schmisse | ❄️ prismatica

[ without prelude or explanation, Weiss receives a photo message. ]

sup. your sister needs to go shopping

What did you do?!

what why would you immediately assume this is my fault

rude

This isn't funny, Qrow!

hey i'm not kidding, your sister really does need to go shopping

She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Thank you.

you sure about that kiddo? it's like her second day and she almost got herself arrested

[ for some reason. ]

And I'm pretty sure that's your doing, too.

this is slander. she attacked first.

It's not slander. Based on what I know of you? I'd say it's accurate. My sister wouldn't "attack first" unless provoked, too!

she attacked an unarmed man, Weiss

a shirtless, unarmed man

Was it you?

i don't see how that's relevant information for you to have

So it was you.

look i think any shirtless time i spend with your sister should stay between me and her, don't you

Then don't text me these things! Disgusting.

now that's just mean. she looks fine in that picture

That's not what I meant and you know it!

Good day, Weiss! I hope you are doing well! I would have sent a text message but admittedly this technology still confuses me...

[Either way-]

We have not conversed in a while so I wanted to make sure you were alright!

You also have fat fingers, so any text you send would be something no one will be able to understand.

[ Weiss' humour strikes again!! :) ]

True, the devices are far too small for me!

[Goes over his head, really.]

I did learn what ah, emojis are, as it were. Those tiny little faces and hearts and such! They're adorable!

Please don't spam me with them.

I would never! I would just use enough to show how close our friendship is!

It would be a lot, but it would be worth it! You deserve it!

God... You're so weird.

[Well, there's a face Kerra's happy to see. She's moving down the street on her strange looking contraption, zipping between traffic with relative ease when she spots Weiss. Doing a hard turn's easy, and she pulls up along with the sidewalk, waving.]

Hey stranger. Want a lift?

[ Okay, that is neat. It's floating! Weiss hasn't seen a ride like that before. ]

Oh, hi, Kerra. [ She can't help the smile that crosses her face. ] I'm not sure what to call your bike... thing? It looks nice.

[ Definitely something Yang would fawn over. ]

A hoverbike.

{Yeah, it is what it says on the tin.]

Hop on?

A hoverbike, right. [ She laughs before nodding. ] I'm just about to head home. Take me there?

[ She's trying to climb the thing, anyway... help her!! ]

Sure. Anything for you, beautiful.

[Kerra slides a hand out, taking Weiss's and helping haul her into the seat.]

Grab hold, and we'll head that way. Scenic route okay?

That sounds good.

[ Once she's on and comfortably seated, she holds onto Kerra's shoulders. ]

Just don't go too fast.

I won't go too fast.

[By her definition of it.

Once Weiss is settled, she revs the engine and takes off at a fairly sedate pace.]

So! What has you out and about today, Weiss?

hey!!!! if u got this msg then u have a pet (or know someone with one or wanna see em)
ur invited to a cool pet thing tomorrow!!
its at the beach
pls reply with ur preferred name

[Note: You can definitely tell this is an automated message, for the most part.]

Aquarius is 11th place in luck today.
The solution is a puppy cafe. I've located one.

Are you telling me to go to a puppy cafe by myself, or are you going to make sure nothing bad happens to me along the way?

Neither, you can take care of yourself.
I'm hungry.

You're such a caring friend.

[ They're friends!!! ]

I haven't had lunch. Where is it?

It's nearer your building than mine. I'll head over there, I know my way around.

[ He's there like every Monday to help Eichi with a sports massage. Maybe one of these days he'll get Weiss a coffee or something on his way, though he doesn't know what time she wants to wake up. ]

Tell me when you're nearby so I can meet you at the entrance.

ETA 8 mins

[ That's not a lot of time. Weiss needs to get out of her house dress to put on something to wear for outside. Then she has to powder her face and fix her hair?? She's not leaving until she's presentable enough.

Midorima's gonna have to wait an extra four minutes. ]

[ Midorima may not have the same routines as Weiss, but he understands that certain things need to be done properly before you can go out. There may be a time in the future when Weiss has to wait on him. So he'll deal with it.

But he is going to knock on her door regardless. Like. Let him in at least, don't make him stand outside. ]

[ Weiss' hair is down when she opens the door. She looks a little rushed, not because of Midorima being at her doorstep, but because she only had eight minutes!! She's past the time now, but she's still rushing anyway. She doesn't like being late... though there have been instances of being late because of her teammates back in school. (They still don't look good on her record!

Not that that matters now.) ]

Sit down and make yourself at home. Just give me a minute.

[ She says this very quickly before rushing back into the bathroom.

The RWBY apartment is messy in some corners and organised in others. All in all, it's a pretty normal-looking apartment, mostly because Weiss makes sure that everything is neat and orderly. It's the bedroom that's crazy-looking, but the only other room aside from the bathroom is closed. Don't snoop inside, Midorima. ]

[ Despite the fact that it's Midorima's fault that she's rushed and stressed about being late, Midorima attributes it to her luck today. Clearly this is Aquarius's luck's fault.

He nods and goes to sit down, preferrably in one of the cleaner spots. He's not going to explore anything, he doesn't know who else lives here. He assumes someone does because he. He can't see Weiss being this messy...

..He'll need to ask her about that when she's done. She isn't this messy right?

Also she looks nice with her hair down, but he doesn't comment on it. Instead, he simply takes out his device to check some messages while he waits for her. When she comes back out, he asks. ]

Do you have a roommate?

[ Her usual hairpin is back up once she's out a few minutes later. She's powdered up and has added a little colour to her face, which she thinks is nice. It's not necessarily for Midorima, but she wouldn't want him to think that she's an ugly slob. (Weiss' standards...) ]

Yeah, there's four of us here. Ruby, Yang, and Blake live here too, but they're not here right now.

They're my teammates from school.

[ She's already explained what Beacon was like and is like now, so she doesn't explain what the teams are for now. ]

That makes sense.

[ Weiss definitely isn't the slob here. She puts so much effort into her appearance even though she looked fine when he walked in for the brief couple of seconds before she ran off. He stands up now at least and goes to hold the door open for her.

Whatever his lucky item is, it's not visible right now, so it doesn't look like he's carrying anything other than his usual bag. ]

Is Tenshouin charging you that much to live in this building?

[ That she has to live with three other people... He knows this is a nicer building than the ones that are free but he doesn't know how much it costs. ]

There's just the dumb kiss tax.

[ She rolls her eyes as she says it. She hates the stupid kiss tax!!! It's so embarrassing!!! ]

And they're my teammates. I'm not leaving them.

[ Blake and Yang might... move out though. She's not really sure about that yet, but it seems like they might.

She waits for him to step out of the door before locking it from the outside. ]

I was the first one here, too. This apartment is technically mine.

"Kiss tax"?

[ What on earth

That sounds like the exact kind of weird garbage Tenshouin would come up with

...Has Midorima been paying taxes on this building with two residents???

He follows her out and waits for her to lock the door. ]

I've never lived with my team before. Aoba and I both have poor natural luck, so we assist each other with that, but before that I lived with my family in a real house. Four people is a lot for an apartment.

When someone new comes in, they have to kiss all of us.

[ It's ridiculous, is what it is. ~~I still don't know if Eichi's removed the kiss tax from Weiss yet aldjalfakd~~ ]

My sister lives elsewhere. It would be nice to stay with her, but we've lived separately for a long time already, so there isn't much change.

[ She presses on the elevator and waits 'til it opens so they can go down. Midorima can lead the way afterwards. ]

How many people live here?

[ That's ridiculous, he agrees. ]

That's probably for the best, considering what behavior this world lends itself to.

More than twenty, I think. I stopped caring. [ ... At least she's honest. ] There are some people whom I haven't met yet, but that's how many people we have in the group chat.

[ She waves her device at him casually to show her point. ]

My sister was looking for moonlacing partners before. I'm not really sure how successful that was, nor do I want to think about it. [ If anything, she looks disgusted at the prospect. It's difficult to be supportive when it comes to something like that. ] I really don't like this place sometimes.

Why does your building have a group chat?

[ Everything about this building is weird and it gets weirder the more he learns about it. ]

It seems unnecessary. Anything that's going to happen will happen without selling yourself to strangers. It's disappointing to know that wisdom isn't genetic.

[ That.. was a weird backward compliment to Weiss for being wise about moonlacing. ]

[ Aren't you glad you don't live here, Midorima? ]

When there were just a few of us here, it was a good way to keep in touch and get to know people. We even had a small gathering at the rooftop during our first month here.

[ But there have been more people staying! It's not bad, but it's definitely gotten noisy... especially when people are getting kinky. Ugh. ]

Winter is the most intelligent person I know. [ She sounds snappy. Don't insult her sister like that. ] There must have been a good reason she needed a lot of Chroma then... even if she wouldn't tell me what it was for.

[ She folds her arms as soon as they're on the elevator, looking pretty bummed about the whole Winter thing. She doesn't need to whore herself out!!! Then again, Winter's... a lot more cold, a lot more distant compared to Weiss. ]

Someone from my world lives one floor below me and I still don't speak to my neighbors.

[ Well, if Mayuzumi wants to talk to him he knows where he lives. But their first conversation involved having to explain moonblessings to him even though he's Akashi's teammate so why didn't Akashi?? Why is this his job to feed and inform him??

So Midorima isn't exactly seeking his company out. Screw neighbors, he'll ignore all of them. ]

Wisdom and intelligence aren't the same. Regardless, there's nothing to be done if she won't tell you and it's none of my business.

[ That's both her family and her family's sex life okay, he's not butting into it. ]

Have you been to a puppy cafe before?

[ Of course Midorima wouldn't speak to his neighbours... ]

You don't speak to a lot of people in general.

[ Don't think she hasn't noticed that when they're at the theater!! And it's totally not because she's seeking him out or anything. Him keeping to himself is just very noticeable!

She's decided not to continue the conversation about Winter. It's not the best topic! It's almost as if she's gossiping about her sister, and that's not something she would ever do. ]

I went to a cat cafe once to try their coffee. I only stayed in the food area, though. I didn't play with the cats.

[ They're not cute enough for her... ]

I speak to the people I find worth speaking to.

[ Midorima takes a step ahead of Weiss just to direct her in the correct direction before falling back in step with her. ]

You like coffee over tea, don't you? [ She seems like the type, somehow. ]

If I had to choose, then I'd choose coffee, yes. I drink tea sometimes, though.

[ But for putting all-nighters, staying awake, and for breakfast? It's coffee. It goes well with apple cinnamon buns, too. ]

Why do you ask?

Curiosity. I prefer tea.

[ green tea, specifically. ]

What kind? My teammate likes tea. There might be some good blends she can recommend.

[ Well, she'll ask Blake to recommend her some and then she'd tell Midorima, anyway. ]

I like green.

[ just green

fuck off with your earl grays and your chais and your rooibos ]

[ Why is Midorima so green... it's as if that's his favourite colour or something... ]

Oh. That's not the kind of tea we usually drink. [ Blake does like black tea better. (I wonder why.) ] I'll still ask her, anyway.

[ Look when your middle school team is all color-coded it becomes an easy way to differentiate whose shit is whose. It's easy to figure out so he leans toward green things.

Though in case of tastes, most of his things he likes aren't green. He just happens to like traditional Japanese flavors more than anything. ]

I'll share good ones I find here as well.

[ Going back to where they're going, Weiss has to ask— ]

What's your lucky item for the day?

A point card. I have a number of them in my wallet.

[ He already went and signed up for like three additional rewards programs this morning, using his grocery store point card as the base to get him there. He's loaded up on luck, they're just not visible. ]

Cancer is in second as well, so I don't need to have it out as long as it's with me.

[ So he's really just taking Weiss to a puppy cafe. And it's the last day of Iris, it's not like he can even excuse it as Cordis behavior... ]

Edited 2019-09-21 21:48 (UTC)

[ Midorima's very hungry. That's totally a good and passable excuse to go to a puppy cafe and invite someone to go with him. ]

At least you can take it easy for the day.

[ Weiss may have adopted the whole lucky items thing thanks to Midorima, but it's only because she wants to do better. It's not because she has the shittiest luck in the world.

Having said that, a kid zooms by on a bicycle and almost knocks Weiss over. Good thing there's a green tower next to her that she clings onto so she doesn't fall down! ]

Hey!

[ Midorima's instinct isn't to catch her-- but she catches herself, which gives him a second to register what happened and reach over to steady her at least. He narrows his eyes at the biker. ~~Why is this such a familiar scenario?? Though Momoi just hit the ground tbh so maybe not that familiar..~~ Unless someone starts screaming about a purse snatching, he's going to focus on Weiss. ]

Are you alright?

[ At least the person this time is probably ten-years old and not a thief!! ]

I'm fine. That kid didn't even stop to say sorry!

[ The nerve! She'd chase them down if she could, if she were pettier. Weiss has some chill now. ]

You haven't dropped anything?

[ Midorima isn't the violent type so it isn't his inclination to do anything himself about it. But there's also not really a way to report irresponsible biking.. ]

I didn't, don't worry.

[ That's when she realises she's still holding onto him, so she lets go a little slowly. ]

Sorry.

It's better than hitting the floor.

[ He doesn't think she needs to apologize for that. He's more worried about her than focused on her holding onto him until she apologizes.. and by that point it's a little late to get properly embarrassed. ]

The cafe is just around this corner.

[ She only apologised because she knows he can get really anal about his personal space! She's the same. . . and she'd want an apology if someone clung to her like that. It's not exactly convenient.

She stays quiet until she sees the sign. The cafe doesn't look like a regular cafe from the get-go, since it has paw prints everywhere it looks like a dog house. There are some dogs on the window, and seeing them gets Weiss excited. ]

Oh my god! Look at them! Come on! [ HURRY UP!!!!! She'll just pull at his wrist so they can get there quicker and start playing with the dogs. She hasn't had lunch yet but the dogs are more important. ]

[ He did not expect this reaction. While it was a good one, he's never been pulled. And he almost reflexively plans himself to the ground until she stops pulling him. He'll walk as soon as she stops askjgdhaksdg ]

[ A party pooper!! ]

Hurry up!

[ She at least lets go. She gets it, but she's also going to leave him behind at this rate!! ]

[ He comes along perfectly normally as soon as she lets go. He doesn't like being tugged ~~even if it's cute~~ ]

You like dogs a lot.

[ Just a statement of fact as he goes to open the door for her. ]

They're really cute, that's why.

[ A server welcomes them and Weiss signals a table for two. There's a separate area for playing with dogs and another area for eating. Looks like you can't do both at the same time!

She isn't normally this excitable. Ruby's gotten to her... ]

I imagine this helps them gain socialization skills to improve their chance of being adopted.

[ He's not adopting one, but it's a good thought. He can't imagine they just own all the dogs here...

Midorima heads to their table and accepts a menu once they're seated. ]

Are you saying no one owns them?

[ Why haven't all these cutiepies been adopted yet. . . That's really sad... ]

There's a lot of them!

I don't know, but it would be a good means for it.

[ He imagines it would do more good to socialize more dogs and get them adopted than to have a set team. Though it would probably be easiest to have a set team... depends on the owners, he supposes. He goes to the back of the menu where they usually have a little blurb about the restaurant or whatever... Ah, here it is. He holds it out for Weiss to look at it.

They're all adoptable, but there are four who live here permanently who care for the young pups and help them socialize in a relaxed environment. ]

There.

[ She goes to read the blurb carefully and silently, then she turns back to look at the other side of the cafe where the dogs are. Ah... she wants to adopt one. . . but Blake wouldn't like that. She already didn't like it when Weiss took care of Naga for a few days. ]

Okay. I'm going to take lots of pictures and upload them so more people can know about this place. [ She's determined!! Midorima's going to be in those pictures, too. ]

I'm sure they'll appreciate the media exposure.

[ Weiss surely either has or is soon to have a following as the musical lead, after all. That will help adopt the dogs. He takes his menu back to actually pick out some food though, and doesn't consider that she's going to make him her unwitting model.. ]

[ The food they have available looks yummy based on the pictures, but they're also pretty expensive compared to other restaurants. Maybe it's because of the dogs. Weiss will just have to budget her remaining Chroma later on. She wants to enjoy today!

She ends up ordering a salad (what's new) and a vanilla milkshake. Something light and something sinful! She just wants something cold to drink, really. ]

It says we can buy treats for the dogs, too. I guess we can order for them later once we're done eating.

Agreed. I don't want to sit here with a bunch of dog treats next to my food.

[ They're probably human grade but he wants room on the table to shuffle stuff around and keep it neat.. For his dish, Midorima settles on an egg salad sandwich, requesting that they use Japanese mayonnaise and put half an egg in the middle. He wants it Japanese style, not western style... They don't seem to have Japanese mayonnaise though, they have Lunatian mayo, and he doesn't know what's actually in it to tell them how to make it so he says he'll try it anyway.

And a fruit cup. ]

[ If that fruit cup has blueberries in it, she's going to steal some. ]

I thought you were hungry?

[ Midorima's mentioned he doesn't eat much, but what if the sandwich is really small?? ]

This is plenty.

[ He's ordering a sandwich, not a finger sandwich. It should be fine?? Especially with a fruit cup too! And a tea, he adds, when she asks if they want anything to drink. ]

If you say so.

[ Well, he knows himself better. She's just never met a guy who eats so little, is all. Not a bad thing, though! ]

You can have some of my salad if you want to try it.

What's in it?

[ He just heard salad, he doesn't know the names of the salads and their inredients. ]

Salmon, avocado, and other greens.

[ It sounded good from the description! ]

I'll taste it.

[ Nothing sounds awful from the sounds of it. So many salads are so sweet nowadays he doesn't get it?? ]

[ Their food gets served fairly quickly. It's not like they ordered something grilled or anything!

Weiss is looking at Midorima's fruit cup expectantly. Give her a strawberry? ]

Say what you want.

[ He'll give it to her but he can't read her mind which one she wants????? Tell him. he can see her staring and pining for fruit. ]

The apples and strawberries.

[ :)!!!! thank you, Midorima!!! She even pushes her bowl closer to him so he can put some there. ]

[ He gives her a couple of each. ]

Shouldn't "Snow White" be careful about apples?

[ Not that anything really matches except the name meaning. But he's just making conversation. ]

Wataru called me that before, too. She's another character from fairy tale, isn't she?

[ Does Midorima think she's the "fairest in the land" :) :): ) ]

Yes, she accepts food from strangers and becomes poisoned because of it.

[ He's great at summaries. ]

[ WATARU DON'T CALL HER THAT THEN??? ]

Oh. I really should hear the whole story some time.

I'll let you know if I find a copy of it.

[ People always ignore all the parts of the story that aren't the cutest and most obvious!! ]

It was a poisoned apple. [ To fill in the blank about his comment, at least. ]

[ She takes a bite from the apple slice. She's not going to let this stop her!! ]

Wataru described her as "a maiden of perfectly pristine quality, but with an inner warmth that radiates to the world". Is that what you think of me, too?

In the original Brothers Grimm story, she and the man she married a day after meeting him force her step mother to dance herself to death in red-hot iron shoes as penance for being her abuser. She also spoke to wild animals and served men by cleaning up after them and making them food. I would agree with an assessment that you have inner warmth, but I don't find it to be a real comparison beyond the name.

[ The Disney one is much cuter... but that would involve Midorima admitting he watched the Disney version!! ]

[ Midorima doesn't make anything cute, huh... and here she was, innocently just wanting a compliment or two. ]

Your fairy tales are weird.

[ But, whatever. It's not like the stories from Remnant are any better once you know the truth. ]

Someone said my name means "white snow" in their language. I only learned about it here.

They aren't my fairy tales, they simply are what they are. That's why I brought it up, the original German name is Schneeweißchen.

[ Oha Asa always gives Midorima cute stuff. Western fairy tales are popular even in Japan. ]

My country's fairy tales are rather different.

What's your favourite fairy tale?

[ Tell her a story!! It's good lunch conversation. ]

Visu the Woodsman and the Old Priest. It's a story about a man who never prays and only works, meets a priest who tells him that he needs to pray and argues that if he doesn't work, his family will starve. The priest frightens him with stories of the consequences of not praying, such as being reincarnated as awful things, and Visu chooses to do nothing but pray. His crops wither and his family starts to starve. His wife speaks up against him to tell him he needs to work and he tells her off and leaves. He gets caught watching two kitsune disguised as women play a game on the mountain and when he returns, three hundred years have passed because the gods chose to punish him by trapping him in a trance for his family to die out around him because he chose fear over hard work, and thus lost what was important to him.

[ The moral is that you need to work hard and not rely solely on outside powers to take care of things for you, even if you choose to believe. You must do both. Of course Midorima likes it. ]

Edited 2019-10-10 00:28 (UTC)

[ What is she even supposed to think of this story? Her initial reaction is that it's dumb, but she goes back to why it's dumb in the first place. The man keeps working, then he gave all that up and started praying without doing anything. Okay, so maybe it's not the story that's dumb? The ending is a little disturbing and she can't believe that's a story parents tell their kids, but... ]

The man is dumb.

[ ?!?!??! ]

Yes, that's the point. A man who chooses fear over hard work and those important to him is doomed to lose them. If you choose to believe in something, you still have to put the effort in.

[ The man is really dumb. That's a summary, there's even a whole scene where an old lady yells at him for being a neglectful dumbass in the story. ]

[ She bites her lower lip so she doesn't let out what she considers is a boisterous laugh. In the end, a soft amused huff escapes her. ]

That sounds like somebody I know.

Obviously, that's why I like it.

[ not even denying it............. ]

I didn't say it was you.

[ Even though he's who she means!! ]

You didn't have to.

[ He can read between the lines!! ]

[ She was hoping for a better reaction, but what he says makes her laugh, anyway. ]

What if I wasn't actually talking about you?

Then I'd question why you were thinking about then while discussing my favorite story with me.

[ He doesn't mean that to sound like why is she thinking about someone else, but thats what it sounds like. Either way, he's finishing up his sandwich now so he can't respond for a moment. ]

Edited 2019-10-15 03:14 (UTC)

[ The salad is pretty easy to finish too, but she shares a couple of leaves, transferring them to Midorima's plate before finishing. They're done almost at the same time. ]

Do you have pets?

No. I'm not home long enough for it to be fair to an animal.

[ He likes to keep busy.. He can't leave an animal home alone, even if he has a roommate since he doesn't know Aoba's schedule all the time. ]

[ Yeah... that's kind of the same issue Weiss has, too. ]

You know, I've never heard of cat cafes and puppy cafes in Atlas. I'm glad there's such a thing here. It's fun being able to spend time with dogs, especially.

[ god, they're so cute. Weiss looks ready to get going to the other side now 'u' ]

[ ... He can tell she wants to go ahead. ]

I'll clean up, so go ahead.

[ She does want to, but she won't. ]

I'll wait.

[ She doesn't want to just ditch him like that?? She knows Midorima would leave her if he wanted to and if he were in her shoes now, but waiting just feels like the right thing to do. ]

[ Why is she trying to watch him clean up after her?? He gives her a brow-furrowed look, but cleans up anyway, and comes back over with a handy wipe for Weiss and himself. They don't want people getting germs on the animals anymore than they want people leaving without washing after getting doglicked. very important. ]

Clean first, then we can greet the animals.

[ She's clean!! Her hands are clean, but the wipe helps, so once her hands are even cleaner, she gets up and waits for Midorima to get up, too. ]

We can probably order the snack for the dogs now, then have it served on the other side.

[ Even so, it's important to be on the safe side with animals!

Either way, he goes to the counter to order a couple of treat cups, then holds one out to Weiss and heads toward the dog play area ]

[ Once they're there, Weiss immediately sits on the floor and pats the space next to her so Midorima can sit down. Some dogs approach them while some ignore them, and there's even a maltese puppy that's sniffing Midorima's foot. She likes him??? 'u' ]

[ Midorima listens to Weiss, sitting down easily. He watches the little maltese that's approaching, while a golden retriever puppy jumps across his lap to get over to Weiss. The retriever immediately tries to lick her chin, then invade her cup of treats.

Midorima meanwhile offers one of the threats from his cup to the tiny maltese as a peace offering. Welcome, tiny friend. ]

Hey, don't get too excited!

[ With her chin promptly licked and some treats having fallen on her lap, she lifts the puppy and sets him down in front of her. Please take care of the dress...

Weiss doesn't seem to mind though. Any other time, she'd get mad because her dress could pucker, but because it's a puppy, she's completely fine with it. In fact, she's enjoying her new friend's company! Enough that she picks up the fallen treats and starts handing it to the puppy one by one.

She looks over at Midorima whose new friend seems just as calm as he is. They make a good pair. ]

They're all so cute, aren't they?

They're puppies.

[ What is she expecting? Excitement and cute is their state of existence. Though the one who seems to have invaded Midorima's space is very calm. In fact, as it gets closer, he picks it up and holds it closer to his chest. He's careful to make sure that the puppy can jump down to his lap if it needs to, so it knows that it's not being trapped or contained. A puppy that feels safe is a happy puppy. ]

[ Weiss is quick to take out her device to take a snapshot of Midorima and the puppy. It's candid and cute! Weiss certainly seems proud to have gotten a nice picture.

Though this also means that the puppy that's giving her attention is stealing more biscuits. Weiss sets down her device and grabs what's left. ]

You need to behave!

[ He doesn't seem to have noticed yet and is just petting the tiny puppy with his right hand. The maltese seems to be trying to figure out his bandages on his left hand though because it doesn't feel like a hand?? What is this??? ]

It seems like a troublemaker likes you.

[ Another dog comes over at that moment, an elder pomchi who promptly gives the golden retriever's tail a little nip to get its attention. ]

I seem to attract those kinds of people.

[ STARES AT RUBY AND YANG!!!!!!

But she totally doesn't mind. She likes being able to take care of everyone. Sure, it wasn't a role she was willing to undertake before, but she's grown used to it.

Weiss takes some more pictures of the dogs, even giving the new dog a treat since it approaches her easily enough. Then she offers the one with Midorima a treat!

And she is promptly growled at... ah...

Weiss looks pretty heartbroken. ]

I want to feed her.

Try setting the treat down and offer the back of your hand. She may simply want to smell you first.

[ He doesn't know a lot about animals, but he knows that much. They have to decide you're ok first. That's about as far as his knowledge goes though. HE sets the small maltese down on the floor next to Weiss and picks up the retriever so that she can give it fuller attention.]

[ Weiss is definitely not an expert, so she takes Midorima's advice right away. She puts the treat down and offers her hand to the maltese first. It works, because it moves closer to sniff her. She ends up looking at Midorima with a hopeful and excited smile.

Then the puppy sneezes and walks away...

Rude!! ]

No, don't go!

[ A sad and lonely Weiss :(

She'll just get the treat and give it to the other dog instead. ]

[ Ah, he has a thought as he watches this scene. ]

Are you wearing perfume?

[ Maybe the dog is allergic and that's why it doesn't like Weiss.. ]

I put on lotion, but it shouldn't smell like anything.

[ It's no scent!

Oh well. There are two more dogs around!! She'll try to get their attention again by offering treats. ]

Maybe she just likes you better. It's not a big deal.

Edited 2019-10-28 02:42 (UTC)

[ Treats are a dog's best friend, so it isn't hard. the little chihuahua seems to really like Weiss too...

But most importantly, from behind, a husky chow chow that looks like a tiny bear is jumping up to push Weiss's back with its paws. Payyyy attention to it and its tiny woof that is way smaller than its poofy fur!!

Midorima picks the tiny maltese up again, this time trying the ultimate move so that he can play with other dogs and protect the tiny one: he's putting it into his shirt pocket just as a dapple dachshund plods its way over between them, clearly torn on who to pay attention to. They both have treats?? ]

I think we all have people we prefer over others.

[ Maybe this is how he brings up something that's been bothering him. Hm. ]

Edited 2019-10-28 21:23 (UTC)

Look, they like me! [ Weiss being upset over one small dog gets forgotten when she feels paws on her back and when she's pushed forward. It gets her to laugh before she shifts so she's facing Midorima, now accommodating doggies from her front and back for pets and treats and tight hugs once they've received their treat.

One hug from a puppy means the others practically jump on her though. They might be small but they're still a lot. ]

Mi- Midorima, help! [ But she's happy so maybe she doesn't actually need help?! ldkajf IT'S A PUPPY INVASION ]

[ Midorima is miraculously unhelpful.

In fact, her picks up the indecisive weiner dog and adds it to the pile on Weiss. Just who is he helping? ]

Don't!

[ But she's smiling, so yes??? She has three dogs on her- four now- and she's pretty sure she's going to stumble backwards so she grabs onto Midorima's sleeve. ]

Lie down.

[ Let them puppy pile, Weiss, don't hang on him.. ]

What? No.

[ It's not comfortable to lay down on the floor? But she gets the idea, so she manoeuvres herself to turn so her back is to his side. ]

Don't move.

[ Because she's gonna lower herself a little and lean on him so puppies can pile on her. :) ]

[ Well. He'll accept his fate, he supposes. He pushes up his glasses as this happens.

All of Kaijo would probably shit their pants at how cute this is and how lucky Midorima is to have a girl like this on him. ]

[ She's gonna look up at him and lift a pup so that the pup can lick Midorima on the nose. Enjoy that :) ]

[ why!! He makes a face, but doesn't move at least so Weiss doesn't have to fall. ]

I don't want to smell dog breathe!

[ NOW HIS NOSE SMELLS LIKE IT!!!! ]

But you wanted this to happen to me? That's pretty mean.

[ She can just shower later. Midorima can get over it. ]

They aren't licking your nose!

[ Just all the rest of her face ]

[ It actually happens as soon as Midorima says it. Is Weiss making a fuss about it, no!! But she does plop a puppy back on the floor. Then another, then another. ]

Okay, I think that's enough for now.

[ But she switches on her camera first to take a picture of them. Hopefully they don't move much... ]

[ They're wiggling a lot and Midorima can see that Weiss wants to take a picture so he picks up dogs and tucks one under each arm. The tiny teacup dog is still in his pocket. They seem to calm down being held like this somehow. Shh, calm puppies. ]

You should be able to take it now.

[ Midorima is going to be in the picture too, then. Say cheese. ]

... Don't look so grumpy. How are people supposed to adopt the puppies if it looks like you're telling them not to?

This is my face.

[ What is he supposed to do, smile.. ]

You'd look cuter if you smiled a little. Come on.

[ She hasn't clicked the shutter yet!!! ]

I'm not going to.

[ He refuses. THe puppies are even licking his chin and he's not budging a muscle!! ]

[ She bites her lower lip and takes a picture. Okay, fine. So it's cute. Maybe this is just for her rather than for everyone to see. ]

Move over so we can take a picture with them.

[ Weiss isn't even gonna wait!! She sits down again next to him so they can take a selfie. ]

[ He doesn't fight it or even look phased about it. At least he looks calm, not grumpy or mad. But he's used to having his photograph taken. Basketball Monthly has done it a few times ~~and like.. j-world and some clothing lines i guess idk~~ Their devices have much less bothersome flashes at least. The puppies give his hands something to do at least, so he won't complain.

Once the picture is taken, he sets the dogs down and takes the little one out of his pocket. The little one seems to have decided to become attached to him though, so it's not going anywhere. ]

Do you want to keep playing with them? I can stay for another half hour or so before I have to go.

[ One of them jumps back on Weiss' lap, but doesn't do anything beyond rest there. Weiss certainly doesn't mind, and even gives the puppy ear scratches. ]

It's okay. I don't want to be here alone. We can go, if you want.

I offered to stay if you want to, it's up to you.

[ He wants Weiss to have fun as long as he can stay!! He's so bad at saying it though. :| ]

Let's stay a little while longer, then. We still have a few treats to give.

[ Maybe ten more minutes... She wants to take more pictures!! ]

Give me your phone.

[ Weiss needs some pictures of herself with the puppies rather than him, ok. ]

[ It's an odd request, but she passes her device to him, anyway. Maybe there's something he's spotted that could make a good picture? She doesn't know, but it's his for the taking... and using. She doesn't care. ]

[ he dumps his treats in her lap so she gets swarmed by puppies

he'll take a picture of this. ]

[ No!! Not the puppy overload faksdhg she wasn't prepared!!! But... she looks like she's enjoying having multiple puppies jump on her lap, though. So much that she has to lift two to hold up because she could fall on her back otherwise. ]

You sabo- [ Now she got nose-licked again!! ] You sabotaged me!

Prepare for everything and sabotage is impossible.

[ He says, as if he isn't just taking photos of her getting gently mauled by tiny good doggos. ]

[ Rude!! She's going to lift one of the puppies she's holding close to his face. Enjoy that kiss on the cheek via puppy, Midorin. ]

[ Huff!

He just huffs and takes it!!

In other words, he too is not as against this cute as he claims.. ]

[ Once all the treats have been devoured, Weiss pushes herself up so she can dust off her skirt. Some puppies try to jump up and bark at her to get her attention, and she does lean down again to give them each a pat on the head. ]

Shall we go?

Yes, I think it's time.

[ This was nice. 'u' It doesn't show on his face, but he's stayed this whole time which is proof enough. He brushes his hands off and makes sure to give his little pal dog a pat before they're ready to go. ]

There's a sink over there.

[ Weiss waves at the dogs as she leaves the doggy area. She then proceeds to wash her hands and dry them off on the dryer after. She waits for Midorima after. ]

Thanks for telling me about this place. I think this is going to be a favourite spot from now on.

I suppose it has its charms outside of being a lucky item.

[ He pushes up his glasses. he had fun.. shhh... he washes his hands once she's done with hers and dries them too. ]

I'm pretty sure I'll be having a better day starting now.

[ No more almost getting hit by children or something worse!! It'll be great. Also she got lots of cute pictures?? Midorima's going to be insta-famous. ]

You will.

[ It's her lucky item, of that much he is confident. ]

I'll see you later. You can call me if you want to go again later today to refresh your exposure.

[ He's got other stuff to do now though he just wanted to go with Weiss to a puppy cafe ok. Totally worth it. ]

[ Making his way into the back, he tries looking for Weiss to catch up after the end of the show. She must have been busy with fans or meeting with her fellow actors and the crew. Makes sense, he reasons. ]

Mm?

[ That's when he spots a familiar name on the door he passes by in the hallway. Weiss Schnee
Welp. That'll do it. Rapping his knuckles on the door a couple times, ] You in here, Weiss...? [ The door is ajar upon his knocking. Cocking a brow, he glances around before nudging the door open and calling again. ]

Weiss?

[ Huh... She wasn't here. But the door was open. He'd think that their actors would have either kept the doors closed, or locked them outright. Was he overthinking things? ~~Yes. Stop that, Cloud.~~ Something didn't sit right with him either way.

This is him. Moseying right on into her personal dressing room and shutting the door behind him. Huh. Nothing seems out of place. He suspected that maybe someone snuck in here to steal something. When it's clear that nothing was amiss after all, he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck before looking around the room. He should probably wait outside for her. That or if she doesn't, he could always shoot her a text and be on his way— ]

[ Weiss takes some time to get to her dressing room after the show. She wouldn't say she's popular or anything, but it seems performing in public has captured the hearts of some Prismals that she now has a handful of fans. She can't exactly be a bratty diva at them though, else the show could lose money, so she has to act like she's got everything under control and actually wants those people there with her.

Cloud has to wait about close to ten minutes before Weiss comes into her room with a bunch of flowers and chocolates. It looks like she's about to topple over if someone doesn't help her out??? ]

[ Cloud was idly playing with the teeth on a comb at her counter when he hears the door opening behind him. When he puts it down and looks towards the entrance, he's about to greet her when he realizes that she's practically got a tower of flowers and chocolates in her arms.

Oh that looks precarious. Seconds before disaster can strike, he pushes up on the bunch before it (or her) could fall over, steadying the pile before he lets out a gentle huff. Taking half of the flowers and a couple boxes of chocolates into his own arms, she's met with a trace of a smile. ]

Someone's popular.

[ She's not really sure how to respond to that. On one hand, she likes receiving recognition and attention from people. On the other, she doesn't want die-hard fans to fawn after her the same way Jaune did when they first met. That was really uncomfortable.

The help is appreciated though, and she sets down what's in her arms before addressing everything... as well as the Cloud in the room. ]

Popular enough to get a visitor in my dressing room, apparently.

[ Still, her lips quirk into a smile. She places a hand on her hip and she shifts most of her weight to that side. ]

I'm guessing you watched the show?

[ Luckily for her, it's enough of a jesting remark that she could leave it at that. Back home, the most popular members of SOLDIER got fanclubs of their own. Even Zack got one! When she brings up his being in her dressing room, rather than try and explain himself, he simply shakes his head before putting his hands up after setting his own load down. ]

You got me there.

[ Without even realizing it, while his isn't as apparent as her stance, a hand goes to his own hip while gesturing leisurely with his free hand. ]

Yeah. Never been to a musical before. [ A beat. ] You did great.

Your first - seriously?

[ Honestly, it's a little hard to believe. Maybe it's the difference in their backgrounds, but it definitely hasn't sinked in to Weiss yet that not everyone gets a good education on the arts and music and culture. ]

Mm. [ Nods. ] Nibelheim was a bit too backwater for anything like that.

[ Right. Country boy. There was that time at the Gold Saucer during a date with Aerith. But he hardly counts that. Definitely nothing musical about that. ]

I see.

[ She won't say anything, then. . . She'll keep her thoughts to herself! ]

I'm glad your first time was a good experience.

I'm glad I got to see it.

[ His gaze drifts to the piles of appreciative gifts her fans bestowed upon her, a subtle little hum heard behind sealed lips before he turns back to her. ]

You plan on taking all of this home?

I am. I mean, I can't just leave these here.

[ This is also the first time she's getting this kind of treatment! She wants to revel in it. ]

[ Well good news. The treatment doesn't stop there. ]

Let me help. Last thing we need is flowers and chocolate sent flying.

Is that why you're here?

[ In her dressing room, specifically, she means. ]

It's not like you foresaw I'd have so much things to take home with me.

Oh.

[ He rubs the back of his neck. ]

The door was open. No one was around so I was just... [ Checking to see if anyone had snuck in and stolen anything. But it dawns on him that he’s the one who “snuck in”. ]

Mm. [ To the point, Cloud. ] I thought I’d catch you after the show.

[ He didn't have to take it seriously... ]

I'd appreciate the help. Thank you.

That settles that.

[ He’ll learn to quit overthinking. ...eventually. He’s gotten better! ~~she knows how to pick ‘em.~~

Cloud should probably let her get changed. But it hasn’t crossed his mind yet as the rack of dresses and other costumes catches his eye. ]

Are you an actress back home, too?

Far from it. I'm a Huntress.

[ Huntress-in-Training, but!! Cloud doesn't have to know that bit. ]

Long story short, we're kind of trying to save the world?

[ She's not sure either. It's all so confusing, but she'll follow Ruby wherever she goes. Beyond Ruby being her partner, she's a friend and found family. ]

I just like singing. I've been doing it since I was a child.

[ Since Cloud's offering help though, maybe she shouldn't keep him waiting long. She decides to get dressed and get ready to leave, though for that... ]

Can you wait outside? I'll need to get changed.

Oh, same here, [ is Cloud's response to her remark on trying to save the world. ...then again, he's technically already saved the world twice now. ]

Mm?

[ Oh. That gets his cheeks to darken a little. Comfortable as they've become around one another, that didn't mean courtesy had to go flying out the window. ]

Right. I'll be right outside. You uh- [ -need anything, just holler? Nah. It's cool. Be cool, Cloud. He half smiles as he passes her by on the way out. ] Seeya in a sec.

[ Wow, he's a dork.

Weiss waits 'til he's outside before she turns to start undressing. She doesn't get very far though, because while she can reach the zipper on her back, it gets stuck midway down and she can't exactly force it open unless she wants to destroy her costume.

Uh-oh.

She's unsure of what to do at first, but a few minutes later, she peeks out of her room. The door opens just a smidge so she can pop her head out. ]

Cloud, my dress is stuck...

[ And no, that's not a line to help her get out of her dress even though that's what she wants, in the practical, non-sexy way alskalfjs ]

[ And in this time frame of a few minutes, Cloud was left leaning against the wall by her doorway. If anyone passes by? He nonchalantly nods. Yup. Just hanging out, waiting for Weiss. Probably thinking about what he wants to get from the green markets after.

Oh that's right, they've got a 25% off sale starting tomorrow on-- ]

? [ --hold that thought. Cloud notices the door squeaking open just a smidgen. At first he cracks one eye open. ...then the second one when he realizes it's Weiss poking her head out. Her dress was stuck. There's a multitude of ways that a dress can get stuck. Unfortunately (fortunately for her??), he knows most of them.

Chancing one glance over his shoulder, seeing that the coast was clear, Cloud sighs, closing what little gap there was between them to slip back into the dressing room. ]

Here. Lemme see.

[ Her face is red when she turns to show him her back. Part of it is exposed already, pale and bare, while the bottom half is still covered by the thick layers of her costume. Her hair is tied to the side, so there shouldn't be any in the way if he tries to pull the zipper down.

She's right though, the dress is down because part of the inner lining's gotten stuck in the zipper. Cloud's going to have to delicately untangle the fabric first before pulling down the zipper completely. ]

I'n glad you're here, [ she says it calmly enough to hide the fact that she's nervous as hell now. She doesn't like asking for help much, but beyond that, a guy is helping her get out of her dress!!! That's embarrassing!! ]

[ If it were any other circumstance, he may have teased her for being so flustered. But any notion of that flies out the window when she exposes her back to him. It's a brief flash in his head, remembering all too well how she looked that night. And it's his turn to turn red as he steps in behind her. He makes to reach up for the snag to get a closer look, but pauses when he realizes that he's still wearing his gloves.

Yeah those...would have to go. Especially since he wouldn't be able to really feel the zipper through leather. He quickly peels off his gloves. Though she wouldn't be able to see it yet, a mysterious set of red symbols marked the back of his hand. Something that wasn't there before. But with those out of the way and tucked into his pockets, he can get to work! ]

Wouldn't want you...ripping... [ Don't mind him. He's just now realizing that there's no straps. Or the back of a bra. ...there is no bra. ...he locked the door, right? Oh boy. While this wasn't his first time getting someone ~~himself~~ out of a dress, the fact it's Weiss leads him to getting just as nervous as she was. He swallows, and takes a collective breath, taking the little nub of the zipper in his grip. He gives a little test tug. It doesn't budge. ]

Ah. There.

[ Cloud's hands slip into the back of her dress, his body so close to hers as he eyes the fabric that's been entangled on the inside. But that also has those strong hands of his gently running along her back, brushing against her as he carefully works. ]

'Kay, then... The other side...pull the zipper up and...

[ His voice softens, barely above a whisper behind her as the slow, gentle contact starts to make his hands feel warm. It's unintentional, but he's finding himself relaxing more as Chroma flows through him. Whoops. ]

Ah— [ The touch is surprising. The room is cold and Cloud's hand is warm, and she almost jumps when she feels his skin against hers.

She swallows thickly and tells herself not to turn around. He'd be able to see from her reflection just how flushed she looks, and if Cordis' effects took place right now, there would be feathers falling from her hair from sheer nervousness.

Somehow, each second feels like an hour.

When she feels him pull the zipper up once everything's fine, she reaches for his hands from behind. She's not sure if he's fixed the problem, but she's going to try and guide his hands downwards and not upwards because she thinks the zipper's fine already. ]

[ He can feel the fleeting tense from his touch. Her skin was cooler, but not by much. Cloud only chances one look from her back to the mirror, though that only comes when he hears the thicker swallow as she stays put for him. Luckily for both of them, he doesn't let his gaze linger for long, his own cheeks turning flush. Honestly, if this was happening beneath either cycle or when all three moons were in play?

Things would have been much harder to keep as slow and considerate as they were now. ...so he muses to himself, like they hadn't already made out without Cordis or Sanguis. And neither's light were involved now; which means the hands that work deftly without that edge of feral desire was purely Cloud. Was he nervous? Of course he was. But that wasn't going to stop him from fixing something as simple as a snagged zipper on a dress, dammit!

That is, until he feels her hands reach for his, trying to get him to pull down. It surprises him; having her as close as she is, ~~it would take nothing to pull her against him~~ he resists for only a moment. ]

Wait, hang on. I still gotta see if I--

[ --...got it. Cloud wasn't really putting any strength into his pull, which makes it very easy for Weiss to guide his hands down. In one fluid motion, the zipper glides down the rest of the way until it stops at the small of her back. The lace and layers beneath unfold as the back of her dress fans open. There's nothing left to support it around her upper body. ]

Got it.

[ Sorry for stripping you from the top down? At least nothing ripped and he fixed things in time. ... 💦 💦 💦 ]

Oh, sorry—

[ But before she knows it, she's already pulling his hands down and her dress gets looser and looser until the front of her dress becomes way too low and—

God! She's quick to let go of him and fold her arms, tucking them beneath her breasts so the dress doesn't fall off her. It's not like she has curves that the dress would stay on her despite it being unzipped, after all.

She turns to face him immediately and takes a step back. With all her haphazard actions, she barely covers her chest, and much of her pale skin is exposed. This wouldn't be the first time Cloud has seen her skin, but this is still really embarrassing... ]

Thanks.

[ Possibly said a little too cold, but she does mean it. She appreciates that he's helped her out. Again. But at the same time, he's done his job so please leave... ]

[ Cloud also takes this opportunity to step back when she lets go of him. It's clear they've moved past the snag in her outfit, so he's ready to nod and let that be the end of it. But then she turns around to face him, her arms tucked beneath her breasts to hold the dress up as best as she can... ]

...

[ His expression says it all. He doesn't gawk, or start blabbering or shaking his hands vehemently. Cold as her gratitude came off, he sees straight past it. Which might be why he looks a little stunned. Safe to say? This world has made him all too aware of what he likes. Despite this, his gaze doesn't roam, vivid mako-infused blues wide with a sense of wonder.

...?

Oh. Shit. This wasn't the right time or place, huh. The lost expression on his face regains focus as he breaths. And shakes his head. And finally gets embarrassed again as he turns to leave. ]

I'll just be...yeah. No sweat.

[ Cloud half waves over his shoulder to Weiss before leaving her to her privacy so she can change. The only difference from last time?

Is that the second he closes that door, he finds himself leaning against it, head tilting back with a soft bump and sigh. Gonna take some time to get that mental image out of his head. ~~If he ever wanted to anyway.~~ H'okay. For real this time. Waiting! ]

Edited 2019-10-05 00:12 (UTC)

[ Weiss feels a lot more relaxed now that she's alone in the room. She slips out of her dress as soon as soon as she locks the door, rushing a little bit because she doesn't want to keep Cloud waiting that long. Besides, she's a little tired and she wants to get some rest, too.

It's about five minutes later that she's put on her own dress so she can go home. Her hair's braided to the side, the same way her hair was styled when she was on stage. She isn't fixing her hair now, else Cloud would wait a whole lot longer. Once she's done, she slowly opens the door and peeks out to see if he's still there. If he is, she opens the door completely and invites him back in. ]

Okay, I'm ready. We can go.

[ She rocks her heels back and forth when she calls him. She's only a little embarrassed that he's waiting on her... ]

[ Of course he is. When the door opens, he's back to where he was before, leaning against the wall patiently. Cloud didn't have anywhere else to be, feeling content to end the day with a show like that. When she sees him again, he's back to his usual self, not a tinge of embarrassment to be seen. ]

Okay.

[ It doesn't take long for him to neatly stack and organize her presents, creating a pile with the flowers resting on top. Splitting it up, Cloud takes his half of the pile and leaves the top for Weiss.

His was bigger. ]

Let's mosey.

[ Weiss takes what she can carry and walks out the door. Fortunately, there aren't that many left, but it looks like Cloud's a mailman or something and is following the person he works for. No matter, because as they get out of the theatre, the people who end up seeing them together start whispering about "Miss Schnee's 'boytoy'".

It's better than being a mailman...?

(Weiss won't head about this gossip until the following day.) ]

Are you sure you don't have anywhere else to be tonight?

[ Because if he has plans and she's delaying them, then... she's going to push him to leave her. She doesn't want to be an inconvenience. ]

[ Well this is familiar territory for him. Mailman, delivery boy; everything's relevant. Carrying all of this (with ease, mind) reminds him of his old business. Was there even a need for it here? How would he manage Chroma or Demichroma payments? Would having a custom hoverbike help? Questions for later.

The whisperings of being her 'boytoy' slip his ears as well. Fortunately. ~~Sheeh. Can't undo a girl's dress without someone talking, huh?~~ For now, Cloud simply follows behind her as they walk. To her question, he shakes his head (the only thing visible over the stack of chocolates and other gifts.) ]

No. I was just gonna call it a day after seeing your show.

[ So his schedule's all clear. Probably would have sent her a text saying she did a good job and to catch her later. If he did have plans, that is. ]

[ She looks behind her to flash him a smile. Eventually, she slows so they're walking side by side. ]

Thanks for coming.

[ He's not even with anybody! So he really just watched for her? She doesn't want to assume, but it does mean a lot to her. ]

I'll get you a souvenir sometime. Like a pen or a fan or something.

No problem.

[ He returns her smile with a little one of his own when she falls back to his side. Consider it a lucky turn of events. It was true Cloud didn't have any plans for the end of the day. Getting to see Weiss and the troupe perform was just a nice way to top it all off. ...even if the chances of him sticking around would have been less if she wasn't there. ]

Sure. [ He nods. ] I'll take whatever you get. [ Though if he had to pick... ] Can never have too many pens anyway.

How many pens do you have?

[ Are you a collector, Cloud?? Is Weiss going to have to give you a pen with your name on it on Christmas?

She's certainly amused, at least. ]

A few. I've got way more on my desk back home. They still find a way to go missing though...

[ He "blames" Denzel and Marlene (maybe Tifa?) for that. ]

I'll get you two pens, then.

[ She's determined to keep this joke running... ]

[ Rather than some little shrug of his shoulders and an amused huff...

Cloud laughs. It's short lived, but it's still a laugh. ]

So I'll still have some when I lose some?

One for everyday use and one to actually keep as a souvenir.

[ This totally makes sense to her. ]

Then I'll keep a close eye on both.

[ They'd both be too important to let get yoinked. ]

[ Okay, Cloud is officially ridiculous. Weiss laughs a little then shakes her head. ]

Are the boxes too heavy?

[ When she laughs, he simply lets out a gentle sigh of contentment. Then she asks about the boxes he's carrying, and he blinks at the pile that almost reaches over his head. Mulling it over for about half a second, ]

No. They feel pretty light. [ That's only because YOU aren't a regular human anymore, Mr. Skyscraper Chopping SOLDIER boy. ] I'd be more worried about losing my balance if I carried the whole thiing...!

[ And that would be the sight of Cloud stumbling forward after getting the tip of his boot stuck in a little crack in the road. The boxes just about slide forward and out of his arms! Luckily, his reflexes are as sharp as the rest of him, and he rights the pile again as he regains his footing.

Phew. ]

.....

[ Can you give him another box or two to hide the blush on his face? Please? You didn't see that. ]

[ She almost casts a Glyph to keep him in place, but when he's back to standing upright and properly, she decides not to do anything.

But she does stop in her tracks a bit, wondering how to even react to that. ]

None of my chocolates should have a dent on them.

[ She's not serious, but ofc she's gonna do things her own way. ]

Of course. [ A beat. ] Wouldn't wanna compromise the Cordis stash.

[ ...at least, that's what he'd use these for if he got free chocolates and other sweets without having to spend Chroma. ]

How's your pile?

[ Ruby and Yang are going to eat 75% of those chocolates and it won't be during Cordis... ]

Flowery? [ WHAT IS SHE SUPPOSED TO SAY FSADLKHG ] I'm actually not sure what to do with these many flowers.

[ rip. ]

Give some of them away? That worked for me when I had too many.

Probably tomorrow, then.

[ Because it's late and she can't exactly start handing out flowers at this time. That'd be weird. ]

Hey, problem solved.

[ You're welcome. ]

❄ ❄ ❄

[ If it wasn't for how late it was getting and their arms full of chocolates and flowers, Cloud might have suggested a sit down at the café they frequent. Some other time whenever there wasn't much else to do anyway. Even if the blond's schedule was more open compared to hers. ...was a delivery business here practical? There's also the thought of joining the Moon Knights as well. Thoughts to mull over...

Twilight descends as Lunatia comes to life with city lights and other lamp lights illuminating their path back to her apartment complex. It's not that far now. ]

[ Not that far, for sure. And as the DNA Building gets more and more in sight, she figures she should just have the stuff put down in the lobby and she'll ask somebody else to bring them up.

Cloud is more than welcome in her apartment, but she knows if Ruby or Yang see him, they're going to start talking and that's not really something she wants right now. It's nothing against Cloud. ]

I think... I might just have you put everything down in the lobby. I'll bring everything up on my own.

[ She'll try to be secretive with the reason first, though. ]

[ When she suggests him to leave everything in the lobby for her to take up, he lifts a brow. Why make two or three trips when it can all get wrapped up in one? Ah well, he's not all that worried about her reason (or rather he's not thinking of the implications). But he'll still ask, ]

You sure? I don't mind.

[ She can do whatever she wants, he thinks if she insists. ]

I just know Ruby and Yang are going to talk, so...

[ Okay, maybe not secretive, after all. ]

What?

[ 1...2..— ]

Oh. But... [ It's not...like...that(???) Best not argue it, Cloud. So he agrees as they stroll on into the lobby. Huh. It's quite nice. ] Gotcha.

I'll invite you in another time.

[ Plus it's getting pretty late too, so!! ]

It's alright. I should be going anyway.

[ Because it's late!! Cloud gives the lobby a once over before bending over to set his tall pile down on one of the sofa's. ]

Here good? [ Couldn't take the delivery boy completely out of him, apparently. ]

Yes, thank you.

[ She definitely appreciates the help. The company, too! ]

Wouldn't have gotten here without you.

[ Lowkey hinting the zipper incident. ]

[ Instead of saying anything in response to her lowkey hint,

A trace of a knowing smile crosses Cloud's lips as he passes her by. Neither of them had to say anything. ~~Now he'll leave before Ruby and Yang catch wind.~~ ]

Good night.

[ There's a reason why he spends most of his time fighting or sparring during the Sanguis cycle- beyond satisfying that craving that gets his blood burning every time the moon bleeds into his conscience. It serves as a distraction, a mutual means of breaking even on Chroma against other strong opponents. This was all about familiarity- something that he'd actively do, even back home (without the added feral intensity anyway).

Today was different. Very different. Cloud accounted for the exhaustion and drained Chroma upon having his Aura unlocked. The little bit that Raven gave to him was enough to get back on his feet.

What the blond didn't expect? Were these throbbing waves of heat and raw desire that wrack his body. It's the strongest they've ever been during a pure Sanguis moon phase, which leaves him to toss and turn restlessly on his bed. He needs Chroma; simple as that. But what he needs and wants are completely different.

Why was he thinking about her now? He can't get the image of her, half-dressed, out of his head- just how easy it could have been to lock the door, let that costume bunch around her hips, press her up against the mirror and— ]

Tch.

[ He's never done this; reached out to someone to ask for Chroma. But that's not the entire reason. ]

Hey. Are you busy today?

Edited 2019-10-05 01:51 (UTC)

[ Weiss gets a text message when she's already in her dressing room after a show. They're supposed to be on break now, but the show did really well that they've extended. It's not bad - Weiss enjoys it, but she's definitely gotten tired from nightly performances. A break would be nice, and she's looking forward to when they finish showing. ]

Not anymore. Why do you ask?

[ She doesn't really think about what the text means. They don't text each other that often, but it's just a text asking if she's busy or not. She doesn't put much meaning to it and moves on as soon as the response is sent. ]

I'm out of Chroma.

[ "Out of Chroma" vs. "Low on Chroma" were two completely different things, Cloud...

Well, he might as well be upfront about it. Even if that text took a few minutes for him to send. All three moons were at play before. She was under Cordis' influence when she came to him that night, as he was influenced by Sanguis. It's just him now. ...not that he'd ever publicly go to the network asking for Moonlacing partners (even on a simple, platonic level), but he couldn't help feeling it'd be easier than asking someone personally.

But that's not what he wants, is it? Sigh just send the damn text. ]

I need somebody to moonlace with.

[ What exactly did this guy do that he's out of Chroma??? Is he an idiot. The first thing that Weiss feels is worry. When you're out of Chroma, you could end up crystallising. That stuff's not safe! So yes, as a "friend", she's going to make sure that doesn't happen. He doesn't need to tell her that he needs a moonlacing partner now. It comes naturally to her to want to help. ]

Where are you, then? I'll come to you.

[ Of course, she's all for handholding or giving him a kiss or making out. She's not really prepared for anything else beyond that, but she will if it means making sure he's okay. ]

[ Something that he still thinks is worth it. Cloud just didn't account for his fighting spirit to turn off with the sapping of his Chroma. So guess what that leaves him feeling? 😎 ]

I'm back home. Want me to put some coffee or tea on?

[ Cloud's been here long enough, but he also doesn't know what it's going to take to settle him down. ...guess until his Chroma's stabilized, that is. ]

Coffee. Later. Just stay put.

[ It's not like Cloud has the energy to prepare coffee, anyway... at least, that's what Weiss is thinking.

With her direction to tell him to just stay where he is, she figures she has to get there soon. She gets up from the couch and picks up her bag to leave. There's not much else to bring today - the standard bouquet at the end of the production, but she's placed them in a vase. It's just herself she brings to Cloud's place, and it takes her about twenty minutes to get there.

Could Cloud even stand waiting that long? ]

Edited 2019-10-05 05:34 (UTC)

[ Knowing Weiss, she's already on her way. The sigh that leaves his lips when he lowers his bracer has a heated edge to it. He wants this. But it always leaves him wondering...leaves him confused when it comes to the huntress. But rather than let himself linger on those thoughts for long, he makes his way to the kitchen. He reckons about a half hour before she shows up.

As far as he knows, he's alone tonight too. Chuck was God-knows-where (luckily Cloud cleaned the guest space like nothing was amiss,) and his...~~ugh~~...roommate was probably out on the prowl. ]

'Kay...

[ While he waits, Cloud does the opposite of what Weiss tells him and reaches to pull down a couple mugs for coffee later. In hindsight, probably best to listen to the people around him than trying to stubborn his way through everything like he normally did. ]

Mn-! [ CRASH. Too late. He accidentally drops one as it slips from his fingers and cracks into a few fragmented pieces around his feet. Uttering a curse under his breath, he clenches his fists as if that would stay his hands. This wasn't a big deal. He could get by until she got here. Making something as simple as coffee shouldn't be a chore.

Still, he should clean this up before... ]

— — —

[ OKAY. SO. CHANGE OF PLANS. Thinking he'd have the apartment to himself, Cloud gambled and lost. If he had known that Panty was going to actually come back around, he would have asked Weiss to go back to her place or get another room.

But now he's scrambling, dangerously low on Chroma, and thirsting like he's never thirsted before. He wants to be pissed, but he comes off more annoyed than anything. Who knew Cloud had a possessive streak until Sanguis shed some celestial light on it?

And the answer to that question? Yes. He can stand to wait. So long as one didn't mind what waiting did to him. 💦 More pent-up than usual, he steps outside for some fresh air now that the angel's retired to her room. And to wait for Weiss as he contemplates what to do since she was already on her way. But by the time she arrives, and her scent reaches his nose, ]

Weiss...

[ Cloud's lost most of his patience to take this anywhere else. But he is glad to see her. With or without the moon's influence. Speaking of, regardless of what she may say, he's still going to reach out to try and take her hand. And if she lets him do that? Guide her straight back into the apartment and make a beeline straight for his bedroom. ]

[ Didn't she tell him to stay put? Her steps hasten when she sees him outside, but she's not angry, more worried than anything. But before she can say something, he's already pulling her in and whatever thoughts she's had about checking up on him is thrown out the window.

Weiss doesn't like being forced to do something. She doesn't like being pulled or pushed, because she's had enough of that her entire life. Somehow, at this time, with Cloud? It doesn't seem so bad. There's the usual course of panic, of course, but her feet move on their own. ]

Are you okay? [ is the first thing she asks once she's inside. She still looks a little shocked that he just kind of dragged her inside without a word, and maybe a little put-off, but she'll at least wait for an explanation.

This may be the first time she's experiencing somebody influenced by Sanguis. ]

[ On one hand, there's a twinge of guilt he feels for being so assertive with her without much of an explanation in the first place. On the other hand, Cloud could have called for anyone. Sent something out to the network requesting a simple session. His Servant, Marie, would have no doubt leapt to his aid. As would many of his close friends and allies. He didn't even ask Panty. A source of Chroma that's literally a ten second's walk across the apartment. Though...that one was more excusable.

Instead, he called Weiss. Someone that he at least owed an explanation to. At the very least. When they reach his bedroom, it's a lot less barren than the last time the two of them were here. Changed sheets, a couple of fluffier looking pillows, extra furnishings and that musical bird box he obtained from the mysterious shop that passes through town on occasion. It's not playing any music right now.

With the door firmly shut behind them (and locked. No Pantys allowed.) he reluctantly lets go of her hand despite the raw temptation he feels urging him so strongly. ]

Sorry.

[ For grabbing her the way he did. For letting himself get to this point. Even if the latter couldn't be helped. Speaking of... He wouldn't dance around the subject. Not with Weiss. The two of them were ~~dorks~~ reasonable enough- not to mention they've damn well been here long enough. ]

I did something that drained me of all my Chroma. I'm usually good at keeping myself in check when the Sanguis moon is out, but this time...

This time...?

[ Go on, Cloud, she's waiting with an arched brow and pursed lips.

She's never truly gone zero in terms of Chroma reserves, and she's fortunate for it. It's not something she wants to happen to her for sure.

Cloud's let go of her hand, but she takes his again so she can pull him to sit at the edge of his bed and they can both sit down. He's going to need to stay put like she said and not wait outside his apartment!!! ]

[ He blinks with a wider gaze as she immediately takes his hand back to pull him to the edge of the bed. Why was this making him feel so embarrassed? Turns out there's a thing or two he could learn from Weiss sitting at his side. Like how to be more straightforward with what he wanted. Last time she was over, it wasn't like she didn't practically booty call him. But that's because they had unfinished business! And it wasn't bad. Far from it.

He's overthinking things again. Cloud found himself doing that more and more often, especially around somebody he's...frequently...thinking about? Dammit. It's not like some confession or anything. ~~It is. He's put himself on the spot with this damn moon.~~ ]

Sanguis tend to either get more violent or start craving... [ His line of thought stops, realizing he's been saying all of this while looking her in the eye. When did his hand move to her thigh? It's cool to the touch (considering she was just outside), a striking contrast to how warm his hand feels along her skin. A heated sigh escapes his lips. It's not the idea of wanting her that was the problem... ]

If I knew getting an Aura unlocked was gonna make me think of nothing else, I woulda waited.

[ Until after Sanguis, that is. ]

Edited 2019-10-06 00:45 (UTC)

[ Weiss listens and Weiss tries to understand. Her eyes are on him as she does, but when she feels his touch, she's momentarily distracted, blinking a couple of times in succession, before pretending she's not noticing it.

What actually gets her to react, and not in a good way, is him saying his Aura's been unlocked. She's sure Remnant's not the only place with the concept of Aura, so she tries to break this detail he's provided into smaller bits.

If Cloud's had his Aura—a familiar concept—unlocked (also another familiar concept) and it drained all his Chroma, then... maybe it is the one that she knows. Someone from Remnant unlocked his Aura. Ruby knows him, she's not sure about Yang or Blake... but she also isn't sure that either of the three of them know how to unlock Auras. There's Ren. . . No, probably not. There's Qrow—definitely not. Qrow wouldn't do that for anybody. Winter? But why would she leave Cloud without any Chroma? Sun? No, definitely not. She doesn't think he knows how to unlock somebody's Aura, either. ]

Who did it?

[ She looks at him with narrowed eyes. The look she's giving him is almost telling that he's in trouble. Dun dun dun... ]

[ The fact her eyes have zeroed in on him, putting him on the spot even more, has him instinctively swallowing as he looks down at her. There's a tension he can feel crawling up his back. She didn't even need to say it. Cloud's seen that look before. The look of someone about to tell him he did something really stupid. At the time, the prospect of protecting himself and furthering his own power with his soul for the sake of others was promising. He was grateful despite the shocking drain. Judging by the way Weiss' icier blue gaze narrows?

She must know what he's talking about. He knew that Raven was from Remnant too, introduced to her weapon and all. But Aura? Still completely foreign to him until he practically smashed the woman into the earth with the force of his attack. It's basically the equivalent of seeing that cool new toy as a kid, whispering, "i waaant thaaat". He looks confused despite the nagging feeling that what he's about to say will land him in hot water. ]

A woman named Raven. We fought earlier an--

Raven Branwen?!

[ Each syllable is punctuated, not to mention, her voice gets louder each time. She doesn't even let Cloud finish that sentence. As much as she hates Raven for what she's done to Yang and to everyone else she knows, she knows that woman only does things for herself. It's no wonder Cloud has no Chroma, then. ]

You're— You're lucky to even be alive! [ Uh-oh, Cloud. If you don't want Panty to hear any of this, you'd best shut this girl up.

She's quick to stand up, completely disregarding the hand on her thigh. ] Like she would help anyone, especially someone who has no Chroma!

[ Despite her frustrations, though, and despite the fact that she's yelling, she moves so she can wrap her arms around Cloud, pulling him closer for an embrace. Of course, given that he's seated and she's standing, his face ends up resting on her bosom. ]

Idiot.

[ A second or two, then cue muffled commentary with the usual Panty drawl from the direction of her room down the hall: ]

Uh, yeah, he's an idiot. You're only just noticing?!

[ Definitely want to keep it down if you don't want further heckling from the peanut gallery, Weiss. ]

[ "Ra-" wince "-ven" cringe "Bran-" flinch "wen?!" oof. His wolf ears are docked back as well, flattening against his head.

He wishes he could have said he saw this coming. But, well...he honestly didn't. Cloud didn't have the foggiest clue as to much of anyone's connections with one another in her world. Beyond the fact that Sun, Weiss, Ruby, Blake, Winter and...well, most of everyone he knows from Remnant seeming to be cool with one another! It's true that Raven held an air of mystery to her, but... He wasn't expecting her to get this upset. ]

What? What did-

[ He's cut off as she berates him for the fact that he could have died. Was it the act of unlocking his Aura? Or facing off against the former huntress herself? While he did sense both her power and the danger that would come with facing her, he was confident in his own abilities. But far more pressing...

He's never seen Weiss raise her voice before. It almost scares him that what he did got her so worked up. Yelling right now was sure to draw some unwanted attention too, so he attempts to stop her as she stands up, waving his hands at her. ]

Weiss, not so loud, you'll-- ah...?

[ Next thing he knows, he's silenced with a hushed breath that dies in his throat when he feels her arms wrapping around him. And he's being held in an embrace that not only stops his thoughts dead in their tracks, but makes his heart leap a little in his chest. Despite the fact that she was only just yelling at him seconds ago, this overrides everything else he's feeling. His face is pressed flush against her chest, but instead of overreact or get completely flustered, he's left there, quietly asking with a hushed breath. ]

W-Weiss?

[ A wave of guilt washes over him as the name idiot registers softly in his head. He didn't know. Doesn't know. How could he? She's never acted this way around him before. And the air that hangs between them makes it perfectly clear that what he did earlier not only was dangerous, but...it worried her. The last thing he wanted was to make the people he cared about worry about him. Not ever again. ]

I didn't... [ mean to make her worry, he wanted to say as he finds himself resting against her chest. With his heightened Sanguis senses, he can feel her heart beating through her pulse. Makes him all the more aware of the warmth of her body against his. He breaths against her, the contact spurring that urge in his mind. He wants to tell her that he's sorry. He wants to know who this Raven Branwen was. To know both sides of the story.

But right now, just when his arms were about to move up and wrap around her back... "Uh, yeah, he's an idiot. You're only just noticing?!" ]

?!!

[ RECORD SCRATCH.

Yeah, now he's blushing and realizing just how Weiss is holding him and what he's resting on. Great job, Weiss. But more importantly, YOU WERE NOT INVITED, MISS ANARCHY. NOT TO THIS APARTMENT OR THIS CONVERSATION. ]

Shut up, Panty.

[ He mutters with a muffled growl into Weiss' bosom. He's ignoring the roomie down the hall, kthx very much. ]

[ It's a lot all at once. Anger at Raven, worry for Cloud, and surprise at the sudden third person chiming in and joining their conversation. Weiss had no idea there was somebody else in the apartment. Has there been someone else here all along? What about that time Weiss came in here and they were making out on the couch? Was someone else there, too? Oh god.

Her own heart beats quicker than normal, but she takes in a deep breath and exhales to try and calm herself down. She doesn't know what's going on anymore, and she tells herself she has to process this bit by bit. When she speaks, it's a lot softer now, as if her outburst didn't just happen. She's also totally ignoring the voice from the other room. Cloud's not acknowledging her, so she'll do the same.

(Sorry, Panty.) ]

Am I helping?

[ They're in this position now because she wants to give him Chroma, even though what he's just said completely stresses her out. Her priority at this moment is to give Cloud as much Chroma as he needs. The second is to tell him that Raven is bad news. The third is so ask about that girl in the other room and why Cloud isn't moonlacing with her right now when he obviously needs Chroma. ]

[ Explaining his roommate was going to be a brief yet...well, some might find it amusing? She just made herself at home, the two fought it out as Sanguis, and it all boiled down to the larger blond huffing and pulling the equivalent of a pouting "FINE. HMPH." ]

...

[ Was she helping? This feeling was unlike any other time he's received Chroma. It's like droplets of water into a large, empty tank. Echoing, ringing with each pleasant little vibe that comes with having her hold him this way. He breathes soft yet deep of her, something that he only realizes too late was going to make his head spin. Amber, woods, ...flowers? Something fresh that reminds him of winter. Something that would normally be so subtle to one's senses were enhanced significantly to the blond with his Sanguis senses firing on all cylinders.

This was Weiss' scent — without the influence of Cordis' pheromones. It's pure. It's her. And he feels that yearning burn brighter than it did before. When he exhales, it comes off as a long, heated sigh against the exposed skin above her bust. Chroma was addicting. Moonlacing was hard to give up. The first lesson that Weiss taught him when they first met was resonating very strongly with him right now.

The smallest things never felt like they were enough. Left him wanting more. So when he finally answers her, his hands sliding up the backs of her legs as she's still standing while he was sitting, ]

Yeah...

Good. Don't do anything dumb again.

[ She's not really sure how he feels, but even if she's standing and not weak, it feels good for her. It's not every day she moonlaces with people, even if it's just holding them close. She likes the feeling, certainly, but it's not something she'll blatantly ask for even if it's good. As much as she wants Chroma to spend, she also doesn't want to kiss just about anybody. Unless it's Cordis, anyway.

Chroma always leaves someone wanting more. She at least knows that much after moonlacing with the people she's moonlaced with. There have been times she's given into the feeling of pleasure, and even though she wasn't affected by Cordis that night when she made out with Cloud at the party, she knows she would have gone further with him if they had the time. Even if it's just a small amount of Chroma trickling in her system now, her body's reacting to it, wanting more. It's why she takes a step closer, pushing herself against Cloud. Her hands move from his back up to cup his cheeks and make him face her so she can give him a kiss - soft, slow, gentle, meek. She's certainly not averse to the hands on her legs right now. ]

[ This attraction was becoming something verging on dangerous. But he couldn't bring himself to question any of it right now. He doesn't want to think. Not too much anymore, anyway. It's a mantra he subconsciously lived by for most of his life when he needed to act instead of doubt.

'Don't think. Just feel.' ]

...

[ There's something he wants to say. What it is, he can't really fathom right now. But as she cups his cheeks so tenderly, a pleasant little hum and throbbing pleasure flows through his head. He's silenced from saying anything else when she kisses him, his eyes half-lidded as he returns the affection. It's a moment he's in no hurry to have be over anytime soon. He has her. He has what he wants, and he's going to make her feel appreciated for coming to him.

While the heat of their kiss hasn't turned up (not yet), he suppresses a shiver of anticipation having her pushed against him. An idea bleeds into his thoughts, a thought that has him gently sighing against her lips.

Déjà vu as he gently caresses the back of her thighs, pulling her down slowly so she can comfortably perch herself in his lap. Much more room than balancing on a bench in the dark. His arms wrap around her waist as he feels her softer body pressing against his solid front, a stimulating wave of Chroma flowing through him as they make out.

He's ready to play again. No stopping at the seven minute mark this time. ]

[ Cloud doesn't have to say anything. Weiss isn't expecting him to, but she does expect him to do as she says - not do anything dumb again. Based on experience though, when people say that? The other person does more dumb things... Well, whatever. That can be dealt with on another day. Weiss' focus is on getting Cloud's Chroma back to a respectable level.

Okay, so maybe it's split between that and the feeling of their bodies flush together like this.

Okay, so maybe it's more the latter than the former now, because she lets her body follow his lead. It's warm and she likes it, and it doesn't matter now whether or not she's affected by the Cordis moon. The turn of events is her own doing, because she did worry for him and she wants him to be okay. She's providing comfort in one way that she knows how, but she's getting something out of it, too.

Weiss' lips stay where they are, merely moving a millimetre away if only to kiss him again and again. She doesn't pick up the pace because it's not something she considers at this time, but if the way she's following her lead was anything to go by, she'd be fine with whatever he wanted. ]

[ That's how it always started, wasn't it? It's for the Chroma. It's to get it back up to a regular level. Because Moonlacing provided energy that the world of Prismatica needed. But that wasn't so easy to distinguish when they got right down to it. A split of their obligation as Moonblessed and how naturally good it feels to have someone to hold like this. The scales tipping heavier and heavier in the favor of the latter.

It's a slope that only gets steeper with the huntress so neatly settled in his lap as he thinks of the night they first kissed. If this was Weiss' doing, Cloud had every intention of letting her know he was going to follow her lead, and possibly take it at some point tonight. Each little kiss they fleetingly break for feels like steps, the two of them climbing higher and higher with the temperature.

Like every other time he was influenced by Sanguis, his body's heat was hotter than normal. It's like the memory of her pheromones was driving him wilder. Making him grow bolder as the next sigh he gives borders on a moan. Those hands around her hips wouldn't stay idle for very long, one slipping down to slide up the side of her thigh beneath her skirt as the other flirts up her stomach before cupping her soft breast.

He gives a possessive squeeze of her thigh and chest, the next kiss longer than the last as he deepens it with a pass of his tongue. It doesn't get any faster, but there's a hunger that's palpable in the way his body responds to her, begs to have more of her. By the way his hips slowly rub against hers as he brings her down? He's definitely being honest right now. ]

[ While more is welcome, Weiss can't help but let out a moan out of surprise and encouragement. A hand now rests shoulder while the other on his chest, both to touch him and for support. She knows Cloud won't let her fall, but she holds onto him anyway to stay close.

The deep kiss Cloud gives her is reciprocated too. While she may not be feeling that certain craving, he's certainly bringing her to that level ever so slowly. For now, she just wants to be close, to keep kissing him. As if to tell him it's fine to keep going, she lets her tongue roam too, wanting to touch his and taste him in proper.

Weiss had never tried it before, because she hardly ever plays with moonblessings, but her hand moves upwards, flying from his chest to the top of his head. She's said the wolf ears suit him, and she meant it, but she wonders if it would make him feel good if she touched them. . . It's why she's gentle when her fingers touch them, testing if it would do anything. ]

[ Her touch sets off sparks in his head, the hand on his chest giving her a chance to feel the pulse of his heart- something that would have been just a tad difficult if Cloud was wearing his world's attire. Luckily for her, she could get a better feel of him over the thinner t-shirt he's wearing.

He doesn't want to stop. Not for seven minutes. Not for fourteen. Thirty. Hell, Cloud didn't want to even think about the time it'd take. For all he cared, they could take as much or as little time as they wanted. If they were happy with less or yearning for more? It was fine by him. Tasting Weiss' tongue on his, a deepening intimate gesture, sends a hot flush of arousal through his body. He was already showing signs of it earlier, but how could anyone not get hard after feeling so deprived with no Chroma? A stiff bulge twitches against the front of his pants, though he's ignoring it in lieu of how incredible it feels kissing her.

Moonlacing properties only made it even more euphoric for him, sighing a moan of encouragement between every few heavy kiss.

Cloud wanted to pick up where he left off on that bench, his hand rising up her thigh, dangerously close to a familiar heat between her legs when he feels her fingers gently flirting over a wolf ear. There's a brief flicker of surprise in his eyes as his ear flops in response to her touch. I-It's not an erogenous zone or anything! ...he thinks? He just knew that it felt good when someone touched and rubbed them. Rather than draw back and get embarrassed however, he simply sighs through his nose, and lets his voice do the approving for him. ]

Nnnn...

[ With his legs over the edge of the bed, his foot slowly, lightly taps along the hardwood floor. It's a quirk that he picked up when Sanguis was in effect, almost like how a dog behaves- getting scratched in just the right spot. Since she's doing it so gently right now, it's hardly noticeable and he doesn't even realize he's doing it. Though the hand that slid up her thigh may have stopped, his thumb strumming along the warmer flesh, the blond continued to caress her chest slowly as a groan rumbles in his throat.

She found one of his weak spots. ]

[ By now, she's already forgotten about just how pissed she was upon finding out that Raven unlocked his Aura. The information is stored in the back of her mind to be accessed later on. What's getting her to move now and to touch him the way she's doing it is all her - attracted to that sweet, sweet Chroma, attracted to him at this moment.

She almost wants to tell him to get her out of her dress already. Cloud's hands are much bigger and it feels good when he gives her breast a squeeze, but her dress is definitely in the way. She wants to feel him without any hindrance already.

Before she could say anything though, he makes a noise that tells her he likes what she's doing to his ear. It gets her to stop kissing him, but she doesn't pull away completely. ]

I didn't think you'd like it. [ She whispers it to him without letting his ear go. In fact, she's doubling down on the pressure as she lets out a laugh. This is really amusing, okay??? ]

Edited (PRONOUNS... my greatest enemy) 2019-10-07 00:54 (UTC)

[ When she stops kissing him, he almost doesn't register it at first. It's when he feels her breath on a whisper that he becomes all the more aware of what she's exploiting. It's like his brain was tingling with pleasant little vibes as she doubles the pressure and rubs it. This wasn't the first time that someone's taken a shining to the blond's ears.

But it was the first time he's had somebody play with them while making out. Any other time, Cloud might have tried to stop her before he got carried away. Which is why despite his thinly veiled complaint... ]

H-Hey... [ Is that Cloud tilting his head up a little, attempting to get a little closer to her hand rubbing his ear? Yup. It sure is. Much like how he's found a way to thaw the ice queen, she's figured out how to tame this wolf. His cheeks are bright red, the gentle glow of his eyes laden in approval and need. She finds a particular spot, which causes his hand on her thigh to squeeze a little as he tries to stay still for her. Let her have her fun. It's clear that he secretly likes this, if only because he trusts her. ]

[ It's... cute. Of course, she's not going to say that out loud. God help Weiss if she ever admits to liking anything.

She even places her other hand on his other ear to give them equal attention. Whatever they were doing before she started this isn't forgotten, though. But - she's definitely not angry anymore. ]

Is this enough?

[ For his Chroma, she means. A part of her is already enjoying the making out part. Definitely not something she wants to stop at this point. He's gotten her in the mood. ]

Or do you want more?

[ Oh good. So they were both in the same "ain't gonna call out cuteness" boat. Because the first time he got that feeling about her? She was at his front door without a single clue of what to do. That panned out well!

His eyes open more when she asks him if this was enough. Of course, Cloud couldn't get a reading on his Chroma levels (they still felt lower than normal,) but realistically he could stop here and be fine. Any other time he may have told her he was okay- in the same way that he helped her the first time they met.

It's when she asks that second question that he feels his breath softly catch in his throat. That heat his body gives off courses through him as his Sanguis blood rushes through his system. His heart is pounding in his ears. The fact he hasn't thrown her down onto the bed already was impressive considering his state. Their eyes meet and he lightly swallows. Plenty aroused already, with such a promising question hanging in the air, his answer was short yet sweet. ]

Yeah. [ Normally? Cloud would have told her something like, "if you want to". But it's gone well past the point of being 'in the mood' for him. With so little Chroma and his switch getting flipped something fierce... ] I want more.

[ Weiss, at this time, isn't influenced by anything but sheer attraction. Just because someone is dying from lack of Chroma doesn't mean she'd automatically kiss them. She likes Cloud to a certain extent, enough that she's willing to come to him because he asked for her help without asking any questions. She likes Cloud enough that she's willing to kiss him to help him get his Chroma levels up, and if their last encounter in his bedroom was any indication, she likes him enough that she'd have sex with him.

That night, when she'd come to him, she had courage from Cordis helping her. Today, she's just Weiss. She's not really sure what she's doing, but she wants to tell him that it's fine if they do more. He's not the only one who does. ]

Let me touch you.

[ She supposes that's one way of putting it, and she places her hands on his chest before letting then trail downwards to the ends of his shirt. Take it off. ]

Edited (WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME) 2019-10-07 08:54 (UTC)

[ Beyond his heightened aggression and the urge to seek fights, Cloud has come to terms with himself during the Sanguis moon. A lot of what he thinks, what he feels, it's a part of who he is. Which leaves him feeling lighter than before around Weiss when he finally stopped asking himself the question of why. It really was simple, wasn't it? There's something about her, an attraction he never would have thought of when he first arrived here.

When Cloud first came to this world, he was committed to returning home. A part of him still was. Those he met down in the Lightless were allies to him. Nothing more, he told himself. And now here he is, behind closed doors with someone he likes- well enough that he wasn't averse to making out for a little "game". Well enough that he wouldn't hesitate to hold or kiss her to make the suffering go away. And definitely well enough that he's starting to think that maybe he'd go this far without the blessing of the moons over them. That list is very, very small.

Words that he once reserved for the sake of keeping his own world and family safe... Even if he doesn't fully realize it yet, it's too late.

Weiss became somebody he cherished. ]

Mm.

[ Cloud was quick to take the cue, the hands on her thigh and chest moving to the hem of his shirt. Joining her efforts, he takes a deep breath and exhales as he peels the shirt up and over his head. There's a small shudder when his warm skin is exposed to the cooler air of the room, tossing the shirt somewhere to half-hang off the side of the bed.

The fact he's been training more frequently here shows. While he's still lean, his muscles are more defined, well-toned and solid. With the huntress in his lap, his arms loosely wrap around her hips. His cheeks sting, hot with crimson, but his deeper sapphire gaze holds to her icier blues, silently giving her the nod to keep going. He wants her out of her dress too, but, if she wants to touch him? To give him more? Who was he to rush a good thing? ]

[ That's one thing that's different with Cloud and Weiss. They both fight, they both work hard and exercise, but Weiss' body is so unlike someone who's a seasoned fighter. She likes to keep in shape, but her fighting style doesn't really need a lot of muscle. More than a fighter, her body's that of a ballerina, though definitely not as tall as most ballerinas are.

Her hands, now warm, touch his chest. They're gentle and soft, barely even there. Weiss doesn't think there's much to admire, as toned as Cloud's body may be, but maybe she's just not into chests. People with cool 'dos, maybe... (Hm...)

She leans forward to kiss him again, quick and chaste, before pulling away so she can plant an open-mouthed kiss to his neck. Her hands splay against his chest, lowering inch by inch, thumbs moving in smooth circles, massaging what muscles she can. Weiss doesn't see what she's doing. Her eyes are closed, and she's letting her body do the thinking for her. ]

[ Almost a ghost of a touch, her hands so gently roaming over his chest grants her another hushed sigh from the taller blond. Tempering his eagerness, Cloud still leans forward to partially meet her halfway. But it's when that kiss, so quick and chaste dips to his exposed neck, that he finds himself faintly tilting his head back.

Unable to help himself, his eyes fall closed again. Weiss' open-mouthed kiss along neck garners a groan, rumbling deep in his throat and bordering on a growl. Just as swiftly as that hunger climbs inside of him, his nipples stiffening beneath her hands splayed against his chest, he breaks the streak of moans and sighs with her name. ]

Weiss...

[ His hands move lower towards her ass. And though he's taking this just as slowly as she is, his hands are less gentle and more possessive when he squeezes, underlining her name escaping his lips. ]

[ Weiss, for all intents and purposes, is spoiled. She grew up getting most of what she wanted in terms of material things. There are some things she had to work for, such as the attention and approval of her parents and siblings, but it's through her own ability that she was able to at least stay in their favour most of her years. With friends and acquaintances, she's not one for service.

That isn't to say that she's selfish, but she's used to people adjusting for her. There have been times when she's the one who's done it, but when it comes to situations in the bedroom, partly due to her lack of experience, she wants to be led. She wants to be the one who's spoiled, to be touched, to be yearned for.

She doesn't think Cloud is weak, but the responsibility of helping him is on her shoulders. He came to her, after all, so she has to take care of him. It's the same when Ren had come to her and asked to unlock his Aura. So even if she'd prefer to be led, to be the one who's kissed and touched and savoured, her lips and tongue are on Cloud's skin. Her hands move even lower to unbutton his trousers. She said she wants to touch him, so she wants to slip her fingers beneath his underwear to bring it down and free his cock. She wants Cloud to feel better; she wants it to be her who gets him to the peak of pleasure. Of course, her own satisfaction is on the line too, but the priority is him.

Though, the pretty audible moan she lets out when he squeezes her ass distracts her for a moment. It makes her pull away from him, hands still by his trousers, lips swollen and eyes glassy. She says nothing, breathing in and out heavily. Is she staring at his dick?

... yeah. ]

[ Whereas Weiss was spoiled, Cloud was actually somewhere on the opposite end of the spectrum. In a sleepy little village at the foot of treacherous mountains, raised by a single mother after his father died when he was very young, he grew up with almost nothing. He vied for the attention of someone else, one of his main reasons for joining the military being so he could get stronger- so he could be a hero that was noticed.

So he wouldn't feel alone anymore. ~~How different was this?~~

Even now, it's a deep-seated fear that lingers in his heart. So he strives to protect his family, friends, everyone that he holds dear. After everything he went through, sometimes it still only feels like yesterday that he was somebody else entirely. Still getting a grasp of who Cloud was. What Cloud wanted. What Cloud liked.

This wasn't the hotblooded pull of the moon that was telling him to take what he wants. ]

Haa...

[ He wants her to keep touching him. Keep going. Entice him with just the sound of a belt being unbuckled and a zipper being pulled. The feel of lips and tongue across his warmer skin sending shivers down his spine as her slender fingers push his briefs down his hips. Selfishly, Cloud wants her to do anything and everything to him. And he makes it known as he watches her with lust-laden mako eyes. Her hot, heavy breathing triggers a response in him, his nails digging against her backside with anticipation.

He doesn't say anything. He doesn't guide her hands either. If he wasn't going to instruct her, his body would speak honestly for him. The euphoric sight of Weiss in his lap, so flush as she pants and craves, turns him on immensely, tucking the corner of his lip in his teeth. As he does, his dick grows to its full size, throbbing and hard. ]

[ It's a little difficult to believe that Cloud's cock has been inside her. It just doesn't seem possible at first glance, and even with somebody else's fingers, just one already seems like too much. The very thought of it makes her look away in embarrassment, but she keeps her hands steady.

Her hand isn't cold anymore, more hot now because of their body heat. When she wraps her hand around his length, she's surprised at how hot it is, literally and figuratively, and she takes her time in rubbing the pad of her thumb around the tip of his cock. Honestly, she has no idea if something like this is even doing anything. She's never given a handjob to anybody before???

There was one time she gave someone a blowjob... That was because it was during Cordis. (Sorry, Cloud. Not today. :)) ]

[ When she looks away with embarrassment, it momentarily cuts through the pleasant fog in his head. The Sanguis moon might have left him a hot mess without any Chroma, but that didn't mean Cloud was nowhere to be found. But just as he was about to speak up, that notion was quickly nipped in the bud. For the first time tonight, she catches his breath with a hitched gasp when her hand wraps around his cock. It's one thing being Weiss, but Moonlacing on top of that? Oh she got a response from him alright.

His cock twitches in her slender grip as Cloud suppresses the urge to moan. But it wasn't long before Weiss' thumb would glide more smoothly over the tip, clear and glistening precum smearing where she rubs. So this was what she was going to do to him that night... before time ran out. ]

Ah—

Edited 2019-10-10 02:10 (UTC)

[ This was what she was going to do to him that night. Her dress was fluffy enough to hide the fact from other eyes. Here in his room though, it doesn't matter, though. No one else is here. Cloud being exposed to her is for her eyes only - no one else's.

She's sure her touch isn't hard though... but, she asks— ]

It doesn't hurt, does it?

[ Hopefully not, but she moves her hands down his length and pumps it slowly. ]

[ Cloud can feel his muscles clench a little bit when her hands start pumping the length of his cock. It would have been so easy to take charge and pull her down on the bed with him, but there's something thrilling in seeing her take hold of him. With every passing second, the fire in the pit of his stomach grows hotter as it spreads through his body. ]

Total opposite.

[ Even with how soft she's being, the lewd sound of her wet stroking earns Weiss a quiet moan that he does his best to suppress. Not because he wants to be quiet, just so he didn't lose his damn mind too quickly. For how delicate she was being, it actually left him more sensitive to every little thing as his dick starts throbbing harder beneath her touch.

Cloud wasn't used to making requests, still embarrassed to verbalize his wants when actions can speak louder. But for her... Because it's her... ]

You can...go a little harder if you want.

[ Weiss nods, taking it as a sign to continue and tightens her grip. Her hand feels wet now as she's slathered precum over the length of Cloud's cock. She doesn't mind. Not right now. What she can feel thanks to the Chroma generation is magic, even if it's just doing something like this. She wants to keep doing it; each stroke is done with fervour and she's breathing slowly through her mouth as she watches what she's doing. ]

If there's something else, just say it.

[ Something else he'd like for her to do, if she's doing this right or wrong, Cloud can speak up. Weiss has admitted before that she doesn't know much about what she's doing—her experience is so little—but she's relying on Cloud to lead the way. ]

Mn..!

[ Weiss' grip tightening was met with another twitch beneath her pumping hand. His sight lifts from watching her slathered hand working his shaft as he follows the sound of her voice. It almost embarrasses him, knowing that she's watching the way she continues to jack him off. It's a thought that he's admitted to waking up from in past cycles.

A fantasy of the night they first connected this way but never finished.

He thinks of what could have happened if the world around them faded away. What if Cloud rested her down on that bench and let his hand dip between her legs again? Her voice in his ear as they removed the layers between them. Her sighs echo in his mind's ear as she rode that hefty swell in his pants, grinding in his lap, kisses growing heavier and more intense.

She tells him to just say what he wants her to do. To guide her through the steps. So she can please him better. His breath catches in his throat. She's watching the way her hand pumps at his cock, slick, wet sounds of the lewd act reaching his ears. Her parted lips and gentle breathing...

That's when Cloud nearly loses his damn mind when a sudden and oh so vivid image of Weiss on her knees fills his mind. As her hand runs up the length, his cock throbs at the thought of her tongue sliding along it until— ]

!

[ With a free hand, Cloud lifts Weiss' chin just enough to lean in and kiss her, more hungry than before as he starts losing control of his urges. Coupled with Weiss' hand on his shaft, he's practically doubled over with stimulation. He likes what she's doing. He could ask for so much more, and he may still do that later. But right now, he just wants her to keep touching him, to keep kissing her until neither one could take it anymore. ]

[ Weiss is usually good at multi-tasking, but Cloud capturing her lips is enough to throw her momentum out the window. Her hand that's touching him slows down in speed, following a less stable rhythm. She hasn't let go though, but she does kiss back just as hungrily as he is. If Cloud hasn't understood that Weiss wants more out of this too, then he'll probably get the hint now.

She should be mad, but she's completely forgotten why already. When this is over, she'll remember it and get mad at him again, but for now, it's probably best to enjoy what they have without thinking about an enemy and a failure of a mother.

Weiss slows down at some point and eventually gives up on pumping him. Instead, she breaks the kiss but only for a second or two just to say what she wants. She's the one who can't take it anymore first. Even though it's the Sanguis moon that's up, her own panties have gotten just as wet as her entrance. She needs him. Now. ]

Help me.

[ The rest should probably be self explanatory, because she kisses him back but lifts her ass a little. Her hands are on him for balance, but she wants him to be the one to undress her. Or at least, take off her panties because she doesn't really care about getting naked at this point. ]

[ Akin to those same fleeting fantasies that ran laps in his head, the rest of the world around him begins to fade away. The fact that they were on a completely different planet, in an apartment in Middle Lunatia, summoned as those blessed by the three moons to restore the world... None of it registers in his mind. Cloud can't give a damn about any of that- just the huntress lifting her ass in his lap. The Sanguis moon beats down heavier than before, taking advantage of his Chroma starved state and ramping his bestial urges to the umpteenth degree.

There's not a single ounce of fight left in him. Weiss may have 'broke' first, but he was right behind her, his hands practically shoving up the frilly layers of her skirt. Content as he would have been with her stroking him, asking him what he liked, beckoning him to be a little more honest, neither one needed anymore foreplay. His dick is glistening from her handiwork- long, thick and swollen with sheer desire. ]

Y-Yeah...

[ Reaching up, he hooks his fingers beneath the sides of her panties, tugging them down her hips and sliding them down her thighs. He's sensitive to heat when the Sanguis moon is out, but his lupine sense of smell immediately hones in on the scent of her sex. He can't see beneath her skirt, but he can already envision just how hot and wet she was for him. It's enough to make his cock visibly twitch, bobbing harder to stay upright between her legs as he helps her pull the flimsier fabric down one of her legs. ]

God, Weiss, I...

[ With that obstacle out of the way, Cloud's hands rise up the backs of her thighs, coaxing her to sit herself back down in his lap again. It's clear as day in those lust-laden eyes of his, heated sighs slowly passing his lips. He's a horny mess of a man, surrendering himself to her completely. ]

[ Weiss did say "help me", so she moves her legs as needed when her panties are being slid down. In fact, at the tail end of it, the kicks it off and lets it drop to the floor. Does she care about being clean? Of course she does, but right now, with all the Chroma flowing in her, she cares more about getting more.

With that out of the way, she positions herself so that she's comfortable on her knees. She intends to lower herself soon, but she wants him to continue what he's trying to say. He can touch her all he wants right now. Her hands go up to his cheeks, holding his face as she looks into his eyes. She knows what he wants; she wants it too, but whatever this is, she doesn't want it to be solely about sex. ]

Yes?

[ And that better not be a confession, mister. ]

[ Cloud was prepared to completely succumb to his moon's desires when his breath softly hitches when her hands move to his cheeks. Their eyes meet, and it feels like the wind's been driven from his lungs. Or that he's forgotten how to breath, he's captivated by her. Not that he needed a reminder, but it's like seeing her again for the first time. So riled up, enthralled and addicted... it wasn't the same as saying it aloud right? This was okay...right? To let those thoughts flow, and how he really feels? What did attract him to her?

He wasn't really sure what he was going to say when his voice trailed off like that. It becomes even harder to pin everything down to simple words. What can he say in the moment that wasn't spoken louder through their actions? That he loves her eyes. Or how she sees things through her way. Her voice being the reason why he chose to stay at the party that night beneath Iris' light... There really is a lot he could tell her. But above all else, he can't get enough of the way she holds him. The only tension left in his body by this point is that sweltering heat standing between his legs. ]

I'm glad you're here.

[ He doesn't fully realize he's repeated verbatim what Weiss told him that day, when he helped her in the dressing room. As he says this, his hands ride up the back of her thighs until they're on her bare ass, squeezing more fervently. ]

[ Admittedly, Weiss is only here because she was worried. He said he needed Chroma, so she decided to help. She could have said no. Cloud probably knows other people he could moonlace with. It was her decision to come here, looking back at it all. And she's glad she did. She wouldn't have heard what happened otherwise, and she wouldn't have another reason to hate Raven Branwen, otherwise. These are clearly all good things.

She looks away at what he says, eyes wide. If her cheeks could get any pinker, they would right now. ]

I'll help if you need and when you need it, but I'm never going to let you touch me again if you do something stupid a second time.

[ Whether it's fight Raven again or get stabbed or something! She doesn't know. But he really did worry her after hearing Raven's name. Part of her wants to say that she's glad she's here too, because she doesn't want an enemy anywhere near the people she cares about.

Her eyes meet Cloud's again before they dart away to the side. Her arms wrap around his neck as she lowers herself. A soft gasp escapes her lips when she feels his cock by her entrance. It makes her stop and she takes a deep breath before lowering herself slowly. Despite the resistance her body gives, it makes way for Cloud's cock to enter. Everything feels hot suddenly, and she lets out a whimper all the while burying her face on the crook of his neck. ]

[ The answer Cloud would have for her if the question ever arose might have come as a surprise. It's true that there were others he could have moonlaced with. He could have accepted something as intimate as cuddling or satiating the need for Chroma with others. Hell, his roommate was one of the thirstiest people imaginable; all Cloud had to do was put up with her trash talk and teasing (not that he had any interest in letting her touch him this way.) Yet that's just it.

There's a distinct difference between what he could have done...and what he wanted. And in his maddened, crimson moon-driven condition, he wants her. Just Weiss.

When she blushes harder at what he says, her response is met with a briefly innocent blinking of his own blue eyes. He doesn't say anything more, his expression softening into something more apologetic as he just about smiles again. But that's short-lived, a soft gasp from Weiss coupled with the tip of his cock rubbing against her entrance granting her a low groan. His hands are still on her backside when she lowers herself down upon him. And she sinks on him, inch by inch. Even with how wet the two of them were, her pussy feels incredibly hot and tight around his cock. Sparks run up the length of his spine as Chroma overwhelms him in euphoric waves.

The tips of his clawed nails dig into her shapely ass, his patience beneath Sanguis' light at its limit. While Weiss whimpers against the crook of his neck, she'd no doubt be able to feel and hear that rumble in his throat as he growls. His hands help lift her hips up, dragging the length of his girth before dropping her down on him again. And again. And again until Cloud has her beginning to lightly bounce in his lap as she rides his cock. ]

[ Being the one on top now, it feels different. And when Cloud moves her hips upwards and then back down without so much as a warning? The difference that Weiss feels is so evident. It feels like he's hitting deeper like this. While Weiss doesn't constantly think about what happened months ago when they were together, she does think about how it felt. Comparing then to now, both felt good, this is just... different.

Maybe she shouldn't be comparing in the first place. ]

Cloud, I—

[ Then he does it again, and what leaves her lips is a loud mewl. She clings onto him as he leads her, because the feeling is almost unbearable. It feels so good, and even though Weiss wants to go slow, Cloud taking the lead and dragging her down on him is making her crazy. It's what she wants to tell him. She's not ready for something fast-paced, but the words can't leave her mouth because other incoherent sounds do, instead. And rather than continue to fight it, she follows what he's done, what he wants. ]

[ Moonlacing was a necessity, he would tell himself as he followed in the huntress' footsteps and own mantra. But the feeling of holding Weiss in his arms, or being the one to get held to her chest when his wellbeing was threatened... None of it was needed. The way his hands possessively slide up from her ass to grip her hips more firmly wasn't just because the blood-red moon made him. Chroma was needed- a source plentiful if one knew where to look. Everything all shared one thing in common. What could so easily be a necessity to make it through the day...was all replaced by a want instead.

He wants to hold her in his arms. He wants her hands to play through soft golden strands of hair. He wants to clutch her hips tight and let her cling to him as her voice lifts in octaves. ]

Ah...?

[ His name, let alone the trail of her voice barely registers in his ears over the sound of her moans and skin clapping against skin every time she'd drop the length of his cock. It's hard to go too fast in this position with the way she's holding him, but with how light she feels in his arms, Cloud nearly forgets himself and his own strength. With his feet planted firmly on the ground where they sit at the bed's edge, a curse softly escapes his lips as his hips suddenly bounce in time with the pace she's riding him. Balancing easily enough, he faintly arches back with her against him, this time actually thrusting up instead of just guiding her body. Something that has him driving even deeper...

Until he's striking and grinding against that core deep inside of her, over and over again when she drops into his lap. Harder. Faster as his cock heavily throbs, more frequently as he pounds into her. ]

W-Weiss...! [ He keeps this up for another moment until, with an incoherent groan of his own, his eyes clench shut as he drops her fully on his cock, letting her hips grind and rock against his as he stirs her deep. Even when he wasn't thrusting, it felt too good to put into words, a hand slipping to her ass again while he reaches up her front to cup one of her clothed breasts, caressing her against him. ] Haa...haa...

Ah-

[ Weiss wishes she could say actual words, but there's nothing left in her right now beyond feeling good. Her legs feel like jelly and her brain is so focused on what's going on that there's no fight left in her. Cloud wants Weiss? Well, he's got her. She's all for the taking again and again and again— ]

I can't- I can't take it—

[ That's not an actual objection but what else is she supposed to say adjfskgls everything feels so good. Cloud's cock feels so good. The lewd noises their bodies are making from how wet she is and the slapping of her thighs against his lap doesn't even bother her. If anything, she wants him to continue, to drive her crazy with need, for him to get what he wants because everything is just far too much. ]

[ It was a fleeting reprieve at best- so overwhelmed with euphoric waves that he had to catch his breath. It feels like his entire body was on fire, aching oh so good while she pleads him to continue. There's nothing more he wants than to just watch her face in the throes of ecstasy. To flip her over and drill her without relent into the mattress. Really make that headboard rock and bump the wall. He doesn't care what the end looks like, as long as he was doing it with her. ]

Here- [ a short grunt as he raises up on the balls of his feet. ] On the bed.

[ Technically they were on the bed, mind it's just the edge of it. But it's the only thing he can think to say and warn her of before he's laying back on the mattress with Weiss atop of him. Whether she's clinging to him or bracing herself, Cloud felt he could get better leverage and control of his hips in this position. This time when he starts up again, his hands hold her by the waist as he bucks up inside of her. It's like a chain reaction, the first bounce setting him off when she comes sliding down his dick, so wet and hard between his precum and her pussy. There's no stopping- not when it feels so good as he builds and builds. First with long, hard strokes as she rides the length of his cock.

Then he goes faster. To the point that his hips are like a piston, the sound of her ass slapping down against his hips more rapid than before as he can't fight the moan that escapes him. Cloud's hisses through his before sighing again, another low curse of "fuck" and her name as his senses are in overdrive. ]

[ Overwhelming. That's the word. Weiss definitely feels overwhelmed to the point that all she wants to do is lay there and let Cloud continue.

At first, she tries to move as well. When Cloud lowers himself so he's properly in the bed, she pulls away, arms unwrapping themselves and moving so her hands can rest on his chest. It helps her balance, especially when he holds her in place and moves his hips, driving his cock in her over and over, hitting her core over and over, making her whimpers louder and louder. It becomes too overwhelming that one hand slowly clenches itself, fingers scratching his skin, leaving light red marks where her nails have trailed.

There's nothing else filling the room beyond the lewd sounds they're making, but Weiss tries to keep things soft. She's still aware there's somebody else in the other room, and she doesn't want any attention on them. That's too embarrassing. ]

[ He feels his pec tighten a little when her nails dig across the taut skin, his back arching in response. He doesn't even flinch, too wrapped up in how incredibly raw this session was becoming. It's not that he enjoys pain, but his heart is racing wildly in his chest, the drag of her nails pushing even more Chroma into him. It's addictive. She's addictive. With nothing beneath her skirt after yanking her panties away earlier, his hands were free to slide under the fabric of her dress.

With Weiss keeping her balance with her hands upon his chest, he firmly squeezes her ass again. Every part of her was damn near impossible to give up, the tips of his claw like nails lightly digging into her soft behind. Hard enough to leave his own faint red marks as he looks up at Weiss riding him. His eyes are drawn to her chest, the force and pace of his thrusts making her breasts shake beneath the bust of her outfit. It's enough to make him want to strip the rest of her clothes off already and keep going, but they're riding this momentum together.

Whenever Cloud feels a familiar tension and heat building in the pit of his stomach, his thrusts slow for half a moment, seating her nearly on the entire length of his cock, visibly and heavily throbbing deep inside her as he bumps her core. ]

Weiss-

[ His nails dig into her ass, and he stokes the flames between them to burn hotter as the mattress begins shaking beneath the two. Cloud wasn't going to stop until they were both satisfied. And with the Sanguis moon driving his sex drive through the roof after being so starved of Chroma, there's a good chance he wasn't planning on stopping whenever she came either. His face is so flush, lips parted as he's starting to pant heavier. ]

Cloud! It hurts a little!

[ In fact, when his nails dig a little too deep that the pricking feeling makes the hair on her skin go up, she digs her nails on him a little too hard in retaliation. Does she stop moving, though? No. Whatever Cloud is doing with his hips, she's moving along with. This isn't enough to distract her from the goal here—just enough for her to tell him what she doesn't want him to do. And she's definitely going to give him an earful of he doesn't stop. Touching is fine. Very fine. Hurting her is not.

Once she's made half moons on his chest, she does stop. She doesn't bother to look at what she's made, only sure that he's gotten the point. Weiss can't exactly give him a dirty look, because whatever she would try to make will end up being contorted thanks to the pleasure. ]

[ Just when it feels like that pleasure was about to reach its peak, it only continues to climb. Higher and higher as his body feels like it's on the verge of burning up. His mind is on the verge of going blank as he chases this frantic pace, the grip on her tightening possessively so. To the point where those nails of his start digging against her. It's on the brink of something outright bestial, a growl threatening to rumble in his throat as he takes...and takes, and takes until-

"It hurts-!" ]

!

[ It's not even her nails digging into his chest, leaving sharp tingles where the half moons remain. It was two simple words that break through and tear down the walls around his maddened mind. Cloud was fortunate- very fortunate that his claws didn't actually scratch her skin, so smooth beneath his larger hands. And his face, once contorted in such a heated state of euphoria and raw desire, ebbs away with Weiss in his lap. Despite how flush his face was, his face runs hotter with shame. He was hurting her... The last thing he wanted to do, and something he could have sworn he had under better control beneath Sanguis' influence.

At the same time, he's never let himself get so wrapped up with somebody before, to the point that he just about went mindless in pleasure. ]

Sorry...

[ He's stopped. Cloud's hands were no longer clutching against her backside either, instead resting over her thighs. As he looks up to Weiss, he half frowns, wolf ears flattened against his head with guilt. ]

I've...never had it this bad during Sanguis before.

Don't stop.

[ She said it hurts, but she didn't want him to stop. There's still something in her that needs release, and she's pretty sure he'd want to finish, too. So after she makes that request, she kisses him on the cheek before it's her who moves first, moving her hips forward and back as if to remind him of the matter at hand. ]

Just don't be too rough. I'll be okay.

[ In fact, whatever scratch marks Cloud's left will end up disappearing later on with the help of her Aura. ]

[ As Weiss leans down to kiss him on the cheek, he blinks with a flicker of surprise at the affectionate little gesture. Of course he doesn't want this to stop. He has a feeling that even by now, he could slowly accrue Chroma again at a safe level. While that was the primary point as to why she was here, to help him, that very quickly became an afterthought the longer they spent together. Cloud didn't want this to end just when his Chroma levels were normal again.

He wants this to end when they both wanted it to end. Emboldened by her, he finds his voice again as one of his hands trails up the small of her back. Besides her panties, Weiss was still completely clothed. Though the two of them had come so far already that stripping her down now would have set back the mood. Then, ]

Still wanna make it up to you, [ he says softly, rolling his hips in time with hers moving forward and back. The friction is slow again, but that lets him feel every part of her- hot, wet yet so tight. For every movement of her hips back, he softly thrusts up to get deeper. With Weiss leaning down over him, Cloud decides to pick up right where he left off. Without the rough edge that nearly sent him into a bestial fury. ]

If you'll let me. [ That's the perk of moonlacing, wasn't it? Whether it was mutual, giving or receiving, Chroma was shared. Propping his feet on the mattress, the new leverage has him working his hips at a quicker pace again. If he so wanted to, he really could go back to that mindless state Sanguis nearly demanded of him. But he doesn't. He refuses to let it slip again. Not around Weiss. With an arm around her waist and the other wrapped just above her ass, he holds her against him as another wave of lewd sounds fills the room as he lowly groans. ]

You— [ "have a lot of making up to do," she'd continue, but the words can't—won't leave her mouth. When Cloud starts moving again, a hot puff of air akin to a moan replaces the rest of her sentence. She doesn't mean just Chroma this time, but also because he made her worry. She thinks he's friends with Raven; it's not something she's going to reject, because it's not like he's her boyfriend or whatever. She doesn't own him, but she'd definitely discourage him from getting too close to Raven. That woman can't be trusted.

But that's a talk they can have later on. She's the last person wants to think about right now. Especially with the way she's moving, following a rhythm that only she and Cloud are familiar with. This sort of pace is just fine, and if it speeds up, that's also good. What she just doesn't want is to get hurt in the midst of all this.

When it does speed up, when she can feel something hitting her core with a little bit more pressure than before, her back arches just a little. Definitely, definitely don't stop, Cloud. This is how you make it up to her. ]

[ A part of him feels guilty that she's still mostly clothed like this. From the bottom of his vision, he can see her perky breasts give a light bounce beneath the bust of her dress- accentuated by their intensifying rhythm. It's not blindingly fast or frantic anymore, especially when he feels himself bumping that back wall with more pressure. Again, and again, and again as his own back lightly arches.

As he looks up at Weiss, his face flushes hotter at the temptation to kiss her again, but instead he continues to drill deep into her. Too turned on to look away shyly, he tries to catch his breath between gasps and hot sighs of approval. It's getting intense, in a different way from before. Anytime he thinks of saying anything, whether it's about how hot she feels, warning if she tightened too much, it's just the same as her. The words won't leave his mouth, instead coming off deeply heated moans. She feels good. She makes him feel really damn good.

His heart is beating faster, his cock was throbbing hotter and heavier with each deep thrust as a familiar heat and tension builds in his loins again. ]

Say something if you're, ah— close.

[ Because she is, and she would say something, regardless. She just doesn't want him to finish inside of her, or on her clothes. This is her only dress, Cloud... She's not going back to her apartment with a cum-stained dress. . .

Her words, even though she didn't mean for them to be, come out soft like a whisper. And as soon as they're out, she stops thinking again, more concentrating on the feeling of something inside her throbbing. It's Cloud, and it feels really good. Good enough that she moves her hips in time with his. She wants to feel more of him, to feel fuller somehow because of him, so much so that those soft gasps get louder and louder each time his cock hits something like a button that sends shivers down her spine. ]

Ah, yeah... You too.

[ Gods that should not have been so hard to say. But it was, panting beneath her the way he was as he dares to go just a little bit faster. All it takes is one mental stop for him to not clutch her tighter, to find that delicate balance as their pleasure climbs higher and higher. This is something he can do for her. It wasn't about treating her delicately either. Nothing drove him crazier right now than the thought of making her come, finding his own release, and letting that heat continue to build. But he wouldn't hurt her again.

He wants to make her feel good too, enough so that he'd steel himself for as long as it took. Hold out despite how sensual her whisper sounds in his ear. The fact that Weiss' hips are moving in time with his gives more of that fullness she's been looking for. His cock swells inside her, the broad tip pressing firmly against that core. For a moment, it just stays there, grinding as his hips roll deeper against hers. ]

Mn- [ If Weiss was looking to feel even fuller, finishing inside of her could have done the trick, the prospect of the same hot load he'd covered her in the first time filling her... The thought flashes through his brain as her gasps grow louder, his dick giving another hard pulse inside her as he starts to thrust again, pounding her deeply with each long stroke. ]

C'mon...

[ Was it Moonlacing that left him feeling so in tune with her? His voice is like velvet on the tongue, a hushed desire as he can tell she's getting as close as he was. ]

[ The feeling welling up in her is addictive and becoming increasingly more overwhelming. And as it does, Cloud's cock feels a lot bigger, or perhaps it's because her walls tighten a little. When she feels like she can't take it anymore and when her toes have curled, she stops both to catch her breath and to reach for Cloud's left hand. Whether or not he's actually left-handed or not, with it being Weiss' dominant hand, she takes his. Her free hand lifts her skirt, exposing more of herself to him, and she guides his hand to take hold of her inner thigh. ]

Cloud, touch me, please.

[ She's almost there. She just needs one last push.

(What happened to helping him?) ]

[ When Weiss' hips stop, his own thrusts gradually slow until she's almost seated fully on his cock. They're already deep into the thick of things, chasing that blissful climax at the top. So when she stops, he takes a second to gulp some air as well. The blond assumes that between catching her breath and how intense things were getting, Weiss wanted to make this last a little longer. Nothing was wrong this time, though the curiosity in his lust-hazed blues was clear enough until she reached for his hand.

Gods, it was so tempting to keep moving with her sitting in his lap like this. To drive himself up into her and watch her bounce up and own his cock. But he waits patiently, breath hitching softly when she lifts her skirt and exposes herself to his gaze. Her tight entrance was practically clinging to his thick length, whatever wasn't buried inside of her glistening wet from their collective work. It's...a really hot sight. Hotter than he ever thought it'd be to see her taking the initiative like this. He swallows another bump in his throat as his face flushes hotter with crimson.

His hand's on her inner thigh now, guided there as her words implore him to touch her. She's already driving his Sanguis senses wild enough as is! With Weiss having lifted her skirt for him, the heated scent of her sex threatens to void his mind again. It's so good. So addicting, and his cock gives another visible throb inside of her in response while his fingers slide further up the inside of her thigh. ]

Like that?

[ It's not too difficult from this angle, his wrist turning against her lower stomach when his index and middle fingers rub over the spot just above where his cock was stretching her pussy. At the same time, he slowly begins rolling his hips beneath her, stirring her as he aims his focus on touching her. Pleasing her and trying to overstimulate her.

Between the hand rubbing at her clit, his cock bumping and grinding her so deep and his free hand squeezing her ass, Cloud's turned all his attention to this one moment for her. ]

Like that— [ Her response is rushed now, because both her words and a mewl race to leave her throat. Her hands bring up her skirt a little more, bunching it up close to her stomach as she rolls her hips and follows his touch. God, it feels so good like this, and the Chroma is dizzying.

The thought of being so desperate for release would embarrass her on any given day, but now, she rides him and lets him pleasure her, she couldn't care less. He wasn't making her feel bad and she knows he would never make fun of her for what she's doing now. She trusts him, that's why she can act like this and it's okay.

Her inner walls tighten all the more, clinging onto Cloud's cock when she rolls back and forth, following the rhythm he's set. With her eyes closed, she can't really tell how Cloud looks or how he's looking at her. She's lost in this pleasurable haze, and she's very sure she only wants it to end when he says so. ]

More, ah- Cloud— [ She doesn't even know what she wants more of. Everything, most likely. She wants more of everything. ]

[ It's all the affirmation he needs, even when tapered between faded words and a mewl. Seeing her let loose and enjoy herself as much as she did was another thought that'd be difficult to get out of his head. The way she clutches the front of her skirt against her stomach as she continues to ride him was icing on the cake too. Pacing themselves the way they have this time only prolonged the flow of Chroma between them. What's dizzying for Weiss feels just as satisfying for Cloud underneath her. Running on trickles to having so much course through him in enticing waves felt like a high.

A high that he didn't want to get down from as he felt those telltale pulses growing stronger. His lower abdomen flexes as he feels his muscles tense and tighten with anticipation. If he were on top of her her, laying at her side or perhaps nestled between her legs, he could afford to close his eyes. But he's too turned on to look away now, tempting as it was to just throw his head back and surrender. ]

Ah- Weiss...! If you keep tightening like that— [ His back arches beneath her, which has the added movement of his hips thrusting up more inside her. This time he's not forcing her hips up and down his cock in long strokes, bouncing her lightly in his lap as the majority of his girth stayed buried deep. He throbs quicker than before, bumping and nudging her core over and over again. His fingers work her clit faster as the blond does his damnest to watch her on top of him. He's getting close, but he wants to see this- to feel her coming hard on his cock. If she wants more? He'll give her more. ]

Edited (minor fix y'didn't see that shh) 2019-11-10 09:24 (UTC)

[ Cloud!! It's not like she's doing it on purpose! And she stops moving, panting as if she's run a marathon. She can barely feel her arms, and her hands are shaking when she tries to look for a part of him to hold onto for purchase. Her eyesight's been taken from her, at least, part of it, and it's all Cloud's fault.

She can't see shapes now, just colours, and if she hadn't been so focused on Cloud earlier, she wouldn't know who the yellow blur is beneath her. That's it - she's reached her peak, and she's unable to say anything about it. She just wants to lay down now, actually. Of course, she can't exactly do that when Cloud isn't finished yet. . .

So she closes her eyes again, and she feels like her world is spinning when she starts moving her hips again, coaxing him to continue so he can join her in the afterglow. And in the midst of it? She's completely forgotten that she has preferences as to where Cloud would finish. So much for the fuss she made the last time... ]

[ This was the longest that Cloud's managed to hold out for on the first go. Then again...just how long have they been going at it? By this point it didn't matter if they lost track of time. The blond's own vision was starting to flash white, brimming around the edges of his sight. Even when Weiss hits her climax, his hand doesn't stop, stroking almost feverishly to help her ride out the waves of her orgasm. By this point, words had finally failed him completely at the way her hips move up and down his cock. ]

Mm—!! [ He forgets himself, and her request, his eyes closing shut as his back arches beneath the huntress. And with one final deep thrust, burying himself near to the hilt, Cloud reaches his own peak.

...and completely loses track of what he was supposed to tell her. Maybe if he could finish what he said earlier, he'd be able to tell her that she was going to make him come, and hard. His entire body courses, pleasantly burning up as he moans with every hot burst of cum that coats her insides. The thought of pulling out doesn't cross his mind for a second, so much pouring into her with each hard throb that it's almost too much. It's so good. Too good to do anything else but bask in this hot, wet sensation.

Finally sinking into the mattress, his chest gently rises and falls with each deeper breath he takes to recoup, his hands resting atop her thighs. ]

Haa... haa... haa...

Edited 2019-11-17 09:17 (UTC)

[ There's something hot that pulses inside her that she's definitely never felt before. Somehow, she feels fuller, but her insides feel so wet, too. Weiss doesn't realise what just happened at first, taking her time to come down from her high. It's only when Cloud's hands rest on her thighs that she wakes up, so to speak. ]

I want to lie down.

[ Help her!!! ]

[ He comes back to his senses around the time that Weiss' speaks up again. They'd been building their Chroma up for some time now; as far as Cloud could tell, the fleeting exhaustion he feels now is different from the dangerous sense of exhaustion he felt from nearly running on empty. ]

O-Oh. Hang on.

[ Cloud's working on that!! But he couldn't just roll her onto her side when she's still seated on top of him. That might have been easier to do if she were facing away from him, even if that would have meant spooning her... /// 💦

Cloud's hands move to her backside again, this time to help her off his, blatantly put, wet and still pulsing length. A soft sigh escapes his lips when his cock pulls out of her entirely, something that he forgets meant that there wasn't anything to stop his warm seed from spilling from her entrance. Selfish as the thought was of simply having her smaller frame collapse atop of him, the mattress was far more comfy than his lean span of muscle. He helps her swing one leg off his lap, gently guiding her until she's laying down by his side proper. ]

Better?

[ Cloud. She was here helping you. ]

[ It's a lot warmer and wetter between her legs now, but she doesn't have the energy to panic. She lets out a groan once her head is resting on a pillow. Please let her lay there for a bit... she'll get up again soon. ]

I'm gonna kill you.

[ Once she's not feeling weak anymore and once her limbs don't feel like jelly and also once she's clean... she's gonna kill him!!!!!

But she's also going to forget about it because she just wants to rest. Don't think too much of it, Cloud. ]

Sorry.

[ Too late. He's thinking about it. ...maybe not too much at least? Kill him because of getting his Aura unlocked by Raven and being reckless? Kill him for being too rough with her? Kill him for...well, just because? Because honestly he's used to it by this point. The apology is about as serious as her claim- more something to acknowledge what she's said. Cloud's already caught his breath as he lets out a sigh of contentment.

If the two of them took the time to throw off the covers before getting carried away, he might have pulled it over the two of them so they could relax proper. His body is still warm, the newly accrued Chroma, Sanguis moon and his own innate durability leaving him feeling more pleasant than he'd normally be. That didn't mean he was against taking a breather either. She was here for his sake, and so despite lying so close with her, Cloud is going to let her rest.

...even if that still doesn't stop him from lazily yet gently brushing the bangs away from her eyes. ]

Edited 2019-11-19 08:01 (UTC)

[ Is he really sorry, though! She told him not to finish in her, and yet...

She sighs when she feels his hand brushing her bangs. By now, her eyes have closed, but she pops one open to look at him. ]

What are you doing?

[ Guess who's not used to anybody being sweet to her?? ]

[ Does it mean more "making it up to her"? Either way... ]

Uh...?

[ The half-lidded look he gives her widens when she peeks back at him through one eye. Weiss' question catches him by surprise, taking a second to realize what she was responding to, his cheeks glowing a soft pink. Was he feeling emboldened by the Sanguis moon? Whose to say...

He draws his hand back to rest at his side. ]

Just getting your hair. It was, uh... [ A short pause. He just felt like it. ] Don't worry about it.

[ It's not unwelcome—just new. Weiss closes her eyes again without really giving much of a fight after Cloud tells her not to worry about it. ]

Can I use your bathroom?

[ Cloud is also... going to have to see if the coast is clear; namely no Pantys outside when Weiss does walk out... ]

Yeah.

[ Luckily for Weiss, he's thinking the same thing she is. Might as well check for when either one of them stepped out, because he's worked up a bit of a sweat. Which is why when she asks if she can use his bathroom, he's the first one to sit up. He's...an absolute mess between his legs right now. They've done this before, so it's less embarrassing, but still... /// ]

I should clean up too- [ Oh. No. Not together. Shut up brain. She can go first. He's one who blew it. ~~HA.~~ He checks the device on his wrist, idly glancing over his Chroma levels when he realizes that oh. ...oh that. That used to be very empty before. He looks back to Weiss behind him where she lay, blushing a bit harder as he clears his throat. Right. Take care of her first. ]

Hang on a sec. I'll go check.

Edited 2019-11-21 08:30 (UTC)

Sure.

[ Weiss sits up, feels the wetness between her legs a little more, and lets out a sigh. It feels weird like this, and she has every right to think so when this is the first time it's happened. There's really no point in complaining now though, and it's not like she wants to. She doesn't want to "ruin the moment".

... Even though Cloud's back to being awkward now.

And yes, she may as well pick up her panties where he'd tossed them earlier. She needs those. Thank you. ]

[ Cloud wasn't about to fully cloth himself yet. Besides wiping down his crotch of any wetness, he...hadn't quite settled just yet. The heat he feels influenced by the moon and his once Chroma-depraved state hasn't been entirely quelled. Even so, he has more control than to just selfishly keep taking and taking.

He doesn't care that he's topless as he tucks himself back away for now. If he's gonna go check for her first to avoid any awkward confrontations, he's not about to head out there rocking out with his...ahem. ]

...

[ Then...as he's seated at the edge of the bed, he hesitates to get back up. There's a part of him that wants to just turn right around and go back to her. To do what, he can't really say. Kiss her again? Help her out of her dress properly and throw the covers over them? Listen to that nagging impulse and urge that told him that this wasn't enough? What he wants against what Weiss would request and ask... How much of it was really Cloud thinking these things? ]

I'm... [ "...not sure I want to go yet," the thought dies in his mind as he finally offers her another gentle smile, somewhere caught between apologetic (for being so rough with her) and genuine. ] I'm glad you came.

[ Cloud already said that, but it's embarrassing all the same to hear it. Weiss shakes her head though, implying that it's nothing.

... okay, maybe it is something, but— ]

You'd do the same if I were in trouble.

[ At least, that's what she thinks he'd do if their roles were reversed. ]

[ "You'd do the same if I were in trouble." Her words remind him of a promise he made to someone as a child... That whenever they were in trouble, he'd come through in a pinch and save them. After all this time, he's still kept that promise. But now that promise has extended to everyone he cares about.

Weiss was right. If the roles had been reversed, he wouldn't hesitate for a second. ]

I would. [ And not just when it came to this degree of moonlacing either. ] Just another way to make it up to you.

[ Whatever it took so that she wasn't gonna "kill him" anymore. ]

You're being undeniably cheesy today.

[ What with all the things he's saying. She can't even repeat them because they're embarrassing. ]

[ Look whose talking, Miss “I’m Gonna Kill You Harumph :T”. He simply huffs, a little amused as he gets up to do what he said he would do earlier. Peering out into the hallway, his wolf-like senses pick up on Panty.

Between listening for her and picking up her scent, he can conclude that the coast was clear. The only time he ever planned on actively trying to sniff someone out. Thanks, Sanguis! ]

All clear. ... Huh. Never thought I’d be using my nose like this.

[ Weiss gets up at the signal, but doesn't start walking just yet because oh god walking is going to be challenging. She's going to have to walk quickly to the bathroom. (It's lucky this isn't her first time being here...) ]

Is it weird that you can smell just about anything? [ She takes a peek out the door too. ] Wait, don't answer that just yet. I promise I'll be back—

[ And off she goes! She just really wants to be clean right now, Cloud. 😫 ]

[ They got quite carried away earlier. When she doesn't immediately start walking, he lifts a brow curiously at her. ...though it doesn't take long for him to clue into why she might have been finding it a bit of a challenge. ~~Don't leave any trails.~~ He steps back some when Weiss does eventually come up him to the door. ]

A lit-- [ "Wait, don't answer that just yet." ] Ah, okay.

[ Peeking out the door after her, Cloud watches as she disappears down the hallway towards the bathroom. She'll find that since it's the only one in the apartment, there's a lot more stuff on top of the bathroom counter. So many beauty products. Like "what the fuck did a Sephora explode in here" levels of stuff. Way too many rubber duckies that Cloud's piled in a corner on the floor. A super soaker, bottles of bubble bath.

Trust him, Weiss. Cloud's been trying to keep up with all the crap Panty buys. At least the bathroom's still clean and usable?

While he waits for her to come back, Cloud takes this time to try and quell his Sanguis side. Though the scent of sex was still prevalent in the air after what they'd just done. Now that he had a clearer head than before, he could think back to what just happened. The fact that she came to help him in the first place was all he could ask for, despite how bad the combination of lost Chroma and the moon was on him. He still hasn't gotten used to the way it ramped up his possessive nature, something he ponders about as he stares out the window, up at the crimson moon.

Whenever she got back, she'd find that he's got a top back on (not his vest, but a comfier t-shirt.) He'll get clean after she did. ~~He wasn't going to join her in the shower a second time.~~ ]

[ Weiss would likely mind this time if Cloud joined her in the bathroom, so it's good he doesn't. How Weiss is when the Cordis moon isn't out isn't much difference; her more cheery side is just a lot more prevalent when it is, and she's a little more honest with people out of her need to be wanted. Okay, maybe there's a huge difference between regular Weiss and Cordis Weiss... but she's learning to loosen up regardless of which moon is out after all that she's experienced in this world.

She leans against the door once she's locked the bathroom and lets out a sigh. She's not really sure what to do at this point, but after cleaning, would she go back to her apartment? It... feels kind of weird to do so, but she doesn't really have any reason to stay. . .

And she mulls over it even more even after the quick shower she takes. She remembers where the towels are, even though the bathroom looks so much different compared to the last time she was here. She also remembers that there's a reason to stay—not overnight, but at least enough for more than just sex.

Raven Branwen.

Once she's out, her hair is down and damp. Weiss isn't exactly keen on putting it up again at this time. She's quick to head back inside Cloud's room so she doesn't end up bumping into anybody else while she's outside. ]

Um... It's your turn.

[ Or something!! ]

[ He hears the door opening behind him, looking back over his shoulder to her as he notes the way her hair is still down and damp. Note to self? Get a hair dryer for his room. Maybe? ...he might as well with the way that Panty took over the bathroom at this point. He'll just start styling himself in his bedroom. Granted that would also imply he invested in more furniture for his room. But that's neither here or there. ]

Hey. [ Her scent is different this time. The smell of heat and sex wasn't so prevalent to his Sanguis senses. Which in turn, let him calm down further. "Um... It's your turn." ] Right. Be right back.

[ He means it too. There's...honestly a lot less to clean up on his end of things. Gotta wash the sweat off at least. So as Weiss steps inside, Cloud slips past her to peer his head around the corner again, perks his wolf ears atop his head, listens for any 'obstacles' and sniffs it out subtly... And once again, luck is on their side as he quickly makes his way to the bathroom too. Weiss was just in here...

On one hand, being that it was her, he didn't mind that? But on the other hand, he still wished there was a way to turn off this damn nose when the red moon was out. Taking a quick shower of his own, he's mindful not to let himself take those long pauses that he's used to taking while showering. Enough that he's scrubbed shampoo and conditioner through his hair and cleansed his body anyway. By the time he gets back to his room where Weiss was waiting, he's got a couple towels hanging off his shoulder in case she wants to dry her hair some more. ]

I'm back.

[ In his rush to get back to her, he...didn't really dry his hair either. At all. Which meant that spiky hair of his from before? Gone. Super deflated and...nonexistent really. It's just super droopy. His wolf ears are flopping a little too. ]

[ Weiss' attention immediately goes to the door when she hears it open. She'd been keeping quiet all this time, but walking around his room to see what new things he has compared to the last time he was here. She's not one to snoop around or anything, but she's merely observing and taking things in! ]

Oh— sorry. I was just— [ A pause, and she looks at him wide-eyed. ] You have new stuff.

[ This is totally not awkward at all.

But she also decides to head back closer to his bed. Should... she sit down? God, this isn't her room and it's not like he still needs help. She can't just make herself feel at home, even if she does want to relax around him some. It's different when they meet outside... ]

Do you want me to help you dry your hair?

[ It's still less empty than the bare state it was in the first time she came over. Granted, they've had plenty of time to adjust to this world. The birdbox that Cloud picked up a couple or so months back remains in the corner of the bedroom, ready to play whatever music was available from his world at the time. It otherwise is quiet. Standing at the doorway after closing it, Cloud cocks a brow while his ears just...continue to flop, not standing upright.

Why was she apologizing? ...ponders the guy who would have probably done the exact thing that she did even if he did nothing wrong. As he closes the distance between them, he takes a scan of his room with his gaze. ]

Oh, uh, yeah. I picked up one of these birdboxes a while back. A lot more on key than I thought it'd be.

[ Standing with her closer to his bed, he finds his cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red again. With that itch of his scratched, he felt a little bit awkward too. Doing everything in the bedroom was...different. Then again, if he still lived alone, he might have felt more comfortable taking this out to the living room. Or actually going out somewhere with her. But then she breaks the ice ha when she asks about his hair. And this time it's his turn to look at her wide-eyed. ]

Me? [ Under normal circumstances, he might have declined. But...these weren't normal circumstances anymore. They haven't been for the past few months. There's a lot to talk about still. That much he's aware of. As much as they'd enjoyed themselves before, there was still the pressing matter at hand of why he was put into this state in the first place. With a much-needed sigh, the tension leaves his shoulders and his tone softens. He's the first to sit down on the bed, looking up to her again.

...with those damp wolf ears of his and his drooped hair. ]

Sure. Go for it.

Edited 2019-12-01 09:14 (UTC)

[ Cloud's response gives her the signal that it's okay to go back to the bed. She does, climbing onto the mattress to get behind him and take one of the towels from his shoulder. She unfolds it before laying it on his head, not enough for it to obscure his vision. Her hands start to squeeze parts of his hair over the towel. It's not painful, in fact, the tips of her fingers even include a gentle massage while she's at it. ]

I got a birdbox, too. It's actually nice to listen to music from home.

[ Because she does love music a lot. Still being connected to Remnant's music while she's running away from the world is nice. ]

Do you sing?

[ She knows he's never seen a play until he watched the one she was in, but that's far from what she's asking. It's nice to talk about something like this. Weiss may be cold and distant and mostly awkward at times, but... she does want to get to know Cloud better. The times they've spent together regardless of intimacy weren't just for nothing. She does see him as someone she likes spending time with. He really would have figured out that she's not interested in even becoming friends that day when they first met, after she'd lost to him. Cloud would have met no one else but the Ice Queen then.

Not to mention... as quiet as he is, and as dorky and dumb as he can be, he's pretty cute. Of course she wants to know more about him. :) ]

[ The towel gives a little 'fwump' of sorts when she lays it on his head. It might not have obscured his vision, but he still couldn't look over his shoulder without risking it falling off his head. His ears twitch a little bit beneath the cover until her hands start to move through parts of his hair. Just so he'd have better balance, Cloud crosses his legs as he sits more upright for her.

He's also very grateful for the fact that he's facing away from her now, so that she didn't have see his slightly flustered cheeks. After the first couple of rubs, he even starts to notice how tender her touch was while still being enough to get the work done.

That...felt really good, actually. It's a different kind of intimacy, one that comes from an honest place as he listens to her talk about her own birdbox. ]

....... [ Cloud? Do you sing? ] Mm? Oh. [ Sorry he, kind of zoned out for a second there. One thing that the huntress would discover was that it wasn't just his lupine ears that were sensitive, but having his hair played with left his head tingling. He perks up a bit, giving a collective hum in thought. ]

Not well. [ Steve Burton raps and Takahiro Sakurai has the voice of a smooth criminal but shhhh. ] I like to listen, though.

[ Speaking of music, that reminds him. He hasn't shared this with many people here yet. ]

But I've been trying to pick up the piano again.

[ Oh! He plays the piano. That's a nice surprise, but she decides to keep the bit about how she's also a pianist to herself. She doesn't want to make this about her! ]

Here? You should get a piano.

[ Nevermind that pianos are expensive... That part, she doesn't bring up because it doesn't occur to her at all.

Instead, she focuses on what she's doing—drying Cloud's hair with the towel, a gentle head massage included just because she feels the need to make sure he's okay. He is, and it shows, but it just doesn't feel like she's finished with why she's here in the first place. ]

How do you feel, by the way?

[ Had she mentioned playing the piano to him, Cloud wouldn't have minded. By his own admittance, it's not like he had too much time to play back home. ~~HIs version of "jamming on it" was probably just above single finger key pressing.~~ ]

Thought about it. But where to put it...

[ As far as Cloud was concerned, it was either spend his Chroma on his training/fighting, or...well. Saving up for the next big thing after he finally gets his motorcycle. Like a piano.

As far as how he felt right now? A little bit spoiled. He feels like being more honest with her. ]

Better. [ "Mm." ] A lot better. [ When her hand moves over the edges of his wolf ears, he lets out a soft, quiet sigh. ]

You're really good at this.

[ His hair. He means that. /// But also lowkey don't stop rubbing his ears? ]

There's so much room in here.

[ He can keep it in his room! That way, he'll be the only one using it? Weiss even looks around for a spot where a piano can fit, pausing in her massage as she visualises how Cloud's room would look with some more furniture to it.

She continues, finally, when he says she's good at what she's doing though. It makes her laugh a little, and she gives his ear a firmer rub... without the towel in the way this time. His hair is still a little damp, but this part is mostly dry now. ]

I guess... it's because I go to the puppy cafe often.

[ So she's had training in how to pet dogs??? She supposes that's it. ]

[ If there's one thing he can thank Panty for (THANKING her? crazy. but listen,) it was giving him a proverbial kick in the ass to actually fill his apartment with more things. Cloud still had a ways to go to give it more of that "lived in" vibe from his end, but...guess he was gonna be scoping out a piano in the near future. ]

Huh? Sounds nice, but...what does..... [ "...a puppy cafe have to do with this?" the question tapers off when he realizes what she means. Not to mention with her delicate fingers playing with his ear directly. He makes a small noise in his throat that almost sounds like a strained whine, but oh-so-quiet. ...his ear twitches, causing the now fluffier appendage to flop a bit beneath her touch. ]

Oh. Real funny.

[ ... what a weak protest. Especially made weaker by the fact that while he doesn't outright press against her hand, Cloud's head is leaning ever so subtly against it without his realizing it. ]

I'm not trying to be funny this time!

[ But she is laughing, at least... With Cloud feeling better, she has one less thing to worry about.

And since he seems to be enjoying, she sets the towel down to give his other wolf ear a gentle rub, too. Gotta keep the treatment equal! ]

It looks like you like it. No complaining.

[ If this were most of anyone else or somewhere public, he might have been far more embarrassed. But right now, she's got him pegged. And there's nothing he can do about it. Woe is him. His hair doesn't ~~completely~~ follow some kind of anime/video game logic, so when she pulls the towel off his head, his hair doesn't magically bounce back into place. It's still spiky and soft, but...oh man it lost a lot of volume. ]

I...! [ ... .... ] Yeah...

[ He just sounds. So defeated. But then, he lets out a soft, brief chuckle of his own too. ]

I ain't thumping my foot this time.

[ Weiss would be embarrassed if she were in his shoes. She really shouldn't be acting like she's got it together... but her mood's gotten a little better. That's why she's able to joke around, to smile a little, and even do so much for another person.

She's not embarrassed right now, though. She feels like she's got Cloud right where she wants him. He's got no reason to complain or say no to her. After all, she did just... "help" him. ]

Even if you did, you don't have to worry.

[ With Cloud's back facing her, he wouldn't really see and expect what happens next. She leans forward to place a soft kiss against one of his ears. ]

I can keep a secret.

[ Easy for her to say she wasn't embarrassed! They didn't have to stare at each other while she was petting the wolf man! Which was making it a lot easier for him to blush up a storm and not get called out for it. Unless he turned around. ...or maybe she knew exactly what this kind of attention was going to do to him anyway.

From the day they met at the tournament, she only continued to surprise him. She was stubborn, determined, and...in her own way, not one to compromise. If there was something that she wanted to do, she was going to carry it out. That's what Cloud had come to understand about her. Nothing would stop her from deciding to thank him with a kiss on the cheek that day in Obscuria. Or make the most out of being chained together. Even now, after coming to him in such dire straits, she's making short work of his composure again.

And there he is, nary a real complaint at the end of it all. ]

Ah-

[ !?! He must have zoned out slightly because the sudden feeling and sound of his ear getting kissed sends a shiver down his spine. His eyes widen and...yup. That's definitely Cloud making a weak little squawk, words failing him as his breath catches in his throat.

...'kay, now his heart is beating a little faster. The Sanguis moon's pull on him has waned a little, so his reaction is...honestly very genuine. And now his face feels all kinds of warm, lifting the back of his hand up to touch one of his cheeks before clearing his throat. It's a good thing that he's got fluffy wolf ears and not human ones right now. Otherwise she'd see how red they've become. It may have caught him off guard, but he... ...no. That was too embarrassing. He wasn't going to ask her to do that again. But what he can do, is finally say something he should have said a while ago. ]

Thank you.

[ She's not sure what he's thanking him for, really, but it makes her smile nonetheless. She thinks she's done good— so, ]

You're welcome.

[ Whether it's being here or helping him or drying his hair, she's... honestly glad to help out. Years of loneliness will get you craving for these kinds of things. Even just a simple thank you gets her chest beating fast, feeling fulfilled, even. It gets her sitting on her feet rather than kneeling on the mattress. She rests her head on his back with a heavy sigh. ]

Aura and Chroma are... sort of the same. If you don't have any left, it's dangerous. You could die.

[ Weiss begins softly, hands playing with the edge of her skirt while she's seated behind him. ]

And having your Aura activated drains all your Chroma. I don't know how many people here know that, but even if Raven knew, I don't think she would have told you. She's not a good person. She left Yang when she was still a baby. She also kidnapped me. As far as I'm concerned, she's an enemy.

... I wouldn't want any of my friends near her.

[ Her voice tapers off until it's silent in the room again. She's not really sure if she should continue, but she thinks she has something to tell him, too. ]

I'm sorry for yelling at you.

[ Just as Cloud opens his mouth to say something, the light weight of her head resting against his back hits him. Blinking curiously, he looks over his shoulder, unable to see her face as she lets out a heavy sigh. Cloud doesn't speak for the entire time that she explains to him the link between Aura and Chroma. So it was like exerting oneself too far in battle. Like the time he faced the dark titan across the Nothing with Marie and Sanson. Cloud nearly pushed himself to the point of no return in that fight. And that was before he even had access to this newfound ability.

Weiss' voice, soft as it was, reaches him very clearly as he looks straight ahead. He figured out the hard way (though by his own admittance, he was the one who sought this out upon learning about it) what it did to his Chroma reserves. If he'd delayed getting help any longer, chances were he'd wind up flaking with crystalline marks across his body. ]

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

[ Weiss... Now that he thinks about the way she reacted when he explained both his Aura being unlocked and who did it, it all makes perfect sense to him. The way she suddenly pulled him to her chest and embraced him... Cloud really had her worried, didn't he? Had the shoe been on the other foot somehow, and the prospect of Weiss being left on the brink of death was on the table... God, how would he react? She's caught a glimpse into his past before. He's seen what her supposed fate was to be on Remnant. He was tired. Tired of losing what he cared about. And yet he could run off and do something stupid, even if it was for someone else's sake.

The hypocrisy was real- yet deep down there was a part of him that would still do something risky for someone like her. He has a lot to think about when it comes to Raven, what she did to her daughter and to Weiss. Nothing she says to him has gone to waste. The person he's seen and the person that's being described to him now...

Well, what Cloud does know, is who he can trust. And that was the girl at his back, apologizing for yelling at him earlier. He wants to come back with something self-berating or lighthearted like how he deserved it; fair enough he felt that all things considered, she was 100% in the right. But right now, he has to return the favour- something he decides to do by scooching around on his butt. Not away from her, but so he's halfway facing her, leaning back on one of his hands. ]

And... I'm sorry I made you worry.

[ When their eyes meet, he's all too aware of how close she is to him. Rather than let that silence carry between them however, he leans in before even realizing it, until his lips meet hers with a soft kiss. ]

Edited 2019-12-03 09:15 (UTC)

[ Being this close would really be weird and embarrassing with another person, but when Cloud shifts and turns to face her, it's almost as if it's natural. Whatever she was feeling earlier to the point that she had to apologise for looking around in his room is gone. She's honestly a lot more at ease now.

She doesn't know what Cloud is thinking. There's no way to, without him saying anything, but it feels like her breath's been taken away when he kisses her.

The kiss lingers despite being soft and gentle, and Weiss makes no motion to refuse it, but she also doesn't chase after it. She's perfectly content with it being short. It still packs a lot of meaning, and her lips curl into a small smile against his before she pulls away. ]

You should get some rest soon. I'm sure you need it.

[ Truthfully, Cloud didn't have a reason for why he decided to kiss her again. He might have been emboldened by the ruby glow that spreads across the clouds tonight. But maybe...he just felt like it. The insatiable desire from before was gone, leaving him to pull away just after Weiss does.

...huh. Maybe he could afford to actually show that bravado more often. Maybe.

Cloud felt much better. The only tinge of fatigue he feels came from what they were doing in the first place. If push came to shove, he could honestly stay up. But there's little fight in him on that front anyways. It's just a suggestion from her, and... ]

Mm. It's getting late... [ He's going to take her advice. But when he spares a glance back to his doorway, a hint of a frown crosses his lips. Something about this...doesn't feel right. Like there was still something missing. ~~"Can I stay the night?"~~ Sending her away wasn't right. ...no. He didn't want to. The sheets beneath his hand ball up into a gentle fist. ] Hey... [ He speaks up as he looks back to Weiss. ]

[ Well, Cloud? Is this what the moon wants? ...or what you want? ]

You wanna stay the night?

I'm—

[ "not sure that's appropriate" would have been Weiss' initial response, but. . . at this point, Weiss doesn't really care much. At least, when Cloud is concerned, anyway. She literally came here to moonlace with him because he said he didn't have any Chroma.

Besides, what reason did she have back then when she asked to stay the night? Because the Cordis Moon was out? Yeah... but that's not really a valid reason, is it? Does she need one now?

. . . well, of course she does. It's not like she can be okay with it for no reason!! That would just out her as being comfortable with Cloud. That's embarrassing. ]

I got here past 9... I guess it's gotten late now. [ Thaaaat's a yes. ] You're going to have to lend me a shirt, though.

[ If any sense of relief washes over him, Cloud doesn't show it on the surface. He's just glad that she came to the same conclusion that he did. Sometimes there were things better left unsaid. ~~So they can nag his brain later. 🙃~~

Speaking of being comfortable though...! ]

Yeah something tells me that's not a sleeping skirt, [ he replies as he slides off the bed to head for his dresser. ~~It's a combat skirt, Cloud.~~ Besides the claws, fangs and lupine ears atop his head, Cloud seems relatively normal now. Relaxed and calm, like her request was second nature to him.

Even for something so little, it was his turn to look after her. A shirt? He'll do her one better. Aaand- ]

Bingo, [ He says quietly to himself, pulling out a cotton pyjama set with matching top and bottom, and a dark flannel pattern that he'll bring over for Weiss. ] Here. This should do the trick.

Edited 2019-12-04 07:33 (UTC)

[ Weiss gets up when Cloud seems ready to hand over clothes to her. She's not really sure if the pants will fit her, but she takes the pyjamas and excuses herself to the bathroom after that.

It doesn't take long for her to come back later on though. It's just the button-down top she's wearing, and it falls on her like a short dress rather than a shirt. It's still too short for an actual dress though, most of her legs exposed and if she bent over just a little bit, her panties, too.

Her dress hangs by her arm, as well as her bra, and the pants that match the top she has on now. No run in with Panty on the way back, too. Good for her. ]

The pants are a little too big for me.

[ There's a brief instance where his brain thinks that she might actually change in the room with him. If she did, he was prepared to turn around and...honestly have a hard time getting that mental image out of his skull anyway. Stripping down or changing clothes in front of someone when it didn't have to do with sex was...well alright. Comfy as the two had become around each other? That's still "u-uh...hoo boy" territory. Just because his Chroma levels were stable again, doesn't mean there's some magical "off" switch for his moon cycle!

So imagine his relief when Weiss excuses herself to change outside again. When she leaves, there's a flickering moment where his head feels like it's throbbing ever so subtly. It wasn't painful or anything- just enough of a reminder for the acerbic swordsman to mentally scold himself. Calm down...calm down... Sanguis wouldn't win ~~again~~. Not while Cloud was in charge and-- ]

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

[ Oh. She didn't...wear the pants. There's...nothing on but what he can only imagine is her panties. With her hair down, Weiss catches Cloud like a deer in the headlights. For about a couple seconds before he realizes he's staring. ~~Because. Damn?~~ Maybe asking her to stay the night was tempting fate a little too hard. A couple quick blinks later and he snaps out of it and clears his throat. Don't comment on her legs. Or her hips. Or the fact that one bend in any direction was gonna give him a "sneak peek". ]

Well at least you got the shirt you asked for. [ As he says this, he closes the distance across the room to her. He's got a closet where he can hang her dress in. Better than having it crumpled on the floor or hanging off a bed knob or something, even if she just moonlaced with him while wearing it. ]

I can take those for you.

Oh, sure.

[ Did she just catch him staring? She definitely did. Were the Cordis moon out right now, she'd totally be flaunting her assets and then some. Maybe even sway her hips some more as she walks (she already does, normally, after all).

But... she doesn't think anything wrong with it. Cloud's seen more of what she's exposing now. He even asked her to stay the night, so she doesn't consider how she looks and the current predicament of her body to be indecent. It's not... is it?

At the very least, with Cloud offering to take her clothes from her, she doesn't have to tiptoe to hang them somewhere. That would be bad??? Good??????? And now that she's handed over her dress and the pyjama pants to him, she's left with her bra. Which... makes this a little awkward now. ]

I can take care of this.

[ She'll just... grab that back and give a sheepish grin his way because okay akjalf he can look at her legs all he likes but this one is different??? ]

[ Weiss certainly did have a lowkey, if not sophisticated, swagger to her step. It's the little blessings that had Cloud grateful that she wasn't blessed by Cordis right now. Part of him wouldn't be able to handle the teasing, let alone her pheromones and burning through Chroma. He'd be filling her up all night at that rate. ...with Chroma. Sheesh.

When she takes back her bra with a sheepish grin, Cloud gives a small, knowing and somewhat apologetic smile of his own. The kind that screams an unspoken "whoops". It's enough that he can't help nervously laughing. Pause. Aaand he goes to hang up her dress in his closet before it got weird! He takes a little extra time with the dress, feeling the soft fabric beneath his fingertips as he smooths any potential crinkles out.

He's shown before that he's surprisingly good with dresses. Wonder why... Giving a satisfied little 'Mm', he shuts the closet before turning around to Weiss again.

Saved. ]

Anything else I can get you?

[ Because if not, he's gonna. Try to sleep. Emphasis on try, because she's in the process of awakening a side of him he didn't even know existed- finding out she pulls the "wearing the guy's shirt" look off too damn well. Indecent wouldn't be the word Cloud used to describe her current state.

...

He also wouldn't use the word sexy. But guess which one he's thinking. /// ]

[ Weiss actually goes to open the closet and hang her bra on the hanger with her dress, before shutting it, leaning back against the door ever so tightly. Oops. You saw nothing, Cloud, and that wasn't awkward at all. ]

No, I'm fine. Thank you.

[ She shakes her head quickly before passing a smile his way. Once she's done guarding her clothes in his closet, she walks over to his bed and gets under the covers. She pulls the blanket over her legs as she sits down on the side of the bed that she's claimed hers for the night. Look... she may as well get comfortable if he invited her to stay over!! This is completely natural. ]

It's time to sleep.

[ Cloud is quick to step out of the way when she opens the closet and hangs her bra with her dress too. Oh, he saw. Yet...this kind of awkward feeling was...different from before. It's the kind that leaves him sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck in response to her. It was clear that the blond didn't...do this often. Not like this anyway.

When her back is turned to him and she moves to get under the covers, he silently claps his cheeks as if that would sober his Sanguis tendencies. Maybe it does? ... A little? But he doesn't wait to get in bed with her either. Surely they both had plans for tomorrow. At first he sits down beside her, tugging the blanket up over his legs too. But it isn't long before he scoots a little further down on the bed so that he can flop back with a soft bounce. ]

...

[ He blows some bangs away from his eyes as he lays on his back beside her, one arm resting over his head with a long breath out. Cloud can talk a big talk, and it's true that he could stay awake. But now that he's here at Weiss' side, down on a soft mattress and a pillow under his head... His eyelids suddenly start growing heavier. One thing was certain, his nerves from earlier were ebbing away with each passing second, enough so that he gives one last gentle sigh of resignation through his nose, closing his eyes with a smile. ]

Good night.

[ Weiss switches the lights off before dipping down under the sheets and resting her head against the pillow. She's honestly pretty tired, even after all that moonlacing from earlier. Today was a pretty long day, after all. She just came from a show!

But tomorrow is another day, and she doesn't have to start early. It's fine if she takes a break once in a while, which is why she didn't even make an excuse that she has work tomorrow or anything. The only hesitation she had when it came to saying yes to staying the night was that it seemed a little inappropriate. All is fine now, though. ]

Good night, Cloud.

[ She says it softly before she turns to face the other way as she closes her eyes. It doesn't take long for her to fall asleep, but she does end up moving a little in the middle of the night until she's facing him. ]

[ Cloud takes a little longer to fall asleep- he can thank the nagging heat coursing through his body for that. Besides his lack of Chroma, at least this was a better alternative than what he would normally do at this time of night; that's to go out seeking fights. All this time he spent thinking he'd get too restless and leave to clear his head... ]

z z z . . .

[ ...aaand he's out like a light before he consciously realizes it. Talk a big talk, but he's more tired than he lets on. That's usually the case for him without the moons too. He isn't the type to move too much during the night. But usually there's not another warm body in bed with him. So...plans change. For once, he doesn't actually wake up in the middle of the night. He's not much of a snorer either, gently breathing.

It's an uneventful, peaceful evening. Probably one of the most peaceful in recent memory for the usually restless swordsman. That might have to do with what starts as the arm over his head slowly falling down to brush against hers. ...and then turning in his sleep until he's facing her too. His heightened senses listen to the sound of her breathing, the subtle trickling of Chroma from their arms brushing against each other coaxing him to come a little closer.

It's a lesson he learned from Weiss from the day they met. Moonlacing was a wonderful feeling. But it always came with a price. The littlest of things wasn't enough- very hard to give up. The body wanted more. Craves the Chroma that the touch of another can provide. ]

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

[ Her scent, her breathing, his leg rubbing against hers... Cloud is completely unaware of everything. While he doesn't do anything like throw his arm over Weiss' body, Cloud falls into an even deeper sleep at her side, arm resting against hers. ]

Edited 2019-12-06 02:56 (UTC)

[ After the recent events that have happened in Remnant, Weiss has become a light sleeper. You can't exactly sleep comfortably when you're sleeping on the ground, after all. Plus, you always have to be ready for battle. Even with the six months she's been here, her body's adjusted far too much that she's still that way even up to now.

But perhaps she's exhausted, or perhaps it's because of how comfortable the Chroma trickling in is, that she doesn't stir in her sleep. She's comfortable like this, even dreaming about something nice and peaceful and relaxing and she's deep into the story of it. It's gotten a little warm though, that much she can feel, and it makes her kick the blankets down a little. If it continues, she might kick the blankets off altogether. ]

[ It took two years of Cloud sleeping in a normal bed for him somewhat get used to a better sleep. ...granted those two years were also spent overcoming facets of past guilt. But that's another story altogether. One he'd intentionally buried and moved beyond. His dreams had a tendency to either be something nonsensical, or influenced by something that recently happened to him. ...if it wasn't a nightmare.

What he dreams about is, fortunately, not the latter. It's a familiar white forest Cloud finds himself wandering through. He's alone. Isolated. But there's one key difference from before. It's snowing, and there's a faint chill in the air as the blond sets forth through the forest of the Ancients. Surrounded by ethereally glowing trees, the dream continues until he finds himself at the edge of a body of water. There's something nostalgic about this place...something that gets him to gently smile to himself, even if he doesn't say anything. Sitting at the water's surface, he closes his eyes...

...to open them at the sight of a wolf sitting across the pond. It's funny. He stopped dreaming about that wolf a long time ago. So why was it here again? This must have been Sanguis' doing. His brow furrows at the sight, only to blink and find that the wolf disappears again. Deciding it was time to go, he gets up as he checks his reflection in the water's surface. ]

...?

[ Something else was off about the star-kissed sky. Craning his head back, Cloud is perplexed by what he sees.

The moon...? It's strange. For some reason, he finds himself unable to look away, his sense of wonder only offset by the subtle unease at the sight. Where did he hear about this before? Wherever it's from, there's not much time to contemplate it as soft footsteps reach his ears from behind- back in the forest of glowing white trees when he spots a girl wandering out of his view.

Weiss...?

The rest of the dream is spent just barely missing the flow of white hair as they disappear behind another tree. When he rounds the corner, she's gone again. Another shiver wracks his body as the serene scene continues, unaware of the fact that the blankets were getting kicked down bit by bit in the real world. Which lends itself to Cloud subconsciously moving in closer to Weiss as he softly sighs in his sleep. ]

Edited 2019-12-06 04:20 (UTC)

[ It's the continued warmth that finally wakes Weiss up. By now, the blankets are on the floor. She opens her eyes, grumbling a little, because as far as she's concerned, it's not yet time to wake up.

There's not much to see in the dark though, but with one sense having booted up, the rest of her senses begin to work again, too. She feels something on her, which she recognises as his arm. She can feel him breathing close to her while he's sound asleep. Maybe another time, Weiss would have a reaction with more energy, but at this time, she doesn't really do anything about it. Instead, she lifts his arm so she can roll and face the other way, then plops his arm back on her.

After that? She goes back to sleep. It's way too early for this... ]

[ His wolf ears give a little twitch when he can subtly feel his body shifting. The night sky fades to black as the scene unfolding in his dream comes to a close...and by the time he wakes up, Weiss has already fallen back asleep. He lifts his head, feeling heavier than usual as he realizes that while her back is to him, she's...effectively pressed up against him at the same time, his arm like a proverbial security blanket wrapped over her. ]

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

[ Cloud, however, was in the same frame of mind that Weiss was in. And that's to fall right back asleep with her. The arm that's draped over her settles around her waist, as his other arm gets comfy, partially slid beneath the corner of Weiss' pillow. A sign that he's completely relaxed? Those ears go limp atop his head, his face partially buried against the back of her hair as her scent soothes him further.

For how aggressive he was when she first came over, the larger blond was rather gentle with her. He's also aware of the fact that he's flat-out cuddling her at this point. ~~First spoon? First spoon.~~ Cloud also doesn't care. This is nice. And he's too lazy to get out of bed to get the blankets back. The amount of Chroma he's giving and receiving on the other hand...

Well. Even without the blanket, at least getting cozy with a Sanguis was a nice alternative. ]

[ Weiss doesn't wake up again after that, her sleep being peaceful and tranquil as the night continues on. Not even just the night. When morning comes, Weiss is still in the same position she'd put herself in some time in the middle of the night. Her breathing's just fine, body not at all being squished, and she's totally comfortable. With the sun up, the only thing left is for her to finally get out of bed to start the day, but when she rolls on her back to stretch a little, she feels her legs ache as if she's ran five marathons without stopping.

It gets her to let out a soft "ow", and she shimmies from under Cloud's arm so she can sit up. Only moving her legs when just to do that hurts too. Her body's sore, and it's not even something that she can heal with her Aura. ~~Must be because of how her legs were positioned for some time last night...~~ She has half a mind to blame Cloud for it, but when the guy's sleeping so peacefully next to her like this, it makes it difficult to!! Damn wolf ears making him look like a dog...

She's at least going to will him awake by pouting at his general sleeping direction, though!!! ]

[ The rest of Cloud's night was just as serene. If he's dreamt of anything else, he's already forgotten what it was about. The subtle shifting out from under his arm causes him to stir. No longer holding her from behind, it causes him to roll over onto his back. He's awake too, just beginning to stir as his eyes scrunch. Cloud can only fight his body's desire to get up for so long...and subconsciously resist the glaring pout of a certain huntress. ]

z z z . . .

[ Twitch twitch go the wolf ears again as his eyes flutter open. With a groan under his breath, he sits upright, arching his back before sighing with relief. The room is a lot brighter now. He must have been out like a light for a while. ]

Morning— [ ...oh. ] —Weiss?

[ That can't be good. Rubbing at one of his eyes, he tries to get a yawn out of his system quickly as he rests back on one of his hands. ]

How'd...you sleep?

Edited 2019-12-06 08:00 (UTC)

[ It's a little difficult to outright say that her body hurts?? She looks away when he says her name, but her gaze is only away from his for a few seconds. ]

Good enough.

[ It was comfortable!! It was a little hot but kicking off the blankets did the trick. ]

My legs just hurt a little.

[ She could get a little more specific than that. It's her thighs that hurt, and once she stands up to walk? She's definitely going to feel it a lot more. Too bad she won't say it, though. But she does, say the following: ]

It's all your fault.

[ :T At least it's not said with any anger or irritation. But there's a secret "now you have to make up for it" there... ]

Your legs?

[ He repeats her words as his deep blue gaze drifts down to her legs. That's right. She wasn't wearing anything under his shirt but her panties right now. Cloud thinks she got too cold and now they were sore because of that. ...for about two seconds before it clicks. Legs didn't get achy because of no blankets.

...

Oh. Oh. Reflections of the night before race through his mind. A mingling of moans, hands all over the other, but most importantly...when she told him that it hurt. His claws were one thing, but riding him as long as she did, not to mention the passionately rough pace they chased...ah. So that's what she meant by it being his fault. And with the faux threat to kill him. Cloud's cheeks are dusted pink, caught between guilt and...well. It'd be a couple days yet before the Sanguis cycle was finished. ]

Hmm...

[ That settles it. Before they do anything else today, he's not about to let her out of bed just to be walking sore. Without another word, he rolls over to his nightstand on his side of the bed, opening the drawer as a lustrous green orb rolls to the front. There. That'll do the trick. ]

Here. [ There's no real formalities when it came to using Materia. Not with his degree of expertise... His eyes settle on the sphere in his hand before moving back in by Weiss' side. If she has any questions for him while he does this, he'll answer her. But for now... ] Let me help.

[ With the Materia in one hand, calmly swirling with energy on the inside, and the other gently resting atop her thigh, he closes his eyes to concentrate. He controls the power of the stone, enough that casting the spell wouldn't be some theatrical display. With his hand upon her as he does this, it would be at its most potent. He breathes out, and the regen spell is cast. Ethereal green lights twinkle around her body as a new sensation would come over her.

Warmth. But not the suffocating kind that had her kicking the blankets off in the night. It's not instantaneous either. Slow...very slow waves of soothing warmth that wash over her body. Every time it would ebb away, it'd leave her body feeling less and less of that pain from before. This was going to continue for a little while... ]

...

[ He opens his eyes , his hand still lingering on her bare thigh when he realizes just how close they were again. It took most if not all of his willpower not to do something last night when she called him to bed. But here...it just feels right. At least, it's a good way to start his apology, planting another soft, lingering kiss upon her lips. ]

What?

[ How can he help? And then he turns and pulls out an orb, and her attention immediately zeroes in on it. It looks like Dust, in a way. Clear and of a single colour, it's almost like a real crystal, but Weiss is able to tell there's more to it than that just by looking at it.

Cloud does his thing, and Weiss just observes. He wouldn't do anything now that would endanger her, so she leaves it up to him without interruption. Though admittedly, she's very curious as to how this would work and as to how the body pain she's feeling will go away. Dust can't do any of that, after all. They just provide energy.

The hand on her thigh is cold at first, and it makes her tense up a little. It's the blankets... had Cloud slept with blankets on, then maybe his entire body wouldn't be cold. . . Weiss relaxes eventually at least, when his hand warms up against her skin. And she relaxes even more when she begins to feel the effects of the regen spell.

It's nothing similar to what she's experienced before, and it makes her look from one side to another because it feels like she's sparkling a different light. Her Aura is light blue, but there are green lights around her that disappear and reappear at a different spot every other second. That's when her eyes meet blue, not green this time, and she's about to say something when his lips are on hers, soft like the morning sun, and warm like the breeze on a summer's day. Weiss' eyes close when she kisses back, gentle like the first drop of snow in winter, placing her hand atop his on her thigh. ]

[ It's much like last night, except slower and far more tempered. When she kisses him back, the moment continues on as his hold on the Materia wanes, leaving it to sit behind him. Maybe it's the pleasant buzz in his head from having just woken up from a peaceful rest, but her lips seem softer than before. Instinctively, not wanting to pull away, he draws in her scent before gently sighing against her mouth.

He intended for this to be a simple kiss accompanied by an apology.

Maybe another morning greeting. But it's clear with the way his fingers trail towards the inside of her thigh, while slowly deepening the kiss, that the initial plan was being changed on the fly. Last night may have been incredible, but not without its hiccups- hiccups that made him all too aware of his own strength (and penchant for losing control). As far as Cloud was concerned...he still had a lot of "making up" to do. With the memory of her scent fresh in his mind from last night, and being reminded of it oh-so-prominently now... ]

Haa...

[ Though Cloud's the one to break the kiss, it didn't mean that he had any plan of stopping. Starting with the corner of her mouth, then peppering her jawline. He's taking it slow, but...is he progressively getting lower? ]

[ Even if Weiss acts like this, she wouldn't be here if the thought of moonlacing with him disgusted her. It could get a little unexpected or unwanted at times, but she does like his kisses enough that she'd kiss him back if she felt like it. She certainly felt like it now, but if asked why, she wouldn't be able to explain.

It just seemed like the right thing to do... ]

Isn't it— [ Her voice is soft, a little whiny, if ever. ] A little early for this?

[ She's craning her neck anyway... Weiss, what even are you. . . ]

[ A lot of this was the Sanguis moon ramping his urges up, making them that much easier to listen to. Besides...for what he was starting to have in mind, Weiss wouldn't have to do a thing. More soothing waves of magic would continue to roll over her, only accentuated by the trail his kisses leave behind. By the time Weiss is speaking up, the blond's lips are already along her neck, lingering there as he gently sucks and kisses her. ]

Mm.

[ Maybe it was a little early. Normally he wouldn't be so bold this early in the morning; catch him during his cycle or around the likes of a Cordis however... This is where he ends up. With Weiss' neck craning in response, he gives a content little hum. Around the same time, his fingers move a little higher up her leg. Higher until he's brushing against the corner of her panties. Gently flirting with the waistband while he continues to lavish attention against her throat. ]

I'm returning the favour.

[ With a light scrape of his teeth against her skin, he sucks the mark to sooth it before leaving with another kiss. If Weiss had any concerns about the blond leaving a hickey behind, they'd be remedied rather swiftly. Another calm, healing wave rolls through around the same time Cloud begins his descent down her front, over her exposed collarbone. It's tempting to unbutton the front of her shirt so he can give her breasts the same attention, but he's still intent on moving a little lower. Before he can do so however, he draws back just a bit, the soft glow of his mako-infused eyes seeking hers out as he shifts on the bed.

At the same time, he coaxes her legs to spread just a little as he moves to nestle himself between them, using his free hand to support himself at her eye level. She can lay back or stay just as she was- either way, Cloud was going to keep going, this time planting kisses down the front of her body over the thin fabric of his pyjama top she wore. Softer...lower...

Cloud's fully aware of where he's going with this now. ]

[ It's definitely still too early. Weiss may wake up early most of the time, but she's tired and still groggy and her brain's still not functioning the way it normally does. It's why her body decides to do the thinking, and with the Chroma it's receiving and this... magical relaxing-healing spell Cloud's put on her, she can only follow and want more of it.

Cloud's hot breath and his hands warming her up are a huge contrast from how it actually feels in the room, and she's drawn to the heat like a moth to a flame. Her body's definitely starting to warm up too. It's just kisses being peppered down her body and over the shirt she has on, but it's getting her nipples erect and breasts sensitive enough that it's making her crave for touch.

When she moves her legs, folding them a little, she can feel the soreness hit her again and it gets her to wince and hiss through her teeth. It's not as bad as how it was when she stretched earlier, but it still hurts enough that she hangs her head back and closes her eyes. If she had an idea of what Cloud wanted to do, she'd be sinking down back on the bed, but she doesn't, so... ]

Mm, fine... [ He can do whatever he wants. Though she does follow up with a request— ] Just not too rough.

[ With what Cloud had in mind now, it was probably best that it was the body that was doing the thinking for her right now anyways. He's just about to cup and caress one of her perky breasts through the buttoned shirt of hers when she winces and hisses through her teeth. He stops, but not with the intent of leaving her or abandoning taking care of her as he draws his gaze back to her own.

It still hurts, then? There's a soft look to his eyes, a sheepish expression crossing his face. He's never actually guided someone like this before, but he staves off any embarrassment from speaking up when he reacts to the heat her own body begins giving off. Cloud may not be sorry for what happened last night, but he had every intention of making good on giving her the attention she deserved.

To her request, he leans in for another kiss as he retorts. ]

Nothing rough about this.

[ His kiss is short and sweet, but there's so much promise behind it as he pulls back and breathes against her lips, ]

Go ahead and lay back.

[ This time he skips the slow descending kisses where he's already been, shuffling his body down until he's partially on his stomach, supporting himself on a forearm in front of her. All she'd be able to see was a soft mess of spiky gold bangs, veiling his gaze as he plants kisses from her stomach down, his other hand coaxing her to spread her legs. Pulling the fabric of her shirt up a little, his lips are on her bare skin again, just above her panties as his breath feels warm with each gentle sigh that escapes him. ]

[ The direction is more than appreciated, and she finds herself following what she's told. Slowly, she lowers herself back on the mattress so that her head can rest on the pillow. She shifts accordingly so she doesn't accidentally knee him in the face, making sure that there's space for both her and him on the bed.

Her heart is racing. With how quiet it is in the room, the lazy morning atmosphere in place, she's pretty sure Cloud would be able to hear her pulse and every breath she takes.

She does prop herself up on her elbows though to look at him. It's a little cold, with her skin exposed, but where Cloud is is warm, and she's actually looking forward to that warmth being spread throughout her body. One thing from her view, though... ]

Your hair's a mess.

[ Said oh so fondly. She may as well try to lighten the mood especially since she was the one upset earlier. Not to mention, he wants to make it up to her!! She wants him to know that she's receptive to the idea of it. ]

[ Luckily, the bed was long enough that with only a little bit of adjusting, he's laying comfortably enough so as to not hang off the bed. Though truth be told, this was the first time he was ever doing this for someone in the bedroom. As for her hastening heart, under normal circumstances? He may not have picked up on it beyond the way she breathed. But his Sanguis-fueled senses, heightened and enamored with the pulsing heat of her body, can feel it all.

Soon enough, he'd be able to taste it all too. He only stops momentarily when she makes light of the mess of his hair. Messier than usual. Having dried up more overnight, it's retained some of its spikier nature again, but it's far from set in place as it usually was. But from where he's laying, he doesn't lift his head up to look up at her. Not entirely as his soft blue eyes are only faintly visibly beneath his messy bangs. ]

Hmph.

[ He smirks, breathing hotly against her skin as he retorts back- oh so fondly, ]

Feel free to fix that.

[ A soft tease that she had free rein to play with his hair. He wasn't sure how she would react or where her hands would go, but...he'd find out shortly as his fingers gently pull the crotch of her panties off to the side. He kisses lower, lower...until the soft sound of his lips over her entrance follows, far more gentle than he was the night before. One of his hands roams up, trailing the side of her hip before brushing across her stomach as he starts slow.

His tongue slowly drags from the bottom of her folds up, gently breathing against her before rolling the tip of his tongue over her clit. God, the amount of Chroma he feels ebbing its way through his body was almost dizzying. Addicting even, which is why Cloud wastes little time in repeating that same action, lapping at her entrance as soft waves of healing from the Regen spell also flow through her. ]

Edited 2019-12-17 07:12 (UTC)

[ This is definitely way too early for this, and Weiss, despite having a sore body, is still relaxed. The Chroma that begins to flow through her relaxes her all the more as even just a gentle lap of Cloud's tongue briefly makes her shudder. She catches her breath and closes her eyes, preparing herself for more.

Cloud told her that she can fix his hair, but the thought is so far away from her mind right now. Just being peppered with kisses from earlier was enough to set her body in the mood, so much so that Cloud teasing her clit the way he is now sends pleasurable waves all over. Her whimpers are soft, barely audible despite how quiet it is in the room, but her fists which have balled up the bed covers speak louder than what's coming out of her mouth. ]

[ Driven on by the soft little whimpers that escape her lips, Cloud might have found a type. ...a type? Was that how to put it? What he liked in Weiss when they got together like this? That works. The sounds she makes as she grows progressively more wet against his working tongue has his head nearly spinning. It's cute, like she's doing her damnest to hold her composure despite the fact he's going down on her. But that just encouraged him even harder- made him want to have her come even more unravelled.

Which leads him to occasionally mixing things up, but not until he's spent ample time rolling his tongue over her clit. Then alternating to more open-mouthed kisses, hot sighs against her pussy as he hums softly against her. The taste of her on his tongue, the sheer amount of Chroma that this is giving the both of them, it's far more potent than some hand-holding session was. Tried and true to the nature of moonlacing however, it wasn't enough. Even this still wasn't enough. He wants more. To give her even more.

So he continues at it, lapping at her folds a little faster, now that the warmup was over with. His instincts were guiding him to do more for her, and if the soft sound of kisses between her legs combined with how focused he was on running his tongue against her clit was, anything to go by, he'd be upping the ante sooner than later. ]

[ It's getting warmer and warmer in Cloud's room, and for someone who's not even wearing any pants, it should be concerning. Weiss knows why it's happening, at least, so she doesn't think too much of it.

But she would very much like it if her shirt was off, or at the very least, unbuttoned.

Her back arches, and her moans get a little less controlled. The birds chirping outside are still louder, but just a little more, and Weiss would probably match their volume. Cloud's idea of making it up to her is definitely a good one; there are other ways, of course, but being treated like this? How could she complain? Being pulled from a relaxed and drowsy state to horny and wet without much build up's making her a bit more sensitive than usual. So yes, she's very much enjoying. So much so that she even rolls her hips ever so slightly as she breathes out his name in an attempt to get more. ]

[ Had Cloud been thinking of doing anything more after this, he might have popped the buttons of her shirt open and taken his time in lavishing other parts of her body with attention. Weiss' chest might have been on the smaller side, but that hardly seemed to matter to Cloud. She still drew his eye, and in cases like this, his hands in appreciation of her. His own body was growing hotter with the passing moments, garnering a soft moan against her wet folds as he slightly shifts his position a little bit. Not by a lot- he's still cozy between her legs.

It's just getting a little hard to stay lying flat on his stomach with his own growing arousal. : )

The change in position does lend itself to him pressing against her crotch more firmly, his tongue circling her clit before closing his mouth over her entrance, slowly shaking in circles. Over and over again as he lets out a low, gentle hum. He resists the urge to close his thighs, to ignore how turned on he was getting just from the dizzying amount of Chroma they're sharing in, let alone her moans that ring like music in his ears. He wants to hear even more of it, even as he pulls back with a small, wet pop to breath. ]

Haa... haa...

[ The Sanguis moon is doing a damn good job of burning any rational thought from his mind, leaving only the lupine man panting so heatedly against her sensitive entrance. Her rolling hips and the way she breaths his name tells him all he needs to know. Why stop a good thing? So it's a good thing he only stops for a couple seconds before he can't help doing what he did before, focusing on her clit as laps and strokes her with his tongue. His heightened hearing, as well as just how thrilling the scent of sex was to him, left him keeping his attention focused almost exclusively on her pleasure. What made her moan louder, what got her hips grinding against his mouth harder. He'll keep doing this until she comes undone for him, again and again if he has to. ]

[ Weiss isn't even doing anything, but her breath has become laboured and heavy. She's not sure what the difference is between the colours that she sees, or if there's even a difference between white and beige and black and blue. Everything's a blur, and there's no point in having opened her eyes.

She had her hands on the sheets, gripping onto them tightly as Cloud keeps working her up, more and more. The pressure is so pleasurable and it's building up quickly that she twists as much as she can, facing one side, and then the other. It's so difficult to keep her composure now, and she folds her legs, bringing them closer to her in an attempt to get things together. The latter isn't working at all... especially not when she's trying so hard to catch her breath, too. ]

[ Just a little more... There's a way in which Weiss is turning and moving against him that tells him that she's being driven up the wall and then some. There's a satisfied little noise he makes as he continues to stroke her with his tongue, telling in his own satisfaction that he's managing to do so much for her. Who knew that Cloud had this curious of a side to him? It's paying off in spades. His hand brushes over the side of her hip as he can feel her arching against him, only briefly surprised by the way she folds her legs around his head.

Harder, Cloud. Don't stop, he tells himself as it feels like she's effectively grinding against his face. It's hard not to want to do more; so much so that he can't resist taking it a step further. His tongue, so wet between her own arousal and his saliva, drags long and slow from the bottom of her folds to the top, flicking at her clit before he's rolling it against her entrance. Again and again... until he finally presses his tongue between her tight folds, moaning hotly against her pussy as he slowly moves deeper with it, until his nose is basically rubbing against her clit at the same time. ]

[ It feels like her whole body is getting trapped in something and she has to move around to fit in the space. Her toes clench, and her hips push forward a little, uncontrollably this time. She bites her lower lip until it's just as red as her face and her neck so she doesn't end up making more noise than she's already been making. Whimpers still escape though, cries of both pleasure and the desperate need to control herself. It's... honestly different to have someone go down on your compared to Weiss' other experiences. Both are pleasurable, but Weiss feels like she's drowning right now with barely any chance of getting back up to breathe.

At some point during it all, her hand balls part of Cloud's hair, pulling on it slightly. She doesn't want to be rough, in fact telling Cloud not to be rough with her today and last night, but the sensation is just far too much. It's consuming her whole. ]

Cloud, ah—

[ But she's released eventually, and she's given air and she's able to breathe again. It's when she stops moving, legs unfolding and relaxing, that she lets out one last whimper. She's washed by the feeling of contentment, and she's going to need a moment until she can see colour again.

But... hey! The regen spell seemed to work... No more pain! ]

[ Toes clenched? Hips pushing forward? The whimpers that escape her as he refuses to relent? Little victories that only continue to pile up. More and more. When Weiss' fist tightens in Cloud's hair, it sends a pleasant, throbbing sensation through from his head all the way down his body. There's something about the fact that he's getting this reaction out of her that leaves him with his own sense of satisfaction. His tongue continues to work, less thrusting inside of her and more rolling against her inner walls as it rubs against sensitive spots made even more maddening by the effects of Moonlacing.

Then she comes undone, and as she comes for him, he instinctively pulls back, his tongue circling over her clit to prolong those euphoric waves. He lets out one more heated moan against her, his fluffier ears twitching as she holds his hair. When she stops moving and relaxes, his pace slows. But he doesn't quite stop either, his lips making a wet sound against her as he gently sucks. His deep blues look up at Weiss from behind the veil of blond bangs, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest beneath the disheveled button-up shirt she borrowed. Seeing her awash with such contentment has his face burning even hotter than before, colour trailing down his own neck too.

A sigh escapes his lips as he pushes himself up on all fours, palms pressed on either side of her midsection. His mouth was still wet from all the work he did between her legs, and just before he's about to lick his lips clean, he catches himself. Bringing the back of his hand up to his face, he wipes it away before asking as if he'd just caught his breath, ]

How're you feeling?

[ He honestly means after he healed her, but. Two birds with one stone? /// dkajfhs ]

Edited 2020-01-02 02:14 (UTC)

[ Whatever Cloud said, she wasn't able to hear it. Weiss can't see or hear anything right now, and she's a little lost in this relaxed state she's in that she can barely speak. The ringing in her ears does down eventually, though, and the first thing she's able to hear is how she's breathing through her mouth.

Give her a moment. ]

I can't believe you...

[ She says it after a soft huff of laughter because what the fuck just happened. First there was that weird magic and then he went down on her and it just felt good all around. It's not something the regrets, per se, but thinking about how it happened and what happened now that she's not as horny as earlier, it's embarrassing.

Weiss' face is flush red, and when she opens her eyes and sees him, she feels more blood rush to her cheeks. She looks away immediately, fixing her panties as she squirms a little without moving much. ]

You helped. Thank- Thank you.

[ As Weiss lets out that soft little huff, he can't help subtly smirking to himself. Call it a boost from his moon, but even Cloud was having a hard time wrapping his head around what he just did. But he liked it. Between last night and the dizzying Chroma he got just by association of going down on her, he's still satisfied. ...horny? Honestly, kind of. It's hard not to want to kiss her again or pick up right where they left off last night. Give him a reason to have to use that Materia of his again.

But he's also satisfied. And also not entirely changed from the shy swordsman she'd come to know. So when she looks up at him and blushes hard, her admittedly cute reaction gets him feeling flustered too. As she fixes her panties, he shuffles off to her side as he decides to sit up with his back partially to her. ]

Good.

[ The only reason he's not laying back down is because, well. He's kind of in the middle of mentally willing his arousal down after getting riled up from eating her out. ]

Edited (one of these days i'll stop editing and double check c:) 2020-01-02 08:15 (UTC)

[ Cloud can hide all he likes, but Weiss has had an experience of Cloud affected by the Sanguis moon. She's not sure if he's any different now, but... she just has a feeling that he might be looking for more. ]

How are your Chroma levels?

[ She says it sleepily, rolling so she can face him. Well... his back, anyway. ]

[ Truth be told, Cloud was more or less turned on by what he was doing earlier. The sudden snap reaction after getting his Aura unlocked, getting drained to practically zero, and his body's lupine instincts going into overdrive, culminated into the rougher man she'd spent the night with. This? Was different. If he said that he wanted more (and he...did), that was Cloud talking. Not the Sanguis moon tugging on his proverbial leash.

But that also meant that this feeling was far more easy to control. ]

Uh...? Oh, right. Let's see... [ As he touches his bracer and turns it on, his ears tuck back when he lets out big yet quiet yawn. After forgetting for about ten seconds that he can just swipe down on his panel to bring up the Chroma gauge, he shifts on the bed a bit more so that he's turning more towards her. And the subtle sleepiness in his eyes all but vanishes as they widen. And his face starts turning red again. ] Well. Uh...

[ Well? How are your Chroma levels, Cloud? He looks down at Weiss where she's laying to face him, sporting nothing but his own shirt and it all hits him like a ton of bricks. Between last night's foreplay, the amount of time they spent having sex, playing with his hair and ears, sleeping together throughout the night, and now that 'healing' stunt of his he pulled? ]

Higher than they were pre-Aura unlock.

Forget I asked!

[ God!! It's not like she regrets everything that happened since he pulled her into his apartment, but somehow, knowing that he got so much Chroma from all that they've done is just too much!

That's when Cloud's pillow is going to get pulled from his side of the bed and thrown at his face. ]

What? What did I say-

[ He deserves it!!! Weiss is not at all sorry for what she did, even if there was a little Aura infused in that pillow that hit him. He can take it for sure, and even if he couldn't, she doesn't care.

Seriously!! How embarrassing. Her face is flushed red even when she turns away with the intent to get up. ]

I'm going to go get dressed.

[ So she can leave and be done with him!!!!!!!! 😤 ]

[ He lets out a strained sigh as he sits back up, having been sent flopping over after a little pillow-to-face action. He rubs his nose (he's not bleeding. ~~icon for dramatic effect~~), a confused frown crossing his lips as he blinks. Cloud honest to goodness really...doesn't...know what he did wrong. Nothing's wrong. Frankly he did everything ~~mostly~~ right. ]

Ahh, sure.

[ ... .... ..... ]

You um...still want that coffee? Or...

Of course I want coffee!

[ Weiss has completely forgotten the offer for coffee yesterday. It's a new day now though, and she can't start her day without at least one cup. So get to it, Cloud!!

She finally gets out of bed to grab her clothes from Cloud's closet. He'd been the on to put her clothes in there yesterday, but she needs a moment to herself to kick the embarrassment away. In fact, she may go out later to buy a new pair of shoes.

If Cloud is going to embarrass her like this, she may as well get something good out of it. ]

Oh...! [ His back straightens and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up from that little snap of hers. Seems like after all that 'warming up' he did for her, it's back to icy business. He'll ask what he did (and figure it out later) another time. Instead, he's basically fighting the urge to go 'yes ma'am' as he gets out of bed too. Stretching and arching his back, he does a couple of squats at the foot of the bed while she goes to his closet to get back her clothes.

Good thing Weiss probably has plenty more Chroma for that 'new pair of shoes' investment. 🐺

He's clothed with pyjama pants and a shirt already, so he's in the clear to step out anyways. Remembering how he dropped a cup last night before she came over, when he's alone in the kitchen getting everything ready, he flexes his grip. There's a lot more strength back in these hands again. Back to normal and then some... Sheesh. It's not like she's the only one who was embarrassed by the amount they made. As the coffee perks and the pot is going, he sits at the kitchen table by himself. Panty must be still sleeping or elsewhere right now. He doesn't even see Chuck around.

Phew. But then the realization hits him. ]

Milk and sugar? How many teaspoons?

[ Yes he's texting her from the kitchen to his bedroom. ]

[ Weiss actually does pick up her device after getting dressed. She doesn't text back, though, intending to respond once she's out.

She has the shirt she wore the night before in her arms, half-folded. She's not really sure where the laundry basket is, so she'd ask him, too. ]

Hey, where do you put the dirty laundry?

[ Oh, and right— and once Cloud tells her what to do with the shirt, she addresses the treatment to her coffee. ]

Lots of cream, one tablespoon of sugar.

Uh...?

[ As he's pulling out the milk (sorry, no heavier cream. ...at least it's not skimmed or 1%?), he peers back over his shoulder to Weiss as she comes out with his shirt. ]

Oh. I've got a basket in the corner of my room. [ A beat. ] Just leave it on the couch. I'll go put it back later.

[ The pot just finishes as he pours her mug of coffee. It's got a wolf on the side. He pours it to about three-quarters full, leaving room for more than enough milk. While he grabs the sugar and a tablespoon, ]

You hungry? I'm no cook, but...breakfast's not hard.

[ Sugar in. Stir stir stir. ]

Oh, alright.

[ She'll just do as he says, then. He knows his way in his apartment better than she does, after all. And with the shirt taken care of, she takes a seat at the dining table and waits for the coffee to be given to her. ]

Breakfast would be lovely. [ ... Although it would be awkward to be served, really. The hands on her lap grip her knees a little tighter as she gathers some courage, and then: ] I can help.

[ Cloud places the coffee down in front of her as she agrees to some breakfast, nodding before turning back around and kneeling down into the clean yet untidy mess of pots and pans beneath the counter.

Now where did he put those frying pans... smfh this is why Tifa and Marlene never let the boys in the kitchen. When Weiss pipes back up to offer her help, he stops rummaging for a second to look over his shoulder. As easy as it was to have the kneejerk response of "oh, you don't have to if you don't want to. i can do it," his answer may surprise her as he nonchalantly goes back to pulling out a couple of frying pans. ]

There's eggs and a fresh package of bacon in the fridge, if you wanna pull those out for me?

[ Reeeeaches further into the back of the cabinet he's kneeling by. Almost got 'em! ]

There's pancake mix...ah- in the cupboard by the fridge- [ Got his pans. Victory. ] -if you want.

[ Weiss did say she can help, so when Cloud starts giving instructions, she's quick on the move. She's at least cooked pancakes before, and even eggs and bacon, so whatever Cloud is thinking of eating, she really can help with! Thankfully it's not overly complicated like souffle or whatever... The apartment might burn. ]

I like small ones. [ The pancakes, she means.

She meets a challenge, though. She doesn't have shoes on right now, so she's really only 5'0" tall. Even on her tiptoes, she can't reach the cupboard. ]

Um. A little help?

[ When he gets up, dual-wielding a pair of frying pans, he stops to watch Weiss from behind. Even on her tippy toes, she couldn't quite reach. He can't help cracking a small smile before setting them down on the counter. Stepping in behind her, he reaches past her shoulder to open the cupboard and grab the box of dry mix pancake batter. It's nothing fancy- just add water. But they'll turn out surprisingly fluffy! Must be good mix. ]

Here.

[ He gives it to her before stepping back to go grab a bowl. Tifa was the one who usually cooked for the family back home, so Cloud heading his kitchen (let alone sharing it with someone) was new for him. ...but it's kind of fun. If he had a wolf tail, it'd be wagging right now as he worked. Honestly he's winging it and relying on common sense while he places the bowl and measuring cup on the counter too. ]

How d'you like your eggs? [ He can do more than just scrambled. Promise. ]

Thanks.

[ It's a good thing Weiss isn't all that conscious about her height. She knows she's short, which is why she wears three-inch heels, but she's not that bothered by it that she gets mad at short jokes or whatever. If she were more sensitive to the topic, she would have chewed Cloud out for even asking her to get the pancake mix. Right now? This is nothing. ]

Sunny, with the yolk a little runny.

[ Don't judge her! :( Anyway, she takes out a pack of pancake mix from the box and looks around. The cupboard where Cloud got the pans from isn't that high, so she looks for a bowl there. ]

[ It's okay Weiss- neither is Cloud. He may be taller than her, but a good majority of the men here (Prismal or Moonblessed) had at least a couple or more inches over him too. Besides, for the taller blond, there's better things to tease or crack a dry joke over. ]

Mm? You looking for something? [ A beat. ] I got a bowl on the counter already.

[ Now he's just gotta figure out how to do a proper Sunny with slightly runny so that he doesn't ruin it... But first, he's gonna get the bacon started first. He's not sure if he can pull off frying bacon and then using some leftover bacon grease for the eggs yet. So he's just gonna make them separate from each other for now. When the pan starts to approach getting hot beneath his palm, he takes the newly opened pack of bacon and starts placing them in piece by piece with a quiet sizzle at first. ]

By the way, [ He remembers from last night. She's musically inclined. It's small talk. He doesn't care. They're making breakfast. ] do you play piano?

Oh!

[ How embarrassing! Weiss totally missed the bowl on the counter, ah. She ends up giving a sheepish smile, showing her teeth like the dork that she is. Jeez. ]

I must still be sleepy.

[ Not that she would still be sleepy at this time; Weiss is an early riser. Must be the post-orgasm haze. Dammit, Cloud.

But with the stuff for pancakes ready, she pours the mix into the bowl, and then some water. It might be a little more water than usual, but it should still end up having almost the consistency of normal pancake mix. ]

Me? Yeah, I do. I had to learn as a kid.

[ Part of studying how to play the piano was because she wanted to. Most of the reasons were because Jacques Schnee wanted to parade his daughters for the glory. ]

[ When he catches the sheepish grin Weiss gives, his lips only slightly curl into a smirk before dismissing it altogether. ]

A good stretch and splash of water works in a pinch.

[ ...he did give her a stretch and got her wet earlier. ...does that technically count? 💦 ]

Really? [ So like Tifa when she was a kid too. ] I wouldn't mind listening if you played again sometime.

[ A couple of seconds of silence follow, the only thing filling the kitchen between them being her mixing the pancake batter and the crackle of bacon. Cloud subtly clears his throat, shyly turning his back to Weiss to flip the bacon. ]

If you wanted, I mean.

I'll be fine after the coffee.

[ She can't drink yet though, since she offered to help Cloud make breakfast. It's fine, and it's not like the coffee is going to get cold quickly. This is fine!
]

And I don't mind. I don't own a piano, though. [ Midorima has one, and that's what she uses when she wants to practice. She'll get one of her own someday... ] Why did you ask, anyway?

Where would we be without it.

[ Once most of everything's set up and finished, he'll let her go sit down and enjoy her coffee. Cloud's more doing this for her as part of his thanks for how much help she gave him last night. As she asks why he wanted to know about her piano playing skills, he flattens the bacon as best as possible and lets it sizzle. He'll have to drain the fat into the garbage when it's all said and done. For now? it'll do wonders for the eggs too. Letting it all sit for now (the kitchen's not gonna catch fire if he leaves it alone for a minute), he reluctantly looks back to Weiss. ]

It's...kinda embarrassing, but... [ Well. No better time than the present! What have you been up to here, Cloud? ] It feels like all I've been doing is training, fighting, and doing whatever the Moon Knights ask of us.

Guess I have a lot more time here than I did back home.

[ He's bored. And he...wants to know more about what she likes. ]

It's not embarrassing. [ But maybe it's because Weiss knows what it's like to loosen up after realising the same thing Cloud's saying now. ] Back in Remnant, the only thing we could do was fight. We didn't have time for having fun.

[ Well, they had fun every now and then, but the hours were certainly numbered. They barely had time for themselves. ]

That's why I joined the theatre. It's something I've never done before. It takes up a lot of time, but it's been a lot of fun, too. I don't think I'd be able to do something like this... at least, not yet. Not in a really long time.

[ She thinks she's done mixing now. No more lumps! ]

You can come visit me at the theatre, if you want. Maybe when there's no practice. I'll borrow a piano and play a few pieces.

[ As Weiss talks about what it was like in Remnant, he remembers he's gotta spray down the pan he plans on using for the little pancakes. Reaching up for the can, he gives a little hum as if to say "I see". He's listening! She's had a rough go of things, it seems like. And not just because of the memory he's seen of what Cinder did to her. ]

Sounds like this place was a blessing in disguise. [ H'okay! Pan sprayed. He'll let it slowly heat up as he walks over to Weiss to check out her mixing bowl. ] You're certainly a good fit with the troupe. Oh- that looks good.

[ In his opinion, anyway! That and there's no more lumps indeed. ]

Maybe I'll take you up on that, Weiss. [ Whenever he gets better at playing the piano himself...no. He's not ready yet. But maybe? Down the road? He'll try playing for her too. ] Thanks for the help. I can take care of the rest if you want.

[ He won't make big floppy pancakes. Promise. ]

Just a little.

[ This place being a blessing, she means. Okay, maybe a lot, but it's still an embarrassing place to be in... ]

Being in the theatre is nice. Here, anyway.

[ She doesn't have to worry about fighting or getting in trouble. The stress in the troupe is different though, but.. in a way? If Huntsmen and Huntresses didn't exist, this is probably where she would be. Besides running the Schnee Dust Company. ]

Are you sure? [ To Cloud doing the rest... she doesn't mind helping at all. She doesn't really want to be served, despite wanting to be spoiled. There's a fine line between the two. Sometimes, it's hard to tell which is which, but right now, she doesn't want to make him work while she relaxes. It's not fair. ] Can I help with anything else?

Hmm... [ She's really insistent on helping, huh. He hums a little, crossing his arms as if he had to give it some serious thought. Cloud didn't look at it as him serving her, especially after she helped him get things prepped at the start. The bacon pops a little in the pan, the grease starting to pool as it cooks. He should probably flip that soon. And maybe turn down the heat so it doesn't just start popping and exploding grease everywhere? ] If you insist...

[ He's not worried at all, if the slight tug of his lips into a faint smile is telling enough. ]

You wanna make the pancakes? [ That means taking a free burner and cooking beside him! ]

Okay.

[ The batter can make about ten or so, but Weiss would probably only eat three or four. They'd be cookie sized, about 6-inches in diameter at best! If she's able to control it, anyway... ]

How many do you think you'll be eating? Big or small?

[ She won't make too much! But if Cloud's going to want bigger ones, then she would probably use up all the batter. ]

[ If Weiss creates big slabs of them, he won't object. Either way, the fate of their pancakes are in her hands! At least she can use the same measuring cup for pouring? ]

I'll try small ones too. Knowing me, I'll feel like letting off steam later with the moon out, so...

[ His voice trails as he speaks, flipping the bacon and turning down the heat as it finishes crisping up. There's a contemplative look on his face as he looks back to Weiss again, pensively as he reflects on what he was saying. It's true. While Weiss not only restored his Chroma, but also tamed his urges last night, that didn't mean the Sanguis moon wouldn't wane completely- such as with his desire to fight or train to let out his aggression.

But after the fight he just had with Raven, and the Chroma scare he put Weiss through... No. He's better than this damned moon. He changes his mind. ]

Actually, I'll just have a few.

...

[ It's a little too early to give Cloud a judging look. The situation regarding Cloud's Chroma really did worry her, but she doesn't want to get mad at him again. Not when she's already apologised for yelling at him.

But he'd be able to see Weiss looking upset while puts the pan on the burner to preheat it. She doesn't even say anything about it, focusing on something else. ]

Cordis is soon... I should go buy some groceries before going home.

[ Having not as much food was part of his way of telling himself to stop. Fortunately, thanks to all of yesterday and the evening, Cloud was likely capable of restraining himself. It'd be hard, fighting the most aggressive of the moons, but he can't do it. He falls silent as Weiss steps up by his side, listening to her talk about Cordis. But he can see it in her eyes. Her feelings are written all over her face. ]

There's only a couple days left.

[ Of Sanguis, he means. He steps back, lifting the frying pan with bacon off the burner. He'll need to work quick and set up a plate with paper towel to catch some of the grease. ]

If it gets bad, I'm gonna fight it. [ He'll stay home. Once he has the plate set up, he picks out the bacon with tongs and sets them to rest. ]

[ Cloud's reached his quota of trouble, she thinks. Almost crystallising, encountering Raven... man, Weiss would be done for the month, if that happened to her.

These are things she doesn't say out loud. Again, she's yelled at him already, and to keep talking about what happened yesterday. . . Weiss may be salty and she may hold grudges, but Cloud apologised. Everything is fine now. (Even though she will continue to worry.) ]

Does it get really bad?

Sometimes... I used to hide away and force myself to train alone to stop the urge to fight. But that only made things worse.

[ With the bacon done and resting, Cloud takes his pan and goes to the garbage, pouring out the excessive grease they don't need. ]

[ Once Weiss thinks the pan is hot enough, she pours a little pancake mix so she can start cooking. At least pancakes don't take a while to cook. They'll be able to eat soon. ]

What do you think would happen if one day, you woke up and your moonblessing changed? What if you were suddenly an Iris?

[ Seeing Weiss start pouring in a little bit of pancake mix to create what would eventually be itty stacks, Cloud goes to snag some paper towel. He's no expert, or thinks to wash the pan or anything. Why should he? Just wipe it down and keep some of the bacon grease for the eggs. Sounds like it's cheating. He wipes it down, leaving some in the pan before turning the heat down so the eggs didn't burn upon immediately hitting it. ]

See, I've heard of that happening... [ Yosuke changed for some time, taking on Sanguis traits if he recalls... He hasn't undergone anything different beyond serpentine eyes when he was angry or over excited. ] If it's anything like Marie or Sun make it out to be, I'd be a lot more hug-prone.

[ ...and horny/touchy feely. Definitely a lot more of that. He blushes thinking about it, but keeps a straight face all the same as he starts cracking Weiss' eggs first. ]

Hug-prone?

[ She's not sure what he's trying to say with that, but it's amusing. Enough that it makes her laugh, and as per usual, she covers her mouth so she doesn't come off as boisterous. Her giggles are always so controlled, though. There's nothing she does that's boisterous or loud or... huge, in general. ]

So are you going to start hugging everyone, or does that mean you want people to hug you? [ A beat. A few bubbles appear on the pancake, so she flips it. (Still a little undercooked. It's not golden.) ] Either way, it's funny to think about.

[ He gently huffs when she starts giggling. Yeah. She heard him right. He said 'hug-prone'. Iris is the "cuddly moon" according to him, after all. Even if that's...putting it lightly. As the pair of eggs hit the pan, Cloud eyes them for a second before answering, reaching for the little salt & pepper shakers beside the stovetop. ]

Probably both. [ Cracks light seasoning over the eggs. ] When Sun went through his first cycle, he carried a sign for 'free hugs' with his tail and had another sign slapped on his back.

[ dot dot dot. trying not to laugh. ]

I ain't doing that if I turn.

Sun is... [ ... A dork. A loser. ] He's not very smart.

[ FDSAKGH sorry sun you're getting roasted and you're not even here!! ]

And I guess not. You don't look like the kind of person who would do that.

There's a lot I never thought I'd do before I got here.

[ But he doesn't sound like he's complaining. The whites are beginning to form, so he briefly ditches the eggs to go get the tiniest splash of water. She said...sunny, right? So no lid to cover it up. But at least this'll help the eggs cook without burning the bottoms. They should be done when the little bit of water evaporates, right?...he only knows this one because Marlene did it and he watched. ]

I gripe about Sanguis, but... I kind of like being a wolf.

[ Weiss has made one pancake by now, and she places it on a plate before she starts to make another small one. They're about four inches in diameter, so cookie sized! ]

Do you have fruits we can eat with the pancakes?

[ It's a question in passing because she does get back to what they were talking about previously. ]

Why do you like being a wolf?

Fruits? Oh. Uhm...

[ Cloud peers at the fridge contemplatively. ]

Blueberries are in the fridge. Bananas and apples are in the corner.

[ On the counter. With all the junk that Panty brings into the house, he really had to ramp up the healthy stuff... ]

It's kinda hard to explain... I just, feel a connection with them. There's all these legends around them in my world too.

[ Wolf earrings, the wolf on his shoulder pauldron...and her doubts she'd know the meaning behind Fenrir or Sköll. ...would she? Maybe? There's also the wolf he once saw in his dreams and in his head. But that wasn't a bright spot in his life. ]

[ Weiss will get bananas later and slice them up! For now, she concentrates on the pancakes and what Cloud is saying. ]

A connection, huh? I can't argue with that.

[ If that's what Cloud feels, then who is she to invalidate it? ]

What kind of legends are there in your world?

Let's see...

[ He'll start with a couple of vague tales to start with. ]

In ancient myths, there was said to be two wolves. One destined to devour the sun, and the other the moon at the end of the world. They're called Sköll and Hati. But the most popular one is Fenrir.

He's what I named my motorcycle after back home.

[ Cloud... That's dark?? Why do you have myths and stories about the end of the world... ]

What's the story of Fenrir like?

[ Good thing it's all myths. ...right? ]

Long and inconsistent. [ But he's not going to just leave it at that. That wouldn't be fair. The water's evaporated almost completely beneath the eggs so he grabs a spatula so they don't stick and burn. Just about done. ] He's supposed to be the son of a pseudo-god and a giant.

[ Ah, disclaimer. ]

Doesn't make sense, I know. [ Thus, mythos! Especially when god talk comes into play. ] Anyway, the gods predicted the wolf would grow up to be a danger to the planet, so they kept him chained and isolated from the world.

That sounds dumb. If the wolf is dangerous, then it could easily break the chain.

[ Gods... whatever. She may have a different opinion on them. They're not to be revered, as far as she's concerned.

A few more pancakes get made. Just one more left! ]

[ Eggs are done! Bacon's also done! Pancakes now. Home stretch! He takes the frying pan to the sink and runs it under water. Sizzle sizzle. Cloud doesn't revere the gods either. Hell. They probably don't truly exist. ...not in the same vein as the beings they summoned anyways. ]

That's just it. Fenrir kept breaking chains as it got bigger. They told him it was tests of strength. Until he got bound by rope that he couldn't break and...

[ He realizes he's about to mention a guy getting his hand bitten off for sticking his hand in the wolf's mouth. In an act of good faith. Not the best breakfast conversation. ]

Huh. [ He doesn't laugh, but there is a subtle smile that graces his lips. ] Never tried explaining all this mythos to someone before.

[ Cloud gives her an apologetic look. ]

It's one of those "sit down and have a read" kind of tales. I'm just super footnoting it.

[ The weird look she shoots Cloud isn't directed at him personally. She's just a little weirded out by what he says. ]

I'm not the kind of person who just accepts what's told to me.

[ With how strong her personality is, that's definitely true. There were days when she would be a yes man to her father, but those days are over. She knows better now. ]

But this time? I guess I'll just nod and shrug.

[ She doesn't do either of that though, instead presses down the turner on the pancake before she tries to get it off the pan and serve it. ]

All done. I think these are enough.

Then it's a good thing they're just stories.

[ But if she's gonna nod and shrug? Good enough for him. When she says she's finished with the pancakes, he gives them a once over. He's no expert or anything, but... ]

Looks good. [ A beat. ] I've got yours here.

[ Eggs sunny with the yolk a little runny, right? Cloud was mostly eyeballing it. She'll find that while it's got that sunny look, the yolk's not entirely runny. Kind of half solid, half creamy. Oh well. He'll get better at it. For now, as everything gets turned off and the food rests for them to take whatever they please, he looks to Weiss, shyly smiling.

It's been...an interesting couple of days. Can't say he expected to end it off with making breakfast with a moonlacing partner. But...it's not a bad thing either. Far from it. ]

Thanks for your help.

[ ... he means for Breakfast. dkafjhs ]

[ Weiss isn't even thinking about moonlacing anymore. She's been up for some time now that she's gotten hungry. Food is all she's thinking about.

She brings the plates to the table and sits down where her coffee is. Finally! She can enjoy her drink. ]

I'm not that great in the kitchen, but I've learned a few things now that I've lived here for some time. Anyway, let's eat.

[ Lowkey hoping the pancakes are good!!!! And some are, actually... except there's maybe one or two that's undercooked. Oops? ]

[ He nods with another short 'thanks' when she brings the plates to the table and sits down with her. ]

Guess that makes two of us.

[ He only got started when he got here. Living on his own for a while, even before Panty came here, helped with that.

Cloud takes a bite into his own pile of pancake. It's good! Then his fork sinks into another one, a lighter brown than the others. He notices how some of it seems to stick to the utensil. ...hmmm... 🤔 ]

Om...

[ Yup that one was...undercooked. It kinda just...melts in his mouth? And feels semi-sticky? But he doesn't make a face either. ]

[ Cloud doesn't have to say anything. The first bite Weiss takes out of her set of pancakes immediately makes her wince. ]

Oh god... this still tastes like goop. [ That one's not as loud, at least. Cloud doesn't need to hear her complain. ] I thought they were okay. Sorry, you don't have to eat those— [ The pancakes on his place, she means. She even gets up from her seat to try and take Cloud's plate away. ]

[ Cloud notices the way she flinches when she bites her own. Had she not said anything or made a face, he would have been just a little more stubborn about keeping his plate. ]

Hey hold on- [ ...that is to say, he's still gonna try to keep his plate. But will give it up with some persistence. ] Maybe this one's still good.

[ Quick. Before she can take it. He slices off a side of a pancake and pops it in his mouth. One would think with his Sanguis nose and senses, he'd know better but. Well. ]

...

[ ... .... ..... He swallows. Because he doesn't want to open his mouth to show her what's effectively a wad of batter. Only half-winces. ]

[ This is so embarrassing... she kind of just sinks in her seat and groans. ]

This is so embarrassing...

[ sometime preceding one of the golden muse's october showings, there'll be a fairly impressive flower arrangement sent to weiss's dressing room - a tall thing of wide star-shaped blooms in sunny yellow and snowy white. it's likely not the only one, but this one does come with a handwritten note attached: ]

Congratulations on your show, Weiss!

Sending flowers as good luck and support is an industry standard from home, so I hope these find you well. Good luck out there! I'm honored to be part of the audience.

[ it's signed with 龍 in big, bold brushstrokes, but a more informative "Ryuu" in cursive sits beside it. ]

[ It's such a pleasant surprise! Weiss certainly finds herself a little more pumped up tonight. Of course, while she doesn't know Ryuu that well, the gesture is still appreciated the same way she would if she were close friends with who gave her flowers. She's very grateful.

In fact, she can't help but send a text before the show. The first includes an image of the flowers, and then this follows: ]

They're lovely.
And you're definitely the first to give me flowers BEFORE a show.
Regardless, I'm very grateful. Thank you.

You're welcome! I'm glad they made it safely.
Flower stands are popular as encouragement before lives at home, so it seemed right!

I'm excited that I made it here, it's looking like a full house already.

[ have a surreptitious prismagram-equivalent boomerang of the seats around him in the hall - they're filling up fast. ]

You're not supposed to film during the show, alright?
I hope you enjoy!

I'm turning my phone off now, I promise!
And I know I will. Good luck!

The former ruler of Sanguis moon received this picture and called it "junk mail." 8 days later Sanguis moon became uninhabitable. A man received this picture and immediately sent out copies, then received good fortune for an entire year, including winning a jackpot lottery. Copy, paste, and send this to 9 people or you will be cursed. Don't take any chances. Sanguis did, and now no one can live there.

What kind of curse?

The details were not included in the message.
If you share it you don't have to worry about it.

If two people sent it to me, does it mean I have to send it to 18 people?

It has no statements about compounding, it should be fine to just do 9.

The former ruler of Sanguis moon received this picture and called it "junk mail." 8 days later Sanguis moon became uninhabitable. A man received this picture and immediately sent out copies, then received good fortune for an entire year, including winning a jackpot lottery. Copy, paste, and send this to 9 people or you will be cursed. Don't take any chances. Sanguis did, and now no one can live there.

Edited 2019-11-12 01:53 (UTC)

Even you, huh?

Someone else also sent you one?

Your roommate did.

Midorima-kun, huh... He was the one who sent that message to me in the first place, actually.

[ stares at him from where he's sitting right now ]

At any rate, we're so sorry we bothered you. We just don't want to risk it, is all.

I would have told you to never talk to me again if you were responding me.
Don't worry about it.
I just thought it was funny that I got it twice. It's cute.

Is that so... What a relief.

Well, you can choose to pass it on to 9 other people or not. But I'm worried that the ghost thing that happened last month might happen again, so that's also something to consider.

Sorry if it's a sensitive topic, but did you turn into a ghost?

Yeah.
It wasn't fun at all, but in the end I was able to regain my form with the help of everyone.
Wouldn't recommend it though, haha.

In any case, stay safe if you choose to spread this around, okay?

I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I could have helped in some way.
I hope you're alright now.

And I'll do my best. Thank you, Tsumugi. 😊

[ Emerald's yoga class is a very interesting one. It's actually generated some buzz in the zen-o-sphere because of its... unique take on mindfulness. Emerald's yoga pedagogy is centered around the idea that if you are talking, you are not listening. In order to understand yourself, you need to listen to yourself and the world around you. In other words, Emerald's entire classroom policy is 'shut up for an hour or get out of my studio.' She should probably give some credit to Neo for the inspiration and the idea that you don't need to speak to communicate, and as such she simply has a powerpoint that says the names of the positions, which she then takes the lead in showing them how to do before going and correcting anyone to get them into the stance a little better. (She's at least good at the physical part, even if she doesn't really meet the 'spiritual leader' criteria as well as she's pretending to.) It meets three times a week and has gotten surprisingly popular among the more introverted people who finally feel like they have a place to go that they can get fit without having to talk to people.

Which is why Emerald is a little surprised to see Weiss there, since Weiss likes talking to people. Then again, there are a couple of other people in the class she's pretty sure are just there for the challenge or it was the only one that met their schedule and they keep trying to talk anyway. Either way, she points to an empty space when Weiss walks in since there are a couple spots for a fresh yoga mat, though there's a questioning expression on her face. ]

[ Oh.

Weiss looks a little weirded out when she sees Emerald in front of the room. Right... okay?

She'd been attending another yoga class, but the instructor was pregnant and now she's on maternity leave. Which means no instructor!! Somebody referred her to this class, so she's got pretty good expectations. Now? She's not really sure what to expect.

Once she's set up, she gives Emerald a shrug before sitting down on the mat. May as well start??? ]

[ Well, she isn't causing trouble or storming out. Emerald won't make a fuss then. Not about Weiss anyway.

Just as she's about to start, Suzie Underwood starts whispering to the girl next to her about how she just started this totally new diet that's like, kale-based? And she doesn't understand why everyone doesn't do it, all you have to do is eat nothing but kale and kale smoothies for like two weeks it's so super simple. The woman she's telling it to looks uncomfortable but it's definitely unsolicited dieting advice either way.

Emerald isn't anti-bullying or anything, but she is anti-stupid comments and anti-talking during quiet time. So she simply walks up, claps her hands in front of Suzie's face to get her attention. Index and middle finger pointed at Suzie's eyes, then hers, then a shush gesture. Then she pointedly just kind of starts "helping" Suzie get into the downward dog position even though the session hasn't started yet.

Then she heads up to the front of the classroom, both arms up so that everyone can see she wants their attention. One finger means they're starting in the first position, downward dog. There's a hologram at the front that says the name of the position they should be in and has a little character doodle (they're basically all funny things Emerald found on the internet that get the gist of the position). Emerald goes to turn on what sounds like a crackling fireplace, a rainstorm, and some soft acoustic guitar melodies with no words. She pulls the curtains in front of the windows closed so it's almost completely dark, the room illuminated by blacklights around the edges of the room so people can still see what they're doing but the darkness makes it very easy to only focus on the areas of brighter light: Emerald at the front, dressed in white yoga pants and a green tube top that glow in the backlight so she's really easy to locate, and the projection.

Emerald demonstrates the position for everyone, going slowly so that everyone can see how to ease into it, then holds it for 15 seconds before going around the room to correct anyone's posture or help anyone who's having trouble getting into the position the first time. ]

[ It's a good thing Emerald shuts Suzie up, because the look on Weiss' face got sourer and sourer the more she talked. For some reason? Suzie reminded her of that girl from Atlas—the one who kept talking about how Yang was "top heavy" or whatever. It was really annoying, especially in a fight. Nobody wants to deal with someone so talkative!!!

As the lesson goes on—not even a lesson, more like a do-it-yourself kind of thing—Weiss finds her zen and the yoga exercises become more and more relaxing. Emerald won't have nay reason to correct Weiss' posture unless she wants to piss her off or something, since she's doing everything as if she's already done it before... and she has! ]

[ Unfortunately, there are a lot of people like that. Emerald doesn't mind talking shit about people, but she typically does it where they'll never hear it, not in a situation in which it borders on or flat-out is bullying. If she's at someone's face talking shit, it'll be direct and clear and usually only if they can stand up for themselves. Say what you will about her personality, but Emerald doesn't really like kicking people who are already down unless she's told to. Since it's her class, she just flat-out doesn't have to deal with Suzie's bitchy ass though since she set it up to be quiet time, and she still gets to take Suzie's money.

Emerald doesn't bother trying to harass Weiss or anything. There'd be no point to it unless Weiss gives her a reason to try to get her to leave. So while she does walk by her and stop to watch her for a second, it's just to make sure and she ends up giving her a little wave with her fingers but not bothering her. It is her job to make sure that people are actually learning the correct form and everything, so she wouldn't be doing her due diligence if she didn't come around to check on her. After that, she moves onto someone else, walking slowly around the room and correcting and helping as she goes.

When she gets to Suzie again, of course Suzie decides to talk to try to talk to Emerald, as if because she's the teacher that makes it okay-- and so Emerald puts her hand over Suzie's mouth. It is genuinely tempting to just cover her nose too because she is a long-term annoyance, but Emerald manages to refrain from suffocating her student. She only covers it for as long as it takes for Suzie to stop trying to talk, then gives her a shush gesture and Suzie stays quiet until the lights come back on. At which point she lets out the biggest gasp as if she's been holding it in the whole time and starts chattering away to the person next to her. ]

Suzie, you still need to be quiet for wrap up or you can kapotasana-crawl your way to someone else's class.

[ Like the talkative horror monster she is... Emerald keeps that part to herself. She waits for Suzie to shut up completely before she'll talk again, and once she does, she finishes up. ]

Before we go, let's talk about what mindfulness means. That's the concept this class is based on, and as usual we have a few new faces so it's good to go over it. Mindfulness is the act of being aware of every part of the present moment. In the quiet and the dark, you focus on every sensation in your body, every texture on your mat or the carpet or the temperature of the air around you. Being mindful is being aware of the universe, and it makes everything slow down and lets the tension of being in your mind go. If you're being mindful, you're paying attention to what the universe is putting forward to you, and not what you're putting forward to the universe without paying attention to it. Some of you may just see this time as a good stretch, and that's fine, but if you let yourself mentally get into that state of mindfulness, you'll learn not only to listen to the universe around you but skills to listen to the people around you once you leave. For those who are returning, we do homework assignments and discuss them for the 10 minutes before class time as an optional exercise. Today's homework is to contemplate a time when you spoke without thinking and how you could've used mindfulness to change the outcome of that situation. Think about what else was going on in the room right then. What kind of body language was going on in that conversation that you didn't see because you were just reacting? These are all things that being aware of the universe can help you see, rather than being completely up here.

[ She gestures to her head. ]

Okay, I'll be here for 15 more minutes for any questions. Dismissed.

[ With the lights back on and Emerald talking again, it takes some time for Weiss to properly register what's happening around her. The stretches and positions were all very calming, after all. Her body has cooled down by a ton and she feels so relaxed.

She wants frozen yoghurt.

Once her brain is at full capacity, everything does register, though. Does she plan on coming back? Well, there's no harm in it. And if Emerald doesn't try anything weird, then she doesn't see why she should find a different instructor. Their fight isn't in this city to begin with.

As for questions, she doesn't have any. She does wait until everyone's left before she rolls up her own mat, though. With Emerald being the only other person in the room, addressing her with a little more familiarity shouldn't be weird. There's a hand on her hip when she looks at Emerald from where she is in the room. ]

This is a weird place to see you in.

[ Emerald almost deflates once everyone else is gone. Weiss knows she's kind of a pain in the ass, so she's pretty sure she can get away with a little groan. ]

You have no idea. Being the leader of "zen" while trying not to strangle Suzie is it's own special hell.

[ It's not too bad otherwise sajdghkadsg but she definitely feels out of place. ]

Why are you working in a place like this again?

[ Emerald, you were nice when you needed to be, but... you're not exactly the kind of person who looks qualified to teach yoga. ]

[ There are a lot of negative, but truthful answers that Emerald can give. Most of them put herself down, but ultimately she knows that this job doesn't fit her either. ]

I don't want to go back to Remnant. That means I have to figure out how to do a job that's not violent. That's not normal in the world I want to go to. Plus, I'm good at physical stuff though and if I only have to talk to people for 15 minutes, I can usually handle it without wanting to punch anyone unless they ask me why I'm not vegan.

[ Because that's a whole Thing where all the yoga people are vegan or at least vegetarian. It's really annoying. ]

There's another world you want to go to.

[ Weiss repeats it, because she's not sure if she heard that right. It sounds a little impossible. ]

How are you going there?

Seijuro thinks if we bind our souls together we should be able to do it, but I don't think he's had any luck figuring that out... because if we do that, we should remember each other. Or at least find each other again and feel a connection.

[ Because she knows how impossible it is. She doesn't want to hear it. It's just as impossible as beating Salem and more possible than being happy in Remnant, so she'd rather try. ]

That's not remotely scary at all.

[ Why would you want to bind your soul with someone else's... what if things mess up in between and you lose your identity? God forbid. ]

What's going to happen to everyone else if you leave them, though?

[ Like Mercury and that big guy who looks like a tree. (Hazel.) ]

What do you mean? Mercury wants to stay here, he doesn't want to go back either.

[ Neither of them are happy back home. She rubs her arm for a moment, glancing at the door briefly instead of Weiss, then back to her. It's not like this is a comfortable conversation. ]

He and I already talked about it, he's mostly worried I'm going to get Sei and Chihiro killed for betraying Salem. [ Though more for her sake than theirs. ] And Cinder...

[ She trails off for a moment. ] You don't want to hear about her, so I'll leave it at that.

[ ..A minor deflection there. After all, she doesn't really want to share how Mercury doesn't think Cinder would miss Emerald for even a second. But in Emerald's mind, they're all she really has. It's not like she really knows Hazel, even if he's nice enough. ]

You're right. I don't.

[ No, fuck that, she WANTS to know?? What the fuck!! But Emerald's not giving her anything. It doesn't sound like good news, though.

This sounds like this is something she'd better ask Mercury. Good lord, why is she thinking of talking to him again after what happened last month??? This is awful. ]

Well, good luck with your... endeavours. [ She's not exactly excited to go back, but she's not telling Emerald that?? That would just be weird. She's only told one other person about it. ] I'm coming back next week. If you need Suzie to shut up, just shoot me a look and I'll yell at her.

[ She's being considerate! Or trying. Weiss of all people probably would just tell her the same thing Mercury and Akashi would............. but also like. She remembers Weiss getting skewered so it's not like she's unaware that there are negative feelings there.

Emerald lets a little laugh at the comment about Suzie. She's happy for the topic change. ]

She's the actual worst. One time she came in here yapping about not knowing how anyone survives without regular juice cleanses and I just wanted to tell her that our brains actually work.

Why not just kick her out?

[ You know, of the class. Like. Just tell her to go to another instructor???? ]

My paycheck depends on how many people are in the class.

[ A beat, then she adds ] Plus, she's got such ridiculous drama. You haven't lived until you've seen someone storm out of a room screaming about her hairstylist ruining her entire life because she found one strand of gray on her yoga mat or storming in in the middle of a fight with her boyfriend who she thought that he was cheating on her with her best friend, but it was really his secret twin that he didn't even know about.

[ Suzie's life is a soap opera. ]

... What?

[ That really is ridiculous, and the look Weiss gives Emerald is almost in disbelief. ]

Right? She's always annoying, but sometimes she's annoying in a way that's astounding.

[ LIke a trainwreck.. ]

No wonder she needs to clear her mind.

[ But the woman needs to learn how to shut up. ]

I think she seeks it out, though. Like, you saw her today. She always tries to pull that "I'm just being helpful" bullying when she's trying to corner people and she thinks I'm not paying attention. I'm not sure if she thrives on drama or just has it coming.

[ So long as Emerald keeps her actual classroom the 'safe space' from that, she's pretty sure most people are feeling better about themselves because at least they're not that much of a mess. ]

[ Suzie and Weiss are definitely going to clash in the future... Watch out for it, Emerald. ]

From what you've told me? It's probably a mix of both.

[ There's not really much she can say anymore, though. She mostly just approached Emerald for a polite "hi" and a little bit of small talk. ]

Is there another class that's going to be using the room? We might be holding up some people outside.

They start a half hour after ours ends, and Barry sucks so I'm not worried about his class.

[ Barry: judgy vegan bunny man who believes meat is murder and anyone who eats it is a murderer and that being loud and proud (obnoxiously refusing to accept criticism) is part of a healthy lifestyle. Emerald's work nemesis.

Even so, Emerald goes to gather her stuff finally-- namely the projector and her own yoga mat and her device, which she was running the projection on. She turns airplane mode (or whatever the equivalent is) off so she can get messages and stuff again. ]

Who's Barry?

[ ... Does she want to know? Is this another guy with so much drama going on? God, she hopes not.

But with Emerald packing up, she goes to do the same. ]

I missed a call. What's up?

[ he was in the middle of a raid boss... couldn't stop and pick up the phone. oops. ]

Oh my god. What took so long?

[ ofc she's gonna whine first... she'll talk about what she wants later on. ]

I had to finish a raid. It was important.

[ he is so bad at this. ]

Sure.
Anyway, I want to check out the event. Come with me.

Right now? But I have another raid to do.

[ that's the wrong thing to say but you know. ]

I bet you haven't seen sunlight in ten days.

[ GO OUT!! OF YOUR ROOM!!! ]

I'm right by the window... I see plenty of sunlight.

[ SIGH ]

Where am I meeting you?

Lunatia Square in one hour.
Don't be late.

I'll be there.

[ just like the good boy he is, he shows up at lunatia square in a little less than an hour. it's better if he's the one waiting because who knows if that will just irritate weiss even more. not that he minds, because it's not like she really gets mad at him. he'd just rather not inconvenience her...

so he waits, close to a streetlight and out of people's way. it's really busy today but that's not surprising. ]

[ Ye Xiu being late isn't that much of a big deal because Weiss would be so relieved that he showed up in the first place... She definitely appreciates him being early though, and it's in fact, greeted with a smile as soon as she spots him. ]

So? It looks fun, right? Aren't you glad you came?

I think it's a lot better because of the company.

[ listen to him... he isn't even going to allow weiss to comment on that because he's moving on to the next topic almost immediately. looking around, there's a pretty sizeable crowd surrounding them; not much a surprise considering it's the holidays and all. ]

What did you want to check out first? I'll treat you today.

[ He's so gross... ]

You just said that. No takebacks.

[ She'll just casually loop her arm around his and then pull him towards one of the dessert stalls. The food's not that expensive or anything, but Weiss will intentionally be excessive today. :) (she'll at least tone it down if Ye Xiu is truly suffering...) ]

I want a crepe.

[ any other person probably would have been worried at what weiss just said, but not ye xiu. the dumbass just keeps smiling like nothing is wrong and he isn't the most broke individual out there. (okay, well, he isn't, but he's definitely not all that rich nor capable of spoiling weiss too much... he'll try though.) ]

Sure. Do you want the best one?

[ it's not the most expensive one he chooses, but it's definitely one he thinks weiss would like. plus, it's his favourite so surely this will work out for everyone involved. ]

I promise it's really good.

The best one?

[ Is there really a "best" crepe, Ye Xiu? Because of course she is going to want it. Crepes are a gift from the gods... ]

Alright, let's try it.

[ If she doesn't end up liking it though (she will, because it has berries!), she'll just smack Ye Xiu. No big deal??? ]

I want a milkshake, too. Vanilla.

[ the look on his face just grows... fond, and it's an expression that has a hint of nostalgia to it. he patiently waits for weiss' verdict regarding the crepe he suggested, but then she asks for one more thing. ]

Just one?

[ as far as he cares right now, she can have as many as she wants. he'll go ahead and purchase a singular milkshake with a heart-shaped straw. ]

It should go nicely with the crepe. [ truly, he's content to just spoil her right now. ]

What do you mean just one? [ ... how insulting! Do you think she's a pig or something, Ye Xiu? ] It's not Cordis right now.

[ Her mood immediately lightens when the milkshake gets served, though. It's cute, too. ]

What are you getting?

[ listen, there's a reason why ye xiu isn't the best with relationships. his lack of self-awareness gets him in trouble more often than not... but thankfully, weiss seems to have let it go as soon as the milkshake is up. ]

The mini pancakes. And a milkshake for myself too.

[ the pancakes are stuffed with the lunatian version of nutella so it's amazing to eat it in one bite. as for his milkshake, he gets a strawberry one since that always pairs well. ]

Do you want to walk around? Or should we find a place to sit down?

[ there are nearby benches around, at least. ]

We should sit down, eat the food, and then go for a walk around the area with our drinks.

[ Somehow, she's devised a strategy on how to handle what they just bought. She only intends to sit down for a few minutes to finish the crepes, though. The event may be small, but it's so lively that Weiss wants to see every bit of it! ]

I think there's going to be a show on the stage, too. I want to see it.

[ Well, the show just so happens to be the moonlacing contest thing, but she doesn't know that yet. ]

[ honestly speaking, ye xiu appreciates that she's thought of a plan. it leaves him the responsibility of guiding her to the benches rather than being the one to decide... when he's around her, he's pretty much willing to go along with all of her whims. she'd only need to ask—

for now, he lets her settle down on the bench first before he follows after, nomming on his pancakes all the while. ]

We could go see it. I heard it was for charity? It's the one they're streaming online, right?

[ it's the only one he knows about... no idea it's about moonlacing too, but that's fine. ]

How's the crepe?

Were they? I didn't see. It's better to be here anyway than just watch from a screen.

[ They get to be part of the festivities!!

As for the crepe, it's good so far! It's buttery and they didn't hold back on the fruits. ]

Mm, it's good. I've never eaten something this cute before, too. It almost feels sad munching on a bear head.

[ he was ready to agree with her regarding what she said about experiencing everything in-person, but he's immediately distracted. blinking, he looks at her with a raised brow. ]

Seriously? This is the first one? I need to take you out more often, then. There are lots of places around here with food like this.

[ he knows from experience. it's something su mucheng would love to do, so he has no doubt weiss would love it just as much. ]

You'll just have to let me know when you're free.

[ Excuse me, Ye Xiu, what? ]

You mean to say more people make food that look like cute animals just so we can behead them and eat them?

[ you know, this is the first time anyone's ever questioned it like this. it's new to him, and it shows in how confused he is. ]

Huh? Nothing that extreme. It's just food, isn't it?

[ weiss?? what are you even thinking about... ]

If it bothers you though, we don't have to eat that stuff.

Oh, no! Food is food.

[ After being subjected to canned food, she... will treasure the cuteass crepes even though it's like murdering adorable animals. ]

I've just never eaten anything like this before. I didn't know it was a common thing.

[ you would think he'd be surprised by that admission, but it just makes him smile fondly in the end. ]

No problem. I'll be sure to take you to more places that serve food like this, then. You have to tell me what kinds you like though...

[ thinking. ]

Waffles? Parfaits? Maybe even sushi?

Do I look like I have a sweet tooth?

[ Ye Xiu, she's an adult!! :( (But... she does have a sweet tooth. She will never, ever admit it, though.) ]

Are there places that serve cute-looking yoghurt?

[ ye xiu looks at her as if he's asking if that's such a bad thing, but he doesn't say it out loud. ]

I think I know a place or two. Do you want to go there next?

[ today is just going to be a foodie day... ]

What happened to going around?

[ There's still the event that they should be checking out!! But she's also curious as to where Ye Xiu might take her. She's very into cafe hopping. ]

[ sometimes... when it comes to food... oops. ]

Oh, yeah. [ as if he didn't just (almost) forget. ] Let's do that first then.

[ he's pretty much done with what he was eating anyway; only the milkshake left, which can be carried around as they see what else the event has to offer. ]

I have all day. I'm not sure about you, though.

[ Can Ye Xiu even stand being away from a computer for an entire day? Who knows... But Weiss starts walking to where the event is, and it looks like they're about to start. There's an announcer on stage talking about a kissing contest, and Weiss almost spits out her milkshake.

She does not, but she does look away with her hand on her mouth. ]

Didn't you want to be together today? I have all day too.

[ to be honest, he doesn't, but this is weiss so of course he'll drop everything. if he cared, he would have said no in the first place so she better appreciate him a little!!

her reaction to the announcement earns an amused huff, followed by a raised brow. ]

Should we go watch something else if this is too much—?

I did, but I wasn't sure if you were actually going to— [ . . . give her a lot of time. :T She decides not to continue because she can already see herself losing this conversation unless she gets huffy. Not to mention, she's distracted by the event. . . aaaaand promptly decides that this is embarrassing. ]

What, do I look like I'm 10-years old to you? I can handle this!

[ Said all the while her face looks like a tomato. ]

[ listen, ye xiu can't even blame weiss for having no faith in him. if it was anyone else, he probably would have found an excuse so he can go back to grinding whatever event he's currently working on right now. today, however, he positions himself in front of weiss to block her view of the stream. ]

You sure? I don't mind doing something else if this isn't working.

[ he'll go along with whatever, but he'll give her one last chance to refuse...! ]

Don't patronise me!

[ >:(!!! She's going to use two hands to push Ye Xiu aside so she can watch. And promptly get embarrassed as the people start kissing ah... ]

It's just. Kissing. It's nothing.

[ to his credit, he tries not to laugh at her expense so he's allowing himself to be pushed away just to give her the front-row seats to couples kissing. ]

Absolutely sure? Last chance to change your mind.

[ he's doing this on purpose now. ]

Yes. We're watching.

[ ... Yeah. That's. That's some tongue over there. Weiss has to clear her throat. ]

For maybe five minutes.

[ ye xiu takes his chance to reach for her hand, holding it within his. will it be enough to distract her? who knows. ]

We could be doing something else, you know.

[ it almost sounds like a line from an otome... ]

[ They could be. Ye Xiu taking her hand distracts her, too, but... ]

It feels like you're treating me like a child.

[ She's nineteen (for now)!!! She's an adult :(!!!! ]

Fine. We can go.

I'm not. I just think we could be doing something better.

[ drumroll, please. ]

Like eating more cute food. [ yeah, she's free to slap him— but he'll start guiding them away from the crowd so they can look! for somewhere to eat!! ] Unless you really want to watch people kiss for charity.

Gross. Don't think that I'm some kind of voyeur.

[ Fine, fine. She'll follow him without much resistance now. ]

We already got food, though. I'm not that much of an eater if it's not Cordis. [ A beat. ] Is there anything you want to check out?

Not in particular. I'm good with hanging out as long we're spending time together, yeah?

[ truth be told...... he didn't really think this through. he figured weiss would keep denying him but now that they're free from watching the charity moonlacing, he's drawing a blank on what they should do. ]

I guess, we can go shopping for gifts or something.

[ Weiss could keep denying him, really, but she's ran out of reasons to. Even her iciness has its limits. ]

Do you even have enough Chroma to go shopping?

[ how can you resist his boyish charm? (please, no.) ]

No, but I have demichroma. I've been participating in a few tournaments here and there.

[ he's got an amount that isn't anything to laugh at but he figures he'll keep that info to himself. ]

Have you thought about what you want to buy for others?

[ Stop. ]

I'm sure it can't be that difficult.

[ She's never celebrated Christmas before. They don't have any holidays where they give people gifts!!! Aside from birthdays, anyway... ]

Are you good at buying presents?

Nope. That's why I was hoping you could help me!

[ this shameless fellow... when is weiss going to punch him? he deserves it right about now. ]

Otherwise I was thinking of getting something simple...

[ like chocolate. ]

Ye Xiu, are you telling me I can pick my own present?

[ She'd punch him, but... he's giving him this much power. Why should she resist? ]

Unless you'd like it to be a surprise, I was thinking you could, yeah.

[ by now they've reached a row of shops, ranging from clothes to accessories to stationery. dessert and pastry shops are available too but he's always been bad when it comes to giving real presents. in-game ones? not so much, but he knows weiss isn't going to like a pixel item from LmaO. ]

It can be anything.

I'll pick something simple.

[ They're in a place that's so interesting to Weiss. One store has dresses, which all look great! Another sells hair accessories, and another shoes and purses. Ye Xiu is the devil. Oh... but which one would Weiss pick? She doesn't want to pick anything too expensive, especially when Ye Xiu is already making her pick what to get? Even if she were aware how much money he has, she doesn't want to impose too much. As much as she gives a hard time to him and enjoys being spoiled, she would prefer simpler things if given the choice. ]

Oh, oh! [ He's going to get pulled by the arm by a little girl into one of the accessories shops. A bunch of hairpins sit by the window, and she's brings out a couple ones that caught her fancy. She looks up at him with a twinkle in her eyes, obviously excited to wear them. ] Which one do you like?

[Weiss is going to find not one but two food baskets delivered to her. Inside is an assortment of freshly cooked food - tossed salad, pot-au-feu, salmon rillettes, omelette, croque monsieur, risotto, even some of Sanson's hot chocolate with egg yolks for some extra nutrition.

Accompanying the food is a folded note written in neat handwriting, and a small bouquet of bluestar flowers.]

Master,

I understand that the Cordis cycle can be quite trying on one's appetite, so I prepared some food for you. Feel free to share it with your sister and your friends. If you'd like more, just send me a message.

These flowers are for your last show. There was an emergency at the clinic and I couldn't leave my work to watch, so consider this congratulations, and an apology.

Sincerely,
Charles

[The signature below is made in bold, sharp strokes.]

Edited 2019-12-07 04:22 (UTC)

Thank you for the food and the flowers. I'm definitely sharing these. There's so much!
I hope you made some for yourself, too.

Please don't worry about me. Since my roommate is also under Cordis, I cooked a lot of food.

I hope you're well, moon cycles notwithstanding.

[The pain of knowing many Cordis-es, including yourself.]

Is it normal for someone to suddenly turn into half a bird? This hasn't happened before.

[Note: He is not literally half a bird, just suffering from swan feathers all over.]

Edited 2019-12-13 01:35 (UTC)

You're going to need to provide a little more context.

It's easier to show you. Hold on, I should be able to-

[It takes a moment, but he does end up succeeding at opening the video feed. It's empty for a while until Sun walks into the view. He has white feathers covering his arms almost like they're forming wings - and partially covering his hands too which is why he's not texting. There are some in his hair and even his tail is covered in white feathers.]

Okay— I should tell you that that's what normally happens to me during Cordis, so I'm not sure what you want from here here.

[ It's... definitely a very weird look on Sun, though. ]

I'm definitely not a Cordis and it's not that time anyway, so I'm just so confused. And you've been here longer, so I thought you'd know if this is a thing that happens.

[Just so he can be sure he's not affected by something weird all of a sudden? Not that he's been near anything weird. Unless he ate someone's magic apple when he took it.]

Though any ... tips on how to deal with this amount of feathers?

Edited 2019-12-17 22:26 (UTC)

I've always developed feathers during Cordis. They've never changed, but I know some people's traits differ every other month or so.

[ She's glad she's never experienced it, to be honest. But this is going to jinx her in the future. ]

Try to avoid wearing anything fit while you have those.

This is the first time mine's actually changed. I'm usually a rabbit.

[He's not actually sure if Weiss has seen him all bunny-fied.]

... you say like that's a problem for me.

I have a question.

[ It's a very blunt one, too. ]

Do you get a bunny tail over your own tail, or does your tail turn round?

Over my own tail. Just a great fluffy monkey tail.

[Very soft. Much fluff.]

Oh my gosh! You have two tails?! Do they wag at the same time?

[ Guess who's getting amusement out of this? ]

No, I meant, my tail turns into a fluffy one. Remains the same size, but turns fluffy.

... though I'm sure one day I'll have two tails. I'll let you know what happens when that happens.

[ Weiss will receive the following text around 8am: ]

I have extra practice today and can't come today.
Open your door and look down.

[ When she does, this will be on her door mat:

]

[ Later that day, when Midorima's just finished with practice, a guy in a green jacket and sweatpants and a hat will deliver a large iced matcha milk tea with red beans!! There's a card that goes with it, and the man even wants to sing and will bring out his harmonica so he knows he's in key.

Please stop him, because Weiss told him to sing something cute, but apparently, the cute song in his roster is Madonna's "Like a Virgin".

The card, at least, isn't as obscene. It's written in neat sky blue cursive.

I'll go with you, of course.
Ask me personally next time! I want to know what it's like.
I hope practice went well, too. Enjoy the drink! 💚

❄️ Weiss Schnee

The only thing not in blue is the green heart.

As for the inevitable text message? It's a picture of the flowers next to her bedside. The oranges aren't there anymore. ]

[ Excuse him for the lack of response to this. He's calling in back-up. ]

[ Shortly after weiss texts Winter... ]

hey i heard about your date, good for you kiddo. don't get too crazy out there

I didn't ask for your advice!

i didn't give you any?

"Don't get too crazy out there" isn't advice?

weiss. the day i actually need to advise you to not get crazy is the day i'm gonna see pigs fly

How dare you! I know how to be crazy!

[ So, this backfired... ]

[ Team RWBY will all receive individual gift boxes (they're all the same navy blue boxes with lighter blue ribbons). Each tagged respectively. ]

To: Weiss
From: Cloud

[ They each get a scarf. Here is Weiss'. ]

--

[ There's also another present that Weiss will discover in a slightly smaller present. If you shake this one around, it sounds like stuff is moving around. So it's not clothes (or anything fragile. phew!). Also tagged with,

To: Weiss
From: Cloud

There's a Rapier Maintenance Kit for her Myrtenaster. There's actually one more gift to come. But he's not giving it to her until later that night. ]

Edited 2019-12-24 07:38 (UTC)

[Weiss will receive a small package containing a pair of earrings, tins of peppermint and lavender tea leaves, and a box of gingerbread cookies shaped like snowflakes. Attached is a card with neat handwriting, and a familiar signature.

Weiss,

Happy Firialia. I look forward to continuing to work with and fight alongside you as my Master.

Sincerely,
C.H. Sanson]

You have a delivery!!

[ A little present addressed to Weiss will be delivered on the eve of before the winter celebrations, together with a beautiful collection of stylish hair accessories, a hand-sewn shimmering winter cowl and a collection of scented incense! ]

- "A princess must always remain refreshed and ready— May you shine as beautifully as you always have. Happy Starlight!" - Megumi♥"

( James has left a box outside the door upon their return from Nevei, clearly wrapped by a professional hand in a white box and navy chiffon ribbon, though there is no card to say who the package may be from— the chosen colors are a bit of a hint, but he wouldn't quite know what to say if approached about it anyway.

Inside: A box of seasonal petit fours, a color-appropriate scarf in a warm, soft knit, and a gift card to some upscale buffet with an amount good for about 3 visits. it seemed like a good middleground as far as gifting went, and he really doesn't know what any of the kids like, and it's a little awkward to be giving them anything at all, but he felt the need to offer his thanks in some form or another. )

Schnee, come over.
We need to talk.

[ ??? did she do something wrong? This doesn't sound good, but she's also had years of being told "we need to talk" only to get scolded or manipulated or whatever else... ]

Alright.
Is something wrong?

It's resolved.
This is simply a necessary conversation to be had and better had in person.

I have hard-boiled eggs for a snack. They aren't too salty this time.

[ He made her!! Food!!!!! >B| He's done his best! And he managed not to screw it up too badly!

Though it's super basic and he can't do it without fogging up his glasses bc if he walks away then it'll overcook, so he just watches the water boil the whole time... ]

[ Midorima says it's resolved, but Weiss still feels a little uncertain. It's why she doesn't look so bright when she gets to his apartment to ring the doorbell an hour later. She doesn't even reply to his texts, but she does show up. That's better, right? ]

Come in.

[ He leads her to the kitchen table once she's in. As promised, he has food ready! it's even plated! There are two cups of tea as well. He knows Weiss likes coffee better, but he didn't have any so. Deal with your tea and eggs, Weiss. He's done his best to be romantic and accommodating???? ]

You actually made food.

[ She can't help but laugh a little at it. It's... surprising, in a very pleasant way. Midorima always gave off the vibe that he'd never touch kitchenware because he'd just burn stuff. Seeing him make an effort makes her feel pretty good, even if it's just hard-boiled eggs.

So, she sits down in the dining. The smile on her face disappears as she looks unsure again. Hurry up and talk to her already... she wants to get this over with because no one says "we need to talk" and has anything good to say. ]

[ You should see his trash can. There are about a dozen and a half failed attempts in there. That's why there are only 3 and a half eggs on that plate, cut in half... (At least the half is just that he tasted it to make sure this batch wasn't garbage and not some weird reason..) ]

I said I did. They're easier to cook in the water because you just bring it to a boil, turn it off, and set a timer for 15 minutes.

[ He did try other means of making eggs, but they did not come out as well. ]

[ Weiss just listens, hands on her lap. There's food served, but she doesn't start eating yet.

... she does want to try it, though. But first, ]

You said you had something to say.

[ Not "talk". She specifically words her concern in that manner, because she doesn't even know what there is to talk about. ]

Yes. I want to be with you more, but I think we need to discuss terms to make certain neither of us run into any misunderstandings.

[ ..At least Weiss gets to negotiate like Eichi, he just told Kise his rules. ]

Alright.

[ This isn't like... "Weiss you did something wrong, here's what you should do to fix it" or "Weiss you did something wrong, you're a mess". This is honestly much better.

Still nerve-wracking, though. ]

What do you have in mind?

I'm a private person. I've agreed to us being boyfriend and girlfriend, I don't want the details of that being shared on Prismagram.

[ Yeah he found out about that!! And he's not mad, but he just wants to make sure it's clear like... Don't share anything besides that they are dating pls.. ]

In efforts to maintain privacy, I'll text any time before I come over and expect you to do the same so we don't run into other partners. I don't mind you being with others and will do the same, but I can't guarantee I'll be kind to them if I see them with you.

[ he's gonna be a big butt. ]

[ If Midorima is bothered by the privacy aspect when his photos are online, Weiss understands. She... likes posting stuff on Prismagram! It's something she didn't know she'd enjoy, but she's honestly enjoying life a lot more in this place. It's impossible for her to hide her disappointment, but she'll agree to it.

Though, she doesn't really understand why he says he won't be kind to anyone else Weiss is with?? Why is he so grumpy... he's the one who said seeing other people and not being in a sole committed relationship isn't feasible.

She'd question it, but she doesn't really want to argue, either. Weiss finds herself less argumentative with Midorima. ]

What else?

It was recently pointed out to me that I'm being unfair and demanding more but keeping certain people at arm's length.

[ He gets very tense at this, but he's. He's trying. He's trying so hard. Even if he's embarrassed... but he's been called on his shit and is trying to make improvements. ]

I'm going to attempt to call you and T- Eichi by your first names, at least in front of you... Weiss.

[ But like if he slips up once in a while it's habit ok.. ]

[ If he slips up, it's fine. He already called her by her name after the ball, even if it was through text. And even if he did follow up with "Schnee". It was an effort, and... honestly, more than Weiss could ever ask for. But she also hasn't been asking much from him, preferring to take things slow and have him be more comfortable with her so he'll open up naturally. He'd snap at her otherwise, and then she's snap right back at him because the last thing she needs is someone getting mad at her for making what she wants known. That's why she's fine with taking the backseat.

She's a little stunned at what he says, but it's a good kind of stunned. The smile she wore when she saw the eggs earlier comes back, and the butterflies in her stomach remain, but because of something different, now. He said someone else pointed it out, but it's Midorima making the statement now. He may look embarrassed right now, but... Weiss hopes that there will be a day when he'll be comfortable enough being close to her without him feeling awkward about it. ]

Thank you.

[ Her smile turns more genuine when she finally looks him in the eye. She almost wants to ask if she can call him by his given name, but opts to just go with it without permission.

^_^ ]

I like it better that way.

[ If there's one thing Midorima's good at, it's putting in effort even if he isn't perfect. He nods to what she says, not really sure what else to say. So he just finishes what he decided on before inviting her over. ]

Try not to be too apparent in front of Eichi, if you can. He's more possessive than I expected. Otherwise, you can bring up anything you'd like out of this now.

[ She's not. At least, she doesn't think she is. ]

Would you tell him the same thing if I'm apparently more possessive that you expected?

Are you going to stop talking to me for weeks because Eichi posts that we're in an undefined relationship on Prismagram and not tell me why until I pick a fight with you for ignoring me?

[ Because then yes, he'll talk to Eichi about it. ]

No. I would tell you if I had a big problem with you.

[ Small ones, she can at least keep to herself until she explodes... but that'd be scary. ]

I'm asking because you're telling me don't do this and don't do that. That's fine, but I'd be upset to find out that I'm the only person you're telling these things to. It's a little rude.

[ What happened to her feeling anxious earlier... ]

Edited 2020-01-28 05:14 (UTC)

I've already talked to him. His rules are similar. He was upset because he thought that I had violated one of ours.

[ he sighs, looking a little exhausted. ]

I'm trying to talk to you so we don't have issues, not because I'm trying to pick a fight. I said you can tell me if there's anything you want to establish, I'm not laying down rules and refusing to listen.

[ Weiss shakes her head in response. She's just prickly by nature; she isn't trying to start a fight, either.

But she should probably say that out loud. ]

I'm not looking for a fight. [ ... She looks away, lips pursed, brows slightly furrowed. She's not really angry, just worried. ] I can't think of anything right now, but... I don't want to be pushed aside in favour of someone else.

That's all.

[ He nods in agreement. He can't guarantee he won't have to run off if Eichi has a health crisis, but barring emergency, he has no intention of treating either of them unfairly. He also has something to make up to her though, and has already intended on doing so. It's just been too far from the actual date to say anything. ]

There's one more thing I want to ask of you.

[ That's a lot of requests, Midorima... ]

What is it?

Let me take you somewhere alone on your birthday.

[ it's fine, he gets all the requests he's a spoiled boy ]

I stopped celebrating my birthday years ago.

[ It's just been one bad year after another. She doesn't want to make it about her anymore, because it'll just end in disappointment. 😔 Midorima's free to convince her to do it this year, though. ]

Then you don't have any plans on it already. Plan to be gone at least 3 days.

[ Yeah he's determined so he's just going to tell her that this is happening. ]

It's also Valentine's Day, so if you want to be stubborn about it, do it as your Valentine's gift to me instead of accepting it as a birthday offer.

What? No.

[ ... She wants to celebrate her birthday, Midorima!!! Don't be a dick, she's playing hard to get! ]

I've never celebrated that before, but I'd much prefer to celebrate my birthday than that.

Then pack three days worth of warm clothing and give me your sizes so I can prepare equipment.

[ He's gonna keep it a surprise!!!!! So he needs her shoe size so he can get ice skates for her. He's gonna take her to a cabin with a jacuzzi and make her hot cocoa (with instant packets, sorry) and take her ice skating and moonlace on a rug in front of a fireplace. This is his plans. He will also buy ingredients and ask her to teach him to cook things so they can do it together and she can't complain he's not making an effort, but she can also make sure they don't starve. ]

My sizes?

[ Midorima, you can't just ask a girl that??? She is small everywhere, that should be easy to estimate, but the actual numbers feel like a little too much. It's embarrassing, and how she feels shows with how bright her cheeks turn. ]

That's private information!

Just your shoe size!

[ He only said all of them so he could conceal what he was planning more! ]

It's a 5.

[ is he gonna get her a new pair of shoes for her birthday? Holy shit that's exciting!! SHE'S GONNA BECOME CELINE DION!!! ]

[ Well, yes. he can get her proper slippers for the house. But not what he talking about right now. ]

I won't tell you what's going on, but do you have any questions?

About the first topic, no, not right now. About my birthday? Yes, I do.

[ They've only been talking about it for a few minutes, but this is what she has in mind: ]

How warm are we talking? Is one layer of clothing and a coat enough, or should I wear tights under my dress, as well? Do I need to bring anything specific? How many pillows will there be on my bed?

[ What's the last question about... ]

That's too many questions.

[ He's not going to answer all of them. ]

Pack for snow.

I only asked three!

[ She actually has four more!!! >:( ]

My answer took care of all but the last one, which I have no means of answering.

[ How is he supposed to know how many pillows will be on her bed??? What kind of question is that. ]

Edited 2020-01-31 02:33 (UTC)

[ It's very important so she knows if she'll bring a pillow of her own or not!! 😤 ]

Do I need any formal clothes?

No.

[ At least he knows pillows are a concern now so he can just.. bring some extra.. he guesses. Weiss can use his if she needs it. ]

[ She supposes she's fine with most things being kept a secret from her until they actually get to wherever they're going. Okay, then! She's done asking questions. ]

Can I try what you made now?

It's been there for you this whole time.

[ So yes. ]

I didn't want to eat it in case what you had to say was bad news!

[ She's just... gonna be honest with that. Midorima really gave her a fright. ]

I wouldn't spend hours learning to cook something to give you bad news.

[ So he knows. He wouldn't putz around it. ]

... Thank you.

[ It's just a simple egg but Weiss appreciates it a lot. She goes ahead and serves herself a small piece with her fork and eats it. It's salty, but she doesn't mind. Besides, hard-boiled eggs are supposed to be salty... ]

I wish I ate while it was still warm. Maybe next time.

I can make a fresh one.

[ He can do it!! >:| He has mastered this skill!! ]

No, this is fine, really!

[ Don't feed her a ton of eggs today, Midorima. She's fine! ]

This is good as it is.

I can make tamagogohan too, if you want.

[ Sometime... though that's really just putting raw eggs in rice and stirring with soy sauce.. ]

Okay, that sounds good.

[ SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS!!! But she'll be happy with whatever Midorima makes 😭 ]

[ She already said no to more food, but next time she comes over, he'll make it. ]

Thank you for coming when you thought it was bad.

[ She really did think this was going to be a bad talk. It went a lot better than expected. She doesn't think she needs to be thanked, though. ]

You said you wanted to talk. There wasn't any reason not to come.

[ Even though it could have been bad! Weiss isn't one to run away...

Although if she were to talk about her situation at home back then, that's a different story. ]

Even so.

[ He considers for a moment, then stands up and comes over to kiss her while she's seated. The dog isn't watching, so it's fine. ]

[ Weiss' shoulders relax when he kisses her, obvious by how she sits up, pushing herself forward towards him instead of staying still.

She doesn't let the kiss last long though, unless Midorima intends to make it so. Even though her hand actually ends up clinging to the end of his shirt. This is a huge relief, and she's glad he talked to her rather than get mad or end things or whatever else. He's not the only one appreciative of this. ]

[ He doesn't make it last- it's a reassuring kiss, and one that's a challenging to give since he's standing and she's sitting and she's already a foot and a half shorter than him when she's not sitting, so he's basically bending over to give this one. It's not a comfortable position for a kiss for more than a few seconds. ]

You can take the leftover eggs if you want. I won't keep you if you were busy.

I'm not done eating yet. I'll finish it here.

[ She does have some plans for later, but it's not time-restrictive. She just needs to visit the Moon Knights headquarters to report on something. ]

Gonna be working late for the next few days.
I'll see calls more than texts, so, if you need me. That's the best way.
Just in case I don't see you before you take off...stay safe.

...?

[ E R R O R ⧰ FAILED TO SEND MESSAGE ]
[ E R R O R ⧰ FAILED TO SEND MESSAGE ]
[ E R R O R ⧰ FAILED TO SEND MESSAGE ]

Weiss? Can you see this? It's Cloud.

[ E R R O R ⧰ RECIPIENT NOT FOUND ]

Hold on... [ He finds the archive to her network account. Gets in touch with 'Angel', and presses 'dial'. He calls. ] ... .... .....

[ No ring. No jingle signalling it's connecting. Just sheer silence. For a minute. Two. And finally, it hangs up. ]

...

[ It's a mistake. It's a mistake. Surely someone whose been here for so long, a Moon Knight, was still a valuable asset to this planet, wasn't she? He even tries connecting via a video call. Clears his throat. Takes a gentle breath, just acts calm and cool as he expects her to pick up, or for a notif telling him it was ringing on her end. Once again, nothing. It's empty. It's not there. She's not there. ]

Grr...

✆

[ Suffice to say, Strife Delivery Service essentially shut down for the next few days. He got paid in Chroma and sometimes Demichroma anyways. He couldn't give a damn. The nights are still long- longer than they were before. Beneath Iris' moonlight, his search takes him across all three levels of Lunatia. Level 4, he had every intention of sneaking into if it meant finding information in the underground.

"Have you seen this girl?" he would ask civilians. From time to time, he sends texts and tries calling, thinking that there's a chance it can all come through. Cloud considers contacting Tony, to see if there's a way to tell if maybe her device was jammed. Things were getting crazy around here ever since that King broke free of the digital plain. Who knew what certain organizations were up to? He tries. Shakes up the Umbris who've seen Cloud as the Sanguis sword guy you didn't mess with, down in Caihong. "Where's Weiss." Nothing. He tries. Tries and tries and tries...

Until Cloud finally stops running from the truth. He returns to the Moon Knight Headquarters. It's the same news he tried to deny when Aerith and Zack vanished. Corrin, one of the first friends he's made here, disappeared at the start of the month too. He's just...tired. Tired of coming back to this place to get the confirmation he oh-so-desperately doesn't want to hear. That Weiss had vanished from this world. Evidently sent back. ]

I see.

[ When he finally leaves the headquarters the day before her birthday, he tries his damnest to keep his chin up. Zack and Aerith's departures were feelings dipped in morose... But with Weiss...?

It stings. But it's not just him. It's probably hard for everyone. Winter, her teammates, the theatre troupe, Sanson, Midorima... He thinks about what they're feeling, and resigns himself. Such was the nature of this world. They relied on them for Chroma, as the 'Moonblessed', and when their task was finished? Off they went... Just like that, huh? ]

- - -

[ It's early in the afternoon, February 13th, when a failed voice message is sent to 'Angel'. The voice is as soft and cool as usual. As if nothing was amiss. It's just another day. ]

Hey, Weiss. .....mn...

[ Heh. ]

Guess I shoulda thought about what I was gonna say before calling, huh. I'm usually not so bad about doing things on the fly. Hmm...let's see... Oh. I was gonna keep it a secret, but I had a breakthrough in my Aura training. Figured it out a couple weeks ago. I burn through more Chroma, but, turns out adding it to a Blade Beam packs a wallop. ... I only tried it on a tree in the woods.

[ The tree blew up. Nothing else. Relax. ]

What else... Well, since it's your birthday tomorrow, I was gonna wait 'til you got back from your trip. But I figured out what to get you. You said you always wanted to try planting, right? There's these flowers I used an orb on. Got 'em in a vase for now, but they're pretty hardy. I'll do something with them in a month, so they should still be kicking when you get back.

[ "when you get back" ... "when you get back"- Cloud is quiet, the sound of bed springs beneath him creaking slightly, sitting at the edge of his bed. ]

... It's been three days. I kept looking, asking around, wondering maybe if your device got jammed. ... I checked in with the Moon Knights today, so. Yeah. I've got it figured out now. [ Slightly strained sigh, adjusts his grip on his device. ] I don't know, Weiss... This'll probably fail to send again and get hung up. But...maybe there's a way you can still hear me. Not sure how, but crazier things have happened. I just...

[ ...... ]

... I don't want to say it. Mm. I won't. ... .... ..... Hey, if you're out there. And this somehow gets to you...go find Ruby and the others. Check on your sister. Okay? And...guess that's that. A little early, but. Just in case...

Happy birthday, Weiss.

[ /end message. ]

[ E R R O R ⧰ RECIPIENT NOT FOUND ]

[ It's not just Cloud who's sent Weiss messages, not just Cloud who called, or tried to contact her in general. When Weiss gets back to the city after an hour or so long stay in Iris, she immediately checks her device. Frankly, she's emotionally drained, and she's not really sure what to do. Her device flooded with calls and texts and voice mail tells her what she should do, though.

She needs to get back to these people. She was told she didn't have enough Chroma, that she's become an unreliable source for it, but now, she's "renewed", so to speak. That part, she doesn't care about. What she cares about is being back, because this may not be her home, but it's a place where she's met people who have become important fixtures in her life.

Growing up, she's been lonely, unable to find people to trust and spend time with. That's changed since meeting her teammates, and her world has expanded even further during her stay here. The guilt she feels for letting all these people down is immense, and she wholeheartedly believes it's warranted. That's why even though she's scared that these people whom she left behind are mad at her, she needs to face the music and talk to them.

Honestly, she could easily leave her apartment and visit these people, but... she also wants to get her life here back together. Slowly, she picks up the pieces from where she left off. It's only been three days here, but it was weeks of being in Atlas... it's odd, and she needs to orient herself with everything again.

A little close to 5 in the afternoon, Weiss' status in chat apps and whatnot will be lit green again. No chat or text notifications come Cloud's way, but... after hearing the voice mail he left, how could she not respond by letting him hear her voice?

It rings, thank god, but it's another hurdle to see if he picks up. She steels herself, but the frown on her face doesn't disappear. When he does pick up... She doesn't say hello right away, but just listens, and eventually lets out a puff of a laugh that releases all her stress. ]

I... It's good to hear your voice again.

[ After a couple hours of laying in bed, listlessly staring up at the ceiling, towards the wall, and reflecting on the time he spent with Weiss, he finally decides to get up. It's too early to throw in the towel now. So Cloud heads for his closet to bundle up. He's heading to the cafe that Weiss introduced him to when they first started becoming friends. Suddenly, he opens the closet door, and his mind's eye plays tricks on him. It was awkward, yet sincere, the time he asked her to stay the night with him that Sanguis moon. ]

[ He breathes softly through his nose, blinking once to dispel the memory from his head as he grabs his coat. By the time he makes it halfway across town towards the cafe, his wrist bracer begins to vibrate. Oh? Someone was calling him? It wasn't often he got that. Usually it was text notifications. Deliberating whether he wanted to talk to anyone right now or not... ]

...? [ It only takes a chancing glance to recognize the name. And he stops in the middle of the busy street, letting Lunatian citizens pass him by and move around him. His eyes grow wide, and he scrunches his eyes shut before reopening them. It rings a good five times when he finally taps the 'ACCEPT' icon. And for a couple seconds, he forgets how to breath. But when he does speak... ]

Weiss?

[ ... A frown mars his lips. The time is still going up on the call, like there's someone else on the line. ]

Hello? ... Weiss, if you're there, it's me. I'm--

[ Then he hears her breath. She laughs. And the stress dissipates off his shoulders. The weight in his heart shatters, freeing him. He removes the bracer from his wrist, holding it in his hand tight as she answers him. ]

...

[ It's her. It's really her. And she remembers him. It's only been three days. Three goddamn days- yet still... He lets out a shaky trembling sigh, not quite a laugh, but his voice sounds lighter than usual. ]

That's my line. [ Now he's smiling, and despite himself, it's his turn to let out a puff of a laugh in kind. ] Are you okay? Where are you right now?

Edited (coding? what's that?) 2020-02-13 08:45 (UTC)

At my apartment. I'm calling those I know to say I'm here. So... I'm sorry for making you worry. And- [ She pauses, stopping herself from rambling. It's what she does when she's under pressure, and Cloud was witness to it when she asked him out on a date more than a month ago. She's not sure if she should say it, but it makes her chest heavy just thinking about it. ] When you left me the message... you sounded sad.

I'm sorry... it's my fault.

[ She closes her eyes and sighs. Cloud is... important. It doesn't look like she does, but she cares about him very much. What he thinks, how he feels... she doesn't want him to feel anything negative while she's around. In a way, she feels partly responsible for Cloud's feelings. He's not... "hers", at least, she seems to think so, but the care she has for him goes beyond "hi"s and "how are you"s. The affection she has for him is deep, and the more time they spend together, the deeper Weiss goes. ]

Can we push through with our plans? I'll still be away for a few days starting tomorrow. [ A beat. ] I know, it's- it's weird. I just want to have my life back here again.

If you're nearby, I'm not leaving 'til about half an hour from now... if you want to meet. [ There's a little desperation in her tone. It's not fully evident, but it's there between the lines. She slumps on her couch until she's almost laying on the cushions. ] But it's okay if you're busy. I mean- I'll have you to myself for three days, won't I? If you still want to go, anyway.

[ In the end, she still ends up rambling... ]

Edited 2020-02-13 10:38 (UTC)

[ As she gathers her bearings, Cloud patiently waits and listens. But when she mentions how he sounded sad in the message he sent, a flush of embarrassment keeps his cheeks glowing. That's right...she heard the entire thing. He did intend for her to hear it someday, whether she still remembered him or not. What would have happened if Weiss hadn't remembered? If she came from a different timeline? God, that would have been incredibly awkward.

Yet...all the same, he wouldn't take back a single word. Including this one. ]

Yeah. [ He was sad. ] But...

I didn't lose you.

[ Cloud may care for all life around him, cherishing everything. But there's a difference between the connection he feels between friends and allies, and the family and loved ones who've secured a special place in his heart. If circumstances were different, if she had come to Gaia, or he to Remnant in a reality that saw them in the same world not bound by this hub of a planet... Weiss would be...no. She is someone just as precious to him, if not more, than the people from his world. The affection, these feelings that he never would have anticipated or given the time for before...

It's been one hell of a ride. And Cloud had no intention of stopping. He can't help a soft chuckle as Weiss start rambling again. ]

I'll be there in fifteen.

[ Because Cloud is racing back at top speed to his apartment, hopping right on Sköll, and speeding to her apartment. ]

Just sit tight.

Okay, I will.

[ She can do that. Or... at least, busy herself with something else and not pace around the room while waiting for him. ]

Thank you.

[ For... not being mad at her, for not taking this against her... There's a lot of things Weiss knows isn't her fault and she doesn't feel bad for any of them, but making the people she cares about upset because something that had to do with her— she has to take responsibility for that, right? So Cloud saying he didn't lose her and that he's going to see her now... that means a lot. It means she's wanted and she has a place here. She may not have a place in the Schnee manor anymore, let alone in Atlas, at least she has Lunatia, the people. She has Cloud.

Weiss doesn't hang up. If the call ends on Cloud's end, then that's fine, but if he's running through the streets or getting on Sköll or whatever else he may be doing to get to her? She wants to listen. She still wants to talk, even if it's about the Prismal he bumped into or the cute sign for Valentine's across the street. Anything is fine.

She will, however, get out of her combat dress and put something on that's more casual. With the dress not form-fitting, it doesn't really show much of the changes in her body. Put her in her usual tight dresses, though... Anyway, the way she holds her hair up now is different, but she likes it. She likes it better this way now. That's probably the more noticeable thing about her now. Even though a few weeks have only passed for her, a lot has changed. Not just with the way Weiss dresses, but also with her way of thinking. ]

[ He hates the dawning realization of just how little control he has over their fates here. If there was anything to be mad at, it certainly wasn't the voice of the girl on the other end of the line. Perhaps a time would come where the Moonblessed could make something of their own lives here, with full control of what they wanted. But until then, Cloud was going to make good of every single day he spent with the people he cherished. There's a lot for him to think about; chances are, he'd still be mulling everything for some time yet.

Right now, he just wants to see her. He'd nearly lost her, and if fate was any less kind? She'd have to settle for being another memory in his heart. A heavy-weighted memory that would have left his walls reinforced. As of now however, they've never been more torn down, revealing the man who was doing his damnest to live. As Weiss doesn't hang up, she'd hear the faint sound of bootsteps hitting the pavement as he runs down the street. The only reason he hasn't hung up yet either is because he hasn't heard the little 'beep' on her end. Meaning she's still there! Considering his level of endurance and stamina, he's hardly winded as he talks and runs. ]

Guessing you got sent back to Remnant for a while.

[ As he listens to her, Weiss would suddenly hear the sound of a blaring horn. Then off-mic, "Sorry!" A certain blond swordsman ran a crosswalk when it wasn't his turn to cross. ]

S'cuse me. Sorry. Coming through! ... Huh?

... .... ..... Not interested. ... I'm in a hurry. ... .... Uh huh, can't keep them waiting!

[ There's a muffled voice of a Prismal yelling after Cloud, "Go get her!!" Okay. Not surrounded by people now. Crowd is gone. ]

Sorry 'bout that.

[ Weiss actually has Cloud on speakerphone. Once she's dressed up, she starts packing, mostly throwing every dress and every nightgown and everything else into one luggage, and then a duffel bag when it doesn't fit anymore. She's not packing all her things, but she's definitely bringing a lot of extra clothes just in case...

She's smiling when as she listens, amused and feeling a little better the longer the call goes on. ]

Mm, I did. About a few weeks or so. You're in for a surprise when we spar again.

[ :)!!! Look, she's determined to get her life back here. If she pretends thay everything that happened in Remnant was okay? That nothing big happened and that being here is more important? Then that's what she'll do. ]

Don't get into an accident, Cloud.

Am I now? You did some growing in that time?

[ When Cloud and Weiss sparred, it wasn't as cutthroat as being a conventional sword fight. It wasn't like clashing with Winter who was just a touch more physical by comparison. ]

I'd be more worried about whatever tried running into me.

[ Sorry. He's kidding. Just saying what comes to his head because running top-speed and chatting at the same time isn't something he usually does. He almost wants to laugh. There's his apartment complex up ahead! He spots his hoverbike, and wastes little time in swinging his leg over the hefty machine to straddle it. 'Kay. Where was it again? Uhm... Ah. There! Goggles on. Palm on the ignition pad that taps into his Chroma aaand-

Sköll comes to life! ]

I better get off the phone. Bout to ride.

[ Much as he's tempted to break the law some more with talking while driving (and he could just use the hip-based turning system that came custom to his bike so his hands were free...), it'd be hard to hear her as he's riding over the sound of the engine as it comes to life. And so Cloud does eventually hang up. While he isn't talking and driving, he is about to break some rules of the road to take advantage of his beast's features.

Such as taking it out of wheel-mode as they suddenly rotate to become hover pads, keeping him hovering off the ground and able to cut through the otherwise empty parks and cutting corners with ease. Definitely would have been cool to have this tech for Fenrir back home. Right now, Sköll is earning more and more cool points. By the time Cloud arrives at her complex, Sköll comes to a sliding stop by the front entrance. Killing the engine, he doesn't even waste his time making sure he's parked properly. Just going to set the kickstand and start making his way up. And this time?

He's not late or just in time. He actually arrives a couple minutes earlier than he thought he would. ]

[ Ruby may have been the one who stated that they're the best Huntsmen in Atlas now, but Weiss firmly believes the same thing after what happened. Even now, she thinks she'll be a good match against Winter. Though that's not really something she wants to test any time soon... or ever.

She'd talk more, but she ends up giving out a reprimanding "Cloud!" Because please??? Behave??? Smh. And there's a quick "bye!" on her end when he says he's hanging up.

Weiss waits. She's done packing so she doesn't... really know what to so now. Maybe check her hair? She'll do that, then, but it looks fine, so it doesn't even take her over a minute to fix it. Now she's getting anxious, and not in a good way. She's usually more calm, but... maybe Cloud rushing over to her is getting to her, too.

Eventually, she calms down and is just seated in her living room. A bunch of her stuff are still in boxes, and then there's her luggage. When she hears the knock at the door, it almost feels like he's doing it way too loudly. As excited as she is, her footsteps are slow on her way to the door. When she answers and opens it, she peeks out first. ]

Hi.

[ Cloud is initially reluctant to knock. In fact, he raises his hand to the door and stops himself a couple of times. Mostly because he needs a moment to stop his racing heart. Everything was moving so damn fast; what if this was just a dream? It all felt like one with how abruptly his plans changed. One moment he was sending a voicemail about how much he missed her, and was slowly coming to terms with her being gone...and now he can hardly remember half of the things he did on the way over to her place. In the hopes of catching her before she's gone again. ]

...

[ She's not the only one feeling anxious, to say the least. But after steeling himself, his face like stone, he finally knocks. A few times. And then stops. There's a feeling of dread that creeps up his spine. What was going to happen if that door opened and it was all a trick? And he woke up in his bed again and she wasn't there and-- ]

!

[ Cloud's hand is on the doorframe as she opens. He swallows, only remembering to breath again when he sees her peeking out. His eyes widen when he hears her voice again, this time in person as she peeks out. And for a moment that feels like a damned eternity, he's speechless. All this time he was used to actually saying goodbye to his memories, but this...this was a new feeling entirely. A gentle huff passes his lips. ]

That's a real difference. Hearing you and seeing you.

[ If this is a dream, don't wake him. ]

[ Just how much did she make him worry? Her heart sinks when she sees his reaction to seeing her, as well as to what he says. This should be a cause for celebration, and Weiss does want to celebrate, but she thinks there are other things she needs to take care of, first.

When she opens the door completely, she doesn't let him in right away. Instead, she wraps her arms around him, immediately resting her head on his chest. He may have been upset that this could have been goodbye, but Weiss, upon getting back and categorising which memories she has are of here and of Remnant? She missed him. She missed him a lot. It's been weeks since she last saw him, so being able to see him now, even for a short while makes her really happy. ]

What about holding me?

[ Because she thinks there's a real difference, too. Whatever she was feeling earlier drifts away with how warm he makes her feel, and it's not even because of the Chroma. ]

[ His reaction to her hugging him is delayed, his arms out at his sides as his body goes stiff. First, it was Aerith who disappeared- that was around the time he wound up sharing his memories with her. Shortly after that, it was Zack's time to go. Other acquaintances have disappeared, and it was just recently that he realized his friend Corrin had also returned home. After dealing with so many people leaving and (so far) never coming back, he thought he would have to prepare himself for yet another loss. Try as he might to keep his head up...

He was just...tired of losing. Cloud's heart stops drumming so fast in his chest, and when she asks about holding her, Cloud's arms envelope her back. He's tall enough that he bows his head, resting it atop hers as warmth spreads through his body. ]

Even better.

[ For her, it's been a few weeks. For Cloud, it was technically only three days. Though he's relatively calm on the surface, and hardly one to let his emotions bleed through on the surface in excess, the softened timbre of his voice was telling enough. He lifts a hand up to the back of her head, holding her comfortably against his chest. ]

Welcome back, Weiss.

[ She lets him do that, basking in the feeling of being held, too. She doesn't do all this just for Cloud. She's not that generous, and she's certainly not that selfless. She likes this, too.

When it's been about three or four seconds, she looks up at him and smiles. Just a small one. It's a little difficult to read the mood right now. At the same time, she doesn't really know what to say to that. So rather than actually saying anything, she reaches for his cheek, caressing it with a hand before she leans in to give him a chaste but meaningful kiss on the lips.

Thank you. I'm sorry. I'm happy now.

It probably doesn't convey all of it, but.... it's a start. ]

[ This planet's done a stellar job of loosening the blond up when it came to holding hands with others, or hugging... Even if he wasn't the instigator of them most of the time unless it was an emergency.

For Cloud, she didn't do a single thing wrong. The two of them were subjects in this world's restoration. But he refused to let that be his life here. For the time that he has, he was going to do whatever he could to live. His smile is small in kind, and when she reaches for his cheek, he lets out a gentle breath. Meeting her halfway, there's nothing else that needs to be said. The past was the past, and they're still here.

In the now. As he pulls back from the kiss, his arms slip down to around her waist, giving her face a once over. Or more specifically... ]

The hair's new.

[ Oh jeez... this wouldn't be the first time she's tied her hair up like this, but the first time for Cloud to see. When Yang said something about Blake's hair before, she felt like it wasn't needed and they were embarrassing. Now she's embarrassed because what she says is the same thing Blake said!! ]

Is— Is it bad?

[ She can't even look him in the eye now!!! 😖 WHAT'S HAPPENING WEISS SCHNEE ]

[ Okay, now he laughs. Even if Cloud's brand of 'laughing' is pretty lowkey and gentle. ]

Since when did 'new' equal 'bad'?

[ She's being really cute right now. So Cloud's going to tread the line between teasing and being honest with her. You know. Honing in on any weak spots. One of Cloud's hands trails up the small of her back, running along the underside of her braid, but not lifting her hair up either. ]

You wouldn't have said anything if you didn't like it!

[ What is she going to do now... maybe she should just go bald???? Jeez. Her face is so red right now. ]

[ His smile softens. ]

Lemme try again. [ And try again he does, this time letting his instincts guide him as he closes that distance and kisses her this time. Chaste as before. This time when he pulls back to see her flustered face, his answer is as straightforward as it gets. ] I like what you did to it.

Edited 2020-02-22 00:51 (UTC)

G- Good!

[ :T She's a little less flustered now. Enough that her tsun comes out like some kind of defense mechanism to get rid of all the flustered feelings. She doesn't like not being on top of conversations!! ]

You're going to have to get used to it. I like tying my hair up like this now.

[ For now, he's done with teasing her. So he doesn't even bother with saying something like "I'll manage." He pulls back a little, hard as that was to do (both personally and due to losing that Chroma contact,) a hand on his hip as he stands in her doorway. ]

Your hair, your rules. [ A beat. Just so that he's clear. ] I still like it.

[ Meanwhile, cut to a day later when the sudden thought of Weiss letting her thick braid of hair down and undone floods his brain. /// ]

How much time before you gotta jet?

About fifteen minutes.

[ She doesn't want to be late as much as she wants to enjoy the moment. Midorima's having food delivered, and the food will get cold if she makes him wait long. ]

I can give you a tour. You're my second visitor.

Okay.

[ He hasn't offered yet, but to help her save on time, he's not against giving her a lift after. Sköll was a speedy option. ]

It's mostly just boxes, though... I'll fix it up next week.

[ She's gonna be busy the next coming days 😌 For now, she takes Cloud's hand so she can lead him further into the apartment. The living room is plenty straightforward, though this may be the first time he sees her white grand piano. ]

You can practice here if you want.

[ Not a whole lot to talk about, for sure. He's just glad to be able to see her. Most of the tension he felt from earlier in the day was gone. Of course, his eyes are drawn to the rather grandiose white piano set up. He's never seen one so fancy before. Especially compared to the one in Tifa's old home. His free hand gently rests atop the pristine surface of the piano. For all the tech he's seen in Midgar, he's still a country boy at heart. ]

I think I will. [ A beat, ] Can't just keep playing at the store.

[ The kitchen and dining rooms are on the other side of the hall. There's a small corridor in the middle that leads to the rooms— one bedroom was converted into a walk-in closet, all blue and white in interior, which is pretty... Weiss-y and expected. The bathroom is glamorous for a condo unit, and when they get to Weiss' bedroom, she turns to face him once they're by the door. ]

No jumping on the bed.

[ Then she opens the door... ta-dah! The bedroom looks like the first room that's completely done in terms of furniture and other fixtures. No boxes are in sight. ]

You weren't kidding...

[ This was some elaborate walk-in closet. Suffice to say he's never seen one so fancy. Or at least so...well. It's on brand for Weiss. His apartment looks like a dumpster dive by comparison, he feels like. Though a lot of that had to do with a certain spiky-haired blonde angel he lived with. HE TRIES TO KEEP UP. Cloud stops abruptly when she turns to face him, blinking as she's giving him a warning. ]

Will I be tempted?

[ She opens the door, and voila! It does look incredibly inviting. Spacious, fully furnished and all. She hasn't finished unpacking yet, but this would give Marie's place a run for her money! ...somewhat. Marie was a Queen, after all. ]

Whew~ [ He whistles lowly. ] How's it feel? Having your own space.

I haven't had a chance to settle down.

[ For obvious reasons. And she won't get to until she comes back from her two consecutive trips, too! ]

It'll probably be nice and quiet, though. Plus, my guests won't have to wonder why there's a bed hanging from the ceiling.

[ Thanks, Ruby. ]

At least it was unique.

[ He shrugs. There's a lot of things he wants to say. And maybe he'll get a chance to say some of them before she goes. But he has to remind himself that she just got back. What was a few days for him, might have been far longer for her. ]

You did good. I like the place.

You're welcome to drop by whenever you'd like. As long as I'm here, anyway.

[ And their interactions so far have been good! Weiss normally texts him her schedule, anyway, because she's a very organised nerd. ]

[ Now that Strife Delivery Service has taken off the ground proper, his scheduling was more consistent in kind. It also helps that his line of work is more loose and freeform. So it made taking detours for his friends and companions easier. ]

Don't need a house sitter? [ He smirks before shaking his head. He's kidding. ] I'm glad you're back.

I mean... if you wanna clean...

[ She's not complaining. ]

Thanks for coming. [ With the tour done, she leads him back to the living room. ] I'm glad I could see you again.

You're too tidy for that.

[ Maybe if Moon Knight duties or something comes up that'd send her away for some time, he'd help out. But. For now he's good. ]

Right... [ He rubs the back of his head. A quirk of his whenever he felt like he was at a loss for words. He wants to keep talking to her. Ask her what happened in Remnant. Sit down with her and just, be in her company again. Maybe fiddle around on the piano with the good bits he knew to play. But he knows the time- where she's going. And it'd be selfish of him to keep her.

They had plenty of time. ]

Well... I should probably... [ Mm. This was silly. He misses her. :T ] Need a lift if you're heading out?

[ They'll have their time together! And then some, because Weiss apparently can't wait once she gets back. Maybe it was mean of her to ask him to come, only to leave right away, but... she really did want to see him again, to apologise, and to make sure this was all real. ]

I'd like that.

[ There's really more to talk about, but... it can wait, she thinks. Besides, she's just a text away if he really does want to talk to her. ]

No time like the present.

[ Cloud sets a hand upon her shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze before making his way back towards the front entrance. If she has anything to bring, he'll help her if she wants it. Sköll was big enough and he had plenty to keep her luggage secure as they rode. It wasn't like most motorcycles. ]

[ She does have her luggage with her!! And she's gonna bring it, along with Myrtenaster (case included). She makes sure her apartment is locked before following Cloud to the elevator, then down, and onto Sköll.

With her luggage secure and Cloud ready to go, she hops on, too. She's a little too relaxed when she wraps her arms around him, more hugging him than actually holding on. She really did miss him, and she wants him to know that she's here. ]

[ Cloud keeps Sköll in the traditional mode for now. Unless they had plans of hitting snowbanks anytime soon, changing to hover mode wouldn't be necessary. Activating his Aura, he decides to keep his goggles off for this ride. While the two of them weren't going to be racing, it's still plenty faster than other modes of transportation. The engine rumbles beneath the two as they straddle the machine and he lifts the kickstand. ]

...?

[ When the weight of the huntress hits his back, he notices that her hold of him wasn't so tight like before. And for this particular moment in time...he forgets that they have someplace to be. Here and now, everything stops. The engine rumbling doesn't exist. The sound of the busy city awaiting them ebbs to nothing. And all he can hear and feel, is the person he almost thought he'd never see again. His heart feels lighter than ever. Without having to say a single thing, he doesn't lean forward just yet. Instead, he stays sitting upright. Cloud may not have outright said "I miss you", but...

His actions spoke just as loudly, as Weiss would find one of his larger hands covering hers, protectively. And when he's had his fill and lets her go, he leans forward and revs the bike a couple times.

Luggage secure? Weiss Schnee wrapped around his waist? Aura on? All clear.

They take off as the late afternoon begins to roll into the early evening. Weiss was on her way. Tomorrow was another day, and Cloud got to wake up knowing she was going to be a part of it. ]

careful, iris! if you wash your nesting materials too often, it'll weaken your sanguis' scent! take care of your hormones and always re-scent your materials IMMEDIATELY after washing!

send this to 5 people you know to spread the message, or else your nesting materials will wash out!

Who is this?
My Moonblessing isn't even Iris.

[ ... SHE'S DEFINITELY SHOWING THIS TO MIDORIMA ]

ahaha! your dear older brother!
this was sent to me, but i know you may have iris friends? so i thought i should spread awareness!

( STOP NOT HIM )

This is a waste of time.

[ Emerald... was not a good student. Despite what her transcripts for Haven had said, most of the classes she'd attended were only at Beacon while she was pretending to be a student. Which means research was not her forte.

And so, she'd taken a walk and wandered off from looking through the archives to stumble upon what... would undoubtedly be something worth witnessing. She slips back against the door frame and peers over the edge of it as Weiss looks like she's about to try to tell some kind of joke to a monkey statue. What is she even doing..? ]

What do you give a sick lemon? Lemon— [ This is so bad. She's laughing before she even gives the punchline??? ] Lemon aid!

[ SNICKER.

At least she thinks she's funny! That's one audience pleased. ]

[ Emerald just stares for a minute, and then almost dumbfoundedly before she can stop herself: ]

That was bad.

[ Weiss is quick to turn and look for the source of that comment. Ah- it's Emerald. Her expression remains neutral; while she isn't upset to see her, she's not exactly glad either.

That's an improvement? ]

As if you can do any better!

I find comedy in sarcasm and making fun of other people.

[ She pauses for a moment, having flashbacks to a moment in her life that involved a really bad joke and rich people. ]

You know, there is one that someone taught me called The Aristocrats, but I don't think you'll like it.

[ She's pretty sure Weiss would walk out of the room on her if she tried to tell that.

..Maybe she should tell Akashi's version and see if Weiss actually finds it funny. Because then she would definitely laugh at the alien planet all rich people are from, and even if the monkeys don't think it's a good joke, Weiss will become the joke. ]

... Let's hear it.

[ She even gestures to the statues behind her. They have their bananas prepared. ]

Okay, it's been a while since I've heard this one so I may be paraphrasing some parts of it.

[ It's been a super long time but she mostly just remembers it's the super lame weird version of the actual joke, so she's going to have to just kind of roll with it. ]

There was a well-to-do family made up of a married couple, their son, and their daughter. They enter the office of a renowned talent agent, hoping to get representation in the entertainment industry. The agent sits down with them and asks about their act. The father of the family clears his throat and explains his family's talents.

First, the family wakes early in the morning because a noble never wastes time sleeping in or being lazy; apparently only commoners think they do that. The servants will have prepared a high-quality, well-balanced and nutritional breakfast to maintain good overall physical health, cooked in a traditional style by a five-star chef. The family eats breakfast with proper table manners before parting to go about their day-to-day business. The kids are seen by their tutors in various subjects while the father meets with his advisers to hear today's schedule for his business. The mom meets with their servants to advise them in last-minute matters concerning that evening's business gathering. Soiree. [ She thinks it was a soiree. What's the difference anyway, they're all annoying schmoozey parties... she should probably figure out the difference at some point. Akashi's gonna drag her to one at some point if she makes it to Japan, she's sure of it. He seemed so sure this was a funny joke. ]

After a few hours the family meets again for lunch, and each shares their progress in their personal matters to the father for his approval. After lunch-- or brunch? It might've been brunch. I think it was brunch. After brunch, the lady of the house is taken out by her driver to purchase fresh flowers for that evening; the children are taken by their personal trainers to see to their fitness and do sports; the dad is advised in the proclivities of the guests for the soiree so that he may treat them with the proper level of respect and with the foreknowledge befitting a man who must oversee the family's interpersonal affairs without totally screwing over their image.

All of them come back to the estate for tea and begin the evening's final preparations. The servants dress each of them in new garments, the lady of the house arranges the flowers she bought earlier to impress their guests, and the kids are given any last-minute instructions to follow relating to the guests and their relationships with the family. The father oversees the final preparations and selects that evening's wine based on what he knows about the guest of honor before taking his place as the gracious host in the main ballroom.

As the sun begins to set, the guests arrive and are escorted through the foyer [ foy-yer is what she says, not foy-yay ] and into the ballroom, their coats and hats are taken, and the head butler announces their arrival to the collected crowd. Each in turn admires the arranged flowers, in which the lady of the house takes great pride, and they all enjoy finger foods prepared and served by the sous chef because the family has a fully staffed kitchen I guess. Regards are given to the chefs as befits each dish. Dinner, prepared by the head chef himself, is served soon after all of the guests have arrived. The guests are seated at a collection of small tables with their spouses and strangers so they can make connections with new people and so on. The lady of the house gives the father's friend a footjob under the table while they dine. The new table arrangements make certain that no one becomes too boisterous with anyone they already know, as it would not do well to have attention diverted from the host's graciousness.

The meal is over and the guests are served dessert wine and allowed to mingle again. Each guest of honor approaches the host to discuss more serious business in a more semi-private setting while the hostess continues to entertain the other guests with her company. The children are taken upstairs by their nurses and sent to bed. With all of the evening's business taken care of, the mom excuses herself to retire and the guests start to leave. The father doesn't excuse himself until the guests have all gotten into their cars, then he adjourns himself to his quarters to think about the day's political machinations and do some grooming. The head butler arrives with his evening whiskey, suffocates him a little so he can get off, and the day comes to a close.

Upon hearing this, the agent is amazed at such talent displayed by the family in his office and agrees to sign them. "What is the name of your act?" he asks, gathering the paperwork to sign them immediately. The patriarch replies, "The Aristocrats."

[ ..In the end, there are slight twists in it but she went with Akashi's version. It seems more like the high-brow version of the joke that someone like Weiss would get. If Emerald told the actual version, she's pretty sure Weiss would just walk out. But she guesses aristocrats pretending they're perfect and calling it an "act" is pretty funny to some crowds, even if she thinks it's funnier when people actually think it's funny. ]

[ What the fuck did she just listen to. At some point during the story (Weiss assumes this is a story and not a joke), she's just... staring at Emerald, mouth slightly agape. ]

... I. I don't get it?

[ Please help. ]

[ Emerald isn't sure if she's disappointed Weiss didn't get it or not. It would've been hilarious if she got it and was totally into it. ]

I think it's because the whole idea that the whole perfect act that rich families put on is just that- an act, put on as a show for other people. My boyfriend told it to me and it's really really lame and completely missed the point of the actual joke, I kind of hoped you'd get it because you're from the same... I don't know, social cast. You'd storm out of the room if I told you the actual joke.

It was so long! If I was going to storm out, it would have been because I got impatient!

[ But she didn't. because if she started to walk away now, she'd get bananas thrown at her. ]

Do you want to hear the version where the daughter gets into incest and the mom goes full cannibal instead?

[ She'll tell it to her, but she thinks the brief preview will be a deterrent. ]

[ How does she get out of this ride... ]

No.

Your jokes are worse than mine.

That's because my sense of humor is either sarcasm or snark. How do you think I get along with Mercury so well?

[ She actually thinks he's funny.. ]

Please don't remind me that he still exists.

[ Really. Bad memories. Thanks, Emerald. ]

Yikes, did something happen between you two?

[ Since the last they talked anyway. Tell her tell her. ]

What? Of course not. [ That's all she says!! Though the way her eyes narrow are practically screaming "SHUT UP EMERALD!!!!"

Something definitely happened. :/ ]

Something definitely happened. Spill. I promise to make fun of him for it.

[ Not that Mercury has any shame whatsoever to make teasing him succeed, but she likes to try anyway. ]

This is really not the time, Emerald!

[ In fact, the monkeys begin to chatter amongst themselves. It looks like they're going to start firing bananas soon. Uh-oh. . . ]

Point taken.

[ She... definitely is noticing the monkeys. ]

This whole situation is bananas.

[ She's pretty sure part of her died saying that outloud. Hopefully it will stop the onslaught of nanners though. If not, they're going to have to run. ]

[ It stopped NOTHING. The monkeys are preparing... Uh-oh. . . Weiss is slowly backing away now. ]

Emerald, we have to go!

[ RUN AWAYYYYYY ]

Yep!

[ Why slowly back away when you can turn tail and run. She does grab Weiss's hand to turn her around as she goes through, because she does want Weiss for help. She can't lose track of her. ]

[ That's one way to get out of the scene quickly. When the barrage of bananas come their way, a glyph immediately gets summoned behind them to shield them. Although some still end up on them, the back of Weiss' dress, fortunately not her hair.

Once they're in another hall, though, she's quick to peel of the banana stuck to her dress. ]

Eugh... This is gross.

[ They don't exactly have a mind for Emerald to manipulate into thinking they're somewhere other than where they are, so she's pretty damn useless right now. She hides behind Weiss during it, and finds herself combing through her pigtails to get the sickly sweet fruit out. ]

If they were going to install monkey traps, they should've installed a shower too.

Better this than having to moonlace to get out of a banana trap.

[ What the fuck is a banana trap? Look. It could happen, okay. ]

A banana trap?

[ Enjoy a raised eyebrow, Weiss. Emerald isn't even.. sure how that would work.. or how you would moonlace to get out of it.. ]

Yes! You know. A large banana... and you're tied to it.

[ Still... not really a good mental image. Or a good idea at all. ]

That's not a trap, that's a post.

[ It's not a trap if you're just tied to something Weiss... ]

Still not a fate I want to deal with, I guess. [ She's just going to move on from this.. ]

Hey, you're good at research, right?

[ She could try and win this argument, but she doesn't really see the point in it. At the very least, they're away from trouble now. ]

Research? I suppose if it's for academic purposes, then yes, I am.

It's not.. strictly academic. But this place is an archive right? I need help finding information about traveling to other worlds or preserving memories.

[ And Weiss is way more likely to know how to find that information than Emerald is.. since Emerald's method of learning things is usually just obeying every word of whoever's teaching her. She's good at first-hand learning, not research and texts. ]

...

[ Considering she just got back from her canon update and wants to know this, too? Emerald's hit up the right person. ]

Have you done anything so far with regards to this?

Well, the current plan is to figure out how to bind our souls to each other, but I guess that's a little intense and risky. That's the only thing that's seemed like it'll work so far, and besides unlocking their auras, I don't know how to make our souls interact.

[ A beat. ] But not in the shiny, new Prismatican archive we're standing in at all.

Bind your souls— [ Oh god, that sounds so ridiculous, and so risky! Weiss is still a little weirded out by the whole combining of souls that happens with the maidens, so this is just... full on crazy. The look she wears says it all, too. She's sure she doesn't need to blurt out that that's crazytalk for Emerald to understand. ]

Why, exactly, do you have to have your souls interact?

[ Emerald knows. THe look on her face says she knows. She has been Informed of it before and has seen the responses to Akashi's posts. She doesn't care. ]

If we bind them together, then whatever world we end up going to will be the same since they won't be able to separate us, right?

[ That's her understanding of the theory anyway. ]

Is that the only way to stay together, regardless of where you are?

[ It seems a little too drastic for her. ]

I don't think I want to research something so dangerous, but I'll look into how to follow someone to another world. I'm sure the Lunar Scientia have discovered a thing or two about why we're able to come here, anyway.

That's the only thing that's sounded remotely... workable, I guess. Everything else we hear is just from a bunch of people who are dead inside saying not to try because everyone loses each other when they're from different worlds. I'm fine with anything that works, so if you can help me find something else, I don't care how it happens.

[ She smiles though, despite the very pessimistic tone of that statement. ]

So you'll help?

I'm going to need something in return.

[ ... This may be something she could use herself, too, so she doesn't mind, so long as Emerald doesn't complain about its slow progress. ]

I don't know what it is yet, but I'll let you know once I think of something.

[ She hesitates for a moment. Not because Emerald has any trouble signing her life away for very small prizes, but because she's learned a lot since the last blank check she's signed. ]

It's a blank check if we find something. If not, I get to veto if it's not equal value to a study buddy session.

[ There's a big difference there. If Weiss makes it possible for her to be together with Akashi and Mayuzumi forever, then yeah. She'll happily do anything Weiss wants. But she's not going to lie and say she'll do anything in exchange for want ends up amounting to a library date. ]

You're making it sound like I'm going to make you chop someone's leg off. It's not going to be that bad.

[ But it will be payment nonetheless! ]

I'm more worried you're going to make me sit around braiding each others' hair and talking about cute boys.

[ She's just going to tease Weiss now. She made herself clear enough, she doesn't know Weiss well enough to know what she'd actually ask for. ]

Do I look like the kind of person who looks like I enjoy that kind of chatter?

[ ... Probably with someone she's really close to. ]

[ emerald just gives a look to her face, then turns her gaze pointedly to the huge braid on weiss's head ]

Edited 2020-04-20 05:26 (UTC)

Why would I want to talk about my hair?

[ She shrugs, thinking about it for a second. ]

I don't know much about you, but I know that amount of hair takes a lot of time to care for, so it's important to you.

[ Emerald also takes care of her hair!! But hers is way thinner and she only has small parts of it long, and it still takes a hecking long time to dry. ]

And you don't want to talk to me about fighting stuff because you're not going to like it with a bad guy, so I don't really know anything else about you.

[ So hair is the only thing she could possibly think they would have in common. ]

Then maybe you shouldn't have said anything at all.

[ You know!! Just saying.

Now that they've seem to have talked business, Weiss places a hand on her hip and looks around. ]

I think I should just head back. I need a shower.

I thought you were going to help.

[ She guesses they can come back another day, but a little mess doesn't really bother Emerald.. ]

You want me to help you now?

[ Unfortunately, she has other things to do. ]

That's not even on my schedule for the day.

You have a daily schedule?

[ Akashi is the better rich person, she's sure of it. He never tells her his schedule doesn't have time for her. :T She was just standing here making lame jokes!!

..But whatever. Emerald sighs. She's helping, even if not today. ]

Another time, then. [ Ugh she can't believe she has to be penciled in wtf. ]

Did I really screw up with you kids or is my hair really that stupid

[ Clover, Harriet was an ass and talked shit about her team. You didn't really do anything wrong besides be in the Atlas Military. . . ]

That's not how I would put it.
But your hair could also use a little work.

Qrow or James won't go into details but my team screwed up, didn't they?

[ Hare said fuck them kids ]

I don't understand.
Didn't you just arrive?

[ At least, she seems to think so... She'd have seen Clover around otherwise. ]

What's the last thing you remember?

Ruby's message about Ironwood's plan came through when Tyrian was en route to Atlas in the Bullhead.

I was arguing with Robyn and Qrow tried to talk us down before we realized Tyrian had killed the pilot.

Then I just acted like an ass before remembering it all going black.

Edited 2020-03-03 13:14 (UTC)

The General trapped my teammates and I with the rest of yours.
We won.

[ They weren't really trapped. They got out of the room fairly easily thanks to Ruby's Semblance, but... same banana. ]

You and the rest of the Ace Operatives may be part of the Atlas Military, but Atlas is my home. I have every right to fight for my kingdom and its people.

Edited 2020-03-03 13:18 (UTC)

[ You ever just hear the worst news of your life and think, ]

You did?

I'm glad.

Excuse me?

Atlas isn't its military, it's its people.

Harriet and the others didn't remember that, so I'm happy you kids did. Someone had to.

[ How can Weiss even be mad at a text like this? He's not wrong, far from it, Weiss thinks... but the rest of his team don't share the same mindset.

... She's not sure if she should loosen up with this guy. What if this is just a trick to get RWBY and JNPR to concede? She doesn't know Clover all that well, hence the delayed response. ]

Did you, or is this a fact you only remembered upon finding yourself here?

Edited 2020-03-03 13:49 (UTC)

❄️ prismatica — inbox

text

HE'S KILLING HER

trollface.png

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Voice;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Action

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

txt

text;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject