EVENT LOG - TSUNAMI

[soul_mods]

Characters: Everyone who signed up here.
Location: Norway
Rating: Various
Time: 20th of Feb, after the end of the battle.
Description: The battle’s been won, but there’s now a tsunami heading right where the fighers are!

[The battle for Norway was won! But just when you think it’s safe to head back to the mirror, the Shibusen representatives are informed of urgent news! There’s been an earthquake just off the coast of Norway, and now there’s a tsunami heading right for you!

Looks like there need to be deep trenches and natural walls erected before the large wave hits land! Can the Shibusen agents make it in time?

Lives need to be saved, and there are only a few minutes for agents to either help out or try and get themselves to safely! Don’t worry though, if you’re swept away in the large wave, other Shibusen agents will be there to rescue you from the waters!]


[ooc: The log format will be the standard format: [Character/s][Time][Open/Closed]. The threads will be the usual make your own style.]

Comments

[de_faulty_hero]

He waited, aware that Sephiroth was going to do whatever it took to get them warm and as comfortable as one could be on a stone outcropping. It was just better to give in and allow his partner to do that, and he could simply concentrate on curbing whatever impulses the ex-General had for flying them back to the mirror.

He settled, feeling the cold wind stop with the wing covering him as well as he appreciated the warmth of Sephiroth's body against his own. "You're worse than a mothering chocobo," he continued to tease even if he appreciated the need for fretting. "Did you... make it to safety before haphazardly flying after me?"

[pure_lineage]

He lightly scoffed at Cloud's teasing comment. Sephiroth knew that he was hardly like that at all. He simply took care of what belonged to him, and Cloud simply did. So he would do whatever he could in order to protect what was his. It was as simple as that within his mind.

"Mm?" Sephiroth sounded curiously as he glanced over at the injured blonde. Moving to slip an arm around Cloud's waist, he held the younger male close to his side. "I was never in danger because of your actions."

[de_faulty_hero]

Ever since they had developed more than a skin-deep partnership, Cloud knew that Sephiroth had turned into a mother-hen. It was also extremely entertaining to tease the ex-General about it, since he knew that Sephiroth's behaviour was generally reserved only for him even if the silver-haired man would probably claim otherwise.

There was relief that he had managed to throw Sephiroth far enough to prevent any danger to his partner. That alone satisfied him, and he relaxed more against the silver-haired man, allowing the hold without complaint. "I'm glad. All I could think when I lost my balance and went into the current was getting you out."

[pure_lineage]

The body next to him relaxed, and he was pleased to feel that. Cloud would be in constant pain, but if he could get his partner to relax otherwise, that would be more than enough for now. With some luck, those of Shibusen would locate them sooner rather than later. Time would tell though.

"You should have been more concerned over your own safety," Sephiroth softly murmured as he leant down to partially hide his face within his damp hair. "Being so self-sacrificial will only end poorly for you."

[de_faulty_hero]

He wasn't able to move his left arm at all, and it was a painful process to even shift his legs because of where his broken arm was settled. It preferred it there though, protected by their bodies and cradled close to his body. Now all they had to hope for was rescue sooner rather than later.

"I was concerned about it, but I was more concerned over yours," he replied steadily as he dipped his head to slip his face up against the warmth of Sephiroth's neck. "I have you to pull me out of tight spots, so I'm not worried."

[pure_lineage]

Sephiroth said nothing for a long while as Cloud spoke those words. No one had ever been concerned over his safety, and especially not when it was in regards to himself as a person. It had only ever truly been because of their precious experiment, or their stepping stone to greatness.

That was why he couldn't bring himself to say anything in return. Instead he tightened his grip as he muttered, "I will always be there to do that."

[de_faulty_hero]

The words that he had spoken seemed to have generated a response in the ex-General, but his partner wasn't willing to openly comment on it. It was moments like these that reminded him how truly neglected Sephiroth had been for so long, and it caused him to shift over more despite the pain that it caused his wrist. Silent support was all that he could offer in return.

"That's because you have nothing better to do but follow at my heels," he teased, leaning up to press his lips to the underside of Sephiroth's jaw. "I think you like saving people. It's what you do very well."

[pure_lineage]

There was an amused puff of air in reply to Cloud's teasing words. There was some truth in it, but it wasn't telling the whole story either. Sephiroth would never deny his fondness of keeping the blonde close, but he wondered if anyone would truly understand the depths of his motivation. He doubted it, and the ex-General found comfort in that thought.

"I've no idea of what you're talking about," Sephiroth muttered as he felt lips against the warmth of his skin. That was a blatant attempt of misdirection, but he wasn't willing to admit to such things either - not even to himself.

[de_faulty_hero]

The light shivering of his muscles now had nothing to do with cold and everything to do with pain in his wrist. He found that easy to ignore though because he was so safe and getting warmer surrounded by the thick black plumage of feathers. There was a considerable safety being here even if the circumstances weren't the most ideal.

"Oh clearly," he replied even with his face still tucked into Sephiroth's neck. He knew better than to push that subject though, aware that it was sensitive and full of land-mines. So he changed gears. "How long do you think it will take someone to find us?"

[pure_lineage]

Sephiroth said nothing further on the topic at all. That was, perhaps, the closest they would ever get to such topics, and he was pleased to leave them be to keep the peace. While Cloud rarely showed it, the ex-General knew that there was still much anger locked away within his partner, but he did what he could to ignore that fact as he focused on the press of Cloud's face against his neck.

"Who knows," he murmured softly before his attention shifted over to regard the long stretches of water beyond their perch. "If many got swept up in that current, then it could take them some time."

[de_faulty_hero]

Nodding his head, he understood that eventually they would have to delve into topics entirely uncomfortable for them. Eventually, they would have to face everything in their past and fight it out to a solution or acceptance. He just wasn't about to do that on a stone outcropping where he had broken bones and Sephiroth a strained wing.

He had no interest in looking at the fast flowing destructive waters. He could hear it plainly, and that was good enough for him. "I guess it depends how far inland this wave goes. I never realized something like that was so dangerous."

[pure_lineage]

"We do not have such things on Gaea," Sephiroth uselessly offered. Gaea had her own dangers, but such powerful waves were not one of them. It was no wonder that they had been taken completely by surprise from all of this, but he was at least pleased that Cloud had come out of it relatively unscathed.

Doing his best to peer down at his partner, he asked, "Are you feeling warmer?"

[de_faulty_hero]

"No, I've never heard of something like that happening," he agreed and mulled over the idea of a killer wave. Sure the sea could be violent, but it seemed extreme here. "I guess WEAPONs and falling rocks are the best that we get, but that seems enough by my standards." He didn't like natural disasters all that much.

He refused to move his face from Sephiroth's neck even when he felt the ex-General's chin shifting. No, he was firmly planted there. "Yes, I'm getting better. Once I change out of my wet clothes and have a shower, I'll be right as rain again."

[pure_lineage]

"Indeed," he softly muttered. There was far more that he saw as a danger in their world, but that was knowledge that he kept to himself. Cloud was well aware of most of it anyway, but reminding the blonde was the last thing on his mind. Instead he simply focused on the press of Cloud's face and the warmth that it produced.

Cloud would have been well on his way with doing that if he had been allowed to fly them back. There was moot point in dwelling on such things though, and instead he simply sighed inwardly and relaxed against Cloud. "Then we can hope that our location is discovered sooner rather than later."

[de_faulty_hero]

Even if their talk tapered off, he felt comfortable and relieved that he wasn't still clinging to that drifting tree. He was safe, or as safe as he could be given the situation. He was pleased that even if he was in pain, his partner had settled next to him as a pillar of strength that seemed to unite them.

Dwelling in the crook of Sephiroth's neck, he allowed his breathing to even a little more even if he knew he would never sleep in wet clothes and with his pain. He was just content to be close to the silver-haired man. "Is there... anything you ever miss from Gaea?"

[pure_lineage]

The warming presence comforted him, and Sephiroth took the moment to realise that Cloud was safe and in his arms. That was all that mattered with him, and despite their situation, the ex-General smiled lightly. The question drew him out of his thoughts though, and he peered curiously down at what he could see of Cloud's face.

"Miss?" Sephiroth asked before falling silent in thought. Was there anything that he missed? He couldn't think of one thing, and wondered if that was something that reflected poorly on him. Closing his eyes, he softly mutter, "All that is important to me is right by my side." His words were soft, and there was a sense of thought within it. After a pause, he asked, "Do you?"

[de_faulty_hero]

He thought that he knew the answer before Sephiroth replied, but there was some hope that the ex-General longed for something that could only be found on Gaea. He suspected that there were too many bad and bitter memories from that place for his partner to reflect on it with any manner of favour, but he still hoped.

He hummed softly in response to the reply, aware of the truth of it. He didn't move from his comfortable spot even if he became aware of the fact he was probably getting the silver-haired man wet. "Yeah," he murmured truthfully. "I miss the mountains a lot. I miss chocobos too, since they were always entertaining."

[pure_lineage]

There would always be that difference between them. That want and desire of things related to their past that Cloud spoke of was something that would never disappear, and it left him wondering if Cloud truly wanted to remain here.

"Do you wish to return to see them again?" Sephiroth softly asked. He could feel the desire hidden within his partner, and wondered if his actions was stripping away that want Cloud wanted. What would he do if Cloud honestly wanted to return?

[de_faulty_hero]

There was a part of him that longed for that familiarity, the memories that went with some of those things. Chocobo racing, taming the wild ones down, gazing up at the Nibel Mountains at dawn or dusk. They were all very familiar to him and both had special feelings attached to them.

"It's not necessary," he replied with a slight shrug of his right shoulder. He was unwilling to move the left just in case it hurt. "There are mountains here that we haven't seen and those 'horse' things are interesting, though I've never ridden one."

[pure_lineage]

He never had such memories, especially in his youth. Who would think fondly of the sight of the science facilities and all they contained? Or of the people who had abandoned him when he had been younger? There was nothing there for him on Gaea before he had arrived here, which was why he had wanted to leave in the first place. Yet that wasn't the same for Cloud, and it never would be either.

Sephiroth didn't say anything, but simply remained quiet as Cloud remained where he was. What could he say in regards to that? While he wouldn't wish to be on this world without Cloud, Sephiroth felt no desire to hold the blonde back if he ultimately wanted to return in the end. Yet what would a life be here without the blonde by his side?

[de_faulty_hero]

He could almost hear the ex-General thinking, and he slowly pulled his face away from the warm crook of Sephiroth's neck to peer up at the silver-haired man next to him. He shifted his body slightly, pressing himself a little more against Sephiroth's side as if gluing himself there.

"I'm not leaving you," he said to cut off any rampant thoughts. "I like it here, and I like exploring this world and making nice memories here with you." He leaned up to placed a quick but warm kiss on Sephiroth's lips. "However, I bet if you dug deep enough inside yourself, you would find memories that you cherish, even if later on, they are tainted by sadness. That point of happiness is important."

[pure_lineage]

Sephiroth would have kept his silence on the entire subject had Cloud not pulled his face away to peer up at him. He didn't want to look into those blue eyes, a gaze that he would long for if the blonde would return, but Sephiroth couldn't stop looking at it either.

The words had his silence remaining, and the quick kiss to his lips caused that small fear to disappear from within. He didn't say anything about Cloud's words even if he clung to every one of them, and as the topic turned to what he found happy, Sephiroth finally glanced away. "Why remember something that was false and fleeting?"

[de_faulty_hero]

He felt the fear decrease in the ex-General, but he knew that until the war was over and the decision made, it would always be there hidden inside. Sephiroth feared abandonment and expected to be left alone; who wouldn't after so many years where the only constant in his life was Hojo of all people?

Cloud would have crawled into Sephiroth's lap at the point of the words, but he knew better than to shift his arm right now. No, he would have to be content with being glued to Sephiroth's side. "Because at the time the memory was made, it wasn't false or fleeting," he murmured softly. "It's only now jaded by the ideas of an adult's mind. When you were a child, I'm sure he made you happy or as happy as you could be in that situation."

[pure_lineage]

His silence stretched out as he remained seated there with the blonde pressed up against him. It was difficult to think of any time in his past as 'happy', and while he could understand the logic in Cloud's words, the ex-General couldn't agree with them. That moment had been the first of so many betrayals that he couldn't help but wonder why he'd want such a memory to be considered as such a happy time.

"I can't accept that," Sephiroth found himself quietly saying. He believed that with the entirety of his being, and yet he felt ashamed of his answer and the fact that he felt as though he was letting the younger male down. His face disappeared behind his bangs as he kept it turned away from Cloud, and with a steady voice, the ex-General murmured, "He abandoned me without a second thought and left me to my fate."

"Why would I want to honour someone with tainting that memory so that they can live on innocently within it?" Sephiroth asked before finally regarding Cloud even if his expression was carefully neutral. "I would much prefer to cherish the feelings that are created when I am in your presence here on this world than cling to false memories of the past."

[de_faulty_hero]

The moment that Sephiroth had started to reply was the moment that Cloud knew it was hopeless. There was too much refusal and bitterness in the ex-General to accept a child-like idea of memories. Perhaps the silver-haired man had never been childish enough to accept anything but the betrayal of what had happened over and over again. One loss after another until Sephiroth was utterly alone.

"Are you so certain it was without a second thought?" He didn't know Gast at all, but he had seen those videos. The man had seemed pleasant and professional, but there seemed to be more of a moral fiber than Hojo. No, he knew that it was impossible to tell what Gast had been thinking at the time.

Looking up at the ex-General, he offered a sad sort of smile before forcing himself to sit up more and plant a kiss on the silver-haired man's cheek. "Then I suppose that this place is your home, and even in war, we'll do what we can for happy memories."