Cobrache

Drawerrings

[alcatrazcobrache]

Chapter. 1 - Beyond Journey's End

An old soldier sat arms crossed, eyes closed at the apex of a high set of steps. Wouldn’t know it from looking at him, only a pair of short laugh lines peeking from his nose betrayed his age. Only scar from his glory days was the cane he needed to ascend the steps and by all accounts he’d gotten off easy. His mind held strong, he had his loved ones to thank for that. The broad building behind him, a schoolhouse of sorts, a place where people he didn’t know sought to learn. He waited outside. Despite his journeys both physical and mental, he never quite learned to enjoy the company of strangers or small talk. Perhaps, some things are set in stone. Even if he had been on what could be charitably called a self discovery trip. His clothes had barely changed either, settling on more of a kimono style robe, the same color as his old shinra digs with similar baggy pants and army boots; the classics. Perfect for sitting idly by in the summer sun. The soft breeze did much to support his indulgent stance, giving patience with the heat—it was almost time to make an appearance. The rhythm of heavy footfalls clambering up the  steps stole his focus from the quiet. He opened his eyes, seeing a sight for the sorest eyes, Barret motherfuckin’ Wallace jumping his giant frame up the steps to the temple three at a time. The old fool was panting out a lung or two as he neared Cloud, his attire had barely changed either. Probably because few outfits fit his frame, even if he had slimmed down. Their Avalanche days were far behind them, at least the violent ones. Those good ol’ days played in Cloud’s head as Barret stumbled upwards: the bombing mission, running from Shinra, being on the run. It was nice. Enough for a minuscule smile to crawl across his face that he had to retracted when Barret got too close. He stopped right next to him at the landing, hunched over and out of breath—stairs, his number two enemy after Shinra. Or were they now his number one seeing as Shinra is “long gone”? “Is it over?” Barret gasped out in a pitiable greeting. His labored breath embedding every other syllable in a puff. “Did I miss it?” “Don’t stop to talk to me, go in!” Cloud said with an indignant tone, Barret casting his hand down in frustration for the helpful as ever Cloud Strife, seeming to his shoulder as a handrail but the touch was too light. In truth, it was his way of saying, ‘Good to see you, too.’ He grabbed both doors and yanked them open, barreling inside, letting loose the audience drone from their muffled box. Inside were just shy of fifty athletically clothed individuals of all ages, looks, and builds, all standing in a fan around a raised platform, a lei tai, nearer to the back of the building. Barret looked to the lei tai immediately seeing a pair atop it shuffling and circling against one another. Of the pair, there she stood—Marlene. It’s been weeks, working hard, driving long but it was all worth it now. Barret was here, here to see his pride and joy be the great woman he knew she was. Garbed in her martial uniform, loose black pants with a white sleeveless athletic half shirt, he couldn’t even see the other person up there, his eyes fixed on Marlene at all times. 

First a left jab, a slip, shuffle to the right. Another jab— no, a feint into a side kick, which exploded into a flurry of kicks from one leg, a barrage of feet buffeting whatever poor fool happened to be on the end of it. Then came a thud, a groan and Barret shouting a, 

“HELL YEAH!” about as loud as he possibly could audible even over the cacophony of applause that erupted during her combo. Marlene’s eyes darted over to where Barret stood, her head following swiftly and further after followed by a smile, one which mixed joy with embarrassment in equal parts. 

The hooting and hollering gave Cloud his signal to make his way inside. He picked himself up, cane in his right hand supporting his ascension and his stride into the school. Moseying from the short antechamber into the room proper, he went to lean on the adjacent wall. Gazing upon the scene, the familiar faces stuck out. Marlene at the top of the platform, and his son Denzel with a few guys he didn’t know, crouching with a first aid kit over the bald man laid completely out, upside down, front facing into the adjacent wall. No sign of Zack, his youngest, though. Should be impossible to miss with or without the crowd, unless he was hiding.

The clapping ceased; he knew he’d find her there. His eyes shot to the lei tai as she stepped up. Her thigh length brown hair tied back into two fins flowing a majestic arc through the air. Garbed in a silken white qipao, cream colored feathers adorn the length. A side split in the dress to above her hips revealed black tights underneath, red hot gloves donning her hands and slippers, the same color, covering her feet. To him, Tifa Lockhart was cloaked in silver light and fire and they were lucky to have the privilege. With effortless steps across the lei tai, she personified grace and elegance. Cloud could feel his heart flutter; he was that Nibelheim boy with a crush all over again seeing her like this. He could never get over that, not since he started seeing her, really seeing her. He’s always rushed to be in front of her, her shining knight, but to him, he was never enough; never worthy. He was a blemish her light shouldn’t have wasted its radiance on. When he finally looked back at her, he saw that she didn’t just want to shine on him, she wanted to shine beside him. He was too blinded by his own feelings of inadequacy to stand at her side; a boy so weak he couldn’t protect her when it mattered most. You’d think defeating a demigod alone would halt those thoughts but they only festered. That is until he stopped dilly-dallying, of course. Even her corny chides were cute. He attempted with all his might to actually focus on what was happening and not get lost in her again.

The room remained silent as Tifa drew her right hand forward palm to the ceiling, hand curled slightly but just so. Practiced, efficient, the calling card of a true master. The two stand opposite one another, Marlene, a sharp, calculating expression as she gets into stance; short shouts accenting each movement. Tifa stares straight, her face a blank canvas, unreadable. It felt like an eternity of silence before something moved, it was Marlene. She charged forth, hands at chest height out, engarde. She hid her nervousness like steel clouds hide rain.

A round snap kick, parried by Tifa’s lead hand. A lunging cross, parried by the same hand. A windmill of chops comes overhand, she circles to the left undaunted. A foot sweep, avoided by a backwards jump, the following desperate spinning high jump kick, whiffs… by millimeters; the force of the kick sending an arc wave of air, blowing Tifa’s hair straight back but leaving her unmoved. Marlene skidded on the landing after the whiff in a half side split away from her. 

She’s doing better than last time, that’s for sure. Cloud thought to himself peering over at Barret. Standing from the crouch, her arms rose above her head before being pinned to her sides, her elbows held straight back; air shifting around Marlene a golden swirl flashing for a second around her in triplet. Gold bloomed from her feet as she boosts forward towards Tifa. A flurry of straight punches into a repeat of her earlier kick combination but it’s extended, stepping between feet forcing Tifa to use both her hands in defense, parrying and blocking every kick. Almost every kick. A high split kick, shoots from an odd angle, landing a scratch on Tifa’s cheek. Marlene was sent reeling back with a palm strike to the edge of the arena. Marlene clenched her stomach, nearly doubled over with only her toes on the edge of the platform but she managed to pull in her toes, standing straight and pushing her palms downward, maintaining her balance. 

There was a pause.

Tifa rubbed her cheek. She looked at her hand. She looked at Marlene. She’d been so stoic up to this point. She was on her in a split second… right into a bear hug, a smile so wide it looked like it’d burst. “I’m so proud of you!” she said, lifting her into the air as the crowd erupted in a standing ovation. A loud clamor shook the floor approaching as Barret stormed the stage, climbing up and wrapping both of them in an even bigger bear hug, lifting both of them up. Tifa opened her eyes for a moment, eyeing Cloud at the back who’s clapping along with everyone, leaned up against the wall with his typical stoic face. She flashed a smile meant just for him; he came from off the wall, clapping with even greater fervor, his stoic look evolving into one of overwhelming reflected light. She’d shone on him again.

The soldier found himself outside the building at the top of the steps, as a steady stream of visitors left the school in twos and threes, this time accompanied by the giant of a man absolutely smothering his exceedingly embarrassed daughter. Barret held Marlene close, his beard cheek rubbing rough grounds into her face, his head moving side to side, kissing her intermittently.

“Daaaad~. Dad! Sto-ho-h-hop! I’m not a little kid anymore!” “My baby! My pride in joy, I knew you’d grow up to be great! But landin’ a hit on TIFA?! Ooooooooh~! “I’m NOT a baby. Dad, I’m the same age uncle Cloud was when you all saved the World! The first time!” “And look at where it got me…” Cloud piped up, pushing himself up by his cane and pointed it at Marlene. “...crippled.” he planted it down to the ground in front of him to emphasize the point. “You should treasure the time you have as a baby. It's no fun being old and angry all the time.” Barret had released Marlene about half way through the Cloud’s little speech. 

“Ion think you can say that.”  She side eyed him with an off put pose, hands on her hips, her head cocked to one side.

“I said crippled, not a cripple.”

“Feels dirty, though.”

“Good grief…” He sat back down waving her off. “Ooh, she gotchu, huh? You should know better, Cloud!” Barret instigated, jumping in on the wagon to get at Cloud. “Don’t think you clear by a damn sight, mister!” A shocked expression took hold of Barret’s face as his instigation backfired. “You were LATE! To both my exams!” She scolded him, hard. Cloud looked away, Barret rubbed the back of his head before stammering, “I-I-I-I know, but the refin‘ry ’spections ran long…” He paused, his hand moving to cover his mouth, sliding slowly forward til he was ready to speak again. “...an’ you tol’ me not to use ma’ arm to hold people up no more.” Marlene stared daggers at Barret as he sheepishly explained his shortcomings, avoiding having his eyes punctured. 

“So it’s my fault you were late.” 

“N-no! No, I just…I took too long, and it's my fault.” “Uh huh.” His excuse notwithstanding, she continued. “And as for you...” She pointedly turned to Cloud who further twisted his neck as if saying, Man, is this rail new? “You waited outside again, didn’t you?” The sky’s looking pretty nice too. “Barret’s gotta open the door for me when he comes through.” 

“I seen ya ass clear the steps in one leap.” Barret shook his head, eyes squinting.

“How’re you gonna snitch so casually?”

“SNITCH?!”

“Not snitchin’ if it’s a bold faced lie! You’re not that old, Uncle Cloud.” she said dismissively. Cloud squints a quizzical look at her. “When I was twenty, forty was old.” Cloud grumbled, despite the compliment. “And what’s that make me, Soldya Boy?”

“Grave bound?” 

“You both incorrigible.” Marlene turned back to her dad only to find him not offended, mad or even chuckling to cope with the jab. He looked like he was pondering something. She saw the gray in his hair for the first time. No, she only just processed it there. He’d always been this wall, this rock, this mountain. The perfect statue of her father had gained cracks overnight. “You’re right.” “D-dad, listen, you’re not old either.” “No, I mean ’bout you not being a kid anymore.” Barret peered down at her with tenderness, yet firmness. He’d always lavished her with the quivering eyes of a parent cooing over a newborn. But not then. “You’ve grown into” he breathed in steady, “...a remarkable woman, and I need to start actin’ like it.” He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out an envelope, holding it up for her to see. “I know, I’m real late to this, but…” There's five thousand gil in this envelope, that should be enough to get you a boost to start out on your own.” Marlene covered her mouth and nose, eyes widening, recognition dawning, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. 

“You can get yourself setup in Edge; open ya own school, or maybe travel, settle down somewhere else. Or maybe you could step out with Denzel like you been talkin’ about. And don’t worry about me. Ya old man knows he can get a little emotional in times like this but…” Barret wiped a tear from his eye, desperately trying to keep it together. “You needa start your life. Be who you wanna be—” Marlene cut him off, rushing a hug around Barret’s frame, nothing short of a miracle her arms even fit around him. Then she picked him up. 

Tifa, you are too much. Cloud thought to himself. “Whoa! Whoa, now! C’mon now, I’m not dying or nothin! NOT UNLESS YOU DROP ME!”

“Thank you so much, daddy!” She places him back down. He exhales in relief, then looks at her. “Anything you need, anything, I’m just a call away.” She nods, smiling up at him. “I’m gonna go tell Denzel.”, she took the envelope and climbed back up to the entrance, nearly slamming into a couple who congratulated her for the second time today, and left the two outside. Cloud looked over at Barret, impressed by his fortitude. Marlene was always his baby. Letting her go? “Damn, big man, didn’t know you had it in you.” Barret doesn’t respond. Cloud’s admiration fell away with Barret’s apparent resolve. “Ah, shit.” “Marlene.” “There it is.” 

“Marlene~!”

Barret starts stomping up the steps to get back to Marlene, stopped by Cloud tripping him up with his cane.

“Oh, no you don’t.”

“AH!” Barret fell with a clatter, unable to gain proper footing on the steps. “Can’t put the bandage back on—” “Marlene! MARLENE! Oh my baby, oh…” He shouted as if Marlene disintegrated right in front of him. The man curled into a ball, almost infantile. Cloud couldn’t help but cringe at the second hand embarrassment. “Get a grip will ya? You were the one who wanted to do this, right? Hold it in. We’re gonna see her later, anyway.” He planted his cane back in front of him. “All these years, and you still so damn cold.” Barret shot a glare at the soldier holding an unaffected posture. “Can’t ya see how hard this is for me?!” 

“That’s why I’m being hard on you.” he replied calmly. “You’ll thank me later.” 

“You think I’m gon’ thank you for this?!” he shouted, his anger reached a boiling point. “No.” Cloud responded pointedly, “But down the line, You’ll think back on this and you’ll give me a look that says something like” he inhaled, faking a big chest, “‘You know what soldja boy, you aight.’ and I'll have to count that as a thank you.”

Barret scoffed but calmed down, got his ass up and sat right next to Cloud. He’s holding it in properly now. Not much was needed to set him off. To calm him down took work, but somehow Cloud could do both with the greatest of ease. They really shouldn’t have been friends, but the blunt bastard had a way of getting people to follow him. Even though he was the leader of Avalanche.

“5000, huh?” Cloud broke the lull. 

“Times have changed, man.” Barret smirked. “2000 ain’t got the spending power it used to.”

“Inflation ain’t that bad.”

“Little extra since the… y’know, it’s the two of ‘em.”

“Ah.” Cloud was surprised, but he hid it too well. To see Denzel as his own—their little dynamic made sense in the moment but from the outside looking in, it was complicated. Marlene was Barret’s but Tifa raised her a good deal of the time. No taking the mom title away from her. But Denzel and Zack are theirs and they all basically grew up like siblings. So Tifa is the mom of all three, with Cloud father of two and more uncle to one and Barret is father of one and uncle of the other two. It’s enough to make a man’s head explode so maybe it’s better to not think about it too hard. 

A lull rested in their talks for the second time. 

“…So” Barret piped up after a spell. “It’s single life for me, now, huh?”

“I can’t help you with that one.” Cloud shrugged.

“I seem to recall girls gravitatin’ aroun’ you.”

“That’s just ‘cause I was dense. You know gravity’s based on mass, right?” Another exhale from Barret, “Being a loner doesn’t suit you, be regular.” 

Barret chuckled, “What, you don’t think I can pull off the scowl.”

“Oh, you got the scowl, but you’re a teddy bear underneath so it cancels out.” 

That got a full laugh outta Barret. It was weird how funny he could be at times.

“You ain’t know me when I first joined Avalanche. I’da made you look well adjusted. A bull in a china shop not carin’ what I hit. Tifa set me straight.” 

“She’s really good at that.” Cloud agreed.

“Amen.”

Another lull grows in their conversation. Cloud let the silence wash over while Barret tucked in his lips, rubbing his chin, looking downward. Cloud read it clearly: there was something he desperately wanted to speak on.

“How is… he?” Cloud needed no further explanation. He knew exactly whom he was referring to.

“Zack’s fine.”

“Really?” Barret looked over at Cloud trying to gauge his reaction. “Nothin’… weird? He treat the animals and bugs ok? Don’t say nothin’ scary?”

“Nothing weird.”

“Kids say scary shit all the time so it’s easy to miss the signs, man.”

“He brings home so many strays, the pound is thinking of paying us a salary.”

A single snicker gets held in Barret’s throat. “So it’s just looks, then. No problems with—”

Barret couldn’t finish that thought as the door opened again, realizing his position in the middle of the steps, he pushed himself up to move out of the way. 

“‘Scuse me—”

Speak of the Devil. Tall, too tall, slender and fair skinned. A slight yet beguiling smile formed across his lips. He stepped forward past the door into the outside, the sunny day blocked by a cloud overhead, dulling the light and the temperature outside. His gaze pierced Barret, his blue eyes too vibrant to ignore, pupils he could’ve swore contracted into wide slits in response to the change in light level. He walked a gait that echoed loudly the name of one that should have been forgotten a long time ago, a mop of silver hair, the final consonant of destruction in Barret’s mind. Fight or flight bounces back and forth instinctively with him. He’d had no chance to prepare himself. 

“Hey.” His deep voice emanates, filling Barret with dread. Even that was too damn close. He looked over at Cloud expecting to read on his face the same dread but found a softness he couldn’t believe, like they were looking at completely different people. 

“Hey son.”

[alcatrazcobrache]

Chishi Ootsuka 大塚　水子

One of my Dnd characters. Chishi, a warrior born to a house of mages, yes just like that anime.

[jumpshipdubs-blog]

A dub of the Doomfist Masquerade Comic voiced by Jump Ship dubs. Doomfist - Alcatraz Cobrache Reaper - Punk AKA Sad Man Reaper Widow/Sombra - Smeegy Max/Dealer - Robeatnik Talon Executive - Papa Rein

[jumpshipdubs-blog]

A dub of the Doomfist Masquerade Comic voiced by Jump Ship dubs. Doomfist - Alcatraz Cobrache Reaper - Punk AKA Sad Man Reaper Widow/Sombra - Smeegy Max/Dealer - Robeatnik Talon Executive - Papa Rein

[alcatrazcobrache]

[alcatrazcobrache]

Tifa Lockhart by Sakimi chan facial edits

First two are my edits and the first is the original

Edits were done using copy paste

Smile expression by Daroga7 on rule34.paheal.net