[Promising Weiss that he would successfully sneak her a cup of coffee, Jaune strode into the waiting room in a hurry, catching sight of the familiar spiky hair from his peripheral vision. He was surprised to find him still waiting. Whoever he was must have cared deeply. Did he know Weiss? Jaune didn't know how to ask. Pausing awkwardly, he put a hand on his hip before he dove in.]
I'm going to go to the cafe and pick up some coffee. Did you want anything?
[Cloud's concern for the huntress went beyond "caring deeply" for her. he'd only truly met her twice in his time of being here. when he first arrived as she branched out to him to answer his questions, and moments before the two would sleep and dream of what the future potentially held for them. he couldn't even say that he was Weiss' friend.
yet despite that, there was no chance that he was going to ever turn away when there was still a chance to save someone. he'd lost enough by doing nothing. Jaune's question jostles him out of his thoughts, bright blues looking up to the younger blond. he'd give it a little bit before he stopped into the room to pay Weiss a visit himself. no doubt the onslaught of family and friends would be coming.
she was pretty lucky.]
No thanks. [despite that, Cloud moves away from the wall. he can tell by the way Jaune's moving with a jiffy to his step, so he won't keep him.] Any more and I think my heart'll explode.
[minus the couple of nod-offs in a chair as the two waited, coffee was his friend.]
[Friends, not friends, or refusing to lose someone else, what truly mattered to Jaune was he had stayed and helped when Weiss needed him. If Cloud hadn't been there... He didn't know if he could do it alone. He was grateful whatever his reasons were.]
Why does everyone keep saying that? [Jaune mumbles to himself in exasperation. First Weiss, now Cloud. Can people stop making lighthearted comments about their hearts exploding and near death experiences?
But the thin line on his face relaxes a fraction and he nods.] Sure. [No one's stopping him. Come to think of it, they haven't had a proper introduction yet, have they?]
[the question piques his curiosity, but maybe she said something? ah well. luckily for Jaune's health, Cloud won't be making any more little quips like that for a bit as he follows along with him.]
I'm Cloud Strife. [he'd shake his hand, but that'd imply stopping. his expression softens a little with the proper introductions done.] How's she doing?
[that earns the smallest ghost of a smile when Jaune remembers Weiss's post after the fact. maybe Cloud is dramatic, but she knew how to make getting stabbed in the side a glaring understatement.]
Don't take it too personally, Cloud. [another question hangs in the air, but he's distracted by Cloud's own and responds more cheerfully than the other blonde has probably ever seen him.] A lot better. She was walking just fine and is pretty talkative. It's almost like to her this is more of an inconvenience than a...
Y-- ...You know. [his voice seems to leave him as he goes quiet again. he's silent as they keep walking until he whispers.]
[when Jaune speaks up about Weiss, he listens while keeping in stride with the taller man. he's not surprised to hear his spirits lifted. seeing her again must have went well. this guy had a lot on his shoulders. he could tell by the way that he talked to her at the Dream Dock, to how fiercely he attempted to protect her when he first thought Cloud was the one who did her in.
to be honest... it made him wonder. how was he holding up? Cloud wasn't here for very long, but this world had its way of changing people. and something about the way that Jaune held Weiss... it almost felt like he was watching a past scene on repeat.]
Mm. [he can't help but softly sigh through his nose. he was looking for an opening to say something, and he was glad Jaune was the one to give him one. Cloud lightly smiles up at the man beside him.]
[his shoulders tense and his posture slouches at the praise, as if to make himself smaller. it doesn't work very well. he's been so focused on the fact that they were lucky, that the timing worked well enough and that he wasn't too late to think about what he had done.]
I couldn't have done it alone.
[he means that. if Cloud hadn't been around to anchor him and talk him through it, instructing him on what to do, he's certain he wouldn't have been in the right frame of mind to pull through.
Cloud may have been right. Jaune had been in love with her once. he still loves her, just not the same way he had. Weiss had become his most trusted and dearest friend, family, and also the person to inspire him to become better despite everything. with all they had been through here, she still gave him a chance. she was the reason he had been able to keep going. and he couldn't lose her again, so for right now, he supposes he can be grateful.]
[not that Cloud paid much mind to it, but it was admittedly difficult to get smaller than 5'7" when one was over six feet tall. there's something in the way that he talks... yes, there's no doubt in his mind now. Jaune was shades of himself all those years back. shackled by doubt but driven on by the strength of others as he searched for his own...
it takes one to know one. the two of them round the corner down the next hallway, the coffee room not so far from here as as he softly shakes his head. not to disagree, but,]
... maybe not at first.
[Cloud wasn't selling himself short in the situation as he awoke and tragedy nearly befell them. he knew what he did to help Jaune, to help Weiss for however little it counted or not. but his actions spoke for him, nor did he plan on boasting 'AND I HELPED!', the people that mattered knew, and the fact they could all keep moving forward was all that he cared about now. the blond's words are straightforward and true to the taller man. but only because it came from experience.]
Just take your time, but never stop trying. [a beat] Sometimes good things can happen.
[it didn't need to be said that the underlined like saving Weiss was the most fresh example.]
She's pretty lucky.
[to have people that she can count on, even if they may have had their doubts from time to time.]
Hello Cloud. It's been a while since we've talked properly, how are you? [a pause and a hum to herself before she continues.]
Well. I suppose you can answer my question once you return my call. I was able to travel to Ylisse, where I'm from, and I picked up a tome. I would love to show it to you when you are free.
Hello again Cloud. Have not heard back from you yet... and I suppose you're busy. So I may just leave a few tomes outside of your home for you to read whenever you can.
...Mm. Yes. Call me back whenever you're available.
I have reason to believe that something has happened to you. If you ever get around to hearing this, know that I am still with you and I will get to the bottom of this.
Gods, I just pray that you are safe. [and with that, she will try and figure out what is going on here.]
[the very first thing that Cloud does upon returning from Fayren? let his body rest. and get warm. after everything they've been through, it was high time that he actually followed his own advice and got some proper sleep. too exhausted to think of much else, the acerbic swordsman doesn't think to check his mailbox wherein he would have found a small collection of tomes waiting for him.
a long sigh escapes him as fatigue begins to sink in further, nearly rendering him on the verge of collapse. he was healed albeit chilled a bit, but all that Cloud could think about was moving forward. everything was alright in the end; that's all he could ask for, regardless of what had to happen along the way. the springs to his bed faintly protest as he flops directly onto it after discarding of his extra layers of clothing, leaving him in just his pants and vest.]
...mn...
[curiosity gets the better of him as minutes pass in pure silence. against his body's protests to sleep, he's barely able to keep his eyes open long enough as he rolls onto his back to look at his device.]
....
[five new messages? from who? "Hello Cloud. It's been a while since we've talked properly, how are you?" he listens to the first message. when she makes mention of Ylisse, he attempts to blink in an attempt to wake up. the first message ends, and he realizes the date in which it was sent.]
...... ?!
[next message. he sits up with a grunt as if sobered by her words. her voice reaching him as he was starting to see a pattern. third message...fourth...and finally,]
[Cloud had gotten out of bed almost immediately, seemingly forgetting about his tired state as his shoulders slumped slightly. he hadn't quite gotten a chance to really think about it since he'd just come back, but... how many people were wondering about him? he didn't think of himself as important, but his co-workers, his friends and neighbours...
even if it couldn't be helped? he was worried. worried that Robin was out there searching for him or losing sleep over the fact that he hadn't said a damned thing for almost half a month. luckily for him, it wasn't too late at night. she's going to be receiving a call.
[robin heard her device begin to ring, and under her pile of books and research on what might have happened to certain people over the past few days- she stirred. she groaned, actually, not getting nearly enough sleep at all. she shook her head once she was able to, and she glanced over to see-
ah!!
she jumped towards her device, picking it up immediately and answering it.]
[he sounded... well, she didn't even know how he sounded right now. he was alive at least, he was still okay.
just got back? she was so confused. she stared off at nothing in particular, just thinking to herself. where the hell...? the dream docks? no, she had checked there. this was something else entirely.]
[she couldn't see it, but exhaustion would have clearly been visible in those eyes of his, the life they usually held rather dulled right now. but he felt more awake now that he was talking with her. it wouldn't do her any good by being subtle about things, would it? he checks the time for a moment before mumbling something about it being late.
he almost felt bad about calling her like this too. but... all he can think about are those countless messages. people worrying about him. he'd really thought things would go more smoothly.]
You hear what happened in Fayren?
... ... ...
[he paces back and forth in his room of his apartment as he retells the events of when the Ice Queen took over the land. how he'd agreed to lead a team into the palace to save Winter and free everyone under her control. how it didn't exactly go as planned and he'd apparently spent nearly half the month as her frozen-hearted servant.
in the end, everything worked out in the end. and to be honest? ...it was probably the most talking that Robin would have likely ever heard out of Cloud as he explained as best as he could without going into excessive detail. by the time they'd freed her and he came around, they'd defeated the true threat and Fayren's chilling fate was put to a halt as the faux world of the Ice Queen melted away in the wake of the new year. he sighs in the end, wrapping up his explanation]
...............
...guess that's about it. [a beat, and his voice goes a little quieter. he was fine. everything turned out okay, but,] ...sorry.
[she listened to him quietly. she got up from her position and from her many stacks of books and papers and made her way to the kitchen. as he talked about the situation, about the ice queen and all that had happened, she put on the kettle. it was time for some tea.
she rubbed her eyes, kicking herself for missing out on what happened. she could have stopped it, she could have helped in some way. she could have perhaps saved cloud that kind of torment for days.
she sighed a little, both in relief and frustration.]
Do not apologize. [she shook her head, her answer was firm but soft.] I should be the one to apologize- I hadn't realized what was going on. Typically, I am on top of things but lately...
[she hasn't been a very good tactician, she knows that much.] As long as you are alright.
[it was clear that this was gong to become a circle of frustration between the two. he could tell by the tone of her messages and how worried she'd sound when she picked up just now. guilt begets guilt, after all.]
We can't all be perfect. [he shrugs on his end] Besides, I thought it was gonna be a little easier. So...that one's on me.
[the best thing he could do is just fight harder and get stronger.]
Next time... [she watched as the kettle continued to heat up.] ...next time would you please send me a message? Anything? I am willing to help, I am a fighter as well, Cloud.
[instinct tells him that if she wanted to, she would have answered the call when Kirk sent that message out to help Winter... but he knows it's not as simple as that. nor was some excuse that he wanted to keep her from getting hurt.
he didn't expect things to go as horribly as they did for the time that it did. Cloud can't help but feel a little guilty not. never meaning to downplay her worth as an ally. when he finally does answer her though,]
I will. Hopefully there won't have to be a next time, but... [don't do it alone] I'll count on you.
[there will always be a next time... is what she wanted to tell him. she just knows, just from experience and how things go around here. there will always be a conflict and they will need to stop it.]
Good, and if I ever need your assistance as well, then I won't hesitate to call on you either.
[Cloud is in the middle of leaving his apartment to check the mail, while he’s got Robin on the line, that is.]
Mm. Count on me anytime. I’ll—
[his voice trails off when he opens his mailbox at Stone Ridge. a couple of seconds of silence as the sound of squeaky metal hinges being opened can be heard as he pulls a couple of items out]
... Oh.
[she sent him a message earlier saying that she might. he can’t help but lightly smile to himself before closing the mailbox]
Mm. [he's quiet for a moment, though she could probably hear his voice picking up a couple times as if he was struggling to say something. or find the right words.]
...
It's good to hear you again. Catch you later.
[he'll hang up after that to get some rest or try to]
[Backdated Action in the Hospital Waiting Room]
I'm going to go to the cafe and pick up some coffee. Did you want anything?
no subject
yet despite that, there was no chance that he was going to ever turn away when there was still a chance to save someone.
he'd lost enough by doing nothing.Jaune's question jostles him out of his thoughts, bright blues looking up to the younger blond. he'd give it a little bit before he stopped into the room to pay Weiss a visit himself. no doubt the onslaught of family and friends would be coming.she was pretty lucky.]
No thanks. [despite that, Cloud moves away from the wall. he can tell by the way Jaune's moving with a jiffy to his step, so he won't keep him.] Any more and I think my heart'll explode.
[minus the couple of nod-offs in a chair as the two waited, coffee was his friend.]
I'll tag along though.
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Why does everyone keep saying that? [Jaune mumbles to himself in exasperation. First Weiss, now Cloud. Can people stop making lighthearted comments about their hearts exploding and near death experiences?
But the thin line on his face relaxes a fraction and he nods.] Sure. [No one's stopping him. Come to think of it, they haven't had a proper introduction yet, have they?]
I'm Jaune Arc.
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[the question piques his curiosity, but maybe she said something? ah well. luckily for Jaune's health, Cloud won't be making any more little quips like that for a bit as he follows along with him.]
I'm Cloud Strife. [he'd shake his hand, but that'd imply stopping. his expression softens a little with the proper introductions done.] How's she doing?
[good enough for a coffee at least]
no subject
Don't take it too personally, Cloud. [another question hangs in the air, but he's distracted by Cloud's own and responds more cheerfully than the other blonde has probably ever seen him.] A lot better. She was walking just fine and is pretty talkative. It's almost like to her this is more of an inconvenience than a...
Y-- ...You know. [his voice seems to leave him as he goes quiet again. he's silent as they keep walking until he whispers.]
Thank you.
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to be honest... it made him wonder. how was he holding up? Cloud wasn't here for very long, but this world had its way of changing people. and something about the way that Jaune held Weiss... it almost felt like he was watching a past scene on repeat.]
Mm. [he can't help but softly sigh through his nose. he was looking for an opening to say something, and he was glad Jaune was the one to give him one. Cloud lightly smiles up at the man beside him.]
You did good, Jaune.
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I couldn't have done it alone.
[he means that. if Cloud hadn't been around to anchor him and talk him through it, instructing him on what to do, he's certain he wouldn't have been in the right frame of mind to pull through.
Cloud may have been right. Jaune had been in love with her once. he still loves her, just not the same way he had. Weiss had become his most trusted and dearest friend, family, and also the person to inspire him to become better despite everything. with all they had been through here, she still gave him a chance. she was the reason he had been able to keep going. and he couldn't lose her again, so for right now, he supposes he can be grateful.]
no subject
it takes one to know one. the two of them round the corner down the next hallway, the coffee room not so far from here as as he softly shakes his head. not to disagree, but,]
... maybe not at first.
[Cloud wasn't selling himself short in the situation as he awoke and tragedy nearly befell them. he knew what he did to help Jaune, to help Weiss for however little it counted or not. but his actions spoke for him, nor did he plan on boasting 'AND I HELPED!', the people that mattered knew, and the fact they could all keep moving forward was all that he cared about now. the blond's words are straightforward and true to the taller man. but only because it came from experience.]
Just take your time, but never stop trying. [a beat] Sometimes good things can happen.
[it didn't need to be said that the underlined like saving Weiss was the most fresh example.]
She's pretty lucky.
[to have people that she can count on, even if they may have had their doubts from time to time.]
voicemail; Starting from Jan. 20th until ???
Well. I suppose you can answer my question once you return my call. I was able to travel to Ylisse, where I'm from, and I picked up a tome. I would love to show it to you when you are free.
Alright, goodbye then!
no subject
Hello again Cloud. Have not heard back from you yet... and I suppose you're busy. So I may just leave a few tomes outside of your home for you to read whenever you can.
...Mm. Yes. Call me back whenever you're available.
no subject
[...]
Call me back. Or even text message me? Whatever is easiest.
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I wish I could just leave you alone, as much as you may want that right now, but I have a nagging feeling that I should do the exact opposite of that.
Just.... send me anything. [click.]
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[she sounds much more determined here.]
I have reason to believe that something has happened to you. If you ever get around to hearing this, know that I am still with you and I will get to the bottom of this.
Gods, I just pray that you are safe. [and with that, she will try and figure out what is going on here.]
1/wut ; February 1st
a long sigh escapes him as fatigue begins to sink in further, nearly rendering him on the verge of collapse. he was healed albeit chilled a bit, but all that Cloud could think about was moving forward. everything was alright in the end; that's all he could ask for, regardless of what had to happen along the way. the springs to his bed faintly protest as he flops directly onto it after discarding of his extra layers of clothing, leaving him in just his pants and vest.]
...mn...
[curiosity gets the better of him as minutes pass in pure silence. against his body's protests to sleep, he's barely able to keep his eyes open long enough as he rolls onto his back to look at his device.]
....
[five new messages? from who? "Hello Cloud. It's been a while since we've talked properly, how are you?" he listens to the first message. when she makes mention of Ylisse, he attempts to blink in an attempt to wake up. the first message ends, and he realizes the date in which it was sent.]
...... ?!
[next message. he sits up with a grunt as if sobered by her words. her voice reaching him as he was starting to see a pattern. third message...fourth...and finally,]
[sigh]
2/2
even if it couldn't be helped? he was worried. worried that Robin was out there searching for him or losing sleep over the fact that he hadn't said a damned thing for almost half a month. luckily for him, it wasn't too late at night. she's going to be receiving a call.
ring... ring...]
C'mon...
["Gods, I just pray that you are safe."]
no subject
ah!!
she jumped towards her device, picking it up immediately and answering it.]
H-hello?! [she sounded winded, really.] Hello?! Cloud-?!
RETCON TO JANUARY 29TH LATE EVENING
Yeah, yeah Robin. It's me.
[he had some explaining to do, fault or not]
Sorry, about not picking up. I just got back.
cool cool
just got back? she was so confused. she stared off at nothing in particular, just thinking to herself. where the hell...? the dream docks? no, she had checked there. this was something else entirely.]
Back from... where?
no subject
he almost felt bad about calling her like this too. but... all he can think about are those countless messages. people worrying about him. he'd really thought things would go more smoothly.]
You hear what happened in Fayren?
... ... ...
[he paces back and forth in his room of his apartment as he retells the events of when the Ice Queen took over the land. how he'd agreed to lead a team into the palace to save Winter and free everyone under her control. how it didn't exactly go as planned and he'd apparently spent nearly half the month as her frozen-hearted servant.
in the end, everything worked out in the end. and to be honest? ...it was probably the most talking that Robin would have likely ever heard out of Cloud as he explained as best as he could without going into excessive detail. by the time they'd freed her and he came around, they'd defeated the true threat and Fayren's chilling fate was put to a halt as the faux world of the Ice Queen melted away in the wake of the new year. he sighs in the end, wrapping up his explanation]
...............
...guess that's about it. [a beat, and his voice goes a little quieter. he was fine. everything turned out okay, but,] ...sorry.
[somebody felt bad.]
no subject
she rubbed her eyes, kicking herself for missing out on what happened. she could have stopped it, she could have helped in some way. she could have perhaps saved cloud that kind of torment for days.
she sighed a little, both in relief and frustration.]
Do not apologize. [she shook her head, her answer was firm but soft.] I should be the one to apologize- I hadn't realized what was going on. Typically, I am on top of things but lately...
[she hasn't been a very good tactician, she knows that much.] As long as you are alright.
no subject
[it was clear that this was gong to become a circle of frustration between the two. he could tell by the tone of her messages and how worried she'd sound when she picked up just now. guilt begets guilt, after all.]
We can't all be perfect. [he shrugs on his end] Besides, I thought it was gonna be a little easier. So...that one's on me.
[the best thing he could do is just fight harder and get stronger.]
no subject
Next time... [she watched as the kettle continued to heat up.] ...next time would you please send me a message? Anything? I am willing to help, I am a fighter as well, Cloud.
no subject
he didn't expect things to go as horribly as they did for the time that it did. Cloud can't help but feel a little guilty not. never meaning to downplay her worth as an ally. when he finally does answer her though,]
I will. Hopefully there won't have to be a next time, but... [don't do it alone] I'll count on you.
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Good, and if I ever need your assistance as well, then I won't hesitate to call on you either.
no subject
Mm. Count on me anytime. I’ll—
[his voice trails off when he opens his mailbox at Stone Ridge. a couple of seconds of silence as the sound of squeaky metal hinges being opened can be heard as he pulls a couple of items out]
... Oh.
[she sent him a message earlier saying that she might. he can’t help but lightly smile to himself before closing the mailbox]
Just got your tomes.
no subject
[she pauses, musing to herself about it.] They're all rather interesting. I was going to explain them to you but... well, you know.
[he got all frozen 'n shit.]
no subject
You can show me then.
no subject
I've always got time for you, Cloud. I shall see you tomorrow then.
no subject
...
It's good to hear you again. Catch you later.
[he'll hang up after that to get some rest
or try to]