[ Yes. This Cloud Strife. The Cloud Strife that turned his back on the prospects of fighting, hoping there'd be no need to stave off the next disaster for some isolated job as a 'delivery boy'. The Cloud Strife who could have taken the job of a mercenary, toppling threat after threat and clearing job after job for far riskier but juicier paychecks. And honestly...the same Cloud Strife that never had a chance to "live" until he came into his own.
That's the guy who hands Suzaku the pen, stifling those bitter feelings and steeling the tension that threatens to make him blurt out something stupid. The muttering isn't lost on him. The fact that not everything's outright "okay" is still very prominent, hanging in the air and getting thicker with time. As he's handed back the pen and the signed slip, Cloud knows. If he walks out now, this guilt and doubt would continue to hang over his head. And a part of him has to wonder...would it be the same for his fellow Sanguis? ]
Thanks.
[ Putting his pen back in his pocket, when he looks back up at the brown-haired man, blues matching his greens, ]
... [ He can't do it. He's not going to state the obvious. This is awkward. They both know it. So allow him. ] Look, Suzaku. About...—
[He snaps the word out as soon as Cloud starts, though the bite in his voice isn't really directed at the other man. The whole situation is fucked up, and any kind of discussion about it feels like it would be fruitless. But even so, what is he to do? Sending guy away now feels equally as useless.
He lets out a breath.]
Sanguis happens. [Its the best and most concise way he can explain what a clusterfuck their first meeting was. He looks off to the side.] I'll let it go if you do.
[A peace offering. Of sorts. An agreement to let their unfinished business remain unfinished business. After all, he doesn't know the guy, and the only reason he wants to fight him is only because he already fought him to a standstill. There's nothing holding them together that he knows of, so he can spinkick his own pride and just... drop the situation.]
[ Somehow he expected that. Cloud doesn't even flinch away from the response or the bite to that singular word. Unlike during Sanguis when his ears would have flicked. Or his eyes would have widened at the prospect of his itch getting scratched. But there's none of that edge there- tempered as the steel he carries with lethal grace. Whereas Suzaku looks off to the side, the blond's gaze holds steadfast. Never once faltering from the man who seems at war with himself. If he leaves, they "end" their business. If he doesn't but nothing gets said, that tension grows further taut.
But ultimately, the one that's actually in the dark about this all is the knight whose willing to stifle his pride. The answer Suzaku will be met with, however, might not be the one he was expecting. Cloud wants peace too, for various reasons. He also feels like there's no other time to clear the air. No bullshit; he's not the only one having to rein in their pride. ]
I didn't start fighting 'cause of Sanguis.
[ Anywhere else, on any other planet, where Moonlacing and Chroma weren't necessities to life and pulled their bodies and hearts every whichway... Cloud might have still been angry. Jealousy isn't exclusive to the crimson impulse of their moon, but outside its influence, he can't even be mad at the man either. What gives him the right? Everything mandates they make Chroma by being intimate. It happens. It leaves people wanting more. Cloud's no different. One thing is true. Sanguis happens. There's nobody else but the two of them here, and he doesn't have any intention of turning the other way and leaving the man to stew either. So as he rubs the bridge of his nose, finally scrunching his eyes and taking a breath.
He says it plain yet quick. No disdain. ]
You Moonlaced with my girlfriend and that set me off.
[ He suddenly feels very hot after saying that, sighing as he sets his hand on the counter, shaking his head. It's only a minor pause after that truth. How would Cloud know? He looks back to Suzaku, shrugging as he takes his free hand to gesture at his own nose. ]
A nose knows. [ Can't mask scents so easily from a wolf. ] Heightened sense and all that.
[His eyes snap back to meet Cloud's when he gives his initial response. Instantly, his mind starts coming up with possible reason for Could to want to come at him. The only one he can really think of is that, somehow, they're from the same world. That could be the only possible reason why someone he's never laid eyes on before wants to fight him. His past sins coming to catch up to him.
But then--]
What?
[Cloud continues to explain, and the confusion is clear on Suzaku's face. His eyes shift slightly as he runs through his mental rolodex contact list, and while he's moonlaced with a few girls, some more intimately than others, absolutely no one mentioned being in a relationship. His eyebrows furrow.]
[ There it is. The confusion that's awash the man's face. It ain't no smiling matter, but now that he's got the truth out there, the rest becomes a bit easier to follow up with. Neither Cloud or Weiss were the type of people to just...well, sleep around. They made a promise that regardless of what happens, how the moons sway them, who they Moonlace with, they would always come back to one another. It might be a complicated open relationship...but it's one they make work together. With both hands on the counter, he leans against it as he looks back at Suzaku. ]
Weiss.
[ The huntress. Moon Knight, singer, actress, Moonblessed celebrity... She must trust this guy. Which is why Sanguis can be a real bitch. ]
Not sure how much you know about what tends to change when it's our cycle, but...amped up possessiveness is a problem.
Look, we both get it. Moonlacing, chroma, the...moons are a thing. So. [ A beat. Two. ] That was on me.
[Not that he imagines that there are a whole bunch of other Weisses out there, but its still a surprise to hear her name. His brain combs through every interaction he's had with her, trying to remember some hint of mention of a boyfriend, but it comes up blank.
Then Cloud continues and.... he apologizes. Sort of.
He's apologizing for starting a fight with him because he banged his girlfriend.]
[ Cloud won't know another Weiss till Deepground. dfakjh The corner of Cloud's mouth dips to a half frown, a screwy look as he looks at Suzaku as he attempts to process this. He doesn't give verbal confirmation, only the faintest shake of his head up and down. The unspoken "yup" is palpable. There's a part of Cloud that still finds it hard to say outright "sorry". Because there's still a part of him that...wants to rightfully protect what he has?
But even that is a loose conviction when Chroma and Moonlacing have one helluva pull. Yeah. He's technically apologizing for wanting to throw fists because another guy shacked up with his girl.
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ninetydegrees
(no subject)
That's the guy who hands Suzaku the pen, stifling those bitter feelings and steeling the tension that threatens to make him blurt out something stupid. The muttering isn't lost on him. The fact that not everything's outright "okay" is still very prominent, hanging in the air and getting thicker with time. As he's handed back the pen and the signed slip, Cloud knows. If he walks out now, this guilt and doubt would continue to hang over his head. And a part of him has to wonder...would it be the same for his fellow Sanguis? ]
Thanks.
[ Putting his pen back in his pocket, when he looks back up at the brown-haired man, blues matching his greens, ]
... [ He can't do it. He's not going to state the obvious. This is awkward. They both know it. So allow him. ] Look, Suzaku. About...—
(no subject)
[He snaps the word out as soon as Cloud starts, though the bite in his voice isn't really directed at the other man. The whole situation is fucked up, and any kind of discussion about it feels like it would be fruitless. But even so, what is he to do? Sending guy away now feels equally as useless.
He lets out a breath.]
Sanguis happens. [Its the best and most concise way he can explain what a clusterfuck their first meeting was. He looks off to the side.] I'll let it go if you do.
[A peace offering. Of sorts. An agreement to let their unfinished business remain unfinished business. After all, he doesn't know the guy, and the only reason he wants to fight him is only because he already fought him to a standstill. There's nothing holding them together that he knows of, so he can spinkick his own pride and just... drop the situation.]
(no subject)
But ultimately, the one that's actually in the dark about this all is the knight whose willing to stifle his pride. The answer Suzaku will be met with, however, might not be the one he was expecting. Cloud wants peace too, for various reasons. He also feels like there's no other time to clear the air. No bullshit; he's not the only one having to rein in their pride. ]
I didn't start fighting 'cause of Sanguis.
[ Anywhere else, on any other planet, where Moonlacing and Chroma weren't necessities to life and pulled their bodies and hearts every whichway... Cloud might have still been angry. Jealousy isn't exclusive to the crimson impulse of their moon, but outside its influence, he can't even be mad at the man either. What gives him the right? Everything mandates they make Chroma by being intimate. It happens. It leaves people wanting more. Cloud's no different. One thing is true. Sanguis happens. There's nobody else but the two of them here, and he doesn't have any intention of turning the other way and leaving the man to stew either. So as he rubs the bridge of his nose, finally scrunching his eyes and taking a breath.
He says it plain yet quick. No disdain. ]
You Moonlaced with my girlfriend and that set me off.
[ He suddenly feels very hot after saying that, sighing as he sets his hand on the counter, shaking his head. It's only a minor pause after that truth. How would Cloud know? He looks back to Suzaku, shrugging as he takes his free hand to gesture at his own nose. ]
A nose knows. [ Can't mask scents so easily from a wolf. ] Heightened sense and all that.
(no subject)
But then--]
What?
[Cloud continues to explain, and the confusion is clear on Suzaku's face. His eyes shift slightly as he runs through his mental
rolodexcontact list, and while he's moonlaced with a few girls, some more intimately than others, absolutely no one mentioned being in a relationship. His eyebrows furrow.]Who's your girlfriend?
(no subject)
Weiss.
[ The huntress. Moon Knight, singer, actress, Moonblessed celebrity... She must trust this guy. Which is why Sanguis can be a real bitch. ]
Not sure how much you know about what tends to change when it's our cycle, but...amped up possessiveness is a problem.
Look, we both get it. Moonlacing, chroma, the...moons are a thing. So. [ A beat. Two. ] That was on me.
(no subject)
[Not that he imagines that there are a whole bunch of other Weisses out there, but its still a surprise to hear her name. His brain combs through every interaction he's had with her, trying to remember some hint of mention of a boyfriend, but it comes up blank.
Then Cloud continues and.... he apologizes. Sort of.
He's apologizing for starting a fight with him because he banged his girlfriend.]
...............
I'm gonna need a minute.
(no subject)
Cloud won't know another Weiss till Deepground. dfakjhThe corner of Cloud's mouth dips to a half frown, a screwy look as he looks at Suzaku as he attempts to process this. He doesn't give verbal confirmation, only the faintest shake of his head up and down. The unspoken "yup" is palpable. There's a part of Cloud that still finds it hard to say outright "sorry". Because there's still a part of him that...wants to rightfully protect what he has?But even that is a loose conviction when Chroma and Moonlacing have one helluva pull. Yeah. He's technically apologizing for wanting to throw fists because another guy shacked up with his girl.
......
Only in Prismatica.
"I'm gonna need a minute." ]
Can't blame ya, [ He says immediately after. ]