Entry tags:
TDM #4
Welcome! Everything is fine.
Uploading. . . Complete!
The Lobby.
- When you open your eyes, there is quite a lot of beige to take in. The unassuming walls of the room you've found yourself in are barren save for a single motivational poster directly in your line of sight. An illuminated sign above an open door on the far wall reads 'lobby exit.'
"Welcome," chimes a polite, synthesized voice. "I'm happy you're here." A moment later comes the clarity of the situation: you have died and so has the world you came from. "This is Amani, your new reality," continues The Peacekeeper. "Everything will be fine."
At least you aren't the only one here, you'll soon find out, as others who are just as confused and concerned as you are mingling on the main hub's first floor. Hopefully, you find a familiar face among the crowd. If not, that's all right. You'll get to know quite a few people very well soon enough.
- If you're one of the unlucky few whose death required a bit more intensive re-coding to maintain stability in the simulation, you'll instead awaken on a bed in the infirmary. Everything is strikingly white save for the occasional string of vines with lavender growing in bursts to help keep people calm. Whether or not it works seems to be on a case-by-case basis.
While there is no active medical staff, the voice of The Peacekeeper is there to explain the situation in a more delicate manner to these individuals. It's already stressful enough having to have gone through such a violent death, after all!
If characters want more questions answered, they'll need to speak to The Peacekeeper directly. But first, it will encourage socialization in the main hub and hopefully, you'll find someone you recognize to make taking things in a little easier.
WHAT
The fourth Amani TDM!
WHEN
April 21st, 2022
KINKS OF THE MONTH
★ Tickling
★ Facials
★ School Uniforms
★ Sharing
★ Hurt/Comfort
★ Facials
★ School Uniforms
★ Sharing
★ Hurt/Comfort
WELCOME
Throughout the main hub where everyone congregates, a light chiming echoes through the first floor. "Hello, everyone," comes the synthetic voice from when you first arrived. "Please, watch your step since there's quite a few puddles around. If you'd like, there is cake, some refreshments, and some eggs for you in these trying times. If they feel warmer than usual, that's because they're going to hatch soon!"
While the Peacekeeper doesn't elaborate, as usual, simulation inhabitants are free to notice the eggs that either they gathered or are still littering the simulation are now warm to the touch, give off a faint glow, and may even move subtly now and again if watched.
Dark, ominous clouds begin to gather over every piece of sky in the simulation and before long blot out the sun. Sheets of rain begin to pour down almost without warning. Hopefully, you've managed to fix those leaks in your house! Or maybe you're finding new ones...
Lightning splits the sky with a dramatic crackle and thunder booms not long after it. The wind howls and the worst of the storm won't relent for a few hours at the least. Even after, the rain will linger for days on and off to varying degrees of severity.
While the weather has taken a turn for the gloomy, that doesn't mean that simulation inhabitants have to be! In fact, it may feel somewhat refreshing as if the rain is washing away any negativity lingering after The Overseer's masquerade. Whether by her design or not, she - nor The Peacekeeper - will say but it does seem that she wants to keep relations as peaceful between the simulation inhabitants and creators as she can.
Of course, your buckets might not just be catching water. With the rising water levels, the fish that inhabit the simulation's waters are just as confused as anyone else. Even more confusing is the glitch causing them to transform once they find themselves on solid (mostly) ground.
Thankfully, they don't change into anything harmful. Well, maybe to your teeth since an abundance of sweet treats is bound to cause a cavity or two... Not to mention the other odd effects that food here is known to have.
If the party and its cake don't appeal to you, that's perfectly fine. This is the perfect time to configure your Digitized Technical Friend or your DTF status. A DTF is similar to a dæmon from His Dark Materials in that it is connected to and a reflection of a character's soul. These DTFs take shape accordingly and are projections similar to the NPCs. Think of them as your own personal Clippy except less annoying. Hopefully.
Once that's set-up, there are other locations of the main hub to investigate! You can still find an (off-key) instrument to play in the music lounge or check out the (algae-ridden) pool.
You can even visit The Peacekeeper themselves on the second floor. They're always happy to have visitors! They're also conveniently where you might place a complaint about that status of the main hub and its amenities.
While the Peacekeeper doesn't elaborate, as usual, simulation inhabitants are free to notice the eggs that either they gathered or are still littering the simulation are now warm to the touch, give off a faint glow, and may even move subtly now and again if watched.
APRIL SHOWERS
Granted, there are bigger things to worry about such as the storm that's rolling in.Dark, ominous clouds begin to gather over every piece of sky in the simulation and before long blot out the sun. Sheets of rain begin to pour down almost without warning. Hopefully, you've managed to fix those leaks in your house! Or maybe you're finding new ones...
Lightning splits the sky with a dramatic crackle and thunder booms not long after it. The wind howls and the worst of the storm won't relent for a few hours at the least. Even after, the rain will linger for days on and off to varying degrees of severity.
While the weather has taken a turn for the gloomy, that doesn't mean that simulation inhabitants have to be! In fact, it may feel somewhat refreshing as if the rain is washing away any negativity lingering after The Overseer's masquerade. Whether by her design or not, she - nor The Peacekeeper - will say but it does seem that she wants to keep relations as peaceful between the simulation inhabitants and creators as she can.
ONE FISH, TWO FISH...
The constant rain brings water levels of the rivers and eddies up at an alarming rate. Flooding is inevitable and, hopefully, the place you've claimed as your own isn't in the way. If it is, you might want to get the buckets ready or consider a relocation!Of course, your buckets might not just be catching water. With the rising water levels, the fish that inhabit the simulation's waters are just as confused as anyone else. Even more confusing is the glitch causing them to transform once they find themselves on solid (mostly) ground.
Thankfully, they don't change into anything harmful. Well, maybe to your teeth since an abundance of sweet treats is bound to cause a cavity or two... Not to mention the other odd effects that food here is known to have.
- ★ Taiyaki » Despite having just jumped out of the chilly waters, these tasty treats will be warm to the touch and generate steam. After biting into one, you'll radiate warmth no matter what for a brief period of time. Being a walking furnace sure is nice with this damp, cold atmosphere... Maybe you'll find a friend or two to huddle up with and keep warm.
★ Swedish Fish » Eating one of these stretchy, gummy candies will increase your flexibility. Literally and metaphorically! It might be easier to be convinced to do something you wouldn't have before and now you can bend just the right way to make it extra fun.
★ Hard Fish Candy » These tart candies will render someone unable to speak until it completely dissolves. This can take a while, too, since they seem to be persistantly stuck to the roof of your mouth! Yet, don't underestimate the power of body language to speak your mind.
★ Chocolate Sardines » Eating one of these rich bite-sized treats will make you sweeter. No, really! Candy kisses isn't just an expression after eating these fish. You taste delicious. Maybe too delicious... Be careful! Once someone gets a taste of you, they might not want to stop anytime soon.
WHAT'S YOUR DTF STATUS?
If the party and its cake don't appeal to you, that's perfectly fine. This is the perfect time to configure your Digitized Technical Friend or your DTF status. A DTF is similar to a dæmon from His Dark Materials in that it is connected to and a reflection of a character's soul. These DTFs take shape accordingly and are projections similar to the NPCs. Think of them as your own personal Clippy except less annoying. Hopefully.
Once that's set-up, there are other locations of the main hub to investigate! You can still find an (off-key) instrument to play in the music lounge or check out the (algae-ridden) pool.
You can even visit The Peacekeeper themselves on the second floor. They're always happy to have visitors! They're also conveniently where you might place a complaint about that status of the main hub and its amenities.
RAINING CATS AND DOGS
While the fishy foods are odd enough as is, another glitch appears to be occurring throughout the simulation but this time originates not from the rain but The Peacekeeper's humble musings. "Did you know," speaks the resident AI, "that there is an expression called 'raining cats and dogs'? I think that's such a curious saying! It made me wonder what it might actually look like..."
Following the strange, unexpected 'announcement,' inhabitants may begin to notice large globs of water falling periodically from the sky now amidst the regular rain. When they hit the ground with a large splash, nothing is there... at first. The water will burst apart only to reassemble into a canine or feline friend. Well, it's shaped like a dog or a cat.
Due to the sudden nature of their spawning though, some things aren't quite right. Perhaps that cat has only three legs instead of four; a dog may be missing an eye, an ear, or even its tail. And those are the more tame oddities! While the unique animals aren't overly abundant there are still a good number that spawn across the days of rain. Don't be surprised if a dog takes up shelter from the storm on your porch or you come home to a cat you don't own having climbed through a loose window.
While this might be exactly the addition to your home that you wanted, it doesn't change the leaky roof or broken window in your new place. Or, unfortunately, the fact that there's no extra space for a pet yet. No, unfortunately that will still need to be fixed the peaceful way. If you'd like more lighting or even cozier clothes, simulation inhabitants are reminded that 'peaceful interactions' are very important!
It might be a good idea to stick close to someone you know, for now, since even the smallest amounts of intimacy might see subtle changes occurring where they're staying. Perhaps that broken window is now fixed, the grime and dust seem a little less, or the floor doesn't creak quite as loud.
Larger changes, however, will only come after demonstrating the more powerful peaceful interactions. If you want new hardwood floors or a fresh coat of paint on the walls, you're going to have to demonstrate how well you 'get along' with others against them first.
Following the strange, unexpected 'announcement,' inhabitants may begin to notice large globs of water falling periodically from the sky now amidst the regular rain. When they hit the ground with a large splash, nothing is there... at first. The water will burst apart only to reassemble into a canine or feline friend. Well, it's shaped like a dog or a cat.
Due to the sudden nature of their spawning though, some things aren't quite right. Perhaps that cat has only three legs instead of four; a dog may be missing an eye, an ear, or even its tail. And those are the more tame oddities! While the unique animals aren't overly abundant there are still a good number that spawn across the days of rain. Don't be surprised if a dog takes up shelter from the storm on your porch or you come home to a cat you don't own having climbed through a loose window.
While this might be exactly the addition to your home that you wanted, it doesn't change the leaky roof or broken window in your new place. Or, unfortunately, the fact that there's no extra space for a pet yet. No, unfortunately that will still need to be fixed the peaceful way. If you'd like more lighting or even cozier clothes, simulation inhabitants are reminded that 'peaceful interactions' are very important!
It might be a good idea to stick close to someone you know, for now, since even the smallest amounts of intimacy might see subtle changes occurring where they're staying. Perhaps that broken window is now fixed, the grime and dust seem a little less, or the floor doesn't creak quite as loud.
Larger changes, however, will only come after demonstrating the more powerful peaceful interactions. If you want new hardwood floors or a fresh coat of paint on the walls, you're going to have to demonstrate how well you 'get along' with others against them first.
SEEING PINK
ear the end of the week, the rain finally relents and temperatures continue to gradually increase. Those May flowers can't quite seem to wait though since several of the trees lining the edge of the forest bloom brilliant pink blossoms that a DTF will be able to identify as love blossoms. While the blooms won't last very long, they certainly are using all the time they have to take over.
The pollen is one thing. It may start out as just a tickle in your nose or stuffy head but eventually turns into something much more lovely. You're tickled pink about almost everything, it seems, and want to share that happiness with others. And who needs rose-colored glasses when almost everywhere one looks there's a string of love blossoms blooming?
These invasive flowers are in your garden, along the vines in the city, and even sprawling through the main hub! It actually seems almost impossible to avoid them. The Peacekeeper assures inhabitants that it isn't purposeful and just the natural cycle of the love blossoms.
Enjoy the mood-lifting and groin-tingling effects while they last! The love blossoms will only linger for a few days, at most, before receding back to the forest line and eventually falling dormant again until next spring.
The pollen is one thing. It may start out as just a tickle in your nose or stuffy head but eventually turns into something much more lovely. You're tickled pink about almost everything, it seems, and want to share that happiness with others. And who needs rose-colored glasses when almost everywhere one looks there's a string of love blossoms blooming?
These invasive flowers are in your garden, along the vines in the city, and even sprawling through the main hub! It actually seems almost impossible to avoid them. The Peacekeeper assures inhabitants that it isn't purposeful and just the natural cycle of the love blossoms.
Enjoy the mood-lifting and groin-tingling effects while they last! The love blossoms will only linger for a few days, at most, before receding back to the forest line and eventually falling dormant again until next spring.
SEXY STAMP CARD
If you're wondering about these 'peaceful interactions' that keep being mentioned or what the kinks of the month are for... Here's your answer! Upon arrival, all characters will receive a digital copy of their very own sexy stamp card.
Completing peaceful interactions (i.e. kinks) will reward characters with stamps that they can turn in for re-gains and many other things! While the example one here is the standard issued card by The Peacekeeper, players are more than welcome to customize it how they see fit. Have fun with it!NOTES
Completing peaceful interactions (i.e. kinks) will reward characters with stamps that they can turn in for re-gains and many other things! While the example one here is the standard issued card by The Peacekeeper, players are more than welcome to customize it how they see fit. Have fun with it!
★ The kinks of the month have changed! Be sure to check this post for what the new ones are. Also, give a congratulations to Corrin (
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
★ The effects of the strange fish candies can, as always, be as heavy or light as you'd like! It can be chalked up to differences in resistance, non-humanity or not, etc. etc. Also, they can mixed-and-matched! Have fun with that.
★ The flora and fauna page will be updated. It's also still open for player suggestions! All you need to do now is link your check-in (or player claim) comment to make a submission!
★ Make sure to dunk your questions/feedback in the thread below!
NAVIGATION
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"...Sephiroth." Like an answer, quiet and a little breathless. "What...are we doing?" There's no disgust or suspicion in it; it's a sincere question, a desire to know what come next. He's only done this once before, and the thought that Sephiroth might...want him?...has never crossed his mind.
Does Sephiroth want him? It seems kind of unreal. For all that the SOLDIER has occupied so much of Cloud's mind for so long, he's hardly spent any time in the man's company at all, and he honestly thought Sephiroth barely acknowledged his existence or even remembered who he was until they ran into each other at the main hub here.
"What do you want?"
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But since Cloud did ask... "But I want you," he murmurs, heat in his voice. He tilts his head slightly, leaning in until they're almost kissing again and only bare centimeters separate their lips.
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For someone like Sephiroth to want him...and to say so in a voice that seems to hold and caress him just as much as his hands do...
They're so close now that Cloud would barely need to move to kiss him again. He meets those catlike eyes and nods, lips slightly parted. "Okay. I'm in."
With that simple agreement, he tugs on those leather straps just enough to pull himself flush against Sephiroth's chest and fall back into the kiss as though they never stopped. He wraps his arms around the other man's neck and closes his eyes, pliant and ready to follow Sephiroth's lead.
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But so far, that guy seems content to take the lead, and that's fine by Cloud. He's pretty good at learning through observation and mimicry. A gloved hand slips under his shirt and there's something about the touch of that leather that's oddly exciting, even if he also wishes he could feel Sephiroth's bare hands on him instead.
Well, maybe there's something he can do to get a small step closer to that. Without breaking the kiss, he slides his hands down to fumble with the buckles of Sephiroth's pauldrons, aiming to remove them.
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Hojo would certainly argue he was the one who invented perfection, but neither of them need to think of him right now. Or ever again, if it can be helped.Ah - Cloud's actually taking a bit of initiative. Sephiroth can tell he's nervous; even if he couldn't guess as much, his senses can pick up the flutter of the man's heartbeat, and Sephiroth's always been observant enough to pick up hesitation or jerkiness in someone's movements. But despite that, Cloud's eager enough to start working on getting him undressed...
Honestly, it's charming, and Sephiroth smiles into the kiss. He's aware of how intimidating he can be, both on a personal level and by reputation. For someone who knows who he is and what he's capable of to have the nerve to be forward - it's not simply cute, it's genuinely admirable.
He focuses on the kiss exclusively as he lets Cloud get his pauldrons off, taking the time to deepen and intensify it; while he doesn't really feel the weight of the pauldrons while they're on, between his strength and his being so accustomed to them, it's still freeing when they come off. It's only when Cloud lets them drop to the ground that he breaks the kiss again, pulling back to smile at him. "Lift your arms," he instructs. And, when Cloud follows that command, Sephiroth simply tugs the other man's shirt off over his head. This has the inescapable side effect of making that blond hair even messier than it already is, and Sephiroth flicks a few of the messy strands back into place with his fingers. "Like a chocobo," he says with amusement.
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He lifts his arms when Sephiroth tells him to, heedless of what's happening with his hair until those long, elegant fingers call his attention to it - and then he looks Sephiroth in the eye and says, completely deadpan, "Wow, never heard that one before. So original." Somewhere, hidden deep under the influence of the rain and pollen and the demands of his body that Sephiroth has steadily awakened, there's a part of Cloud that's wincing at his own sarcasm, expecting retaliation for sassing the cold and haughty figure from his broken memories. But it's well-buried, and it doesn't stop him from pulling off his gloves and running his palms over Sephiroth's broad chest, now that the straps are out of the way.
He isn't thinking, in the moment, about the thin but deep and slightly jagged scar just below his sternum; the one that has a twin in the same place on his back, where Masamune impaled him clean through and lifted him off the floor.
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But clearly, it's a remark Cloud gets a lot. Enough to be at least mildly peeved by it.
In the meantime, Sephiroth's hands move to Cloud's chest, running leather-clad fingers along his muscles...though they stop at that scar. And, for a moment...not even the rain's effects can entirely shut down Sephiroth's memory, his guilt. His expression becomes quieter, sadder. "I did this," he murmurs, tracing the scar. "My sword..."
Nothing he'd done in Nibelheim that day has ever sat right with Sephiroth as he was before Jenova ensnared him. But until now, stabbing Cloud had somehow seemed the least of it - perhaps because the man had survived, and that injury had in fact been the instrument of Sephiroth's own necessary downfall. But now, seeing the scar...there's nothing 'least' about it.
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Cloud doesn't have to look to know exactly what's given Sephiroth pause; he averts his gaze from both his own body and the other man's eyes. "...your sword," he agrees quietly. "By your hand." But he doesn't want the reminder, doesn't want his disjointed memories of pain and despair to break whatever spell they're under. His pollen-addled mind wants the warm, gentle smile that was on Sephiroth's face a moment ago to replace the cruel and sinister one he sees in his nightmares.
He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. "I don't...nngh. Don't want to think about that." He hunches, leaning forward to hide his face in Sephiroth's chest. His hands clutch at the other man's shoulders as though if he clings hard enough, he can stop himself from falling into the pit that is the past. "I don't want to think at all."
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And with that, he gently - but irresistibly - pushes Cloud down onto the ground, on his back, leaning over him to press his lips to the curve of the man's jaw. A hand glides along Cloud's side, avoiding that scar now in favor of exploring smoother skin.
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For now, he settles for running the fingers of one hand through the cascade of silver hair spilling over his chest. Cloud often used to wonder-- "Your hair's so long. Doesn't it get in your way when you fight?"
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"It used to," he replies. "But over the years I've become so accustomed to it that I know how it will react without thinking about it - momentum, wind, spell blowback. Learning to adjust for it so that it'd never obstruct my vision in battle actually helped me get better at never losing sight of my opponent, even without worrying about the hair. It made it more of a priority for me."
Since they're talking anyway, he takes the moment to tug off one of his gloves, so that he can glide a bared hand over Cloud's chest. His hand is surprisingly soft; he must wear gloves almost all the time to have not developed the expected callouses, but then as Cloud's probably never seen him without them that's consistent with the evidence.
"My hair was allowed to grow long in the labs. There wasn't any particular need for it to be short. And then when I was sent to Wutai, and became a hero...after the media coverage..." There's almost a faint distaste to the words. "...ShinRa forbid me to cut it after that. They wanted to preserve that image of their war hero to the public, as I'd looked then, so they didn't want me to drastically change my appearance. And it made me strike a more impressive figure for their SOLDIER propaganda, as well."
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Cloud's breath catches at the feel of unexpectedly soft skin against skin as he listens to Sephiroth's soothing voice, although the story itself is less soothing. He reaches up to touch more of that hair, feel the strands between his fingers like running water. "Could cut it now, if you want," he says quietly. "Shinra's not here."
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In the meantime...Sephiroth's hand has reached Cloud's chest, and he lazily circles a thumb around one of his nipples, teasing it.
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But whatever he might have said in response turns into a swift, quiet intake of breath when the teasing begins. His eyes close and his head tilts back slightly, that warmth at the base of his spine starting to simmer again.
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He doesn't dwell on it, however, whether Cloud chooses to resume again or not. He turns his attention to Cloud's chest, to the way the blond breathes in and shifts in response to his touch. "Do you like this?" he murmurs, watching his face.
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Anyway, he feels relaxed enough to start running his hand through it again; he likes the sensation of it between his fingers, especially in conjunction with what Sephiroth is doing with his fingers.
"...yeah," Cloud admits quietly.
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This suggestion hints at how deeply he really has come to know Cloud, if only through Jenova. That Cloud might not know what he wants, or that he might find relief in leaving it to someone else to figure out, is definitely significant insight into who Cloud is and how he thinks.
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He's already opened his mouth to say something along the lines of 'I don't know' when Sephiroth makes his offer, and Cloud gets the sneaking suspicion that the man already knew what his response would be. Well, he did say he'd come to know Cloud. In this moment, here in this field of pink blooms, that feels like a comfort rather than a nightmare.
"Mm. You decide."
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He absently tugs off his other glove, shifting so that he's leaning over Cloud even more completely; if Cloud wants to play with his hair, basically all of it is within his reach now, sliding over Sephiroth's shoulders. Sephiroth himself pays little mind to it, as he tweaks Cloud's nipple just to see what kind of reaction that gets.
It's gradually occurring to him that his experience in this area isn't particularly broad. He's never been with someone other than Genesis, and he can already tell by Cloud's chest that it's very unlikely he and Genesis have the same body makeup.
Thinking of this, he asks aloud, "Can you at least tell me if there's anything you definitely don't want?" It's one thing to be given free rein, and Sephiroth doesn't think he's likely to push up against any boundaries Cloud has...but he also want to know if, for example, Cloud is committed to having sex with him - or isn't actually willing to go that far. If he is...then Sephiroth is certainly going to have to bring up his inexperience.
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Sephiroth's hair comes down to surround Cloud as if it could shut out the world, and he welcomes it. He gathers a handful of it and turns his head, bringing the silvery hair to his face and breathing in its scent. Like most of what he's doing here, he isn't thinking when he does it. But Sephiroth interrupts him with that pinch and Cloud winces with a faint grunt of pain, brow furrowing and fingers involuntary clenching in that waterfall of hair. He doesn't say anything, but it doesn't look like he enjoyed it.
The question has him looking up again. "What you just did, for starters," he says, dry, before he considers further. "Nothing else, for now." Mostly because he doesn't have enough experience to say, really.
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But as soon as he marks that reaction from Cloud to his own movements, he stops, caressing his thumb over the skin instead. "Apologies," he murmurs. "I'm not yet sure what sort of things you'd enjoy." A pause, and then he decides this might be as good a place as any to get into it. "Genesis enjoys some pain at times, and he's been my only partner until now. And that's...a recent development. You're not him, of course, and it's your tastes I want to learn now. But what I do know has mostly been shaped by him."
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Cloud wouldn't really be able to explain very well why that's surprising. It just seems wrong, somehow. The great Sephiroth, famous war hero, strongest of SOLDIER, with his pretty eyes and flowing hair and effortless self-assurance? Had to be taught about sex post-mortem, by Genesis?
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After a moment, the soothing effects of the rain reassert themselves, and he exhales. His smile returns, a touch self-deprecating. "None of them were ever worth my interest."
The implication being, of course, that Genesis is. That Cloud is.
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Cloud catches the implication, and doesn't know what to say about it. Even now, half-dressed and warm under Sephiroth's touch, it feels strange to think that this man considers Cloud worth his interest. But he was the one who sat down here, and he was the one who kissed Cloud first, so it's clearly true. And that's a nice thought.
Unfortunately, Cloud can't take a compliment to save his life, so all he manages to get out is a faint embarrassed noise as he turns his gaze away.
"I don't...have a lot of experience with...this, either."
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cw: references to (minor) workplace sexual harassment
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And then we glossed over things because these boys are awkward/taking forever
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