video

[moseyin]

Who: Cloud Strife et al
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Selvin-9
When: Early January


[Video comes on, but instead of showing somebody’s face it’s pointed at a sign for a specifically popular snowboarding and skiing lodge on Selvin-9.] If anybody’s heading over here to snowboard or something, I put up some obstacles on the south slope, off the path, for more of a challenge. Here-

[The shot moves over to the snow, where a person-sized sloppy approximation of a chubby snow moogle sits.] These guys. And some giant icicles, thanks for the materia Aerith. Anyway if you’re up for it and you wanna get timed or something, I got prizes. Nothing cool but like hot chocolate tins and junk like that.

[Okay now Cloud’s walking so there is an unflattering angle of his face occasionally as he trucks through the snow to get his own snowboard.] -oh right, I wanted a general opinion on something. What’s, uh, what’s the best birthday gift you ever got? [Specifically a question for girls but he’s afraid he’ll be REALLY obvious if he says that.]

Comments

[moseyin]

[SNORT] Not sure that's how that saying goes. [comes over to examine those eyesores for rent. Figures.......wait that yellow and purple one looks sick as hell] What about this one?

[wingenvy]

[SHUT UP CLOUD IT'S HOW IT GOES NOW

Zack wanders over to where Cloud is standing, gives the board a once-over lasting all of a second, and picks it up immediately.]

This one. Look at this, it's as ugly as a sick behemoth. I want it.

[It'll go great with the jacket.]

[moseyin]

Oh yeah, [Cloud hums, giving the board a pat in Zack's hands like they just picked out a dog together.] This is perfect. I'll spot your rental fee, let's go.

[wingenvy]

Aww, I knew you loved me.

[He hikes the board up and carries it to the counter, letting Cloud pay as promised, because who doesn't love being treated? After that it's back out into the snow fluff and... staring blankly at the hill before him, immediately at a loss.]

...I think you're gonna have to help me put it on, first.

[LIKE... IT'S PROBABLY NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, BUT...]

[moseyin]

Oh yeah, no problem. [Pulls Zack over by the arm, more and more energetic as they get closer to actually snowboarding; it's kind of cool too, the opportunity to teach Zack something that doesn't have to do with Sephiroth or some other hardship.

Zack steps up to the board on the 'snow' and Cloud crouches down, puts Zack's hand on his shoulder and grabs for first one boot, then the other to adjust the bindings around his feet.] Don't feel bad, this twelve-year-old had to show me how to put this on the first time I did it.

[wingenvy]

[Zack leans first one way and then the other, watching Cloud lock his legs in place, and he can already feel his balance abandoning him. He's pretty sure that if not for his hand on Cloud's shoulder he'd be tipping sideways.]

My ass is gonna hit the dirt about twelve times by the time we reach the base, I can tell. How do you move with this thing on?

[moseyin]

You lean. [Straightens up, reaching out to hold onto Zack's shoulder and demonstrating.] Like this. If you gotta make adjustments you can hop, but that's a lot harder.

You're a lot heavier than me so you should probably even have an easier time with it. Here, lemme get you over to the slope.

[wingenvy]

[Huh, Cloud's... surprisingly touchy today. Zack takes note of it but knows better than to comment. It's actually really nice to see him looking so happy about something as trivial as snowboarding lessons, and he doesn't want to ruin that by calling attention to it.

He leans as Cloud does, following his movements and trying to compensate for his extra weight, and penguin-waddles over to the edge of the hill, slowly getting a feel for it.]

Huh... okay, that's not so bad.

[moseyin]

[Tries not to outright snicker at Zack waddling over to the cusp of the hill like that, and mostly succeeds. Probably is grinning a little too much to not be suspicious as he follows though, watching as Zack fidgets on the board.]

Yeah, it's no problem. But y'know what they say: best teacher is experience. [CLAPS ZACK ON BACK, down u go buddy

It's not a particularly steep hill so even in the (likely) event that Zack wipes out, he won't get hurt. Cloud's already tromping down the hill after him, just in case he gets stuck though]

[wingenvy]

What? Haurk--!!

[That's pretty much all he can get out before he's suddenly careening down the hill, arms out and wobbling to keep balanced. It's probably not something Cloud's seen before; Zack isn't what one would call graceful, but his movement, especially when it comes to athletics, has always been deliberate- just about every step, every gesture, every move is done with a certain degree of confidence.

This here, right now? Is the polar opposite. And he tries, god does he try. He veers left, right, desperate and flailing. He actually makes it around a couple of the Mogmen before he loses control and barrels right through the center of one, completely decimating it. There's fluff everywhere. And with that, balance completely abandoning him, Zack goes tumbling head over heels to land face down in the white.

First attempt: FAIL.]

[moseyin]

[LMLAVUAD THAT WAS FUCKIN ARTISTIC, MAN

At that fluff explosion Cloud lets out a bark of laughter and breaks into a run instead, almost falling a couple times himself as he reaches Zack's side and digs him out of the snow, barely able to contain his laughter.] Wow! Oh wow, deja vu. Yeah, that's how you learn! [cloud did that roughly 2 million times himself]

[wingenvy]

[UUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH so on one hand, Cloud is laughing. But on the other hand- Cloud is laughing. At him. Because he just ate dirt all the way down the hill.

....

Okay, but seriously, it is really nice to see him laughing... and it probably did look hilarious. So with an only-slightly-suffering sigh, Zack leans backwards in the fluff, knees tucked, and does a little flip-jump to get back onto his feet, his own small way of trying to save face. It doesn't undo his moment of extreme uncool, but he's mollified by the fact that he didn't fall back on his ass trying that one, too.]

Talk about hitting the ground running... [literally. good thing they're durable.]

[moseyin]

Do that about twenty more times, and you might actually beat my record. [Cloud's still smiling as he sinks to a knee to help unclasp Zack's boots so they can walk back up the hill.

It's hard to imagine Zack being insecure about anything, or being embarrassed or wanting to be impressive. There's such a powerful, confident image of him in Cloud's mind that trying to see him as he is now is...almost jarring. Then again, Cloud's nothing if not an expert at reimagining his own memories.] You'll get the hang of it after a few times. Let's go find something less steep, I'll get my board...we'll do it together.

[wingenvy]

[Zack snorts and shuffles after him, snowboard tucked over his shoulder, but between his usual nonchalance and Cloud's obvious good mood, he's pretty quick to share that smile. He's probably gonna fall a few dozen more times before he makes it to the bottom, but who cares? This is actually starting to get fun.]

Hell no! I mean, yes to going together, but let's keep it going here. I like the challenge.

[moseyin]

[Figures Zack would say that.

Cloud returns the smirk, reaching out to tap his fist against Zack's arm before jogging over to retrieve his own board at the top of the slope, coming to Zack's side to drop it down onto the snow and set his own boots into the grips.]

When you were going down, [grunts, tightens his boots and straightens up,] looked like you were being kind of reactionary; like, you felt unbalanced and then tried to fix it. I think it's easier when you're proactive and just are always trying to steer somewhere, instead of just letting yourself slide down.

[wingenvy]

[Zack follows his lead, this time locking his own feet in place the way Cloud had shown him the first time. He gives the board a few experimental leans, one way and then the other, getting a feel for it again.]

Proactive, huh... that shouldn't be too hard. It sounds more like me anyway.

[moseyin]

Exactly. Don't be shy just because you've got an audience. [Smiles, then leans forward to start his own descent. He doesn't get too fancy...yet, even though he REALLY wants to impress Zack, mostly because he's pretty sure it'd be kind of douchey to show off after Zack's wipeout. He's not looking to bruise any egos here.]

[wingenvy]

[There's a pause, and then a sudden bark of laughter as Zack kicks off the hill and follows suit. And to his credit, he actually makes it further this time! He's got Cloud ahead to watch, and to carefully follow the movements of; he learns better by doing and getting a demo than via instructions, anyway.

Cloud may not be too fancy yet, but it's still too fancy for a novice, so when he tries to mimic those movements as well he has yet another spectacular wipeout, landing on his ass and slowly sliding his way down the rest of the hill to catch up with Cloud, bumping over little snow mounds as he goes.]

Oh my goooood, the smallest wobble knocks you right down! That's way harder than it looks.

[moseyin]

[lmao zack gently tumbling his way down the hill is just as funny now as it was before] Maybe we should just get you a sled, since you seem pretty determined to stay on your ass.

[wingenvy]

[WOW FUCK YOU AND YOUR SMUG FACE

challenge is officially accepted

....again]

You just watch! I'm gonna get it and mop the whole mountain with you by sundown!

[He's not even climbing back up the hill this time, he's just jumping back up and sliding the rest of the way down, stubbornly, destroying snow moogle after snow moogle as he goes.

He's gonna fall another dozen times or more, at least, but his ass ain't touching a single sled today.]