here's where the fun begins [OPEN]

[dualstance]

Who: Everyone, bitties and caretakers!
What: kiddie shenanigans
Where: an open park
When: 13 November
Warnings: enough cute to give you cavities

[ In a world where almost anything you imagine about comes to life, it's like a little kid's dream come true. And considering a kid's strong sense of make believe, almost anything could appear out

Comments

The let's-all-go-put-ribbons-in-Cloud's-hair thread

[not_puppet]

[Instead of a bench, Cloud's sitting cross-legged on the sand at the edge of the playground. His sword's lying flat on the ground nearby. Kiddies are free to go take a closer look but Cloud's going to be very careful about not letting anyone, especially a kiddie touch it.

In his hair, was one ribbon tied haphazardly around one spiked bunch of hair. If you're a kiddie, feel free to tie more on. Fellow adults, go ahead and point and laugh. Cloud won't say a word, though his face will look like it's stuck on a half-embarrassed, half-resigned look.]

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth doesn't think the playground is very entertaining. It's juvenile. He is also not paying attention to Cloud's hair.

Instead, he is playing with the Materia he found in the apartment where he woke up, hopping and teleporting from place to place, casting practice Fire and Ice spells.

He dreamed up a sword and armlet for himself, of course.]

[not_puppet]

[Cloud knew that growing up with Hojo is going to leave any kid odd, but he also thinks Sephiroth can try a little more.

Then again, he also knew that he himself wasn't the best person to advise kids on how to play with other kids, considering his own childhood.]

Leave it to you to start dreaming up weapons and materia right off. [Sigh]

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth stops instantly and turns toward Cloud.]

I discovered the Materia in the apartment. [He'd removed it from his older self's armlet and Masamune.] I dreamed up the sword. The one in the apartment was incorrectly balanced for me.

I am training. [He announces this brightly; he's not allowed to do these things on his own in the lab.]

[not_puppet]

[Another sigh.] The one in your apartment was meant for a stronger and taller person.

I would've thought Hojo would have you doing rote exercises with swords all day and you would want to do something else instead.

[pinnaculum]

I am aware of that fact. [He knows all about swords, his tone seems to suggest. He frowns at the mention of the professor.] I am not allowed to train as I wish or when I wish, unsupervised, or to use Materia as I wish. Your description of Science Research Division's procedures is inaccurate.

[He remembers playing make believe with his strange, new friend. It had been enjoyable, though he had not enjoyed being called a pony.] I will be a SOLDIER, like Genesis. You can follow my orders.

[not_puppet]

[Cloud almost rolls his eyes. Almost.] Never mind. They do have the right idea not to let you run around unsupervised with sharp objects and destructive materia.

And no, we're not playing SOLDIER. [Cloud's distaste to Sephiroth giving him orders can be heard from his tone.]

Put that...stuff...away. I have something else, something different for you.

[pinnaculum]

I would not injure myself, any others, or any property, and I have not done so. [Maybe this is not entirely true, but that was on purpose, and it was just a park bench, and he fixed it afterward, and nobody even noticed. He just wanted to show Prototype 0 what he could do.]

[Cloud is not any fun. He doesn't get to play SOLDIER in the lab, either. The professor does not allow it.] I will play SOLDIER with Genesis later. [Genesis is fun. Well, Sephiroth will be polite. He sheathes his sword at once and sobers, putting on his obedient, blank lab face.]

What would you like me to do?

[not_puppet]

Uh uh. [No, Cloud doesn't believe you. No kid who plays with materia can resist blowing something up at least once. Cloud includes himself in that list.]

You do that. He'll be more used to taking orders from you. [Cloud holds out his hands, and dreams up an almost-ready-to-hatch chocobo egg.] If I give you this, will you take good care of it?

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth nods. Well, he has blown things up in the past. But he didn't here. He used his sword on the bench. He only made an earthquake and cracked up the ground with the Materia, which is an entirely different matter.]

Yes, Genesis likes it.

[He examines the egg carefully and just as soberly, his eyes widening slightly with interest. Of course, he knows what it is. However, he's never allowed to play with any animals, though he does sneak in to play with other experiments sometimes, much to all the researchers' annoyance. He nods again.] I will take care of it.

[not_puppet]

Good for him. [Cloud means that in the most positive way; if Genesis is playing SOLDIER with Cloud, he can refuse to do so completely guilt free.]

I'll take your word for it. But I WILL take it back if I find that you're not, understand? Here. [Cloud holds out the egg for Sephiroth to take.]

Be careful not to crush it.

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth takes the egg very, very carefully and holds it gently.]

I would not mistreat it. [Sephiroth looks and sounds offended by the very idea that he would damage it. He smiles down at the egg in his hands (not at Cloud). Then, still holding it with great caution, he rests his head against the egg, listening to it, his eyes brightening and widening again.]

When will it hatch?

[not_puppet]

[That was cute. Really really cute. Even Cloud couldn't help think that.]

Soon. The shell's really thin now, so the chicklet should have no problem getting out when the time comes. You can feel it moving already, see?

[pinnaculum]

I can feel it.

[Sephiroth nods, then, forgetting about his sword and Materia, instantly sits down with the egg, wrapping his arms around it and curling his body to better protect it.]

I must keep it warm until it hatches. Once it emerges, it will imprint on me and believe me to be its parent. [He seems pleased by this prospect.]

[not_puppet]

[You almost made Cloud facepalm at that last declaration.]

I see that your obsession with mothers started early. At least this is relatively harmless.

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth looks up at him quizzically.]

As a male parent, I would be a father.

I am familiar with chocobo behavior. They are very intelligent, and sometimes fathers take care of the eggs when the mothers are unable to. Professor Gast once wrote a treatise on the subject. [And Professor Gast is cool. Even though Sephiroth is not allowed to read anything he's written, but Cloud doesn't know that.] I have no parents.