tampered | (no subject)

Current Mood: peaceful

(no subject)

When; This morning.
Rating; G?
Characters; Cloud [

conflictive], Tifa [

heavenfists], Zack [

yourarmor], Aerith [

flowerblooming, and Eiko [

moonlit_jewel]
Summary; The crew all meet up at the carousel, with Eiko in tow. :3 It's a happy little reunion, of the non-Sephiroth kind. >>;
Log;

Although the carousel had a large number of people surrounding it the previous night, Tifa found that it was very quiet this morning as she waited to meet up with her friends. She was sitting on a bench nearby the structure, still a little weary to ride on it herself. She had no idea how that Hisoka fellow had gotten so much confidence to do so, let alone sing on top of it. It was nice, though, to see people enjoying themselves despite the circumstance.

She did not have much to do while she waited, but she still did so patiently, occasionally checking her phone for new e-mail messages or voicemails and coming up short each time. Oh well, she knew they'd all arrive sooner or later.

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It was a floral scent that followed her every step, one accompanied by a familiar type of warmth, a warmth that tended to illuminate the smile of a mother or someone who wouldn't, no, couldn't bring themselves to hate. Tucked gingerly against the crook of her arm was a wicker basket filled to the brim with the candy-kissed blossoms she had plucked free from Xanadu's garden that morning.

Red, blue, green, yellow, pink; the garden displayed a multitude of colors that branched free from the normal and extended noisily into the brilliant. These were flowers that one could never find outside of the city walls, flowers she tended to as if they were of her very own creation, littering the creaky floorboards of a familiar old church. Even in death, Aerith had not changed.

A hand gently settled atop of Tifa's shoulder before she found her own voice, eyes lingering on the Carousel that never slept. "It's a little unnerving to be around at first but once you get settled in, the Carousel just becomes a part of everyday life." With that said she turned her sweetest smile on the woman and reclaimed her hand.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

Oddly enough, Tifa was not startled by the woman's presence or her words. She smiled to the woman, as if thinking of her as a good friend that went away for some time, rather than the woman they had lost at the Ancient City. After all, she had been with them all along, had she not?

"I like the Carousel, actually," she said, ruby eyes trailing to it. She looked back to Aerith and noted the basket of flowers before she replied, "It certainly has. I'm sure I can think of a few people who would be very happy to see you right now." Herself included, but she was thinking about Marlene back at the orphanage.

With her hands on her hips now, she looked around. "Weren't... you with Zack?" she asked, a tad confused.

Aerith broke into a fit of quiet laughter before she sent a glance over her shoulder and made a slight face, almost as if she were slightly annoyed. "He was right behind me when I left the building, maybe he went to go put on a shirt first." Then, after a tiny pause, she shifted the basket full of flowers to the other arm and hummed. "He mentioned something about walking around shirtless being the latest trend." She touched a hand to her forehead and sighed. "I'll never understand him."

Names were unnecessary, she knew exactly who Tifa was talking about and thus she did little more than smile. It would have been nice, she thought, to be able to meet with everyone else in this manner. Two out of the lot wasn't bad, however, it was just the beginning, wasn't it? She slipped out from behind the bench and started walking towards the Carousel, only to catch one of the lavishly decorated poles that kept the porcelain horses at bay and step onto the twirling platform.

Then, after rolling her eyes up in thought, she nodded and extended a hand out in Tifa's general direction.

Zack was, sadly, running a bit late. Just as soon as Aerith walked off to go meet up with Cloud and Tifa, the raven-haired man completely forgot his shirt. Yes, that's right: his shirt.

The story to go along with that was simple and short, and no doubt Zack would talk all of their heads off with the story if he arrived with nothing but pants and his shoes on. However, the man didn't want to arrive and see his friends with no shirt on. Wouldn't be the best impression to put upon them all, not after so many years passed by since they've all seen each other. Not like he cared all that much to begin with, but this was Cloud and Tifa, two people he cared for greatly; of course he was going to act a little civil, especially out in public.

So Zack did indeed get his shirt, running out the door while attempting to pull it over his head. Stupid thing and its ridiculous amount of tugging needed to put it on, he inwardly muttered to himself as long legs proceeded to bring him closer to the carousel with each step. It wasn't long before he arrived, shirt and all, though paused when he noticed that only Aerith and Tifa was there.

But, nonetheless, he grinned, especially when Aerith extended a hand out to Tifa. Was a cute scene, really, and all Zack could do was watch in amusement before walking up to them both, only to hop on the carousel beside Aerith, leaning on one of the poles with his hands behind his head as he turned to wink at Tifa – a silent hello rather than one of his loud, explosive ones.

Today wasn't his mission to scare anyone off, as hard as that could be to believe.

Tifa had been nervous to ride on the merry-go-round beforehand, but since Aerith did it with such ease, the woman decided to join after all. She took Aerith's hand carefully, having to walk alongside of the carousel in order to safely step on. She gripped the golden pole wordlessly and it was then when she noticed Zack and smiled at his greeting. "Odd to see you so quiet."

There was something very surreal about the scene, what with the soft lights and music of the carousel, its slow spinning, and the three adults upon it, two of which were dead. Perhaps it was the carousel, or maybe it was the natural calm that being around the flower seller brought about without her even trying. Tifa allowed her eyes to close, her hands still wrapped around the pole and entwined with Aerith's respectively, and enjoyed the company, thinking quietly to herself.

She opened her eyes after a moment and looked back to Aerith, at last releasing the other woman's hand. "I'm glad that we're together again, even if this is..." Her eyes brushed over the other, slightly darker areas of the city, "... not a place I'd ever expect to see anyone like the two of you."

There were a lot of things going on in Cloud's head as he approached the Carousel.

Cloud was never good with sentimental matters, and never had been. He usually didn't bother. Now, though, he felt it was necessary. His friends deserved as much.

How to express himself, though? There was nothing that could amount to the mixture of disbelief, elation, and relief that he'd been experiencing ever since learning that Zack and Aerith were here and, by all accounts, well. A bittersweet happiness. And so much has happened since they'd left him. Where was he to start?

He could see the carousel now, and, more importantly, three familiar faces. There was the scent of flowers -- that had to be Aerith, Cloud concluded somewhat inanely, thoughts now hindered by the happiness that was quickly overtaking him.

And it became clear to him.

A smile, tentative but unmistakeable, found its way across his features.

"Hello, everyone."

"I think the carousel is the best place to meet up..." Zack had told her, "Okay!" she'd replied. It was apparently hard to miss and made funny “ticking” noises. What in this strange world didn't? There wasn't anything she saw that she really recognized. A lot of things look familiar, but nothing she was 100% certain about. Buildings were still used as the same thing as they were back in Gaea right? Oh how she hoped so. Nothing would be worse than wandering into a “building” and have it be something completely different.

"I hope this carowsell is easy to find..." the little girl muttered as she ran towards the center of the city dodging the masses. Overcrowded cities never seem to cease from annoying her. "Well, even if it isn't gonna be easy, Mr. Grumpy Pan... I mean, Cloudly, is gonna be there along with Zack and Tifa right? So I can just look for those two...err... Three."

A slide here. A swift kick in the shins to a random person there. And another mad dash and she stood before this MAGNIFICENT CONTRAPTION of her D R E A M S. The lights. The colors. The sounds. THE PONIES! Entranced by its sheer loveliness Eiko almost missed the fact that there were the people she was here to meet.

"MR. GRUMP-I-MEAN CLOUDLY!"

Aerith had scooted over to make room for Zack naturally, and gave Tifa's hand a tiny squeeze of reassurance for the situation. Everything would be fine. She had watched over them in death and she certainly wouldn't let anything happen to them in life. After her hand was released, she opted to let it fall back to her side before she smiled. "Mm, it's a strange place to meet up but at least Zack came here with his shirt on," Aerith chimed in playfully.

When a second familiar voice echoed within her ears, she tipped her head off to one side and returned the owner's smile just as kindly. Tentative or not it was a smile that he had promised and a smile that he delivered. The change, though a slight one, was more than welcome. She had been about ready to both speak and extend a hand to him when a new arrival, an adorable younger girl, caused her to pause in mid-action and laugh.

Cloudly.

He always was a magnet for eccentric nicknames.

Listening to the girl's conversation quietly (an amazing fact in itself, that's for sure) the man simply grinned towards Tifa's comment, but soon was childishly pouting while tugging very lightly on a strand of Aerith's hair, “'Course I came with my shirt on!” The first words being spoken not exactly what he had in mind, but it would do for now.

Though as Zack was about to say more, a familiar face arrived – well, more like he spotted the blond hair first, then his eyes, and then him as a whole. There was a pause before a wide grin broke out over his face as fingers released their hold on the flower bearer's hair, a foot stepping out to land on the ground with a soft 'thud' to accompany it. Just as soon as he was about to speak once again, a younger girl seemed to shout out Cloud's name before he even got the chance to.

Really, you'd think he'd be able to get in more than a few words by now! But Zack was surprisingly quiet... that is, until he found himself walking towards the blond, shouting a rather loud “SPIKE!” with his hands in the air before nabbing him into a giant hug. Yeah, that smile definitely meant: 'come give me a big hug or else'; it always did! At least in Zack's mind.

After a small twirl once around he sat the blond back on the ground, grinning rather ridiculously as one hand landed on his head to ruffle blond spikes. Yeah, he really did miss the kid or, rather, young adult now.

But Zack took a moment to look down at the previously heard voice – a young girl, apparently – with a smile, bending down slightly to try and make eye contact with her, “Why hello there, Eiko!” He already knew who she was. Didn't take a rocket scientist to know, after all.

Should two men embrace each other in front of this carousel, which looked slightly to...what's the word? Childish? Be taken as strange? Most indefinitely. Eiko made the connection that 'Spike!' was what Zack called Cloudly then again; 'Cloudly' wasn't exactly the man's correct name either. Emerald eyes stared at the hugging men and now twirling duo almost second guessing herself if these were indeed the people that she were to meet.

"They're...freaks..." she thought her face going slightly pale and her wings drooping from the scene. "And I'll be traveling with these kinds of people? ...I'm sure Grandpa and Mog would tell me not to worry...but my GOD."

Peeling her eyes from the frightening display of friendship before she looked for what would be Tifa. Spotting her next to another woman dressed in pink, Eiko reconsidered dubbing them freaks. Well, at least the female party. They looked normal enough.

Upon hearing a voice from above call to her, Eiko looked up too see Zack who was slowly becoming, Mr. Luvs n' Tugs. "Hello there yourself, Zack! You know Cloudly too?" Eiko's voice rang as she swung her arms behind her back and swayed from side to side.

Nothing could have adequately prepared Cloud for the embrace (or, more accurately, "Zack hug") that enveloped him upon his arrival. It was silly of him not to have expected it, though, considering this was, after all, Zack. Finding himself incapable of controlling the mad grin that was threatening to take over his face, Cloud decided to put off reprimanding Zack for ruining his hair in favor of taking in the sight of him.

He was as robust as ever, exuding that same persistent aura of sheer well-being, which often proved dangerously contagious. Radiant, Cloud liked to think. And he was as good with the children as he'd always been, it seemed. Eiko looked eager enough as Zack beamed down on her.

Seeing him now, Cloud realized that regardless of everything he'd gone through or how much he claimed to have matured, around Zack, he'd always be the same awkward, starry-eyed adolescent boy who'd once aspired, with all the hope in the world, to become a Soldier.

Leave it to Zack to make Cloud feel like a kid again. It was a good feeling, though. Like he was safe, at last, and that everything would be okay. It was childish, he knew, but it felt right.

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