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[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[Squall didn't understand it at all. This sort of letter from Cid... Welcome back? Time Compression? He'd thought they'd finished with all this... Hadn't that been what Matron had said? That there was an end? ...He didn't know anymore.

What he did know was the letter said to go see Cid. If that was the case this time couldn't be too far removed from his own. ...Unless this was a different Cid. ... ... ...He didn't even want to think about it.

He just wanted to understand what was going on. That and get back to Rinoa and their friends. His Garden.

To that end he read his letter one more time before folding it in half and making his way across the main floor lobby towards the elevator. If he stared a bit at things as he went, it couldn't be help. So many things looked the same, but just as much so many things were different. Different people certainly. He didn't know any of those he was passing by...]

Comments

[noras-boy.livejournal.com]

[Hope had just found his new schedule and was wandering around reading it. He was vaguely walking towards the library, wanting to get some preliminary reading done. He couldn't help feeling a little excited.

He saw the guy looking not quite lost, but confused. He looked older than Hope, but... He knew that look. He had been wearing it himself only a couple of months earlier.]

Hey... Are you okay?

[turnip-rage.livejournal.com]

[]

Something wrong, Commander?

[rebellingheart]

[Speaking of familiar people, Rinoa's getting off the elevator with an armful of books when she sees him. Thankfully there's nothing too important in that lot as she promptly drops most of them.]

Squall? [She heads over toward him, squinting as she looks him over carefully to make sure he's okay.] What happened? It's like you just vanished! Quistis and I, we've been looking all over for you.

[20 years have supposedly past for him, but here Rinoa looks pretty much just the same as she always has despite being a year older.]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[OHMIGODOHMIGODOHMIGOD]

[Squall has picked up a follower, a wide-eyed girl who's fallen into step behind him without even realizing it because oh god it's Squall!]

[dumpsterdives.livejournal.com]

[ Kiden hasn't exactly been at Garden for a very long time--barely a day. She's been outfitted with a schedule, a dorm room, all the bells and whistles she'll need for her life here and then sent out, for better or for worse. Mostly for worse.

She's located some cigarettes and has settled down for people watching. A young man goes by; he can't be older than Bobby, she thinks, and he seems just as weathered. He has the same lost look in his eyes that the others have (the ones affected by that fucking 'Time Compression' business) but walks with more purpose.

Curious, she watches him pass, gently puffing smoke rings. ]

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[He glanced at Hope. He didn't recognize this kid at all...]

Yeah. [...] What year is it? Do you know?

[Cid hadn't really included that. Was he in the past, future or some alternate parallel world here?]

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[There is a long moment of staring]

Who are you?

[turnip-rage.livejournal.com]

[]

Uh, Espio? I've been here over a year, and I'm not the most forgettable person...

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[Squall's eyes widen in surprise when he hears that voice, but almost immediately he feels more at ease. Rinoa's here. And Quistis? A part of him he didn't even know had been tensed relaxes.

Putting a hand on his hip he shakes his head.]

Have you? [...] Rinoa... What's going on?

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[For a while he just keeps walking, but... even he can't keep ignoring this. Stopping he turns around.]

Why are you following me?

[noras-boy.livejournal.com]

Oh. Um.

[Ah. Small detail. Hope really didn't know what the year was here...]

Sorry, I don't actually know. I've not been here very long and... I guess I haven't had to write a date yet.

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[On the one hand. Smoking's not allowed in Garden. On the other hand... what does he look like, the Disciplinary Committee? A bit of staring before... you know what, screw it. He needs some answers, this is driving him crazy. He walks over.]

Do you know what's going on here?

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[...A year. Is he supposed to know this person?]

Do you know the date?

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

S-sir!

[Her effort at a proper SeeD salute are lacking, but it's a pretty darn good effort for someone who's never taken a Conduct course.]

S-sorry, sir. I've.. I've seen you once before and it made an impression. I didn't even realize I was... following you, sir.

[turnip-rage.livejournal.com]

[]

...sure. []

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[Squall glanced down. No date... He held up his letter. He had seen some other people with these so... this couldn't be that strange. Right?]

Do you know anything about these?

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[Bit of a stare... But he salutes back.]

We've met?

[Because she doesn't look familiar at all... Does this have something to do with Time Compression? He is so lost.]

[noras-boy.livejournal.com]

[Hope takes a look at his welcome letter.]

That's your welcome letter. It's basically... well you get an explanation of what happened. Then they sign you up for your cadet training.

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[...] What!? You're sure!?

[That's twenty years in the future, that's insane.]

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

It's normal for people to show up here and get one of these?

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

Ah... no sir. I've just seen you. Through a window when I was a little girl. It was in Dollet, when Galbadia occupied it and the city hired Balamb Garden to deal with them, sir.

[Just a little to do with Time Compression, yes.]

[turnip-rage.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure.

[]

Uh... you didn't just get here, did you?

[paradoxdestined.livejournal.com]

[Stare... Dollet... But that was only a couple months ago. Just how misplaced in time is he?]

[...] Do you know anything about the status with Time Compression?

[rebellingheart]

[She's heard of this happening before and it's even something that's happened to their group before, with Zell. At the same time this, with Squall, well... TC's never hit closer to home.

Once again Rinoa finds herself wishing she could curse Time Compression for everything it's done to her friends.]

You don't remember, do you? Quistis, you, and me... we've been here in the future for almost a year now. Then you disappeared almost a month ago without a word.

[She takes a step closer, not really sure how to take this.]

Now you're back and it's like you don't even remember having been here! [In a rare show of temper, she stomps a foot crankily.] Oh I hate time compression!

[Later she'll probably realize that it's for the best, after all maybe they can start things over.]

[gunblade-grrl.livejournal.com]

[She hasn't even properly registered his age, yet. A hero never ages in the mind of the one who idolizes him, right?]

[In the meantime, is this a test? She barks off answers like a recruit being interrogated by a drill sergeant.]

It comes and goes, sir! It does not affect the entire world at the same time, but it can have localized effects which can cause a loss of time, transportation in time, or displacement across worlds, sir! It is responsible for the large number of off-world students currently enrolled in Balamb Garden, sir! Most recently it has caused several people to disappear and reappear, delaying the start of class, sir!