Claire Claire looked up, a neutral expression on her face, her fingers absently played with her iPod, running over the wheel and over to the headphone cord, twirled around her wrist. She'd been thinking... about everything that had happened so far today; she'd reached in her bag and taken the pills she was supposed to take before bed every night when Jaden was in the bathroom, but they weren't helping her yet. "I..." she began quietly, trying not to feel bad that he was sitting on the floor. "It's just... hard, you know?" Claire sighed. "Every night... the only way I can go to sleep is by crying. My parents would get so upset because they would hear me; they were just worried the neighbors would be able to listen and wonder what was wrong. But... I would just ball until I was exhausted and pass out." She picked up one headphones and slipped it in her right ear. Claire had a playlist for nighttime, and the first, usual song played softly. She drew her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "I know we've both said this already," she whispered. "But this is odd... and I'm sorry. I feel like... if I could be better at talking and smiling and flirting... like all the other girls, you'd be more comfortable around me." Her eyes filled with tears, even though she didn't want them to. It's odd, having someone see me cry, Claire thought, blinking furiously. "I want to be happy," Claire managed, her lips quivering to a tiny, pitiful attempt at a grin; it just looked like she was in pain. "I really do... and I'm sorry you're stuck here with me." Her thoughts clouded over, drowning her ability to speak, and she shut her eyes, a small sob escaping her lips. She wanted to apologize again, but couldn't; all she could do was cry.
Claire "Don't worry," Claire said calmly, though her mind was processing all the information he'd just said. Parasomnia, she thought, getting a feeling for the word in her mind. It sounds like something that can be fixed, with help; why would anyone deem someone insane for one small problem like that? She shook her head, remembering that she had started a sentence he was waiting to hear the end of. "Don't worry about keeping me up, I mean," she reiterated now. "I can sleep with my headphones in; it helps me clear my mind and rest. Part of my... medication is a sleep inducer, but I've been taking it for so long it doesn't help or hurt anymore. So music is my solution you kn-" Claire suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth, amazed at all she had said; she'd never spoken aloud to anyone, not even a family member, about her "treatment" or problem. How was it, all of a sudden, when he's just spoken a little bit about himself, that she'd just opened up and talked so casually? It had amazed her into silence and extreme embarrassment; it had always been deemed shameful for her to talk about herself; her mother and father had always had the attitude of "if you don't speak about the problem and ignore it, it isn't there." "I'm sorry," Claire began suddenly, speaking through her fingers. She turned around, trying to push aside her sudden, confusing burst of emotions. "I guess... I'll go get changed." She walked as quickly as she could into the bedroom, immediately going to her bags and pulling out the long shirt and shorts she usually slept in. The bathroom in the large bedroom was also big enough, and, after closing the door behind herself, she changed as quickly as possible. Claire glanced at herself in the mirror; she always wanted to wash herself out, wearing bland, neutral, boring colors so she wouldn't draw attention to herself at all. It wasn't like she went out much anyway, but... the big, plain white t-shirt and light grey shorts were something she was comfortable in... despite the fact that her skinny, white legs were showing. I hate my legs, she thought, frowning at herself in the mirror. They're so boring and ugly; there's a reason why I always keep them hidden under jeans. Every part of me... I hate it all... Claire sighed, ran a hand through her long hair, and exited the bathroom. She went to sit on the left side of the bed, her iPod and headphones still on the pillow where she'd left them earlier. Claire glanced outside the window over the bed, amazed at how it had gotten even darker in the last few minutes. Blacker already, she thought sadly. But the night is good; everything is simple in these colors.
Claire Claire bit her bottom lip, looking down at the floor. See? she thought immediately. He doesn't like you; the bed is big enough, and so is the house, but he doesn't want to be anywhere near you, let alone try and have a relationship with you. You had your chance, Claire, and you blew it. Don't even try to get his attention again. She glanced over Jaden's shoulder at the window of the second floor of the house; it was already dark outside, the smoky remains of the sunset still clinging to the horizon. It seemed like the entire day had gone by so fast, nighttime already arriving; for a day that was so stressful and eventful for her (and for Jaden as well, she imagined) Claire found herself amazed it was already over. "I don't want you to have to do that," she whispered, but wasn't surprised that her voice was so quiet without her willing it to be. She crossed her arms over her chest, putting her head down so her hair fell in front of her face again. "The bedroom... it's fine... for us... I mean, you don't need to..." She cleared her throat, floundering. "Why is it you don't sleep?" she finished weakly.
“What your brother and father taught you.” Again, Sephiroth phrased it as a fact with something more behind it, not a question. Aveline nodded. He put his elbow on the arm of his chair, his gloved hand tilted up to rest his cheek on. He stared at her evenly, as if she were supposed to speak next, but Aveline had no idea what to say. He sighed again, and Aveline could tell now that he was getting exasperated with her. “Are your brother and father certified, trained SOLDIER instructors at Shinra?” he asked, staring hard at her now. Aveline shook her head slowly. “Do you know all the details about how one even achieves higher classes?” “No,” Aveline said aloud, biting her bottom lip. “It’s Mako, child. The only ‘training’ you received was from your family… that doesn’t want you… that is disappointed in you.” He stopped here, and Aveline finally understood. She didn’t want to, and it hurt more badly than any hit or defeat she’d taken from Drey and her father in combat. “It’s a joke,” she began softly, looking down at the floor, the tears in her eyes furious ones now. “The strings they pulled to get me into Shinra at all… the bullshit training they gave me… I was never meant to be SOLDIER, or to aspire any higher than I’ve already gotten.” ----------------------- Lightning tensed at the boy's last statement, fresh anger rising in her chest. Who the hell does he think he is?! she screamed in her head, her nails digging into the sides of her skirt, her back straightening with the new tension in her muscles. I'm first class, damn it; Zack and I worked so hard to get here and this kid comes in and thinks he can beat me after knowing me for an hour? I should beat him down now, take that stupid sword from him... put him in his place right from the start. But she knew she shouldn't; causing even more of a raucous in the Midgar streets at this hour would bring complaints, and Zack would never forgive her if she shamed SOLDIER in any way tonight. "Lent," she started suddenly, turning swiftly on the spot. "Meet me in the SOLDIER training rooms at 9 a.m. You can bring your sword, but you won't be using it. Understand?"
"No," Lightning sighed, as if the answer were obvious. "I don't fight an opponent I don't know everything about. That much should be obvious." She put her weapon back in its sheath, flexing her hands slowly. "Keep your damn sword; I don't care if it's against the rules." She turned around, placing her hands on her hips, still catching her breath. Lightning looked up at the night sky, completely black and void of stars; she knew that there were plenty up there, shining down on them, but with all the city lights and constant glow of Mako from the reactors, there was no chance of being able to see anything but black nothingness.
Lightning caught each strike easily, countering at first with just one hand on her weapon. She held her ground when he locked his blade against hers, and she placed her left hand over her right for more support. I don't get it, she thought, digging the heels of her boots into the ground to keep her balance. Magic with no Materia... someone would have told me about this before assigning him to me. It doesn't make sense. Lightning, for one of the first times ever, found herself questioning the order she was given, and it made her stance falter; her arms began to shake and her sweaty palms were slipping on her sword hilt. She let out a cry of frustration and spun her blade away from Lent's, taking a step back. "I said explain," she gasped, flicking her wrist to fold up her gun-blade now. "Not reiterate. How can you do that... with your hands?"
Lightning gasped, thinking quickly; she pushed back on the ball of her right foot, sending herself flying backward and out of the line of fire. She landed a few yards away, the tip of her gun-sword scraping loudly on the pavement through the action. Breathing heavily from the shock, she tried to calm herself, eyes narrowed, weapon still ready. "What the hell are you?" she growled, eyes narrowed. "Explain... yourself... now."
Lightning exhaled slowly, clearing her mind in half a second: a target, a goal to reach; that's all that matters. She took three easy, fluid steps forward, her smaller blade catching Lent's bigger one, but Lightning didn't put all her strength in her arms; one quick sweep of her right foot and she'd knocked Lent's left leg out from under him. She grabbed a handful of his hair on the side of his head while he was off-balance, pulling him down swiftly to the dirty pavement. Once his back hit the ground, her boot was on top of his swordarm's wrist, pinning it down. "You're slow," she hissed, her fingers starting to sweat; she wouldn't be able to hold him down by his hair and wrist for long. "Slow and cocky, kid."
Lightning ground her teeth, still frustrated by his attitude. "You stupid kid," she snapped, tightening her grip on her sword's hilt. "That's not the point; you're not allowed to have the damn thing." She paused; she didn't care about his background, his life, his family, or anything like that; if she had to teach him all she needed to know was his battle skills and his common sense level... and there was no reason in wasting time, either. "Here's the deal," she continued, widening her stance and bending her knees slightly. "Show me you know how to use the weapon well enough... and I'll let you keep it."
Lightning took the sword carefully, weighing it in her hand. She looked it up and down for a moment, from the end of the hilt to the tip of the blade... and sighed. This is different, she thought. Lightning handed the weapon back to the boy, the sword feeling too odd in her hands for her taste. She moved her hand behind her back, closing her fingers around the hilt of her weapon in its sheath. A moment later Lightning had her gun-sword in her hand, and, flicking her wrist easily, extended the blade out to its full length. "You think you're good enough to have a custom weapon like that already, huh?" she said sharply.
"I..." Lightning began, and then stopped, thinking: If I'm supposed to make this kid better, I should learn more about him; it doesn't make any sense to claim to be better than him if I'm missing vital information. There's a reason he's been assigned to me like this, whether I like it or not... he's gotta be good. "It's Lent, right?" she started again, turning to look at the boy. "What's your weapon?"
Lightning looked around; the streets were practically empty and dark enough that it was getting hard to see; the cobblestone roads were wide and clear enough, and tall street lamps made certain that things were well-lit in certain areas, but this street wasn't that bright at the moment. "I don't care what you do," she said, not looking at Lent. "I've got nothing for you to do right now, considering it's almost one in the morning. But you don't look like you're tired at all."
Lightning crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine," she sighed. "I get it. Just know this from the start," she added, her tone immediately getting more vicious, "I'm not a teacher; I'm a fighter, first class SOLDIER. If you have a question, ask; if not, just watch and shut up, understand?" She sighed, looking up and blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes. This is ridiculous, she thought angrily. What am I supposed to do with him now that I'm stuck with him?
“Wrong,†Sephiroth countered calmly. “You do not have conviction, motivation, or grit; you are annoying and stubborn and naïve. You may have hatred, but that is not strength, and you will not attain it with just that emotion, either.†Aveline angrily opened her mouth to counter, but Sephiroth continued swiftly, “For instance, it took you much longer than necessary to observe and analyze your surroundings when you woke; a real SOLDIER member would have known within five seconds what the parameters of the room were, available exits, the time of day, weapons within reach or close by, and the physical condition of their own body. You…†He paused and sighed, glancing over at Aveline. His expression did not change at all when he observed her face was now covered in tears. “You,†he continued, “failed miserably at all those fundamental tasks that should have been second-nature to any proper fighter… in fact, you still haven’t achieved those basic, yet vital bits of information that are key to your survival.†Aveline sniffed, rubbing her bandaged hand over her cheeks, soaking up her tears. She was silent for a moment, eyes now on the floor, before she began, uncertain: “I… I was never taught any of those things. A capable fighting stance good for all situations is-†“There is no one stance fit for all,†he cut in smoothly. His tone was still calm, eloquent, and polite enough, but Aveline felt as though he was shouting in her face, just like her brothers. “You know so little, child.†Aveline ground her teeth. “That’s why I went searching for you. It’s not my fault; I only know what they taught me.†Lightning scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You're kidding me," she muttered under her breath, and then shook her head. She looked over toward the door where Zack and Cloud were. "Looks like you boys are going to be busy for the rest of the night," she said loud enough for them to hear. "I'm guessing I'll see you later, then." She turned again to look at Lent, scowling. "You," she started, grabbing the boy's shoulder and steering him toward the door. "Let's go... now." Lightning pushed her way past Zack and Cloud, half-shoving Lent in front of her. She walked a few steps away from the bar and then stopped, pushing the boy away from her roughly. "This isn't a joke, right?" she snapped, trying hard to keep her voice low and calm. "You better not be messing with me, kid."
Aveline swallowed, tears forming in her eyes. She stared at the man across the room from her, hot, frustrating sadness rising in her chest like heartburn. “You don’t know me,†she snapped, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, grunting at the lance of agony that ran down her knee. The bandages on it were thick enough to double the joint’s size, and she found it hard to look at. She sat up carefully, keeping her torso as straight as possible. She made to stand, but Sephiroth put up a hand, catching her eye. “Enough,†he began, his tone dangerous and low. Aveline halted her movement immediately, finding it hard to hold the eye contact. “Enough defiant stances and stupid shows of strength; they only hinder you further by the end of it.†“I don’t understand,†Aveline stammered, blinking away her tears. “You said you wouldn’t help me… that I was pathetic. Why save me?†“Your knee isn’t broken,†he replied dully, turning to look out the window behind the chair he sat in. “But it is fractured slightly on the outside. A silly injury from a careless mistake.†She hung her head, looking down at the bandages. He’s right, she thought miserably. Of course he is; he doesn’t need to know me to read me like a book. I’m a sloppy fighter with no real motivation or careful training. I want to be like him, but I can’t. Maybe it’s because I’m a girl, I don’t know. But I do know he’s the only one that can make me better, and I won’t take no for an answer. “Just let me explain,†Aveline began, her voice much more steady now. “I hate everyone and everything; all I want to do is be stronger. After everything I’ve done, all I’ve been through, I know that strength is the key to success. And I can only achieve strength through proper training. I can’t be properly trained without defiance, conviction, motivation, and grit. I have all of those. All I lack is a proper teacher.†Lightning sighed, shutting her eyes for a moment; this kid was supposed to be trained by her? Someone that obviously didn't take his job seriously or care about respecting her at all? She did not want to believe it, but... an order was an order. She folded her arms over her chest, swallowing several rude retorts that wouldn't solve anything. "What was your name, kid?" she grumbled, but half her attention was on Zack; she knew that whenever he got a phone call where he spoke very little it was important and meant business.
Aveline awoke with a scream coming out of her mouth that she didn’t remember taking the breath for. She winced, and opened her eyes: the left saw nothing but a white sheen, and the right saw an old encrusted ceiling, covered in dirty air vents and molded tiles. She put a hand up to her left eye, working through the pain of moving her arm… and gasped: her hand was bandaged, covered in soft gauze and cloth. Touching her eye, she found it was also bound in the same material. My knee, she suddenly thought, fear rising in her throat. Please don’t let it be shattered; if it is, I’m out of commission for who knows how long and then- Cutting her own thoughts short, she tried to sit up and look at herself, but a sharp pain exploded in her midsection, and she fell back down on her back. “Don’t do that; broken ribs can’t be bound in place.†Aveline’s heart stopped, but her thoughts were racing. He’s here… with me? So he didn’t leave me in that puddle. And my wounds… why? She turned her head, just realizing it lay on a flat, lumpy pillow. The pillow was on a small bed, in the middle of a tiny room, empty of anything else but a chair on the opposite side with several boxes piled next to it. “You,†she began, and then coughed, speaking aloud producing a mouthful of phlegm and dried blood. A moment later, she continued, “you… caught me? Why?†The first class SOLDIER did not look at her as he rolled his eyes slowly. “A child like you does not belong in SOLDIER. I know of your family and its history; everyone at Shinra does. Your brothers do not keep a secret of their frustration, and neither does your father. You reaching third class was only achieved through bribery, not your skill… or lack thereof. Your ambition is not enough to achieve what you wish.†Lightning cocked her head to the side, confused, thinking for a moment. "You're... referring to me?" she began quietly. Yes, this SOLDIER boy was a cocky goofball, someone she couldn't stand talking to, but... she was sure he knew better than to joke about something like this. "Assigned... how?"
Taralynn nodded, more excitement rising in her. It wouldn't be hard for her to find the ghosts, and none of them would run from her, either; she couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when she banished them from their homes. "Right," she said aloud. "So... shouldn't we be off to class soon?"
Aveline felt something pushing against her head, a hard pressure that was surprisingly painless. She tried to open her eyes, but found she couldn’t feel any part of her body; she was surrounded by grey, cushiony pressure; an unknown force was both supporting and crushing her at the same time. Am I dreaming? she thought. Dead? I don’t know… Suddenly a loud, harsh voice rang through the emptiness, breaking her worried thoughts: “You’re embarrassing; mother never meant to have you, you know. Father was so upset when you were born as a girl that he left the hospital… didn’t see or speak to mom for a whole week. Why’d you have to bring so much trouble to the family, Ave? Everything was fine: work, money, schooling, ranking, political favor… it was perfect. Then you came along and fucked it all up.†Aveline could hear her eldest brother’s voice but couldn’t see him; she knew when this conversation took place: four years ago before she’d even achieved third class. Drey was always the hardest on her, being twice her age, but he had never been this vicious in an argument before. No, he had never apologized for what he said that day, and he never would; in fact, the comments only got worse. Aveline heard herself respond: “I’m trying, Drey. It doesn’t matter if I’m a boy or a girl, I can still do this-†She wasn’t physically aware of the smack to the side of her head she knew was coming, but it hurt nonetheless. Drey sparred with her often, was one of her main teachers (along with her father) for the last fifteen years… but she knew she never lived up to their expectations. “You can’t do anything, Ave. You try, and you fail. That’s just the way your life is.†Aveline felt anger boil up inside her, the feeling she always experienced when she thought of her family. No, she thought, trying to steady herself. I can’t be dead; I have to be dreaming because I’m not finished with them. I’m going to get to first class SOLDIER, find my father and Drey… and kill them. She pushed against the pressure holding her body, trying to stretch her arms, her legs, anything she could manage to break free of what was binding her. Pain began to blossom in tiny pinpricks all over her left eye, palms, and right knee. Then she began to remember where she’d been before her brother’s voice began chastising her: the dark alley, the five anti-Shinra men, the beating she’d taken… then… Sephiroth-- Lightning's eyes narrowed, a deeper frown setting on her face. Zack was right; they did have to go, but this boy got her curious. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she snapped at him. "Explain yourself."
Well thank you! :)
“You don’t… understand,†Aveline insisted, moving herself up on her forearms, her one open eye defiant and strong. Her head was spinning, but she held herself steady. Years, she had been looking for him, finding nothing, and now… he was two feet from her. “I just watched you get yourself beaten almost to death, despite your ranking. What don’t I understand?†He made to stand up, but Aveline reached out, catching his gloved wrist, her blood-covered hand squeaking and slipping as she tried to hold him still. “Sephiroth,†she whispered, forcing herself to sit up further. Her knee screamed under her and her head swam so badly she couldn’t help but let a whimper escape her lips. I’m not coming this far, finding him and speaking to him, just to have him walk away because I look so pathetic. “Sephiroth,†she started again. “So you do know me,†the first class SOLDIER responded evenly, pulling his arm out of her weak grip. He moved back slightly, rising to his feet as he watched her struggle to speak and stand. “Why are you looking for me?†Aveline spat out a mouthful of blood and rolled herself over, biting another hole in her split lip as she swallowed the pain, till she finally sat back on her bottom. Biting down again to keep herself conscious through the blinding agony that was racking every bone in her body, she crouched, bent, swallowed… and stood. She could barely hold her balance with nearly all her weight on one leg, but she stayed steady nonetheless, swiping her hair off her dirty face with one hand. “My name is Aveline, third class SOLDIER. Sephiroth… train me.†The tall man in front of her cocked his head to the side slightly, frowning. “No,†he said shortly, and turned to leave. “I won’t beg,†Aveline snapped, trying to keep the tears of pain and desperation out of her voice. “I told myself… when I found you… I wouldn’t beg. But I will fight; you’re going… to help me…†Aveline faded off, though she wanted to say more: her vision was blurring and the ground was rocking beneath her. She couldn’t let him walk away, not now. All her remaining energy was being used to focus on his face, his expression, his reaction her to words… but his face stayed the same. She found herself wanting to beg, to plead, to fall down and grasp his coat crying till he listened to her, but she refused. She clenched her hands into fists, the scrapes there smarting, but the pain wasn’t enough to keep her awake. She felt herself slipping away, and the last thing she remembered before darkness was the rough smell and feel of leather on her cold skin. Lightning smirked, though the slight smile did not reach her eyes. "Have you learned your lesson about speaking to me now?" she said coldly.
