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powerpolyculeshowdown · 3 months

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Mod's Self Indulgent Polyship Poll Masterpost

Hello and welcome to the poll where I cannot lose! As the winner of the next-poll poll, we mark the return of powerpolycule showdown with my own self indulgent poll, where every contest is a polyship I like so whoever wins I also win 💖

While the premise likely sounds a bit selfish, I hope you find something among the contestants that speaks to you, and maybe you'll have yourself a new polyship or even just a new piece of beloved media even if you disagree with me (which is fine!!). Do keep in mind the ships vary from canon, to personal headcanons that will never happen to "the creators were onto something here I swear but they were cowards".

Now, the rules!

Vote for whoever you like best, if you don't know them, please check out their descriptions! I worked very hard to write those.

Don't be an asshole in the notes section. If I see a fandom being particularly toxic I will disqualify that ship. You don't need to like everything, just don't be rude.

Propaganda is welcome and encouraged!

As a personal rule to myself, I left out 3 of our beloved polycules from last year because the next poll will be rare polyships, and I believe they fit that category. They will be returning there!

There will be revival rounds because I was unable to narrow the list down to 16, and I didn't want to exclude any other ships. So if a polyship you like loses their first poll, not all hope is lost!!

Not a rule, but a reminder: The inclusion of a polyship does not mean I support or condone statements from any of the cast members from the source media.

Tags:

#selfindulgentpoll - all posts relevant to this poll

#siround[n] - every post for each poll will be tagged this way, [n] representing the number correspondent to each round (#siround1, #siround2, etc)

#sirevival[n] - revival round polls, [n] representing the number of the revival poll (#sirevival1, #sirevival2, etc)

#sipropaganda - any propagabda posts/reblogs/asks by other people. if u like any of the ships, make sure to campaign for it so it has higher chances of winning!!

#polypoll or #bonus poll - any poll made by me not directly related to the competition

#poll boost - self reblog of the polls for visibility, for people who might want to block those.

Relevant links:

Match Ups

Round 1 (finished!)

@tournament-announcer

List of contestants under the cut!

Roy/Keeley/Jamie (Ted Lasso)

Gwen/Miles/Hobie (Spiderverse)

Wu Zetian/Li Shimin/Gao Yizhi (Iron Widow)

Julien/Marnie/Roman (Charity Case)

Eddie Munson/Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler/Robin Buckley (Stranger Things)

Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson/Chrissy Cunningham (Stranger Things)

Kayla/Elise/Hotaru (Shootaround)

Oikawa/Iwaizumi/Matsukawa/Hanamaki (Haikyuu)

Akaashi/Bokuto/Kuroo/Kenma (Haikyuu)

Ennoshita/Tanaka/Kanoka (Haikyuu)

Midna/Zelda/Link (Twilight Princess)

Zelda/Link/Sidon/Yona (Tears of the Kingdom)

Geralt/Jaskier/Yennefer (The Witcher)

Martin/Jon/Tim/Sasha (The Magnus Archives)

Georgie/Melanie/Rosie (The Magnus Archives)

Jon/Martin/Gerry (The Magnus Archives)

Georgie/Melanie/Basira/Daisy (The Magnus Archives)

Georgie/Melanie/Helen Distortion (The Magnus Archives)

Jon/Martin/Tim (The Magnus Archives)

Sam/Celia/Alice/Gwen (The Magnus Protocol)

Stede/Blackbeard/Izzy (Our Flag Means Death)

Black Pete/Lucius/Izzy (Our Flag Means Death)

Penny/Sam/Sebastian/Abigail (Stardew Valley)

Farmer/Leah/Elliot (Stardew Valley)

Zack/Cloud/Aerith/Tifa/Jessie/Briggs/Wedge (FF7R)

Edward/Winry/Paninya (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

York/Rosé/Grendan (Drawtectives)

Megaera/Zagreus/Thanatos (Hades)

(yes a huge chunk is magnus archives and i will not apologize)

#powerpolyculeshowdown #self indulgent poll masterpost #self indulgent poll #polyamory #polycule #polyships #polls #selfindulgentpoll

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fearlessmonk · 2 months

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.Anastasia AU starter. | @myristicisms

Midgar was that of royalty. When Sephiroth ruined the royal family, there were rumors of only one sibling survived, after the other woman who had survived had made screen time. Aerith, the last cetra was alive and well, pleading the people to find her Lockhart. Even if it were merely the body, she placed a reward on the missing after the plate had fallen. Midgar had been torn to shambles.

Leaving the orphanage; the idea was one that Tifa had dreamed of for a while. Yet, when the time came, she was hesitant. She was fortunate to score a job not too far from town, but the trek was a frustrating one. Through the Junkyard filled with fiends and down Sector 5. Once she got on the road, she searched for a sign of any kind, continually asking aloud to no one. Was she going in the right direction? Life sure liked to play silly games, throwing people for a whirl when they least expect. The only belongings she held were the clothes on her back, and a special white materia that sat on a chain around her neck.

As if asking for the sign had been answered, a cat seemed to appeared from nothing as it jumped from the bushes. It didn't speak, but as it beckoned, it guided her. A sigh left her, hesitant to follow but swallowing her gut and doing so anyway. Focused on the feline, she didn't even realize when she bumped into a tall man with black hair. Apologizing, she rushed by to continue following the feline. Groaning, her arms fell to her sides. "When I asked for a sign, I was hoping for something a little more clear." Tifa murmured aloud.

Finally, the cat drew to a stop once at the stoop of an old church. The building was tall, wooden doors protecting the entry way. The cat pawed the doors, as if requesting entry. With a sigh, Tifa obeyed the request.

It was a lovely place, even with broken floorboards and roofing. At the center in the flooring, a bed of flowers seemed to shine in the light. Tifa cautiously approached, a ping in her chest triggering from the sight of the flowers. It was something of the royal family she recognized from photos and announcements that princess Aerith would make amongst the town. Gazing longingly, lovingly at them, Tifa imagined what it would be royalty; her body carrying itself as she explored her daydream. Raggedy clothing evolved into a beautiful gown as her feet moved as if she held a dance partner. There was something to a dream, but she was quickly dragged from it as she heard footsteps approach. Chest grew tight as she tried to find cover amongst the pews.

#cameo of cait sith LOL #or the cat can be fluffy idk #BUT yeah #myristicisms #added the bumping into zack so they have previous ref to each other #at least in passing #SORRY THIS IS SO LONG #geeze #This was harder to mix stories than i expected LOL.

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dark-elf-writes · 3 months

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Cloud is absolutely the type of gamer with such ingrained “shoot first” reactions to the “surprises” that you’re like WAS THIS MF IN A WAR????? HOW THE FUCK DID HE SNIPE THE ENEMY FROM ALL THE WAY OVER HERE? I can’t even see the mf.

hhhfhdhdhd Aerith did an announcement to see what kind of makeover would suit cloud most and egirl won by an absurd amount. Aerith had to call in reinforcements with tifa because she was emo in high school and has all the darker palettes.

Cloud is also infamous for under reacting. Like in a sea of people screaming and popping off Cloud will pull off the most insane shot from across the map with no scope while sprinting and just go “Cool. 😐” People find this hilarious, and he also gains a following who swears by him as a creator to watch while falling asleep because he doesn’t scream. The only exception to this being his colabs with Tifa and Aerith who play intentionally bad to get him frustrated/gang up on him to make him lose (which in itself is incredibly rare Cloud is frustratingly talented at any game he picks up regardless of how different it is from his normal). And of course The Uno Incident™️

Tifa is both there to supply makeup and advice and to keep Cloud from making a break for it. Then again no matter how many times he rolls his eyes or claims to hate it he keeps coming back for more makeovers. They definitely do a Loveless makeover as well but with Tifa as the Hero and Cloud as the Goddess and the comments go insane.

#the elf talks #ff7 #youtube au

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oh-my-may · 2 months

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Also last night I wanted to finish Rebirth main story (chapter 14)... and then sephiroth came with 10 phases... and I finally lost my patience and gave up on 3 hours of gameplay to free me from this torment... now one day I'll tackle it, really. But that very last phase with Aerith and Cloud ... I'm here for the main story and not try harding bosses 😭 playing on normal was a lovely experience, some fights were challenging in a fun way, while a few others actually made me question everything. I of course understand the impact od it all, Sephiroth is the strongest existing rhing in this world so yeah he's strong but after legitimately 2 hours of just fighting I was drained... yeah. Still gonna make a post about ch13 and of what I playesdin ch14. I must have gotten really close to the actual end, which sucks even more, but I'm just a normal human, it was getting late, I had work that day and the next one after...

For now I have catch up on genshin and hsr because both games are getting new content soon and I wanna complete the current maps before new stuff comes out.

Maybe for Rebirth this is also a noce opportunity to actually go back and complete all content I had left... side quests and battle intel I missed. Get Thorin. Play the mini games. Then go back to the end. Will probably do that. Also will 100% replay Crisis Core and Remake some time this year.

I also listened to 12/16 tracks of TTPD before work this morning. Like the sound and overall vibe of the album. Favorite track so far is probably Florida with Florence. Has to stop doing my make up while listening to the song. Then I went on instagram and saw she announced The Anthropology. Holy shit can't wait to get home to listen to the rest of the tracks.

Also I am a whopping 2 chapters into the sunshine court. It should be a breeze to get through once I have my days off, but I can't hold back from reading a few bits every now and then. I'm not the biggest fan of reading things digitally though, so I hope we can get physical copies of the book soon too :)

#may's gaming #ff7 #ff7 rebirth #final fantasy vii #ffvii rebirth #final fantasy vii rebirth #ff7r #sephiroth #jenova #cloud strife #aerith #aerith gainsborough #may rambles #taylor swift #ttpd #aftg #tsc #the sunshine court

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aeriscallanga · 5 months

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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣: 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗔𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗼'𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻

𝗩𝗜𝗣 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 & 𝗕 (𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸): Moots

𝗩𝗜𝗣 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗: OC Content Creators

𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗕𝗢𝗫: Other Followers

𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗕𝗢𝗫: Anons

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 @aeriscallanga

𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀: || @foxesandmagic || @arrthurpendragon || @jemmalynette || @deliahscrush2003 || @carmens-garden || @megandaisy9 || @multifandomfix || @impales || @fiction-is-life || @the-second-tonks || @moonrainbowfish || @needsmth || @stingrayextraordinaire || @oceanblueeyesoul || @literaturewithliz || @diorgirl444 || @gayandfairycore || @ourbonesmccoy || @virginia-peters || @fuckitup-in-style || @mysticmeadows || @howlruto || @moonlight-yuyu || @ppoppokari || @x0x0josephinex0x0 || @ihavenothingtodo10220 || @disneymbti ||

#aerith's announcement #aerith sato's new year celebration #aerith's followers celebration #aerith's moots celebration #aerith's mini oc event #followers celebration #moots celebration #mini oc event #new year's party in tumblr #new year's celebration

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zerith-week · 1 month

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TOMORROW!! 🩵🩷 Zerith Week 2024 will begin! 💐 Prompts and rules can be read here.

#zerithweek #zerith #ffgraphics #final fantasy vii rebirth #zack fair #aerith gainsborough #final fantasy vii #announcement #zerithweek2024

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aerith-week · 4 months

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Proud to announce AERITH WEEK 2024! We can't wait to celebrate our girl again with you this year from February 7th-14th! We’re so excited to share this year’s prompts with you.

Day 1 (February 7th) - Happy Birthday Aerith! Alternate Prompt: Ifalna/Elmyra (Maternal Relationship) Day 2 (February 8th) - Florist > The language of flowers Alternate Prompt: Zack/Cloud (The SOLDIER Boy) Day 3 (February 9th) - Cherished > Favorite thing about Aerith Alternate Prompt: Tifa/Yuffie (Girl Squad) Day 4 (February 10th) - Future > Moment/Wishes for FFVII Rebirth Alternate Prompt: Barret/Marlene (The Wallace Family) Day 5 (February 11th) - Fashionista > Favorite outfit/accessories Alternate Prompt: Nanaki/Cait Sith (Wisdom & Fortune) Day 6 (February 12th) - Magic Girl > Fighting technique / Cetra ability Alternate Prompt: Vincent/Cid (New Allies) Day 7 (February 13th) - Special Guest > Favorite Cameo Alternate Prompt: Sephiroth/The Turks (Shinra personnel tracking her down) Day 8 (February 14th) - Happy Valentine’s Day! Alternate Prompt: any relationship/free choice

We will be checking our mentions @aerith-week and hashtags #aerithweek and #aerithweek2024. You can also find us on twitter! You can review our rules and guidelines here. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

#aerith gainsborough #final fantasy #ffgraphics #FF7 #FFVII Rebirth #FFVII Remake #final fantasy vii

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fairlybeloved · 5 months

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@kisenth

"Let's do it!" Zack announced out of the blue, no context whatsoever to add flavor to the sudden declaration. Even spontaneity required some direction to be successful.

It had been a very difficult couple of---

Days?

Weeks?

Months?

hard to tell when the majority of the passage of time occurred beneath a steel sky. He'd been gone longer than he cared to admit, returning a little worse for the wear, refusing to allow such a state of mind and body from coloring the time he spent with Aerith--- few and far between those moments were those days.

"Let's run away together!" he held out his hand for her to take, as though the physical contact would solidify some unspoken promise more than any written document ever could.

He said it with all seriousness, though they both knew that such an arrangement would never be successful. Shinra would hunt him down in a millisecond!

#kisenth

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forgivemeforgetmenot · 8 months

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Unwritten

(Cloud x Aerith Fanfic)

Chapter 3: Intoxicated

"Daddy!!" cried Marlene, dashing past a beaming Elmyra. Barret chuckled as he scooped up his daughter and kissed her tiny face.

"How you doin' baby girl? You been good for Elmyra, yeah?"

"Always, Daddy!"

The gang exchanged greetings as Aerith's mother ushered them inside the cozy cottage. "Something smells delicious," chimed Aerith, bouncing to the kitchen.

"You all are back just in time; I'm making Miso Yasai Ramen for dinner," Elmyra said. "Please, please, everyone, make yourselves comfortable. Wash up, unpack your things, and decompress. There's still some time before the food's ready."

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Ms. Gainsborough," Tifa exhaled. She ruffled Marlene's hair on her way upstairs, earning a giggle from the child clinging closely to Red XIII.

Cloud's eyes trailed after her as she vacated the room. They hadn't had the chance to talk since last night when she pelted him with Aerith-related questions and raced off. He nearly rose from his seat at the coffee table but decided to leave her be.

"Yeah," added Barret awkwardly, "Thanks again for keepin' an eye on my Marlene. I can't tell ya how much it… means to me."

Elmyra, now overlooking a pot on the stove, waved him off, "Oh, dear, I've told you repeatedly that you don't need to keep thanking me. Spending time with Marlene is a pleasure. She kind of reminds me of you when you were younger." She pointed a wooden spoon toward Aerith, spurring the brunette to smile.

"Marlene's far more well-behaved than I was," Aerith giggled, winking at her. Marlene laughed, mimicking her wink.

"Oh!" the little girl suddenly exclaimed, "Daddy, Elmyra helped me plant my first flower! Wanna see?"

Before Barret could respond, Marlene jumped up, grabbed her father's hand, and started pulling toward the door. "Come too, Red!" Marlene pleaded to the smiling beast.

Red nodded, "Aye, aye, captain," and casually followed the two outside.

"Did you plant azaleas?" Aerith asked her mother, strolling over to the table. Although all the seats were empty, she picked the spot closest to Cloud's; he swallowed.

Elmyra eyed her daughter, then smiled tenderly. "Actually, yes. I don't know why I still feel surprised after all these years."

"Surprised? About?" Aerith repeated, tilting her head.

"About your intuition," she laughed.

Aerith smiled, facing Cloud. "Azaleas represent family and unity. Planting them is a good reminder for Marlene that even though Barret can't always be here physically," Aerith placed her hand gently on his chest, "he'll always be right there."

His heart raced; he hoped she couldn't feel it pounding against her palm. Embarrassment flushed Cloud's cheeks, forcing him to avert his gaze. He hated it when she did things like this, especially in front of others."You've been awfully quiet this evening, Cloud," commented Elmyra.

"Cloud's always quiet," Aerith teased, nudging him.

"Well, you talk enough for the both of us," he retorted. Elmyra emitted a hearty laugh as Aerith feigned a hurt expression.

"Oh, you. Don't act like you aren't hanging onto every word."

He blushed, then ascended to his feet. He needed a break from all of Aerith's poking and prodding. "I'm going to wash up," Cloud announced shortly before escaping to the restroom.

After devouring Elmyra's delectable meal, the group migrated outside to relax. The Gainsborough's property was already breathtaking during the day; it appeared like a page torn out of a fairytale book Barret might read to Marlene at night.

Fireflies floated to and fro, illuminating the massive garden with an ethereal glow. The air smelled of fresh flowers and herbs; Cloud inhaled deeply, relishing in the sweet aroma; its ambiance soothed him in a way no other place could.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Marlene wordlessly slip her hand into Aerith's, guiding her out of sight. "Probably showing off her Azaleas," Red remarked, sidling beside Cloud.

"Mm," he nodded.

"Don't be jealous; I'm sure she'll show you too," he joked.

Marlene had warmed up to Cloud considerably over the last several months, but he could tell she was still somewhat leery of him. He was never a people person, but kids were the ultimate test of patience. "Don't care. Flowers aren't my thing anyway," he replied nonchalantly.

Red chuckled, "Maybe if you were more honest about the fact that you do care, she'd braid your hair and pick flowers with you too."

"And she'll treat me like a housecat like you, too? No thanks," Cloud quipped.

Red smiled, his eyes trailing after the fireflies, "It's not what you think. Caring doesn't make you weak. It's okay to be transparent about it. In fact, people tend to like it."

"I don't care what people like," the merc folded his arms.

Aerith and Marlene reemerged hand-in-hand. Cloud followed the Cetra's every movement. Marlene started bouncing beside her, urging her to "dance" with the fireflies. Aerith gleefully complied, and the two twirled around, laughing.

"Are you sure about that?" Red smirked, sauntering past Cloud and over to the girls. After some convincing, Tifa and Barret joined the trio. Cloud observed as they pranced around each other, laughing without a care.

Aerith caught him watching and waved him over. Cloud looked away shyly; he'd rather dive headfirst into a pool full of lava than ever dance again.

Aerith abandoned the frolicking group and advanced toward him. Before she could speak, Cloud was already shaking his head. "No, no, no," he stated firmly, backing away from her.

She sped up and seized his hand, giggling, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Aerith," he complained as she jerked him closer.

"Cloud," she imitated his tone, swaying their arms back and forth playfully, "Come ooon! All of Midgar knows how well you can dance; you can't just squander your talent away brooding in the shadows."

Without further protest, he allowed the exuberant woman to position his hand on her waist. She placed a hand on his shoulder and interlocked her other with his. They clumsily wobbled around; Cloud nervously followed her lead as they rocked back and forth.

Aerith giggled, gazing into his eyes as they danced. Cloud worried he was blushing; he wanted to avoid her face but, for some reason, couldn't pry himself away. Her green eyes glimmered as bright as the lightning bugs encircling the pair. Mesmerized, his bottom lip dropped slightly,

"What is it?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Hm?" he replied, transfixed.

"Your face; you look thoughtful. Wistful," Aerith specified, still guiding their haphazard movements.

"I'm…not thinking anything."

It wasn't entirely dishonest. Cloud felt disoriented. Anxious? No, intoxicated. He wasn't exactly thinking anything specific, but his being was overwhelmed with feelings—sensations he wasn't sure how to convey. "Hmm," she eyed him skeptically.

Feeling overwhelmed, Cloud pulled away abruptly. He glanced at the house as Aerith whined. "We didn't even do the Moogle Dance!"

Cloud rasped, striding past her. He noticed Tifa staring glumly. Earlier, she looked so joyful with their friends. What happened? "Going to bed?" she asked softly as he walked toward the door. Barret, Marlene, and Red were still bopping around happily.

He nodded, uncertain of what to say to her. Should he ask what's wrong? Should he address last night? He feared saying something that might make her feel worse. Instead, he sat down silently beside her on the porch. "Tired of dancing?" Cloud asked while observing the others. His eyes instinctively drifted to Aerith, now gazing up at the sky.

"Kind of," Tifa laughed, then added, "How about you? You were really grooving over there."

"I was being held hostage," he muttered, lounging.

"I don't know. You looked like…you were having fun to me," Tifa reflected quietly.

Cloud studied her. She altered her sorrowful expression with a smile, "It's nice. You know, to see you loosen up."

"You just enjoy watching me make a fool of myself."

"That too," Tifa giggled.

The two friends sat in silence for a moment. Then Cloud asked, "You okay?"

The question seemingly startled Tifa, who stood almost immediately. "Yeah, of course," she smiled, "Just tired."

Cloud nodded slowly, hesitant to accept her excuse.

"I'm gonna try to get some sleep," she decided, "Goodnight, Cloud."

"Night," he replied.

Tifa stepped to the door but paused before twisting the knob. Cloud expected her to say something else, but she finally went inside without another word.

Gradually, everyone else filed inside. First, Barret and Marlene. Shortly after, Red XIII. A half-hour later, Aerith approached the porch with a peaceful smile. "Are you stargazing too?" she asked, plopping beside him.

"Something like that." Truthfully, he'd been watching her more than anything else out there.

"Oooor, are you avoiding sleep?"

Cloud looked at her with a curious expression and asked, "What?"

Aerith met his gaze, "You won't have any nightmares here. Promise."

He diverted his view upward to spot a patch of shimmering stars.

"Do you trust me, Cloud?"

The question caught him off guard, "W-What?"

"Do you trust me?" she reprised, leaning closer.

"Of course," he replied, to his surprise, without hesitation.

"Good!" Aerith beamed, slipping her hand into his and guiding him to his feet.

"Where are we going," he questioned. She pulled him down a path and to a cluster of pink Azaleas.

"Marlene asked me to show you. Aren't they so beautiful?"

"Yeah, they're um… pretty," Cloud awkwardly agreed.

He scanned the flowers surrounding them and settled on a patch of yellow lilies—the same flower Aerith gifted him when they first met.

"Are those your favorite?" she asked, noticing.

Cloud folded his arms, "Dunno."

"Do you remember what they symbolize?" she asked, plucking one and placing it on his chest, just as she had done a lifetime ago.

"Reunion," he answered, lifting his eyes from the flower to her.

"That's right!" she said merrily, "Now for your prize."

Before he could respond, Aerith's pursed lips were pressed to his cheek. The kiss was mere centimeters away from the corner of his mouth. For a moment, Cloud wondered if she'd intended something more intimate. Part of him was relieved she missed her potential mark; another part felt…disappointed?

Her hands lingered against his chest, careful not to crush the yellow lily she gave him. Cloud swallowed hard, voiceless. Stop doing that, he should tell her. You mess around too much.

Cloud's eyes descended to her mouth. She placed the back of her hand on his forehead. "Are you feeling okay, Cloud? You look a little sweaty."

He grabbed her wrist, pulled it away from his face, and held it. "Stop doing that," he scolded.

"Doing what?"

"You know what," he griped, still clutching her.

Aerith's head tilted to the side with a confused expression.

Cloud scowled, clarifying, "You can't just… go around touching and kissing people like that."

Aerith laughed, "You're not people, silly."

"I'm not," Cloud paused, unsure how to express his issue, "I'm not your boyfriend."

For the first time in a long time, Aerith broke eye contact first, her gaze plunging to the ground. Her usual warm smile vanished. Had he hurt her feelings? "I didn't realize it bothered you," she said quietly.

He lowered her arm to her side before letting go. The desire to hold her bubbled inside of him; Cloud wasn't a physically affectionate person or affectionate, at all. Comforting people wasn't his specialty; fighting was. Right now, however, he felt the impulse to at least try. Take it back. Tell her you don't mind. Hug her.

Cloud only stared at her, "Aerith…"

"I know," she said with glistening eyes, "you're not my boyfriend." Much like Tifa had done earlier that evening, Aerith disguised her sorrow with a smile and a joke, "You're my bodyguard!"

She brushed past him; he turned and recaptured her arm, suspending her. She pivoted to face him and smiled, "Bedtime, Cloud."

"Just wait," he ordered.

"For?"

"I…don't mind. Not really," The confession rolled from Cloud's mouth as though he'd been struggling to cough up a boulder.

"Jeez, Cloud," Aerith playfully pouted, "Make up your mind; now you're confusing me."

"I'm confusing you?" he scoffed. Says the woman who can't keep her lips to herself.

Cloud groaned, released Aerith, and plodded past her. He didn't get paid enough for this. Or at all, actually.

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