.:`'~ Legacy ~'`:.
Teaser
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Send a heartbeat to
The void that cries through you
Relive the pictures that have come to pass
For now we stand alone
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(Authors Note :: The scenes in the Teasers aren't going to happen exactly as they are read here, but they do all happen in some size, shape or form. Enjoy!)
This was different.
He was confused. For a moment, he did nothing but stand perfectly still and survey what lay before him. He didn't remember walking here and certainly didn't remember why he was here. The room was completely unfamiliar to him, but he felt like he should be here. It was practically natural.
Cloud was standing in an incredibly large circular room. It could've easily been something more of a main hall by sheer size, but the long polished table that sat in the center of the room screamed dining. Especially with the plates and bowls and platters of fresh, hot food that sat on it. There were many chairs at the table, and the feast set from one end to the other was far too large for a single person, or even a small group. It looked like it was ready for an entire small village to come tumbling in with thirsty throats and empty bellies. And it smelled absolutely wonderful.
Cloud stepped forward slowly, his boots clicking on the polished and gleaming floors softly. On the far end of the room to his left a large fire cracked and popped in a fireplace that stood taller than he did, and easily just as wide. Upon it's mantle stood several large candles and statues, the entirety of the fireplace providing most of the light in the dim room. Other candles were scattered throughout, mostly in groups of three that perched on the walls. A heavy, thick and lush carpet deep red in color lay before the fireplace with several others laying around the room, and off to the side of the room large plush chairs, sofas and love seats that sat aristocratically, their armrests coated in gold and silver and shimmering tassles. There were large paintings on the walls, but he was far too occupied to bother looking at them. There didn't appear to be any way in or out of the room, and it's high ceiling disappeared into shadows high above the four large columns that supported it. Everything before him was lit well enough he could see, but further on even his Mako-enhanced vision failed to see past the shadows that flickered across the corners of the room.
His attention, however, was on the table. The scent of the food permeated the air and it smelled simply divine. Cloud wasn't hungry at all and felt no need to eat anything, but he felt himself drawn to the table nonetheless. His blue eyes glanced over the feast that presented itself to him and he walked along the table slowly as he glanced over all of the prepared food. Fruits, vegetables and meat of all baked, fried and roasted kinds met his eyes, steam rising from the hot platters. Freshly baked bread sat split open with drips of honey running down them and desserts were tucked in between the platters. Anything he could possibly imagine was here, and it was strange because just when he thought of it, the food would just so happen be right down the line. Cloud found this surprisingly amusing and suppressed the small twitch of a grin on his lips.
Ice cream.
And there it was. A bowl sat upon a silver platter full of ice, innocently offering him three distinct flavors with a long-handled gleaming spoon ready at its side.
Applesauce.
A few steps further down and he could see a jar of it tucked conveniently between a large roasted hen and a bowl of what smelled like a wonderful vegetable stew.
Deciding to try something different and out of place in such an extravagant feast, he whispered quietly into the tranquil silence, "Chewing gum."
He was delighted to see a pack of wintergreen chewing gum resting on the edge of the table, just past the edge of a chair he hadn't seen over before. Cloud couldn't help but huff under his breath as he reached over, taking the pack of gum in his hands and inspecting it. Squeezing it gently, he felt the candy give beneath his fingertips. He didn't take any of it, setting it back once he'd sated his curiosity.
It was almost a shame that this feast would go uneaten. He knew that no one would come, and the beautiful food prepared so wonderfully would eventually grow cold and forgotten. What wouldn't be eaten by rats and insects would be overcome with mold, and the polished platters would tarnish and rust. A shame, really, he thought. It had a wonderful purpose, all of it did. But with no one here to take advantage of it it was just a sadly wasted resource.
Maybe he could partake in a small portion. Cloud licked his lips, sliding his hands into his pockets as he walked along to the very end of the table closest to the fireplace. The flickering flames gave the room an eerie, orange red glow, and his body was silhouetted with a fiery bright halo. Cloud looked down at the table to see that a spot had become suddenly clear, and sitting in it was a glass of wine. Though to be honest, for all he knew it could actually be kool-aid or some dark colored tea. But he knew it was wine. He knew it was wine as easily as he knew how to breathe and he did not question this knowledge. The liquid lay still and inviting in its glass chalice, and when Cloud took his right hand out to take the glass off the table he was afraid to disturb the calm and tranquil surface. Lifting it carefully he held it before him at eye level. He was mesmerized.
The chalice was larger than his hand and rested on a stem as thick as two of his fingers. The crystal had been elegantly carved, it's sides chiseled into perfectly cut shapes resembling stars and moons and symbols, and the points came together so perfectly that the firelight danced energetically within the red liquid on the other side. Ripples of light were caught and reflected against Cloud's eyes, and he found himself absolutely entranced. He knew that the light would be criss-crossing over his face, and knew that if he'd been in front of a mirror he'd look as though he were beneath the ocean's waves looking up, with the sun dancing over him.
Cloud wasn't thirsty. He wouldn't drink from the chalice, but he couldn't help but bring it closer to his face until his lips brushed over the edge of it. He inhaled softly and deeply, and the crisp scent of something unique and nearly indescribable whispered into his mind. It was sharp and tickled his nose, leaving a cold, icy air in the back of his throat. Cloud closed his eyes, taking another breath of the intoxicating bouquet, lips parting slightly to taste the air.
Arms wrapped around him then, snaking their way gently over his own and crossing over his chest. He was forced to move his arm and the chalice away so they wouldn't get caught, but he wasn't the least bit alarmed at the sudden embrace. If anything he found that he felt very comfortable here, like it was something he'd known all along. The arms were solid and the heavy weight against his back was warm. Cloud felt safe and he felt comforted by the body that shielded him from the light in the room. There was nothing here that would hurt him and he was very complacent, peaceful. His blue eyes remained closed as he felt the body behind him shift, and he could feel a warm breath caressing the side of his neck, washing over his ear as something hair tickled his shoulder.
Cloud realized that this is what he was waiting for. This was the reason he was here. And now that he had it he allowed himself to relax against the body behind him, trusting beyond all doubt the strength of those arms to keep him up as he let go of his knees, letting his body completely sag against the broad chest behind him. His trust was rewarded by the unyielding power of the muscled arms as they gently thrummed with energy, holding him securely aloft as his knees buckled beneath him. The breath washed over his ear again, and Cloud's eyes slowly parted in half-lidded contentment. He was at a state of complete and absolute relaxation. There was a smooth, rumbling deep vibration in the chest behind him as a voice softly huffed in amusement. It was deep and rich, smooth as velvet and silk and if he hadn't of already let himself go before he certainly would have then. The voice whispered against his ear and caressed his mind as gently as any lover and Cloud melted, his vision blurring as everything faded out of focus. Everything but that voice, that wonderfully deep voice and that mind numbingly intoxicating bouquet, the warmth of the body folded around him as hot as any fire.
"Clou-"
His traitorous hand twitched and the chalice slipped from his fingers. It fell towards the ground much too slowly, splinters of green light bouncing off its sides--
Cloud jolted awake so ferociously that his whole body jerked, throwing itself with such force that he was halfway off the bed before his eyes had even opened. His breathing was ragged and heavy, chest heaving with the effort to make up for lost oxygen. He felt like he hadn't breathed in hours, his lungs burned and ached and stung something fierce. His entire body felt like it was on fire; he was absolutely drenched in sweat.
Frozen to the spot, he realized his top half lay off the bed and he was being supported by his hands flat on the wooden floor beneath him, slowly slipping beneath clammy palms. His legs still lay on the bed, his back arched painfully in a bent position. Cloud felt like the proverbial deer in headlights, his blue eyes impossibly wide as he forced himself to take a moment and get his bearings. The room was familiar and he recognized it as his own. The window was dark, so it was still nightfall. He must've been thrashing in his sleep, if the fire burning through his body was any indication. It felt like he'd been running marathons and fighting monsters for days on end. His muscles ached and his skin tingled all over, he was absolutely parched and it didn't appear his bed made it out unscathed either. In his sleep he'd been kicking and fighting so hard that the comforter had been thrown completely off, and he realized the only reason he wasn't completely on the floor was because the sheets had been ripped from the mattress and were currently completely tangled in his legs.
Satisfied of where he was and that he was indeed awake, Cloud pulled his legs off the bed and let his arms slip out from beneath him. His head hit the floor with a solid thunk of wood. Sucking in a deep breath, he stared at the ceiling over him as his heart beat and banged and kicked and screamed against his ribs. It beat so forcefully that it was painful to bear and his face twisted in a small grimace. Several minutes passed. Cloud didn't dare move until he'd calmed down. The blood rushing through his body was still full of a fiery burn and he felt uncomfortably hot. His breathing took several minutes to slow down enough to be considered normal, but his heart continued racing long after. He wasn't sure how long he lay there, but when it seemed he'd be able to move he slowly turned onto his side, bending to his legs to unwrap the sheets from them. Once freed he stood slowly, unbelieving as his legs trembled beneath his weight. Taking an unsteady step, he gained his bearings before walking to and out the door of his room.
There was a strange flavor in the back of his throat, something so cold and sharp his body demanded cleansing water and lots of it.