You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body [Active/semi-closed]

[noliektinyspace]

Characters: Cloud Strife, Eve, Rushuna Tendo, anyone else at the clinic, but please ask first?
Content: After a series of unsavoury events, a certain little spiky-haired blonde is in need of some motivational speaking.
Location: 70 Irving Place
Time of day: Afternoon
Warnings: Allusions to torture, horror, and blood.

Comments

[ihaveasmile]

It was in the middle of this that Rushuna Tendo walked, her expression drooping a little in concern at the pain she saw on his face. It was written so clearly...the armor she felt over the network was stronger in person.

"Cloud-chan? I'm Rushuna Tendo. Did you like our conversation?" was her greeting, accompanied with a warm smile. Cloud looked like he really needed it. A lot of people did.

Person by person, bit by bit...this city will change!

That's what she believed, even at that moment. It wouldn't come quickly...but she'd help bring it about, for sure!

[resonant_eve]

“Is Cloud gonna be ok?” a tiny voice from behind piped up.

Following Rushuna as she wandered toward the room Cloud was in, her step a lot heavier and than that of the blonde woman’s, Eve stopped in her tracks to read the expression partially hidden by long blonde hair.

She hadn't been avoiding this. Really, she hadn't. It was just - so many people had said he needed time to rest. The last thing she felt like doing was going to see if Cloud if he didn’t want to see her. She hadn’t slept at all last night. Kind of just wandered around the clinic like a ghost wondering when he would say it was ok for her to see him. But he hadn’t. So there they were one at the threshold of the room, one laying in a hospital bed both in need of comfort, neither seemingly, with any to offer.

Eve pursed a lip, adopting a look of desperation as her feelings caught up with her thoughts. She tugged at Rushuna’s shirt, hoping to get the woman’s attention.

“Does he want to see me yet?”

[noliektinyspace]

He looked up quickly at the sudden voice, confused and bewildered for a few moments before he relaxed, recognizing the woman he'd spoken to from over the journals. Though she seemed nice and caring enough, he remained firmly on his guard, watching her movements with one eye of full-vision. Turning his head to the side some, to attempt to hide the burn marks his gaze lowered to the ground once more, a small sound of uncertainty moaning out quietly. But he still nodded gently in response, just to be polite.

Then another voice, and his heart dropped into his gut.

Eve.Pulling the sheets up a bit more, he tried desperately to hide the wounds, even though the majourity of them had already been bandaged. He didn't want to worry her anymore than she had been, though the marks on his face and neck, the paleness, and the overall utterly exhausted look were things that couldn't be helped. He wasn't happy, to put it mildly. But... what could he do? How could he keep the younger girl from sounding so upset, so worried? That had never been his

[ihaveasmile]

Behind her smile, Rushuna knew the truth. Cloud was hurting...but he didn't want to deny Eve. He was covering himself in more armor, trying to be tough...it was a sad thing for her to see.

Of course, to strip him of that armor, she had to be close.

"It's alright, Eve-chan. Let's go in," she said, leading Eve in by the hand. Sitting on a chair next to the hurting boy, she kept her smile up. Step 2 of the Ultimate Strategy, after all!

"Cloud-chan...it's okay. We're here to make sure you understand that you aren't alone. You have wonderful friends, and if you take off your armor, I'm sure you'll understand them like they understand you."

[the89th_letter]

Aeris stepped carefully into the clinic, and looked around for Cloud. She knew he was a patient there, but she wasn't sure exactly where he would be. Entering quietly, she paused in the doorway, just looking at him. She almost stepped back for a moment, not expecting the rush of emotion. He looked so much like Zack, she even felt a familiarity of Zack about him that...it was almost disturbing. Walking towards him carefully, she said his name softly, not wanting to disturb him. "Cloud?"

[noliektinyspace]

He didn't reply at first, hadn't expected this flood of visitors to arrive and, personally, was a bit wary of the fact. He laid on his back by now, clutching the stuffed lion in the crook of his arm, and gazed at the tiled ceiling in deep thought.

He... wasn't sure if he wanted to discuss home. Not if everything he knew was a lie.

He looked away slightly, expression one of some hurt and a bit of regret.

Not gonna take him.

Not gonna die.

"...hello."

[the89th_letter]

Aeris stepped a little closer, and looked for a chair or something to sit on. "I'm Aeris," she said, as a way of greeting. She saw the lion he was holding, and smiled softly. She wasn't sure what else to say, and felt that maybe talking about home would be awkward right off the bat. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was familiar though, so much like Zack.

[noliektinyspace]

Sitting up was a pain, but he managed it, little by little. He could feel the wounds threatening to open back up, to bleed out again as he almost did down there, in his prison. Not important. Forget it, forget it all. Not the point.

Holding himself up on pale, shaking arms, the stuffed lion lazily tumbling to the side, he refused to meet her gaze. It was just... anything could happen. She could attack him, too...

"What... did you want to... to talk about?" He asked quietly, speech soft and broken.

[angeliquerebel]

It hadn't taken her long to find the clinic, Rinoa had supposed to go anyway when she had first asked to visit and she hadn't, next thing she had knew it was that he had disappeared, while she was curious to ask about that she wasn’t going to do it right on, that and she was also going kind of blindly while looking for him since she had no idea how he looked like.

Carefully walked inside a random room, stopping in the doorway in case she was in the wrong one, if that was the case so she could apologize and leave "Hmm...Cloud?" Well she hoped that maybe he could at least recognize her voice since that's the only thing they knew about each other.

[noliektinyspace]

Another visitor... he sure was popular today, wasn't he?

The more he moved and talked, the easier it became to accomplish the mundane. Though it still hurt to actually remain active, he was determined to keep going. To be strong for both Aya and Eve. To protect them at all costs.

So... he would be ready this time, if anyone tried anything. Nothing bad so far, but... best not to get his hopes up.

"I'm here." He answered quietly, still sitting up in bed.

[angeliquerebel]

Well at least she was in the right place; Rinoa hesitated for a few seconds before she finally decided to approach him, rather carefully so she wouldn't startle him or something "I'm Rinoa, we spoke once, remember?"

She hoped that he did at least that will make things a bit easier for her, she stopped and carefully looked at him, she winced a bit when she noticed just how bad he looked and she felt the itch to try to help him in some way but decided it wasn't the best thing to do at the moment.

[noliektinyspace]

He nodded quietly, wrapping his arms around his legs tighter in a sense of nervousness and uneasiness. So many new people wanting to meet him, and... he wasn't sure who was going to knock him out and bag him again. While he would have never admitted it, the thought was a little frightening, and he would make sure to defend himself at all costs. That wasn't going to be happening again. Never again.

"Hello." He replied softly, glancing up for a brief moment before looking back down. Huh... this woman actually looked a little like Tifa. That was... somewhat reassuring. He still needed to see her, didn't he? But... something inside of him was simply saying 'no'. "I'm... sorry. I didn't come to visit earlier. I was... tied up with other things."