~Cloud~
"Again," I announce, thrusting the tip of my sword into the ground to signal the start of another match. Noctis to my left and Seifer to my right, the two continue to train with me, appreciating what I can offer from my days as a SOLDIER. My eyes narrow when I feel the shift in the air around us, knowing Vincent is hovering somewhere nearby. Eventually he'll make his presence known, but until then I refuse to be baited into seeking him out. Seifer takes a swipe at Noctis who blocks it with his sword, rolling off to the side and bringing the blade up behind him to block another attack from the blonde.
"Good," I yell, watching the two focus on each other and try and decipher their next moves. Drawing in a breath alerts me internally to an approaching presence, one I am quite familiar with. "Squall," I state without turning to face them as they walk up behind me, "Prompto." The clanging of metal rings out when the two step up beside me, both watching their friends' various movements in awe.
"Damn, Noct!" Prompto cheers his companion on happily before turning his attention to me. "Did you teach them those moves?" he asks innocently through an approving smile. I nod once, keeping my eyes in front of me before I stick the tip of my sword into the ground.
"Again," I yell, Squall having tensed beside me when I moved my sword. He's still weary of me, as he should be. They all should be, I remind myself when I sense Vincent approaching behind us as well. "Vincent," I mumble, unable to contain the sneer in my tone. The man steps to the other side of Squall, watching the others with us.
"They look to be in better form. Your training appears to be paying off." I nod at his words before jerking my sword out of the ground and stepping toward the two fighting.
"Enough," I say, swinging my sword behind my back and latching it into the holster. Seifer falls down to the ground with a groan, his chest rising and lowering with his heavy breathing while Noctis bends forward, resting his hands on his knees after he dismisses his sword.
"Ugh," Seifer moans, rolling to one side and getting back to his feet. Squall walks over to the man while Prompto skips toward Noctis, clapping a hand on his shoulder and praising his new moves.
"What are you doing?" Vincent asks quietly, keeping his eyes forward when he comes up beside me again. I watch the four interact, pursing my lips together to remain silent. "You know," Vincent begins, placing an arm around my shoulders while leaning closer to my ear, "no matter how much you train them, they won't be able to kill you. They cannot end your existence, Cloud." I shrug the arm off of my shoulders and turn to face him, focusing on keeping the darker side of me from coming out while I feel my eyes shifting and the skin on my back start crawling.
"I know," I hiss, running my shoulder into his as I pass by him to leave.
"Hey, wait!" Prompto calls out, jogging up behind me. "Ignis is making food for everyone if you guys want to meet up in the dining room. We came to find everyone and tell them." I tilt my head to the side and nod, keeping my face away from him so he can't witness my struggle before I continue on my path to leave.
"Thank you Prompto, we'll be there shortly. The others are just ahead," I hear Vincent mention before he appears beside me once again. We walk silently most of the way back through the barriers until we almost reach the last one. As I am about to step through, metal claws dig into my skin as Vincent grabs my arm and turns me to face him, his blood red eyes boring into mine. "Think about what you are doing, Cloud. You are only making things harder on yourself in the end," he warns, releasing my arm when he thrusts it out to the side and walks away from me through the barrier. I close my eyes and take in a few more deep breaths, willing Sephiroth back under my control.
"Vincent!" I call out over my shoulder. I hear the man now behind me stop and turn to face me, but I can't open my eyes, my hands trembling at my sides. I slowly turn to face him, using every ounce of strength to do so willingly before I feel the man's hands grasping onto my shoulders. "We need to do something, soon. I'm losing control over him," I mutter through my panting breaths, clenching my eyes shut while the inside of my skull screams. Icy cold hands press to either side of my face and jerk my head a bit.
"Open your eyes, Cloud," he orders me, commanding me through the materia he still keeps junctioned, my eyes instantly opening wide. The man's face is directly in front of me, but his image morphs between what I normally see him as and a monstrous image of the threatening being I know he truly is. "Calm down," he snaps, controlling me again and staring directly into my twisted and dark dueling souls to watch his orders followed. His gaze shifts over my shoulder where I know Sephiroth's wing is starting to form. Is he attempting to help because he is a friend, or ordering me to do so because he is now my keeper? I shudder at the thought, instantly wondering if they are my own, or his. He cannot control me, I will not allow it! A calm eases through me internally, stilling my shaking hands and returning my vision back to what it once was. The man leans his forehead against mine, the cool surface of his skin welcome to my overheated flesh. "We must figure out a way to exert you so he remains sated. Perhaps actual training with someone is becoming necessary." I nod briskly when he releases his hold on me, stepping away and watching me closely.
"Perhaps." I reply, taking in a few more deep breaths before the two of us take our leave through the last barrier.
~Quistis~
Hordes of utensils and various ceramic pieces have been being shipped in for days now, all in anticipation of the big ball coming up. Laguna appears to have jumped the gun with ordering everything with Esthar's name on it before actually having a plan in place on what to do for the evening. I shake my head at all of the boxes stacked all over the place, taking up an entire kitchen across the hall from us.
"Seems excessive," I mention, turning back toward the brunette and adjusting my Esthar-embroidered apron. Ignis flashes a smile before holding the spoon he is swirling inside of a large stock pot out toward me and raising his brow. I grin back at him, taking the spoon into my hand when I step up toward him.
"Keep stirring this, if you will, while I go seek out the last ingredient," he keeps his hand on the tip of the spoon after I try and take it from him for a moment longer than necessary, holding his stance closely to mine. I stare into the pot before I realize he is still beside me, gripping the wooden spoon. Glancing up at him, I see the most sincere smile I have ever seen on his face before he turns away and clears his throat, releasing the spoon into my grasp.
"Right then, I won't be but a moment," he mutters as his fingers intertwine with the tie on the back of his own Estharian apron. I quirk a brow at the man, watching him remove the cover and hang it on the wall before turning and waving lightly. He leaves me alone in the kitchen, walking across the hall into the other one. Frowning at what might be in there and not in here, finding the two were stocked with the same things, I turn back to the pot and continue to stir. Watching the ingredients twirl around in the simmering warm broth, I wonder briefly if I am supposed to continuously stir or occasionally, deciding the man didn't specify. The fragrances coming from the pot have been making my mouth water since he placed everything inside. I wonder how he does it, does he just think of things to throw together or is there more of a method behind it?
"Here we are," he startles me when he walks back in carrying one of the boxes from the other room. Setting it on the counter beside the stove top I am using with a grin, he eyes my stirring before looking back to me.
"Ready to see the most important ingredient?" He asks, keeping his grin in place. I nod, enjoying his excitement when he unfolds the first flap. "This isn't quite the same, but, I think it will do the trick." He reaches in and pulls out a larger than the average ceramic mug and sets it in front of me. The blue color of the mug matches the color of the pathways around Esthar, an almost translucent sapphire with gold lettering in the center spelling out the name of the country. I step aside as Ignis takes the spoon out of my hand and taps it against the lip of the pot. Taking the used wooden spoon and the Estharian cup to the sink, he washes the two items, placing the spoon in the drying rack beside the sink and uses a fresh paper towel to wipe the remaining water out of the cup. He grasps one of the large ladles hanging off of the side of the counter we are standing by and begins ladling some of the soup noodle broth into the cup.
"Let me see if I have done it," he whispers, bringing the cup up to his lips. Sniffing briefly before blowing on top of it a few times, he takes a sip, closing his eyes as the broth slips over his tongue. "Yes, I think that is as close as I can get it. It is better than I expected, if I am honest." Handing the mug to me, I repeat his motions, blowing lightly on the top of the liquid before taking a tiny sip. A swirl of ingredients slides over my tongue, the noodle binding to the other ingredients and making a pleasantly new soup.
"Delicious," I mumble, glancing between the cup and the man standing beside me. He smiles at me, genuinely pleased that I enjoy his creation, before sliding the box of mugs off of the counter and stepping over to the sink.
"Not really my recipe, I have only copied one as best as I can that is infamous where I am from." He quickly washes the other mugs out, setting them on a towel he laid out beforehand. I come up beside him, a new towel in hand, and begin drying the dishes for him. Once done with that, he stands near the pot while I bring him each mug to fill, placing them on trays set on top of the rolling carts they use to bring our meals to us.
"This," he holds the last cup up in between us with a grin, "is Gladio's Cup Noodles, the only missing element is the styrofoam cup that usually holds it." I nod, finally seeing why he wants to use cups instead of bowls. Taking the last cup from him and setting it on the tray, I ask a woman if she will roll the dishes into the dining room while Ignis and I clean up. She agrees, taking the cart and pushing it through a swinging door near the opposite end of the room. The two of us make quick work of the cleanup, Ignis washing while I rinse, settling the dishes into the open slots of the rack beside the second sink. When Ignis hands me the freshly washed pot to rinse, he drains the sink before standing behind me. I feel a slight tug as the man unties my apron for me before doing the same to his own, me placing the pot into drying rack and sliding the item over my head. Handing it to the man, he jogs over to the wall and hangs the two up, before jogging back to me. Gripping my hand in his, he pulls me to the swinging door the woman walked through with the cart, a grin firmly in place as we enter the dining room.
"Iggy!" Gladio's face lights up when he sees his friend, a pile of noodles hanging out of his mouth. Ignis chuckles at the sight, seeing the man's approval all over his full mouth before walking over to him and patting him on the shoulder.
"Did I do it justice?" Ignis asks, Gladiolus nodding hastily before shoveling more into his mouth. I glance around and notice everyone else enjoying the meal, Noctis and Prompto laughing as they explain to the others that this is the meal Gladio requested when they first arrived.
"Well done Ignis, and Quistis," Noct quickly includes me, tilting his Estharian mug at the two of us before he continues drinking the broth. We take our seats beside each other, scooting closer to our own cups and digging in. Jokes and laughter ring through the dining room while Noctis and Prompto tease Gladiolus on the numerous times he requests the dish, making special trips to a certain city where they are from to stock up on the product. I smile at their stories, enjoying the warm and loving meal from one brotherly friend to another.