a bumpy start! {glyphcomm + action}

[seeingyou]

You wake up to the sound of alarms and a distinct sensation of quaking, and you're quite obviously not where you're supposed to be. This room is strangely shaped, nothing you recognize, and you definitely don't remember how you got here. The room is bathed in soft red light, which might look pretty, except it's blinking in a way that you can probably guess signals danger.

There's a symbol on the back of your hand that you don't remember acquiring, either, but that's probably less important at the moment than the sound of the alarms shrieking and the prerecorded voice speaking over the intercom. It's one of those bland, agender voices, entirely too calm in tone for the message it's relaying:

WARNING
WARNING
IMPACT THREAT DETECTED
EVASIVE ACTION REQUIRED

There’s a loud crash and another violent shaking, as that impact threat collides with the ship’s hull. The warning message continues to repeat on a loop amidst the blaring of the alarm. All passengers should be conscious now, with the noise at such a high volume. Opening your cabin door reveals a nondescript hallway, with five cabin doors on each side for a total of ten on each floor; the doors to the empty cabins are unlocked and inside the cabins hold the same plain, basic furnishings as your own. Halfway into the hallway, there is a lift on one side and a set of stairs on the other.

Comments

[bravers]

Right.

[Anyone else, and he'd question it. But when he says it, the words click into place, like it's something as plain as anything else. The sky is blue. Water is wet. Midgar's a stinking shithole, and Zack's fine. Of course he's fine.

They'll get out of here, together, and they'll both be fine-

Except the doors open to reveal not an escape pod, but what looks like someone's half-through attempt at unpacking.]

...Shit outta luck, it looks like.

[Damn. He half-wheels around again, his hand, instinctively, reaching for the other man's.]

Could always go back to that console room. Looked like they had a bunch of equipment there. Might be a floorplan, or a control panel.

[Not the most inspired idea. Especially if the people within it were armed. But-]

Not like we can do anything else.

[1st]

[ relief washes over him at cloud’s doe eyed acceptance. right. he was fine, after all. zack’s fingers wins around cloud’s palm tightly, like a lifeline. his concentration is funneled into that: feeling and latching onto the warmth of cloud’s hand.

with a huff— ]

...Let’s stay here for a sec. We’ll be out of here soon, I promise, but—

[ vulnerability laces his expression. a little like a kicked puppy in this moment. ]

We– haven’t gotten the chance to figure anything out. Might as well make use of whatever privacy we’ve got, right...?

[ he offers him a lopsided, weary smile. ]

So...hey.

[bravers]

Hey.

[Alarms blaring, their vision engulfed in aggressive red flashes, and every few seconds, that agender voice repeats its message. To top it off, the ship itself shudders, lurches every so often. Either as it evades fire, or returns it.

It's not the time, nor the place. It's really not. But the idea of saying no doesn't enter his head. Not when Zack's looking at him like that- the puppy expression, incidentally, making a lot flood back.

...Affection?
Yeah, of course. Just... How much of it surprises him. He finds himself stepping forward toward him, but he keeps his eyes away.]

...It's really good to see you again. ...You got no idea.

[1st]

[ this is his cloud — his best friend. the gentleness in his eyes doesn’t betray him. but his features are worn and weathered with something he can’t see; how long has it been, he wonders. does he even know?

without a word, zack hovers closer to him. his handles settle onto his shoulders — he peers into the mako greens of his eyes, searching for a remnant of the past. ]

You made it. [ he says with a breath. ]

I knew you would.

[ his eyes flutter shut. zack smiles. ]

I’m proud of you.

[bravers]

...?

[His look is nothing short of quizzical. Not at the sudden closeness, (He'd instigated that of course) nor at the gloved hands on his shoulders. It's... difficult to put words to, but something in him feels like this is natural. Most people, even friends? Putting their hands on him would mean him separating himself from them. In the very best of cases, being hesitant. In all cases, not liking it.

...Aside from this case. He wants to shift closer still, to put his face against him, to get as close as he can...

But that's weird, isn't it?
He doesn't.

Instead, he turns his attention to the wording.]

You mean we made it. Right? We're both here. ...In space. With alarms and we're probably gonna get blown up, but we're together again.

[Morbid.
But honestly? If that was to happen?
Aerith is a regret. But this...

....Wait. Zack said he was proud.
Shame overcomes him. And here, with him, it's biting.]

I've done things. Might not be so proud if you knew 'em.

[1st]

...Huh—No, I...

[ a lone “what,” flies through his head. no, he was sure that he’d died — he’d seen the lifestream with his own two eyes, watched cloud from the great beyond, reunited with aerith...

his eyebrows draw back. zack tilts his head, confused, staring as the alarms continue to sound in the background and flashes of red contour the soft, delicate curves of cloud’s face. a painful reminder of who he was talking to, and how young he still was.

does he not know?

does he not realize?

if he doesn’t, should he be telling him this now? zack’s mouth opens. closes again. he scratches at the back of his head. damn, he wishes aerith were here to tell him what to do. ]

Listen. We aren’t gonna blow up. Trust me on this. [ fingers smooth into the fabric of cloud’s uniform, right around his neckline. ] I...You and me, we have...a lot to talk about! Later. That’s enough of a reason for me to want us out of here. But trust me — I know.

You...are one wild guy, Cloud. Whew.

[ infiltrating shinra hq? really? ]

We’re gonna need to channel some of that energy of yours again.