#If Zack isn't home she'll sleep with Zax - If Zack IS home he sits on the nightstand

[sakurarisen]

Though Sera does her best to show maturity and strength to those she meets, there’s no denying this is born from being forced to grow up far too quickly and early for her own good, and as a result she hides anything that could be deemed ‘childish’ from anyone she doesn’t trust with her very life. Acting like a kid, being bouncy and easily excited, showing how deep her lack of understanding or the world and social situations truly goes, experiencing the childhood she was forced to skip out on... These are all hidden by choice, fearing being a burden or pushing people away. The more freely Sera acts and the more childish and silly she can be, the more she trusts the person she’s with, making for a good indicator of her her comfort and someone’s closeness with her.

Even so, there are certain things that are less hidden and far more easily noticed; light up sneakers, for one, are something she wears off and on while living in Midgar, and it’s incredibly difficult for her to pass by a playground without at least sitting on a swing for a little bit. She’s easily distracted by things that sparkle, and above all else, is incredibly partial to plush toys - Enough so that those who visit the Fair Household, be it in Gongaga or Midgar, are likely to find one of her prized possessions somewhere within the house: A stuffed husky.

About the size of a standard teddy bear, the dog, named Zax by Sera herself, has been both clearly taken care of, but also shows signs of being very much loved; its stitching has been clearly repaired in several places along its seams, and the stuffing is thinner and readjusted around its middle from being hugged countless times since being obtained. Its limbs also move a bit easier and are more akin to being ‘floppy’ compared to one fresh off the store shelf, a result of being carried around by the paw, and the tail has begun to droop despite multiple attempts to re-stuff it by friends.

Though she never takes Zax out of the house in a fear of losing him, Sera is convinced he’s made of magic, and uses the toy as something of a means of keeping herself grounded. A part of her considers his magic connected to Zack, carrying with him the ability to share her emotions and feelings to the other man, but even past that Zax is special - He’s soft and something to fidget with, distract herself by petting him, a toy to hug tight, a sounding board when she’s scared and feels the need to babble... He’s the first toy she’s actually had for herself and her first possession in Midgar, and carries with him a great deal of meaning that resulted in him being one of the items she couldn’t leave Midgar without on her quick dash away from the city.

Even as an adult in Gongaga, Zax continues to serve the same purpose and routinely shifts around the house as needed, helping her to deal with stresses and loneliness she can’t deal with on her own. She’s afraid of showing off her less awkward side to those she doesn’t trust and doesn’t know how they’d react, and understands there’s a time and place for it, but Zax is something she will always happily admit to - And tell you his name and where he came from with a bright smile!

#Colors Of Sakura [Headcanons] #Sera never had a childhood? #Not a typical one anyway - She spent most of it kept to one room with a hand-me-down teddy bear of Ami's and her siblings #And then had to grow up by the time she was 9 and deal with things nobody ever should #She's definitely mature and knows how to be an adult but lacks a lot of understanding and lessons most people would've grown up with? #And thereis definitely still a kid in there that wants to experience being a kid - Which is where this HC comes in #Sera when she's comfortable can be silly and teasing and gonna ask if you'll go to a playground with her? #It takes time to get her to be that loose and comfortable with herself for a lot of reasons but #If you get her like that you know you're really close to her and she considers you a really tight friend #If not part of the family #Zax is an outlier; if you're in the house you're already probably a good friend to start with #And she won't ever hide Zax <3 #He was a gift from (my) Kunsel and has been her (stuffed) support dog since - Since she can't have a real doggo #And just looking at him you can tell he's been loved and cared for <3 #If Zack isn't home she'll sleep with Zax - If Zack IS home he sits on the nightstand #The more lonely and bothered and unsettled she is the more she relies on Zax to keep her grounded? #He's a special doggo <3 #Trauma countering doggo <3 #...Also yes I literally googled 'stuffed husky' for that picture #I can't draw doggos - Let alone stuffed ones XD #But that's pretty much Zax <3