[He doesn't have to worry about that. That chime alerted everyone in the back, and a voice over the intercom responds to Cloud.]
Someone'll be right out, just hold on a sec.
[Thankfully, the front office is partitioned off from where all the work happens, and the air filters keep the quality nice and clean for the clients. While there are a handful of chairs for Cloud to make himself comfortable in if he wishes, he doesn't have to wait long as the door to the back opens and Suzaku backs his way in, taking off his work gloves in the process.]
Welcome to CRP Garage! How can I hel--
[He freezes as he turns around, and sees who's right in front of him. Someone who he knows... and yet doesn't know at all.]
---elp...
[His expression goes from surprise to something much more guarded. If Sanguis were high in the sky, there's little doubt in his mind that they might pick up where they left off. But its Cordis' time to shine, which at least allows him to think with some clarity. So rather than launch into a fight, he keeps his stance neutral, and watches the other man.
[ Cloud cranes his head to the source of the source of the intercom. Ah. Standard fare. He says nothing back, just giving a collective hum as he brings the package into both hands. No sense in leaving it tucked under his arm anymore when he'll be handing it over right away. He doesn't expect to be staying for long, so he passes on the chairs in the lobby. And sure enough, backing his way in was the right guy to take this shipment! ]
!
[ His voice slowly registers first. But it's when Suzaku turns around that everything comes rushing back to him. The taste of blood in his mouth. The throbbing sensation in his head as Sanguis bled violent thoughts into his conscience. What was meant to be an intense yet well-meant attempt to channel the man's anger towards him, grew out of hand in a big way. That part was Cloud's fault. Two Sanguis in the same area, with an outside factor for the blond, made everything extremely volatile. The only thing that tempers the end result of their brawl is the fact that once the crimson moon waned, he could think more clearly.
It's a mess. An outright frustrating mess. And he's equally as guarded once the look of tempered shock ebbs away. His grip on the box tenses, but nothing to suggest he's about to go crunching the cardboard. Instead of his ears darting up, it's the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end despite his own neutral stance.
Suzaku Kururugi. ]
Hey.
[ 'Sup. ... He's here on professional business. Cloud has to remind himself to keep it that way, even if he has no idea how Suzaku would react. Realizing he forgot how to breath, he lets out a terse huff through his nose as he wills the tension in his shoulders to settle. The muscles in his arms loosen up as well; good luck doing any of this during Sanguis. He resists the urge to make with small talk, or making an offhand remark like "oh. so you work here." ]
[It should be a simple transaction. Take box, sign form, part ways. But as his eyes glance at the box, even the simple business of their business becomes needlessly complicated.
If he takes the box with both hands, Cloud would easily be able to sucker punch him. If he takes it with one hand, he's off balance, and defenseless to one side. He could have Cloud put the box down, the parts are relatively sensitive, that takes them out of the equation. Then there's still the matter of signing, and...
...and as he calculates all of this, he leaves Cloud standing there for what feels like several heartbeats too long to be professional.]
...
...
...this is-- [He doesn't even bother finishing that sentence, muttering something to himself as he shakes his head, a look of annoyance being to creep into his features. Said annoyance is directed inward, even if it may not be obvious to Cloud.
He reaches to grab the box from the other man.]
Where do I sign?
[Take box. Sign papers. Part ways. And that is that, right?]
[ Take box, sign form, part ways, analyze how he should give the box to his client while minimizing the chance of damages. Cloud might be sharp of sense, but he's become intimately familiar with just how swift Suzaku was in kind. The thought never leaves his mind, that without the moon overhead, this could still go off in a very bad way. It feels like unfinished business; that feeling was mutual. Except the difference for Cloud is that for all the gunpowder filling this keg...there's not a single spark in sight to set it off. If there's unfinished business, he doesn't want to settle it with their fists or worse.
Words, Cloud. Use your words. One can cut the tension with the knife; with anybody else, he might have carved through that silence with something. Anything. But equally on edge and tempering his thoughts, he's surprisingly patient until Suzaku finally says something, cutting the thought dead with a shake of his head. This is? ]
--yeah. [ A subtle frown mars his lips as he steps forward into Suzaku's space so the other doesn't have to reach far. Going through the motions, almost robotic-like in his procedure as he allows the taller man to take the box. ] Bottom left.
[ On top of the box is a delivery slip with the order and ultimate cost of the bill. That cost's been covered by the blond's initial pick-up point. ]
Second copy's yours.
[ A beat. ]
Oh.
[ He pulls a pen out of his pocket, offering it for Suzaku to take in case he needs one to sign with. Whether he accepts it or not, the blond waits while rubbing the back of his neck instinctively. ]
[Step one manages to go off without a hitch as he takes the box. Its when they get to step two that things briefly get dicey. Its the way Cloud suddenly reaches for a weappen. Its just a damn pen.
Logically, he knows that, in the end, nothing is about to happen between them. And had it not been Sanguis that day, nothing would've happened between them. There was no reason then, and even less of a reason now.
But he still remembers, very vividly, the way his back broke the pavement. He remembers each punch and each hit that came before that point. He even remembers being healed by the guy, something that could be viewed as an act of contrition, but felt so much like pity that even now he can still taste the bile in his throat from it. He remembers thinking, so very clearly, how badly his sanguis side burned for his blood, and another opportunity to finish what they started.
And now, here he is, offering him a pen.
Who the fuck even is this guy?! This Cloud Strife?
...This really is--
He lets out a huff through his nose, but takes the offered pen. Thankfully, the box isn't so big as to be unwieldly, and signs the top form, all the while muttering how signing for a box shouldn't be so--
It's a thought he never finishes as he rips the signed slip off, offering it and the pen back to Cloud.]
[ 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.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ninetydegrees
(no subject)
Someone'll be right out, just hold on a sec.
[Thankfully, the front office is partitioned off from where all the work happens, and the air filters keep the quality nice and clean for the clients. While there are a handful of chairs for Cloud to make himself comfortable in if he wishes, he doesn't have to wait long as the door to the back opens and Suzaku backs his way in, taking off his work gloves in the process.]
Welcome to CRP Garage! How can I hel--
[He freezes as he turns around, and sees who's right in front of him. Someone who he knows... and yet doesn't know at all.]
---elp...
[His expression goes from surprise to something much more guarded. If Sanguis were high in the sky, there's little doubt in his mind that they might pick up where they left off. But its Cordis' time to shine, which at least allows him to think with some clarity. So rather than launch into a fight, he keeps his stance neutral, and watches the other man.
Cloud Strife.]
You.
(no subject)
!
[ His voice slowly registers first. But it's when Suzaku turns around that everything comes rushing back to him. The taste of blood in his mouth. The throbbing sensation in his head as Sanguis bled violent thoughts into his conscience. What was meant to be an intense yet well-meant attempt to channel the man's anger towards him, grew out of hand in a big way. That part was Cloud's fault. Two Sanguis in the same area, with an outside factor for the blond, made everything extremely volatile. The only thing that tempers the end result of their brawl is the fact that once the crimson moon waned, he could think more clearly.
It's a mess. An outright frustrating mess. And he's equally as guarded once the look of tempered shock ebbs away. His grip on the box tenses, but nothing to suggest he's about to go crunching the cardboard. Instead of his ears darting up, it's the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end despite his own neutral stance.
Suzaku Kururugi. ]
Hey.
[ 'Sup. ... He's here on professional business. Cloud has to remind himself to keep it that way, even if he has no idea how Suzaku would react. Realizing he forgot how to breath, he lets out a terse huff through his nose as he wills the tension in his shoulders to settle. The muscles in his arms loosen up as well; good luck doing any of this during Sanguis. He resists the urge to make with small talk, or making an offhand remark like "oh. so you work here." ]
I've got CRP's spare parts order here.
(no subject)
[It should be a simple transaction. Take box, sign form, part ways. But as his eyes glance at the box, even the simple business of their business becomes needlessly complicated.
If he takes the box with both hands, Cloud would easily be able to sucker punch him. If he takes it with one hand, he's off balance, and defenseless to one side. He could have Cloud put the box down, the parts are relatively sensitive, that takes them out of the equation. Then there's still the matter of signing, and...
...and as he calculates all of this, he leaves Cloud standing there for what feels like several heartbeats too long to be professional.]
...
...
...this is-- [He doesn't even bother finishing that sentence, muttering something to himself as he shakes his head, a look of annoyance being to creep into his features. Said annoyance is directed inward, even if it may not be obvious to Cloud.
He reaches to grab the box from the other man.]
Where do I sign?
[Take box. Sign papers. Part ways. And that is that, right?]
(no subject)
Words, Cloud. Use your words. One can cut the tension with the knife; with anybody else, he might have carved through that silence with something. Anything. But equally on edge and tempering his thoughts, he's surprisingly patient until Suzaku finally says something, cutting the thought dead with a shake of his head. This is? ]
--yeah. [ A subtle frown mars his lips as he steps forward into Suzaku's space so the other doesn't have to reach far. Going through the motions, almost robotic-like in his procedure as he allows the taller man to take the box. ] Bottom left.
[ On top of the box is a delivery slip with the order and ultimate cost of the bill. That cost's been covered by the blond's initial pick-up point. ]
Second copy's yours.
[ A beat. ]
Oh.
[ He pulls a pen out of his pocket, offering it for Suzaku to take in case he needs one to sign with. Whether he accepts it or not, the blond waits while rubbing the back of his neck instinctively. ]
(no subject)
[Step one manages to go off without a hitch as he takes the box. Its when they get to step two that things briefly get dicey. Its the way Cloud suddenly reaches for a
weappen. Its just a damn pen.Logically, he knows that, in the end, nothing is about to happen between them. And had it not been Sanguis that day, nothing would've happened between them. There was no reason then, and even less of a reason now.
But he still remembers, very vividly, the way his back broke the pavement. He remembers each punch and each hit that came before that point. He even remembers being healed by the guy, something that could be viewed as an act of contrition, but felt so much like pity that even now he can still taste the bile in his throat from it. He remembers thinking, so very clearly, how badly his sanguis side burned for his blood, and another opportunity to finish what they started.
And now, here he is, offering him a pen.
Who the fuck even is this guy?! This Cloud Strife?
...This really is--
He lets out a huff through his nose, but takes the offered pen. Thankfully, the box isn't so big as to be unwieldly, and signs the top form, all the while muttering how signing for a box shouldn't be so--
It's a thought he never finishes as he rips the signed slip off, offering it and the pen back to Cloud.]
Here.
(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. ]