloud has been in his own mind before to find his true self. This time it's different.
WHEN: During the event
WARNINGS: Sephiroth gets his own warning enter at your own risk (if you don't want any of scenes don't touch the black feather), cross-dressing, blood, alcohol, death, fire. (side note: you can touch the Buster Sword multiple times for different scenes if you want to avoid death scenes with it please state so)



The room is divided in a split, both rooms look simple and run down. The left side of the room is an tiny office space. A desk that doesn't have a lot clatter with a lone chair behind it. As if it was used rarely, there's an old style cord phone on the desk. A tiny vase with a yellow flower in it. A glass with red liquid partially filled on top of what would seem like bills. There's a dart board on the wall, right next to it is a calendar with scribbled notes. A window to look out of for the view of Edge.

The right side of the room is the bedroom. There's a dresser along the wall that has several objects upon it. A pair of long golden earrings carefully land on upon a folded up dress that appears to be black and blue. In the middle of the dresser is a infantryman helmet as if it was trying to be a center piece for something. Right at the edge of the dresser is a black feather threatening to topple off of it and flitter towards the ground. The object leaning on the dresser closer to the door is the Buster Sword.

There's a bed in the room under another window. This window appearing to be raining outside with dark clouds.

Cloud is leaning against the wall at the back right where the room splits down the middle. His arms are folded, his head is down as he stares at the floor. It's quiet, peaceful and boring.

Comments

[deal_me_in]

He's not even sure how that works, but the thought is terrifying. Memories are a delicate matter. Even as casual as he's been about witnessing other people's experiences, and true as he's been entertained by some of it, Cayde's still quite mindful that these are people's pasts.

Now, having someone's memories swapped about or replaced? That thought's chilling. That might have been a shudder. Robots can't shudder, can they?

"That's just..." The Exo shakes his head. "All sorts of wrong. 'm glad you healed up though. Wouldn't put it past you." Cloud had come off as a tough one from the start.

The bottom of his optics lid in a half-squint, but there's a smirk right back. "Deal."

[backoff]

Cloud watches Cayde knowing that part alone could be unreal, unheard of it, but it's the truth. It's not strange for robots to shudder. They probably make a lot of noise while doing so.

"It wasn't exactly easy. Tifa helped me through it. Sort of like this room... but different. We were still inside my mind." He gives a shrug since it's hard to explain. Cloud kept trying to prove himself and it's something he'll continue to do.

He moves his right hand out towards Cayde. He knows how these things work.

[deal_me_in]

Cayde is not a squeaky, clanky robot, thankfully. He nods as he considers what Cloud tries to explain. "Okay..." he says as he strokes his chin. It makes more sense, being where they are now. Anything further he figures will start drifting into Warlock territory.

With Cloud extending his hand then, the Exo grins a bit, mirroring the gesture to take hold of it.

[backoff]

Cloud doesn't have a lot of energy to talk about the Lifestream. He's not sure how much Reeve really said. It can lead to a more magical and a scientific explanation. He's really great at wielding swords, combat training, Shinra security training and overall he's good at fighting. He could go over alien cells within his bloodstream another time.

He grips Cayde's hand giving it a firm shake.

[deal_me_in]

That was perfectly fine. Cayde might be surprised he even got part of what Reeve had explained about it, but then he probably gave the dumbed down version too. From his understanding someone blended up magical memories and thought it'd be a brilliant idea to juice up some soldiers with it. That's enough to explain glowing eyes to him, at least.

In any case, the two had an understanding here. Most importantly, or at least so far as Cayde's concerned, he's discovered that Cloud has a sense of humor, somewhere in there. Also a good dancer. Can't hurt to keep that little detail in case he needs to make a quick bet.

He shakes Cloud's hand, giving him a nod. "Well, this has been weird but oddly educating."

[backoff]

A dumbed down version wasn't bad in case others had been still having an issue thinking about what it is. The Lifestream is tricky since that's also included in the whole materia making. The glow of the eyes is from the mako, so it's easier to explain the Lifestream. The extra abilities would be the enhancements.

Cloud's not completely all icy or defensive. He does play hard to get but that has a lot of trust issues and other things littered for him to keep those shields up. Cayde's seen these sides but now he may get lucky and see it out there.

The young man gives a small smile as he tightens his grip harder than he had been and does not let go. "Are you sure you want to go with those words?"

[deal_me_in]

Oh, is that how he's playing it? Cayde matches that grip with a lopsided grin before hesitating as he considers what Cloud's said.

"...okay, yeah. Probably not."

A pause.

"-I'm still holding to the whole weirdness though. Not often you get to share a mind trip. ...all right, maybe I should just stop talking."

[backoff]

Cloud's used to people backing off. It's different when Cayde grips back. He's a bit surprised by at first but he ends up smirking in a cocky way. He'll continue to apply strength. Maybe he's testing how far Cayde can go.

"I can let you get away with the weirdness." He gives the Exo a jokingly kind of look. It's very brief. "Do you stop talking?"

[deal_me_in]

Does it count when you're in someone's head? Maybe they can cheat somehow. Either way, Cayde's not one to back down. He obliges Cloud by tightening his grasp, still maintaining that grin.

"Not really, no," he admits. "It's one of my many charms."

[backoff]

Why would Cloud cheat in his own mind space? Cloud tilts his head curious as he keeps his eyes on Cayde's robot face.

"And your other charms?" He's intrigued over Cayde not backing down and continuing to give it right back. The challenge seemed interesting enough.

[deal_me_in]

Why wouldn't you?! ...clearly thankfully, even not everyone thinks like Cayde.

Those glowing optics narrow, not in a hostile manner, especially not with that smirk still present. "What! You don't expect me to dish all my secrets! Hand's just been dealt, and it's way too early to fold."

[backoff]

There's other ways to gain the upper hand.

Cloud goes to try to twist their arms a little. He's testing the waters to see if he even can. "But didn't you say talking was one of your charms."

[deal_me_in]

"Ouch! Is that an insult?" Cayde had been too intent on matching grips that when Cloud starts switching up tactics, he almost fumbles.

"Have you not been listening to me this entire time?" he continues, even as he works at trying to keep their arms in the original position. He may have more durability and strength as an Exo, but this sort of test of strength isn't really his forte, not that he'd been sure what they were trying to accomplish here to begin with.

[backoff]

"No," Cloud smirks a little at least Cayde can keep up. "Maybe I want you to keep talking. You might eventually tell me. What else are we going to do?"

He's a bit impressed over Cayde being able to keep their arms in the original position though. Accomplish what? Cloud's all about strength in skill here, maybe he might be in need of a sparring partner at some point too.

[deal_me_in]

"Hey, be careful what you wish for! But don't think you'll get me so easily."

Cayde grins, even as he continues to work at keeping his arm from twisting in some weird direction. "For starters though? Usually arm-wrestling is done with elbows on a table. Also, just an idle thought, but how long do you suppose this whole thing lasts?"

[backoff]

"I'm not concerned."

Cloud's eyebrows lift up a little before settling back. He acts as if he might let go but he doesn't. "Do you see any tables? I have a desk with one chair and a bed. It's pretty clear that arm wrestling will get us no where. A very good idle thought, Cayde. Are you in a rush to leave?"

He lets go after that. "There's probably a few more items you didn't touch, right? I don't recall you touching the flower."

[deal_me_in]

"Well, no, but I was actually wondering. I guess we wouldn't really know for sure either way." Dreams are weird!!

His hand finally released, Cayde shakes it out, giving his wrist a couple of rotations. "Probably," he concedes, taking a fresh glance about. "You are so very encouraging on the matter."

Up he hops, flipping his tattered cloak back before turning to look back towards the desk.

[backoff]

Cloud raises an eyebrow. "I'm not exactly sure on how any of this truthfully works."

He stands up from the bed while looking at the Exo. His eyelids are lowered half way as if he's saddened. There's memories within flowers. He's not really sure where it might Cayde.

"I would rather you went for the flower and not the feather." Not an easy decision to pick and Cloud shifts his feet a bit knowing how hard that choice is.

[deal_me_in]

The feather hadn't been forgotten. It's probably just as well that Cloud had led Cayde away from the dresser when he did, but hey, is it his fault for wanting to nudge the thing where it won't go fluttering off and then vanishing somewhere on the floor like most things tend to, even when you think they shouldn't.

That Cloud mentions as much about the feather only piques the Exo's curiosity, but as he glances back at the blond, he considers.

"I could do neither," he suggests. He knows he'd been given fairly free reign to poke at all the things in here but it still hasn't been lost on him that he's potentially tapping into things even Cloud isn't sure he'd like to revisit. It makes him wonder just how on guard he might be if someone poked around his own head.

Idea location spoiler around chapter 13-14 to be safe of 7R

[backoff]

Cloud's half expecting the Exo to continue over to the desk. The revisiting could take them anywhere. He's not even sure about what could be brought in. I could do neither. The words hadn't been expected. He looks over at Cayde with wide eyes and his mouth parted slightly.

The room goes bright in a blinding way. When it comes back up, they're in a garden overlooking a night sky. In the sky there's green streams of light, a silhouette of a house with a light on. It's incredibly way more darker due to the natural light. The other feeling Cayde may get is that it feels more like a dream. All in the garden has flowers that are yellow and white.

Cloud's not sure why they're here.

"You will be leaving soon."

It's a feeling since he remembers the last time he was here. "This feels more like a dream coming to end."

If Cayde has anything more to say to Cloud, this might be his only chance.

[deal_me_in]

His words had been honest, but he hadn't expected them to trigger anything. When the room flares around them, Cayde brings up a hand, shaking his head as the light fades back, revealing their surroundings have changed.

It's beautiful. Peaceful in a different way than the solitary room and the rain at the window. It's otherworldly too, the glow, the flora, reminiscent of planetscapes he's visited but at the same time, something else entirely.

He turns, facing Cloud. The words make him feel sad, somehow. It was a strange time, but...he'd enjoyed it. His optics narrow in the way one's eyes would with the crinkle of a smile.

"...so this is it, then." If he's going now, he wants to take this place in one last time, hoping that maybe all these experiences are things he can hang onto once the dreams have passed.

"Memories, experiences- the good comes with the bad, and vice-versa. We may not want all of 'em, may regret more than a few..." Cayde looks back at Cloud then, to meet his gaze. "But sometimes they're all the proof we have, of what we were, and of how we came to be. So you hold onto 'em. Hold onto 'em tight."

He brings up a hand in a two-fingered salute.

[backoff]

"I'll remember that." Cloud speaks it as if from a memory or dream. This place had surprised him the first time too. He hadn't believed seeing Aerith knowing she had been somewhere else at the time. There's more to these memories that not even Cayde fully knows.

He closes the gap between them while looking right at the Exo with the glow of his eyes. "I'll always hold on to them more than you know. They helped me to remind myself who I am at one time. To relive them again is helpful in some ways."

It's the only words he could say to Cayde. "You live your life you wanna live." Cloud knows after saying that Cayde would be disappearing from the room. His time would be over here.