Let's See What's In The Cards (Mmhm)

[missrecalled_mods]

The weather was still bitterly cold, and the snow was still thick on the ground, but it was finally possible to at least go outside by the front doors. The King and Queen have still forbidden anyone from staying overnight at the museum district in case it started snowing again. But the King could be seen outside trying to shovel snow enough to make a path to the castle at the least.

The snow was still too thick to get easily anywhere not shoveled, and the snow was so heavy that even beasted out, Ben needed to take constant breaks inside to sit down and dry off. This wasn't going to be a fast task.

It was only made harder when it started. For those who slept, it would start after they have fully awoken for the day. For those who don't sleep, they'd find that they had fallen into a pleasant daydream, even if it wasn't normal for them to do so. When they came out of it, that was when it would start for them.

But what is it, exactly?

Small snippets of memories, playing for anyone who was with the person remembering to see. But the thing was, these memories... were memories the person had not yet made. Memories of the future.

Not enough to give answers, probably not enough to give reassurances for much other than "oh hey, I do have a future after all," but generally pleasant, and short. Hey, it will give people a thing to talk about, at least. Especially since this will go on for the next two weeks or so.

Comments

Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[3wingedangel]

Cloud

1

“Sephiroth?!”

It’s a familiar voice, at least to Sephiroth, but anyone else witnessing this memory may or may not know it. It’s a shadowy scene and impossible to tell what has happened to prompt this, but Cloud Strife is standing there, mostly silhouetted but with his bat wing very visible and drooping. He’s looking off at something not visible, or someone, more precisely.

“Sephiroth, please . . . come back. You have to come back. I . . . I don’t hate you anymore. I understand now. I love you!”

Sephiroth is sitting in a chair while this scene plays, and at this he just lurches forward in utter, complete shock. “What is this?!”

Some sort of bizarre enchantment? Someone’s idea of a cruel joke? Cloud will never feel that way about him, Sephiroth is very sure. But ... he wishes it were so.

Zack

2

“Seph! Oh man, Seph! It’s so great to see you again!”

Sephiroth is standing there in shock as he’s suddenly glomped by a human tornado with wild black hair.

“Zack?! You’re alive?!”

“Sure am! And everything’s gonna be okay now that I’m back with you!”

Sephiroth hugs him close with both arms and all wings, stunned, still barely able to believe this is real.

Sephiroth watches this, the color draining from his face. Can he really believe such a scene is possible? He has never given up trying to find Zack, but this ... to see all his hopes and dreams fully realized ... it seems too incredible, too impossible. Would he really be given such a blessing? And what about the scene with Cloud? Something else he has secretly wanted but believed could never be....

“What is going on here?” he finally rasps. “I don’t understand. Who is doing this?!”

Pictures

3

Sephiroth is in the living room of his house, Cloud and Zack with him as they're looking at the pictures on the wall courtesy of Sephiroth's adopted parents. Sephiroth seems to be explaining one of the pictures. Cloud looks interested and surprised while Zack is nodding happily. They all seem to be happy being together.

Sephiroth is reaching out to the scene, confused and bewildered and wanting with all his heart to believe this will someday come true. His happily ever after, which he believes he doesn’t deserve yet can’t help longing for. For Zack to be alive would be more than enough on its own, but for Cloud to care about him and all of them to be happy together ... it all seems a precious dream of beautiful impossibility.

Hope a late in is okay?

[souls_of_roles]

Cloud


Something passed through Kyoko like a shudder at that scene, driving all other thoughts from her mind.

For a moment in her fantasy lala brain she saw Cloud as... as her mother. She shuddered, wishing, but feeling bitterness in her throat. And then when her brain caught up and she realized that never could and never would be something anyone said to her... ever...

She tried to swallow the bitterness, turning away.

At Sephiroth's question her shoulders stiffened. Still faced away, she said softly, "another cruel joke of this place, probably."

Curses were the other side to magic, after all.

Always!

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth frowned and looked away. "I wonder if anyone else is affected as well. This is a scene that could never happen."

Re: Always!

[souls_of_roles]

"Never," she agreed, bitterly, looking away.

Re: Always!

[3wingedangel]

He blinks in surprise at that reaction. "... Do you know Cloud?"

Re: Always!

[souls_of_roles]

"...W...Who?" she asked, looking back, confused now.

So much pain in her face.

Re: Always!

[3wingedangel]

"... The person in the scene we just saw," Sephiroth replied, raising an eyebrow and then frowning in concern to see that level of pain.

Re: Always!

[souls_of_roles]

"O...oh. I... Sorry..." she rubbed the back of her head. "I mostly just heard what was said and... I was thinking about someone else..."

Re: Always!

[3wingedangel]

"... Ah. I see. I'm ... sorry it triggered a painful memory for you." He wasn't sure what else to say. He wasn't the type to pry. Zack did, however, used to tell him he was a good listener. That was so long ago now, but ...

"If you would like to talk about it...."

Pictures

[phoenixwiz]

Oh how does one wish to have one’s friends to be with them again. That is something Harry longs for too: it was nice to have ghostly visions of Ron and Hermione visiting him for a short time but even then he really wants to see his old friends once again. He has been watching this vision quietly so far, not uttering a single word while Rose and Hedwig also watch it as well.

Re: Pictures

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth doesn't recognize anyone else is there until it fades. Then he turns away with a deep frown. "All of these scenes ... things I would like to be the case.... Why are they all being shown like this for others to see as well?"

[phoenixwiz]

“I was also wondering about the same thing too,” Harry admits to him, “Although this place often has strange things happening to us, it appears that this world wants to do something nice for us for once by showing us possible futures we might have in our worlds… And I too hoped that those visions do become a reality as well.”

He really wants to believe that his possible future with Ginny that he has seen earlier to become real, he really does. But if his time in Avalon taught him anything, the things he experienced while being in other worlds don’t normally go well for anybody.

[3wingedangel]

"Hm. Possible futures, things we really might have ... or just our dreams, out of our reach?"

Can he really believe what he saw is possible? Zack being alive seems almost more possible than the thought of Cloud caring about him.

[phoenixwiz]

“Honestly if you ask me, it could become a reality. It is possible that they could be within our reach. I mean, I had a future vision where I was on the verge of getting back together with an ex of mine from my world even though I’m currently not in the state of wanting to romance her or anybody at this time.”

[3wingedangel]

"Perhaps Zack could be alive out there somewhere. I continue to hope for that. But Cloud actually caring about me is highly unlikely. He hates me. I have no reason to believe that will ever change."

[phoenixwiz]

From what he could tell, whatever good relations Sephiroth had with Cloud in the past had almost become non existent. So Harry decides that it is for the best not to push on in inquiring about it further. He didn’t want to talk too much about how bad his interactions with Malfoy and Snape have been for most of his school life nor is he ready to speak about how much of a horrible bully Dudley was to him either if he was on Sephiroth’s shoes.

“I take that Zack was a friend of yours back in your world? The vision I had witnessed earlier did showed to me that he seems to be a very nice guy to have a talk with.”

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth is good with not talking about it. It is definitely complicated: Cloud blaming Sephiroth for what happened to Zack on top of Cloud having the bizarre idea that Sephiroth is literally Cloud's darkness instead of a real person. And Sephiroth running with the idea hoping to use reverse psychology on Cloud to convince Cloud not to give in to the darkness, even though Cloud instead takes it just the opposite and believes Sephiroth is trying to drive him to the darkness.

"Yes, Zack was my very dear friend ... the only friend who actually stayed. He was very gregarious, a happy person to get to know."

Re: Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[aquawayfinder]

Zack

Aqua smiled, moving to stand beside him. "Sometimes we never get an answer, we just enjoy the moments that we can, my friend."

Re: Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth kept staring at the spot where the scene was after it had faded. "... It felt so real.... Am I merely seeing the desires of my heart? Or is there any chance that someday it may happen?"

It certainly hadn't happened yet.

Re: Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[aquawayfinder]

"If I have learned anything in my travels it is that so long as our hearts are connected, that chance always exists."

Re: Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[3wingedangel]

"Are our hearts still connected, though? It doesn't feel like it. I should be able to sense him somehow...."

He's powerful enough to command armies of Heartless and turn them against Maleficent or whoever sends them out, yet he cannot achieve what he truly longs for.

Re: Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[aquawayfinder]

"They are. That connection never breaks, it never goes away. Even when we can't sense it for the moment."

Re: Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[3wingedangel]

"Even if Zack truly may be dead?"

Could he still believe Zack was alive? The vision was so clear, so real ... but it hadn't happened yet. How could he believe in something that hadn't happened?

Re: Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[aquawayfinder]

"He may be. But he also might not be. We don't know. But even if the worst is true and he did die? There are infinite realities. And infinite versions of everyone we know and love. Hub worlds like this bring us together in surprising ways."

Re: Sephiroth | Kingdom Hearts | OTA

[3wingedangel]

"Yes ... but another version of Zack wouldn't be the Zack I have personally known." He wants that Zack back, not another ... although he would be happy to see any Zack, he has to admit.