isleofavalon | 凶 seasons change

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凶 seasons change

🧙 WHO: Cloud Strife & You!
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-All; Quests from the QuestBoard (Don't Lose Your Head & BUNKER DOWN). Will add future prompt(s) for the end-of-month event.
🕒 WHEN: Throughout October
🗺️ WHERE: Around Camelot (Celliwig for the "Don't Lose Your Head" quest)
⚠️ WARNINGS: Inevitable fighting in the "Don't Lose Your Head" prompt

Don't Lose Your Head • Celliwig

[ It didn't take much convincing for Cloud to make his choice; he was going to Celliwig. What very little remained of it after the catastrophic damage was done. Was it dangerous? Yes, if only for the task he'd opted to sign up for through QuestBoard. Many of the jobs he took on were odds & ends within the city of Camelot and just outside its borders. So when reports of darker Fae shrouding the ruins of Celliwig in deepened anxiety became public knowledge, tales of a Headless Horseman taking...well, the heads of those who lingered too long, also came with. By the time Cloud arrives in the once ethereal city, it's all he can do to suppress the sense of dread that creeps up his spine.

He's here as hired muscle, fending off the Fae, especially this supposed Headless Horseman whose been culling the unfortunate souls scrambling to pick up the pieces of a fallen home. Despite his job... ]

Ready? On three...

[ That didn't mean he wasn't going to lend a hand whilst waiting for trouble to start. Volunteers that struggled to move glassed rubble from a destroyed home were aided by the blond swordsman, moving hefty slabs out of the way alongside them so they can do their job and either find survivors inside...or more likely, those who couldn't make it. Besides aiding in the movement of rubble or standing guard around groups who exhausted themselves digging and cleaning up, Cloud keeps his distance. His expression was stoic, but the morose in those faded blue eyes of his was palpable.

For all the headway he's made in elemental spellcasting and awakened kinetic magic... Could he have made a difference if he were as strong as he was before? It's a thought, fleeting despite it coming and going from time to time. Something that he can't afford to dwell on for long. ]

No time for doubt.

[ Said to no one in particular as he surveys the damage and keeps his attention both on his surroundings and device for any updates on the Headless Horseman. Night was falling soon, which meant it was only a matter of time... ]

BUNKER DOWN • Broceliande

[ Cloud may not have much to concern himself with for space, living out on a farm with Weiss for as long as he has been, but that didn't mean the problems stopped for the populous as a whole. Another task through QuestBoard, something closer to home, and it's...something he's not exactly skilled in. Carpentry. He wasn't about to go preparing the most illustrious beds, but he's no stranger to following instructions. Somebody was gonna hafta carry all this lumber too, right? So... ]

S'cuse me.

[ Cloud returns to the woodworking site just outside Broceliande, but not emptyhanded. In fact, he's...carrying an excessive amount of wood over his shoulder. Long planks of sturdy wood stacked at the base of the arc of his arm. At least ten of them. Stacked atop those? Sizable logs waiting to be cut down and carved for bedposts. He wasn't the biggest, musclebound laborer out there, but it looked like he was carrying at least triple the amount that others were (or should be) carrying. Cloud's strength was absurd!!

...is what he wishes he could say. But he doesn't have access to that monstrous strength he once possessed on Gaia thanks to the mako enhancements made by Shinra. And as he approaches the unloading area, sighing with relief as he starts to kneel down, some of the logs atop the pile of his shoulder almost slide off. ]

!

[ Suddenly, the wood stops halfway off the end of one of the planks he's carrying. Yup. That's Kinetic magic alright. He's totally cheating. Still... ]

Hoo boy. Almost there...

[ One wrong move or his concentration slips, he's gonna lose his focus over the wood he's lifting with his magic. Maybe there's such a thing as working too smart instead of working hard. ]

Wildcard

( ooc; This prompt is for anything you wanna play out that's not above! Got any other prompts or ideas in mind, either from the TDM or QuestBoards, or even just something unique altogether? Go ahead and ping me either at my journal here, Discord (Kuraudo@0214) or PM me on Plurk at Clandon. )

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[ A bite of chicken and dressing later, and he blinks, bright eyed and curious to what's holding her up. Most of the time, Weiss would have his undivided attention. This? Was one of those times as the two seemed to be sharing another intimate moment as they reminisced about their past. They would have quite a few stories to tell their friends and family down the road... Well, he's invested until she starts snickering and laughing.

Then he can't help but mentally say, "Uh oh." ]

...?

[ "Broo— haha! Brooch!" ]

Oh come on— [ His cheeks puff, a rather uncommon break in his usual character before half-failing to suppress a laugh, clutching his bowl tighter out of instinct.

What the hell was that punchline. But he's still failing to hide his smile like an idiot. Before finally, ]

—pff- hahah...!

[ Aaand huff. He's good. He's good now. ]

[ "Oh, come on", but he's laughing, anyway. She's getting better at this! Yang would be proud.

(No, she wouldn't.)

She's about to rub it in— just how funny she is and all, when she notices the little speck of salad dressing on Cloud's cheek. Wordlessly, she gets up on her knees so she can crawl over to him, her bowl set aside for this. ]

You have a little— [ Mm, nevermind. She's taking her napkin and wiping the spot off his face with one end instead of finishing. Just the usual. ]

I kind of want dessert. I'll go see what we have downstairs.

[ 'u' there should be some chocolate cheesecake from the other day! And she should still have some fruit, too. ]

Are you done? I'll bring everything down.

[ He cracked because of how silly the punchline was. But he wouldn't have it any other way. Thankfully it doesn't take much for him to calm down when she wordlessly crawls over to him. Once again he's caught like a deer in the headlights, blinking back at her while his cheeks redden. ... it's an innocent thought, but there's something about her crawling up to him, high spirits and all, that's cute. It makes it that much easier to dab away the little spot of dressing from his cheek. How did that get there... ]

Hah... Thanks.

[ He takes a couple stabs at his salad and takes a big bite, finishing in record time to answer back, ]

Want me to come with? Or should I wait?

[ His bowl is empty. If it's the latter, he'll be patient and enjoy his red iced tea. ]

You can come get me if I take too long.

[ You know, if she ends up organising the kitchen again. Or the books on the shelf in the living room. Or other things, really.

She moves away back to her side of the bed so she can push herself up. With the tray by the end of the bed, she places their bowls on it, as well as empty glasses to take downstairs. It shouldn't take too long if Weiss doesn't get distracted. This should be five minutes tops! Or less than ten, if she moved any slower. Any longer than that? Totally sus... ]

[ Patient as can be, Cloud leans back on his hands and starts to swing his legs over the edge of the bed. This lasts for at least a few minutes... And by a few minutes? Meaning Cloud sneaks his way downstairs, staying out of sight because, yes, he's going to be gauging how long she's actually going to take. Not out of impatience or anything! She can put everything away like she said she would. Hell, he won't even push helping her with...other things, if she happened to get "distracted".

Leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the kitchen, peering around the corner on occasion to check what she's up to. It's a gamble, seeing if he'd get caught or not! But...well.

She's reaching sus territory. Almost. And there's a small, knowing smile on his face as he waits it out. ]

[ Weiss is in a very good mood! So much so that she's humming as she works, rinsing the dishes after putting soap on them, then letting it dry on the rack . She can put them back in the cupboards tomorrow once they're dry.

Admittedly, this isn't the sort of work she's used to! She lived alone in Lunatia, and even had a dishwasher for a task like this. But... she wants to think that she can wash dishes well despite her lack of experience. As soon as she's done, though, she looks around if there's anything else that needs to be cleaned, or organised. Elaine probably left a rag lying around somewhere, and Weiss wouldn't want to feel like she doesn't care about her landlady!

In the end, though, after placing a small booklet in one of the shelves in the kitchen, she pulls out a recipe book. "Cooking from the Heart", the title reads. And these are more homey-style meals than what one might find in restaurants. Maybe there's some tips on how to make stew in here... ]

[ Gradually, instead of interrupting her, Cloud decides to step into the foyer, leaning against the side as he watches her work. She's humming to herself... By his own admittance, this was a side of her that he hadn't had much of a chance to see before. Be it because their place in Lunatia was more advanced or because they kept themselves much busier in a world like Prismatica. In a way...it kind of reminds him of life back home. Whether he was stepping in to help tidy things in the kitchen or going over paperwork and sorting it for his delivery business. The life they live now is a simpler one... Steeped in magic and with the multiverse hanging in the balance, mind, but on the surface? It's reminiscent for him.

Yet the biggest takeaway for Cloud as he folds his arms and tenderly smiles, is just how happy and content Weiss seems to be. Usually he would have cleared his throat and teased her for dawdling again because she got distracted with tidying and organizing. But right now...he doesn't want to do any of that. Like he wants to preserve this moment in time and commit it to memory. He doesn't bring it out again, but his hand slips into his pocket as he sighs through his nose, feeling the red-jeweled brooch he'd come to treasure so dearly. ]

(I'm coming back to you.) [ He holds the brooch tight. ] (No matter what.)

[ Deciding it's about time he made his presence known, he doesn't go to tease her and tell her how long she's been. Instead, he nonchalantly enters the room and goes towards the cupboard where their glasses are. ]

Just getting some water.

[ Weiss is back to reality when she hears Cloud's voice. Quickly closing the book and putting it back on the shelf, she immediately remembers what she went down here for. Apart from washing the dishes? She said she wanted dessert! Damn. ]

Can you pour some for me, too? [ Especially if there's cake... And she goes to check the fridge to see if there's still leftover cake from the other day. True enough, there's a slice left! Not that big, but she's more than willing to share if Cloud seems interested. ]

... I guess I gotta buy more food tomorrow.

Sure.

[ One glass... Two glasses...! After running the tap and filling both glasses, he waits by the table for her. He doubts they'll stay down here long, but they may as well talk about what tomorrow brings! ]

Want me to tag along?

[ It won't even be a contest for who pays for the groceries first! Besides working on restoring his bike and beginning to inquire into how to get a genuine motorcycle one day, his schedule was freed up. ]

If you have the time to spare, I'd like that.

[ She'd gotten groceries, but just the essentials today! There's not much to snack on with what she got, especially since she was just by herself and couldn't carry a ton of bags on her own.

Now, with her kinetic magic, she could, but that would have meant that she'd be tired and on the floor by the time she got back. ]

I'll probably go out later in the day, though. I have some things to attend to in the morning.

[ But for now... what she has to attend to is her cake 'u' It's just a teensy slice, but she wants to eat it upstairs before brushing her teeth! And... maybe Cloud won't call her out on it if she leaves the plate with little cheesecake crumbs on her bedside table when they go to bed... ]

Works for me.

[ It's Cloud's turn to go out and join Elaine for some of the farmhand duties. Although his efficiency with kinetic magic wasn't on the same level as Weiss' yet, having a pair of users shopping together? That'd come in handy! ...granted, there's a good chance he's going to just try and carry everything by hand. Hopefully the bags are sturdy enough. ]

Wacha got going on?

[ The second she takes that plate upstairs, he's going to huff in amusement. ...and possibly take the plate down for her when she falls asleep if he happens to be up first. Which is possible! He's a light sleeper. ]

Nothing crazy. [ Taking her glass, she nods towards the pathway to leave the kitchen. Cloud should switch the lights off once he's out, otherwise, she'll just use her magic to switch the lights off so they can go up and close down here. ] Someone invited me to a meeting because they wanted to feature me in something.

[ ... okay, maybe that's a bit crazy. Weiss had been keeping a low profile since getting here, even moreso after "returning" to Atlas and gaining new memories. She doesn't socialise much, opting to keep to herself, much like how her icy nature used to be. At least, when with others that aren't Cloud or Elaine. ]

[ Flicking the light as they head out and up, he wasn't expecting an answer beyond "Nothing crazy." But she earns a raised brow when she elaborates. Save for his occasional training with the likes of Gaius, he had kept to a relatively quiet life here in Avalon, keeping tabs on Sephiroth in the meantime also. So hearing Weiss being "featured" in something? It has him curious! ]

Really? Something like you used to back in Lunatia?

Maybe not. I don't think I want that kind of life here.

[ While she still had a lot of time for her personal life (mostly because she knew how to manage her time in the first place), she still felt like she was doing a lot of things all at once. Given her different set of priorities in this world, she'd much prefer to do serious work than hone her craft at this time. ]

But little gigs here and there doesn't sound too bad. Besides, if more people know me, then maybe I'll be able to get the help I need in order to save Remnant once all of this is over.

Not a bad idea... [ But, what's most important despite her intentions, at least to him? Is that she knows that no matter what, ] I'll support you. Whatever you do.

[ That also includes getting to watch if she does anything similar to what she did back in Lunatia! They're just outside their bedroom door when he gets it first and heads inside. ]

Remember when I'd pick you up from the theatre? And we'd walk back to your place?

[ She follows right in, going to her side of the bed to get comfortable. She still has her cheesecake to enjoy, after all! ]

Yeah. [ What can she even add to that? Those moments were very precious to her. Cloud always went out of his way to spend time with her. She didn't need to ask him for his time or anything! Not that she needs to now for Cloud to spend time with her, but it's not exactly something they can do on the regular in this place. ]

If you picked me up from work now, the walk to home would just be a little over a minute.

[ Cloud, meanwhile, takes up his side of the bed, careful not to unceremoniously flop onto it in case Weiss' plate of cheesecake went flying. ...then again, if he saw it flying, he'd attempt to use Kinetic magic to catch it. Leaning back on his hands, he looks over to her as they reminisce. ]

Hmm. Then... [ He cracks a little smile before suggesting teasingly, ] We take a detour every time? Stretch it out a few more minutes?

You don't think we'd run out of places to go to?

[ They can only go around in circles for so long... still, she's definitely humouring the idea. ]

Want some?

[ She'll give Cloud the first bite if he asks! ]

[ Okay. She caught him. ]

To be fair, it won't be the sights I'm mostly paying attention to.

[ They'll run out of places. And he'll still find it worth it. Just like waking up next to her every morning was the same, but just as good. ]

Mmmmno-sure.

[ A little bite won't hurt. He was gonna let her have the whole thing, but instead, he swings his legs around to sit on the bed fully, turning to face her as he waits for her to give him that first bite. By now he's learned his lesson. ...unless this was the day she swerves him and tells him to grab the fork. kadjfsh ]

[ Nope. Today is not that day!

He seems hesitant, so maybe just a small bite? Unless he asks for more later on. Either way, it's just a teensy bit she slices for him before she offers it to him. Her other hand is below the other to catch any crumbs that might fall.

Cloud isn't a messy eater! But... she wants to be careful. ]

Here.

[ Cloud was only hesitant because he wasn't sure if he really wanted it or not. But a small bite is fine by him! Closing his eyes, he leans in and takes the bite off her fork with a little 'om'. ]

Thanks for your help earlier, Weiss.

You already said that.

[ Stop being gross! ]

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凶 seasons change

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