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[powersouls]

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[meteorrains]

[Are you calling him strange, Tifa?]

I'll be alright. [Who knew all of that useless fabric would only day actually serve a function?]

Does all of the food taste like cardboard?

[powersouls]

[What kind of person do you think she is, Cloud?]

Well... It's either rations or junk food from the convenience store. Someone found a grocery store recently, but it's through the ice tunnels.

[meteorrains]

[The kind who would make that joke, obviously.]

Maybe we can make a special trip.

[Although he's pretty sure he'd take the junk food over what's laughing being called mashed potatoes right now.]

[powersouls]

We should! That would be nice.

[She likes the way he thinks. She's been living off of prepackaged food for a month.]

[meteorrains]

Think we could convince everyone else?

[The promise of fresh, actual food should give them pretty good bargaining chips, right?]

[powersouls]

I don't think it would be too hard. We're all getting sick of this food.

[meteorrains]

Yeah. I guess eating stale cardboard would get old after a while.

[powersouls]

[Cloud is that a pun. Tifa laughs quietly, trying to muffle the sound with her hand so she doesn't disturb the others.]

A little. Do you think you can tough it out?

[meteorrains]

[He's full of surprises, Tifa.]

Might be pretty tough.

[powersouls]

I don't know, I think you're tougher.

[Good one.]

[meteorrains]

I probably taste better too.

[Total dorkage has been achieved.]

[powersouls]

[Total dorkage and also totally flustering her, good job. She's laughing again, but she has absolutely no good response for that.]

1/2

[meteorrains]

[Cloud - 1 Tifa - 0

Totally worth it.]

[meteorrains]

[There's a soft chuckle, barely loud enough for her to hear, before he takes her silence as his cue to continue.]

I think I can manage.

[powersouls]

[It's so rare for her to hear him laugh that she grins, the expression obvious in her voice.]

I know. I'll try to save some better food for you, okay?

[And by better she means gas station food but hey, it's the thought, right?]

[meteorrains]

You don't have to, Tifa.

[Although at this point he's relatively sure he'd be better off living on junk food than what he'd just tried to choke down.]

[powersouls]

[Cloud, really?]

I want to. The first few days here are hard on everyone.

[And technically they're not his first, but they might as well be.]

[meteorrains]

[Really, really.]

Do you give away food to every new arrival?

[powersouls]

Um... No.

[She's actually being honest. He's special.]

Usually, I just try to answer their questions when they arrive.

[meteorrains]

Thinking of forming a welcoming committee?

[powersouls]

Hmm. I think Steve has that handled. I don't want to take his job.

[meteorrains]

How considerate of you.

[powersouls]

[He's teasing her a lot, and she's not really used to it. But it's... nice. Comfortable.]

Thank you.

[There's a short pause, and then she continues a little more softly.]

Hey, Cloud? How is everyone doing at home?

[meteorrains]

[The question gives him pause, causing him to quiet and the teasing air his voice had previously carried to fall away.]

Everyone's alright.

[powersouls]

[If everyone's alright, she's not sure how to take that pause, and the way his tone changes. Still, though, the relief is plain in her voice when she answers.]

Good. Barret and Marlene are doing okay, too?