Not a Perfect Soldier, But a Good Man

Indie Cloud Strife roleplay blog. Mostly Kingdom Hearts canon-based, but that can easily blend into anything else. Open to AUs. Open to RP with anyone interested! PLEASE READ BACKSTORY BEFORE RPING.

[parttimedeliveryboy]

((So. You may have noticed my unofficial hiatus- I mean, I haven't even logged in here once during the past... almost twenty days now, yikes.

Unfortunately, this is not an announcement that said unofficial hiatus is over. It is, in fact, an announcement to make it official.

I'm busy. For the first time in a while, my life is good. I'm happy. I'm teaching, both as a substitute in my old school system and as an afterschool art teacher in two nearby towns. I'm almost always doing art in my spare time, art I am actually satisfied with. I'm planning on doing NaNo, with a plot that I feel stronger about than anything I've written before. I've reconnected with my sister. I've met up with some old highschool friends I never expected to see again. I have money in my bank account again, I'm not helpless anymore.

It would all be better if I wasn't stuck living in my parents' house, yeah, but it's something. And it's a good something.

So yeah, I don't have time to be on here, nor do I have the motivation. I'm not dropping anything, I'm not deleting- this is a hiatus, not an end- but there is no definitive time at which I'll be back. It could be days, weeks, months. I don't expect you guys to stick around. Hell, I'm surprised so many of you are still here. But I will return, someday.

Thank you for everything, guys, and I'll see you around!))

[tinmantonystark-deactivated2015]

                                          I ᴅᴏɴ·ᴛ  ғ ᴇ ᴀ ʀ  ᴅʏɪɴɢ

                      Nᴇᴠᴇʀ ʜᴀᴠᴇ.                                 Nᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡɪʟʟ.

                          Iᴛ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴏғ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴀʏ                                                  ɢᴏᴏᴅ﹣ʙʏᴇ

                                                   ᴛʜᴀᴛ I                                                   ғ ᴇ ᴀ ʀ

[rosemarydiz-archive-blog]

parttimedeliveryboy and rosemarydiz

[rosemarydiz-archive-blog]

Personally, Rose was tired of looking at the papers. It had taken her nearly thirteen years to get back; a break wasn’t going to be the end of the world. It gave her time to think clearly. Where else could she look, and who could she talk to that seemed reasonable to trust?

“I’ll stay around for awhile.” Rose knew that Cloud wouldn’t be happy with that answer. Much like her, he did not appreciate strangers investigating without a good reason, or just in general. But she would not explain herself yet. Not while she had the choice. 

[parttimedeliveryboy]

And there it was, the answer he really didn't want to hear. Cloud managed- barely- to keep the scowl off his face, letting it seethe inside his chest instead as he stared over at Rose. There was definitely something suspicious about her, and it left him conflicted- he understood the value of secrets, he didn't want to push for things that weren't his to know, but if any of those secrets stood even the slightest chance of hurting his friends or his city...

"Oh yeah?" The words came out neutrally enough, though the spark in his eyes betrayed the real thoughts behind his curiosity. "And what do you think you'll be doing, staying around here?"

[parttimedeliveryboy]

((I meant to get more done this weekend, but then I started a new painting, and found somewhere to download all the Young Avengers comics (which I feel very conflicted about, mind you- it is SO HARD to find any back issues, but I hate not paying for things, especially things like YA which supports PoC and LGBTQ superheroes) and I'm in one of those moods where I'm ricochetting between listening to the Pacific Rim theme, 'Radio-Friendly Pop Song' by Matt Fischel, and 'Geeks in Love' by Lemon Demon, and I might have to cook dinner later (which I am terrible at).

Basically it's a very good weekend, I'm hoping that I'll get some substitute hours next week, the afterschool art classes I'm teaching start up next week too, and my mind is very much elsewhere. I'll try to respond to at least one or two other things!

Oh, and ALSO, MOST IMPORTANTLY- it's white-bird-in-a-cage's birthday today! :D You guys should all go wish her a good one, yeah? Cause she's awesome and all.))

[parelthons-deactivated20150416]

artist: 臙條徹

[archive-lightofthenight]

Some days, he questioned which lapse in sanity had lead to his joining this group.

After the whole darkness fiasco or whatever that had hit a decade ago, Radiant Garden, his home, had been reduced to scraps.  Nine years he’d waited to return, and of course, when he finally did, he wanted nothing more than to restore it to its former glory.  Radiant Garden had been… well, radiant, and upon his return, it broke his heart to see this beautiful town in the sorry state it had been.  He’d been raised to believe that it was a man’s duty to protect his family and his home, and joining the Restoration Committee to rebuild the town and fight off Heartless made the most sense.

That was the easy answer, and he didn’t regret his decision in the long run.  But, after finally joining, he discovered community service wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be.  He hadn’t expected any praise (well, maybe a little), and had been mostly prepared for whatever hard work they would throw his way.  However, he was soon reminded of a very harsh fact: his stamina was incredibly low.  Fights and reconstruction, he could handle; hour after hour on his feet was a different matter.  Especially on days when, like today, he was stuck doing patrol.  Being the newbie, they stuck him on the outskirts of town, where he had to walk a mile just for something to happen.  He was grateful when Heartless popped up, but the fights always ended too quickly.

Now, it was mid afternoon at latest, and it seemed like hours since something last happened.  He looked back at the town; he was pretty far away by now.  It should be alright to take a short break, right?  His feet were killing him.  Pulling his Falchion blade from the sheath strapped to his back, he sat down and leaned his back against the canyon wall, resting his sword next to him.  He let out a long sigh of relief at being able to rest.  Five minutes, that was all he needed…

[parttimedeliveryboy]

The kid was... resting? Cloud quirked an eyebrow down at the scene in front of him, partially concealed as he was from his vantage point. Well, he couldn't say he was all that impressed by the new guy, that was for sure. What kind of fool sat down for a nap in the middle of the canyon? Yes, maybe there weren't as many Heartless around these parts nowadays- thanks to the Restoration Committee and Sora- but that was no reason to let one's guard down like that. Did the guy not realize what sort of danger he was courting here?

He stayed where he was for a few moments, just taking in the strange scene, before one corner of his lips quirked slightly upwards. Perhaps, if he just... Hmm. It wouldn't be the nice thing to do, of course, but... Well. The new kid was kind of asking for it, wasn't he, sitting around like that? And it wasn't like Cloud had ever labeled himself as a nice person, and certainly not when it came down to matters like this.

It wasn't as if he was actually planning to kill the guy or anything, after all.

That settled it, then. Quietly, the slide of steel no louder than the whisper of wind brushing through the canyon, he withdrew Aubade from its sheath. He waited a second, one last chance for the new kid to react, and then time was up. His foot kicked up a puff of dust as he jumped, an almost graceful lunge forward. Aubade's blade flashed in the sunlight, sharp edge curving down, down-

Right towards the resting man's head.

[parttimedeliveryboy]

((So you may have noticed that I haven't been around at all these past few days. Simply put, I've been busy. Work (I have two jobs), a painful anniversary, family matters, new efforts to keep my life on track and my dreams in reach... It all adds up.

I'm working today for a few hours, too. I might drop in later to respond to one or two things, just to stop this account from falling completely off the map, but no guarantees. At the latest, I hope to have some replies out this weekend. We'll just have to see.

Thanks for sticking around, those of you who did! I don't know what I've done to deserve the loyalty, and I certainly don't expect it, but it is appreciated.))

[parttimedeliveryboy]

((Life update! Just so you guys know what's going on with me, and what to expect.

Basically, I now have two parttime jobs. The substitute teacher one will be pretty erratic, only getting called in when they need me, but the afterschool art teacher one will be happening a few times a week and will sort of become the focus of my day.

Not that I'm ditching here! Hell nah. But my activity's been sporadic recently anyway, and I just wanted to let you guys know that things probably aren't going to change in the near future.))

[parttimedeliveryboy]

There had been a new face helping out the Restoration Committee recently, one that Cloud recognized enough to know that it wasn't just some random foreigner, but that, at the same time, he didn't actually recognize enough to put a name to. Not that he cared all that much- if someone else was working, that just meant everything would get done faster in the end- but he disliked being out of the loop, and his friends were wicked people who enjoyed his irritation at being out the loop, so they were no help. He had no idea why he put up with all of them, really.

Awful friends aside, though, his curiosity needed to be satisfied. Not a pressing need, of course, just a little thing, hardly worth noting. And if maybe he went out of his way that morning in order to cross paths with the stranger, well, that didn't mean anything. And if he possibly lurked around suspiciously while waiting for the person to show, well, that was just out of sheer convenience.

...Alright, so he wanted to know, and he wanted to know badly. Just who was this new member?

[parttimedeliveryboy]

Rules: In a text post, list ten books that have stayed with you in some way. Don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard —- they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you. Tag ten people, including me, so I’ll see your list. Make sure you let your friends know you’ve tagged them.

Tagged by: white-bird-in-a-cage

1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (JRR Tolkien)

It's actually impossible to explain just how much these books changed my life, but they did, in all the smallest and most important ways. They are very much the love of my literary life. I mean, I didn't get this LotR tattoo for no reason. These books... They mean the world to me.

2. The Song of the Lioness quartet (Tamora Pierce)

Alanna is my hero. George is my hero. In all honesty, every little girl deserves books like these (as well as Tamora Pierce's other Tortall series, and the Circle of Magic books). They're stories of strength in all shapes and forms, of following your dreams and never backing down, of breaking through petty limitations and triumphing over everyone who doesn't believe in you.

3. American Gods (Neil Gaiman)

I'm not actually sure why I like this book so much. I just do. There's a lot to it, and all the detail makes for excellent rereading. Neil Gaiman's sense of humor appeals to me, too. It's a bit morbid and sometimes it makes you feel like a bad person for laughing. Very fun.

4. Good Omens (Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett)

While we are on the subject of fun... This is the funniest story about the apocalypse that you will ever read. Crowley and Aziraphale are absolutely brilliant. The Antichrist is great. The Four Horsemen (and the other four horsemen) never get old. This is, I believe, the only book I've ever read where I've actually burst out laughing in the middle of it.

5. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

I read this during my... freshman year of high school, I want to say? Don't remember exactly, maybe it was sophomore. But it is an amazing book, the kind that gives value to "school readings". It's also one that my whole family loves and that we reference more often than you'd think.

6. The Road (Cormac McCarthy)

Another book I read in school, though in my senior year of high school this time. This was one of those school readings where we only needed to read a bit every night, but that once I started, I just couldn't put down. Amazing book, really.

7. V for Vendetta (Alan Moore and David Lloyd)

No one said the books couldn't have pictures, eh? Anyway, this graphic novel is stunning. It has so much more depth to it than the movie adaptation could ever hope to achieve. I would recommend that everyone read it.

8. I Am Legend (Richard Matheson)

Another one which the movie did not come close to even meeting in terms of quality. There is such a huge, deep meaning behind the title, and the movie basically ignored it. I actually have an extreme dislike for the movie for ruining an exceptional book. There is so much more to the story than what was shown.

9. Harry Potter series- but only the first four books (JK Rowling)

I have a love-hate relationship with Harry Potter. Love the first four books, hate the last three. It's complicated. But there's no denying that those first four have helped shape me and have stuck in my mind ever since.

10. ...I can't actually think of any other books that have "stayed with me" like the above. Sure, there are many others that I like, but none of them really qualify for this list.

Anyway... Tagging xxofloveandlossxx and anyone else who wants to do it, yeah? I'm terrible with tagging people.

[parttimedeliveryboy]

((Messaging is being weird for me right now... It just never stops 'loading' when I send something. So if you think I owe you a message, I've attempted to send it, I promise! Just let me know if you didn't get one and I'll try again. :p))

[parttimedeliveryboy]

Nothing Like a Morning Stroll | Harry Potter AU

[white-bird-in-a-cage]

A surprised look crossed her face. “Oh? Are they? Are they Hufflepuffs like you?” It was true that recently there was more inter-house communication, but people were still more likely to stick to their own houses. Maybe he was different though; he was already different by being a werewolf child.

"Maybe I will see them at the meal table." It would be an excuse to see him too. Suddenly she thought about what it would be like to be in the Great Hall, amongst all the students. They would all stare at her, probably; she didn’t show herself much so not very many people knew about her. "O-on second thought, maybe just a hallway." In a hallway she was safe. She could run away through the wall if she got scared, and there were fewer people.

A thought came to her and she added, “Just… please don’t bring them here. I want this to be between me and you, for now.” Too many people in her sanctuary would take away its sacredness to her.

[parttimedeliveryboy]

Cloud shook his head. "Not all of them, no. Aerith's a Hufflepuff, and so is Selphie, but Tifa, Barrett, Claire, and Zell are all Gryffindors, and Yuffie's in Slytherin. Vincent and Squall and Rinoa are Ravenclaws, too." They were an unusual bunch, he knew, especially when all of them hung out together, but it worked, somehow.

And the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that Namine would fit into their odd group, too. After all, it wasn't like he was the only strange one there, and a ghost coming along wouldn't make that much of a difference. The idea of sharing her friendship still left him slightly unhappy, but even just visualizing his circle of friends with her among them felt good, somehow- felt right. Yeah, this could really work out well for all of them.

But... "Of course I won't bring them here," he said, frowning. This was Namine's special place, and now Cloud's too, maybe. It didn't need to belong to everyone. Now that he got a good look at her, though, he could see the faint, tell-tale signs of anxiety in her face. "And you don't have to meet everybody at the same time, if it makes you nervous."

[wavechan]

What if Cloud and Squall/Leon would join Sora in the Grid? >w<

[lupineya]

Everybody wants a flame, but they don’t want to get burnt.

James Blunt, Bonfire Heart (via lupineya)

[xxofloveandlossxx]

Fingers webbed on the boy’s lap and his head tilted to the side at Cloud as he listened, black ice blue streaks falling away to reveal scars from past rough teeth. Bite marks poked the junction of his throat and his collarbone. 

Nathanael nods slowly to the last, as though that was what he had expected. He did not wish to ask for more, not wanting to take advantage of a kindness that he was not accustomed to. 

"That i-is all I expect…yes? You did no-not have to offer a ride to my home, I would n-not ask for more from you. I w-will be burden enough on th-the people I have to ask the a-aid of on Cor’Terrae, but th-they will have their reasons to s-serve me..protect me. I a-am their Prince and heir. You a-are a stranger from a world far from my own. I h-have expected nothing f-from you Cloud, I only wished to see you unharmed, wh-which is why I healed you whilst y-you fought."

A small wet breath is made and a hand raises to settle against his sternum to feel the fluttering of a weakened heart and laboring lungs. Damn this dying form and how useless it made him. “You likely h-have your own difficulties, l-loves and dreams here. I would not w-want to take you f-from those things when y-you are returning me to mine.”

A smile blossomed again, tender and thoughtful, yet those ice blue eyes were deep then. He sounded more mature then his previous giggling and shying away, but Nathanael hardly noticed. He spoke what he believed, what the Prince wanted Cloud to understand. 

"I a-am not saying I would turn a-away your help, to d-do so with what I will face would be fo-foolish, yet, I do not w-want you to say you will a-aid me and th-then leave. Everyone h-has left in o-one way or another. Bring m-me to my world, I will pay you a-and then you may come back to this life you lead. If you wish to walk w-with me, to aid me toward reg-gaining my throne, th-then I will depend on you to b-be at my back. If th-that is too much, that is a-alright. A-as I said, I expect nothing, so what is given to me re-remains a blessing," the smile softens further at Cloud. He would not hold anything against the warrior if Cloud said no, the future was not going to be easy for his world, or for Nathanael. 

[parttimedeliveryboy]

Gods, what had this kid survived? The marks on his skin, the strangely mature, martyred words tumbling so easily, so truthfully, from his lips... Cloud could hardly believe it all. He didn't know what to do. This was a kind of situation he had no experience with, nothing to fall back on, and he felt at a complete loss, blindly striking out in the dark. He'd managed this far, he told himself, rallying his wits together. Maybe, just maybe, his luck would last. 

"But..." Look at you, he wanted to say. Look at the abuse your body has gone through, at the hands of who knows what. How could you possibly want to go back and face it again? How could I possibly let you do it alone? Then he realized, one of those sharp, painful realizations, that he'd heard much those same words before, from various different mouths, asking and yelling about why he needed to keep on fighting. Sephiroth. And that made up his mind, strengthened his spine and solidified his decision.

He nodded. "Alright. I'll take you back to your world and then... I'll figure out where to go from there." Though he already knew full well what he would do next. He would just wait until it was too late for anyone to disagree. There was no point in inviting discussion here.

Maybe he didn't completely understand it, the entirety of this situation that Nathanael was going through, and maybe he wasn't sure that he wanted to. And perhaps it was hypocritical, the choice he'd made, when he never allowed any of the others to help him fight his battles. But he knew the feeling of facing down an impossible enemy, of fighting despite not knowing how he could win, and in that, at least, he could help out this boy. Whatever this new foe, Nath would not be taking it on alone.

"We'll see," Cloud said aloud. He drained his water bottle in a few swallows, recapped the empty and pushed himself up onto his feet. "Whenever you're done, I'll take you back to the city, and we can get ready to go."

[parttimedeliveryboy]

((Guess what I own now. Guess. GUESS.

Did you guess Captain America: The Winter Soldier?? Because if you did, YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT.

CAPTAIN AMERICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA))

[alastor-the-executioner]

Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.

James N. Mattis, General USMC (retired)

Gentlemuns, I present to you one of the more important unspoken rules of being an executive in ShinRa.

(via directorlazard)