onepassingnight | 2nd Crystal

Entry tags:

2nd Crystal

[Bodhum, the beginning of everything. This is where the destinies of the six l'Cie intertwined, where everyone watched the same fireworks, and watched the same sunset. Then ultimately, tried to get purged.

But that was all different here. In this little dreamscape, there was no purging, no fal'Cie, no l'Cie, nothing. It was a peaceful marina beach-scape where there was nothing but the beautiful sunset that Bodhum was famous for, the water, and little beach houses and restaurant shacks.

Tourists bustled around, chatting animatedly about the upcoming fireworks for the evening, what they've done that day, or buying souvenirs.

But Vanille herself sat there, watching the sunset on the horizon of the ocean on a pier. This was the area where she met Serah.

What sort of company would grace her this time around?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That she is. She turns back to Mercury and reaches out to grab her hands excitedly]

Come on! Take a closer look!

[She has disturbing images of being pulled along - sometimes literally, joined at the hands - by Usagi. It makes Mercury shocked, emotional, irritated, and thirsty all at once, for more of that simple gentle cheerfulness.

She finds her hands in Vanille's this time, and she has to choke down something that might be a smile. She doesn't pull them away right away, though she will soon; she's never been comfortable with friendly physical gestures.]

[She leads her to the very edge of the pier and climbs on top of one of the posts]

See? Look there!

[She points across and a building with a large glass like top glanced the light of the sunset off of it, producing more shimmers that danced across the water. It was really a sight to behold]

Isn't it amazing?

But no matter how beautiful those lights may look, they aren't real. There's no way to reach them.

[Cheerful, Mercury is not.]

Remember that, too.

[Her green eyes blink slowly and she looks back at her. She knows this is a dream. Her smile falters, but only for a moment before it comes back]

They're real for me. Everything here is real for me.

[She hops off of the post]

Oh! Come on! You should see something else! You've never been to Bodhum before, right?

Not that. [She nods towards the water itself.] The reflections.

[But she lets herself be shaken out of the mood by the question, and shakes her head to clear it.]

Not until now. What is it?

[She blinks. Looks like she took that the wrong way, but she didn't speak cryptic

But that aside!]

I guess it's a good vacation place.

[She skips passed her]

I'll show you! Let's go~!

[Mercury certainly did not skip, or even give much appearance of hurrying; but her measured steps made for a long pace, and she kept up tolerably well.]

I'll come, but where are you planning to go with these crowds?

[She turned around and started walking backwards]

First, we should get you something to wear! You don't really blend in well.

[She giggled a bit as she shook her head]

And I bet you're really hot with those boots on!

[Wordlessly, but with a smirk the entire time, Mercury pulls out a small device that looks like a cell phone. She aims it at a random passer-by, who goes on their way as if nothing has happened - just as a copy of their clothes appears on Mercury.]

Is that better?

[She puts her hands to her cheeks and lets out a gasp]

Wooooooooow! That's amazing!

[She runs a circle around her looking at her up and down]

How did you do that?

[She'd be eating this attention up... if it wasn't so much like Usagi - or rather, Usagi's act. Mercury knew what lay behind it, now.

It was probably the same here, she reminded herself. Insincere. The reminder made it easier to bear.]

It seemed convenient for the time being.

[It's the only explanation she offers.]

[She reached down and took her hand again]

Now that that's done, let me show you all of the stuff they have here! It's all really neat!

[She pulled her along through the crowd cheerfully]

[She needs someone to pull her along, in so many ways.

She gives the nod of a girl who's made up her mind.]

Let's go, then.

[She pulls her into the shopping area where all of the latest technology of Cocoon glows and beeps. Tokens of Bodhum like pictures, postcards,and other things adorn the counter tops. Jewelry specific to the region glitters and shines.

She lets out a noise of myrth.]

Do you have this kind of stuff where you're from?

Oh, yes. I think everywhere probably has its own tourist items. Tokyo especially.

[When did her voice start becoming so natural again in this dream?]

[She tilts her head]

"Tokyo"? What's that place like?

It's a great city. It has a large bay overlooked by tall buildings. It's the center of the world's government and politics.

[And heavily damaged in the attacks from Princess Snow Kaguya. No way to restore it so easily for them; it's been long and hard rebuilding.]

That reminds me of the city Eden.

It's hiiiigh in the sky and it's Cocoon's center.

[She smiles]

I'm from down below.

[She points]

There's another world below this one called Gran Pulse.

[That takes a bit for her to take in. It doesn't sound at all like the 'surface world' Mercury herself is used to, the human world as opposed to the dimension of the Dark Kingdom.

She finds herself asking the most normal of questions somehow:]

What is it like, there?

On Gran Pulse?

[She tilts her head to think]

There are a lot of different kinds of terrain. There are mountains, plains, caverns, springs, and swamps and stuff!

But it's also very dangerous down there because there are a lot of monsters. Unless you've lived there and know Gran Pulse well, you could get badly hurt, or worse!

I'm not afraid of monsters. They're just my prey.

[This is said flatly and seriously, the arrogance ever-present but also a true confidence. She's had years of fighting monsters, stronger and stronger just as she herself became stronger and stronger.]

You sound a lot like Fang!

[She giggles. Who's she to say she can't handle the monsters of Gran Pulse.]

You know, when the fireworks start, if you make a wish, it'll come true.

Is that what they say?

[If this were years ago, she'd have smiled brightly and made a wish, just for fun if nothing else, even while secretly believing it probably wouldn't come true. Just to fit in.

Now? The cynic wins out far more loudly.]

Do you believe it?

I dunno. Maybe.

[She made one before]

What would you wish for?

no subject

it's like love at first tag. i heart vanille and this thread. <3

Awwwwww~ ♥♥♥ I feel the love!

/ALL THE LOVE

/soaks it up

/offers sponge?

/sponges it up

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject