• basically, i'm meant to be dead. [vanille,open]

[Cid Raines]

[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,3px,true] now i see the truth, i got a doubt a different motive in your eyes and now i'm out
[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=padding,2px,true] “Cocoon… Where are you,” He murmured softly, raising his gaze up to the sky even further, drawing a fingerless gloved hand through his raven hair at the same time. A huntress native to these lands had told him that from the open stretches of grass on Gran Pulse, you would be able to see the upperworld, you would’ve been able to see his home world, Cocoon, but now, as he searched, he wondered if she was wrong… but then he had to wonder if Cocoon had been destroyed by the six he was meant to aid in the destruction of Cocoon… or even if him standing by a pond in a steppe was even real. This could’ve been the afterlife, his imagination dreaming up what he thought Gran Pulse would’ve looked like. But still, he had pinched himself and it really did hurt. Which meant that he wasn’t dead, or asleep, but he was supposed to be the former. He could remember, clear as anything, being shot in the head by Rygdea. Cid Raines had requested that his ally end his life, to free him from the hold of Barthandelus, so why, unless he had become a crystal and had just woken up from a crystal slumber, was he alive…? For a moment, he panicked, sliding a fingerless white glove off his right hand to stare at the back of it, before breathing out a quiet sigh of relief while sliding the glove back on. He wasn’t a l’Cie again, thank the skies. But that didn’t solve the problem of getting back to Cocoon. Nor did it answer his question why he was dressed in black trousers and a white tank top, revealing his ever so lanky form and a black tattoo of a dragon on his right upper arm [something he forgot he had since he was usually often clad in his Guardian Corps uniform]. Oh, and he still had his gloves on, though the fingerplates had been removed, found in a pack located around his waist, and he had his white boots on, though the trousers weren’t tucked in. Seriously, why was he dressed like this instead of what he died in? His head was hurting. Cid Raines lowered his gaze finally, feeling a cooling breeze ruffle his hair. At least whatever brought him back had the kindness of placing him in clothes he would wear in hot weather – though wherever his uniform was he had no idea – and boy, was Gran Pulse hot. The temperatures soared much higher than Cocoon, he had to wonder why he wasn’t burning from the glare of the sun yet, because he was pale, like most of the citizens of Cocoon. The Primarch of Cocoon rolled his eyes after a moment, refusing to question anymore and find out a way to find his home planet and get there. His first choice would have been the Lindblum, but he had no idea where it was. It was more than likely upon Cocoon, under the control of Rygdea and the rest of the Cavalry. Yep, almost definite. … Why did he feel a presence behind him, all of a sudden? He swore he was alone by the pond in the steppe.
[bg=DCDCDC] TAGGED	[bg=DCDCDC] WORDS	[bg=DCDCDC] LYRICS	[bg=DCDCDC] CREDITS
[bg=DCDCDC] vanille, open	[bg=DCDCDC] o533	[bg=DCDCDC] headstrong by trapt	[bg=DCDCDC] table made by darkee. do not steal.
[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] a short-ish post but it's about 5:15am xD
[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] see you later ♕

[vanille]

The days had gone by pretty slowly. Not that Vanille was legitimately counting by now. She slept when it was dark or felt the need to really. Just like old times...although not safe in her home. Because she knew that was way too distant. She hadn’t been to Oerba since that last time and to be quite frank, she didn’t want to. She knew there wasn’t all that much to see...hence why she taken it upon herself to go around the other areas. Mainly, out of boredom. And perhaps desperation as she searched endlessly for her friends with no such luck. But defeated she was not. So...she put the search to the back of her mind and tried to live every moment as it came.

After all, how many times does one person get second chances? Or third she was going by exact numbers by now. Shrugging, Vanille found herself on another mindless journey. Trying not to think. If she did, the guilt would creep in. As she could not help but think all this was her fault somehow. If she had just been more careful..or something. But she really wasn’t sure what was going on..it was like she was on a different planet, not the Gran pulse she grew up in. It was empty, without the constant chattering behind her. That was what she missed the most, although she knew she’d see them.

Shortly, anyway. Taking in a deep breath, Vanille wandered around her natural habitat, taking it in. Only to block out her constant worry and confusion. The gentle hum of the air helped to sooth her as she trudged on, not expecting to get up to much. Just like the past current days. It was a bit boring, to say the least. Especially since she had now to talk to. All she could do for the moment was dream about how things were or practise her magic on the local monsters.

It took the sting out of things, though it still felt never-ending to her. The unknowing was the worst, despite those fears being tucked away...for another night. She needed to stay on the positive of things, which was not that difficult, once she blocked out all the unwanted thoughts.

Yes, everything was a breeze once she had let herself be free, skipping along the quiet land. Her mind was often distracted, which perhaps was a good thing. It gave her an excuse to forget her troubles, only returning to her later. The sights of home only grew when she ventured up the steppe. She smiled to herself, something that came so naturally to her. Beauty at its finest. She thought about stopping there for a quick nap when..something caught her eye. Odd.

The red-haired Pulsian was almost certain she had seen someone, a man. Although..Vanille had thought that it was pretty much deserted, having not came across many humans in a good while. She had to blink and then squint with her hand cupping just above her eyes, blocking out the blinding sun. But yes, definitely something. It intrigued her curiosity, so much so...that she took quiet steps behind him, gazing at his still form.

Did she know this man? A wave of familiarity washed over her, as if she had met him before. Not that she could tell from watching his back. Her steps grew wider as she adventurously got closer, tilting her head slightly. ”What are you doing?” her question was innocent, if a bit nosey, as she was just curious. Especially to see his face.”Are you alright?” she asked politely before taking a step round. She had to blink again...so she did know him then. She just stood there dumbstruck, confused as she awaited his answer whilst trying to place every last memory in her mind. And trying to make sense of it all.

[Cid Raines]

[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,3px,true] now i see the truth, i got a doubt a different motive in your eyes and now i'm out
[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=padding,2px,true] One moment later, after feeling a presence behind him, he heard a voice, confirming his suspicions. The voice… very familiar. It wasn’t a voice he heard too often but there was one moment he could remember, a big moment in his life where he heard this almost high-pitched feminine voice. The tone of the voice, well, innocent as last time he heard it, but had a tone of well-recognised curiosity. As he turned his heard to look at who asked him what he was doing and if he was fine, he noticed a girl described to him by Fang. Her name… Was it… Vanille? She had the same hair Fang described her to have, the same green eyes, and of course, he had seen the girl before, but not on a formal occasion. “I’m fine,” he said, preferring not to use the girl’s name in case he creeped her out. “I’m just… looking for Cocoon,” she would understand what he meant, “And admiring Gran Pulse.” The latter was very true. The landscape of the underworld wasn’t the hell it was described to be, though he had to admit that some of the monsters he saw earlier were quite hellish, but some people had described Pulse itself to be barren, ‘red’, blood covered, and the like. They were completely wrong… Just look at the grass and the sun in the sky. Anyway, it couldn’t hurt to introduce himself to Vanille, on a formal occasion, an occasion where he wouldn’t try to kill her (and her friends). He saw the look of recognition in her eyes, and it almost brought a smile to his pale face. Cid reached out a hand, to shake hers. “Cid Raines. You’re Vanille… I can remember,” he added, more to himself to reassure him that he could remember something. Ever since he had ‘woken up’ from death, Raines had felt as though he was missing something, and he had immediately gone through his memories, coming across blank spots in his childhood. He remembered some parts that weren’t particularly important, and he remembered who his parents were, but not if they were dead or alive, or anything significant that happened to him. His memories were all clear from the point where he joined the military academy on Cocoon, in order to join the Guardian Corps. Suddenly he wondered if Vanille had forgotten anything, but he didn’t want to bring it up. It would make him sound insane, probably. Which Cid probably was, deep inside [ something that emerged when he was a l’Cie ] but he certainly didn’t feel like so right now.
[bg=DCDCDC] TAGGED	[bg=DCDCDC] WORDS	[bg=DCDCDC] LYRICS	[bg=DCDCDC] CREDITS
[bg=DCDCDC] vanille, open	[bg=DCDCDC] o431	[bg=DCDCDC] headstrong by trapt	[bg=DCDCDC] table made by darkee. do not steal.
[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] again, short and a bit late
[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] see you later ♕

[vanille]

This was all so weird to the Young Pulsian. She never she really thought she would see anyone today, let alone someone from her past, especially after what happened. Not that girl could be too surprised. After all she had awoken from her sleep, without thinking she would ever again. Sure, her memory was a little foggy, but the girl remembered the basics of what had happened when she on Cocoon. And she did recognise that face, funnily enough. A jumble of emotions rushed through her, as tried to make sense. But nothing clicked.

She did stare blankly for a second, hesitantly wondering where this was headed and what would happen..But things were different now, well they had to be. Looking up at the blank sky, she nodded firmly.”Oh..It’s gone, isn’t it? I mean, I couldn’t find it either...” she spoke quietly, honestly wondering where it had gone. If it was in the sky..or somewhere around here, what had actually happened? Was it something to do with what Scara had said to her only a couple of days before. About other worlds colliding? She thought about saying something..when her mind got distracted once more.

”It’s home and always will be to me” she mused, rather sincerely with a grin to the man she was before rather weary of. She looked down hesitantly, before placing her petite hand in his, shaking it gently. ”I remember you too! I think..No wait, yes I do now “ she had to get her thoughts right as chuckled as her mind became scattered by the view from here. It wasn’t something she had taken time to fully enjoy. Until now..and she was very grateful to have landed back here. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

”But um, how did you end up here..in the first place?” 'and alive?' she asked curiously and mentally adding to herself, although she must of already knew half of the answer. After all, he would know where Cocoon was otherwise. But it was the other thing she wanted to ask that plagued on her mind. But after her mind fog, she wasn't sure if she had just imagined it all. reality from ficition was harder to make sense of now. These strange things...why were they happening?

[Cid Raines]

[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,3px,true] now i see the truth, i got a doubt a different motive in your eyes and now i'm out
[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=padding,2px,true] “Oh…It’s gone, isn’t it? I mean, I couldn’t find it either…” So that confirmed an idea that the young Pulsian had been here for a while. He could tell she was wondering where his homeworld had gone – he studied people too much – but he almost had to wonder why she wanted to know where it was. After all, she had been a l’Cie and people of Cocoon hated her for being one and being from Gran Pulse, so why would she want to go back to a world that had hated her? Cid questioned that for a moment. Perhaps people would forgive the l’Cie, as they weren’t the monsters they thought they were, or perhaps they would still hate them for trying to destroy Cocoon. Something he’d have to keep an eye out for when he eventually went back to Cocoon. Raines almost laughed when Vanille said that she remembered him, then said that she didn’t, before she corrected herself again. It was almost cute how she did that. The young girl clearly acted like a little girl despite being about nineteen years old… physically. According to Fang, she and the girl had been crystallised for five hundred years due to completing part of their original Focus, only managing to crack the outer shell of Cocoon, the crack that the Cavalry constantly monitored in case an invasion did happen. “But, um, how did you end up here…in the first place?” The dark haired man blinked slowly, before shrugging his shoulders slightly as he answered. “I don’t actually know, to be quite honest,” he smiled slightly, collecting his thoughts of what he knew. “The last thing I remember is being shot in the head – a request that Rygdea end my life – so I don’t particularly know how I ended up here on Pulse. All I recall is waking up here, dressed like this, with a splitting headache,” His more relaxed accent rung out like song as he reached a hand up, gently pressing fingers against the side of his head, where he was shot, a frown on his face before he smiled a bit again. “Though, I don’t actually reject to being here. I’ve always wanted to see Pulse for myself, and here I am.”
[bg=DCDCDC] TAGGED	[bg=DCDCDC] WORDS	[bg=DCDCDC] LYRICS	[bg=DCDCDC] CREDITS
[bg=DCDCDC] vanille, open	[bg=DCDCDC] oooo	[bg=DCDCDC] headstrong by trapt	[bg=DCDCDC] table made by darkee. do not steal.
[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] his more relaxed accent is a cardiff english/welsh accent, and his normal is a northern american one~
[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] see you later ♕

[vanille]

Vanille could only smile. What else could she do? Run? Not when he didn’t seem too much of a threat. The girl was usually careful and yet..she didn’t think he was going to try to kill her. Something had changed, she could tell. Well, death had to do that to you. It all came back, if a muddled. All the past events were still there, burned into her mind. Not all were in the right order, as she struggled to make sense of this colliding worlds business. If only she could find her friends. Then everything would be alot easier. They could at least explain it to her better, and she would try to listen. And not get too distracted.

Still, her logic for him being here was nonexistent. Not that she minded it, in all honesty. Having anyone here to talk to was a bonus. Especially someone she knew. Even if it wasn’t one of her friends, lest her enemy. She really did wonder if Cocoon was still around..after what happened. If it did, anyway. She was still confused after all. The main reason was because she was worrying. About her friends. Were they there? She thought so..But this whole jumbled up worlds business meant..they could be anywhere. Which only made her search that much harder. As she couldn’t nor had she tried to get off this continent. Not that she knew it was, herself.

Nether less, her worries and anxiety were pushed aside, as she let her eyes focus on the man known as Cid Raines. That was his name...And funnily enough she could recall what happened before he spoke of it. It still did not make reality not seem fiction.

”Oh....Hmm...” her response was quiet, as her own mind went into thinking mode.”That is very strange...But good because you’re here! And I’m not alone.” she grinned, ear to ear.

”Maybe...it has something to do with the worlds colliding...Cocoon is out there, just finding it, hmph” she mused out loud before her emerald eyes turned back to the dark haired man.

”Pulse is nice, glad you get to see that it isn’t bad” she smiled innocently, her pride for her home shining through. ”Would you like to see more of it? Like, come on a walk with me?” she asked, trying not to seem too imposing. The boredom got to her sometimes and maybe..Cid knew something she didn’t.

[Cid Raines]

[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,3px,true] now i see the truth, i got a doubt a different motive in your eyes and now i'm out

[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=padding,2px,true] From the grin on her face when she said that it was good that he was here and that she wasn’t alone, Raines could only wonder if the young girl was afraid of being alone. It was, really, a common fear. Being left out of situations of crowded people or being an exile, but he meant more along the lines of not liking to do things by herself – say going to fetch water. Perhaps Vanille did have a fear of being alone, probably stemming from being a l’Cie in the past – a hated Pulse l’Cie. “That would be nice. Besides, I don’t exactly want to get lost and it doesn’t seem to be too safe to be on your own,” Cid blinked, his pale green optics eyeing a lumbering behemoth in the far distance. Judging by the tough looking skin it had and the horn, it seemed dangerous. While Raines had managed to defeat a couple of Pulse’s lesser monsters when they decided to jump him, it left him tired. Perhaps that was more from not doing exercise or being rusty during battle due to being dead, but he definitely did not want to get in a scuffle with Pulse’s monsters. Back on Cocoon, the monsters were… not weaker, but definitely on a lower level than here on Gran Pulse. There were a couple of foes that could probably match the behemoth over on the horizon, but overall Cocoon’s monsters were a little weaker than this world’s. When he got back to Cocoon, Raines felt that a training program was in order for those left in PSICOM and the Guardian Corps. He would have to have all the artillery and airships checked and then go through all the default battle tactics the Sanctum had in the case of an invasion. How boring. “So, uh, is there any place in particular that you really like to go?” He asked, looking back at the shorter with a curious expression on his facial features. In the distance, he could see some sort of tower, seemingly broken in half or something of the like, but he could also see a cave, or tunnel, in the distance. Curiosity again appeared on his face as he wondered what Fang and Vanille’s home village was like back in its day, and what it was like now.

[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] any comments will go here

[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] see you later

[vanille]

Vanille couldn’t help but feel how odd this day had turned out to be. She never expected to come across anyone today, let alone someone she thought was dead. Or now revived rather. Anyhow, it was a pleasant surprise, even if it did startle her to start with. All she could think of now was that if she had found him..she could find the others now. If only things were all that simple. They weren’t that easy though, as she had been searching ever since she woke. Of which she couldn’t remember the exact amount of time. She wasn’t the one for counting days, as there was no way of telling time, expect for when the sun came up, then went down for the night.

Nether less, it had been about a week had it? She met Scara a few days ago or something. Shaking her head, she shook that thought out of her mind. She was just confusing herself out of nothing. She was just trying to get her head around this not to mention everything else. It would have to wait till later, when she had plenty of time to herself. Being alone was one of her fears and the reason? She wasn’t quite sure she knew herself et. But it wasn’t nice, bringing her back to being on the run and losing track of Fang. Speaking of whom, she still was desperate to find.

And soon would..Once she given her acquaintance a quick tour, only out of boredom. And perhaps a last ditch attempt to search. Although that proved useless, as she couldn’t find any trace of her of anyone with Scara. It had to be that worlds colliding thing. They could be anywhere. But she wasn’t going to let that dampen her spirits. Not now anyway.

”Okay then. And you’re right. As long as we stick together, we shouldn’t come into too much harm” she nodded happily, eyeing the certain creatures that inhabited the area. Some were docile, others, she had to be weary. Or at least fight them off. It really depended. The smaller ones she could take on herself but a king behemoth? Not likely. Being in a group was more reliable so it had seemed. Especially in her experience. Although she had avoided trouble so far on her own, it didn’t mean that she would always be this lucky. Not with all this weird world colliding business. It was bound to bring new monsters along with it.

”Um, let me see..” she pondered out loud, tapping a single finger to her lips in concentration. Or as much concentration as the energetic Pulsian could manage.”Well, I haven’t been over there yet or back to ..” her voice trailed off. Home It wasn’t even like that anymore. Not that she checked back since that last time.

”I know! Come on, let’s go!” she grabbed his hand impulsively and headed towards her next destination. ”I haven’t been to Sulyya Springs in a while. We can go there?” she asked, though not really asking as she was already heading in that direction, letting go of his hand so she could go a little ways in front. As she preferred.

[Cid Raines]

[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,3px,true] now i see the truth, i got a doubt a different motive in your eyes and now i'm out

[cs=4][bg=DCDCDC][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=padding,2px,true] This was, all in all, a very odd day. Week…? Few days? How long had it been since he had woken up? Time passed oddly for the young Primarch for some reason. He had a feeling it was most likely the fact that he had been dead for probably six months or a year. He didn’t know. He had to ask someone, someone who probably wouldn’t look at him weirdly. And, of course, someone from Cocoon or Gran Pulse. He had an odd feeling it was six months, though, but how did he know? Raines could actually remember the faint ticking of a clock in the back of his mind while he was… dead. But hold on, if he was dead, wouldn’t he not have any senses – such as hearing? Maybe he was in a coma… but why would he have woken up on Gran Pulse, of all places? He would’ve been held in a hospital in Cocoon. Maybe he had died, but he was held in some sort of limbo. “Okay then. And you’re right. As long as we stick together, we shouldn’t come into too much harm.” Raines nodded a little, following Vanille’s optics and watching the monsters she watched. Some of them didn’t actually look familiar with this world either, like him. They didn’t look native. It was likely because Vanille had mentioned something about worlds colliding together, bringing along new people, merging places, and also new monsters… and along with it, new problems. “Um, let me see… Well, I haven’t been over there yet or back to…” Pause. “I know! Come on, let’s go!” He didn’t expect Vanille to grab his gloved hand and almost drag him off towards her next destination – which happened to be a place called ‘Sulyya Springs’. Soon after she started leading him, Vanille let go of his hand, and Raines stood there for a moment, baffled for a moment at the strength in Vanille’s muscles. How had she been able to drag him about a metre? He stared at the back of her for a moment before he quickly jogged to catch up to the girl. “So, Vanille,” He said after a moment, blinking a few times as he followed the energetic young girl. “How long has it actually been? You know, since the Siege of Eden? Curious, I am.”

[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] any comments will go here

[cs=5][bg=DCDCDC] see you later

[vanille]

A gentle hum escaped the young Pulsian’s lips, already setting off on a new ‘adventure.’. It was fun, if a bit comforting too, as to have a companion to accompany her on her spontaneous travels. It wasn’t too far. Well, from what the girl could remember. Not that she ever checked distance accurately. Oh well, that didn’t matter. Amway, she was more interested in looking out for her friend than anything. So even if she went a bit always from her current spot, at least she would be actively searching. Of which she had done, these past few weeks, or whatever it was by now.

Like distance, she didn’t really check, not in the normal means. She often too busy running around, trying to gather some answers. Of course that was not so easy being on her own. But..since hanging around with Scara the other day, she felt she was closer to finding out what exactly happened to her friends, now knowing that they were perhaps on a different world. So at least, she knew they could be out there, somewhere and not just disappeared. Which was a welcome relief, after all. The warn rays felt so gentle on her skin, as she was sued to the heat, not feeling alien to her despite being encased in crystals only a short while ago.

It never felt so good to be free. And not having to hide anymore. She could run...but not from anything. But to something. Her goal, her friends, her new lease of life. The bubbly young woman had to slow down, as she was going to lose track of her acquaintance. It was just as well that she slowed down o a skip, just as he jogged up to her pace. She had to stop day dreaming for a moment, as he spoke again.

It was enough for her to go into deep thought, as she really wasn’t sure. ”Oh...well I think it’s been a while. I’m not a good time keeper, so I’m not sure exactly.. Alot happened though, um...” she had to think, a single finger rising to her lips.

”It’s hard to explain really. ” the guilt washing over her, after what she had to do. She tried to change the subject as she carried on skipping. Skipping, to escape. No...she couldn’t hide anymore.

”Over this way!” she called out, skipping in front, as she saw the Springs, coming into view.

[Domminitus]

That wasn't a normal behemoth stalking after them. He kept his distance, his smile ever so present. He mingled well with the monster population on Gran Pulse, it seemed, for niehter Cid nor Vanille seemed to notice they were being stalked. Domminitus's ears were sharp, picking up their words as his grin widened. These were pathetic humans...yet how entertaining they were.

He didn't feel like going home just yet. He wanted to visit the other worlds before the Plagues came. However, he could stay around and watch the Plagues take over. It didn't matter. Unfortunately for both Vanille and Cid, he didn't let him enjoy their time in the springs. With a flash of white Domminitus was gone. He wanted to give these humans a startle.

He reappeared right before the Spring, within their line of view as his red eyes looked down upon the humans, cracking a smile. "Hello there, pathetic humans." He rumbled, obviously amused at himself for appearing in front of them. "Cocoon, you mentioned, hmm? It was a rather pleasant visit."

The monster cracked a bigger smile. He confirmed that Cocoon was out there but...he also was worrisome, considering that smile on his lips. "Cocoon gave me a warm welcome - and I returned that welcome four times fold." Domminitus laughed maliciously. What exactly did he mean? What did he do to Cocoon?