soul_logs | [Event] Invasion!

Entry tags:

[Event] Invasion!

Characters: OPEN to everyone!
Location: All over Death City
Rating: Various
Time: February 2nd
Description: Witches have invaded and are attacking the city!

The attack, when it comes, happens quickly enough that Death City would have been caught flat-footed had there been no prior warning, but it's not completely unexpected because of the city's heightened state of alarm the past day. Warning sirens start sounding to alert the citizens and guests the moment a dark, slow-moving mass out in the desert to the south-east of Death City is spotted by Shibusen sentries. There's even time for civilians to run and hide before the mass is identified as an army of what looks like decaying, shambling corpses. The city's defenders are slow to move, however; most of them are distracted and are having trouble dealing with the black blood in their bodies. While agents are gathering to head out to deal with the zombie threat, that's when the witches make their move.

Portals begin opening in the skies above the city, disgorging hideous familiars: bulbous spiders and leggy ants the size of dogs. They drop hundreds of feet down into the streets and alleyways of Death City, and scuttle off in search of victims. The spiders are poisonous and can spin copious amounts of web to capture their targets, the ants spit acid that cause agonizing, paralyzing pain. Their masters bear down on the city in a cloud of black shadows--massive ravens strong enough to carry off adult men. There are five witches, women on broomsticks, beautiful if not for their crazed grins and obvious glee at the chaos descending upon the city. At some unknown signal--maybe the cackling from a couple of them--they dive in concert and disappear into different areas of the city.

Their masterful plan has begun!

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Cloud noted that Sephiroth said nothing about Tifa, and he knew for a fact that the silver-haired man didn't care either. That was just the way that things were, and he had come to accept that. It was better than open hostility. His job was the care for everyone around him, and that was a job that he took very seriously.

He shifted to slipped an arm around Sephiroth's back to help the ex-General sit up, but he didn't like how cold his Weapon's skin was. Too pale as well, and he needed to warm Sephiroth up and get him taking something to eat to help replace some of the blood lost. "You're too cold to remain out here," he replied logically.

He shifted his other arm under Sephiroth's knees and simply lifted the ex-General from the ground. He held the taller male in his arms as he rose to his feet and simply carried his partner back into the warmth of the apartment. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch as he passed it and shook it out before moving to allow Sephiroth's feet to the floor again. "I'm going to get you settled on the couch and then make you something warm to eat, alright?"

He hated the look Cloud gave him for the silence he'd given the blonde. While he knew that Cloud meant nothing of it, he couldn't help but feel as though he was being judged by his inactivity. Perhaps he was, as it seemed that everyone who held some level of connection to him judged him in many ways. A traitor, a pitiful friend, a weak Weapon, and the monster from their nightmares.

Sephiroth had every intention of remaining out on the balcony regardless of the blood he was sitting in, but it appeared as though Cloud had other ideas. His eyes widened in surprise as he felt arms coming under his knees before he attempted to glare sharply at the blonde. Sephiroth couldn't stop the stiffening of his body as he was picked up from the floor, or the disappointment he felt within at knowing he was too weak to prevent it from happening either.

With his gaze falling, he kept his silence as Cloud took him inside. Glancing away from the bloodstains on the floor, he felt a sudden pit of concern well within him as Cloud moved to place him on the floor. He wasn't certain whether his legs would hold him, but Sephiroth wasn't about to let Cloud know otherwise. That was why he put all of his focus in keeping his legs supportive of his weight even if they trembled from the effort of standing. He almost stumbled at first, but the ex-General stubbornly kept himself from falling before forcibly taking a step away from Cloud.

"I'm not weak," he muttered, but whether the words were for Cloud or himself, even he wasn't certain.

Cloud kept his grip firm around Sephiroth's back as the ex-General's feet settled back on the floor. He could tell by the pressure he had on his partner's back that Sephiroth was having trouble standing, and he knew that was a greater sign of blood loss than any. He had waited too long in coming back to the apartment. He should have come as soon as he felt the wavering.

Still, he let Sephiroth go from him, raising an eyebrow at the outburst before he simply threw the blanket around the silver-haired man's bare cold shoulders. "No one said you were weak, but you've lost a lot of blood. You need to rest," he said softly.

He stepped out to tuck the thick wool around Sephiroth's body before making it pointedly clear that the ex-General was to settle on the couch and stay there. "On the couch while I get you some juice and something to eat," he said. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

Sephiroth felt the hand against his back, and knew that regardless of how much he attempted to hide it, that Cloud could sense his weakness. It had been his own fault for blocking Cloud's attack towards Kadaj, but he couldn't bring himself to allow his Meister to strip his Remnant of his life. While such an attack would have landed his Meister in prison, Sephiroth found himself unable to allow Cloud to take that step of taking Kadaj's life.

The blanket over his shoulders had almost been enough to pitch him forward, but Sephiroth stubbornly remained where he was. He'd heard the words his partner had spoken, but he couldn't bring himself to answer them. In his own mind, he was nothing but weak. Cloud had once almost cleaved him in half, and he'd still been able to fight and move without such a weakness affecting his body. Here it wasn't the same though, and he remained silent as he felt the blanket being tucked around his blood stained body.

"I'm not in need of anything," he finally muttered. His head was spinning lightly, and he knew that Cloud wanted him on the couch, and yet he couldn't bring himself to sit and show the weakness he felt.

It was very clear to him with how wobbly Sephiroth was but how stubborn the man was being that there were issues underlying what was happening. He sighed heavily and walked away from the ex-General to pour two glasses of juice, since he suspected that the silver-haired man would still be wobbling on his feet when he returned. He'd worry about soup later then.

Returning as quickly as he was able, he set the two glasses on the coffee table before slipping out of his shoes and his shirt as well. He peered up at his Weapon and then stepped up to slip his arms inside the blanket to curl around cold skin before forcing Sephiroth to come and follow him down to the couch.

He eased the silver-haired man down between his legs as he propped himself up against the arm and settled his Weapon against him. His hands moved to rub on the cold skin in hopes of warming it. "You need me," he said in reply. "And some juice will make you feel better."

He couldn't bring himself to sit down on the couch. Doing so would only be admitting to his failure when it came to himself and his abilities, and he had dealt with enough failure throughout his life already. Besides, he wasn't entirely certain why Cloud was even here when he was meant to be taking care of his companion. That was why he had kept the state of his health silent when Cloud had been torn between the decision.

The minimal warmth the blanket was giving wasn't enough to penetrate his mind, and he hadn't even realised how long he'd been standing there before Cloud had returned. Glancing up at the touch, he felt the blonde's gaze on him as arms slipped beneath the blanket to touch against his cool skin. He flinched somewhat at the unexpected warmth, and despite his desire to resist, he found himself unable to when Cloud was urging him down.

His side jarred with pain from the movement, and he quietly settled between the blonde's legs. He would have remained sitting forward, but Cloud appeared to have other ideas as he was pulled back. The soft words spoken washed over his hearing, and he glanced down when he realised the truth of the statement. He knew that Cloud didn't need him, and he felt weak that he was the only one who had such a need. He should have been stronger than that, but his own weakness seemed to be displayed right in front of him to bare witness time and time again.

"I will be fine in a few moments," he muttered even if Sephiroth knew it would take more than a few moments. All he needed was enough strength to get his legs properly working again, and he'd be fine. Cloud could return to watching over his companion, and he wouldn't have to worry about keeping the blonde from such things.

"He didn't injure anyone else important to you?" Sephiroth found himself asking. If Kadaj had injured the Cetra, he doubted that even he could prevent Cloud from striking the Remnant down.

He tried to be as careful as possible as he settled on the couch and shifted Sephiroth against him. He tugged until the blanket could be wrapped around them both and their bare skin was touching. He hissed in slight shock as his partner's cold skin settled on his own, but he knew that it was needed to help the ex-General.

Using his feet, he made certain that the blanket covered them both, but he was mostly concerned about keeping Sephiroth safe and warm with him. He also couldn't help but sense a little of the odd sensations that wafted down their wavering link, and it caused him to pass his fingers through some of Sephiroth's hair.

"Take as long as you need," he murmured as he settled comfortably. Seeing his Weapon in such a state welled a sense of protectiveness that he often felt for those he cared about. He sighed heavily, nestling his nose in his Weapon's hair before sliding a hand around to settle on the stitched wound. "Yes, but I'm taking care of that person as I took care of Tifa before that."

The hiss had his full attention as his gaze snapped back to regard the blonde. "You are injured?" Sephiroth couldn't help but ask. Cloud's body felt hot to his cold skin, but his mind was too foggy to make the connection that it was the temperature of his body that had alarmed the blonde in such a way.

His limbs felt heavy, almost too heavy to move, while Cloud was shifting the blanket around. It seemed that the blonde wouldn't be satisfied until they were both covered from neck to toe... the thought that would usually amuse him with their height difference if his mind was capable of such thought.

The heavy sigh had him wanting to glance back again, but Sephiroth paused when he felt a pressure against the back of his head. He remained poised in his position, and only flinched lightly as he felt a hand settle against his stitched wound. Sephiroth didn't count himself as a casualty of Kadaj's state of mind, how could he when he had willingly transformed himself back to take the blow?

"The wound is one I gave myself," he softly murmured, but not as a way to protect Kadaj, but more because it was the truth. Sephiroth could have avoided it entirely if he had remained in his Weapon form, but he couldn't have risked either Cloud or Kadaj getting injured if he had broke resonance and become unwieldy for Cloud at that point.

Amused by Sephiroth's concern, Cloud shook his head a little but kept himself perfectly settled so that he could warm the ex-General's skin. "No, you're just very cold, that's all," he murmured in return as the initial shock was over. If he could transfer some of his heat to his Weapon, he would do so without complaint.

He knew what Sephiroth had done, though he didn't entirely know if it was to protect him, Kadaj or them both. He didn't fault the ex-General for breaking their resonance because he would have killed Kadaj for bringing harm to his friend. He still considered that he might if he saw the kid again, and he wasn't one to hold back when he had set his mind to something.

Still, the blow that his Weapon had taken had been intended for Kadaj. He felt bad for not abandoning the strike, but he had been so clouded by rage at the time that he hadn't. Sephiroth had paid the price, and he still considered it Kadaj's fault for forcing his Weapon to take such measures in the first place.

"It doesn't matter, but I want to take care of you," he murmured softly before shifting enough to reach over to grab a glass filled with juice. "Will you drink this?"

Nodding his head, he felt some level of relief in knowing that Cloud had escaped without injury. He didn't say anything about his body's temperature, and instead allowed his mind to wonder while he remained leaning against Cloud's body. It was difficult not to focus on how pitiful he was right here and now, but his actions had stopped Cloud from taking Kadaj's life, so that was enough for him.

He felt conflicted by the offer, knowing that whatever had been done to Lockhart would have been severe, and he didn't want Cloud to feel as though he was bound to do this out of obligation. The feelings of fear and concern the Meister had for Tifa had been unmistakable, and akin to the same feelings that Cloud had for the Cetra. It was those same feelings that he had come to fear since he knew what it meant even if he deluded himself into ignore that knowledge.

Sephiroth didn't say anything to the murmured words, and glanced over to regard the glass. He reached out to take it, knowing that Cloud would persist until he did, and moved to pull it from the blonde's possession. The moment it left Cloud's hold though, the glass began slipping through Sephiroth's fingers because of his muscle weakness. Gritting his teeth, he attempted to grasp onto the glass, but his hands seemed to be almost in pain as his muscles froze.

The emotion from the silver-haired man weren't quite obvious to him, but he could feel the ebb and flow of the stronger ones. The problem was that Sephiroth was too weak and disoriented to make much sense, so he had trouble picking up what he could from the ex-General. There was fear though, that was an emotion he had felt his share, and he knew the source.

He didn't deny the source either. If he was being honest with himself, there were things in his past that still weren't dealt with no matter how close he was to Sephiroth. He could care for the man, could even trust and be comfortable with him, but the past had left deep scars. There would be no apologies for those scars he knew, just as he could never apologize for what he had done. Still, the past trailed them, and sooner or later, they would have to deal with it. That confrontation would either break them apart or drive them together.

How had their future selves dealt with it? After ten years, they would have had to confront one another. They were still together and looking happy. Was it all just a game they were avoiding, or did he and Sephiroth need to get closer before it was brought up?

Shivering, he shook his head and let Sephiroth have the glass, though he shifted his hand down to the bottom of the glass to support it. He felt sorry for Sephiroth and felt the frustration and weakness, but he only supported his Weapon and didn't take over again. "It's okay," he whispered softly. "Take your time. I'm here with you."

The frustration had been enough to distract him from his previous thoughts. That distance that remained between them was what kept the ex-General at an emotional distance. He knew that despite the photo, probably now stained with blood, hidden within his jacket, that the future would not end up like it had before it had been changed. Oh he could delude himself into believing it would remain the same, but his pessimistic side was telling him differently.

He could feel the pain of tension along his jaw as he clenched it far too tightly in anger. The only reason the glass hadn't fallen was because of Cloud's intervention, and he dropped his hand back down to his lap as he closed his eyes and sighed. He suddenly felt tired, but not due to his injuries. Yet it was something that Sephiroth knew that he had to keep within, and would do so until this world decided their fates.

Flexing his hand, he tried to distract himself from his thoughts by regaining any level of strength back in the limb. There was still an odd tightness to the muscle, an obvious reaction to the bloodloss he'd sustained, before setting his jaw and reaching up to try taking the glass once again.

"Things shouldn't be this difficult," Sephiroth half-growled as he tried to have strength of will over his limbs when it came to picking up the glass. Yet while he was focusing on that action, his words hadn't actually been directed at the inabilities his hand was currently showing.

His fingers shifted to support the glass more appropriately, and his expression softened when the silver-haired man gave up holding it. The fact that the ex-General had to rely on him was nice, a sort of release of the debut he had acquired when he had eaten that Kishin soul and had been bedridden for days at a time. This was different, but he liked to know they could rely on each other in a similar way he relied on AVALANCHE.

Slowly, he lifted the glass towards the ex-General's lips to encourage his partner to drink some of the juice. With the amount of blood that Sephiroth had lost, he needed to get some of it into the man before there were more problems than there currently were.

He paused lifting the glass the rest of the way at the words and he shifted his head down to nestle his nose into the silver hair. "Why are we making things so difficult," he asked softly.

Watching as the glass raised up towards him, he couldn't help but find his thoughts drifting. As much as he loathed to admit it, every time he believed that he had something unique, something that he might be able to call his, it never truly ended that way. It had been the same as in the past. While he had what he'd thought was the friendship of both Angeal and Genesis, it never truly was that even before the decline of that bond. He had always felt that it was him against them no matter what he did to try and change it to be otherwise, and it was the same that he felt here with Cloud.

The blonde had all of his companions here, those who he considered to be most important to him, and yet the bond that they had formed together was no different than what he once had with Angeal and Genesis. He still felt as though he was always against the stronger bonds, and that no matter what would happen here, it would never go beyond that.

Although he supposed that it was something he deserved. Perhaps he simply wasn't fated to have anything like that. Genesis had Angeal, Cloud had his two female companions, and even Kuroro had Kurapika. Yet he had never truly experienced such a bond before, and knew because of his actions that he never would either. It was something he never would experience despite how much he craved it, but then again, he was never fated to be normal either.

"It is just as they're fated to be," Sephiroth said back just as softly while his gaze remained transfixed on the juice-filled glass. He knew he shouldn't allow himself to take comfort in Cloud's gesture, but the ex-General couldn't stop himself from doing so either.

He suspected that some of Sephiroth's quietness was because of the blood loss that the ex-General had experienced. His partner healed quicker than most, but even then, it would probably take days for the silver-haired man to recover fully. However, he also knew that there was a part of the quietness that meant that his Weapon was thinking.

Much like himself, he knew when Sephiroth thought too long and hard on something that it could be detrimental to everyone's health. He suspected he knew a little of what the ex-General was thinking about, but he wasn't certain how far and deep those thoughts were currently going.

He lifted the glass to Sephiroth's lips, encouraging the silver-haired man to take a long drink from it. His other arm curled almost protectively around Sephiroth's neck as he shifted his head so that he could watch to make certain that he wasn't spilling.

"I don't believe in fate," he murmured softly. "I don't think you should either; your actions are your own." He dropped the glass away when it seemed that the ex-General was finished for the time being, though he held it ready to offer more at a moments notice. "What do you think is fated to be as it is?"

He watched as Cloud brought the glass up towards his lips. There was no doubt that the blonde wanted him to drink, and while he didn't feel the desire to do just that, Sephiroth slowly forced himself forward to do just that. He could feel the blonde's eyes on him as he lightly drank the juice. The action was difficult to do, and he found that he could only take so much before he was pulling his lips away and needing a break.

"Perhaps," Sephiroth softly muttered as he leant back against Cloud's body. The pain of his wound made itself known from the movement, and he dropped one hand down to press against the injury in an attempt to force the feeling away. "The way that I am," he unhelpfully said, but Sephiroth found himself unable to voice the thoughts that he had.

Even if he was the one on the outside looking in, the ex-General still felt the desire to have even that much in comparison to what he should have. He knew that it wasn't his place to have such things, it never had been, and felt no desire within him to lose it by wanting something that was never meant to be his.

Glancing away from Cloud's look, he did his best to school his features before returning his attention back to the blonde. "Is the threat no longer in the city?"

He was pleased to get any amount of the juice into his partner, and he sighed when Sephiroth drank some before dropping the glass away when it was too much. He noted how much was left in the glass but knew he had to give the ex-General a break. He waited for indication that Sephiroth would take more and only then would raise the glass again.

Instead, he found his eyebrows drawing together at Sephiroth's evasiveness, aware that this suddenly wasn't a subject the ex-General wished to speak on. His arm remained protective around his partner's neck and shoulders, keeping the ex-General close to him even if Sephiroth had made no indication to wanting to be away from him.

"There's nothing wrong with the way that you are," he murmured softly, trying to soothe his partner. "I like you the way that you are, and every day you reveal a little bit more of yourself to me."

At the sudden question, he shrugged his shoulders as if the matter wasn't one he was interested in. "The witches and creatures disappeared, but there could still be danger."

Sephiroth knew what he wanted was never meant to be his, and he knew that it was something that he should just accept. Everyone had their place in life, their special one who they were bonded to and worked so well with, but he had always been an unnatural element in the grand scheme of things. A parasite to the planet that it wished to destroy, something that didn't belong here or there or anywhere, and yet still craved to have that feeling even if it wasn't his to have.

Feeling the hold of Cloud's arm around him, Sephiroth found his attention dropping down to it as Cloud spoke those words. He wasn't dismissing how Cloud saw him in the slightest, but one such as Cloud could never truly understand what it was to be something like him. Sephiroth could play at this delusion well, but it was something that would never become a reality to him.

"No, I suppose that there isn't," he finally murmured in reply to Cloud's answer to his statement. There was no doubt that the blonde was content in regards to how things were between them, and it wasn't his place to demand for anything more. He felt an odd level of acceptance at the feeling. Sephiroth had once questioned his place among others and longed for the same connection, but the sooner he accepted his path the easier it would be for all involved.

"You will be needed in the city still then." Nodding his head to the answer, he found that at least his weakness wouldn't place Cloud in any further struggles between what he wanted to do, and what he felt obligated to do. If the blonde's companion was safe, then Cloud could finally take it upon himself to rest and heal with her.

He kept himself close, hoping that their shared body heat would draw the ex-General from the current mood. He was also hoping that he could convince the silver-haired man to drink more juice, but he thought that it might be a futile attempt on his part. He figured that as long as his partner rested and regained strength again then that was all that mattered, since he disliked seeing Sephiroth disliking such showings of weakness.

Tilting his head, he sighed a little at the dismissive comment. No doubt his Weapon was tired, sore and probably suffering from the injury he had given the man. He ran a hand down the back of Sephiroth's head and reached over to settle the juice filled glass on the table again.

"I will stay with you," he said simply as he drew his arm back under the blanket and curled it around the silver-haired man's shoulders. He shifted and settled in, keeping the blanket nice and tucked around them as he allowed his warmth to pass to his partner's. "The city will have me when the time is required. Until then, I want to make certain that you're safe."

His body was exhausted, but for the first time in a long time, the ex-General felt far freer than he had in the last number of weeks. The fear that he'd been gripping to within seemed to disappear, and the acceptance he felt washed over him enough to settle his nerves. It was then that he realised just how tired he truly was, and that his muscles and limbs ached from being overused.

"Only if you're certain," Sephiroth softly murmured as Cloud shifted behind him. The warmth was the anchor both keeping him awake and telling his body that he should rest, but the ex-General didn't want to fall into the realms of slumber. "When have you ever known me to truly disappear?" He asked with a subtle smirk curving on his lips.

There was a subtle change in the link between them, but Cloud couldn't pinpoint what that was or meant. He instead kept watch on the silver-haired man leaning on him, hoping that his presence could provide some level of comfort even if the wound to Sephiroth's side had been by his hand. There didn't seem to be distress regarding him.

He wasn't about to leave, that was for certain. He felt that he was better served here with Sephiroth keeping his Weapon safe and sound and resting. "About the same amount of time you admit that your injuries require medical attention or rest."

He glanced over his shoulder at the words that Cloud spoke. Sephiroth knew his body well enough, and knew that it wouldn't require any medical attention at all. All he'd need was a few short days in order to recover his full strength and abilities, but even that wouldn't stop him from heading out if and whenever needed.

"Such a pitiful wound needs no such attention," Sephiroth muttered as he glanced away. There was something within Cloud, a feeling that wasn't strong enough to pinpoint, and it left the ex-General uncertain to what it meant. "I will be fine within a day or so."

Whether he would or not, Sephiroth was uncertain, but he wouldn't allow for it to stop him either.

He had to raise an eyebrow at the ex-General's first words, seeing that right there his point was entirely proven. Much like him, Sephiroth brushed off injuries even when the trembling fingers, the cold skin, the paleness, and need for sleep all indicated that everything was not 'needing no such attention'.

He was just glad that the ex-General was too stubborn to die. Sephiroth would never let such an injury take his life. "With bed rest, juice and no battling, I would believe that. How many of those are you planning to doing?"

Sephiroth may have felt Cloud raising a brow at his words, but he didn't respond to it. All he had was a simple cut to his side - a wound that was honestly nothing in comparison to the ones he had sustained on Gaea. All his body needed to do was to take the time to recover even just a little in order to function as it should again.

There was a soft snort in reply to the blonde's words, and he peered back to regard his partner. "You make it sound as though I'm unable to recover without such things," Sephiroth muttered before dropping his gaze again. "There is nothing to feel concerned over. My body will heal."

The snort was, quite frankly, expected. He had known Sephiroth long enough in this partnership to expect that all wounds that didn't involve the ex-General's lower half from detaching from the upper half was clearly not an injury at all. It was an annoyance, a scrap against the silver-haired man's endless ego. Clearly, blood loss was just a horrible mistake.

"You will recover with time, rest, nutrients and not battling," he replied stoically. "However, if my hands had been trembling like yours had while stitching myself up, it might be inclined to think something was amiss while how much blood was in my body."

[Event] Invasion!

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