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year 5, quarter 3
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That question hung in the air between them; words out of place from a Turk to a Soldier while they were strapped together intimately. The feeling of Cissnei’s warm skin against his own, the conflicted emotion visible in her gaze for only a moment before she huffed, the mask slipping into place once more as she gripped his hand gently. Angeal watched her for a moment, unsure of what she was expecting him to say. If she thought he might lie, despite his nature.
“I wanted to help people,” Angeal murmured, his gaze just over Cissnei’s head as he thought about his life up to that point, “Friends, family, strangers. To have the strength to help as many people as possible.”
Of course, during his young naivety following Genesis to Midgar, he’d never expected all of the other baggage that came with being a Soldier. The homeless and poor. War. Quelling rebellions. There were a lot of ugly sides of life that he’d been shielded from, growing up in Banora. Even compared to Cissnei, he’d at least had a family. He couldn’t imagine living in an orphanage, being scoped out by Shinra.
The mood shifted quickly back to something warm and somewhat childish and relaxing. The red-head was poking fun at him again, insisting she’d do her best not to wink at him and ruin their chances of winning. Angeal chuckled heartily, finding himself rather attached to their strange dynamic and odd situation. Cissnei was friendly and warm, if a little teasing minx, and it helped him more than she would ever know to feel less alone in the world than he had been.
Promises of favors were confirmed, and the Soldier could only hope Cissnei wouldn’t use her to embarrass him too much.
The waiter returned, meals and drinks in hand. A skillet was placed in front of him; spun noodles and strips of chicken in a sauce, and a glass of chardonnay. Angeal wanted to laugh at the portion size -- a few mouthfuls was hardly going to take him any time -- but it quickly dawned on him that he wasn’t the one who would be struggling. Cissnei was making a face, clearly displeased as she awkwardly held her fork in her left hand. Angeal, amused, took a deep sip of wine before unrolling his own silverware, easily set with his right hand.
“I can start my meal...but...I’ll need you to help me finish.”
Angeal held back a chuckle, but he couldn’t hide the amusement in his tone, “Well, we did insist that Turks and Soldiers work well together. It won’t be a problem.”
Looking around the room, it appeared that everyone else had been served their meals as well. With each table equipped with their own waiter and timer, the competition was set to begin.
And when the whistle blew, Angeal took to the challenge -- for as much of one as it was. It was certainly not a romantic dinner with two people awkwardly trying to eat as quickly as possible, and he would have laughed at the irony if it wouldn’t choke him. One forkful of pasta and chicken went down quickly, followed by another. The taste was decent enough at least, much better than what one would find in Shinra’s cafeteria. Part of him was irritated at not being able to savor it … But, it was a competition, and that much overrode his natural annoyance at the potential food waste.
Angeal was thankful that, at least, Cissnei had been focused on her own meal. She didn’t need to witness the quick massacre he’d made of his own plate, complete with a mouthful of wine. With his own plate quickly cleared, the Soldier ignored the aghast look from the waiter as he quickly moved his right hand over to Cissnei’s plate, twirling the pasta around his fork and stabbing a bit of chicken to keep the bite in place.
Maybe, if they weren’t in a competition and this were a real date, he would find the gesture of feeding her romantic. Maybe he’d blush and be shy about it, heart stopping when she took the bite. But, instead, all he could feel was the rush to win and … Well, he wasn’t sure what else. Winning would be enough. They had more challenges ahead, after all.
He could have even taken the bite himself. But, he wasn’t looking to get stabbed for taking a Turk’s work away from them.
“One more romantic face full of pasta,” Angeal chuckled as he squeezed Cissnei’s hand, bringing the fork up to an acceptable height, “And we have this in the bag.”
How long can you swallow the pain? Before it comes round again, And a shadow in the valley will lead you to them, So don't follow.
What had she expected him to say? She already knew the answer, but he validated it. Perhaps she thought it would be more complex than that. Zack learned from the Master didn’t he. She couldn’t help herself when she cracked into a smile and just laughed at his answer. “Typical.” She giggled quietly. She had not meant to offend. Maybe it was relief at an honest reply. The Turk couldn’t tell. He was too gentle a giant.
When he gave back an amused comment about them working well together, she couldn’t help but give him a side eye. “Only when necessary.” She purred back. That rivalry was still strong in her, even if it wasn’t his fault. The executives instilled that mentality and it was hard to kick.
Cissnei had less of a mouth to shovel food in, but she was used to eating quick on the job. One never knew when there would be a call and she’d have to drop her meal. She put as much focus into her plate and hand coordination as she could. It was no easy feat to chew the chicken and handle the noodles. They did not make this an easy meal to finish. However, she was interrupted from her pace when he stabbed her plate. He offered her the final bite and she looked a little surprised. Eyes wide, she hesitated for a heartbeat. When he squeezed her hand, she finally turned three shades redder from the romance of it. What was this? She shifted slightly uncomfortably, but their bindings tugged and kept her from going far.
The sudden movement caused the piece of chicken on her fork, which had been halfway to her lips, to fall down her shirt. She felt her hair raise on the back of her neck as she looked down at the mistake, then back up at his offered fork. Then finally, the ticking of the timer came to mind.
She gritted her teeth. She was causing precious seconds to slip by. Her embarrassment turned to determination as the light in her eyes burned again. She opened her mouth wide enough with a soft ‘ah’ as she looked back up at him then closed them as she bit down on his fork. She chewed and looked away a little embarrassed as she shook her shirt out for the piece she dropped. She brought the piece to her mouth and finished off her wine. Maybe she would need more of it after all.
She heard the timer click and the waiter raised their hand to signal that the table they watched over was done. “You did that so naturally,” Cissnei teased to compose herself. “Seems you’ve practiced for such a moment.” She found her napkin and started to dab the sauce off her chest, before folding it and eyeing him before dabbing his mouth clean with the napkin. Was he trying to make her blush? Well two can play at that game.
Cissnei turned her head to glance at him, then back at the fork he was offering her. Angeal bit his tongue, holding back the chuckle he wanted to release seeing the mad blush flush across her cheeks. This was a competition though, despite mentioning the word romantic, and the Soldier slightly motioned with the fork. However, his red-headed partner seemed startled, and the piece of chicken on the end of her own fork slipped from the prongs.
His eyes followed its trail, naturally, until it disappeared into the white fabric.
Blinking in confusion, Angeal realized he was peering down Cissnei’s slightly opened shirt. It was his turn to blush various shades of red, quickly averting his glowing eyes to the ceiling. He felt the food being taken from his fork, thank Gaia, and he let the utensil drop once it was empty. He quickly chugged what little was left of his wine as Cissnei shook out her shirt, making the last piece of chicken disappear.
The timer clicked, and the waiter raised his hand. Curious, Angeal glanced around the room to see that, indeed, they had finished first. The embarrassed flush lessened as he grinned, feeling a surge of childish triumph at winning such a silly little game. The Soldier rolled his shoulders as he relaxed, his fingers stilled laced with his partner’s.
“You did that so naturally,” Angeal blinked, turning his glowing gaze back to Cissnei as she practically purred at him, a smidge of innocent confusion in his features, “Seems you’ve practiced for such a moment.”
The Soldier felt his face flush again as he cleared his throat, shaking his head quickly, “Beginner’s luck, clearly.”
The red-head dabbed the sauce off of her chest with a napkin, and Angeal found himself glancing away again, hoping she hadn’t noticed how he’d innocently let his gaze get away from him before. However, he caught sight of the white napkin coming his way, brown eyes staring him down mischievously as Cissnei used the very same cloth to dab a spot near his mouth. Angeal grumbled, his cheeks burning as he tugged at their hands still tied together with her soft tie, “Should we -- er -- take this off now? Since we won…”.
How long can you swallow the pain? Before it comes round again, And a shadow in the valley will lead you to them, So don't follow.
Victory mattered little to her. But he seemed to be having a boyish pleasure in it and having a much better than time than whatever her was doing earlier. Brooding, she thought it was. He seemed to be easing up at least. It made this night that much more interesting. She could already see the rush of people whispering and pointing at them. There was talk about how romantic feeding her way and the way she dabbed his face with such gentleness. It seemed they were already a popular team.
“Mhmm. Beginners luck.” She spoke like she didn’t believe that at all.
He tagged at their bonds and she only gave him a mischievous look. Her Turk was showing again. She leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear, “You think I’d let you go that easy?” To emphasize she reached down at the tie and made sure to pull it a little tighter. “You look guilty of something.” She stated knowing full well where his glowing eyes had been before staring at the ceiling. “Turks love making the guilty talk.” She chuckled her free hand brought to her lips to hide her smile.
The waiter congratulated them on their performance and gave them a small heart sticker to show they would be going on to the next round of events. Cissnei placed one on Angeal’s strap with a wink, before placing one on herself. She then slowly slid herself out of the booth, tugging him behind her. “Come on, partner.” She was taking on Reno’s emphasis now.
The next round was couple’s ping pong. A table had been set up outside and they would compete with other couple’s to demonstrate their coordination and teamwork. Cissnei quietly watched as two pairs of couples were bouncing the ball back and forth with much effort. One of the girls got pulled the wrong way and she ended up collapsing on her partner.
“Oh dear. It has been a while since I played this game in the break room. I haven’t done this tied to someone…” Cissnei mused. “What is your aptitude in this?”
His simple request immediately flipped some sort of switch in his red-headed partner’s mind. Cissnei smiled, that familiar cat-like grin, and leaned forward to whisper into his ear.
“You think I’d let you go that easy?”
Angeal laughed, quietly and awkwardly as the Turk slid a finger through their bonds to give the tie a gentle tug. There was nowhere for him to go, backed into the corner like a mouse ready to be devoured. Of course, he was no such thing, but the thought lingered in the back of his mind as Cissnei accused him of being guilty. He certainly was, and it should have been no surprise that she’d picked up on his wandering gaze.
Thankfully, the waiter spoke up to congratulate them on their win before Angeal could attempt to cram himself any further into the corner of the booth to escape the teasing Turk attached to him. They were given small stickers for their win -- were those hearts? Oh, god, right this was a date .. competition. Every few moments the Soldier felt like he was taking a slap to the face, embarrassed and then proud, sometimes flirty? The whole night so far had been completely unpredictable and completely unlike anything he’d ever done. Angeal couldn’t say he much enjoyed doing anything outside of his normal routine but …
Well, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t having any fun, despite Cissnei’s constant teasing.
The red-head placed the heart sticker on his strap with a wink, before sticking one on herself. Angeal shook his head, his hand darting forward to carefully peel the sticker from her clothes and press it against her cheekbone, “You put mine on, I put yours on.”
That did nothing, of course, to stop the purr in her voice as she tugged him from the booth, “Come on, partner.”
Angeal followed after Cissnei, his glowing eyes drifting from their combined hands over to the next task at hand. The sounds of clicks and bumps filled the air as teams moved back and forth, paddles in hand. A small, white ball hit the table and bounced back to the next team, as one member took an over-aggressive swing and ended up taking down their partner and themselves.
Couples ping-pong? Angeal scratched his chin with his free hand, wondering when the last time he’d even played was. It was a popular enough game at the bars and in a couple of the break rooms in Shinra, but once he hit second-class Soldier status, playing against anyone that wasn’t of his own stature was … difficult, and usually frowned upon. For him, it required a huge restraint in power, which admittedly got more difficult the more intense the game began.
Each movement needed to be precise. Just enough power to get the ball on the other side of the small net and give it enough bounce quickly enough to break through the other team’s defenses. It would either be a game of strategy, or a game of endurance.
Cissnei mused similar thoughts to his own. It had been a while since she’d played as well, and definitely not tied to someone else. Angeal rolled his shoulders in a shrug, but gave her a familiar, gentle smirk, “It’s been a long time, but I’m always up for a challenge.”
The couple across the table from them gave some fairly determined stares, but Angeal was sure Cissnei could see the cracks in their facades. They were intimidated. The Soldier stepped up to their side of the table, handing Cissnei her paddle before taking his own. They were up first, and Angeal immediately noticed the first odd thing about playing one handed. Typically, he’d set the ball with his left hand and hit it with his right. He glanced to the Turk, grabbing the small ping-pong ball and offering it out to her.
The set was perfect, and Angeal led them off to an easy start. The ball only managed to come back to them a couple of times before the other team whiffed and the ball flew off of the table. One point, two point -- it seemed like it was going to be an easy game.
At least, until Angeal got a little aggressive with his movements. He stepped out to hit the ball quickly, and immediately his folly became obvious. The ball went back across the table, sure, but he’d yanked Cissnei over to his side so hard she would lose her balance. Her weight wasn’t enough to bring him down as well, but Angeal dropped his paddle to reach out to the tumbling red-head, wrapping his free arm around her waist to keep her from hitting the ground.
Eyes wide and the flush across his cheeks settling in, Angeal murmured a quick and embarrassed, “Sorry.”
The ball pinged against the table, and bounced off of his bicep.
How long can you swallow the pain? Before it comes round again, And a shadow in the valley will lead you to them, So don't follow.
He had no words to even voice his innocence. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
There was a satisfaction in watching him cower into a corner. He was three times her size, but he treated her like she was a snake with fangs bared. She had missed this power back in her Shinra days. Good thing he didn’t know she was a kitten in the disguise of a snake. Either way, he was lucky she had no reason to bite.
His relief when their waiter returned was quite palpable.
And his courage seemed to flood back upon the waiter’s heroic interruption. He reached for the sticker she placed on her chest and took it with a gentle tug, before placing it on her cheek. She drew her brows together looking up at him. Was he trying to assuage his crime by turning his eyes to her cheek? She studied him for a heartbeat after his act, before tugging him along behind her.
Cissnei mused at Angeal’s response to this challenge. “Is this a challenge?” She pondered under her breath, her hand coming to rest on her hip. His innocent boyishness was charming. It gave her a lot of ammunition to tease. Her eyes looked up at the couple they were to challenge. Cissnei figuratively gave off a dark aura that dared them for the challenge, while Angeal seemed to burn with a fire to rise to the challenge. Both obviously intimidated their opponents. Rightfully so.
Cissnei set the ping pong ball for Angeal, but never taking her piercing gaze off their opponents. She then quickly picked up the paddle and joined the game. Cissnei was light on her feet and in her movements. She had an eye for picking out weak spots in her opponents and exploiting them. The quick clicking of paddles and ball pursued. The game amped up at the desperation of their opponents. Cissnei noticed Angeal becoming overly excited at this. The difference between Turk and SOLDIER was obvious in that moment.
The small lady felt herself lift slightly and stumble. She had no way to regain her footing at this distance. Her free hand reached out to try and brace herself against something. It found the ping pong table, but it was Angeal’s arm that found her abdomen as she fell in front of him. She gave a soft exhale, as if the ghost had left her body at first. She laid stunned for a moment, butt in the air. When she recovered, she heard his murmuring of an apology. Her free hand came to his arm. He was much sturdier than the wiggly ping pong table. She pushed off his arm with a small wobble.
Ochre eyes indignantly glared up into his flushed face. The ball had bounced off his bicep, but without additional momentum it rolled across the table. The other team scored ONE point. Their first in the game. “Can’t help you’re so strong. Look at those biceps…” An acceptance of the apology, as well as another tease to try to not to spoil the mood of the game. Her eyes lingered on his arm for a moment as if to drive the point. An intimidation tactic for the opponents they would soon wreck.
Stooping low, she picked the paddles they both dropped off the ground. Her eyes lingered over him slowly as she stood back up. Then her eyes met his as she handed him the paddle. “Let’s finish this.” She said lightly.
She clasped their bound hands with a gentle squeeze. Then, the warm tingle of magic flowed through her. She spread her Lucky Stars magic through him with an invigorating energy. This would be the last round, if she had a say in it. She took up her own panel and part her feet in a determined stance. The ball came over as the other side served. They had not even a chance as Cissnei and Angeal bounced it back with such precision. Their auras of ferociousness already making the viewers shrink back, murmuring something that they were too otherworldly.
And finally, their opponents missed. Victory. Cissnei smiled up at Angeal as the attendants gave them each a souvenir. It was a keychain of a ping pong ball with little overlapping hearts painted on it. Could this event get any cheesier? Cissnei placed her’s in the pocket of her pants for now.
“Ready for the next event?” Cissnei asked curiously. He could have protested to any of this. Instead he kept rolling with it. The attendants pointed them in a direction around the building. There was a pit full of balloons where other couples were searching for something.
“In this event, you have to find a balloon with a heart on it. Once it is found, you two must pop it and bring the paper inside to us. It will be tickets to tonight’s ending events. We will have fireworks and a bonfire. Good luck.” The attendant gestured for them to get started. Obviously, there was a limited number of seats.
Cissnei looked up at Angeal again, “It’s the last challenge. Then, I can free you. Maybe.” She tried to say lightly as she began her strides to the balloon pit and stepped inside. She scanned the balloons trying to determine which was the best option.
Cissnei’s eyes came to meet his in an intense, yet playful glare. Angeal swallowed the lump in his throat, allowing the Turk to balance herself on his arm as she righted herself back onto the ground. For that moment, the game was all but forgotten as the red-head bore her eyes into his muscled arm. The Soldier scoffed and glanced away from her for a second, taking in the gaze from the other team. Their eyes were on him as well, despite the point they’d just gained.
Angeal’s fingers twitched as he realized he needed to stop stalling and let the game go on, but Cissnei appeared to have beat him to the paddles. She sank down low, bent perfectly at the waist as she scooped up the paddles into her hands, rising slowly with her dark eyes studying him intensely. It felt like a dare for him to drink in the sight -- like a cat that mewled to be petted, and then swatted your hand. The Soldier took his glowing-eyed glimpse, before taking his paddle back.
Let’s finish this. Right, so we can move onto the next torture.
The thought was in jest, of course. Contrary to all of his scoffing and blushing, Angeal was actually having the most … well, fun he’d had in quite some time. Since he’d arrived on Zephon for sure, but probably even before that. He never relaxed enough, despite everyone prodding him to.
Leave it to a Turk, to pull exactly what he needed out of him.
And more, apparently. The Soldier hadn’t paid Cissnei much mind when she put her hands together, but after a moment he felt … something flow through him. An energy he hadn’t had before. Angeal glanced to the red-head, surprised, but too energetic to question it. The ball came back toward them, and it was the last time it would be out of their hands.
The game went quickly with their combined teamwork. Angeal controlled himself, making sure to keep his movements more minute and to flow with Cissnei’s own fluid steps. Despite his urge to hit the ball as hard as he could, to watch it bounce off of the back wall and terrify the poor couple before them, the Soldier kept steady. He couldn’t help but laugh as they played though, a smile on his usually too-serious face, his brow relaxed.
All too soon, they’d won the game. Angeal placed his paddle down, his heart settling back into its normal rhythm as the other couple sulked. Cissnei smiled at him and, maybe for the first time that evening, he returned a beaming, honest smile in full. The attendants handed them their trinkets for winning, and good lord they couldn’t have been any cheesier. Chuckling, Angeal slipped the ping pong ball keychain into his pocket.
Maybe he’d clip it somewhere on his belt. Maybe.
“Of course I’m ready,” the Soldier answered quickly, still feeding on the excited energy from before. Goodness, was this how Zack felt all the time? No wonder he was always asking women out on dates, even at the worst of times. Not that it was the dating aspect he was enjoying -- no, it was the competition. And having someone with him that understood that drive for winning. Though they were still teasingly tied together with Cissnei’s soft tie, Angeal hardly felt the same shyness and embarrassment as he had earlier in the night.
His fingers kept winding their way in with hers, anyway.
Together, they walked to a pit that was filled with balloons. There were couples in there, picking up balloons and checking them out before setting them back down. The goal was to find the balloon with a heart on it.
Cissnei teased that she may finally let him go. Angeal raised an eyebrow to that statement, meeting her eyes with a smirk, “I don’t know, you seem pretty attached to me now.” He followed her strides into the balloon pit, and took a look around. There were balloons all around their feet; pink, white, red … If the point was to find a balloon with a heart on it, it would take too long to check them out one at a time. Angeal scratched at his chin with his free hand, before nudging Cissnei as a thought came to mind.
“I’ll get as many in the air as I can. You look for the right balloon and grab it,” he explained, knowing well that Cissnei was quick with her eyes and hands. That was the advantage they’d had in every little competition -- teamwork.
Angeal used his height and limbs to his advantage, kicking and throwing as many balloons into the air at once as he could. A shower of colorful balloons went over their head, and when he felt a tug on his left wrist, he knew the Turk had found her mark. He swung his arm while Cissnei darted to grab the balloon from the air effortlessly, back at his side easily in moments, a red balloon in hand. With one hand each and just enough pressure, the balloon popped in-between them, dropping the paper into Angeal’s hand. Stepping out of the balloon pit, the Soldier handed the paper over to the attendant and gained their prize.
With two tickets in hand, Angeal turned his glowing gaze to Cissnei, a bit of the boyish charm nipping at his heart again. He held the tickets out to the Turk, a small smile on his face as he asked, all too honestly and innocently, “If you're not too keen on letting me go yet ... Care to join me?”
How long can you swallow the pain? Before it comes round again, And a shadow in the valley will lead you to them, So don't follow.
[attr="class","infoNotes"]Cissnei doesn't know how to handle nice, honest people.
[attr="class","crashLyrics"]Vacillation[break]I'd let you had I known it, why don't you say so?
[attr="class","crashBody"]
Angeal seemed to be having a good time. He had certainly changed from sulking and drinking alone at a table, to enjoying himself in the nightly challenges. And Cissnei had fun teasing the SOLDIER. Seeing that lovely shade of red on his face to the silly expressions he made at her fun. He seemed to take it in good humor, no matter her jabs. Though, it seemed she may have pressed too much if he was getting used to it. Maybe she should change up her torture tactics then. She pondered quietly to herself. [break][break] But then, he smiled so genuinely at her that she felt herself standing there in shock. [break][break] No one but a Turk gave her such a smile. She certainly had not expected it from a SOLDIER. Her eyes widened and she reddened a little as she looked away. She was unsure how to cope with someone being so genuine and enjoying her company. Facades and games were much easier. [break][break] Cissnei only looked away at his teasing about being pretty attached to him. “This is the best way to spy on you in plain sight.” She retorted with a sense of dignity. It wasn’t the best retort, but she was trying to recover from her earlier shock. [break][break] Her eyes turned up to him when he nudged her about the ball pit. She nodded at his plan and knelt with him as she tossed them clumsily in the air. Cissnei’s eyes were quick to take in the information. Before grabbing the one with a heart. She seemed impressed that it had been in one go. But SOLDIERs and Turks always worked well together when they weren’t butting heads in feuds. Luckily Heidegger wasn’t around to fan those flames. [break][break] Cissnei laughed and just couldn't help herself. After watching the balloons rain over him, she just had to do a slight tease as she eyed their victory prize. “Seems you should be one of those male performers at birthday parties. I’m sure people will pay to watch you pop their balloons.” She carefully climbed out of the ball pit with him, struggling just a little as he cleared the edge easier than her. [break][break] He redeemed their prize and the attendant gave them some instructions that the bonfire would start shortly with fireworks soon after. Refreshments would be served and they were free to unbind themselves for the night. Cissnei was about to undo their bonds when he surprised her. She looked up into his glowing eyes, her earthy one’s searching them for a moment, before looking away. “You’re asking me on a date?” She picked at their bonds, a slight shade of red. Had he lost his mind? Didn’t he know what she was? “We did, ah, work for it together.” She was unsure how to handle his honest innocence. [break][break] She unlooped her tie and released them, her hand slipping away from his. It suddenly felt empty without the weight of his. She placed the tie loosely over her shoulders and just let it hang about her neck. “We should go.” Cissnei pointed in the direction they were supposed to go. The orange glow of the fire and the movement of human shaped shadows around the corner already showed people were starting to gather there. Logs had been converted into makeshift benches. There had been finger-foods as well as ways to make smores if people chose to. And of course, servers at the ready to bring more drinks. Cissnei picked a spot and took a seat near the fire, before waving someone with a tray of champagne glasses. Each bubbly glass had a heart shaped strawberry on the edge. Cissnei smiled and took one.
When her eyes met his own, there was a hesitation. A shyness he hadn’t seen in her for the majority of the night. Cissnei glanced away from him, his blue eyes no longer reflected in her brown, and fidgeted at the tie that bound them nervously. Red dusted the edges of her cheeks, and Angeal let his smile drop to a more neutral expression. Her reaction … wasn’t what he expected. The Soldier wondered what he’d done wrong or differently now that they hadn’t been doing to each other all night long. The teasing, the companionship, the flirtation. He’d had fun. They were still having fun.
Or maybe they weren’t.
“As much of a date as any of this has been, I guess,” Angeal murmured, letting the Turk handle the silky bonds that held them together. Loop by loop the garment fell away, freeing their respective hands and wrists. It felt strange without that heat, that shape that had been in his palm all night. Angeal looked down to his empty hand, flexing his fingers and closing his hand around the nothingness.
Throughout the night, the Soldier had finally felt less alone in this strange, little world. A brief glimmer of hope that, if one of the Turks was there, so was everyone he cared about. However, as Cissnei led the way toward the bonfire outside, Angeal couldn’t help but feel that cold, detached loneliness begin to creep back into his heart.
They’d completed their mission and won the event. That’s … all it was, wasn’t it?
No, Angeal thought to himself, glancing at the sky above them for a moment, This isn’t Shinra. It wasn’t a mission. It was …
He was just looking for company.
Following Cissnei, Angeal took a seat near the bonfire as well. The ending of the event was cozy, benches for all to share, treats and drinks under a darkened sky. The Soldier took a glass of champagne when it was offered, thanking the waiter that brought them over. It was a dainty little flute, something he’d be finished with in two sips most likely, so he bought time by eating the little heart-shaped strawberry that it came with. That pasta-eating competition felt like forever and a half ago.
The atmosphere was, at least, the most relaxed it had been all night. The temperature was just cool enough to tempt the couples close to the fire, but comfortable enough to still move about. Not that Hewley needed the warmth of the fire -- he always ran hot. The Soldier glanced over to his former-partner, feeling that their time together for the evening would soon be coming to an end.
“We don’t have to stop having a good time,” Angeal spoke, fiddling with the dainty glass in his hands, “Just because the competition is over. Turk or not, serious or not, I had a good time tonight.”
How long can you swallow the pain? Before it comes round again, And a shadow in the valley will lead you to them, So don't follow.
[attr="class","infoNotes"]Almost time to part ways.
[attr="class","crashLyrics"]Vacillation
[attr="class","crashBody"] She felt Angeal’s weight sink into the seat next to her. She took a sip of the champagne, tipping the red heart into the golden bubbles for added sweetness. Her eyes watched the dancing flames as its warmth licked them both. The setting hummed of comfort and romance. A waiter brought her a plate with premade, gooey smores. She quietly took one and realized the marshmallow was still gooey. It spread all over her fingers. She placed the smore back on her plate. [break][break] Angeal spoke as she tried to lick the marshmallow off the tips of her fingers. Her eyes flashed up at him as he began speaking. She was unsure really how to respond, as she nipped to get the sticky residue off. She hummed thoughtfully for a moment, offering him the other smore she had not touched yet. “It was a fun night, wasn’t it?” She smiled as she looked up at the moon above the fire. “It’s good to just let go once in a while. We can do this again sometime.” She winked at him. “But I can’t be the only one to spoil you.” [break][break]
She took a deep breath and shook her head. “There’s a lot of chance meetings waiting to happen, you know. It takes a little getting out of your comfort zone to let them happen and to have fun with it.” Like she pushed him to do tonight. “That’s why Turks are so much fun.” She chuckled, before draining her glass. Ah, she drank so much. She could feel the warmth in her cheeks and neck. “So what will you do after? Hopefully not go back to the face I saw when I first laid eyes on you tonight.” He had that sulky expression much early in that event. [break][break]
Then, the fireworks went off. The colors splashed across the sky in exploding bright lights over the buildings and treelines. Even the clouds seemed to reflect the colors. Pink, blue, greens. Some in heart shapes and others in stars. Each punctuation fizzled out against the night sky.
