Rita awakened in a cold sweat that morning. What the hell was that all about!? It had to be a trick, like the moving shadows from the other night... It just couldn't be real
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Well, he wasn't wearing a smiley face t-shirt anymore. There was that.
Of course, that was the only marked improvement of Aguilar's new regime; as much as he'd disliked finding himself here in the first place, the past two days without that Landel's way of running things had been far more to his distaste. Which was putting it mildly, what with the amount of aggravation that had built up inside him over just a day. At least the staff then had answered the few times he'd asked them something, bothered to look his way, and while he'd initially preferred the lack of sugar-coating that the soldiers provided with their words and actions, Cloud's perspective had changed for the bitter. The new orderlies following the morning's announcement hadn't helped.
"Your actions tonight will determine ours in the coming days..."Yeah, well, all he'd done last night had been attempt to find a familiar face or two (unsuccessfully) and stay alive and well while he was at it (far more successfully). Cloud's lip twisted slightly in disgust, part of it
( ... )
If Lightning had needed any more confirmation that those running Landel's Institute truly hated her, then without a doubt, this morning accomplished handing it to her. Safe to say she was now wearing the worst shirt she'd ever had the misfortune of seeing in her life... a fact she was not happy about. Actually, the only thing that kept her from snapping and punching the teeth out of every mouth she could reach before someone finally shot her in the head this morning... was the fact that once again she refused to let them know that she was that bothered by their antics.
At least there was a coat as well- something that must have once been black, but had since faded out to a dark grey instead. Its real saving grace was the fact that it was a bit more form-fitting than the sweater, though, and was almost long enough to cover the unnecessarily-bright, strangely-ruffled skirt too. Definitely not what she'd meant when she'd wished for a skirt, that was for sure... but she would live
( ... )
He was so caught up in his thoughts of what Aguilar's intentions might be that he didn't notice anyone approaching until the echo of the footsteps was right next to his seat and a hand was gripping the one in front. Cloud looked away from the cheerless day outside with a fleeting surprise that gave way to recognition as Lightning took the spot beside him, and anything he'd been about to say in response to this died halfway to his lips at her words. His eyes widened a little.
Zack had been looking for him last night. Meaning, then, that he hadn't... hadn't imagined their meeting, as he'd been starting to believe after seeing neither hide nor hair of any of them, staring at the white, cold walls of his room before sunrise. Hadn't imagined him. A moment as this sank in completely, his stomach doing a strange flip in what was half-hope and half-something else, and then he blinked into their shared gaze
( ... )
"Somehow," Lightning repeated, her voice low as she glanced away towards the front of the vehicle instead. Turned out that when the man returned the look, for an outwardly imperceptible moment she'd been caught off guard- she hadn't forgotten the way he'd acted the first time they'd met, nor the vision she'd seen when Zack had touched her the night before last. Not at all. There was no blood and rain and apparent trauma right now, but....
"No, Tifa stayed behind last night," she answered, deliberately steady, then let out a breath as she set the paper bag she'd had practically thrown at her on the seat. "But I found him waiting outside one of the blocks; you should tell him your room number, next time."
Then she just bent slightly, pulling one foot's heel onto the seat, then the other, to brush the quickly-melting iciness off her shoes with brisk efficiency. They obviously weren't actually adapted to this weather at all, even if... they were the one thing about this whole outfit she didn't completely hate right on sight. The action
( ... )
Part of him was glad to hear that Tifa'd stayed behind the night before, even though he knew full well she could take perfectly good care of herself if push came to shove. Staying in her room meant staying somewhere she was relatively safe (from what he could guess) and if Cloud couldn't be with her to make sure of that, then he'd take the next best thing without complaint. He wondered where she was, which bus-- they'd ushered him onto the bus without giving him a choice in the matter
( ... )
Lightning wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but she thought that Cloud seemed... different, today. Because of the whole imprisonment thing? Because of being forced to meet Zack again...?
She looked over at him again before she answered, wordlessly taking in his body language for what was the first time she'd really done so after getting on the bus. Of course, the cool demeanor and then pushy helpfulness he'd had on during that initial meeting between them was something she'd seen only under the veneer of a heavy cocktail of sedatives and pain killers, so... who knew. She hadn't been paying too much attention to him during that night she'd tagged along with the three friends, either
( ... )
Two short swords and a knife. He would have mulled this over properly, along with Lightning's other words (ominous ones, at that), but the starting of the bus momentarily diverted his attention. Disconcerted might be a better word for it, though; an all too familiar sensation of sickness rose up in him at the vehicle's juddering and he forced it down, gaze moving from the driver to the back of the seat in front of him.
Some moments and a steadying breath or two later, he concentrated on the information he'd just received with a frown that was more for holding in the nausea than anything. "I take it that gone means dead. Or that they took them elsewhere." They, of course, referring to Landel's staff
( ... )
"Dead or Cie'th," Lightning 'confirmed' in a dark murmur, mostly to herself at first as she watched the man's reaction to the bus's movement. Her annoyance at the jostling was just that, though- annoyance. She was roughly the complete opposite of being prone to motion-sickness, even in a situation like this where the smell was driving her mad and she couldn't be sure the whole mess wasn't about to tip over all at once or something. Stuff like that, or heights, or any number of other things that would make most people give second thought to doing whatever... they just never bothered her, even before her training.
So she wasn't sure what to make of Cloud's discomfort, but chose to ignore it for now as long as he didn't turn and try to puke on her. She wasn't even going to try working out what it 'meant' in regards to this strange transport versus the centuries-old airship she and the other l'Cie had found inside the Ark. It wasn't like she cared too much- some people were simply like that, right? No use embarrassing him, either.
( ... )
Inhale. Hold it in... and then exhale. Slow and easy. He could do this. But concentrating on the breathing exercise he'd taught himself as a cadet as he was, Cloud couldn't be sure if he heard Lightning properly or not. Her tone had been one of confirmation and she'd definitely said the word dead, but that last word. It sounded like a bit like sea, or something
( ... )
Lightning looked down in agitation, pale eyes narrowed as she stared at her own hands entwined tightly in her lap. With everything she'd wanted to say to Cloud done, she just went to silently going over her own thoughts instead, ignoring the bump and roll of the bus around her, the sound of other prisoners murmuring to each other over the crunch of treads over snow and ice....
For her, she had no doubt there would eventually be found a way out of this whole mess - she hadn't given up hope for herself by any means - but as for her missing friends... it was hard to say. Were they still alive, or were they already gone forever, bodies unceremoniously left to the mercies of the untamed wilds she'd seen while flying over the Pulsian landscape-- or worse, turned Cie'th, consumed by despair and the desire for the unattainable, wandering aimlessly in eternal pain
( ... )
Of course, that was the only marked improvement of Aguilar's new regime; as much as he'd disliked finding himself here in the first place, the past two days without that Landel's way of running things had been far more to his distaste. Which was putting it mildly, what with the amount of aggravation that had built up inside him over just a day. At least the staff then had answered the few times he'd asked them something, bothered to look his way, and while he'd initially preferred the lack of sugar-coating that the soldiers provided with their words and actions, Cloud's perspective had changed for the bitter. The new orderlies following the morning's announcement hadn't helped.
"Your actions tonight will determine ours in the coming days..."Yeah, well, all he'd done last night had been attempt to find a familiar face or two (unsuccessfully) and stay alive and well while he was at it (far more successfully). Cloud's lip twisted slightly in disgust, part of it ( ... )
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At least there was a coat as well- something that must have once been black, but had since faded out to a dark grey instead. Its real saving grace was the fact that it was a bit more form-fitting than the sweater, though, and was almost long enough to cover the unnecessarily-bright, strangely-ruffled skirt too. Definitely not what she'd meant when she'd wished for a skirt, that was for sure... but she would live ( ... )
Reply
Zack had been looking for him last night. Meaning, then, that he hadn't... hadn't imagined their meeting, as he'd been starting to believe after seeing neither hide nor hair of any of them, staring at the white, cold walls of his room before sunrise. Hadn't imagined him. A moment as this sank in completely, his stomach doing a strange flip in what was half-hope and half-something else, and then he blinked into their shared gaze ( ... )
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"No, Tifa stayed behind last night," she answered, deliberately steady, then let out a breath as she set the paper bag she'd had practically thrown at her on the seat. "But I found him waiting outside one of the blocks; you should tell him your room number, next time."
Then she just bent slightly, pulling one foot's heel onto the seat, then the other, to brush the quickly-melting iciness off her shoes with brisk efficiency. They obviously weren't actually adapted to this weather at all, even if... they were the one thing about this whole outfit she didn't completely hate right on sight. The action ( ... )
Reply
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She looked over at him again before she answered, wordlessly taking in his body language for what was the first time she'd really done so after getting on the bus. Of course, the cool demeanor and then pushy helpfulness he'd had on during that initial meeting between them was something she'd seen only under the veneer of a heavy cocktail of sedatives and pain killers, so... who knew. She hadn't been paying too much attention to him during that night she'd tagged along with the three friends, either ( ... )
Reply
Two short swords and a knife. He would have mulled this over properly, along with Lightning's other words (ominous ones, at that), but the starting of the bus momentarily diverted his attention. Disconcerted might be a better word for it, though; an all too familiar sensation of sickness rose up in him at the vehicle's juddering and he forced it down, gaze moving from the driver to the back of the seat in front of him.
Some moments and a steadying breath or two later, he concentrated on the information he'd just received with a frown that was more for holding in the nausea than anything. "I take it that gone means dead. Or that they took them elsewhere." They, of course, referring to Landel's staff ( ... )
Reply
So she wasn't sure what to make of Cloud's discomfort, but chose to ignore it for now as long as he didn't turn and try to puke on her. She wasn't even going to try working out what it 'meant' in regards to this strange transport versus the centuries-old airship she and the other l'Cie had found inside the Ark. It wasn't like she cared too much- some people were simply like that, right? No use embarrassing him, either. ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Lightning looked down in agitation, pale eyes narrowed as she stared at her own hands entwined tightly in her lap. With everything she'd wanted to say to Cloud done, she just went to silently going over her own thoughts instead, ignoring the bump and roll of the bus around her, the sound of other prisoners murmuring to each other over the crunch of treads over snow and ice....
For her, she had no doubt there would eventually be found a way out of this whole mess - she hadn't given up hope for herself by any means - but as for her missing friends... it was hard to say. Were they still alive, or were they already gone forever, bodies unceremoniously left to the mercies of the untamed wilds she'd seen while flying over the Pulsian landscape-- or worse, turned Cie'th, consumed by despair and the desire for the unattainable, wandering aimlessly in eternal pain ( ... )
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