[ One would think that a Master would command the attention of their Servant. But let's be real. Their relationship wasn't a traditional one in the first place. After the discussion he had with Rin in the hospital, and upon realizing why using a Command Seal to summon her failed, he had enough time to think about it.
He promised. Cloud promised that there'd be no more hiding. Even now when he finally sends that text, he's afraid of hurting her with the truth. Throughout Iris, he was cut off from the outside world. He and Weiss both. Lightless was all they knew, and while the secret mission was a success...it came at a price that was almost too high. He's seen the impact it's had on some of the people that found out.
And his heart feels tight in his chest now thinking of telling her. Because the only thing more painful is thinking of lying to her and losing that trust from one of the people he cares most about. ]
[ Marie doesn't immediately expect bad news because she's not one to assume the worst case scenario from one single text that's simply asking for a bit of her time. Plus it's Cloud, and she's always overjoyed to hear from him. She makes herself comfortable on her bed, resting after another busy day at work. ]
[ She didn't promise him- oh what else was he expecting... After Cloud's conversations with Rin and Cu, he knew that he had to tell her when he was feeling better. ...bedridden, but better. His nerves are on fire right now, it feels like, as he types. ]
I went on a secret mission for the Moon Knights down to Level 4. Things got out of hand when we were busting a new crime syndicate and I got put in the hospital. The truth is, I tried using a Command Seal for the first time, but it didn't work. I couldn't feel you at all.
[ He shakes when he sends it. That's not the "explain everything" part as there's a lot more to talk about. But he might as well start there. ]
[ Marie absorbs the information in every little detail, and the more she reads, the less she's liking, and the harder she frowns. ]
How come it did not work? Are you seriously injured? Who was with you?
[ A barrage of questions, because she can't hold them all back. He can take his time answering, but the heaviness in her stomach drives her quickly to sickness.
Moreover, there's one thing she wants to say, but she waits until he's done explaining. ]
I think it had to do with what I got shot with. The longer I kept fighting, the weaker I got till I could barely hold a sword. Thinking back, I think that cut me off from you.
[ He didn't have any regrets in keeping this mission a secret before. If word got out or too many Moonblessed got involved, Novus would have slipped away and continued lurking until they became a very big problem. But telling this to Marie now, his heart still feels heavy. When she asks if he's seriously injured? ]
I'm recovering.
[ This wasn't like the time she found him on Iris. It's worse. Even now the indented fresh flesh beneath his bandages twitches and throbs. Ugly and brutal. It's a miracle those holes closed up at all thanks to Chroma. ]
I was brought on to go with Weiss. She's not hurt.
[ She takes the explanation bit by bit, her jaw locked up as she chews the inside of her cheek. It doesn't reassure her any bit to know that something could cut their connection so easily, and to think Weiss was also involved, and Cloud is just... recovering, instead of telling her he's alright. ]
I wish I was there.
[ With nothing else to do because of their distance, Marie types whatever comes to her mind as her frenzied feelings guide her thumbs. ]
If only I was there from the beginning, going through the mission with you, fighting by your side... I could have protected you from the shot. You could have avoided this.
[ It's terribly hard not to blame herself. He's her Master and yet she wasn't there for him when he needed it most. ]
[ Literally seconds after Marie sends her last string of a message, she receives a text right back. Because Cloud was already mid-type after reading her first. He has to stifle down the regret in telling her. This wasn't the desired result. The last thing he wanted from her was to blame herself for it. But...that's just what made everyone more human, right?
He's hurt enough people with his actions. Even if he couldn't help what happened. It's only text, but the two messages that come back to back for Marie are telling. First is the address for the right Level 1 Hospital that they have him situated in. Then... ]
[ Marie's already on her feet and looking for proper clothes by the time he posts the address. ]
Alright.
[ That's all she texts him before pushing the phone in her purse and preparing to leave the house.
Next Cloud will see her is in person, her knuckles softly knocking at the door of his hospital room before she enters. She doesn't say anything when she sees his state, but the pained expression in her eyes tells him everything he should know. ]
[ Cloud gets that simple confirmation, and that's all he needs to see before finally putting his device down at his side. It's always stayed in bed with him, never leaving his side since he doesn't put it around his wrist. With a strained sigh, he lays down so he can get a little more rest. His eyes feel heavy; but if he can do anything, it's at least rest them before Marie shows.
When Marie arrives at the hospital and is given the room number where they're keeping her Master, the nurses at least attempt to soften her worries. He looked terrible when he arrived, but it's miraculous the rate that he's come around. He still got scolded for getting out of bed since his body was unstable with Chroma, but there was some life in his eyes again. He may never be the same again after he's made his recovery, but he's lucky to be alive, talking, awake...
Clearly not enough to quell the pain in her eyes when she enters his room. Cloud starts sitting up again, grunting a little as his chest throbs. He's got scrub pants on, but his entire upper torso is revealed. ...well, shirtless; those bandages wrapped around his torso have to do their work still. With his hands in his lap, his eyes widen when he sees her again. Those command seals are still fresh on his hand. Not a single one used. Had things gone differently and his powers weren't restricted, there'd be one less...
More than anything, he can't help the heavy feeling in his heart at the sight of her. A frown mars his lips, like he wants to tell her that he's sorry. But Cloud also doesn't want her to worry too much over him either. So what does he do? ]
Bonjour, [ he softly addresses her, hoping to shed some light. What little he can. ]
[ Whatever happened to Cloud, it was incredibly horrible enough for the nurses to be urged with making attempts to make her less worried than she already is. Which doesn't work, because whether or not her Master doing better, she wants to see it for herself. Much as she likes hearing people's voices, strangers cannot comprehend the depth of her apprehension for him.
Pain etches across her chest when she sees his bandaged torso. If he was in Chaldea, those wounds would have disappeared in a heartbeat. One of her hands curls, the barrier of fabric from her glove preventing her nails from digging into her palm.
He shouldn't have been this hurt. She should have been there with him. It's the fault of his Command Spells for not working, but it's also her own for living on in blissfull ignorance while the person she was supposed to protect faced danger all by himself. A great Servant she is. While she doesn't exercise self-hatred, these moments present quite a rough challenge for her. ]
Bonjour, Cloud. [ She mutters, taking a few steps forward. Even though she wants to hug him so bad, she's scared that if she laid her arms around him, she'd hurt him even worse, so she stays still. ] I am here, as you requested.
[ It's an indescribable feeling that wracks his mind. Sure they share a powerful link, both physically and mentally, but her pain feels like it becomes his. Seeing Marie like this, he knows there's little he can do to help how she feels. But the fact that she's here now is enough. When Marie stops short of him, even calling him by his name and not as her 'Master', the frown on his lips loosens.
He's hurting. His chest and back throbs. There are craters of flesh beneath his bandages that used to be abhorrent holes, and even now they still feel so sensitive. But the nurses weren't wrong. He's made a remarkable recovery. Healing him excessively was off limits until his Chroma levels truly stabilized. They were in less of a constant flux up and down than before, which is a positive sign. ...not that it changes the pitiful appearance he takes on.
The last time she witnessed him so seriously injured, he'd cradled her and kissed her in the privacy of a shuttle aboard the violet moon. Foregone his condition to wrap his arms around her to comfort her. She weeps for him. And he'll be damned if he wasn't going to do his job as a Master and not be there for her this time.
No... Not as a Master. Or some Moonlaced lover. As her friend. Tired, he doesn't have to force a smile when it comes to her. He wants to. ]
Am I gonna bite? [ Maybe during Sanguis... ] I'm okay. C'mere.
[ She wants to snort at his remark. Say something back. Treat this as yet another post-battle situation where they're both alright now that the worst is over. But she can't do it now. Marie wasn't with him when he needed her. That fact is going to stick with her for quite a while, and keep the corners of her lips tugged downwards. For now, she really can't smile.
Instead she does as Master says, stepping closer so she's within hugging range, but still hesitant about touching him. Those wounds look horrible. Not even Chroma might soothe the pain she can sense through his body. She wishes she could summon her Noble Phantasm here and take some pain away with a healing spell. ]
I am sorry. [ She mutters, bumping her forehead against his chest. The guilt is way too great this time. ] I am so sorry...
[ He wishes that she would. But Cloud can't just ask her to do that like some command from a Master. It's not often that Marie wasn't in a smiling mood, even able to weather the most troublesome of storms as a beacon of love and light. Circumstances couldn't change what happened. But he couldn't help thinking that maybe he should have argued with the Moon Knights over the predicament. Or when the mission was leading back to the Eclipse's legacy, he should have called Marie and summoned her so she could bypass the Moon Knights and join him and Weiss... Chances were, if that happened, Sanson would have came too.
Things would have been completely different. But he listened to the politics of the Moon Knights... Now look where that got him. Into even better favour with the government and queen? No. There's only one queen he cares about. And she's the one in so much pain at her self-imposed failure. She bumps her forehead against his chest, and he steels himself as she avoids one of the wounded spots. ]
No.
[ "I am so sorry..."
That's what finally gets him. His breath trembles. His arms may be weak, but they're not the ones injured as he wastes no time in lifting them around her. He wants her at his bedside. Not just leaning down beside it. But on the bed with him. If it hurts? He wants it to. Anything was worth getting to hold her in his arms after fearing he might not see her again. That he may never see anybody again. Or...if he did come back from the dead, that he'd lose what made him cherish the guilty queen. ]
Please don't...
[ He sucks in a breath as he weakly pulls her in, hoping that she would join him. There's a sense of deja vu that runs through his head. The Iris moon blips into his mind, and the tears he attempted to quell there too. ]
Even as he's injured so terribly, he's still kind. Marie can't chide him for that without sounding like a hypocrite, because she would also comfort him if their positions were swapped. Another intrusive thought wishes that she was the one hurt and stranded in a hospital bed, with Cloud sitting by her side.
How horrible it would be of her, to give Cloud the same amount of emotional pain she's going through.
He holds her close and her hands are curled into fists, unsure if she should touch - if even a small brush of fingertips will flare the pain from a wound she overlooked, she would regret it. She already hurt him by not being in battle with him. But... refusing the affection is also hurtful, isn't it? Physical pain can't stand a match against the scars of someone's heart that sting and tear them apart.
It's stupid to even stand there and wonder.
Marie raises her hands and touches his shoulders, watching out for the spots where the bandages are evident. She still can't look at him in the eye.
But she stops talking, and stops saying sorry, and now is there for him to hold onto, until he's satisfied. It still doesn't wash her guilt away - not even a bit. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
july 19th text; un: cloudywolf
[ One would think that a Master would command the attention of their Servant. But let's be real. Their relationship wasn't a traditional one in the first place. After the discussion he had with Rin in the hospital, and upon realizing why using a Command Seal to summon her failed, he had enough time to think about it.
He promised. Cloud promised that there'd be no more hiding. Even now when he finally sends that text, he's afraid of hurting her with the truth. Throughout Iris, he was cut off from the outside world. He and Weiss both. Lightless was all they knew, and while the secret mission was a success...it came at a price that was almost too high. He's seen the impact it's had on some of the people that found out.
And his heart feels tight in his chest now thinking of telling her. Because the only thing more painful is thinking of lying to her and losing that trust from one of the people he cares most about. ]
no subject
[ Marie doesn't immediately expect bad news because she's not one to assume the worst case scenario from one single text that's simply asking for a bit of her time. Plus it's Cloud, and she's always overjoyed to hear from him. She makes herself comfortable on her bed, resting after another busy day at work. ]
no subject
[ God he wishes he was texting her to ask how her day went at work. ]
no subject
She frowns at the screen now. Deeply. ]
What happened?
no subject
I went on a secret mission for the Moon Knights down to Level 4. Things got out of hand when we were busting a new crime syndicate and I got put in the hospital. The truth is, I tried using a Command Seal for the first time, but it didn't work. I couldn't feel you at all.
[ He shakes when he sends it. That's not the "explain everything" part as there's a lot more to talk about. But he might as well start there. ]
no subject
How come it did not work? Are you seriously injured? Who was with you?
[ A barrage of questions, because she can't hold them all back. He can take his time answering, but the heaviness in her stomach drives her quickly to sickness.
Moreover, there's one thing she wants to say, but she waits until he's done explaining. ]
no subject
[ He didn't have any regrets in keeping this mission a secret before. If word got out or too many Moonblessed got involved, Novus would have slipped away and continued lurking until they became a very big problem. But telling this to Marie now, his heart still feels heavy. When she asks if he's seriously injured? ]
I'm recovering.
[ This wasn't like the time she found him on Iris. It's worse. Even now the indented fresh flesh beneath his bandages twitches and throbs. Ugly and brutal. It's a miracle those holes closed up at all thanks to Chroma. ]
I was brought on to go with Weiss. She's not hurt.
[ Not in the traditional sense. ]
no subject
I wish I was there.
[ With nothing else to do because of their distance, Marie types whatever comes to her mind as her frenzied feelings guide her thumbs. ]
If only I was there from the beginning, going through the mission with you, fighting by your side... I could have protected you from the shot. You could have avoided this.
[ It's terribly hard not to blame herself. He's her Master and yet she wasn't there for him when he needed it most. ]
no subject
He's hurt enough people with his actions. Even if he couldn't help what happened. It's only text, but the two messages that come back to back for Marie are telling. First is the address for the right Level 1 Hospital that they have him situated in. Then... ]
Come see me.
no subject
Alright.
[ That's all she texts him before pushing the phone in her purse and preparing to leave the house.
Next Cloud will see her is in person, her knuckles softly knocking at the door of his hospital room before she enters. She doesn't say anything when she sees his state, but the pained expression in her eyes tells him everything he should know. ]
no subject
When Marie arrives at the hospital and is given the room number where they're keeping her Master, the nurses at least attempt to soften her worries. He looked terrible when he arrived, but it's miraculous the rate that he's come around. He still got scolded for getting out of bed since his body was unstable with Chroma, but there was some life in his eyes again. He may never be the same again after he's made his recovery, but he's lucky to be alive, talking, awake...
Clearly not enough to quell the pain in her eyes when she enters his room. Cloud starts sitting up again, grunting a little as his chest throbs. He's got scrub pants on, but his entire upper torso is revealed. ...well, shirtless; those bandages wrapped around his torso have to do their work still. With his hands in his lap, his eyes widen when he sees her again. Those command seals are still fresh on his hand. Not a single one used. Had things gone differently and his powers weren't restricted, there'd be one less...
More than anything, he can't help the heavy feeling in his heart at the sight of her. A frown mars his lips, like he wants to tell her that he's sorry. But Cloud also doesn't want her to worry too much over him either. So what does he do? ]
Bonjour, [ he softly addresses her, hoping to shed some light. What little he can. ]
no subject
Pain etches across her chest when she sees his bandaged torso. If he was in Chaldea, those wounds would have disappeared in a heartbeat. One of her hands curls, the barrier of fabric from her glove preventing her nails from digging into her palm.
He shouldn't have been this hurt. She should have been there with him. It's the fault of his Command Spells for not working, but it's also her own for living on in blissfull ignorance while the person she was supposed to protect faced danger all by himself. A great Servant she is. While she doesn't exercise self-hatred, these moments present quite a rough challenge for her. ]
Bonjour, Cloud. [ She mutters, taking a few steps forward. Even though she wants to hug him so bad, she's scared that if she laid her arms around him, she'd hurt him even worse, so she stays still. ] I am here, as you requested.
no subject
He's hurting. His chest and back throbs. There are craters of flesh beneath his bandages that used to be abhorrent holes, and even now they still feel so sensitive. But the nurses weren't wrong. He's made a remarkable recovery. Healing him excessively was off limits until his Chroma levels truly stabilized. They were in less of a constant flux up and down than before, which is a positive sign. ...not that it changes the pitiful appearance he takes on.
The last time she witnessed him so seriously injured, he'd cradled her and kissed her in the privacy of a shuttle aboard the violet moon. Foregone his condition to wrap his arms around her to comfort her. She weeps for him. And he'll be damned if he wasn't going to do his job as a Master and not be there for her this time.
No... Not as a Master. Or some Moonlaced lover. As her friend. Tired, he doesn't have to force a smile when it comes to her. He wants to. ]
Am I gonna bite? [
Maybe during Sanguis...] I'm okay. C'mere.[ Hug him. Chroma's a nice painkiller. ]
no subject
Instead she does as Master says, stepping closer so she's within hugging range, but still hesitant about touching him. Those wounds look horrible. Not even Chroma might soothe the pain she can sense through his body. She wishes she could summon her Noble Phantasm here and take some pain away with a healing spell. ]
I am sorry. [ She mutters, bumping her forehead against his chest. The guilt is way too great this time. ] I am so sorry...
no subject
Things would have been completely different. But he listened to the politics of the Moon Knights... Now look where that got him. Into even better favour with the government and queen? No. There's only one queen he cares about. And she's the one in so much pain at her self-imposed failure. She bumps her forehead against his chest, and he steels himself as she avoids one of the wounded spots. ]
No.
[ "I am so sorry..."
That's what finally gets him. His breath trembles. His arms may be weak, but they're not the ones injured as he wastes no time in lifting them around her. He wants her at his bedside. Not just leaning down beside it. But on the bed with him. If it hurts? He wants it to. Anything was worth getting to hold her in his arms after fearing he might not see her again. That he may never see anybody again. Or...if he did come back from the dead, that he'd lose what made him cherish the guilty queen. ]
Please don't...
[ He sucks in a breath as he weakly pulls her in, hoping that she would join him. There's a sense of deja vu that runs through his head. The Iris moon blips into his mind, and the tears he attempted to quell there too. ]
no subject
Even as he's injured so terribly, he's still kind. Marie can't chide him for that without sounding like a hypocrite, because she would also comfort him if their positions were swapped. Another intrusive thought wishes that she was the one hurt and stranded in a hospital bed, with Cloud sitting by her side.
How horrible it would be of her, to give Cloud the same amount of emotional pain she's going through.
He holds her close and her hands are curled into fists, unsure if she should touch - if even a small brush of fingertips will flare the pain from a wound she overlooked, she would regret it. She already hurt him by not being in battle with him. But... refusing the affection is also hurtful, isn't it? Physical pain can't stand a match against the scars of someone's heart that sting and tear them apart.
It's stupid to even stand there and wonder.
Marie raises her hands and touches his shoulders, watching out for the spots where the bandages are evident. She still can't look at him in the eye.
But she stops talking, and stops saying sorry, and now is there for him to hold onto, until he's satisfied. It still doesn't wash her guilt away - not even a bit. ]