001: watch for me by moonlight

[findmyownreason]

[The road, if it can be called a road, is narrow.  So narrow that it would be hard to walk along it facing forward instead of sideways.  To both sides there's a drop off that seems to go down forever, layers of shadows and tendrils of mist that float disturbingly deep in that darkness.  Mountains rise on either side, catching the moonlight and

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[waterfell]

[She loves it.

The feeling of speed, the feeling of freedom. She can let herself go, she can be carried and swept away the way she's always wanted to. Ami shakes her head, as if the wind running through her hair isn't enough.

After a few seconds of letting herself bask in the sensation, she opens her eyes and her voice is firm.]

Just who are you?

[And for that matter, an explanation of how she's come to be clinging on to his waist lest she fall, would be appreciated.]

What are you doing? [A kidnap?]

[findmyownreason]

[he's aware the moment he's joined by someone else on Fenrir and he can tell it's a woman by the body pressed up against his back. He doesn't think, immediately, to wonder who she is or why she's there though. She's his delivery and it's his job to see her safely to her destination. That she doesn't talk right away doesn't seem strange. Just... comfortable. He's comfortable with silence and she seems that way too. He leans low into a curve, body pulling hers down with him naturally thanks to the arms around his waist. The wind rushes past and the stars overhead don't move in their icy sky.

Her question though has him slipping a glance over his shoulder at her from the corner of one blue eye before he focuses on the narrow road ahead again.]

Cloud. I'm taking you to the drop point.

[waterfell]

[Cloud. In all the people she's met over so many different worlds, she's never met his alternates. Never known him. Why, then...?

It doesn't matter. Drop point? That's right; she has a package to deliver. The dream puts it into place in her mind. She nods, resulting in a slight nudge of her chin against Cloud's back.]

Get me there quickly. Even faster.

[This is entirely for her own sake, for the thrill of the speed.]

[findmyownreason]

[he feels the brush of her chin, knows it's a nod and his own chin dips in imitation. Verifying that he understands. Her words however have his teeth showing and, if there's a bit of wolfishness to the movement, it's all right. He thinks it won't scare her. Ahead the narrow road straightens out and the gravel turns to packed soil. He can feel the pound of the pleasure of speed for speed's sake in his own veins and he leans low into the body of the beast he rides. Fenrir's engine roars to a higher pitch and there's a moment of stillness as it seems to gather itself.]

...hold on -

[and then there's an impact so strong it's almost a punch in the chest except it's not physical. The giant bike surges forward like a bullet fired from a gun and the world melts into streaks of gray and silver and black as it cuts through the wind itself.]

[waterfell]

[The moment of impact makes Ami cough once as she tries to get her bearings afterward - still on the bike, still moving forward, still unharmed; it wasn't an accident, it was acceleration.

Then it's her turn for her grin to widen, the spark in her eyes to deepen. She lets out a laugh, loud enough to hear even over the engine in this close proximity.]

So you know how to ride after all!

[findmyownreason]

[he lets out a grunt of his own and it just might be stifling another, more amused sound as it comes. The sound of laughter, her laughter, has his own lips relaxing and shifting upward and it's like a bird winging next to them for him, free and forever able to soar.

There's not a lot of free laughter in his life and his soul feels the patter of a woman's laugh like water on parched ground.

The bike kicks up another notch in it's impossible speed, racing flat out now, in response to her challenge and the wind tears past like icy claws on the exposed skin, wild and feral. His voice is just as quiet and calm as ever though, even if that might just be a hint of dryness to it as he says:]

A little.

[and the bike plunges suddenly downward as the road shifts under it, Fenrir roaring forward into the dark like a monster made of the wind itself, treaded tires griping the road and leaving it torn in its wake as it races time itself.]

[waterfell]

[She's used to the heightened thrill of mad victory, the pride of taunting an opponent; but this laughter of simple pleasure is a rarity for her. Maybe that makes it precious - until they wake up and she learns she's been thwarted. Freedom belongs to the world of dreams.

But there's always a challenge:]

Even more!

[This would have been unimaginable a few years ago, the timid girl she used to be who would never have gotten up the courage to tell Cloud what she wanted, the girl who probably would have been so shocked at her arrival here that she'd have fallen right off.]

More and more. I want to go everywhere!

[findmyownreason]

[it's impossible for him to resist her enthusiasm... or a challenge - like that and Fenrir kicks up that one last impossible notch he only ever takes when the way ahead is smooth as glass and the air's cool enough for the heat of the engine. Even the wind can't keep up with that and there's only the press of the air itself to prove they're still grounded, still moving. The world goes to nothing but blur and he narrows his eyes against it, mako vision letting him pick out the secondary details he needs to keep the bike hurling forward. He doesn't realize it but his lips are back, teeth bared and he's actually grinning like a madman himself, her cheering egging him on

[waterfell]

[Oh there's only one answer to that.]

Monsters.

[It feels so good to let loose and fight when it's a battle she'll have no regrets over. As soon as they're closer, she'll probably transform; she's never quite as cautious in dreams, this girl who wants to live openly as her full self who can do amazing things.]

[findmyownreason]

[there's probably too many teeth in his responding smile but they're too fast and too far for him to remember to hid that kind of thing. Instead the massive bike plunges downward, the ground dropping out from under it as it dives forward into the night. Ahead the trees are barren and brambled and full of shadows and broken shapes but all Cloud feels is the surge of pleasure that comes from the anticipation of a good fight.

Fenrir's side compartments come open and he slides out the main section of his sword before triggering the closure so the sides go sleek and seamless again. In the starlight, the pale metal of the giant sword glints and the trees rush closer.]

[waterfell]

[Her sword is out immediately after his is. It glimmers in the nighttime, like shiny black ice - it is ice, made from an icicle and imbued with her power when she first went to the Darkness.]

Don't get in my way, alright?

[But the voice is baiting rather than stern; humor lurks in its depths.]

[findmyownreason]

[his response is a grunt, but, again, that grunt might be hiding laughter. He's used to fighting with companions and he's gotten good at moving instinctively. Once he gets the feel of fighting with her he'll be able to match her movements without having to think about it. He straightens on the bike and the speed drops enough to not simply tear them through anything that might jump in front of them. He also switches his sword to the hand opposite hers, comfortable using it either way and not wanting to get in the way of her swings. He also settles himself deeper into the seat, thighs tightening and finding their spots. Fenrir responds to hip movement when necessary, leaving his hands free for fighting and he raises his sword across in front of him, ready for the first charge as they power into the trees down that long straight path.

It's all the monsters need to attack.]

[waterfell]

[The first monsters, the closest ones, taste her sword. She turns out to be skilled at using it, though she lacks brute strength.

Then it turns out she doesn't transform after all. She simply lets the attack go.]

Dark Mirage!

[Globes of snapping, explosive water shoot everywhere, seeking out the monsters, chasing them if they try to evade it. The ones caught are trapped inside the globes, frozen, and shattered when the globes break.]

okay - the clip's facial expressions - I laughed

[findmyownreason]

[he uses the power from the swings of his blade to flow with Fenrir's movements, the bike responsive to his every move as he guides it with his hips, leaving both hands free. He's very aware of his rider on the back, careful to keep Fenrir from any sudden jerks that would throw either her or her balance off

poor enemy never had a chance D: hilariously, it's also mistaken identity XD

[waterfell]

[They're perfectly matched in that: She wants the thrill of victory, of strength. She wants to test herself, and she wants to defeat her enemy. And right now?

Those monsters are her enemy. It has nothing to do with protecting, but she's decided she doesn't plan to leave them to wreak havoc or attack the people.]

There's no one who'll match me. ['Not bad', indeed.]

that's awesome XD

[findmyownreason]

[the monsters keep coming, intent on swamping the bike but Cloud doesn't feel any worry about that happening. He's come a long way in the few years since he finally woke up and killing monsters - it might not be what he was born to do but he's damn good at it all the same. His companion's proud words don't bother him. When you're good at something there's no reason to lie about it. And she's certainly not bragging because he's never seen anyone wield ice that competently - or dramatically. It makes the edges of his lips twitch upward and he almost wishes he'd equipped his own Fire materia just to show off a little too. Except he didn't and his sword works just fine. Fenrir loops and whirls in response to the attacks, anticipating where they'll try to strike and shifting so it's riders are ready to meet them before they even have a chance to land. his single work signals both his pleasure in his fighting partner and his approval.]

Good.