The sharp eyes did not fail to note the male’s defensive posture, though who could blame him? Lightning was just as uncertain as he was about her. Both were unknown faces to each other’s sight. Both were clothed in armor and ready to fight. It would be a wonder if things progressed smoothly and allowed them to see the next light. The wary tension beginning to seep into the air was enough to make any sensible individual avoid getting between the two while they assessed one another’s threat level. If warrior didn’t play her cards right the chance of a battle was highly likely — a possibility Light would rather avoid. Needless battles were pointless and a waste of everyone’s time. A fact the blonde surely understood.
Slender brows drew inward at the mention of the name, it being unfamiliar to her knowledge of cities. She knew for certain it wasn’t one of the cities remaining at the end of days, nor did any of her geography lessons in the past reveal such a name. Was this a parallel dimension or simply another world undiscovered in the universe? It was hard to know as the rift that had carried her there presented endless possibilities. The only way to know for certain was to investigate and learn what she could of the new location. However, that would mean getting on the good side of it’s inhabitants first.
"Midgar….I’m unfamiliar with the name," she admitted though her curiosity was sparked at the later part of his comment. "What happened to cause the city to fall from it’s former glory?"
An immediate darkness sweeps over Cloud's expression -- with her inquiry, however innocent, a surge of memories prevents him from maintaining his countenance. The reminder of his past and the events that had caused Midgar to fall, and for Edge to be its successor, leaves a bitter taste in the back of Cloud's mouth. Any tension left in the air dissipates, Cloud's shoulders falling slack and his gaze falling downward, breaking the long stare that he and the woman had shared.
----"The fall of Shinra," he finally answers. He realizes that she is an outsider, and not from the area -- if she was, she would know of Shinra and its history, leaving his answer useless to the woman. His gaze flickers back up towards her. "A long battle, a longer story." The tone of his voice makes it clear: this is something he'd rather not talk about.
----"Where are you from?" he segues into a new topic, switching the focus onto her rather than him, or their surroundings.
