Sell your Soul~Cloud Strife~

[Squall"Alaister"Leonhart]

I'm at war with the world
And they try to pull me into the dark
I struggle to find my faith
As I'm slipping from your arms

Squall was curled up on the grass, looking up at the sky he did not wish to deal with any of this. He hated this school, his father all of that he just wanted to get away from it. Maybe a break if that could even be what it was called. He barely talked to anyone, but the few people he felt like talking to, there was no reason for him to have much to do with any of them now. The annoying people at this school, maybe he was just being a jerk. But there was part of him that wasnt' as trusting as he could or should have been. His father wanted him to have a life and be better then he was. Though he knew his father was just trying to get him out of the way at the same time as trying to be a good father. Without Squall around, Laguna could do as he pleased who knew what he was plotting this time. His mother wouldn't want him to be like this but he barely knew her, so well she didn't have much control over him. He might as well just make his father happy before it all ended up going bad he barely had to care.

He would have to open up eventually, but as he looked up at the sky the training sword was next to him. He wasn't allowed to bring his gunblade here, his father wouldn't let him. Though he had tried to sneak it away anyway, it had succeeded for awhile, but his father had found out it was gone. And well now here he was, left with this annoying thing while his original one was at home. He couldnt' wait till he was allowed to leave this place, his mind knew he had to be here. But his heart just wanted to leave since he had nothing here to stay for. 'Just put up with it Squall...soon you can just go home...and not care about this place or anyone here...'

He wanted to at least enjoy the time he had here, but that was seeming to be impossible. He coughed, for some reason for just a moment his chest hurt, maybe he had worked himself to hard training earlier. Not that he ever knew when to quit anyway, he might as well have just let it go. He looked around, there was some person from his memories that he had a feeling was here. Though he would never talk about it not to anyone. Not even to the pages of that book he kept to write in, as his father had said he should. His father had said something about it would help him with his problems not that he wanted to deal with that now either. 'The memories won't fade...Why...' He put his hand on his forehead and sighed trying to gain some focus back again. There had to be a reason for this, for now he just had to put up with it.

Maybe this time at the school would be different, and he wouldn't feel so out of place like at the last one his father had tried to send him to. He hated that place and did his best to get himself into trouble just to get himself expelled. His hands went to the lion necklace that was around his neck he never took it off that was always there. It was like it was a part of him one he would never lose. 'This place there has to be something here to do...' Not that he would complain he knew what he wanted from this place. Just the knowledge to start a life and that was who he was.

'This is just a mission till the end...you can go home soon remember that kid...' He had just called himself kid that was something he never usually did but here he was calling himself a child. Another odd thing for him, he really needed to get some sleep.

It's getting harder to stay awake
And my strength is fading fast
You breathe into me at last

Italics: Thoughts

[Cloud Strife]

Cloud sighed as he strolled out of the dorm building and looked around. He’d recently called his adopted mother to ask if he could stop this tomfoolery. KU just wasn’t for him. He didn’t feel at home here. However, when she picked up the phone she’d just sounded so happy. Chattering excitedly about how ‘her baby’ was in such a great school and she knew how ‘he was doing to well’. He hadn’t the heart to tell her he wanted to go to a school closer to home. He’d just told her he was doing well as usual and was having a great time before asking for Alan and Sera. For a moment he’d heard Ren coming out with a snide comment but he’d ignored it. Only seconds later there had been two excited voices chattering at him all at once.

He’d listened to them talk for a while and answered their questions, all the while a small smile curling his lips. It wasn’t until he’d heard his father’s voice in the background that he decided it was time to hang up. Before his mother could hand the phone over to him Cloud said his good byes and hung up, mood officially ruined. Thus this was why he was now here, wandering around on the campus in his usual jeans, t-shirt and hands stuck deep in his pockets. As he walked his eyes slowly traveled upward, watching the sky and the clouds in it. He wondered why his mother, his real mother decided to call him Cloud. Did she realize how similar he would be to one? That he could be as dark and brooding as a storm cloud, or as light and fluffy as the ones right now. What had inclined her to choose such a name for him? It was days like these where his quiet, broody nature slowly snuck up on him.

He had a few friends and people he hung around but they didn’t really understand him. They couldn’t comprehend or even begin to realize just how out of place he felt. He hadn’t felt right in years, infact since the day he found out he was adopted he hadn’t quite felt like he belonged anywhere. It was hard. He’d become estranged from Ren and his Father, though now he didn’t really like calling him that. It felt better to call him by his name. Only Rika felt like a parent to him but it was still a bit awkward to call her ‘mother’ now that he knew the truth. As Cloud walked around his senses were a bit heightened and his normally glowing blue-grey eyes had dulled a bit. He could feel the grass underneath his feet having worn flip-flops but decidedly taking them off when he started walking on the grass.

His eyes still skyward and his thoughts far from his body, it was the most vulnerable and defenseless Cloud had let himself be in a while and only because he was alone. However, it was also probably the reason why the next events happened. He hadn’t noticed there was someone in the path that he was walking, hadn’t realized someone else would probably be cloud watching. Before he knew it he was stumbling over someone else and on pure instinct as he was falling, Cloud curled himself up to he’d roll. Straightening himself out and rolling onto his feet, Cloud looked up. He was slightly embarrassed for his lack of attention though his emotionless mask didn’t show it. He looked around to see who’d he’d tripped over and spotted a brunette that looked oddly familiar. For a moment he looked at him, an insistent tug in the back of his mind nagging him that he knew who this was. The name was at the tip of his tongue and before knew it, it rolled off and into the air. “Squall…”All though the tone was rather bland, underneath the uninterested tone was a bit of surprise.

It had been years since Cloud had seen him and this sudden yet embarrassing encounter was one Cloud hadn’t expected. Cloud knew he’d changed and it was obvious that he’d changed with his lack of emotion showing. However, something told Cloud he’d changed too, he just wandered how much.

[Squall"Alaister"Leonhart]

I'm at war with the world
And they try to pull me into the dark
I struggle to find my faith
As I'm slipping from your arms

Squall sighed and thought to himself about some of the things running through his mind, there was no way for this to truly help. He might as well have just let it go again. Nothing would have helped and here he was sometimes things happened the way it was. He had to know what it was supposed to work on, he might as well have just let it go. He wanted to keep his thoughts out of the way it had been, but at that moment in time sometimes things were just not easy to deal with. Being alone was just another part of the job did he really care no he had more important things to worry about. That annoying blonde kid who always seemed to be there. He had to stop being so annoying but did that really work, most likely not. He always had to work on things and keep his studies ahead of all else. Things did not end up working out, and he had so much that was going on, he could hear someone but he was trying to ignore it. He sighed and looked up just to see Cloud the annoying blonde roll over him.

He had saved him before but that was the past and he would not think about it again, and he might as well have to let that go now. He didn't know if it was just the way life had been to all of them. 'Great this is all I needed...havent' even finished moving in yet and I'm already being bugged by people...' Squall moved to pull himself off of the grass and looked at Cloud he was annoyed now and that was just the way it was again. He would have to just leave this be before all of this happened now. "Be careful Cloud...not all people are so forgiving..." He didn't need to talk to this person but what choice did he have.

He yawned, and tried to wake up a bit he had been planning to take a nap in between classes to catch up on the sleep he had missed. But Instead he was stuck here dealing with Cloud who had a habit of getting himself into trouble. "You havent' changed still klutzy aren't you Cloud?" He smirked and wondered how this kid would react to him there was only a few ways to make this better.

It's getting harder to stay awake
And my strength is fading fast
You breathe into me at last

Italics: Thoughts

[Cloud Strife]

Oooooh boooy. It was Squall. It was…strange seeing him…like this after all this time. The last time he’d seen him…well it had been a long time. He wasn’t quite sure of this was a pleasant surprise or not, at least until he’d decided to open his mouth and Cloud scowled lightly at the brunette. Snorting rudely Cloud straightened up as he brushed his clothes off, his mind searching in vain for a retort but none came to him. He was still in shock from seeing the young man infront of him. He muttered a few aggravated curses to himself, chastising himself for letting his guard down so much. Looking up at the brunette, his head tilted to the side a little as Cloud asked plainly, “And who is asking for forgiveness?” Those were words that stung because Cloud knew that more than anything that was always what he wanted. To be forgiven for whatever mistake he’d made to deserve being given away, even if he, himself, was the mistake.

He ran a hand through his blonde locks before throwing Squall a dirty look when he mentioned his clumsiness. There was something about the brunette that always made him want to act childish and stick out his tongue at him whenever he made fun of him or poked at his faults. “Not a klutz…I just wasn’t paying attention.” Cloud muttered, suddenly feeling like sulking but still trying to save some of his dignity. Talk about being quick to turn childish, since when did he sulk? Finally the fact that Squall was here…in Kingdom University sunk in and Cloud’s head snapped to the side sharply to look at Squall.

Cloud gave the brunette a once over before he tilted his head once more, his blonde locks swaying slightly but still determined to defy gravity. “Squall…When did you get into KU?” There was a part of him, a part he refused to show, that was actually…dare he say it…happy to see the brunette and wanted to let that be known but that wasn’t who Cloud was anymore. He wasn’t the hyperactive kid with lots of energy who was willing to follow people around like a little puppy. He was more quiet, broody and apathetic than he used to be although as a kid he’d still been somewhat quiet. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t let a glimpse of those feelings show. “Hisashiburi, ne? Have you changed at all?”

*Hisashiburi=It's been a while

[Squall"Alaister"Leonhart]

I'm at war with the world
And they try to pull me into the dark
I struggle to find my faith
As I'm slipping from your arms

Squall might as well have just let this go or wander off, nothing was truly working again. He had to deal with this and it was just not easy enough, he wanted to make this end. And it was just not who he wanted to be, if he had wanted to be here because of Cloud. There was no way that he knew if this was supposed to work, why was Cloud even out here. Why would he have to put that the way it was. 'Great why am I dealing with him again...I should just get up and walk away...' He didn't know if this was supposed to go on, or why this had happened. He was just trying to go on what was doing, and it was just easier that way. He knew he was supposed to be studying, there was a book next to him, and yet he did not wish to think about that.

It was just that way, and his mind was starting to wonder some other way though he would not talk about since he truly did not wish to deal with that there was just way to much that might happen between them both in the time they were here. "You would know Cloud...but that is another subject for another day..." maybe he just liked pushing buttons or he was dealing with that, nothing made it easier. He was a loner and being around people was not something he liked to do nor did he want to do such a thing.

He had to just get away from this place before he said something else he wanted to say to this blonde. "You weren't paying attention...must have been something going on in that head of yours..." he didn't know if he wanted to care about this, but part of him couldnt' forget about Cloud even when he did try. Usually he forgot about people, but this was not a good time for any of it was it. "Got here a few days ago...Father made me come here....well partially..." he didn't know why he was even telling anyone that,much less Cloud he had his own things that were in his mind and he wanted to keep it all to himself as he always had no one needed to know about him. "Not much changing here...figured you would be able to tell Cloud..."

It's getting harder to stay awake
And my strength is fading fast
You breathe into me at last

Italics: Thoughts