"The floating cloud; one that cannot be caught and goes its own way." An independent RP blog for Alaude, the First Cloud Guardian of the Vongola. by Nyx
â... And what are you, ten?â Alaude snarked back with disbelief as he took in Daemonâs too-bright smile and proffered hand. He knew better than to trust those gleaming blue eyes that promised nothing but trouble. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, the blonde decided to stand up anyway with a sniff, both hands planted on the table as he leaned against it. âIf anyone asks, this was all your doing.âÂ
Alaudi raised her head tiredly from the desk (when did she even fall asleep?), exhaustion fogging at her vision and fevered flush painting her cheeks. The fact that she hadnât even stirred when the door opened was enough to raise alarm bells at the back of her mind. She knew she wasnât exactly in the... best condition, but she had been certain that she had hid it well enough at the Famiglia meeting. Clearly her efforts had failed, judging by Elenaâs presence in her office. Head pounding, she gave her a grateful smile as she accepted the steaming cup of tea. âMerci, ma chĂŠrie.â She sank back into her chair, giving up on all pretences of normality. She could allow herself to be weak in front of Elena. âIâm fine though, just a little tired.â They both knew it was a lie, Alaudi was already struggling to stay upright and awake. A delicate hand reached out to stabilise her shaking cup and that reproachful look from the other blonde was enough to make her look sheepish, voice small as her lips part,
Such a phrase would usually yield suspicion from the blond, especially when spoken by his blue-haired companion. Heâd been caught on the wrong side of his mischief too many times to not be wary. Instead, Alaude merely opened his eyes to look up at Daemon above him, a look of curiosity reflected behind clouded blue. That he had even asked was enough for him to consider entertaining the idea. He caught a gloved hand, lips brushing over the soft material. âYou know I donât like surprises, mon cher.â Alaude sighed, unwillingly lifting his head from Daemonâs comfortable lap and shifting on the bed until he was sitting upright, long legs folded under his body. He stared at him for a long hard moment, as though if that would force the Mist to yield his secrets without him having to give into his strange demand.
Daemon only stared back, reading his intention all too clearly, and equally amused.
âVery well.â He conceded, letting his eyes close and raising his cupped hands in front of him, holding perfectly still as he waited. There was a rustle of sheets as the Mist moved, Alaudeâs senses prickling with the idea of the unknown. The Cloud forced himself to calm. After all it was Daemon, and Alaude trusted Daemon.
Piercing blue eyes flickered up from across the table, a lazy smirk appearing on his face as his wandering hand moved back up to where it was - steepled under his chin. âWasnât that always the intention?â The fact that the Cloud guardian was even willing to entertain the idea of spending some time alone in a public space with Daemon (and not fighting) suggested some form of bribery behind the scenes, however it would come as a surprise that Alaude did tolerate the otherâs presence at times. For all their arguments and fighting, they also understood each other much more than they would like to admit. It was only natural. He reached for one of the chocolates from the platter, slender fingers unwrapping the foil packaging. His eyes closed with a pleased hum, content to let the conversation fall into a comfortable silence for the time being, enjoying the platter of delights before them.
Admittedly, Daemon did have his good points every now and then.
                      We  hide just to keep it inside
                  (  small wonder that it starts to break  )
     And here he presumed that the mission would take the Cloud for a vastly longer amount of time away from the mansion, almost accustomed the man became to not beholding the face or hearing any unpleasurable commentaries of his fellow French associate. âYouâre not younger yourself, Alaude.â
Alaudeâs smirk widened as he caught the look of displeasure on the otherâs face. âNo, but I also didnât just lose to mere teenagers.â The withering look he received would have been enough to send others running, instead the blond took a few more steps forward. It was quite refreshing being on the other side of the teasing, rather than the one being poked and prodded.
    Itâs not an illusion, where they are. The rich, earthy scent of grass and dirt where she laid, the faint breeze against her skin, carrying pollen and the slight, barely there scent of coming rainâ small things, but when most illusions focused on sight and sound and touch, even the best illusionists didnât always think about smell, not with such nuance, especially for large scale illusions like this would have to be. There was always something, and Gioia doubted that even the best of illusions could erase the acrid scent of a bloodied, burning battlefield so completely from her senses, blocking even her intuition. And even discounting the environment, there was no way mist flames could perfectly replicate Alaudiâs presence, heavy bright and burning, a beacon to all who could see.
    The manâs claim, false or true, is one he believes without hesitation. Her mouth flattens into a grim line, and she doesnât have to see Alaudiâs face to feel her anger. It happens too quickly, before they can act or reactâ Alaudiâs flames are neutralized and sheâs frozen in place, sceptre at her throat. Gioia takes two involuntary steps forward, doesnât know what kind of face sheâs making, but ice races up further on her captives, chest high, to their vocal complaints. She knows with blinding clarity sheâll freeze the very air in their lungs, if he daresâ
Keep reading
The icy chill was a difficult feeling to shake off, clinging to her skin still even as she moved back into a defensive position to stand guard in front of Gioia, her still figure poised and icy hues cold and calculating as she took the momentâs pause to reassess the situation. Alaudiâs breath came in soft pants, gaze darting between all the players on the field and sheâs already planning her next attack should her Sky commanded her so. The long-ranged attackers would be the first to go before they could pick them off, and Alaudi was quietly confident that with Gioia at her back, they would be able to rid of the remaining hostiles.
âVery well, Alaudi.â
Said blondeâs eyes snapped back to Gioia and she saw the calm resolve behind bright amber eyes. She cocked her head slightly in acknowledgement, she knew better than to argue with her when she was like this, plus Alaudi was hesitant to show the supposed Ninth a less than united front against the unknown. She doesnât relax her grip on the chains however, without the rest of the Familglia there as support, the sole responsibility of defending her Sky rested on her shoulderâs alone.
Someone had to keep her from doing something recklessly dangerous. Even if she had to protect her from their future successors.
She was quiet as Gioia introduced them, pushing aside her thirst for battle in favour of analysing the Ninth. She knew Gioia wouldnât have missed the surprised slip on the manâs face, and the following shouted exclamation was something she filed away for later to ponder over should they get the chance to. Alaudi was more than ready to pounce, but Timoteo surprised her again and interrupted them before the situation got out of hand. Diplomatic as always, but all of them had been around the mafia long enough to not take such pleasantries at face value. And Alaudi was more paranoid than most.
More often than not her instincts of danger were correct. This time was no different â she just hadnât expected their enemy to be Gioiaâs own sensitivity turning against her.
She doesnât miss the sway of Gioiaâs body, nor the way her eyes seemed to unfocus even though the Ninth was standing right in front of her. Foolish girl! Alaudi was quickto recognise the signs of her Hyper Intuition going haywire, the Cloud already stepping forward to place a hand on her shoulder. âGioia--â Her name slipped from her lips, quickly adjusting herself to catch Gioia before she collapsed entirely. There was another set of hands under her, and she turned her cold gaze to the Ninth, ignoring the loud shouts around her and sound of footsteps heading their way. âMove away.â She ordered sharply, meeting Timoteoâs questioning look unwaveringly despite the screaming of her shoulder. Her chains were long forgotten on the lawn now, and she was well aware that she was unarmed. In reality she had no authority here, but that didnât mean that she was about to surrender. She would fight tooth and nail if she had to. The Ninth seemed to catch this train of thought as well, inclining his head in acknowledgement of her will and raising a hand to order his men off. He too moved away.
âOur resources are yours, signorina,â he smiled in what she supposed was a grandfatherly manner, seemingly genuine despite everything. Alaudi was certain he used that on everyone to convince them he wasnât a threat. âI meant what I said, Family comes first and Gioia is family. We will ensure she has the best care the Vongola can provide.â
Alaudi wasnât convinced, a firm set to her jaw as she shifted Gioiaâs weight to her good arm. âBut sheâs not, isnât she.â A statement, not a question. âTechnically, the blood of the Vongola runs through your veins. But as he said, your Vongola Primo is male.â She didnât know why she didnât notice before, but there was an odd sense of wrongness when she tried to reach out to the present counterparts of the Vongola Sky and Cloud rings. The rings flared briefly in response to her subtle probing, however with none of the familiarity that she associated with her own and Gioiaâs. âAnd who knows how that changes things.â
âIrrespective of which, you are out of time and out of place. I stand by my word that you will not be harmed.â His eyes crinkled with a soft warmth. âIf it pleases you, I can arrange it so that only my Sun and Cloud guardians are present to treat you.â
She paused as the pain in her shoulder flared up at the subtle reminder of her own injuries, sheâs been ignoring it for a while now. â... You are a persistent man, Nono.â Alaudi lowered her lashes in acquiescence and sighed softly as she stared down at Gioiaâs peaceful features, no longer contorted in pain now that she was blissfully unaware. âFine, I accept these arrangements.â
âI try not to disappoint.â Timoteo smiled, unperturbed. âThe Vongola do have a reputation to upkeep. It would not do to have one our own injured at our footstep.â A wordless gesture was all it took for the men to stand down, Visconti and another man whom she assumed to be the Sun Guardian moving towards them.
Alaudi tensed and shifted again when Visconti bent to help her with Gioia, unwilling to part with her sky. The older man looked back at her almost knowingly. âPick your battles wisely.â The Cloud followed his gaze to her bloodied shoulder, hating the fact that she knew he was right. She was no use to Gioia in this condition.
âVery well.â Resigned, she allowed him to take Gioia away from her. Alaudi rose to her feet to follow the procession inside, wary blue irises regarding each man thoughtfully.
Oh Gioia was so going to get it when she woke up for the misuse of her flames (and making her worry about it), Alaudi would make sure of it.
-------------~~~~~-------------
Ironic as it was, the room they ended up being given were the Cloudâs own quarters. She wondered if the Ninth had known that little fact when he settled them there. (But then again, she still wasnât sure whether sheâd had an existing counterpart in this world, if Gioia was supposedly male here. Perhaps Gioia the man wouldnât have wanted a woman standing at his side.) It was disorienting being in this room considering she could quite clearly remember being there just two days ago, and now she was here again some few hundred years later. Alaudi was pleasantly surprised to find that the Vongola manor had withstood the test of time, and although it had clearly evolved to fit the current generationâs purposes, it still retained the same foundations. Similar enough that she was willing to let her guard down a little to allow an outsiderâs help, but still dissimilar to remind herself not to become too complacent.
They were finally alone at last after Alaudi had allowed Timoteo and his Sun guardian to assess the both of them, telling her what she had already ascertained for herself about their conditions. (âIf you donât have anything new to say, just deal with this and leave.â Sheâd commanded, waving impatiently at her injured shoulder.) The pain was all but a phantom ache now thanks to the Sun flames, but it was enough to distract her from the tiredness that was fuzzing at her vision.
Like a moth to a flame, her crystal blue gaze went back to her sleeping Sky on the bed and Alaudi took a few teetering steps towards her. Her borrowed clothes were far too big on her petite frame, buttoned-up shirt slipping off her shoulder as she moved suddenly. She had enough self-awareness to know that she was close to the brink of exhaustion, but that didnât stop the Cloud from remaining stubbornly awake. Not while Gioia was unable to defend herself.
âDonât think Iâm not going to set G on you once we figure this out and return,â she murmured vindictively, perching on the edge of the plush bed as she looked over the blonde, brushing her fingers through messy curls almost affectionately. The tips of her fingers tingled from where they brushed against skin and Alaudi let out a soft exhale of surprise at the sudden heat that radiated from her fingers, warming her up. Sheâs not an idiot, the effects of a Skyâs freezing technique were extremely potent, particularly when used in the way that Gioia used it. It would take much longer for Alaudi to recover her reserves given how much dying will she had been exuding when her flames had been neutralised. She shouldnât be this surprised that she was reacting so strongly to her Skyâs presence in light of her own weakened state, not with how the other blonde was still continuously exuding her Flames unconsciously, chilling the air and room around them until the only warm place left was right by her side.
Devious Skies.
Alaudi shivered again and instinctively latched onto the warmth that Gioia presented. Aloofness aside, there was no one else in the room to witness her willingly engage in cuddling of all things and the only other person who could possibly find out was passed out blissfully beside her already. Sheâs cold and Gioia owes her this much at least.
âWake up already, idiot.â Her voice was but a soft murmur as she stared intently at Gioia, steadfast despite her own bodyâs protests. Thereâs a mental war going on inside her, but Alaudi had never been good at giving into her bodyâs needs even in the direst of situations.
An incessant buzzing in his pocket had the Cloud pausing in the reports he was reading and frowning a little as he reached down to draw out the little mobile device the Vongola Tenth had given him. This timeâs modern technology still puzzled him, but at least this was simple enough to use.
Even though it seemed to only make it more convenient for certain someones to annoy him with persistent messages. Slender fingers hovered above the screen as he took a moment to decrypt the message from the current unruly Cloud.
... The answer is still no. Send.
Not that it would deter Hibari Kyouya at all, but it was oh-so-satisfying to continue to deny him.
WHICH RARE CAT BREED IS YOUR KITTY SPIRIT ANIMAL ?
Take the test HERE and REPOST with your results!
Balinese
You have a truly regal spirit, but that doesn't mean that your soul is any less loving or compassionate. It just means that you are grace itself, although your emotions may run deep beneath the surface, you're always the first to offer help in a time of need.
You might have a confident and imposing personality, but you're a shy soul. You act very demure and give off a dignified air that makes people instantly respect you even before they know you. While the crowd is yelling and cheering, you stand off calmly in the corner, smiling happily. You stick close to the friends you trust, and only the most loyal make it into your inner circle.
tagged by: @daespade
tagging: Iâm not sure who or who hasnât been tagged, so just feel free to XD
â... Shy soul, hmm?â He had always considered himself more of a feline person, anyway.
snowghoul
blakekathryn
dailybridgerton
romaincrisis
