[Thread; Closed]

[animus-concisus.livejournal.com]

Characters: Cid, Hope
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: So two l'Cie walk into a bar The two l'Cie run into each other on the streets of Lindblum.
Location: Lindblum, Theater District
Date: 11th July, 1804
Warnings: None.



It was pointless to deny it: the last few days had upset him quite a bit. It wasn't just the fact that his subordinate and the only person in years he had considered a friend now distrusted him and all but hated him, it was the reason why that was as such. Was Rygdea telling the truth? Did he himself really become Primarch? After his own fight with the other l'Cie, Cid was fairly certain he had either died or crystallized. Likely the latter, from the mere sensation of how it felt. He didn't quite understand it; was it just that he completed his Focus on a technicality? Either way, the only way to be brought back from crystallization was by a fal'Cie, and there was only one fal'Cie who would do that.

Barthandelus.

Once a pawn, always a pawn. Why did he think that fighting against his fate would have any effect in the end? If he really was brought back and installed as the Primarch... Well. There went his reputation. There went the trust of all his men, even if he had technically been betraying them since he had been transformed into Barthandelus' pawn. However, if his men were to hate him, Cid wished they would hate him for the right damned reason. Not because they likely now thought that he was only using them to gain power.

It was nothing but a mess. Cid sighed frustratedly as he leaned back against the bench he was sitting on, staring out upon the rest of the city from the high point he was at. What was he supposed to do now? Tell Rygdea the truth? No, he couldn't do that. For as well as he knew the man, he had no idea how he'd react, and he didn't need any more hatred from someone he had trusted at least somewhat.

And if he himself was ever sent home, he was already locked into this fate regardless. At least, from what Rygdea had said, he had death awaiting him not far off.

Comments

[hopebyname.livejournal.com]

Hope was miserable, anyone spotting the young teenager making his way to a high point of the city would have thought him tired and they wouldn't have been wrong. The kid had been in Gaia for a good few months now. At first it had just been Lightning and himself, and then Snow and Serah had turned up. Hope was insanely glad Serah had turned up when she did in some small way- she kept Snow's attention on her, saving the rest of them from long HEROIC speeches. Or so it felt. It didn't change the fact that the boy wanted to go home.

Madness, sheer madness. There wasn't much back home anymore- more than likely more fights, battles, and countless scenarios of distrust from everyone around them. Yet for some reason Hope realized that he wouldn't mind so much going back to it all. In Gaia everyone was confused, no-one knew exactly what was going on and everyone expected people to just carry on with their lives as normal. Hope tutted under his breath, kicking a small stone out of his path. Nothing was normal, nothing would be. Going home would mean becoming a monster, death or a crystal. And all he wanted to do was go back to Palompolum and make sure his dad was okay.

Another strange turn in his life, his dad gaining more respect when they'd met up during the l'Cie incidents. Not that that had lasted long. Either way, Hope would rather be in Cocoon than Gaia. As quiet as it was, it was disturbing him. Lightning was happy and with her sister, Snow was happy and with Serah too, and oddly enough Lightning and Snow had some sort of a friendship going on (albeit a violent one).

Hope sighed. Being miserable wasn't going to get him anywhere He would just have to talk to more people in Gaia, interact with people from other worlds, and secretly wish for them not to go home before him. Cloud had already gone home, and watching people vanish was not Hope's idea of fun. Also he had to figure out the Eidolons, how they worked, and why it was different here. It would keep him busy for the time being that was for sure.

With renewed vigor, the teenager kicked another stone, watching it ping off the corner of the very bench Cid was sitting on. Hope winced. That was unintentional and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he apologised, not recognising Cid from behind.

"Sorry about that. A stray shot."

[animus-concisus.livejournal.com]

The sound of a rock hitting the bench he was sitting on was enough to break him out of his thoughts. As he heard the voice of a young boy apologizing, he paused; there was something familiar about it. His suspicions were confirmed when he glanced back, seeing the youngest l'Cie out of Lightning's group.

"Your aim with a weapon is, from the little I have seen, much better than that with a rock," he said with a chuckle.

[hopebyname.livejournal.com]

It took a few seconds for the fact that it was Cid Raines sitting on the bench to sink in. And then another few for the comment to follow suit. Great. Hope wasn't sure if Cid was on their side or not after the last time they'd all 'met'. Needless to say it hadn't been a very pleasant experience, and the kid mentally prepared himself to grab his boomerang on the quick if he needed to. He was mostly sure Cid had sort of been on their side, but with Nabaat floating around Gaia it wasn't a conclusion he was willing to jump headfirst into.

"Normally with a weapon I have a focus-" Damn Hope hated that word. "A purpose...target I mean."

[animus-concisus.livejournal.com]

"You give the word more power by fearing it so. Our brands are frozen, are they not? Why not take the opportunity to enjoy this little vacation while it lasts?"

He waved his hand, giving Hope a slight amused smirk.

[hopebyname.livejournal.com]

Hope wasn't even going to go down the path about brands, even though they had seemingly frozen it wasn't something anyone could be sure about.

"A vacation? I've been here months. Most vacations end after a few weeks."

[animus-concisus.livejournal.com]

Months? And yet, he had seen the boy--and the rest of the group--just three or four weeks previous. Alternate timelines. Or parallel. He wasn't sure what the right word to label it was, but it was hardly important enough to decide n now.

"Do they? It seems that I've forgotten." ...And to be honest, he had. Cid hadn't taken an actual vacation or even so much as a break from work in longer than he could remember. "Regardless, you ought to still enjoy the peace while it lasts. Who knows what your fate is back home? For all you know, this could be the last few weeks--months--whatever it be of your life."

He paused again, giving a slight 'heh'. "Do forgive the morbidity, but it is something to think about."

[hopebyname.livejournal.com]

It was confusing for Hope as well; especially when some of the others had come from different points. The teenager had just opted to deal with it if it had become important at the time.

There were a few things he could have replied about. That this place wasn't his idea of a vacation, that sometimes Gaia wasn't the most peaceful place around, and that he was so fully aware there wasn't a set time on his life once he got back home.

Hope asked something different, not willing to get into too deep a conversation with the other for now.

"Well what's the last thing you remember?"

[animus-concisus.livejournal.com]

"Failing to stop the group of you," he answered, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "A shame, but you proved yourselves, for better or for worse. You may be the group to destroy Cocoon, but you may as well be the only group of people to save it. I certainly hope that you follow through with it."

That he was defeated hardly had made him feel better; so much for rebellion, but it may have been for the best. Had he done so, Barthandelus would have likely merely found different pawns to take their places. So in the end, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Of course, that was before he found out that he was apparently resurrected. That particular brand of apathy he was so familiar with was beginning to set in once more.