Loss. [Action | Front Gate]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[Not wanting to suck the life out of the quad and not feeling up to training, Snow had found himself a seat on one of the raised planters that held a few small trees and some decorative plants, out past the ID checkpoint in the landscaped area. There he sat, hands on his knees, head bowed, and thought.]

[In his right hand, he held a crystal.]

[As far as he knew... he had lost a sister. And he was amazed how much it hurt.]

Comments

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[Snow isn't gonna force it.]

[If he had any idea of what the word was... but no, he's just waiting patiently.]

[brightens]

[ She needs to force it. She needs to just... Blurt it all out and get it out quickly. ]

She said... She's a Sanctum l'Cie.

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Sanctum?

Sanctum l'cie?

[Not that he thinks you're lying, Vanille, but you just told him something ludicrous!]

[brightens]

[ She knows. She doesn't blame him for being confused... She is, too. ]

[ But she nods. ] That's how she knows... Who we are.

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

But the only Sanctum l'cie in years was Sazh's kid. It was a --

[Wait. What is he saying? He knows of one more Sanctum l'cie, branded secretly and never announced.]

...Dysley.

I'll bet it's HIS smug face behind this.

[brightens]

[ She watches him, not sure what to say. ]

She didn't really tell me anything. Just... That.

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can't imagine she would have.

[He puts a hand to his head, so dazed he can't even maintain the anger.]

It all... seems so far away. Like a dream.

[brightens]

Has... Um...

She seen Serah, yet?

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

We haven't had a chance to talk about it much.

[They had been a bit too busy trapped in Shadow's tale of horrible murder. Lightning might be the source of his bad mood, but it's not the only reason his defenses are uncharacteristically low.]

[brightens]

Yeah, I... Guess not.

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

I asked Cid to help us find stuff out, though. [He's mentioning the Sanctum officer's name deliberately, testing the water's for Vanille's reaction.]

[brightens]

[ Here it is: ] Cid? He's... He's here, too?

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

You haven't seen him?!

[Why is this surprising? Because if nothing else, Cid is only an inch shorter than Snow. How do you MISS him?]

Yes! He got here not long before Lightning.

[brightens]

Ah... Uh-uh. I haven't seen him.

[ She misses a lot of things, Snow, trust me. ]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[Oh, Vanille.]

He's an Instructor too. Seems like a good fit for him.

[brightens]

[ She nods, forcing a smile. ] Yeah... It does.

Do you really think he'll be able to help? With...

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

If she's still part of GC, then, well, he's a high-placed Sanctum commander. That means she doesn't know his real goals. She might trust him enough to listen to him.

[brightens]

That might work...

[ She's not entirely sure, though. ]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

It can't make things WORSE.

[It's pretty much true from Snow's POV...]

[brightens]

I don't think they could get worse...

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

[Whoa, getting too solemn here. He brings up a smile.]

Sure they could. There's no Sanctum l'cie me running around here, right? You see that, you know the world is ending.

[brightens]

[ Okay, she has to laugh. ] That would be kind of scary!

[ ... Snow being as mean as Claire... She doesn't think he could do it even if he was a Sanctum l'Cie. ]

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

Just try and imagine me calling Serah a horrible Pulse l'cie.

[He gives her a moment to do just that.]

Hurts your head, huh?

[brightens]

Yeah, kind of!

But... Maybe... Love conquers all?

[haha-steelguard.livejournal.com]

We're gonna find out, aren't we?

I don't believe any Lightning can not love her sister.