in between nowhere and civilization {sephiroth/o}

[Lightning Farron]

But inside my head, so loud and clear,
you're screaming, you're screaming
covered up with a smile I've learned to fear--

The Giza Plains were certainly more hospitable than the Estersand, but not by much. The abrasive sand was replaced by scorching sun and canines that waited for their prey to succumb to the heat of the arid landscape. Of course, they gave Lightning a wide berth, as her gunblade was out and extended to ward them off.

Farther along, about a mile out, the dry grassland gave way to more fertile soil and greener plants. Cacti and dried trees became lush bush and shrub, transitioning slowly into the Archylte Steppe of Gran Pulse.

What a desolate place. She'd taken the Steppe's craggy paths up here to Rabanastre, given strange looks to the few people riding Pulsian chocobos in various directions; apparently civilization on Gran Pulse had reappeared with the event. Most were heading the other direction, toward the sea and Costa Del Besaid, and they gave her strange looks right back.

So she was familiar with this desertland, the small rabbits that seemed to have the ability to cast Cure, and the nomadic tribe that made their living off of Sunstones. But she'd yet to experience the plains in the Rains, a monsoon season of flooding that drove the resident wildlife out to be replaced by more vicious, water-favoring breeds. The path was dusty where it led south-southwest, and it could be the mirages but...

Lightning thought she saw someone waking this direction, towards Rabanastre's Southgate and where she stood, restless with want to travel.

Her gunblade at her side for safety, she used her free left hand to block the sun out of her eyes, the better to see through the haze and dust.

[onifuma]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,470,true][bg=EEE6E4][atrb=background,http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e91/TeiyoTeiyo/TEMPBACKGROUND.png] THEIR VOICES CRIED OUT THE ONE WINGED ANGEL - SAVIOR - MERCIFUL GOD AND THEY DID DECLARE HIM - DIVINE Sephiroth had been travelling for three straight days now. His last stop had been in a large beach town called Costa Del Besaid, which reminded him of Costa Del Sol, but a little different. Just like where he was, it was sunny, and the heat was scorching. Not that he could feel it all that badly, of course. His clothes were baggy enough to keep the heat off of him, which was often handy when travelling through terrain like that. Sephiroth licked his lips with a long, slightly pointed tongue, which was quite feline in appearance, like his cyan eyes. He could still taste the sweet flavour of Urstrix on his lips. A devilish smile spread across his face as he spotted the southern entrance of a town. He had heard of the place whilst in Costa Del Besaid. Rabanastre, a town full of pickpockets, thieves, and bounty hunters, as well as the occasional ragamuffin. Of course, his guess was that the whole town was just a pit for rich to keep the poor in, just like the slums of Midgar effectively were. He had heard of the other place, Arcadia, which was supposed to be within viewing distance if you looked northeast of Rabanastre, and he was a little interested in meeting this “Judge Magister Gabranth” that he had heard about along the way. Sephiroth shook his head. Pitiful little place. No need for him to bother wasting his energy against the townspeople. Not many people in this new world knew who he was, as far as he knew, and he would keep it that way for now, until the time was right. Eventually, all would know who their God was. Of course, at that point, he spotted a woman at the gate. She certainly didn’t look like she fit into her surroundings. Sephiroth decided to approach her, his curiosity getting the better of him. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” THEIR CHORUS ANGELIC in a flurry of wings he did descend - taking us to the promised land

[Lightning Farron]

!!!

POST BY LIGHTNING FARRON.

! ! ! !

D I D N ' T I M Y D E A R

DON'T EVER SAY - G O O D B Y E

DON'T EVER SAY - G O O D B Y E

He came upon her far faster than she had expected, thought, or liked. Appearing to be several dozens of yards out at one second, and in front of her the next, the man with long and flowing silver hair that towered over her in a manner not unlike Snow almost instantly rubbed her the wrong way.

Then again, Snow had as well, and look where that got her. So she sucked it up and made an effort to edit her expression from her usual grimace into something a little more pleasant - which did not turn out very effectively - and made eye contact with his cat-eye pupils.

“I don’t believe we’ve met.”

"No, I don't think so either," Lightning responded carefully, sensing a small shred of malevolence under his calm exterior. "Else I would have remembered. You cut an imposing figure."

"Lightning," she started, trying to break the ice, tossing the gunblade to her other hand to free her lead up for a handshake. Formal greeting, sure, but this guy was hard to read. "You are?"

His aura made her nervous.

! ! ! !

AND I'M ONLY HUMAN - SAY I'M ONLY HUMAN.

who will bring me flowers when it's over