ばら武士

"Just stay out of my way." I'm Lightning, previously Sergeant of the Guardian Corps Division. Either state your business, or get out of my way. I don't have time for games." [[Semi Private RP blog for Lightning Farron from Final Fantasy 13/13-2]]

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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At the very least it gave the two of them a plan for what to do for the evening. Catching up over dinner was a perfectly fine way to spend the evening in the chef’s opinion. That or just relaxing with a movie or something. Just something… quiet for the two of them to do together, after all they’d been through it would certainly be a welcome experience. With a small smile, he followed the former soldier, taking a moment to admire their surroundings as they walked. Shinjiro had never been to France, but he had always wanted to visit, if more for the culinary experience than the cultural or tourist aspect of such a venture. He knew a few French dishes, but his knowledge of such was not nearly as vast as in other areas, such as varying East and Southeast Asian styles or American.

It was pleasant, just walking with her like this again. It gave the Hierophant a slight feel of nostalgia from when they would walk about New Bodhum with her silver lobo. It hadn’t been a tradition or something they routinely did, more something they would do when bored to catch up given how conflicting their schedules had been back then.

Morion hues gave Lightning a once over as they neared her place, catching the building she pointed out in the corner of his vision. Perhaps it was just him but she seemed… Different, like some weight had been lifted from her or a burden removed. “Hey, Lightning… Did something happen while you were off being Saviour or anything? You seem… different.” He asked curiously, his stride shifted to walk in step with her. He had to be imagining it, that or maybe it was tiredness from all the walking he had done today. Regardless, it had the male wondering about just what had happened in the vast gulf of time they had been apart and how it’d affected his friend.

[bladedrose]

Beryl hues remained fixated forward on the concrete walkway laid out before them, and at first not even showing the slightest hint of registering his inquiry-- though she was inwardly knocking it around in the back of her head as they neared their destination. Different? Perhaps. It was a possibility, given all the hardships and battles she had been put through while trying to save as many souls as possible before the world's end. She had been several places, and seen many different things during those last thirteen days-- so many experiences cramped into such a short period of time... Thinking on it now, it would seem almost bizarre not to have changed even a tiny amount.

"----I suppose it's hard to walk out of all that, and say I don't feel different.. But I do." There's a long drawn out pause then, as she slows down to a halt in front of the apartment building's main set of doors. Her gaze drops to the ground for a brief moment while she's seemingly sifting through her thoughts. After a few more moments the roseate lifts her head to look over to him, with a smile void of emotions on her face.

"To answer your question though.. I feel relieved-- free, even." There was obviously something bothering her about it, though whether or not he could tell she wasn't sure despite what she said next. "--But I feel lost. I know I shouldn't, but it's hard not to be. My home is gone, and so is everything else from my world."

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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He was grateful that she didn’t much mind him having to have the temperature up, hopefully her long past experience with Pulse’s day-to-day weather would help her endure. Still, it didn’t make the brunet any more comfortable with wanting to have his friend endure the environment her usually immersed himself in to keep warm. Calloused hand flexed in his pockets to try and generate some warmth as he motioned for the rose-haired woman to lead the way to her apartment. “Alright, though the offer still stands… I don’t want you to be suffering cause of how I… like to have the temperature.” He’d almost gone and let out what his issue was, but he’d caught himself thankfully.

He was somewhat disappointed that she had already eaten, but Shinjiro supposed it would give them more time to spend alone since they wouldn’t be eating out in public. He had a few items in the fridge at his suite, so he could probably whip something up for himself… “Alright, I’ll just make something for myself and a little bit extra in case you get hungry.” He explained, his posture now finally relaxed somewhat. It would probably be something that would take forever to work out of his system, but he just… couldn’t relax. A decade out in the wilds of that damn desert had left the chef with a… what had Fang called it? ‘Fighting instinct?’ Whatever it was made it a pain to try and relax and full expect nothing was waiting to jump out of nowhere to try and brawl with him.

"Alright then. You can take a nap while I cook. I’ve some alcohol and other drinks for whatever you might want, and running water too if ya wanna take a hot shower instead of nap." He offered, morion hues not leaving her as he wondered if this was not just some figment of his imagination or something else. "Or… I know you’re not that good, but… want to watch me? Maybe you could pick up on a thing or two„,"

[bladedrose]

The roseate gave her friend a small nod before brushing past him to lead the way, but even so for a moment there beryl hues narrowed a fraction at him before turning back towards the paved walkway. There it was again. For the second time within the period they had been talking, he had stopped mid-speech for a brief moment as if he was trying to avoid saying something-- though what it could be she couldn't say. Part of her wanted to be annoyed by this little fact, that maybe Shinjiro was hiding something from her or worse.. But thinking back on it, perhaps it was just an honest slip up? She herself could understand how difficult it could be to stir up conversation with someone you hadn't seen in many years. Maybe that was really the case here.

"--I'd like that, actually." It had been awhile since she'd gotten the chance to experience his culinary expertise anyway, so knowing there'd be something for her whenever she wanted it was something to look forward to. So much in fact that she turned her head for a second, merely to give him an appreciative smile because of the offer.

Everything else he had offered did sound good as well, but really she'd rather just relax and catch up a bit more with him-- even if he was busy cooking himself dinner, or whatever else he chose to do. "I might take you up on that. Etro only knows it's been awhile since I've seen you in action anyway." A bit of silence passed between them then as they continued down the walkway, until she lifted a hand to point out one of the upcoming apartment buildings not too much farther down the road. "It's the one over there, the really faded blue one. Shouldn't be too much longer now."

[alittlecurse-deactivated2016110]

I look youngBut inside I am oldAnd filled with the deathsOf other people.

Terry Moore (via malachimavet)

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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He shuddered at the memory of the spearwoman’s pet. How she had ever managed to tame such a thing was difficult to fathom, but after he’d gone and smacked it with the flat of his ax a few times it seemed to calm down enough. Not that he had ever gone near it again, he enjoyed living — most of the time — a little too much to take gambles like that. Though the former soldier was right in that it was somewhat pointless for them to continue on like this. Shinjiro could remember a very similar argument back when he had stayed at her place for awhile. The chef could fondly remember food being thrown by Fang who had been around at the time, which had gotten him even more incensed. It also taught the statuesque woman never to purposefully waste food around him again. He enjoyed the calm demeanor he often presented, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to scare the shit out of someone to put them in line.

Though, he’d never honestly found himself doing that with Lightning, if only because he had never been necessary. Any arguments they had had been petty and usually over asinine things, such as sleeping arrangements. And while he couldn’t help but blush slightly at the thought of sharing a bed with the beryl-eyed woman, he’d never stoop so low as to try something sleazy on her in the middle of the night. “I’m fine with it, just…” He briefly considered bringing up the condition of his temperature disorder, but decided against it. Pulse had been like living in the tropics and had actually benefited him in keeping his secret… Till everything went to hell. Aside a few members of S.E.E.S, he’d only ever let Fang in on the secret during their five century long ventures together.

"I keep the heat up during the winter, so it might be a bit warm, though I don’t mind lowering it if you’re uncomfortable." He could survive a night without the thermostat set nearly to max, he just knew that he’d end up shivering a bit. Maybe he should break out an extra shirt tonight? Still, the time together would certainly give them a chance to catch up, and share some of their more outlandish adventures from the whole ‘end of the world’ business without getting strange looks. Maybe share a drink like that one time; he had gotten his hands on some premium sake before heading over so there was that. "So, wanna head to your place and get your things, or maybe we could grab a bite to eat first?

[bladedrose]

The roseate was glad to see he wasn't going to further press the subject, and seemed to be fine with the compromise. However, a thin brow did raise when his voice trailed off mid-sentence, and she was tempted to ask if something was the matter or if he had some sudden concerns pop up out of nowhere.. But Lightning eased up when he continued on to mention keeping his heater on relatively high through the winter. "You don't need to worry too much about it, Shinji. It won't bother me at all." It was true too, considering having spent her life along Bodhum's beaches, and then even the time spent venturing through the Pulsian wilds themselves-- which had been far more hotter and humid than most other places she had visited.

As for the invitation to grab something for dinner, she merely shook her head in polite decline. "I already ate, actually. Serah invited me over for just that, besides wanting to catch up a bit more." The whole reasoning for being at her sister's was to enjoy a home cooked meal with what was left of their small family anyway, though dealing with Snow through it all had been pushing it a bit. Lightning knew he meant well because he had been getting cooking lessons from his wife, but the constant boasting during the meal had taken it's toll on her tolerance of him.

"Honestly it's been a long day already, so if you don't mind I'd like nothing more than to get my things and head over to your hotel room to relax." Inwardly she was glad that she only had a couple things to grab, and that turning in the keys to her rented apartment wouldn't take too long either.

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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Her comment surprised him, given that he’d gone and cared for her silver lobo in her absence. Sure it had taken some getting used to, but it wasn’t all that different from caring for a normal dog. You just needed a lot more red meat. Still even if it had been a distraction back then before the world went to hell, there had been a part of him that had missed the rose-haired woman all these years, much like he had with the members of S.E.E.S… Though there was something different about the feeling.

"I love animals, Lightning, just not so much when they’re out to murder me." He joked, remembering just how brutal some of Pulse’s wildlife had been. Not that some of it hadn’t been beautiful to admire from afar, it was just that even the fauna seemed all to eager to kill for it’s next meal. He could understand why some did call it a hell on earth, survival there certainly wasn’t for those without some sense about themselves. "And I’m hardly a hermit… It just took some adjustment getting used to living on Pulse." Sure he had his tendencies to shy away from crowds, but he’d been thrust back into a life he thought forever lost, like hell he was gonna just let it waste away to nothing. Not to mention he’d gone and blown away some of his peers with what he could do now given the ingredients. Surprising how living on another planet could teach ways to mix certain spices together to get amazing results.

He had to shake his head at the thought of her crashing on his suite’s couch. He was rough around the edges, sure, but he knew how to be polite, even if she was rather similar in that sense of not wanting to be pampered. “The couch is fine for me, Light, really I don’t mind. I mean we could share the bed… it is big enough but…” He blushed at the idea, now not sure how to go on that he’d brought that up. Sure he wouldn’t mind sharing, even though she was the opposite gender, but he didn’t want to make her feel awkward. “If you’re ok with something like that I don’t mind but… Honestly, go ahead and take the bed, the couch is more than enough for me, I’ve slept on worse.”

[bladedrose]

He had made a fair point there. Pulse hadn't exactly been the safest place to be, when every creature was out for blood-- besides the sheep and chocobos roaming the steppes, some of which she personally pitied whenever Vanille got her hands on them. She'd heard the younger girl mentioning wanting to 'squeeze them til they pop' once before, and honestly wouldn't put it past her to do it. One of her other companions was worse though, but in the exact opposite way: wanting to keep dangerous beast as pets. "Out to murder you, huh? Just like the first time you met Fang's behemoth?" Well, that definitely had been an interesting day, and Lightning had no doubt he preferred her own small lobo to that gigantic mass of teeth and claws.

Despite wanting to reminisce over the days long since past, she just sighed at how neither of them was exactly willing to let the other sleep on the couch. It would be rather odd to share a bed with someone she hadn't seen, let alone talk to in many years. Then again, it didn't seem like there'd be much compromising besides the point either, since they both could be quite stubborn at times. At the very least, she did trust him enough as well not to try anything-- not that she actually thought he would, considering she knew him to be a gentlemen.

"Shinji, no." The roseate stopped him from continuing on trying to make his point. "It's your place, therefore it's your right to sleep in the bed." A small beat of silence passes then, though she's unsure why she suddenly feels nervous about bringing it up. "I don't.. mind sharing the bed with you, if you're really fine with it." She chose this moment to reach up and adjust her scarf, while clearing her throat in an awkward manner. "----Besides, we could go on all night trying to convince the other to have it, and get nowhere, right? It's better this way I think."

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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Had it been like this for her? Offering a lost friend with no place to go sanctuary while they got back on their feet? The chef had to wonder, but didn’t dwell on it, merely content with the current situation. Truthfully, though he was on vacation, he was still trying to acclimate himself to being back. He couldn’t just let a friend wander alone though, as much as she seemed to want to stick by her sister, something about her attitude made him believe she wanted more than to just play mother hen to Serah for the rest of her days.

It would take awhile for things to work for her if she really did come with him, but he had more than enough room at his place for two, and could very well support them both till Lightning could get a job of her own. “The rest will probably do you good, and even though I’m in a city, it’s by the coast, the air’s mostly clean—” He doubted they could ever find a place to compare to Pulse though. “—and I’ve even got a dog.” He recalled the large silver lobo that the former soldier had had; that he’d kept when so much of her things were lost after her extended absence, and considered the idea that Koromaru would give a bit of a feel to home to her. The shiba was of course much smaller, but Shinjiro was plenty sure he was more intelligent than the rose haired woman’s old canine.

"I’ve still got a couple more weeks here though, work related crap… But if you wanted company, you can stay with me at the hotel, the bed’s more than—" He stopped himself mid-sentence realizing just what he’d almost suggested. "I mean… The bed’s nice, and it’s a small suite, so there’s plenty of other spots for me to rest if you want the bed… Better than being out on the edge of town all alone, right?"

[bladedrose]

There was no denying the rest would be good for her; cause even a savior needed to lay down her weapons sometime, and lead a normal life right? His city sounded rather inviting too -- even more so with the mentioning of a nearby beach. It had been far too long since she had had the pleasure of walking along a shore.. One of the few memories she had of the distance past had been a time on Bodhum's main beach, a couple days before her l'cie adventure had started. Lightning sighed, as shoulders slumped noticeably due to the sorrow she harbored from losing her one true home. This was remedied quite fast though at having heard her friend had a canine companion back home.

"----Oh? I never pegged you as a dog person, Shinji." Or at least, back then he never had been much of one. Then again, lobos were still technically monsters so it wouldn't necessarily count the same in his world. She still missed her lobo of course, but wasn't much that could be done about him being gone now. "Good to know you haven't fully resorted to being a hermit, and at least keep some sort of good company." A small jest to be sure, considering she knew he tended to be a bit of a loner back in the day.

It was nice to hear Shinjiro was keeping himself somewhat busy though with school and work, something she was sure he had missed during his time on Pulse. But azure hues widened a fraction when the male abruptly stopped mid-sentence, causing a faint flush to overtake her cheeks as she cleared her throat in an awkward manner. Right. "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I booted you out of your own bed. A couch would be fine, or even a sleeping bag-- I would just need to get my things from the apartment first."

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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It had been so long that the Hierophant had forgotten that the rose haired woman had this kind of side to her, not that it made the experience any less embarrassing. While it would’ve been nice to run into either Fang or Lebreau, he much preferred this reunion… mostly. He could do without the teasing, but he supposed it was Lightning’s way of getting comfortable again. Shinjiro was pleased to hear her admit to missing him as well, then again, five hundred years of being semi-aware as a crystal statue would probably make someone miss everyone of import to them. At least she’d managed to catch up with her sister, but to have nowhere to really go… The chef admired her sense of duty, but he knew from experience that id didn’t do much for one’s own good to have nothing personal to keep yourself going.

A quiet shudder ran down the brunet’s spine as he tried to repress memories of his… less than intelligent choices back during his high school days. He couldn’t blame himself of the past — he had far from the best mindset or direction, nor had he truly been of the best mental health — still… “Lightning…” He’d been all smiles for the most part, and some embarrassment, yet his lips shifted to a frown for a moment at the thought of her all alone without a purpose. “… You’ve gotta have something you wanna do… Some place you wanna see?” She was new to this world, but it had to have been a couple weeks at minimum since she awoke, so she had to have some idea of what was out there.

"… You could come with me back to Japan if you want…" He had no qualms about having her around while she tried to find a life for herself. It would be difficult with some of his home country’s laws about foreigners, but it helped to have someone who was born there to back you up. "Unless you’d rather go chasing after Fang or someone else…" He could fully understand if the beryl eyed woman took that option, she did know the Pulsian huntress better… But it wasn’t like the two of them hadn’t shared a roof already all time ago..

[bladedrose]

It was a strange feeling being offered to return to Japan with Shinjiro, only in that it reminded her of the past when their roles had been reversed. Back then it had been him with nothing after waking up on Pulse, and she had helped him onto his feet-- even aided the chef in finding him a place to stay, along with a part-time job working under Lebreau at the NORA cafe. Sure, many years ago after returning from Valhalla for a brief period, they had shared his home simply because hers had been closed off when many had thought her dead due to her prolonged absense.. But that time had been fleeting; barely lasting more than a few days before she was whisked off back into stasis to wait the end of her world.

In the end it was funny how things had turned out, though there was still plenty she didn't know about this world. There were many things she could do, like sight-see for one, or even travel over seas if she so desired. But really she wanted to be located relatively close to her sister and friends, not to mention trying to settle down and live a peaceful life for once-- if that would even be possible for one such as her.

"----That would be appreciated, Shinji." Lightning sighed, but still managed to give him an appreciative nod. "As much as I'd like to visit India with Fang and Vanille one day.. I think I've done enough traveling to last awhile, don't you think? Besides, it'd give me time to figure what I want to get out of this new life."

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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So from the sound of it, she was all on her own, just like before. Perhaps solitude was something he had come to associate with the rose haired woman, but it didn’t necessarily mean he liked the idea of it. No one deserved loneliness, even him after all that had happened. Once upon a time he had been firm in his self assurance that he deserved such a fate, that nothing could redeem him from his past sins. In truth, probably nothing ever would redeem him for leaving Miki in the orphanage that night, or how he lost control of Castor and left Ken without a mother… But he could at least try to make himself a better person. He still had the confidence issues, the remnants of anxiety that even five centuries couldn’t fully remove. They were as apart of him as his Persona — Eidolon Fang had insisted on calling it even after all the years they prowled around together after Pulse fell to Chaos — and his passion for cooking.

Still all of that aside, he could only node at Lightning’s question while casting her a curious glance. “Yeah, and —” It had taken him a moment to realize what she was insinuating. “W-Wait! It’s nothing like that, dammit! I was just looking for someone from the other world, not Fang specifically.” If it had been her goal to rile him up, she’d succeed as the traces of a blush coloured his tan cheeks. He scarcely remembered that the older woman had this side to her, that beyond the cold exterior of a soldier she so enjoyed to portray, even she, Etro’s Chosen, the Saviour, was just as human as anyone else.

Didn’t mean she had to go and get a laugh at his expense though. “Idiot.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth, morion hues turning from her as he huffed. “I missed you just as much.” As if he could forget the person who had done so much for him when he was stranded in a foreign world filled with any number of creatures that would frighten off any Shadow. Bar the few hours he had seen her, there was a five hundred year absence of the beryl eyed woman that Shinjiro wouldn’t mind making up, even if for only a few days to reminisce and rekindle their friendship. “So if it’s just a temporary place… What do you plan to do if not stay here?”

[bladedrose]

"Wasn't Fang? Hmm.." She stopped to think for a moment, even letting her free hand gently cradle her chin while in thought although her faint grin didn’t falter in the least. "Suppose it’s probably Lebreau then, since you guys were pretty good friends too." Then again that friendship had only been work related, as far as she knew anyway— the barmaid was a pretty friendly person though, so who was to say if there had been more? "I guess it doesn’t matter much." Lightning decided to drop the subject, as she had easily taken noticed of his body language, and felt that perhaps she had pushed him a bit too much on the first day back.

It was nice to know someone had missed having her around though. For the longest time it had never even crossed her mind, since during the last couple hundred years it had been focused on nothing but being the savior. Sure, she had ran into countless people she knew back then.. but most reunions had been brief, if you could even call them that. Shinjiro had always been one to voice his deepest concerns and opinions, or at least he did so with her and sometimes the huntress. "That's.. Nice to hear, actually. I missed seeing you around myself, if we're being perfectly honest."

A shrug followed her confession however, as her plans still hadn't been decided after staying in France a bit longer. "I'm not sure. The only purpose I had for staying here was to keep an eye on Serah for awhile.. But now that I know she'll be fine, I can at least leave. Where I'll end up going is something I haven't figured out yet."

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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At least he wasn’t alone in the odd sensation that being in this realm brought. For all that he was able to be nostalgic over and glad for having back in his life, it was such an impossible experience that he couldn’t shake some of the uneasiness that came while he slept or woke in the morning. This was still something he was glad for, seeing someone he’d become close to while on Pulse again, but if she was only visiting her sister and borther-in-law-to-be, he had to wonder… “Then where are you living, Lightning?”

He rushed into the question ignoring what she had asked of him. So he glanced away for a moment, as he thought of a means to properly respond. “… I’m on vacation, sort of… I’m technically out here for school, but… I came out here looking for someone from Pulse after some rumors spread about people with ‘memories of another world.’” He cracked a smile as he just stood there, unsure what to really say now… “Gotta say though, I never imagined I’d catch up with you of all people first.” There was a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks as he finally allowed morion hues to fall back on her. What else was there to say beside that?

Only now that there was a moment of silent that he bothered to note just how much her attire had changed. Apart from a few outfits she’d only dare to wear around her home back in pulse, she was always in uniform, always ready for a fight it would seem. But here the former soldier was, dressed in heels and jeans, and neat white buttondown… If it weren’t for her unchanged hairstyle and piercing azure gaze, Shinjiro likely wouldn’t have recognized her. It was nice to see her in something she was apparently comfortable in that wasn’t a uniform or combat garb; to the chef it showed that despite her occasional dismissal of being human, she still was, even if she was still awkward with her emotions like he was.

[bladedrose]

The roseate didn't exactly respond to his question right away, as she hadn't expected the sudden interruption to her own inquiry. Lightning instead merely chuckled softly, and shook her head a bit at how it made a few memories of the past surface in the back of her mind. "There's an apartment building a couple blocks away; the exact opposite side of town from where Serah lives, so I rented a room there for a couple weeks. It's nothing fancy, mind you... Just the essentials." Nothing more than a small kitchen area, a living-room consisting of a single couch and tv, and a bedroom with small closet and an equally small mattress.

Unlike her sister and the others who made up their motley ex-l'cie crew, she had never had a plan once coming to this world. Of course finding Serah had been a priority, but with that already done and being content knowing where she was now.. Lightning had been stalling in France, unsure of where to go. There had always been a sense of something more missing from her life, but she couldn't exactly pin-point what it was---- considering many things from her life had vanished, places and people it didn't matter.. They were just gone.

If anything though, it was nice to see Shinjiro again. It didn't even come as a surprise that he had gone back to school, no doubt culinary courses since he had a pretty amazing gift in the arts of it. The smirk from before slowly returned, while giving him a rather interested look. "Funny how it worked out that way... But you're looking for someone from Pulse, huh?" A brief pause, if only to cause him some sort of suspense. "--I'll be sure to let Fang know how much you miss her, Shinji." Clearly it was a jest, but definitely a shot at him she couldn't refuse to take. They had all been friends before, with the huntress keeping him company more often than not in her own absence.

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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It was still hard to believe that this was real, even though he had had a few weeks to experience it all. He’d gone and had lunch with Akihiko at Hagekure, a few drinks with Mitsuru over dinner — it was apparently a monthly thing for them to do this on her one day off — and had a few of the other old S.E.E.S members stop by for dinner because they ‘were in the neighbourhood.’ Not that he had minded, it was just that… he was living a life he hadn’t ever fathomed of experiencing. He was happy and healthy — save the body temperature thing — was having a successful time at university and was a top rated chef at one of the campus’s restaurants. All things he’d given up on when he’d found himself stranded on Pulse ages ago.

Though to top everything, now it was clear that those he’d come to know, or at the very least Lightning, had survived the destruction of that doomed world and been given another chance here. A chance at normalcy even… or at least what the chef considered normal. He had to imagine a certain spearwoman being quite bored with nothing to fight. “It’s peaceful at least, right?” Sure there were crimes, war, but at least the beryl eyed woman could have some measure of calm to her life; even if it opposed almost everything she had ever come to know. “It must be weird… I’ve gotten to see people I gave up on ever meeting again… It’s nice.”

"… Speaking of which, have you found anyone else since you woke up here? Like your sister or Fang?" He could only imagine that seeing her sister again had been a top priority once she got her bearings, but the world was so big… Hopefully if the former saviour hadn’t she would soon. Shinjiro knew the younger Farron had always been someone that held importance to Lightning more than anyone else.

[bladedrose]

"It can be at times, yes." A small nod was given in agreement while her right had settled itself upon her hip, leaving the other arm to dangle at her side. Most times the peace and quiet was appreciated, as in the past it had been a rare thing indeed to obtain even on her days off-- since people were always dropping by unannounced, or Amodar would call her in for an emergency only she could deal with. More often than not though she hated it. The isolation she found in her small apartment was like a double-sided blade; half the time she didn't mind it and even enjoyed it, other times it was a painful reminder of years spent in crystal stasis before having become the savior.

At the mentioning of her sister, the faint smile on her face grew noticeably. Her first concerned after awakening in the new world was to find her sister -- and Etro forbid Snow -- but thankfully the task had been the easiest. "Serah is fine, as is that idiot of a fiance of hers. They actually live here in France, and I just got done visiting them again." There's another small pause. "As for Fang.. She and Vanille are in India right now. Something about people having saris, and similiar fashions to their clans." The pair were well suited for long travel anyway, so she wasn't too concerned about the length of their absence.

"But enough about that--" It was only now that she allowed her head to tilt slightly as to stare at him curiously, while lifting her free hand to brush a few stray strands of rose hair from her face. "--What are you doing here anyway, Shinji?"

[kimberly-chan-deactivated201603]

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New World Reunion || @bladedrose

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Morion hues couldn’t train themselves away from the sight before him. Truthfully he thought that he was in a dream, but there had been discomfort from the small collision, so that couldn’t be the case. Still, to see the former soldier again, in his own world and not the decayed remnants of hers… it was surreal. “Lightning?” She knew his name, so it could only be her, who else had such shocking strawberry blonde hair that knew him? He had wanted to find someone from Pulse, even the boisterous man Snow would’ve been welcome, if just to give the Hierophant hope, but to find the one person he truly sought first… Maybe it wasn’t best to curse fate as often as he did.

Still, words were lost to him, how did you even begin to confront someone you had only seen once in the last five hundred years? It was even harder to think up… anything, when the last vivid memory Shinjiro had was of him and the beryl eyed woman drinking heavily at a bar and stumbling back to his home. There had been a kiss, maybe two… the memories were so old he couldn’t be sure anymore. Nor could he be sure if there had been anything more to the act… If there was one thing that hadn’t changed in all this time was his ability to properly deal with his emotions… They just weren’t something he was good with… Or likely ever would be.

"… It’s been a long time… Guess the whole Saviour thing worked out, huh?" There was a faint tinge of sarcasm to his voice, but the corner of his mouth curled up in a faint smile. For all the comfort that had come in seeing the members of S.E.E.S again — for them it seemed like it had just been another day — this was different. He’d gotten close to rose haired warrior in the time they’d been allowed, nothing intimate but… she had supported him when he had nothing. It hadn’t exactly been something that had happened to him before. The situation was generally reversed in his case, honestly. "You look… good." Gods that was awful. He rubbed his hand inside his pocket, trying to generate some warmth for his normally cold digits and to kill some nervousness. "So… what’s it like, not having to fight non-stop all the time?" He asked, trying to make some kind of conversation.

[bladedrose]

She was rather quick in straightening herself up to regain her footing, all the while never looking away from him once---- it was hard not to, when you let yourself believe for a long time that everything in the past was gone.. Even him. Oh, it was such a relief all the same to see his face, even if it did bring a rush of memories from many years long past. Some were good, even fewer were bad, and a few were too hazy to recall well or correctly. A couple hundred years would do that to a person though, right? But still, there was no denying they used to have a strong bond as companions, and on the rare few occasions some would probably say it had been more than that. That wasn't true of course. There had been a small spark a very long time ago she inwardly had wanted to explore, but it had been snuffed out just as fast as it had appeared that one night-- with the soldier being pulled away to face her destiny yet again due to Etro's bidding.

"It's been taking some getting use to... But I guess it did." In truth, the whole ordeal had ended up being more complex and complicated than she originally thought. How else could one explain the reasoning behind him being there? It didn't make any sense, but Lightning wasn't about to waste time standing there and wondering about it. Instead she managed a small smile of her own. "You're not looking too bad yourself." There's a small pause as she contemplates his next inquiry, since it definitely wasn't the easiest question to answer after what had felt like eons fighting in Valhalla-- and then becoming the savior to save as many souls as she could on top of that.

With a small sigh, the roseate simply shrugged her shoulders. "I'm honestly not sure what to make of it. It's strange.. I'm not used to seeing no monsters running around, or having some major burden placed on me against my will."

[fractemxarchives-blog]

New World Reunion || @bladedrose

Shinjiro groaned for what must’ve been the umpteenth time in the past week. He could still hardly believe everything that had happened to him, or where he actually was now. So much of it was hazy beyond recollection, but there were moments that stood out heavily among the five centuries of memories. Even though he had lived that long, unchanged by the insanity of what had happened after Lightning’s disappearance and his decision to tag along with Snow — greatest mistake ever — to find her, he still had to take a moment to try and believe it had really happened. 

Regardless, at the end of it all, he had gotten to see her, though only briefly, when she and Fang reunited. He chuckled though as he stared up at sign in front of him, written in bold French. Though he long forgot the language over time, now he found himself fluent in it, completely and utterly fluent. Japanese and some rudimentary English floated about when he thought long enough, though through whatever magick had occurred, he was back… Back on Earth in the same era he had left…

He was a currently a student at a renowned culinary school in Iwatodai, and was on a part-vacation, part-study in a suburb of France. Though in all honesty he hadn’t done much studying for his class and was looking into rumors he had heard about… odd people with memories of another world. And a majority of them had been located in this area. 

He doubted that he would find her, or any of the others that he could recall in the tatters of his old memories, but he had a whole month to burn before he had to be back. Might as well try to find something. And as he collided into to someone considered doing a better job of watching where he was going. He gave a small grunt as he back stepped, just keeping his balance before he looked up, morion hues falling on the person he’d run into. “S-Sorry about th-” He blinked once. Twice. And took a quick moment to consider that this might just be a different version of Earth… cause he never had luck like this back when he was just a high school student and Persona user.

[bladedrose]

France, a city unlike any she could recall from her memories, and a place she had slowly gotten to know over the past couple weeks. In truth it was nothing like Academia, or even Yusnaan for that matter.. It was more simplistic, though some buildings and well known monuments were far from the norm. A sigh passed over peach lips, as Lightning turned her gaze towards the street-side windows to her left as she walked in silence---- peering into shop after shop as if looking for something she couldn't yet place in her mind.

It was bizarre, to say the least. Seeing people go about their day-to-day lives, not cowering in fear of what might lurk in the shadows. There were no monsters, or strange beasts prowling within sight like she had grown accustomed to on Pulse. It was just... Strange. The city itself was overflowing with activity, and yet there was still a shroud of calmness that lingered over it's entirety; something she was not used to. Suffice to say, settling into her new life had been difficult because of the radical differences between this world and her own.

Home...

Beryl hues tore themselves away from the sights around her, and drifted upwards to stare longingly at the sky. The last fleeting moments of her world came to mind, right before it had disappeared forever as her motley crew of friends saw the birth of the new world they'd call home. It would never be her true home though, she knew that.. So many things had been left behind; places she had grown to love, prized possessions, even the graves of her late parents. It was all gone, with no trace save for shattered memories to even prove they existed at all.

A sudden collision brought her back down to earth, as she staggered backwards from the source while barely keeping her balance. The roseate's gaze hardened instinctively-- a defensive trait still burned into her core from her days as a soldier -- while a scowl formed on her face. "Maybe you should watch where you're goi--" The rest of her setence failed to form as she stared dumbfoundedly at who she had run into. At first glance he was almost unrecognizable, but upon looking closer.. "--Shinji?" It really couldn't be him, could it? Surely it was impossible, and yet..

[previousname-isdead]

Am I awake or is this just a dream?

[rea-iam-deactivated20221108]

Cheeb for a weeb. (´ ▽｀).。ｏ♡

[phoeny]

Lightning Returns | ぱぴたん [pixiv]

[clubrelear]

Mermaid Light || (c)