01 ☀ ACTION [ Everywhere! Ending up in the Quad! ]

[brightens]

[ The clack of shoes on the floor can almost be heard from around the entire lobby, uneven footsteps laying down an erratic beat of heel against ground. At first, it might sound like running, or maybe even a hurried pace, but the sounds are a little too spaced out. Of course, anyone who can see the sound's originator as she turns the corner can tell that what's causing the noise is, in fact, skipping. And cheerful skipping, at that, accompanied with a whimsical hum. Oerba Dia Vanille is out and about and exploring the Garden, having found herself here suddenly and unexpectedly. ]

[ Waking up in unfamiliar places was starting to become a trend for Vanille; she'd done it once before, waking up in the Pulse Vestige on Cocoon. Now was a little different, however, because even though she was probably even more confused than she had been when that had happened, this time, there was an explanation— in the form of a letter. It had definitely cleared up some of her confusion, but definitely not all of it. At the very least, it had put her more at ease; they hadn't seemed to have been captured by anyone who would do them any harm, but... That was only part of the problem out of the way. ]

[ For instance... Setting the letter aside, Vanille bites down on her lip she shifts a little to prop her hip up enough to pull her skirt up and reveal the brand hidden underneath, afraid of what she'll find— an opened eye staring straight at her, for instance... Certainly not the whited out, scarred-over brand she actually found there. It was a shock, to say the least, but something she could deal with later, when one of the other problems was squared away with. For now ]

[ The biggest part of the problem for her, and in a strange way, possibly the scariest part— where was everyone? Was she here alone? The thought made her stomach lurch as she slipped out of the dormitories, taking a few cautious steps down the corridor. The letter had made it sound like they were safe here, but... She could never be sure, and it was better to be cautious than be sorry later. ]

[ Despite everything, through, it had only taken Vanille a few moments to realize that the people here, much like the people she'd encountered during her and Fang's time on Cocoon, didn't seem to view her as a threat; she'd gotten a few odd look so far, but she didn't mind; she probably did look strange, just like everything here looked pretty new to her, too. They had to be used to people appearing from other worlds, by now, didn't they? ]

[ She was pretty much done with her exploration when she reached the quad, slowing to a stop at the top of the stairs, leaning back to look up at the sky, shielding her eyes with her arm. She sighs loudly, stretching up in the comfort of the sunlight. It felt good to be outside, like the entirety of her exploration was just meant for her to end up right here, inexplicably drawn to the sunshine. ]

Feels nice..! [ She decides with a nod, letting her arm drop down, swinging at her sides. She hadn't been able to find anyone else so far, but... Even with as scared as she was, it was hard not to enjoy a beautiful day like this. ]

( ooc: Vanille will have stopped in just about everywhere on the first floor, so, feel free to pick and choose a place to bump into her! If you don't specify, we'll just assume it's in the quad. Sorry for the TL;DR, by the way..! )

Comments

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[Wait.]

[Is that...]

[From across the quad, an Instructor takes off at a run towards the girl, a broad grin on his face as his long strides chew up the distance between them.]

Vanille! Vanille!

[brightens]

[ She hears her name being called, and turns to look over her shoulder behind her, in the direction it was coming from. Her face brightens when she sees who it is, jumping up in place, stretching her arm up to wave at him before breaking into a run herself to meet him halfway. ]

Snow..!

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't slow down as he gets closer, but that's because he's scooping up the (much) smaller girl into a fierce, happy hug. He hasn't seen her for over a year, after all.]

I should've known you'd show up!

[brightens]

[ Oh, a hug! She's honestly needed one of those since she's woken up, so she jumps up into his arms to return it to him. There's a big feeling of relief coming over her at the fact that someone else from home is here, though she's not aware that she probably shouldn't be too relieved just yet. ]

I just got here! [ She's not sure where 'here' is, just yet, though, only that it's called 'Balamb Garden.' ]

[ But she guesses she did 'show up', huh? ]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

About time!

[He doesn't put her down -- it isn't as if she's exactly heavy to him, after all -- but he does hold her out a little bit to just take in the sight of her again. On his face, that grin just gets broader.]

You're all right. You have no idea...

Just got here, huh? I guess that makes you a Garden student then, doesn't it?

let me know if the recognition isn't kosher, and I'll edit :)

[turnip-rage.livejournal.com]

[]

What are you so happy about?

That's fine! <3

[brightens]

[ The voice cuts through her little moment soaking up sun, and she turns around, trying to find wherever it had come from. She has absolutely no idea that anyone (other from her own world) would have any reason to recognize her at all, so the thought that he might know who she is completely slips her. ]

[ When she finally manages to find where the voice had come from, her eyebrows knead on her forehead, and she takes a moment to stare with a confused look before shaking it off. It's rude to stare! Especially since he'd asked her a question. ]

[ She smiles, placing her hands on her hips and bending forward a little. ]

There's no reason not to be happy when it's such a nice day out..!

Re: That's fine! <3

[turnip-rage.livejournal.com]

Actually, I have quite a few good reasons to not be happy, but we'll not go there.

[]

Just don't disturb other students with your giddiness.

[brightens]

[ Aw, hey, that's not really a good answer. Her smile fades momentarily because of the first remark, and then stays gone with the second, quickly replaced with a pout. ]

[ Time to get sassy! ]

Who says I would disturb them?

>_> Wrong icon sorry

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[It really was a nice day, which is why Serah was currently doing her studying out on the courtyard instead of in her room or the library. Of course, this meant she isn't getting as much work done as she normally would, but somehow she can't bring herself to mind.

She hears the skipping first and then the humming second, closing her book Serah stands to get a better look at whoever was making that noise. The sight surprises her at first, but soon she's hurrying towards the other young woman.]

Vanille? [She hadn't known her very long, but Snow had taken the time to explain most of the events that she'd missed. It'd be nice to get the chance to talk to her again and see if she'd ever cleared things up with her friend.] Vanille over here!

No worries! I do that all the time. XD

[brightens]

[ She'd been so caught up in her moment enjoying being outside that she hadn't really noticed the people around her, even though her main objective for exploring had been to find people she knew. Taking a moment to relax and enjoy the sights wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and it really was just uncanny timing that the moment she'd stopped paying attention, someone else found her. ]

[ Hearing her name, she jumps in place and turns, searching for where it came from. It's a familiar voice, but, not so familiar that she recognizes it immediately. However, when she finally manages to place the person it came from, she gasps— ]

S-Serah?!

[ She doesn't spare any time running over to the other girl. ]

[ex_strongerthanshelo_266]

[She meets the other girl half-way, stopping in front of her with a smile. Now that she's so close it's hard to know how to react. Wave, give her a hug, or maybe just a handshake? Snow said that they were all like family now, but without any memories of her own it's hard to know how to react to things.]

That's right. [She smiles and settles for waving a hand at their surroundings.] Welcome to Garden, I guess? Did you just get here?

[She was sure she would have noticed the other before now if she'd been around for a while.]

[brightens]

[ She skids to a stop in front of Serah with an 'ah,' reaching up to adjust her hair after the short run and quick halt. A lot really had happened since the last time she'd seen Serah, when she'd been turned to crystal, and it felt like it had been even longer since they'd met on the beach. To say it was a shock to see her here, moving around... Not a crystal... Was an understatement. ]

[ But it wasn't a bad shock, either... ]

Ah— yep! I just woke up here a few minutes ago. [ She's so fresh she's not even completely sure where 'here' is, yet, other than what was in the letter, which was why she'd been exploring. ]

You're— [ How does she say... How does she ask? ] You're really here?

[ Probably not to the most eloquent way to put it, but... ]

[turnaboutmentor.livejournal.com]

[It's always nice to see a new cadet feel great about her surroundings. Even more so when it seems that they just arrived. Mia was grading papers in the Quad - the weather was excellent, so she didn't see why she needed to stay in her office - when she noticed Vanille out in the Quad.

Standing up, she gathers her papers before wandering over to her.] It does, doesn't it? I hope it doesn't get cold again.

Sorry for the slowness!

[brightens]

[ Probably they were used to people being a little more... Upset about being displaced. Maybe Vanille should be a little more upset, right now... But it's so nice out. ]

[ Turning, she smiles, nodding and leaning in a little. ]

You can say that again! But I guess that means we should enjoy it while it lasts, huh? It'd be a shame to let it go to waste!

Only if you'll forgive me for being slower! :>

[turnaboutmentor.livejournal.com]

[she nods in agreement] Agreed. The weather's too nice to spend it cooped up inside.

I hope it won't make you late for your next class...?

I think I can do that! :D

[brightens]

Class..?

[ ... It's as if she's never heard the word before. ]

[gyrocopter.livejournal.com]

The sky does look kinda nice, doesn't it?

[When did this stranger show up? It may have just seemed like he appeared out of thin air. Honestly, he's just quiet and lithe with his entrances. Having a thin, light body helped a lot with that.

Goose rose a hand up and shielded his eyes with his hands. Not like it was really necessary when he was wearing sunglasses anyway. It was just a movement out of habit.]

Ain't as good as back home, but I'd sure love to fly up there someday.

Sorry for being slow!

[brightens]

[ She jumps a little, surprised by— suddenly person beside her! ]

[ But she relaxes easily, since they're talking about the sky..! ]

Yep..! It does.

[ She lowers her hand and glances over to him, not needing to shield her eyes anymore. ]

What was it like where you're from?

it's cool! <3

[gyrocopter.livejournal.com]

[Goose's eyes lifted to the clouds above. He was definitely paying attention to the girl beside him, but more with sound association than watching. He'd rather look at the clouds.

They gave him some pretty good memories.]

It's sunny all the time. Never snows, only a little bit of rain. The skies ain't all that windy either. Perfect weather for flying most of the time, so it's kinda fitting for a guy like me.

[A small, wistful sigh escapes from him. He really did miss home.]

[brightens]

[ She giggles. ] That does sound pretty nice!

Being up in the sky like that, though... Seems pretty scary, to me! [ Or maybe she's just a little afraid of heights. Flying in an airship wasn't so bad... Until it crashed. Or got ripped open and they all fell out. But that was a different story..! Things like that don't normally happen! ... Do they? ]

[ It wasn't so bad until you looked down, at least. ]

[ She spins, turning to him in full, extending a hand out. ]

Ah— I'm Vanille!

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[Lightning hasn't been sleeping well. Okay, it might be more honest to say she hasn't been sleeping at all. She handles it her own way, though. She takes walks during the evening, flips through a couple of the books she's picked up for Serah at the places she's visited thanks to missions, and during the day... Well, when she isn't busy with her duties as an instructor, she's almost always at the Training Center.

So, as she's on her way back to her room from the Training Center, she catches a glimpse of Vanille's familiar red hair in the lobby and does a double take. She stops in her tracks, gaze settling on the other girl. Whatever inhibitions she had when she came upon Snow and Serah still remain. What if she's hallucinating?

If she's hallucinating, she can deal with it later. And so, she starts towards Vanille and once she gets within earshot:] ...Vanille?

Sorry for the slow..!

[brightens]

[ She'd been about to skip into another wing when she hears her name called, skidding to a stop. She'd been looking for someone, and it sounds to her like someone else might have found her, first..! She turns around, and gasps when she immediately recognizes the face, the voice... ]

Lightning!

It's okay! I'm slow too. /sob

[ridethe.livejournal.com]

[Lightning lets out a shaky breath when Vanille turns around and it really is her. She can't help but wonder just why everyone is showing up all of a sudden. The look on her face is wary, but the last time she saw Vanille...]

You're here. [After a moment of channeling Captain Obvious, she shakes her head and really looks at the other girl.] When did you arrive?

[brightens]

Ah— just now, I think. [ Vanille locks her arms behind her. ]

[ It hadn't been that long since she's seen everyone, so having them ask when is pretty odd. And it also means they didn't get here at the same time she did. ]

How long have you been here, Light..?