towerofanimus | 001... lost in translation

Entry tags:

001... lost in translation

Characters: Cloud and YOU
Settings: starting on floor 3 room number 08 and working on down to the cafeteria
Format: prose but open to all styles
Summary: Cloud wakes up, has a panic attack and then goes exploring
Warnings: none really

Room 3-08
No. It wasn't real. Cloud tugged on the collar, staring at the letter laying on the floor. He couldn't believe it. After all that fighting, the struggle and pain, that was it? His grip tightened on the collar and he could feel it pull against the bones. Common sense would dictate that he should let it go, but his common sense wasn't exactly paying attention at that moment. It was only when he couldn't see and barely take in air that he left go and sat there, trying to get over the caged in feeling.

Then he ripped off the tight suit, all but clawing at it to get it off of him, looking wildly around at the room. Plain, with just simple living necessities like an inn. He opened the trunk at the foot of the bed he woke up on, finding gear from home. Clothing, some blueprints, a few things that he wouldn't have packed but was sort of glad that they were there. He dressed, took one of the switchblade swords and the Escort guard, crammed everything else back into the trunk and unfolded the sword. Well. At least he wasn't going to need to find a weapon.

Hallways
Part of him wanted to go back to the room. It gave the illusion of being in an inn, and that had been comforting enough. It kept him from cringing away, of thinking about the shattered times inside the tests and the green and he just... had to move on. Something happened, and he needed to know what it was. Even if he had to deal with someone collaring him like another experiment.

He walked past people, not exactly cringing away, but with a steady purpose that seemed to scream 'do not touch'. He might be used to being normal but that was shaken and it was just hard for him to find his center yet.

Cafeteria
It didn't help his appetite that the food smelled rather strong for his tastes. Cloud wrinkled his nose at the mixed odors of people and cooking grease, too much spices and watery vegetables. The staff seemed to insist on giving him a bowl of oatmeal that reminded him of Zloom drool, just not with the same amount of brimstone smell to it. Cloud poked at the grayish mass with a spoon, decided that he had eaten worse, and took a bite. It was just as bad as he thought, but most things were unless he could make his own food.

Still, he ate it. He didn't know when the next meal was coming or what it would be. Yet.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

While walking down the hallway on the way to some activity Reno had in mind, something about meadows and physical activity to get some of the weirdness he was feeling today out, he bumped into somebody by accident without really watching where he was going or who he bumped into.

"Sorry," he muttered, as that was the quickest way to get back on his way. You couldn't blame him, there was a ton of things on his mind already.

He would have just kept on walking but Reno just had to speak. Cloud stopped and focused on the here and now instead of just getting through this walk. He looked at him and then shook his head slowly. Aerith and Zack he expected. Reno he did not.

"Reno?"

Stopping suddenly, Reno slowly turned around to stare at the man he had just bumped.

Cloud. It was god damned effing Cloud Strife. He was just standing there, right in the Tower.

Reno was a little confused. He was pretty sure he had been captured because there were- oh screw that. Screw everything he ever thought about this tower. He'd been wrong.

There was no reason for these people to capture Cloud Strife if they were on the same side.

"...Cloud?" He narrowed his eyes a little. "The hell is that you're wearing?" Figures it would be the stupidest question ever. Reno himself was wearing his normal clothes, the rather mangled Costa del Sol shirt and a pair of blue slacks.

Okay, that wasn't exactly what he expected at all. Cloud shifted his stance, that spiky mess of hair falling over his face as the Turk just stood there looking like he had just gotten hit with one of Cid's spears. He figured that Reno would have had some grasp or knowledge of people arriving here than Cloud, and maybe had already known he was here. It looked like he was wrong.

He blinked and looked down. No, his clothing hadn't change at all - the same black gear that he wore pretty much everywhere and looked back up. Shrugging, he frowned.

"What I normally wear. Did this place make you go blind?"

The last thing he remembered Cloud wearing- pretty much constantly, at that - was worn old SOLDIER duds.

The last time he had seen the guy in person was underneath Sector 8.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples a bit, hoping that when he opened them again Cloud wouldn't be there. So much for telling his double there wasn't anyone else here from Gaia.

"No, but it's trying to make me go crazy."

Nope. Damn. Cloud was still here. At least he didn't seem like he was going to knock Reno around any. That was good, he liked to think they parted on at least decent terms. "You just arrive or something?"

"Isn't that always the case?"

They had parted on some slightly friendly terms - at least as friendly as Cloud would get with Turks with all the history between them. Give him a few years and he might actually come to appreciate them being around, but right now, he was just glad he didn't have to fight them. He and the rest of AVALANCHE might have been good fighters, but the Turks were trained to deal with SOLDIERs. It had been pretty hard to defeat each time they faced off.

"Mm." He shrugged, and stepped out of the way of a couple people, watching them go by with hooded slightly glowing, eyes. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to run into anyone else right now.

"Just arrived."

Great.

Reno shook his head. He had no idea what to say to Cloud or what to do. This was practically the first time they had met under circumstances that were not either; a, dangerous, or; b, one of them attempting to kill the other.

It was also probably the first time Reno had ever felt this awkward. Even his other self was less awkward than this, and that had been bad enough finding out there were two of him.

"Yeah." He would try, at least. "I'm sort of busy. But... if you've just arrived, ya might want to head down to the cafeteria and get some oatmeal."

That was it. No explanation, no reason why oatmeal. Just that.

"I got to head out to... do something." The last thing he wanted Cloud Strife to know that he was pulling window washing duty here. That was just embarrassing.

Oatmeal. Great, just great. He just hoped that it wouldn't be burnt with bits of -something- floating around in it. It was amazing what a person would eat even when it looked like it could jump up and attack one.

"Is it better than Shinra standard gruel?" Because that memory is still one he wouldn't forget. Going from home cooked meals to that had always been the second biggest shock of joining up, or at least in his memory.

"Don't let me keep you." So long as Reno wasn't trying to bash his head in, Cloud was pretty okay with that.

The turk hesitated at the question, thinking it over. Shinra standard was pretty bad, to be honest, but the oatmeal here wasn't really that much better.

"I'd say it was a step up from military rations. If you really want something else, don't say I didn't warn ya."

Then he turned and started walking down the hallway again; whatever he was going to do he was going to be late for it.

Cloud made a face at that. So. He would just have to eat it and try to think of other things while he did so. Maybe after that there would be something a little more interesting in the cafeteria. Cloud just shook his head and watched the Turk walk away. He'll bother him when both of them wasn't busy, although he forgot to ask how to find him again.

Oh well, Cloud could always ask later on.

Leon was having similar sentiments to Cloud at the moment, though he wasn't partaking in consumption of oat-based mush; instead, it seemed to be more meat-based mush, or perhaps beans. This was just how the Tower worked, unfortunately, and since it seemed to be the only food available, he wasn't going to starve himself out of pride. (His stomach's darkest days of food quality were long since over, but it didn't mean he had spoiled himself in the time since.) He was placing the bowl and spoon on the stack designated for it when he saw a peculiar hairstyle out of the corner of his eye; and no, there was no way he could mistake it. So instead of greeting the chocobo-haired swordsman like a normal person, Leon called out his name while walking across the room.

"Cloud!"

He didn't seem to be aware that his princess was in another castle -- or rather, another series.

He heard his name and stopped, for while he knew Reno was here, that voice did not sound like Reno's. It didn't sound like anyone else he knew but he had been a regular at Tifa's place. Maybe it was someone from there. But when he turned around, he didn't recognize this guy.

"Yes?"

...That didn't work out as planned.

Leon's expression betrayed his surprise for only a moment before he looked the guy over again. He certainly looked like Cloud, and responded to the same name, but... well, might as well make sure. "You don't know me?"

Cloud shrugged, looking the guy over He seemed okay - at least he didn't look like a crazed killer, one of the Sephiroth clones, or some other hidden Shinra employee. He didn't know him, and he would remember someone with a scar like that.

Though, the guy did seem to act like he should. Cloud scratched at his head, still studying him. Military-like bearing, a rather muscled, compact frame, messy brown hair... Maybe they were in the Academy together? He still didn't remember everyone from that time.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't."

And realizing he was looking at him too much, Cloud dropped his gaze.

"Hmph." Leon frowned. This was weird, but he wasn't about to start wondering about it openly. (See, he was learning common courtesy! ...Slowly. Damn you Aerith.) This Cloud must have been before Leon met him; he was wearing a different outfit, too. He didn't look much younger, but then again, maybe Cloud was just one of those guys who didn't age noticeably. "Well, in that case, I'm Leon." And then he tagged on, almost as an afterthought: "...Sorry about the misunderstanding."

Cloud was permanently stuck on the age sixteen, although he had matured somewhat over time. Like gained a few muscles and lost a bit of the baby fat on his face. But he still looked like he did when he was in the troopers with the spiked hair and large blue eyes.

"Cloud... But you already knew that." He nodded, not really offering his hand but he never really went into that sort of thing. "It's okay."

"...This is the second time it's happened," Leon said then, somewhat nonsensically. Even if this Cloud isn't the one he knows, it seems as if his mere presence has loosened his lips. "First there were two copies of the same person... and now there's you, but I don't think you're the Cloud I know." He folded his arms, but even so, shot Cloud something that might be considered a smile.

"...The second time?"

Cloud wasn't one to talk to many people as it is, but he was in a new situation and it looked like he could get some answers from Leon. It might not be full of details since he seemed like a quiet guy, but even the basics was better than nothing.

"You know someone called Cloud?"

[Minako, like many others, notices his hair first, tilting her head at the sight before bouncing over.]

Hi there, do you mind if I take the seat next to you?

[ It's like a giant flag the way it just sticks up naturally like it does. He doesn't even need products to get the spikes. Cloud looked up and - after making sure she wasn't a complete threat (aka a Sephiroth clone) - he nods. ]

Sure.

Thanks!

[She sets down her food, finally noticing what he's eating.]

Oh-- you're new!

Yeah, guess I am.

[ He pushed the lumps of oatmeal around and takes a nibble. It is not his favorite food and this wasn't the best that he has had in his life. ]

I'm Cloud.

That's a cool name. I'm Minako.

A cool name? [ He stopped pushing the food around to eye her for a moment, almost as if he was expecting to see some kind of mockery in her expression. ]

That's not what people usually say about it.

[He only gets a curious blink back.]

What do they say, then? I think it an awfully poetic name.

Either they want to know why I'm not a girl or they want to know what my mom was smoking.

That's terrible! I hope you ripped them a new one when they told you that.

After a while I just brushed them off. It's not worth getting mad over just because they didn't know why she named me that.

...um, well, if it makes you feel better, I like the name Cloud.

...Thanks. [ Plays with the oatmeal before taking another bite of it. ] Minako... Are you from Wutai?

Edited 2012-05-23 07:17 (UTC)

Hm? No, I'm from Japan. [She takes a bite of her sandwich before swallowing.] Port Island. Is Wutai a place from your world?

Mm. I've heard that kind of name among the people there.

Japan... I take it you're not from the Planet are you?

I don't think so, I'm sorry. [A little laugh.] You'd probably see more girls running around in school uniforms if that was the case.

[She tilts her head.]

What's your Planet like?

I wouldn't know; there wasn't much school in a lot of the small villages far from Midgar.

[ He finished the oatmeal with a sigh and shrugged. ]

Angry. Sad. The Planet really had been hurt in the pass. [ Yes, he talks like it's alive. ]

[She nods in understanding, her brow furrowing a little. Her voice is soft when she speaks.]

A war?

There is that too... [ How does one explain Mako energy to other people? ] But it was that there people were draining the Lifestream of its energy.

[She thinks on this for a moment, trying to find a comparison.]

So...they were misusing your Planet? Sort of like...abusing the earth and nature?

In a way... The Lifestream was where all life came from and where it all went to when it died. It... encircled and protected the Planet.

Oh. [It's an interesting concept. She has a hard time figuring out if the Lifestream is a part of his religion, or it actually exists in his world.]

So then are you fighting to protect it? I mean, you mentioned there was a war, and you're wearing pretty impressive armor.

[ It exists. He had been in it more than once, although he wasn't sure if he would be able to explain the feeling exactly. ]

Yeah. We were. We won too. Now I'm just a delivery boy.

A delivery boy that wears armor?

Yeah, well, no one said that the roads are safe yet.

Were you always in danger that often? I mean, if there were already roadways then it wouldn't be that bad, right?

Closer to settlements, the monsters are thinned out, but in the wilds there are a lot of monsters. It wasn't this bad when I was a kid, but that's how it always go.

[She nods in understanding.] Thanks for telling me about all this, by the way! Hearing about other people's worlds is really interesting.

You do? Collect stories from other worlds?

Well, I wasn't intentionally doing that, but maybe I will. I think it's a nice way to get to know other people. If you think about it, even if coming here isn't all that great, this is a once in a lifetime chance to learn about people outside our own worlds.

...I guess you're right about that. It does seem like a good chance to meet new people from different worlds.

Exactly. [Cue smile!] I never would've known about your Planet if you hadn't told me.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

001... lost in translation

Hallways

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Cafeteria

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

sorry for lateness :3

no worries :3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject