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

[backoff]

[ As soon as Vincent touches the earrings he'll see a few dance syncs with a man he will not recognize at all. That won't be all the dress may be quite different from rumored stories. The important part of this memory is that Cloud's dancing, Aerith is within the crowd having a grand old time like she belongs there and Cloud comes out looking like a nice buff woman with a pretty set of earrings to go with it. Nailing the purpose goal of needing to go help Tifa.

The memory ends there, what Vincent will realize with the earrings is that it's not cheap metal. They were meant to last and equally look stunningly beautiful with any outfit. The earrings were probably given in a fashion of how well performed in the dance that he gave. Not many could pull off improvised rhythm. Cloud stays leaning at the desk watching Vincent and wondering what he might end up saying.

It's only a dream, right? ]

[afterform]

( Vincent watches Cloud's rigid body melt with guidance from his mentor into a fluid motion. The choreography isn't anything Vincent could imagine keeping up with, and he's impressed with the sight of Cloud doing so well. Although, perhaps that feeling of pride belongs to Cloud, and Vincent is absorbing the feeling along with the memory. He doesn't expect to Aerith within the memory. Any previous knowledge of this escapade blinks from his mind as Vincent concentrates on the sight of her. It was like he was viewing Aerith through a window, and all he needs to do is go through it.

He has to pull himself from the urge to reach out to her and look for her once Cloud's attention returns to the stranger dancing with him. Once the memory fades, Vincent sets the earrings down and holds his breath before he looks to Cloud. )

Show me more.

[backoff]

[ Cloud knows how odd it had been to keep up with those dance move cues. The reliving of the memories had been getting easier every time. The happy memories had caught him off guard before because he wasn't sure what he would be viewing. He's a bit anxious to see what Vincent may take in all of this.

The side that Vincent was on seemed to hold memories of the past while the side Cloud was on was a life before Geostigma. That's all he could think of it but the flower would probably bring them to Aerith. Cloud would be ready for it if Vincent wanted to see that too. His lips part in surprise while he seems to have forgotten how to breathe for a moment.

Cloud locks eyes with Vincent. ]

What do you want to see? What do you want to know about?

[afterform]

( Vincent's moves to the flower, his hand hovers over the plant before he finally touches his fingertips to the soft petals. He didn't need the memory, and he didn't need to know the significance. He wanted it. Despite how undeserving he felt. )

[backoff]

Cloud doesn't move to stop him knowing that there could be several things Vincent could see. The hesitation seemed soft, unsure and Cloud could feel himself holding in a breath. A desire can be greedy and he doesn't really know what they might both end up seeing.

LOVELESS is the first word they see with people running chaotic in the streets. All of them shouting, scared about a mako reactor blowing up. Sector 8 was meant for passing through to get to Sector 7 for the meet up. Cloud wanted to get paid but as he goes through Sector 8 he gets stopped by a flower vendor. A yellow flower coming into view first before Aerith’s smiling face. She gives the flower in exchange to one gil.

The scene fades, blurring to Tifa’s smiling face as she takes the flower from him. She states that it’s rare to see flowers blooming in the slums. Cloud doesn't mention how he got it but he watches her place it into a glass to keep it watered for now. Before more of the conversation continues the background becomes hazy turning into the church before it comes into ruin.

Vincent would find himself by a flower patch with Cloud laying upon them seemingly having crashed through the roof of the church. Aerith is calling to him to wake up. Cloud eventually does brushing himself off while trying to not step on the flowers anymore after she talked about them. He didn't want to cause any more damages to them.

The church slowly starts to turn to ruin as it looks now after Meteor. Cloud is tending to the flowers and carefully unearths one to take back with him. He normally doesn't and wants to leave her flowers here. The flower would make it to Edge, but Cloud’s being a bit greedy with bringing only one back with him for now. Perhaps to hold onto a memory, a better memory than Sephiroth.

Cloud’s biting his bottom lip after those memories. He’s quiet as he watches Vincent wondering what he might say to all of it.

[afterform]

He focused on the advertisement sign: LOVELESS. He felt dazed with how quickly the memory began to coil around his mind, his body, his perception. It was as if he was living it while Cloud recalled it. The hysterical crowd soon came to his awareness, and their cries answered the what: the reactor's explosion. Aerith was a brief sight, and it left Vincent regretting how quickly he moved on—how quickly Cloud moved on.

Tifa came then to sight, with a radiant smile and bright eyes as she accepts the flower from Cloud. He feels a sense of pride from this action, which could very well be his projection within this memory. It felt good to make Tifa smile.

The next sensation he felt was an ache, throughout his body, and the next pair of eyes he saw was Aerith's. His time with her is short, again, and the vision of her fades while the church around him decays. The time between one memory to the next is years, but he hasn't moved from this spot. The remaining flowers are all that's left that thrives here.

Vincent contemplates the flower in his hand before the sequence of memories end. He now stood back in the room, with Cloud, and his fingers hovered over the yellow petals.

She lives on in them all, their memories proof enough of that. Vincent lowered his hand to his side and stepped back from the dresser to reclaim his place against the wall.

[backoff]

Cloud's quiet as he goes through the memories. They seem to go in order as he remembered the flowers. He felt anxious knowing that they grew in the church and he had spent a lot of his free time there. When he got sick that's where he would always end up going and always be at.

He watches at Vincent takes his place at the wall and he tilts his head to the side. Cloud stays silent not sure what else to do for right now. The memories seemed distant and recent with the blurring of the timelines.

Any other memory in the room could lead to memories they may not want to witness. Cloud wouldn't mind sharing them with Vincent if he truly wanted to know something. He could try speaking about it here. It might be easier for him to do so.

[afterform]

It was both a high and low for Vincent to see his friends through Cloud's memories. He felt as if he were there, at those times, experiencing the memories for himself. Aerith and Tifa would be a welcome addition to this world, he thought. Perhaps that made him selfish, and he could accept that about himself.

He wondered if Cloud hoped for them as well. Your opinion is all that matters to me.. He recalled Cloud saying to Tifa during that mess of fire and illusions. He believed Tifa gave him strength in a way the rest of Cloud's friends couldn't. Vincent hurt for Cloud; maybe because of the memories.

"I believe..." He started. He paused for a breath. "I think Reeve and myself may not be enough, but we're here."

[backoff]

Cloud looked away from Vincent almost guilty. He knew that the memories where of Aerith and Tifa. There's not a lot of the others within this room. Vincent probably could sense that or see that from the objects. It's not as if they were hidden from others. Cloud's memories of them were connected to things that he didn't want to bring up right now. Tifa and Aerith may not be here but he had friends here.

He slowly shifts his feet while looking back at the other. "I don't know if being happy that you and Reeve are here is right to say. Being in a place such as this, it's not exactly fun." Cloud rewatching certain memories hadn't really been great and seeing people from his past felt weird. It made him anxious or maybe he wanted to actually see them again.

"I know the both of you will be enough." It'll be slow for him to start trusting others and being able to start to be their friends. Cloud felt he knew some already by staying within their calibration room. Mostly he asked questions if he wasn't touching items, trying to converse or talk with them.