onepassingnight | (no subject)

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[It's often that Marlene finds herself dreaming. She dreams about things little girls dream about: happiness, princesses, flower fields and the like.

This time, however, isn't like the rest. It's been raining in Edge lately, and her adoptive not!parents haven't let her go outside. But, Marlene's been taking sneaking lessons from Yuffie, who had told her a great deal about the old traditions of Wutai: don't get caught. Sneaking outside was the easy part.

Grinning to herself, she jumped into the latest puddle, letting the water splash all around her.]

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[Guess who else is good at sneaking away when she wants to, and who likes the rain?

In fact, it's raining all around her, and that's the weird part: it's raining around her, and doesn't quite seem to land on her fancy umbrella or get her wet like she should be right now. Ami approaches Marlene, one foot directly in front of the other as she walks. She steps when she's close enough to speak without being lost to the noise of the rain, and bends down to be closer to the same height.]

You shouldn't be out alone in this weather. Are your parents here to take you home?

Edited 2011-07-10 00:28 (UTC)

[Marlene had been having way too much fun... to the point where she almost didn't hear Ami. But the closeness of the other girl brought her from her playful shenanigans. She didn't recognize Ami, not one bit. But there were so many people in the city that she was bound to meet new people every day.

The little girl moved her water-soaked hair from her eyes, grinning upwards at Ami.]

They're right inside! It's okay. I'll be fine.

[Ami was just about to say something more when she realized where she was. Somewhere familiar. She looked back towards Seventh Heaven, then back to Marlene.]

If you live near here, could it be you know Cloud Strife?

[She... hadn't expected her dreams to cross in quite this manner, to dream of a connection of someone she only knew as a dream. It was an uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty, just for second, as to what was dream or real.]

You know Cloud? I thought I knew all of Cloud's friends!

[Really, she did know all of Cloud's friends. This little girl knew and made friends with everyone.]

He and Tifa watch over me while my daddy's out helping the Planet.

[She believed it; Cloud had been kind to her, and patient, when she'd dreamed of being a little girl herself.

But that wasn't what interested Ami as she and the umbrella were close enough for Marlene to stay beneath it now.]

Helping the planet? What does he do?

Well... [She looked down at the puddle she was standing in, her now wet shoe nudging at the water and making little waves.]

Since we don't use Mako energy anymore, daddy's helping out by trying to find new energy sources. He's been helping out Mr. Cid with his oil fields and going back to Corel to look at the coal mines too.

Energy sources...

We've been using solar energy more and more where I'm from. Would you like to see that happen, too?

Solar energy? That comes from the sun, right?

[At least Marlene was a smart girl, especially for her age. Not many six year old children could recite the history of the planet.]

I think it would help out a lot of people.

[No wonder Ami gets along with her.]

I'll show you, if you want. Today's not the best day for it, since it's rainy, but it should still have some energy stored.

[Dreamland: where she can show Marlene the small prototype of her solar treeborg.]

You mean... it exists already? I wanna see!

[This is when the dream world comes through. The small tree prototype (http://zedomax.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/solar-charging-tree.jpg) is suddenly with Ami, and she pulls it out of her convenient backpack (was she wearing that a moment ago?) to show Marlene.

It's quite pretty in its way: silver with deep blue 'leaves'. But a nature-lover would shudder.]

This tree actually stores and converts solar energy for use.

[Marlene's obviously in awe of the prototype. She's never seen anything like it before.]

This really helps people out?

It does. It gathers energy from the sun. Then they can use it for power, instead of burning fuels that pollute.

It might sound strange that someone like me would be concerned with that, but I want my planet to still be full of life.

I think a lot of people want their planet to be full of life. I want Gaia to be like that!

So work hard to make it happen. Even if it's a little bit at a time.

I'm gonna. I'm gonna work hard like my daddy and everyone else to make Gaia a nice place!

Good luck to you, then. [If it sounds a little skeptical, it's just her innate cynicism.]

[and there's not!parent number two. He's been trapped inside thanks to the weather lately himself and it's been rubbing his soul a little bit rawer each day.

Now that he's got his memories back, jumbled as they are, he can remember things about rainy days that he'd rather not.

So he was already outside, under the awning of Seventh out back, arms folded loosely over his chest and leaning sideways against the wall.

The tiny vision of white, pink and brunette has his lips twitching, just a little, as he watches it sneak down into the rain.

He should probably tell her to get back inside where it's dry. He should probably scold her for sneaking out in the first place.

What he probably shouldn't do, and yet can't help, is stay quietly where he is and enjoy the sight of someone happy playing in the rain.

Just as long as he doesn't hear any thunder at least...]

[Marlene had found a particularly large puddle, one that she knew was going to create a large splash the moment she jumped in. She just couldn't resist the temptation. She was already soaked all the way through, so this one couldn't hurt, right?

Readying herself, she took a flying leap into the puddle, the soles of her shoes hitting the ground hard and sending water everywhere. Marlene giggled loudly. She hadn't meant to, really, especially when Yuffie had told her to be as silent when she was a ninja. But it was just so much fun! She pushed her wet hair out of her face, grinning madly.]

[there's something about Marlene's giggles that make him feel - that make him feel like not such a giant failure. Even when they're not because of something he's done, they still always make him feel as if everything's going to be okay somehow. That nothing's set in stone yet and there's still hope for better things.

He'd do an awful lot, to protect her giggles.

Including the spur of the moment dart of motion when he hears familiar steps approaching the door from the other side, well known sneaker soles against wood. In a second, he's out in the rain with Marlene and scooping her up, moving effortlessly to the side of the building where support beams hide them both when Tifa opens the door to toss empty bottles in the bin for glass.

Shifting Marlene to a bit more comfortable grip but not setting her down, Cloud pressed silently back a bit more against the wall. Being caught by Tifa is hardly a nightmare - but it would mean no more playing in the rain and Marlene had only just gotten started. Sometimes... sometimes Cloud needs to watch the little girl have fun just to make his own chest feel better.]

[Marlene offers a startled gasp when she's scooped up, even more so when there's nothing to warn her about who's doing it or why. She's about to start struggling when there's a familiar warmth; the grasp is something she remembers.

Oh man. She was busted.

She opened her mouth to protest until she heard the door open. Tifa. Marlene clipped her protests. Cloud must have been there. She squirmed a bit, moving to put her arms around his neck. When the coast was clear, she whispered to him.]

Thank you.

[Unsuspecting, Tifa headed back inside, shutting the door behind her and Marlene started to wiggle. Cloud thought maybe she wanted down, which was okay even if he had kind of found the warmth and little weight of her a nice way to fill his arms and he loosed his grip so she could get down. Instead she surprised him by twisting around and hugging him.

He blinked, momentarily frozen.

Head pats were a lot different from hugs.

Her words though had the small, shy smile slipping over his mouth though and it just seemed natural to wrap his arms a little bit more around her and snug her the smallest bit closer, careful not to make the hug too restraining or tight. His head lowered and he tucked his chin against the side of her head. She smelled like wet little girl. It was a nice smell he decided, full of life and warmth and raindrops.]

Welcome.

[She was ridiculously glad that Cloud hadn't tattled on her. That would have sucked, and then Marlene would have gotten grounded. That meant no more playing in the puddles, which was a decided travesty on all counts.

She pulled back to look at her not!papa, tilting her head slightly. She reached up, pushing wet hair from her face again.]

Want to play with me?

[Cloud was a lot of things. Snitch wasn't among them however. Or at least not unless it was a matter of someone else or him being in trouble with Tifa - in which case no amount of cute eyes were going to save Marlene. But for now they were both in the clear and he was actually starting to relax as she peered up at him.

Until she asked her question and then his brows twitched down over his eyes the smallest bit.

Play?

Feeling suddenly awkward again - and, again, forgetting that you don't just tell little kids everything, his chin tucked as he confessed:]

I don't think I'm very good at playing, Marlene.

I bet you're great and you just don't know it! You've gotta try. That's what everyone says, right?

[She won't take no for an answer, that's for sure, especially when there are still perfectly full puddles to jump into. And ones that required more jumping power than she could muster.]

[her faith in him... it makes the edges of his lips twitch upward. They all think more of him than he is. Marlene. Denzel. Tifa... But their faith in him doesn't drag him down. Instead it makes him just that much more determined to not let them down. He can't live up to it - but somehow they make him strong enough to.

He just dreads the day he's finally going to let them down - and they stop believing in him.

He doesn't think today will be that day. Somehow failure to play properly doesn't seem as world ending as most of his failures. So - he's willing to try and, brows down in concentration, he'll look at the little girl he's still holding in his arms and admit:]

I don't know how.

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and since it's Seventh Heaven... XD

XD

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askjakjsjaksa geeez pings all over. XD stop being cute!!

She can't help it!

IT'S YOUR FAULT

I CLEARLY TAKE ALL BLAME.

/BLAMES FOREVER

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marlene. you make ami normal. HOW?! XD

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oh - pfffft - he's so screwed.

sorry this is so late! between my schedule and lj... /sigh

I'll be taking off in about a week myself. As long as we both come back that's what counts :D

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