dreamcrystals | A Letter to Home

Entry tags:

A Letter to Home

Sender: Zack Fair
To: All
Subject: No Subject (Backdated to the first week)

[ Words that begin to appear in the journals are written slowly, as if with intent. The handwriting is... coherent at best at this slower pace, but every word is coming in gradually and seemingly with more frustration.

Guess who thinks this is just a plain ol' journal to use? ]

~~Dear Aeir~~
~~What's up!?~~
~~Hello! Hey th———~~

Hey Aerith.
Hope things are going ~~well??~~ good for you

[ UGH ]

Sorry it's taken so long for me to write back... I know youve been waiting a long time
I can't call right now but soon, okay?
~~how are the flowers?~~ you swimming in gil yet?
Theirs ~~theres~~ lots of weird stuff going on that I'll explain when I get back.
So... yeah. ~~See you soon~~
~~Regard~~ [ No that was SO STUPID ]
bye

[ The words at the bottom of the page are suddenly cut out, as if completely disregarded or tossed away.

But seconds later another one appears: ]

Hello!

[ Nope that one is gone, too. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just what are you trying to do?

[Guess who's figured out the journals already?]

[ wait what the hell

Why were words showing up??? ]

who is this

[Cloud can't help but let out a heavy sigh as he sees the words appear on the journals. Maybe Zack could even hear it if his door wasn't closed.]

So much for finding things out together.

[Regardless, he gets up on his feet and walks toward Zack's room, his own journal in hand as he made his way over. He raps his knuckles against the door once he gets there.]

Zack.

[ As Cloud approaches the room the first thing he will notice is that the door is, in fact, slightly opened.

Zack is seated in the only other furniture available in the room other than his bed, his head slumped over on the desk with his back facing the exit.

The journal has long since been discarded and thrown across the room after the slew of messages are received, and upon closer inspection one will notice the piles of torn and crumbled up paper scattered across the ground. Apparently he's been at this for awhile now.

Zack doesn't acknowledge Cloud right away when the knock comes, but an exasperated grumble will be a good indication he heard it. ]

[The place that they had found for themselves had been rather sparse, not that it bothered Cloud all that much. The lifestyle he led in SOLDIER meant that he had to move around constantly, thus having only a few personal belongings helped.

When he sees Zack sprawled over the desk, he actually felt a little sorry for him. He stands there for a little longer, contemplating something before he decides that he probably shouldn't be too hard on the other man right now. Especially after he helped him out with the dress fiasco. Quite literally.

Making his way over, he reaches down and picks Zack's journal off the ground, carefully placing it on an empty spot on the desk. He takes note of the pile of papers on the ground, but stops himself from saying anything about it in the meantime.]

That bad?

Edited 2023-03-09 20:03 (UTC)

[ Zack is silent as Cloud walks around the room, paying more attention to his current grief than the mess around the room.

Eventually he turns his head to that his cheek is pressed against the wood, a pitiful look cast in Cloud's direction.

Zack's face is flushed and ears brightly light with embarrassment. ]

... Did you know? [ About the journal, he means. ]

[He'd only seen a few of the replies that had trickled in since. But from the look that Zack was giving him, he could only imagine that it's gotten worse. And how it made him feel.]

Yeah. Figured it out a while ago.

[He'd been skeptical of the leather-bound book that was given to them. Observing how it worked and watching the pages fill up over the course of the first few days since their arrival helped him understand how it worked. The message he had sent to Zack was the first time he actually used it.]

You look like you've been chewed up by a Malboro.

[...He's trying.

There was the other matter of what he knew. Or rather who. But he'll hold his tongue on that for now.]

[ So much for them figuring it out together, indeed.

Zack heaves another long, drawn out sigh before his shoulders begin to deflate in response. He could have paid more attention to the strange journal that was given to him, sure, but why? Figured it was for some kind of record keeping, but that was something he could worry about later on after exploring.

Who would have thought it would bite him in the ass like this. ]

Shut up. [ Zack retorts. Taking one of the wadded up papers at his side and loosely tossing it in Cloud's direction. ] You could've told me!

Edited 2023-03-10 02:55 (UTC)

[The paper ball hits him on the chest before falling uselessly onto the floor. All he could do was shrug his shoulders, turning to lean against the same wall as the desk. With his arms crossed over his chest, he looks down at Zack.]

Didn't think I'd have to.

[He truly didn't. But at least this experience has taught him that he might need to be a bit more open about the information he's able to get to. That's still something he would have to get used to.

His gaze strays to the wad by his foot, then to the pile that had gathered to his side.]

Can't say I took you as someone who wrote letters.

[ Zack will continue to pout just a little more at the reply, but he can’t say it wasn’t unlike Cloud. He normally kept to himself in the first place, as reserved as he was in the past. At least it seemed like he was coming out of his shell just a little bit… ]

Yeah, well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me. [ How’s that for being mysterious?

… He’s only half kidding though, as the words stung a little in his mouth. But Zack will play it off as normal banter by letting a soured chuckle roll off of his lips.

He’ll finally lift his head as both hands roll over his face and into his hair before throwing his back against the chair. He doesn’t look at Cloud, not yet, and simply turns his eyes to the ceiling. ]

Everyone’s got hobbies, right? I just… am not good at this one, yet.

[ Writing was hard, okay!? ]

No, you're right. There's a lot I don't know.

[The two of them had just met a while back, after all. And in that time Cloud hadn't made himself easily available for idle small talk.

Yet, he somehow finds himself here now.]

If the pile of trash is any indication— [Okay, he'll stop himself there. Instead, he'll ask:] So who's Aerith to you?

[Even if he is curious, he's able to keep his voice level. Knowing what he knew about her and the fact that Zack used to work for Shinra in the past, Cloud had his suspicions. Better not to show his hand right off the bat.]

[ … Ouch. Way to take his words and throw it back in his face?

It pained him, physically, and Zack finds himself wincing slightly at the reply. Sure the implications would be lost on the blonde, but it didn’t stop the aching feeling he was beginning to experience deep within his chest. But he already promised himself he wasn’t going allow the feelings to linger. He would brush it off and bury it for Cloud’s sake.

For now, he has to deal with the man’s snarky remarks instead.

Zack goes to open his mouth to snap back when the other question arose, stopping him in his tracks. Huh. Figures it would down to that considering the subject matter was literally scattered around them ]

Why? You know her or somethin’? [ Turning his gaze over to Cloud while his head still remained cocked in the air. He wanted to try to pick up on any changing facial expressions as his brows furrow together quizzically. ]

[Cloud just barely notices the wince as he looks back at Zack, and he wonders why he reacted that way. All he had said was the truth, but why did it seem like there was more to Zack's expression?

Instead of pursuing that line of questioning even further, he shakes his head. He probably just imagined it, and even if he didn't, it was not of his business anyway.]

She's—

[A friend, he almost says. His brows crease. While true, he still didn't know how Zack had known her. It was probably better to tread carefully. Shifting his weight, he breaks eye contact and turns away from Zack, staring at the wall across the room instead.]

Yeah, I know her. We met in Midgar. Did a couple of jobs for her.

Edited (I know how to html) 2023-03-10 11:14 (UTC)

[ Jobs for her? Now that was something new to him. He did mention going to Midgar, and his curiosity is at his peak. ... But he'll hold off, at least for the moment. Cloud seemed to be open with his answering, so Zack felt as it he could do the same. ]

Heh. Sure is a small world out there.

[ Or so he thought before arriving here. Now... well, he wasn't so sure.

He glances down to the papers on the floor before idly kicking the nearest one with his foot. His voice is kept low, but there is a fondness to his words, as if he was reminiscing ]

I guess you could say... she was someone really special to me. We hung out all the time, or tried to at least when I wasn't away. [ He sighs, turning his head to the side to gaze at the other man's profile. ] Helped each other a lot back then.

[Somehow Cloud wasn't surprised to hear Aerith had helped Zack out a number of times too. That just seemed to be in her nature, wanting to lend a hand where she could, to as many people as she could. She had done the same for him so he could get his name out there as a mercenary for hire.]

Special to you, huh? That would explain the letters.

[Cloud's looks towards Zack from his periphery, then to the pile of papers again. Okay, maybe he was wrong to be suspicious of him.]

How long has it been since you last saw her?

Edited (two in a row, go me) 2023-03-11 05:04 (UTC)

When your phone's out of service for so long, guess letters are the next best thing.

[ So many letters. 88 of them. Recalling the number only brought out another pang of guilt in his chest that he had to breathe through.

He felt awful, making her wait like this. Even recalling the last letter she sent made his face harden at the thought. The last one... ]

Five years. [ He said simply, voice dripped in regret. For someone who was always so open with his emotions, fighting this one down was becoming more and more difficult the more the memories began to rise up inside of him.

He sits motionless in the chair, allowing his eyes to drop to his hands. ]

But— [ He breathes again, smoothing out the corner of his mind as the other presence in seemed to ground him. He couldn't dwindle on this. Not with the fear of anything triggering Cloud's memories again. ] —it happens, I guess. Looks like you were there to keep her company.

[Five years. Even Cloud can understand how long that much time could be. That was the same amount of time that had passed before he saw Tifa back in Midgar as well. He had missed her during that time, too.

And now here too, having been in this dream world of sorts for a much longer time. The news she had delivered to him at the castle the night he arrived still hadn't fully sunk in yet. He hadn't thought about it since then, having pushed it deep within his consciousness. Yet it somehow reared its ugly head now...

But this wasn't about him, or Tifa, and he didn't have any intention to bring something like that up, anyway. So he shakes his head and gets back on topic.

Aerith.]

You could say that. She's also helped me and a few others, more than any of us really asked.

[That save in the church. Spreading the word of Cloud the merc at Sector 5. Saving Tifa. Marlene. The list seemed to keep going. Somehow, the thought of it is able to get a bit of a smile out of Cloud together with a breath that just barely sounds like a laugh and could be mistaken for exasperation.]

Sometimes it feels like she's just asking for trouble, though.

Ahaha! You're tellin' me! [ Okay... this was actually nice. Zack had been so hung up about the negative feelings that it made it a little difficult to focus but somehow, in his own way, Cloud was slowly dissipating the worries. ]

She was so hung up about making this wagon to sell her flowers. And when I finished it? She didn't even like it! So much for being grateful.

[ Cloud's smile, while small, was infectious. And for a moment talking about shared experiences helped push back the raw and hurtful emotions of her absence.

It was nice to be able to talk about her to someone else other than the Turks. ]

She's really somethin else. Wouldn't have even met her either if I didn't fall through the roof of the church that day!

Edited (oops had to add that) 2023-03-11 17:51 (UTC)

[And that was probably the first time Cloud's expression shifts fully during this entire conversation. Whatever Zack had said at first was lost to him. Gone was the briefest of smiles that broke through his usually cool demeanor, immediately replaced by a pair of raised eyebrows.

He blinked once, twice before pushing himself off his position against the wall. Turning his body fully to face Zack, his eyes are wide in surprise, his mouth hanging open. Did he hear that correctly?]

Hold on. You fell through the roof of a church? Was it onto a patch of flowers?

[ ... Oh. Whoa, what the!?

The reaction startled Zack too; jolting a bit in his seat when Cloud had turned suddenly towards him.

He clocked his reaction, noticing his surprise as Zack's face molded to match. ]

Huh!? Yeah... it was- [ Wait, why was he being so specific? Surprise soon turned to confusion, and the man moved to place his hand on the back of his chair to steadily begin to pull himself up. ]

-Why the face? It's not like I actually crushed any of them! [ He didn't take Cloud for a flower guy, and he never gave that indication from all the conversations they had before. ]

[Similar to Zack, the response he got only confused him even more. It was bad enough that he seemed to be suffering some kind of déjà vu from what he'd just learned, but he didn't want him to get the wrong idea either.]

I'm not worried about the flowers. [He says with a furrowed brow and a shake of his head.] It's just that I fell through the roof back when I met Aerith.

[Just what was going on here?]

[ ...

He stares, eyes desperately reading Cloud's demeanor. ] You've got to be kidding me.

[ He was, wasn't it? Not like Cloud was much of a jokester, but he had his comebacks from time to time. ]

Just tell me if you're pulling my leg. Ain't no way that happened to the both of us!

[ Aerith what are you doing to these boys and how are you drawing them towards you like this!? ]

Do I look like I'm joking?

[His tone is as flat as the look he's giving Zack. With his eyebrows knitting even closer together, he crosses his arms in front of his chest again.]

Fell from the top plate, right through the ceiling, and landed on the patch of flowers. She was there when I came to.

[She's just collecting all of the SOLDIER boys like bees to honey.]

[ Zack balks a little at the face, but recovers quickly to try and better assess the situation.

His mouth still hangs open though, a clear sign of his confusion, before a hand goes to rub the backside of his neck. ]

Just like me... [ A pause, his tone scoffing. ] Guess we both saw an angel that day, huh?

[That's one hell of a weird coincidence. But he's never been one to use flowery words like that.]

Guess you can call it that.

[His days had been one thing after the other since he started helping AVALANCHE. With the bombing, the multiple encounters with the Turks, and the jobs Aerith had suggested he took, he had his plate full back then.]

Did the jobs I mentioned after we met, then headed back to Tifa and the rest at Sector 7.

Sender: Cloud Strife

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