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Post by Cloud Strife on Oct 9, 2010 15:52:00 GMT -5
"That's... what I thought too." Cloud responded quite honestly, so caught off guard that he wasn't bothering to censor his emotions the way he normally did. The faintest of smiles touched his lips, remniscent of the days when he'd used to laugh and pal around with Zack in Shinra's main recreational facilities. "I guess I just let my guard down and ended up paying for it... Wouldn't be the first time in the past few years." Looking over the Buster Sword in the other man's hand, Cloud decided he would say nothing about the well-traveled weapon. Hopefully Zack, be he hallucination, shade, or actually reborn, would forget about the issue. It was still sensitive to Cloud, regardless of his attempts to reform himself.
Shaking it off a bit, Cloud realized that this was an unusually lucid atmosphere for him to be hallucinating. He didn't feel light-headed, he was still registering the pain of his partially healed wounds, and everything was sharp and clear. He began to doubt that what was going on right now was anything less than reality, which scared him very deeply. For the Lifestream to reform Zack, coupled with the appearance of a powerful monster so near to Edge, was a very bad omen of things to come. Glancing around slightly, Cloud again frowned at the lack of people. "Has something happened around here, Zack..? I can't remember the last time I've seen this place so empty."
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Post by ninjax900 on Oct 10, 2010 16:36:11 GMT -5
((Let's keep this topic moving, shall we?))
Cid chewed lightly on the end of an unlit cigarette. His hair was flying in multiple different directions, as he was hanging off the side of his ship the Highwind Mk. II temporarily as he made his way for the nearest city, Edge. He smirked. It was a big enough city that had been graced with one of mankind’s greatest achievements. A port for ships.
He pulled his way across the side of the ship, and in through the open door there on the side of his ship. He pulled out a lighter, and clicked it a couple of times. When a flame finally jumped to life, he held it up to the end of his cigarette. Taking a solid drag, the end of his cigarette flared up, and Cid felt heaven once more. He enjoyed his cigarettes.
He shoved the lighter back into his pocket, and made his way through the corridors of the ship to the deck. The men there saluted him. He looked around the room blankly for a moment before his smile lit up his face, despite the partially formed wrinkles.
“This ship can’t land itself. Let’s get moving people. Edge is that way.” He said pointing towards the city lazily drifting closer. The people scrambled to their positions. He stepped around his wheel, and stared at the calendar on the wall. It wouldn’t have been so much of an issue if it wasn’t for the fact that the calendar was staring back. Right there circled enthusiastically in red ink was his birthday.
He frowned. Pulling his cigarette from his mouth, he pressed the tip up against the number, burning it away as if hoping to burn away the day itself. He wasn’t proud that he was closing in on 40, but there wasn’t really much he could do about it. When he pulled away, the number was nothing more than a big black burn mark on the calendar of his life.
He turned back to the front of the ship to find that much to his approval, they were passing over the town square. His day lit up a bit. At least his crew was doing their job. “Alright men, let’s pull ‘er in for a landing.” He was greeted by a bunch of confirming grunts, and the ship slowed down over the dock. It wouldn’t be long before he would set foot on ground.
He needed some entertainment. The ship was his pride and joy, but it didn’t have enough to keep his mind off of his age. He hated being old almost as much as he hated…..well, not flying.
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Zack Fair
AVALANCHE Member
The man behind the Hero
Posts: 51
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Post by Zack Fair on Oct 11, 2010 12:17:54 GMT -5
(RAAAAAAAGE Don't know what else to put here ) "I honestly don't know. I just got here, and it was already like that." Zack said, looking around. Quickly wrapping the Buster Sword back up in its bandages and replacing it on his back, Zack took the cloak off of his shoulders, revealing the entirety of his form, still in its old SOLDIER armor, as he stuffed the weathered cloak into a pack next to the sword. "Nevertheless, I think it's time we found out what's going on, don't you?" Zack asked, turning back to Cloud, who looked so much older than he remembered. "Man, how long has it been?" He asked under his breath, before shaking his head and looking back at Cloud. "I think I saw a bar further back this way. Maybe there's someone there?"
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Post by Cloud Strife on Oct 11, 2010 13:29:38 GMT -5
Seeing Zack still dressed in his old SOLDIER armor sent an unusual mixture of feelings running through Cloud; a combination of nostalgia, revulsion, sadness, fear, and conviction. Zack was most definitely here. Whatever was going on now, this was reality. And Cloud was being forced to face it. Looking down to his own new clothes, he half wondered why he had chosen to throw away his old outfit. It struck him suddenly that the simple act of doing away with his Shinra uniform had been a step in the right direction. That in some small way, he had accepted that portion of his past, and also accepted that it had to be moved on from. That it wasn't a factor in who he was now or in the future anymore than an old job for any normal person.
Brightened slightly by this thought, he was about to answer Zack when the sound and shadow of something huge flying over the city cut him off. Glancing upward and smiling faintly at the all-too-familiar sound of Cid Highwind's miraculous airship, he knew the best place for them to head now. Glancing back down to Zack, he shook his head slightly. "There won't be anything for us at the bar. Not with how empty the city is. But if Cid's come to visit, there are bound to be people with him. Let's head for the town square and sort everything out once we've gotten some information from him." Gesturing for Zack to follow, he turned and headed for the docks.
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Post by Tifa Lockhart on Oct 11, 2010 19:57:31 GMT -5
((Oh yeah? Bring it prissy boy! Kidding, haha. But yeah, another bump post. I know Barret and Zack both need to have the next go in the thread so I'll just get this past the point that it needs for now.))
Tifa stood locked in place, ready for whatever was coming her way. Whomever it was, she would be ready to defend or aid in whatever way she could. The chorus of feet striking the ground grew in volume as she narrowed her vision to get a fix of whatever it was that would soon be coming into view at any given second.
Her concentration was soon broken by a new sound invading the otherwise dense surroundings. This one in particular, Tifa knew without having to guess what it was. A moment later, as if on cue, the skies above her head darkened briefly as a massive airship passed overhead. Glancing up from where she stood, Tifa couldn’t help but smile softly.
…welcome back captain
Like always, Cid seemed to arrive just in time. She would have to remember to thank him later but for now, she was focused on a much more pressing matter; the unknown source coming from the east side of Edge.
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Zack Fair
AVALANCHE Member
The man behind the Hero
Posts: 51
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Post by Zack Fair on Oct 13, 2010 8:28:02 GMT -5
"Alright, let's go." Zack said, nodding. "But be careful, I'm sure that a simple Cura won't be good enough for everything that was wrong with you." He glanced down at his SOLDIER uniform as he walked, remembering Shinra's betrayal, and told himself he needed to change out his outfit soon. Still, for now it would do as he followed Cloud through the streets of Edge to the dock to meet Cid. He supposed it was time for him to take a real part in helping with the world. He knew that more than Likely, Cloud would lead, but he wouldn't be left behind. He intended to be right there next to him. Still, they needed to take it slow for now, and he hoped Cloud would remember to walk instead of running.
He watched the empty streets of Edge, keeping an eye open for anything special, and always watching for any signs of life. The streets remained Barren, however. Where had everyone gone? What was going on here? Something bad had happened here, and he was afraid that he and Cloud were walking directly into the middle of a larger mess than they thought. Still, he was sure they would find their way out, and kept pace with Cloud to make sure that he was ready for anything.
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Post by Cloud Strife on Oct 13, 2010 10:13:55 GMT -5
Though Cloud's lingering chest pain kept him from running as Zack had feared, the mercenary's stubborn nature and overblown need to be strong in all aspects of his life wouldn't allow him to just walk leisurely either. Ignoring the occasional twinge from his mostly-healed ankle, Cloud's compromise was to set a relatively brisk pace just short of a jog and hope Zack didn't try to force him to slow down. Even so, the increased breathing rate this brought on caused a mild burning response from his ribcage, as if to remind him that his broken ribs were only bruised now, not truly healed.
Setting all of this aside, Cloud concerned himself mainly with what could possibly be occurring on this particular day in this particular city. Reviewing his mental calender, he started eliminating possibilities. It was Marlene's birthday, but that wouldn't empty the streets so heavily. It would only ensure that his friends were away enjoying themselves somewhere. The thought of that, and the disappointment on Marlene's face over his absence, stung Cloud more deeply than he had expected. His pace faltered for a moment and a frown crossed his expression briefly. But, no, he had already mailed the gift from Nibelheim, and it should have arrived by now. Nodding in satisfaction that his guilt, while justified, should be minimal, the mercenary moved on and resumed his increased pace.
As the minutes passed and he eliminated the possibilities one by one, Cloud came to realize that there truly wasn't anything going on today to cause such a severe drop in the number of people out and about in Edge. And the feeling of tension running through the air was far too thick for any kind of festival at any rate. Shaking it off as he spotted the town square ahead, Cloud smiled and picked up his pace with an increase in his level of discomfort, hoping that Cid would be able to shed some light on matters.
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Post by Genesis Rhapsodos on Oct 13, 2010 17:49:42 GMT -5
The dark desert grains crumbled under each step the red mage took, as he strode towards the large city before him. It was not as he remembered however; he had not visited Midgar since he had unsealed himself not too long ago. The Shinra headquarters are almost topping off in the distance, the build dismantled and falling to pieces, the plates appearing as only rubble and the building almost non-existent. The red coated Ex-SOLDIERs’ blue eyes gazed ahead in puzzlement as he studied his former home away from home. So much had occurred there, had Shinras’ control dwindled this significantly? Well he knew that Mako was no longer being harvested at least, since the Planet…
Genesis agenda was not yet complete, no where near. With a flick of his left arm Genesis stretched it out as far as it would go. The red sleeved arm was swiftly followed by a large black wing with spread opened at the moment, a couple of feathers dropping onto the rocky sand. While he had such an instrument of travel upon his spine, he still liked to walk places like he used to from time to time, being sealed and defeated had certainly adjusted his vengeful nature like before, and since his body was no longer crumbling he had little reason for anymore destruction. In fact after speaking with ‘it’, he had been directed towards a new goal. As Genesis began to take off, something caught his attention in the corner of his eye. A series of houses on the outskirts of Midgar which seemed to be bubbling with life. It would appear that those who lived in the large plated city had moved slightly to the side upon its’ destruction from Meteor. The handsome man titled his head to the side as he inspected the far off town. “As the war sends the world hurtling towards destruction. The prisoner departs from his newfound love. And embarks on a new journey.” He said quietly to himself, before shooting into the air towards the city.
The red coated swordsman did not spend to long in the air, hovering over head as he studied the people below, but something was queer, perhaps there was the threat of danger about. The number of people began to lessen, and a feeling of familiarity touched his senses. The mans cool eyes ran over for the sign of something he knew, but he could not yet grasp it. After accepting defeat Genesis glided over to a large framework of buildings still in construction and settled into a beam. His attention was quickly stolen by the sounds of a heavy object hovering in the sky, and not far off was the source. The Highwind, though Genesis did not know this. He watched with interest as the huge ship flew over the town and went off looking for a place to land.
Genesis relaxed in his high spot for the moment, his eyes trailing to his hand as he gazed over the materia he had located in the snowy mountains. Perhaps this town would do, if Midgar was out of action…
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Post by ninjax900 on Oct 13, 2010 23:02:29 GMT -5
Cid Highwind stepped out through the opening that appeared before him. He shielded his eyes for only a moment as the light overwhelmed him after being inside for so long. His cigarette had shrunk to about half. He took a light drag from it before blowing smoke into the air with a smile.
Stepping out, he forgot his troubles of age, and realized there were troubles at hand. He felt an uncomfortable calm that was far from what the city’s tone naturally carried. He knew that the town was empty just by looking around, excluding a select few people that probably had a reason for remaining.
His smile faded, and a look of confusion engulfed him. He couldn’t figure out what to think, considering he couldn’t physically see anything wrong with the city, which made him wonder why the city was evacuated in the first place.
Considering his location, he could see everything above the city. He of course noticed the shadow that was looming over the city. His cigarette nearly fell from his mouth, but of course he couldn’t have that.
“Well I’ll be damned…”
He didn’t realize it at first, but he cursed to himself. “How the hell did I not notice it on my way into the city?!”
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Post by Tifa Lockhart on Oct 14, 2010 11:49:24 GMT -5
((A/N - Okay just a short note here for you guys in the thread. Barret and I went in search for photos of possible monsters that we're about to fight. He's got tabs on the pics, and I have them in my photobucket account. I'll link anyone to the photos if needed. Also, this isn't all that.. I didn't take the time to go into great detail about the 1st creatures apperance, if someone else would like to take on the task, it's yours. Other than that, Barret... up to you as to when you want to come meet up with us now. Goes for Cid as well. Sorry I didnt' mention you >.< was distracted by that Cloud person coming in all hurt up...yeah Tifa could care less about anyone else just so long as his ass is saved, haha.... nah, I'm sure she'd feel the same about you guys...~snicker~ )) The source of Tifa’s concern rounded the corner of a simple constructed connivance market looking distraught as ever while scanning the surroundings for answers like herself. It was… Tifa blinked several times as if to clear her vision before boring her gaze back at the man that had yet to sense her presence. …CloudAs his name filled her mind, her body was set into motion. Tifa cleared the barrier wall with ease kicking up a minimal amount of ground under the weight of her forced steps, she was closing the distance between them quickly till another form made its presence be known. She’d nearly lost her footing as her mind tried to compute just who this man was that stood beside Cloud. It’s not like she didn’t know, her past, like Cloud’s had some point interacted with the individual several times before death robbed him of what would have been a prosperous life. But that was the issue, he was dead…yet he was here. The dark haired man that’d won the affections of her dearest friend, Zack. No, this can’t be, am I losing my mind??..Her legs lost the momentum to carry her any closer to the two, as she stood rooted in place, her complexion mixed thickly with internal emotions. She was within speaking of the three but she dared not to move another inch till she conducted a further inspection of the men in question. The two of them for the most part would be comparing night to day. Zack was noticeably taller than Cloud, as well as his build. Cloud of course was naturally blonde while Zack’s hair was the color of a starless night sky. It wasn’t just physical attributes that set the two apart, no. Zack, if memory serves, was energetic, charismatic, a natural flirt and an overall confident man in all his actions. Cloud on the other hand had become his parallel opposite. A sentence was exchanged between the two of them as Tifa watched on. The dark haired Soldier clasped a strong gloved hand down upon the blondes opposing shoulder giving the shorter man a gentle shake of approval. Cloud’s actions were unsettling. More so than normal. As if to show he comprehended the other mans words, he lifted his gaze as he nodded in approval and suddenly his eyes locked onto her own bewildered stare. The two stood deadlocked for a moment, without sound or recognition, the two of them shared a similar look of broken composure. Tifa’s brow knitted as she watched his lips form her name without sound. And it was the lips that brought her crashing painfully back into the present. Forgetting all else, Tifa broke the remaining distance between the three of them quickly. She stopped mere inches from where Cloud watched her with a questioning mark about his features. Forgetting herself for a moment, her hands came up to either side of his face as she paused just short of making contact with his stained skin. Shaking her head, Tifa sought answers “Cloud, what happened?”…she choked out the question shooting a quick look over at the dark haired man that was also looking down at her. Cursing inwardly, Tifa swore if Zack had anything to do with this then he would receive a good piece of her mind. She turned her attention back suddenly when she felt a faint touch land on the outside of her left wrist. Attentive fingers moved up over the back of her palm fastening a good grip against her gloved hand. The look he gave her reminded her somewhat of Denzel being caught red handed and knowing a lecture would follow shortly afterwards. Tifa watched him for a second more, not a moment less before taking control of the situation. Pulling her right arm between them, she carefully places her hand against the crimson stains of the navy fabric stretched across the width of his chest. With hooded eyes, she channeled her life force into the small green orb she’d fashioned into the custom materia slot and summoned the mastered curative spell to go forth and heal its intended target. Seconds later, a small stream of green crystallized mist invaded the air coming up from her hand and rerouting itself back into the man setting to work and repairing unseen wounds. Once the spell was complete, Tifa stayed locked into place. As if the sudden change in her cheeks weren’t enough indication of her thoughts, she kept her eyes focused on her loves chest. This…is good right? He’s not pushing me away this time. Within that moment, Tifa felt complete and utterly happy. Like always, she was soon robbed of her one sided fantasy when a threat made itself be known. All three shifted suddenly, their eyes looking up towards the sky as a massive creature loomed overhead circling the vast land underneath in search for the nearest perch. …what in Odin’s name is that thing?
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Zack Fair
AVALANCHE Member
The man behind the Hero
Posts: 51
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Post by Zack Fair on Oct 14, 2010 20:04:28 GMT -5
Zack watched the exchange quietly, remembering Tifa as she ran up to cloud.
'So much has changed...' Zack thought to himself as he watched them with a quiet smile. As he watched Tifa cure the remainder of his wounds, his smile became genuinely relieved, before his demeanor was darkened by the circling creature. What was that thing?
"Cloud, Tifa. We need to find out what this shadow is." Zack stated, looking up and trying to define the flying object. He turned back to the other two then, his happy and flippant demeanor gone. "Whatever it is, I don't like this. We'd best either find it or take cover. I've got a bad feeling....." He looked about, his hand slowly sliding up to the hilt of the Buster Sword as he tried to define what was going on. Could this creature have been what had driven off the citizens of Edge? And then what about the captain of that Airship? How had he not seen it?
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Post by Cloud Strife on Oct 16, 2010 19:02:04 GMT -5
"....Tifa?" The sound tried to pass his lips, but was unable to even make the slightest vibration of his vocal chords. Stunned literally to silence, the mercenary just stared at her in disbelief. Of all the people he had expected to run into at this juncture, it certainly hadn't been Tifa running up to greet him. Though he should have known it was a possibility, having left many of his fellow AVALANCHE team-mates behind in this very city, it still caught him off guard. Something about the way her hair moved as she drew nearer...
He shook it off promptly, noticing that while he had been wandering lost in his own thoughts, she had drawn up nearly right in front of him and his companion. Not only that, but she was putting her hands up to his face. Normally, he would have flinched away or put his hands up to stop her. For some reason though, this didn't feel like any of those other times before. This simply felt right for their current meeting.
And then she asked. Of course she would ask. Tifa always knew, no matter what the problem. Granted, the bloodstains on his lips and front were fairly big clues, but Cloud hadn't truly registered those as such just yet. Granted, she didn't give him much of a chance to explain either. The mercenary could do little but close his eyes for a moment and gasp softly in discomfort as his wounds fully healed, leaving him just as fit and healthy as ever. Lifting his hand, he took hold of Tifa's firmly, not seeming to mind the gentle press of her fingers against his firm, warm chest. He opened his mouth to speak...
And was promptly interrupted by both Zack's comment and the presence of something... Wrong. Dropping Tifa's hand as the moment was shattered, he withdrew the First Ken from its back holster, debating about the need for the additional blades as he tried to get a bead on just what they were possibly to face.
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Post by Tifa Lockhart on Oct 16, 2010 21:16:29 GMT -5
Tifa flashed her attention back to Zack, and briefly towards Cloud as he reached for his sword she lifted her eyes to the sky where they remained as she spoke,
“Right. I’ll take the south-west end” her words were curt & matter of factly as she took a step in the intended direction before turning back around and facing the blonde mercenary once more. As he worked in getting the multiple blades in place, he looks back at her. Keeping her dark eyes locked onto the beautiful mako infused orbs, she slips her hand into a pocket and retrieving the item, she reaches out and takes one of his hands and turning it over into her own, she deposit’s the curative materia into his glove and pushing gently against the bridge of his fingers, she speaks softly so only he could hear, “Be careful”
Tifa’s lips turn gingerly into a loving smile keeping his handsome face in view, a moment she will inevitably lock away with so many others. With a howling screech from above their heads, Tifa reluctantly releases her hold and taking two measured steps back, her eyes still on his, she wanted to savor it for as long as humanly possible before turning and sprinting in the direction she’d spoken she’d take only moments before.
(wow very short post for me... apologies but cloud knows why so .... lol )
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Post by ninjax900 on Oct 17, 2010 16:38:16 GMT -5
Cid looked over the creature carefully. It seemed as though it wasn’t coming for him, so it didn’t view him as a threat, or it hadn’t noticed him either. He ran his fingers back through his hair and let out a sigh. Somewhere in this city there had to be more people.
The only problem he was finding was that he didn’t know where they were, so he didn’t know where to look. He had no rough estimate either.
He pulled his cigarette from his mouth and knocked off the loose ashes from the tip of it before putting it back up to his mouth He took a small drag from it before letting it sit once more. Reaching into the door of the airship he grabbed his jacket and wrapped the arms around his waist and tying them there.
He also grabbed his spear propping it on his right shoulder before stepping off the landing dock. The entire area, which he remembered was normally busier than most was completely barren. It was unnerving to him.
The silence was only stirred by the sounds of his footsteps. He looked around for a moment before heaving a small sigh. He wasn’t gonna find anyone if he was at the same height as them, so he decided he wanted a better view. He liked heights anyways.
He found a building with a lone ladder on the side of it. He used it to his advantage making his way up to the top of the building. From there he would jump from rooftop to rooftop until he found someone. It was kind of a simple plan, but it’s not like he was having troubles getting away from people.
He was looking for any signs of life, and since the port was on the Northern end of Edge, he was headed in a southward direction while zigzagging to cover more area. He just hoped that he could help whoever he ran into. If they needed it of course.
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Post by barret on Oct 17, 2010 19:02:50 GMT -5
(crappy post, but I’m trying my best to move things on. Also getting insulted by a member didn’t help my muse…) The shadow belonged to a winged beast. A large one too, it must have been the one that panicked the town. The moment it saw Barret, it attacked, attempting to dive-bomb him. A large scream filled the air, uttered from the beast, happy it spotted its target. “FUCK!” Barret said, as he saw it begin to descend.
He fired at the creature, creating a large beam from his Gunhand. But the creature saw the attack and spun away from the attack. Anyone nearby could probably see his attack
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