Comments | silver_arcadia: Day 2: Later Afternoon, starting at 4pm, spanning into the evening

arcadia_central in silver_arcadia

Day 2: Later Afternoon, starting at 4pm, spanning into the evening

Sep 04, 2007 09:15

Who: Everyone except the exploration team, which has left by this point.
Where: Central Square
What: Following from uSUC's invite.
Rating: G
Warnings: TBA ( Read more... )

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wolfsstrife September 4 2007, 19:35:54 UTC

Really, he had known it all along. He hadn't had his cell in the first place - he had lost it some time before or after Vincent saved him from Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo - but he had hoped that he would find it. The small edge of hope he was clinging to would have been considerably widened had he found a way to contact... any of the others. He had no proof that they were there, after all.

And if no one else was here...

He pushed the thought down, knowing it wasn't safe to entertain at that moment. Ok. So if the electronic way of finding people was out, he'd have to do it the traditional way. That was, he'd have to actually look.

A thin smile touched his lips when he walked away from the street he had stuck himself in. Would Tifa be proud of him, for actually moving, instead of just dilly-dallying? It had been quite a big temptation simply to head out of the City. He'd seen hide nor hair of any living creature, let alone one he knew or cared about. But he had to look, because then there was a chance that he could find someone. A hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he walked, and eventually he came to a most unusual sight.

It... well, it looked like a Garden Party. He narrowed his eyes. Was he dreaming, or had he really just sunk into blissful insanity? He doubted either. Both would surely have taken away the sense of confusion and hovering loss.

Almost reluctantly, he began to walk towards it.

arcadia_central September 6 2007, 04:13:02 UTC

Annnnd, uSUC, ever present, ever omniscient, ever annoying, popped up with a cheerful: "Welcome to Arcadia!" from a screen right beside Cloud's left ear, and promptly showered him with streamers.

Oh, he had a weapon. Oh, touchy. uSUC would have to speak to him in private about that later - he must have sneaked through Customs. But right now, uSUC deemed it undiplomatic to shade the arrival with such administrative matters. Besides, it wasn't in a position to take that weapon by force if the newcomer should run. "Have a journal!" It spat a small, handheld console at him. "And an orange! And could I have a name for registration?"

wolfsstrife September 7 2007, 12:12:11 UTC

Cloud spun around at the voice, ready to swing his sword out of the sheathe at a moment's notice. He was, however, blinded at that moment as a very light purple streamer landed across his eyes. With a gasp of surprise (causing a pink one to fall into his mouth), he reached up to wrench it and the others away.

He barely had time to think about the face he could see on a screen nearby his standing point before he scrambled to catch the journal system that had been spat out at him. The orange, however, bounced off his chest and rolled against the wall. That caused Cloud to blink. Streamers. Handheld computers. Oranges.

Either he had slipped into some form of insanity (again), or he had slipped into this place's answer to the Gold Saucer. In all honesty, he didn't know which was worse.

"Cloud." He said, having no reason to lie and every reason to get his name out there. "Where am I? And are there many people here?" Granted, there were a few at this party, but none he had recognised in his quick sweep of the place before this... computer accosted him with fruit, paper and computers.

arcadia_central September 10 2007, 04:30:00 UTC

uSUC formulated a face on screen that all but beamed at Cloud. This user seemed very similar to one registered as 'Strife' in the database, but uSUC did not pay that any heed. It wasn't programmed to be naturally curious, or to formulate lines of reasoning.

"This is the central square of Arcadia." uSUC also failed to note irony in the fact that the square was round. "And you are just in time! I was going to provide a detailed explanation for all users as to the location of Arcadia. I understand that a number of you have concerns."

"We have, at the moment, 35 registered users. I would not know if you consider that 'many'. A large number of them are here, however. While waiting, perhaps you might like to mingle? And do try the sandwiches!" uSUC's tone was vaguely reminiscient of a proud parent.

wolfsstrife September 11 2007, 14:12:26 UTC

... Huh. Co-incidental, was it? Nevertheless, he was faintly glad to hear that some things would be cleared up. He needed clarity right now, and it was hard in coming. It wasn't as good as, say, Aerith telling him everything would be all right, but...

"Thirty-five?" His heart beat quickly in his chest. Even looking around, that would be more than enough to house his friends. "Do you know a Tifa? Denzel? Marlene?" He paused, and then sighed. "...Sephiroth?"

If the computer couldn't answer that, then Cloud would hopefully use the little handheld that the was holding. It wasn't his phone, but he could try and get something out there. He'd need to, after all.

arcadia_central September 12 2007, 02:42:19 UTC

uSUC beeped. This was inevitably disappointing, because it never had the users requested in its database. "Unfortunately, I do not have any users registered under those names. But we are receiving new users everyday, and if you hang around a while, they may turn up."

It was the least consolation it could offer. Besides oranges. And so it got HB to wander over with a plate of them.

>) secondhand_sky September 14 2007, 16:10:53 UTC

....

........

...............

.......oh.

So that explained the odd feeling he'd been getting.

Since the Sephiroth battle had ended inconclusively and there was not much point in stalking someone who wasn't his Sephiroth, Strife had meandered in this direction and taken up his self-appointed post of Wallflower, observing while remaining unobserved himself. At least until something began buzzing in his nerves. Here he'd started to think that the cucumber sandwiches were poisoned against Nobodies.

There was no reason to move. Yet. He eyed his Other, half-heartedly considering retreat before the human noticed. But it didn't matter. Strife could not be re-absorbed. Cloud's subconscious had cast him out for both of their benefits.

O:! wolfsstrife September 20 2007, 15:28:13 UTC

Cloud had expected it, but he still couldn't begin to imagine just how crushing that information was. No Tifa. No Denzel. His... yes, his family. They were gone. He couldn't help them. He had failed them. Again. Even if he had the phone... what was the point of even having the handheld?

Dilly dally...

Unless the Computer simply didn't know that they were there. Unless this was simply some scheme to confuse him further. Unless, of course, the others were here, and Tifa, Denzel, Marlene - unless they were just coming.

He ignored the computer as he scanned the crowds, eyes ablaze with a deep, burning need. He had to see a familiar face. He needed to see someone he knew. The light glinting from Barret's gun-arm. The high, chirpy voice of Yuffie. The course red of Red XIII's fur. The ragged edge of Vincent's cloak -

There.

He almost didn't believe it. His eyes travelled along the cloak, hoping beyond all hopes to see the matted black tangle of hair...

... and his mouth promptly fell right open.

He was staring at himself.

secondhand_sky September 21 2007, 03:43:44 UTC

Not just the cloak. He had the gold claw and the demon wing and the grim brooding expression, too.

So much for remaining unnoticed.

Strife was almost nearly preeeetty much one hundred percent sure that the original Cloud posed no danger to him, at least in terms of re-fusing, but there was still some warning instinct clamoring at him to withdraw. He didn't really know that he wouldn't vanish in a flash of light if his Other touched him, or willed himself whole, or ...something.

Cloud was staring. Strife stared right back, unwilling to back down first. He supposed it would be a shock, seeing your mirror image, especially if Cloud didn't remember or didn't understand what had happened on the day he'd created both Strife and the Heartless Sephiroth.

He lifted his head in challenge and let the body language speak for him.

Well?

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