If all the SOLDIERs lived in one apartment, who would be the most annoying roommate? Who doesn't wash the dishes? Which idiot left dirty laundry everywhere? I bet Angeal has to mother everyone and call a roomy-meeting at least once a week.
Angeal — He would beat GSZ senseless if he were any less of a holy woman. Gillian raised him well (it’s why he keeps winning at all these domestic things), and he knows how to keep a tidy house.
However, between drills and new recruits and Zack, it does get exhausting being the only one to keep house on top of keeping the peace (Genesis). But he also can’t bear to see the nice place they’ve moved into become a pig sty. It’s also too nice of an experience to be away from the tower.
Genesis — Is bad about pawning his laundry off on people (read: mostly Angeal) and moving their shit to make room for his shit. He’s by far the the most irritating roommate in this regard. Also, he has about 873 “essential” toiletries and he will absolutely start using the shelves in other people’s bathrooms to store them. He will keep his room tidy (aside from an abundance of clothes and accessories being strewn about), but will not do housework he deems “beneath” him (which is, unsurprisingly, all of it).
(Unsolicited LOVELESS recitation is honestly the least annoying habit of the redhead’s.)
Sephiroth — Is an odd roommate, and it’s not entirely his fault. Given who he is, he is used to having things ready for him, for easy use. He feels free after getting away form the tower — he owed ‘Geal and Gen for the push to do so — but is also slow on the uptake that he does not have handlers anymore. It takes a while for this to click, and when it does, he tends to go about chores in odd ways that take much longer than normal. He means well, though.
Zack — Pleasant to live with, definitely fun, but messiest by far. Also has absolutely no shame and totally walks around the place in his skivvies with his literal mane of hair dripping wet from the shower. Has a terrible habit of drinking from the carton/jug in front of the fridge (irking Angeal and Sephiroth and absolutely setting off Genesis into a fiery tangent), and an even worse habit of passing out on the couches or in the spare room when he stays up all night playing video games during his down time because he’s too lazy to go upstairs.
This is why, when Zack mentions that he has a friend that would be interested in their small spare room, that would be willing to do chores in lieu of paying gil for rent, Angeal is automatically on board, with Genesis and Sephiroth needing next to no convincing.
Cloud — The last one to move in, he feels super awkward for disturbing the already established dynamic of the other four housemates/flatmates (yes, he is sure he is a burden on Zack, at least sometimes). He’s also the washout trooper compared to an up-and-coming star within SOLDIER along with the house’s other (likely SOLDIER) inhabitants, and is very aware he’s only here because of Zack’s polite (read: puppy-eyed) request to his housemates that they bring in another roommate. Zack wisely doesn’t mention who his roommates are (the blonde had assumed Kunsel, maybe Reno, and possibly Luxiere would be the likely crew), just that they’d agreed. Cloud doesn’t like the idea of mooching off of people no matter who it is, even if Zack insists he’s not...
...But he also can’t afford a place on his own (it would have been a struggle even with roommates, below the plate, in Midgar). He’s determined to scrimp and save to send money back to his Ma, but he cannot take the constant hazing and theft of his meager belongings anymore. He tries to play it calm when Zack makes the offer, but ends up nearly crying in relief. He’s fairly sure the soon-to-be First picked up on his desperation — Zack wasn’t stupid by any stretch of the imagination, and Cloud had just spent an exhausting night looking for his “missing” bed sheets before being locked out of his dorm.
So, the blonde offers to trade housework for a new roof over his head. He’d done all kinds of labor as a child in Nibelheim when money was short, if people were willing to acknowledge him at all. A few extra chores was nothing at all for a space to call his own, where his things wouldn’t be bothered.
He keeps to himself in the spare room he currently inhabits and tries to make his presence as small as possible. For the most part, he is successful, with Zack being the only one to really see him, and that‘s just because the his best friend tended pass out on his bed waiting for him to get off of one of his extra patrol shifts (not that Cloud minded; Zack was broad and warm and nice to snuggle in next to, despite his bed hog status).
Naturally, though, Cloud’s evasiveness eventually intrigues the other residents of the house. They begin trying to catch glimpses of their new, mystery roommate, slightly taken aback by how serious Zack’s friend was about keeping out of the way while keeping the place incredibly well-kept (any normal person would have tried to snoop or at least snap a photo of one of them by now). They even go as far as looking up the infantryman’s schedule to do so.
One can only imagine Cloud’s open-mouthed shock and panic when he ventures into the kitchen for some food after a late patrol one night, only to find three sets sets of glowing eyes staring him down — eyes that belong to, arguably, the three most famous men in the world.
