[Action // Various places around Garden.]

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[Serah never would have expected waking up to feel so weird, but this just didn't feel natural somehow. Having trailed one hand down her arm experimentally, she gave an absent little half nod at the feeling of flesh and not crystal under her fingers. None of this felt real, so maybe it had all been a dream? It couldn't have been though, the reassurance that was her engagement necklace stood as solid proof to that. Still she couldn't help but check her arm just to be sure, and to put any last doubts to rest.]

My brand! [She gasped out loud, hand flying to cover her mouth in shock.] What happened to it? [She traced her fingers down the strangely white marking on her arm thoughtfully. Just what did it mean? She didn't remember reading about anything like this in the history books.

Looking around her at the rather unfamiliar walls and corridors she couldn't help but shake her head in dismay. Even in her wildest dreams where she actually came out of crystal stasis, she'd always figured that Lightning and Snow would have been there waiting for her. She'd certainly never imagined waking up in a strange new world without them that's for sure! With letter and course catalog in tow, both read (or partially skimmed over in the case of the catalog), she then headed out to see just what all this supposed school had to offer. Though for all she knew, this could just be some really weird stasis fueled dream.]

[ooc: Feel free to bump into her in the halls or well anywhere on garden really, just put where you want the meeting to take place in the comment title.]

Comments

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[Let's face it: There is only one man that could possibly be, wandering down the hall -- even if he is crossing her path sideways in the distance, flipping through some sort of ledger with a frown.]/small>

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[Sadly Serah is more interested in the architecture than the people in it so this first reunion is going to start off more comical than touching. After all, what happens when an easily move object bumps into a not easily moved one? The easily move one gets knocked backwards onto her backside that's what.]

W-woah! Ow! [Part of her is entirely too happy that her butt's a little sore, because it's the perfect way to remind her that she isn't actually dreaming. Especially when she looks up to see just what obstacle she'd manage to bump into like that.]

Snow? Snow! How can this even be possible? [Really, this was starting to seem like a ream again despite her current relationship with the hard floor beneath her.]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Whoa! I'm sorr-

[Dead silence and dead calm as he stares, the ledger falling out of his numb hands to clatter on the floor. When he does manage to speak, it's only a whisper...]

Serah...

[The last time he'd seen her had been over a year ago, in the small village of Oerba on Pulse -- and that hadn't been her. It had been Dysley yanking his chain. Before that... not since the Hanging Edge Vestige, and Anima.]

[So long.]

SERAH!

[It's a cry of joy and amazement and delight that's loud enough to to practically shake the halls as he drops down to his knees next to her, grabbing her with that perfect sort of mixture of strength and gentleness, pulling her into a ferocious, desperate hug.]

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[The silence as they take a moment to just stare at each other is almost uncanny, but predictably it doesn't last very long. It never does with Snow typically.]

Snow! [She can't get quite the same amount of volume as he does, but the emotions are the same. When he scoops her up she doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him, holding on as tight as she can. Right now if Serah had her way she'd never let go of him ever again.]

It's really you isn't it? This isn't some dream? It's actually happening?

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

It's me.

[He hadn't cried this past year. Hadn't let himself. Every lonely night and every empty day had just been one more he had to pass, to see her again. And now he had.]

[He's crying now, but they're happy tears.]

It's really me, Serah. It's real.

[And he could not be happier.]

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[At his confirmation, her hands tighten into his clothing as the tears that had started to gather slowly start to fall. This was real, it wasn't some made up dream.]

[It's okay, heroes are allowed to cry sometimes Snow.]

I couldn't have believed...I never thought... I didn't know, I-I... [Each time she starts to try and explain, her words just tumble together and refuse to come out. On the third try she gives up and settles for a much simpler statement.]

I love you. [It was whispered and probably kind of hard to hear since her voice was quivering and she'd buried her face against him, but she was sure he'd manage to hear it anyway. Heroes were good like that.]

[He'd better get used to hearing it too, because in those last few moments before the crystal fully took ahold Serah had realized that she didn't say it anywhere near enough. Not to him or to Light. It was something she was going to make sure and fix, now that she just might have the chance.]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[He didn't need ears to hear something like that.]

I love you too.

[As the more immediate emotions of shock and disbelief began to fade, another one begins to surge up inside him -- pure, absolute, unadulterated joy. It grows so immense, so quickly, that he begins to tremble -- and then it's too much to contain. He stands up, lifting her as if she's nothing, laughing all the while, a pure, happy, joyful laugh.]

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[Because heroes are magical and Serah refuses to believe otherwise.]

[She'd never get tired of hearing him say that, each time that he did brought a new wave of happiness and butterflies with it.]

[Snow's laughter has always been infectious and it's not long before she's joining in first just some giggles and then she's out and out laughing through her tears.

Ever the honor student, even then there's a few things she can't help but wonder about, and it doesn't take long for her to voice them to Snow. There wasn't anything she'd hesitate to talk to him about after all no matter how bad it might make her seem.]

I know they talked about time compression like it was bad, but it can't be all bad can it? It brought us here and gave us another chance.

[A chance she'd thought for sure was probably gone for good after the fal'cie had their way. Now look at them! Alive and apparently free from the fal'cie! How was this a bad thing?

Now if only Lightning were... she stops that thought before it can fully start, shaking her head a tiny bit. Wishing her sister was here too would be entirely too greedy wouldn't it?]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

It did.

[And hopefully the Instructor would not get in too much trouble for kissing a student, right in the middle of the hallway, for everyone to see. It wouldn't stop him, though, even if he did.]

[turnaboutmentor.livejournal.com]

[Mia doesn't run into Serah until Serah reaches the hallways. Turning onto a corner, she nearly bumps into Serah. Quickly, Mia peers over her books at the newcomer--] I am so sorry! Are you alright?

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[Thankfully the hallways aren't super detailed here so Serah's mind is at least partially on where she's walking. This helps them avoid actually bumping into each other.]

I think so?. It's really hard to believe I'm not just dreaming all of this though so it's hard to tell. [She smiles at the stranger, worry was no reasons to be mean after all.]

[turnaboutmentor.livejournal.com]

[Mia manages a smile as she adjusts the books in her hand. It's by no means a large pile, though one of them looks quite heavy.] It does feel like a strange dream, doesn't it?

I promise, things get easier after the first few days. You're a new Cadet, right?

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

Especially if you never expected to wake up. [It's muttered mostly under Serah's breath, but there's no reason Mia couldn't have heard her.]

I hope you're right. This wasn't exactly what I'd imagine it would be like going on to university. [She smiles, trying to bring the subject back to lighter subjects.] Is it that obvious? That's right. My name's Serah and I only just woke up here recently.

[turnaboutmentor.livejournal.com]

[Mia indeed hears her, but she doesn't really know what to make of it, so... it'll be tucked in the back of her mind for now.]

It's only obvious to us long-timers. Don't worry about it much! ... Serah? That's a nice name. ["And the name of my best friend's fiancee."] I'm Mia Fey, an Instructor here at Garden.

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[You hear nothing! Serah is all happy all the time an she wouldn't be worrying about things behind the scenes! No ma'am not her!]

Oh good. I was worried there was something on my face or something. [She smiles.] Mia? That's really pretty too. [Really? Your best friend's fiancee is named Serah? What a crazy random happenstance that is! She's an engaged woman too just like this other Serah!] An instructor? What do you teach?

[turnaboutmentor.livejournal.com]

International Law and Criminal Justice. [she pauses, glancing over at Serah's catalog] If you're lost, I can take you somewhere if you'd like. I've got time.

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

Really? I'll see if I can't fit one of them into my schedule when I start working on it then. [She waves the catalog a little bit since Mia was already looking at it.] I'm not lost so much as looking around. This place is really different from what I'm use to seeing. So I thought it'd be fun to go explore it, that's all.

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Her classes had just ended, and Katara was heading back to her dorm when she saw an unfamiliar girl roaming around the halls; it was obvious that she was new, with the way she was holding the course catalog in her hands and the fact that she wasn't wearing the Cadet uniform. Remembering how overwhelming it had been for her when she first arrived to the school, Katara decided to approach the girl and offer any help if she needed it.]

Hi! Are you lost?

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[Pulling her attention away from the building itself, she smiles at the unfamiliar girl brightly.]

Lost? I wouldn't say that exactly. I'm exploring. [While not knowing where she was, but that's just a minor detail.] Everything here is so different from what I'm used to.

[She looks at the other girl closely for a moment.] You're a student here, right? Have you been here long?

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Katara smiles brightly to the new student.]

I am! I've been here about.... [She takes a moment to count in her head; when she's finally done, even she's surprised by the time that's passed, evident with how her eyes grow wide and brows lift.]

I've been here almost eight months now. Wow, I hadn't realized it's been so long...

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

That long? I guess you must be pretty used to things here then, right? How different is it from where you're from?

[Because Serah really wants to know about all these different worlds now that she knows they exist.]

Sorry for asking so many questions, there's just so much I don't know about this world, the worlds that other people are from...

[watertides.livejournal.com]

It's not a problem! Not many people ask me about where I'm from, so it's always nice to talk about it.

[Her expression becomes a little nostalgic when she thinks back on her own world.]

My world is a lot different-- we don't have all these things like computers, fancy buildings, or all the technological advancements. We don't really have GFs or para-magic, either. We do, however, have benders-- they're people who can bend a specific element. Not everyone is a bender, or course. I happen to be a waterbender, which means I can manipulate water and even freeze it. There are a couple of other benders in the school too who are also from my world, and also the Avatar who is able to bend all four elements.

[She takes a pause, hoping that that wasn't too much information for the girl to digest.]

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[Serah listens intently, eyes widening throughout the explanation because whoa that's cool and so different from both the worlds she's seen so far.]

Your world sounds amazing! Do you think you could show me this waterbending sometime? We don't have anything like that on my world. I've never even heard of anything close to that before. Bending must be fantastic!

[Bless her little scholar's heart, it really does pique her interest.]

So, what are the buildings like? How do you travel?

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Katara brightens at hearing such a reception to her bending; it's always nice to hear someone who finds it interesting rather than a curse or a mark of sorcery.]

Sure! If you want, I could show you sometime in the Training Center.

But buildings... our buildings are pretty plain, made mostly of wood. Actually, I lived in the South Pole so for most of my life I lived in an igloo. Buildings made completely out of steel and iron was rare, but not unheard of. Travel wise... well, I guess most people traveled on Buffalo Yaks and other big animals or wagons pulled by animals, but we had Appa to travel around on-- he was a big Flying Bison.

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[Serah wasn't the judging sort, besides it sounded really neat. So why would it be a curse or anything like that? It doesn't sound anything like the brand of a l'cie after all.]

I haven't been to the training center yet, but that'd be really nice.

An igloo? What's that? [She listens curiously, making note unfamiliar concepts to ask about.] Buffalo Yaks? Flying Bison? I don't think we have anything like those where I'm from. I guess they must be pretty big if you could ride on them though.