tampered | (no subject)

(no subject)

When; Backdated to last night the 25th
Rating; PG 13
Characters; Everyone invited
Summary; It's Winter Moon time and the Gaians are celebrating it their way.
Log;

He started building the pile of wood as soon as the sun waned. Anything and everything that could burn was piled into the base of the bonfire, the outside lined with large stones for heating drinks and food. Set a few feet back from that circle were some smooth rocks and a couple large coolers where they could sit and talk without getting too burnt by the flames. Cloud finished piling the initial stack of wood and used a small Fire spell to start it going. He smiled at the fiery glow, for once not seeing the ruins of his home inside the flames. No, this time all he saw were the flames, spitting and dancing in the sharp air.

Turning towards one of the coolers, he took out a battered pot, filled it with some spiced apple juice and set it on a stone to warm up. Another bottle held some pale amber liquid that smelt of winter-bruised apples that he took a capful and tossed it into the fire sending flames high before it settled again. The next capful he drank before closing it and setting it back into the cooler. Then Cloud waited for the others to show up.

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Anita appeared a while later, bundled up against the cold as well as toting a heavy blanket under her arm. She smiled a bit at Cloud as she walked closer.

"Hey there. I got out early since Lux wasn't so busy. Reeve should be along as soon as he's done."

It did not take long for Yuna to reach the beach, given where she and Rikku had taken to living in the lighthouse. She wore both the shawl and hairpins she had been giving, and the earrings Tseng had given her hung from her ears. It was important to her that she let her new friends see how the things they'd gotten her--for seemingly no reason--looked, and how much she appreciated them.

Booted feet made soft crunching sounds in the snow as she strode up behind the fire at a modest pace, and stopped to look around with a whimsical smile on her face.

"Hey there," Cloud said, looking away form the flames. He smiled an honest smile, his cheeks flushed from standing near the fire and tossing pieces of wood into it. "I'm glad you could come."

Cloud removed the steaming pot from near the flames, setting it down on a smooth stone so it could cool to a little. Glancing up, he smiled at the sight of Yuna wearing his gifts. The wrap and hairpins fitted well with her other clothing.

"Hello, Yuna. I'm glad you could make it."

Oh, like she could resist grinning back at the sight of his smile. No matter how things had ended up between them, she still appreciated how attractive Cloud was. Even though she was seeing someone else, she would always have a soft spot for him.

"I doubt someone would've let me just go home tonight. He's been looking forward to this."

Tentatively, Yuna returned the smile. It warmed after a moment, and she seated herself upon a flat, large stone across from the host of the bonfire.

"Hello, Cloud. Thank you for inviting me--and for the presents. They are beautiful."

The summoner smoothed her violet skirt, blue and green eyes taken in the slightly frozen ocean. Though it was an odd sight for someone from the tropics, she loved being near the water. Next, her eyes turned to the pot he'd set down, and nodded toward it.

"Is that the cider you mentioned?" she asked, cruious.

"I can imagine. We haven't had one of these for a long while."

His smile turned wistful and he looked back at the fire, remembering how all of them had gathered at that last bonfire, most of them still sore and dirty and tired from Meteor. Meeting together at Seventh Heaven just wasn't the same.

Cloud shook his head and waved a hand at the coolers. "Help yourself to food - if you want it warmed up just set it near the fire. I've got some cider too, but I've got to warn you about the kick."

"I'm glad you like them."

He glanced over at the pot and shook his head, the smile fading but still there in the soft glow of his eyes and the curve of his mouth. Cloud fished out a small glass from a cooler and picked up the bottle filled with pale amber liquid and poured a small amount into the glass. Making sure the cap was on tight, he set the bottle back down in the snow and offered Yuna the glass.

"This is winter cider," he said.

"I do."

Noting how his smile faded, Yuna almost frowned. Was he still out of sorts from his reversal in age? She wasn't sure; and unwilling to ask, she let it go. The girl daintily accepted the glass from him, and let her smile gentle a bit.

"It smells really good." she remarked, the pleasant, sweet smell of the liquid reaching her nose.

Anita nodded and paced closer to the fire, letting her fingers slip out to wave through the flames. The burn was an almost pleasant flare of pain along her skin but it didn't last long enough to worry about. As soon as she pulled her hand away, the scorch faded into the normal pale skin she always had. With an almost wry smile, she leaned down to try some of the cider.

[Toss him in?]

"It tastes about as good as it smells, but it is alcoholic so don't let it fool you," Cloud said, a wry smile twisting his lips. "I spent a whole day after my first Winter Moon bent over a bucket because I didn't take it easy with that stuff."

That had been nearly ten years ago, if he was remembering it right. It was only a couple of years before he made his plans to leave for Midgar and join SOLDIER. The memory wasn't as bitter as it used to be, and Cloud thought it had faded thanks to his friends, past and present.

"I have some spiced cider and hot chocolate as well, and there's plenty of food in the coolers."

[Join us!]

"I won't." Yuna wasn't one to make wry expressions, but she did cringe at the thought of drinking too much. Wakka had had plenty of hangovers over the years, before Chappu died, though moreso afterward. She smiled faintly, and slowly took a small sip of the cider, smacking her lips together. It was good.

"What is chocolate?" she asked, tilting her head with an inquisitive expression. Her hands encircled her glass.

Being here--and not where she belonged was hard. But Rikku was here. And apparently she'd defeat Sin, while somehow living to see it happen. But the denizens of Gaia had been nothing but kind to her since she'd arrived here. And it helped dull the ache of homesickness she felt deep within her spirit.

Reeve arrived just in time to see Anita torch her hand and reminded himself not to freak out. This was definitely going to take some getting used to. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked dryly, taking a seat on the log beside her.

The warmth of the fire was nice though -- he could still feel it, even though temperature didn't affect him any more. And this was a much more soothing evening than the one almost four years ago, when he'd been dragged out of the rubble by the lifestream exhausted and dehydrated.

"Cloud!"

Lyra was bundled up, carrying a small basket, with Pantalaimon curled up inside her hood.

Anita just glanced over at him with a tiny, sheepish smile before she leaned in closer. "Just seeing if it was hot?"

Cloud chuckled softly, glancing over at Reeve. He was happy she found someone to be with, and that Reeve had someone to be with as well. Watching them for a few moments, he decided that they were good by themselves and went to drag a couple more logs to the fire, tossing them in without any effort at all.

"Lyra," he said, smiling a little as she came into the clearing. "It's nice to see you."

Reeve shook his head, sliding his arm around her shoulders and squeezing her gently. "It's a fire. I'm going to go with yes, it's hot."

As he watched Cloud, he shook his head and made a tsking noise with his tongue. The one that was only appropriate for expressing disapproval and calling cats. "He's not paying any attention to what I told him about the structural integrity as the logs burn. If the fire collapses and kills us all, I'm trusting you to remember that I said 'I told you so' pre-emptively."

"I think women tend to be smarter than guys when it comes to drinking," Cloud replied, chuckling at his own thinking. At her question about chocolate, he frowned and scratched at the back of his head, not really sure how to describe it. After a moment he shrugged.

"It's good," he said, and stopped, slumping his shoulders. "I guess you have to try it really. It's my second drink of choice next to coffee in the mornings."

She snuggled up next to him, her arm finding its way around his waist as she leaned up to brush her lips against his cheek. "Sorry. I couldn't help it. I have a habit of checking to see if it still works sometimes. It's stupid, really."

A soft laugh curled into the cool air as she shook her head at him. "Oh please. He's doing fine. Quit mothering. The logs will be fine and if anything happens, some of us will get away safely."

"You know, I think you boys just become forgetful, or think it won't affect you. That's all." there was no reason in her mind to demean one gender in favor of another. Yuna was a very egalitarian young woman. She smiled sheepishly at Cloud.

"I will have to try it afterward, then." That was good enough for her. This place was wondrous, even though she was homesick. Living in a world without Sin was a rare treat, and provided her with relief that Rikku had told her she'd defeat it in the future. Now she didn't feel so guilty about being here.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she questioned, and sipped her cider again.

"Live to carry on my legacy." He turned his head just enough to catch her lips with his and kissed her softly, cupping her cheek with his palm.

When he broke away, he snatched the blanket from her, shaking it out and wrapping it around their shoulders.

The kiss made her smile and blush a little, made all too obvious in the firelight. "Does that mean I get Cait Sith?"

As soon as the blanket was around them, she curled up against his side, head tilting to rest on his shoulder.

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