Welcome to Adventu, your final fantasy rp haven. adventu focuses on both canon and original characters from different worlds and timelines that have all been pulled to the world of zephon: a familiar final fantasy-styled land where all adventurers will fight, explore, and make new personal connections.
at adventu, we believe that colorful story and plots far outweigh the need for a battle system. rp should be about the writing, the fun, and the creativity. you will see that the only system on our site is the encouragement to create amazing adventures with other members. welcome to adventu... how will you arrive?
year 5, quarter 3
Welcome one and all to our beautiful new skin! This marks the visual era of Adventu 4.0, our 4th and by far best design we've had. 3.0 suited our needs for a very long time, but as things are evolving around the site (and all for the better thanks to all of you), it was time for a new, sleek change. The Resource Site celebrity Pharaoh Leep was the amazing mastermind behind this with minor collaborations from your resident moogle. It's one-of-a-kind and suited specifically for Adventu. Click the image for a super easy new skin guide for a visual tour!
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Post by Cloud Strife on Nov 2, 2021 22:56:02 GMT -6
Cloud stared up at the ceiling, watching the motes of dust suspended in shafts of sunlight, swirling, drifting. If he closed his eyes he saw the image in negative, sparks rising out of a crackling fire dancing in the smoke against a jet black sky. The fire burned in his sleep and even waking he still felt the heat of it singing the back of his neck, smoldering in the fissures of his broken ribs.
After his encounter with Angeal just outside Yuna's place, Cloud hadn't gone out again. Bed rest only. Healer's orders. She was kind enough not to phrase it that way, but Cloud understood. He'd already made enough work for her, anyway, and so he stared at the ceiling and tried to count chocobos in his head or name all the materia he'd ever collected or think of something, anything, but the looming dread slowly suffocating him.
How many would Sephiroth kill, this time? Which town would be the first burned to ashes? If Cloud had been faster, or stronger, or--
He shut his eyes tight, inhaled a slow deep breath. A dull pain washed over his chest as his lungs inflated. Clean white bandages covered the healing stab wound that had just missed his heart, and the bruising on the rest of his exposed skin had shifted from a deep purple towards an ugly blue-green. He felt tired and weak, like the weight of his own body was enough to pin him where he lay.
He tried counting chocobos again.
The front door creaked, and Cloud lost count somewhere after two dozen. Footsteps followed. He didn't think much of it. It wasn't the first time Yuna had visitors since Cloud had woken up in her care, and he couldn't see the door from where he was anyway. He looked up at the ceiling and started his count over.
Post by Tifa Lockhart on Nov 3, 2021 15:38:00 GMT -6
PROMISE YOU'LL COME AND SAVE ME
Ever since she had arrived in Zephon, Tifa's main goal had been to get on her feet first and ask questions later. It would've done her no good to be wandering around searching for information when she didn't have any money for food or a place to live. Luckily for her, she had acquired a job bartending fairly quickly, her experience at Seventh Heaven had come in handy. She would pick up any shifts she could and quickly made enough money for an apartment of her own. Now, she owned her own bar and was stable, it was time to figure things out.
Cloud had been by a couple of times, and she had helped him get on his feet like she had done herself. There was only so much she could do to help, he would have to figure the rest out himself. Aerith had shown up with him recently as well, but Tifa wasn't sure where the two had split off to. In her spare time, Tifa had come to realize one thing about Zephon. People arrived here from different times in their own worlds. Her and Cloud shared the same last memory of Gaia, but she had heard of people getting pulled from their world, but still living on in their old one. For all she knew, there was another her still hanging out at Seventh Heaven.
Today was her day off, and for some reason, Tifa was in Provo. It just felt, right to be here. Maybe she was following Cloud. Though, seeing the state of one area of it, she wondered why she was here. It was in ruins, somewhat close to the state of things after a battle with Sephiroth or a summon. There were official people all around, so she dared not get too close to it. She was about to turn and walk away when she heard someone mumble 'Sephiroth' in their hushed conversation with another.
Hearing that made her worry, and when a lady tracked her down in Provo saying that Tifa needed to follow her, that didn't make things better. The place they were headed seemed to be a hospital, and Tifa was starting to put things together. She didn't want to believe her assumptions, but ran into Cloud's room and over to him anyways. "Cloud! What happened to you!?" To be quite honest, Tifa wasn't sure what she would do if she found out Sephiroth was here, and had put Cloud in this condition...
[attr="class","ayab-text"] Ever since she had learned of Sephiroth's return, Aerith had been torn between fear and curiosity. Was he the same man that had threatened the Planet, or was he the hero Zack had often spoken to her of fondly? There was so much for her to discern and figure out for herself. But, no, the main reason she had come to Provo had not been because of her need to hunt down the former General. No, she had been hunting down a stupid, reckless blonde that had attacked Sephiroth the moment they had crossed paths. Alex had told her as much and she had been able to piece together the puzzle on her own. Her friend had not returned to Sonora as he should have, which made her believe the worst may have befallen Cloud with him out on his own. [break][break]
Luckily, it really did not take that long to find out where he was. A few questions around the city had led her to a healer's place by the name of Yuna. Aerith made a mental note to herself to thank the unknown woman for tending to her friend after his disastrous battle. The city was certainly crawling with guards as well, which did not surprise her. Everyone would be on the lookout for any more trouble that may come forward with so much destruction that had been caused. Aerith did pause for a moment before what looked like a ruined shop, and she had to wonder if this was Alex's store that he had bemoaned about. Well, it seemed she owed the poor man an apology when they next met with how it was literally in shambles. A soft sigh escaped her as she reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb. [break][break]
"I think I might kill him," she muttered to herself. Shaking her head, she moved on from the sight to make the final venture to this healer's residence. It took her a few more minutes to locate the room Cloud was staying in, but the young woman was taken aback at the sight of Tifa already there. When had her friend arrived in Provo? But she did hear Tifa's question as Aerith lingered by the door for a moment longer before walking inside. "He got into a fight with Sephiroth and clearly paid for it." Her green eyes were narrowed as she placed her hands over her hips as she took in the sorry state Cloud was in. Big, ugly bruises mottled nearly every inch of visible skin and she wondered if he had suffered a broken bone or several. [break][break]
"You're lucky you're already injured and in bed, or I'd be sorely tempted to hit you with a chair for being so reckless, Cloud." The threat was certainly not an idle one as she eyed one of the chairs that visitors likely sat in not too far away from his bed. Aerith was torn between anger and relief as she viewed her friend. He really did deserve a good slap to the back of his head, but she found herself sighing as she walked over. Placing a hand upon his forehead, she allowed her innate magic to gather as a rush of healing wind surrounded the bedridden man. Hopefully, it would be enough to ease the pain he was in rid himself of some of the obvious bruisings. [break][break]
Post by Cloud Strife on Jan 15, 2022 23:23:50 GMT -6
Cloud turned his head at the sound of Tifa's voice, the sharp edge of worry in her tone cutting through the fog of exhaustion blanketing his mind. He reacted instinctively, trying to sit up, prop himself up on an elbow. To show her that he was okay, like he'd only been having a nap, and he could do things like sit up under his own power without ripping a lung apart.
You still haven't figured out the definition of 'okay'.
I'm fine.
Or the definition of 'fine'.
"Tifa..." he said. Her name was a hoarse rasp escaping his mouth like a leaking valve. He couldn't even muster a feeble insistence about how fine he was before a sudden strained grunt turned the valve, cut off his breath. The pain flared white hot in his chest from the nuclear core of the stab wound, radiating out through the rest of him. His arms trembled and gave way and he fell back against the pillow with a dull thump and a rustling of fabric.
He looked ashamed of himself even before Aerith entered the room.
If he'd learned anything from this it was how easy it was to throw himself on the point of a sword in a fit of heroic rage when he thought he wouldn't be around to face the aftermath. It wasn't the same as standing on the precipice at the heart of the planet, looking down into the possibility of his own death, taking the step anyway. The anger of his id was like being strapped to a rocket.
Now the aftermath was standing beside his hospital bed and there was no more heroic anger or murderous rage in him, no defiance, no unspent fuel for the fire, just hollowness and exhaustion. Failure like a bitter taste in his mouth, like ash and sweat on his skin.
He could hardly bring himself to look at Aerith as she scolded him. He didn't move or protest when she laid a hand on him and the wave of magic washed over him and the bright burning pain in his chest dimmed to a manageable ache. He took a deep breath and tried to sit up again, slowly, one arm bracing his midsection. He managed that much.
"I had to know..." Cloud said in a low voice. He looked from Aerith to Tifa only briefly and then stared at the folds of the sheet over his legs. "I had to know if it was really him. And it was. And I had to stop him."
A thousand what-ifs still swirled in his mind. A hurricane of worst case scenarios. He clenched his fist until the knuckles went white and pressed it into the mattress beneath him.
"I couldn't let him walk away. After everything..." He gritted his teeth, jaw muscles tight as steel cables, shook his head. "I couldn't let him walk away."
Post by Tifa Lockhart on Jan 19, 2022 12:03:59 GMT -6
WOULD YOU SAY I BECAME A HERO?
Seeing Cloud in the state he was brought back memories Tifa really did want to relive again. When he was in a comatose state from excessive mako exposure. At least this time he was awake and could talk to her. She thought it was all over. They had won. Then she was here, and it seemed everything wanted to happen all over again. She wasn't sure she could handle that. The last five years had been the best and worst years of her life. She lost her father, became a wanted criminal, fought for her life. She had also met the people who would become like a family to her. It had been a rush.
Aerith appeared, and she gave a small smile at her friend. Seeing her was still hard for Tifa, but she was happy that she was here none the less. What she said made Tifa whip around to Cloud. "You did what!? Cloud Strife, what were you thinking!?" Tifa was mixed with anger and concern. He knew what Sephiroth was capable of, why did he go after him alone? It wasn't a surprise he was in the state he was. Now she was curious how Sephiroth was. From the conversations she overheard on the way, it seemed he had survived as well...
Watching as he struggled to sit up, only to fail and fall back into the bed almost had her in tears. Grabbing his hand, she went to say to take it easy and lay down. Aerith made it over to him and placed a hand over him. Tifa knew what she was doing, and was glad she was here to do so. Cloud sat up, placing an arm over his midsection. Tifa wanted to take his pain away, but also wanted him to keep it as a reminder that he was in the wrong for what he did.
"I understand your reasoning for doing what you did, but you didn't think clearly." She said and looked at Aerith and back to Cloud. "You know what he's capable of. I know you know better than to charge into action alone after all that we went through." People aren't known for making the best decisions when they're angry, which was why she tried to calm down before rushing into things. "Did he say anything to you?"
[attr="class","ayab-text"] Had to know? Aerith could feel her beginning to evaporate as Cloud explained himself, but she still could not condone his utter recklessness. The topic of Sephiroth was a sensitive one for him after everything her friend had experienced at the hands of the SOLDIER. The only reaction Cloud could have was the need to eliminate his enemy before any harm could be done once more. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she rested her hand upon his back as he managed to sit himself up. These wounds were extensive and would take time to heal even with her innate healing magic applied. The trauma his body had suffered was too much and Cloud would simply need a long amount of bed rest before he was ready to stand and go after Sephiroth once more. Hopefully, it would give herself and Tifa enough time to talk him out of doing something idiotic again. [break][break]
"I understand, Cloud, I really do. But you went after him in a crowded place where anyone could have gotten hurt--not just yourself." One of those disgruntled citizens was still hunting Cloud down to pay him back for the destroyed shop. Aerith wondered how she would evade another conversation with Alex if they met again. Then there was still the revelation she had for Cloud that Zack was upon Zephon as well. Should she tell him now? Or would it be too much? Perhaps it would distract him with the happy news that another friend had returned, or it would remind him of what had happened to both himself and Zack back at the reactor. Her gaze shifted to Tifa as her friend did her best to calm down Cloud. No, Aerith believed it would be best to keep this truth to herself until her friend was in a better state both physically and mentally. [break][break]
Shifting herself, Aerith sat on the edge of the bed as she kept her hand upon Cloud's back. "Did Sephiroth remember you at all?" she asked quietly. The young woman had a hunch that this version of Sephiroth was not the same as the one they had tried to track down. Zephon was capable of bringing back anyone from whatever moment in time that it wished. Was she not proof of that? Cloud had told her of her death that had been caused by Sephiroth, but she had never experienced it in her own memory. Aerith believed the SOLDIER had been plucked from before his plunge into madness by Alex's recollection of the events alone. Should she seek him out and see for herself? It was an idea to be thought upon later on. [break][break]
Post by Cloud Strife on Feb 22, 2022 2:16:17 GMT -6
They said they understood. They even said it in understanding tones and followed it with their gentle admonishments for the way he decided to run headfirst into death and he knew he'd screwed up, he'd had days to think of nothing but that. So all he could think, when he heard "I understand", was No you don't.
How could they? Tifa knew the heat of the flames in Nibelheim and the empty eyes of the dead, and Aerith knew the story, and they'd both seen the trail of bodies Sephiroth left behind and knew the billions Sephiroth planned to kill if they didn't stop him. But neither of them knew what it was like for Cloud to have that thing in his head he couldn't understand or control, a presence that wormed its way deep inside his brain until he couldn't be sure what part was him and what was it and if he even existed at all.
Cloud could tell himself and everyone else all he liked just how much this was about stopping Sephiroth from hurting his friends, from doing to this world what he'd tried to do to theirs. But there would always be more to it. It would always run deeper than that.
He inhaled a long slow breath that rattled against Aerith's hand on his back. He registered Tifa's hand on his own and his fingers curled around it. The voice in his head told him in no uncertain terms to pull himself together. So he lifted his head and he answered their questions. He wrestled his voice into a monotone, but where he aimed for calm he only sounded tired.
"He said 'Do I know you', with that... stupid grin on his face. That was it. We just fought." Cloud offered a vague shrug. It was effort to lift his shoulders.
"I don't know how long it was. We were fighting and a SOLDIER showed up out of nowhere. To help him." Cloud couldn't keep the quaver of anger out of his voice no matter how hard he tried to stay level. "Carrying Zack's sword. He must've helped Sephiroth get away after..." Cloud trailed off, shook his head. "He found me here the other day. Said his name was Angeal."
Cloud found he still had an overwhelming desire to hit the guy in the face with a bat.
Post by Tifa Lockhart on Mar 2, 2022 12:36:44 GMT -6
PROMISE YOU'LL COME AND SAVE ME
Tifa was glad Aerith was here as well, and she hoped with both of them there trying to reason with him, Cloud would come to his senses. She felt his fingers wrap around her hand and she gave a small squeeze. He wanted to keep her and all their friends safe, she knew that. What he didn't seem to realize that they could lose him in the process of it all, and if she was being honest, she'd rather have Sephiroth wandering around than lose Cloud. As long as they all had each other, they could fight whatever came their way.
Aerith asked if Sephiroth remembered Cloud, and she remembered that there was chance the SOLDIER didn't. People were pulled here from different times. Her and Cloud were pulled at relatively the same time, so she was glad they remembered the same things. There was a chance this Sephiroth had no idea who they were. Maybe he remembered everything but wasn't after them anymore and wanted to start over? There were so many different possibilities that it made Tifa's head hurt.
Cloud stated that Sephiroth asked if Cloud knew him. Now the possibilities were that Sephiroth knew that people were pulled at different times was messing with Cloud to piss him off, or he really didn't know Cloud. When he said the part about Angeal, Tifa recognized the name. After Cloud had left for SOLDIER, she would always get as much news about the program as she could, looking for news on Cloud. She knew the names of all the First Class SOLDIERS, and she remembered the name Angeal.
Angeal was defending Sephiroth just as she would defend Cloud. The three First Class SOLDIERs had known each other a long time, and she didn't really blame Angeal for coming to Sephiroth's aide. She wouldn't tell Cloud that though. "Cloud. There is a chance that Sephiroth really didn't know who you were. He could have been taken before everything went to hell." She knew Cloud was in a fragile state, but she wanted to steer his mind away from bloodshed.
[attr="class","ayab-text"] Aerith could see that Cloud did not really believe their words, and she could not blame him. The young woman wished she could convey that she did in a way. For so long, she had lived her life denying her heritage and the voices she had heard ever since she was a child. Especially after her mother had died and it seemed her bond had deepened with the Lifestream. Voices that were not her own that wished to convey their thoughts and feelings through her. The voice of her mother speaking that everything would be alright and that she was not alone. If she deafened herself to the voices of the Planet, then perhaps she could pretend she was a normal girl. A normal girl that had nothing to offer to the world or to Shinra or to herself. Oh, if she could just stay beneath that steel sky and dream that life would continue as it always had for her. [break][break]
Her thoughts were shaken as a familiar name broke through her brief haze. Emerald eyes widened as she recalled Angeal and the brief meeting she had held with one of his clones. Zack's mentor and a fellow First Class SOLDIER. Had there not been three of them? The golden trio that all SOLDIERs had aspired towards: Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis. Zack had spoken of them so fondly in the beginning and then he had told her of how everything had fallen apart. "Angeal was Zack's mentor and friend," she replied quietly. Had she ever told the two about her past with Zack? How intimately she had known the details of those golden SOLDIERs? Sometimes Aerith forgot how many secrets she had kept to herself in her desire to forget about her past. Biting her bottom lip, Aerith slowly stood from her position by Cloud's side as she wrapped her arms around herself. [break][break]
"Angeal and Sephiroth were close friends back in the war and I guess afterward, too. It doesn't surprise me that he would defend Sephiroth if he was nearby." Aerith hid her face behind the fringe of her hair as she listened to Tifa try and steer the conversation away from the current topic. If Angeal was still here, then maybe she could find out what was going on for herself. If she introduced herself to the man, then she was sure he would know who she was. Zack always loved to speak of those he was close to, and she was quite sure he had annoyed his friends with talk of her. A fond smile curled on her lips at the thought, but she quickly shook those musings away. [break][break]
"If Angeal is still here, then I can find out. We don't know the entire situation, and it would be best if we could find out what's going on," Aerith mused as she turned to face Cloud and Tifa. "We should find out if we need to handle Sephiroth again, but maybe we don't if he was brought here before all of the terrible things that happened. I know how much this means to you, Cloud, and I'll do whatever I can to help you with this." If it meant preventing Cloud from going over the edge again, then Aerith would get the information they needed without a second thought. "There's a lot that I know that I haven't told either of you. Things I wanted to forget or didn't really think were important." [break][break] [break][break]
