[ NIBELHEIM. it had to be nibelheim. cloud had imagined his return home many a time, imagining glory attached to his name and redemption in the eyes of the people who had shunned him. envy, maybe, regret that they hadn’t done more to know him. he’d imagined he’d return a hero, dripping with power and influence and then they would see all they’d missed out on.
then they’d see.
but things just hadn’t panned out that way. while he’d accomplished a great many things, all of those things were hidden behind the bold strokes of a blackout marker. everything he’d ever accomplished would forever remain hidden under tight lock and key. cloud's twenty, surviving being a turk for four years at a young age is nothing to sneeze at, but unsettled.
the closest thing to bragging rights he had was being assigned to this mission. the one he had practically begged tseng to remove him from, for hours, until it was made clear that there was no budging. tseng had told him that if he had been bold enough to switch careers, then he was bold enough to face the consequences. and zack was going with him - it wasn’t as if he lacked moral support.
it had been hard to argue against that. even if the lengthy car ride left him nauseous and napping for most of it, trying hard to look dignified even when he was banging on the cabin and asking to pull over so he could sit down for a minute.
the twenty year old turk shudders, tipping his head forward into his hands with a groan as the truck lurches forward yet again. It’s a good thing general sephiroth isn’t giving him the time of day, or else he might be afraid he was making a poor show for his department. he swallows hard and forces himself to look up and alert, not wallow in his own misery. ]
I’m fine. [ he says quickly, before Zack can ask.
he glances out the window, frowning heavily. things are looking more and more familiar, landmarks standing out starkly in the waning moonlight. his stomach twisting into uncomfortable knots. the phone rings and he leans back in his seat, checks the caller display, and brings the phone up to his ear with a sigh. ]
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timeasmymeasure
prelude.
Date: 2020-05-14 10:48 pm (UTC)then they’d see.
but things just hadn’t panned out that way. while he’d accomplished a great many things, all of those things were hidden behind the bold strokes of a blackout marker. everything he’d ever accomplished would forever remain hidden under tight lock and key. cloud's twenty, surviving being a turk for four years at a young age is nothing to sneeze at, but unsettled.
the closest thing to bragging rights he had was being assigned to this mission. the one he had practically begged tseng to remove him from, for hours, until it was made clear that there was no budging. tseng had told him that if he had been bold enough to switch careers, then he was bold enough to face the consequences. and zack was going with him - it wasn’t as if he lacked moral support.
it had been hard to argue against that. even if the lengthy car ride left him nauseous and napping for most of it, trying hard to look dignified even when he was banging on the cabin and asking to pull over so he could sit down for a minute.
the twenty year old turk shudders, tipping his head forward into his hands with a groan as the truck lurches forward yet again. It’s a good thing general sephiroth isn’t giving him the time of day, or else he might be afraid he was making a poor show for his department. he swallows hard and forces himself to look up and alert, not wallow in his own misery. ]
I’m fine. [ he says quickly, before Zack can ask.
he glances out the window, frowning heavily. things are looking more and more familiar, landmarks standing out starkly in the waning moonlight. his stomach twisting into uncomfortable knots. the phone rings and he leans back in his seat, checks the caller display, and brings the phone up to his ear with a sigh. ]
We should be there in a half hour.