A Hero's Entrance [Hope]

[SNOW VILLIERS]

The scientists of Yaschas Massif had been having some problems recently with an overwhelming number of monsters and soldiers being ill-equipped to handle it. Until Snow had wandered in, that is. They said the Director (Whoever that was) talked about his monster fighting prowess on occasion, and all but begged him to help. He'd intended to help as soon as they mentioned a problem, but instead of shutting up and letting him answer they went straight to the begging. He'd simply shrugged, given a cocky grin and tweaked his nose before setting off.

Sure, he wanted to know who the Director was and just why a bunch of scientists were poking around crumbling ruins that looked like they would fall in on themselves if they got poked too much. He'd mentioned something about it, but he didn't think anyone had heard him. So off he had gone. It wasn't a big deal, really. A bunch of small ones that could be stomped on with relative ease. They might've been a problem for someone else, but Snow wasn't a normal person really. A few punches, a few stompings, nothing big. But the one moment he looked away, he was ambushed by something. Apparently they didn't like being smashed any more than he did, but picking the moment he was going to leave wasn't the best time to restart combat in his mind.

Shaking it off was easy enough, and Snow saw the ugly toadlike visage of the monster. He gripped its tail and flung it in to the distance, a fading cry sounding almost comically. "Anyone else?" he asked, not expecting and not receiving an answer. It looked like the monsters got the hint that he was the bigger creature and were fleeing in earnest now. Snow chuckled and headed back to the nearby research area. He was a bit surprised, coming back, to see a familiar face near the entry catwalk.

"Hey, Hope, what are you doing here?" he called out, grinning and dusting a bit of dirt off his white jacket. He laughed and called again, "I thought you had homework to get to!"

[Hope Estheim]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=cellspacing,0,bTable][atrb=cellpadding,0,bTable][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/mBgMc.png); background-position: bottom right;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-color: #040404;][atrb=width,421px,true] [STYLE=margin: 10px 20px 0px 20px; width: 381px; background-color: #040404; opacity: .7;filter:alpha(opacity=70);color: #eeeeee;font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]The document in his hand was only loosely clipped together, but he leafed through it one-handedly with ease, his thumb tucked just under the cover page. In his left hand, the young research director gripped the handle of his travel mug, a thin wisp of steam escaping from the opening. It still seemed a little too...bright to Hope, squinting as the midmorning sun of the Paddra Ruins reflected off of the metal scaffolding that led out of the ruined agora. Of course, this was because he had been used to working in the ruins while they were still under the eclipse; only recently had the darkness lifted, though for some reason, the young man didn't feel as if it should have been. They had done little in direct attempts to resolve the paradox of the fal'Cie Fenrir, but even so, one day he was simply... gone. Or perhaps not gone, at least, not entirely. The sky above, cloaked in fog that hung like dark thunderheads at the rim of the horizon, flickered for a moment; the air around him and a few scientists and laborers milling about the area cooled, the light vanishing. In a moment, Fenrir was again obscuring the sun, as if he had suddenly reappeared. It was an unusually common occurrence. The statement itself was paradoxical; how fitting, Hope thought to himself dryly. Nevertheless, he ignored the fal'Cie's appearance, and so did most of the other site residents - only a small murmuring was given in response. He needed to go talk to the searchlight technician about the document in his hand, Hope knew, and was just about to begin walking up the metal scaffolding that had nearly blinded him before - "Hey, Hope, what are you doing here?" The document fell first, he would realize later. After it went the coffee, which had been the less desirable of situations, as the hot beverage stained the manila folder and the crisp papers within. The cup kept rolling until it nestled itself in a small crevice five feet away. He was numb as he looked up, chrysoprase eyes wide and sparkling with shock. And at the top of the cliff loomed a familiar figure. Snow. He had known who it was as soon as he had spoken; a voice like the supposed hero's was hard to forget, after all. "Hey, Hope, what are you doing here?" he heard, over and over, both cold and unbearably warm, deaf to the concerned whispers of his subordinates somewhere behind him. "- doing here doing here doing here doing -" "I thought you had homework to get to!" "Snow," he rasped, the only thing he could say in response. "Snow." Where have you been? he wanted to ask, wanted to scream and accuse and cry - and he didn't look any different, either, still the same careless grin he so remembered. Ten years and not a single word, just gone, not a care for anyone and where have you been? "Snow." [/style] [STYLE=margin: 25px 0px 10px 20px;width: 335px;color: #e2e2e2;background-color: #040404;opacity: .9; filter: alpha(opacity=90);padding: 5px;font-size: 10px;][style=float: left;height: 100px;width: 100px;-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px;background-image:url(http://i42.tinypic.com/357kiaf.png);margin: -20px 5px 20px 5px;][/style] Music: your heart is an empty room - dc4c Notes: when he gets collected he will be pissed. Words: 539 Tagged: snow is fucked[/style]

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[SNOW VILLIERS]

"Yep, it's me," Snow replied, a bit surprised by Hope's reaction. He looked like he was mentally exploding, or doing that thing Light did with the internal thoughts and repeating one word over and over. He clapped Hope on the shoulder with a bit of concern seeping in to his grin. "Hey, don't go spacing out on me now Hope. It's like everyone's been poking their heads in to the clouds but me," he said with a laugh, bending down to pick up the folder Hope had dropped. Some of the papers were scattering, but the scientists were getting them before they could be blown in to some crevice where they would disappear forever. Snow offered the folder back to Hope, noticing that he was still staring at him with an expression that looked like a cross between having seen a ghost, being infinitely relieved, and just as angry.

"You okay kiddo? What're you doing out here anyways? This place is dangerous, 'specially if you can't use magic any more. At least these bookish guys out here have some soldiers to keep the monsters out of here," the towering blonde commented, attempting to wipe off at least some of the hot beverage from the papers. Thank Etro for gloves. "Well, at least it's not totally ruined. Man, just how long have I been gone? You're grown up now. Well... might've been those time things. I tell ya, trying to explain time traveling adventures is just too confusing. What year is it here anyways? Probably should've asked that. And how've you been holding up? Dad doing all right?"

[Hope Estheim]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=cellspacing,0,bTable][atrb=cellpadding,0,bTable][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/mBgMc.png); background-position: bottom right;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-color: #040404;][atrb=width,421px,true] [STYLE=margin: 10px 20px 0px 20px; width: 381px; background-color: #040404; opacity: .7;filter:alpha(opacity=70);color: #eeeeee;font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]Snow's hand on his shoulder clapped down with enough momentum ( mass times velocity, his inner scientist kicked in, and his mass was certainly nothing to reckon with ) that Hope nearly unbalanced, shifting one of his feet automatically to widen his stance. He was still, as Snow put it, "poking his head in the clouds", though came back to reality coursing with silent rage. There was just something about the man that aired cocksure belligerence, that had always irked him - as it did Lightning, he knew. He realized how she felt, as if Snow was trying to be mocking, but the worst part was that he wasn't, he just didn't realize - He continued to talk and talk, not comprehending that Hope simply wasn't hearing him, still reeling from Snow's sudden appearance. And then all of that anger and hurt and loneliness came to a boiling head, and he curled his right hand into a fist, and swung for Snow's jaw. The impact left him stumbling backward, trying to regain his footing. Force times duration of impact, final momentum in a system equals initial momentum in the case of elastic and perfectly inelastic collisions, of which a right hook was neither, the impulse being positive work that exerted negative work in return on him - "Ten years," he barked hoarsely. "Ten years of nothing, Snow. Do you have any idea what I thought? And then you turn up halfway across the surface of Gran Pulse with a hey as if nothing's happened. You might have been off gallivanting across time and space, having a grand time," he had had his doubts about the possibility of such a thing, but Snow hadn't changed an iota in all of that time, which spoke enough for itself, "but every second of those ten years, I've felt." He wasn't just irritated, or frustrated; he was jealous, in a way, that the rest of them had done it. Serah. Snow. Maybe even Sazh - it would explain his sudden disappearance as well. And out of all of them, he was the one left behind. Bettering the future just like the others, but at a painstakingly slow pace. Steadying himself, he drew in a low breath. Calm down and stop making a fool of yourself. You're better than that. "Ten years..." he said at last, quietly, "...is a long time." [/style] [STYLE=margin: 25px 0px 10px 20px;width: 335px;color: #e2e2e2;background-color: #040404;opacity: .9; filter: alpha(opacity=90);padding: 5px;font-size: 10px;][style=float: left;height: 100px;width: 100px;-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px;background-image:url(http://i42.tinypic.com/357kiaf.png);margin: -20px 5px 20px 5px;][/style] Music: welcome home - radical face Notes: someone needs a hug Words: 426 Tagged: take it from here, snow[/style]

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[SNOW VILLIERS]

Snow rubbed his jaw after Hope punched him, if just to humor him. Compared to Light's punches, nothing Hope could do short of hitting him with a brick would compare. He sighed and shrugged, shaking his head while Hope ranted. Of course ten years was a long time. He should've know he wouldn't have been spit out of a timeless void to an area close to the time he'd left. He'd been gone long enough that he even ran in to Serah. "It was something I had to do, all right? I'm sorry for disappearing, but... agh... it's complicated. Talked to Light in a dream and found out that a monster was eating the crystal pillar holding up Cocoon. I couldn't just let that happen. But I'm back now. I'll take whatever punishment you've got for me."

Snow paused, not really to let his words sink in, but more to think of what he had said. At least he was consistent, right? The tall blonde handed Hope back the coffee stained folder he had dropped. "You were lucky to at least have time moving. I've been stuck in limbo for who knows how long with nothing to do but talk to myself. Shiva's not the best conversationalist. Anyway, I'm not trying to make excuses. I left to take care of something, and I think I did a good job so I'm back." he finished, only offering a shrug of his shoulders. Time travel was too complicated for Snow to completely understand, much less explain; how could he put in to words that he spent an eternity lost in a void of orange lights?

"So basically... I'm sorry. You forgive me, little buddy? I'm back now, right? I'd rather forget all that confusing time travel stuff personally, but if you want to know what I've been up to just ask." Snow piped up again, grinning sheepishly but somehow still cockier than most sheepish smiles.

[Hope Estheim]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=cellspacing,0,bTable][atrb=cellpadding,0,bTable][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/mBgMc.png); background-position: bottom right;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-color: #040404;][atrb=width,421px,true] [STYLE=margin: 10px 20px 0px 20px; width: 381px; background-color: #040404; opacity: .7;filter:alpha(opacity=70);color: #eeeeee;font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]All Snow did in return was rub his jaw, as if completely unfazed by the punch. It almost made Hope want to punch him again, if only to garner a real response, but he shoved the impulse down with a deep breath. Bizarrely enough, the one thing he thought of was a small memory buried so far down he'd forgotten about it till now - Lightning's head shakes, looking at Snow's unconscious body. The sunset dyes everything around them hues of pink and yellow, and Hope's keeping one eye on the strange woman that had helped him and Light take down that army patroller just then, and watching with the other. And the soldier says, almost fondly, "He'll be fine. "He's too stubborn to die." That was why, wasn't it? Snow was unstoppable when given a task, when set into motion; if something was threatening Fang and Vanille, Snow could be counted on to handle it one hundred percent. And you're not, a small voice in the back of his head whispered. You're not capable of a tenth of what you were as a teenager. No use to anyone, especially without magic- Hope shook his head, both to clear it and answer his own self-doubt. Something Snow had said nagged at the scientist, but he didn't know what... The stained manila folder was waved in front of his face, and Hope blinked, receiving it with slow and clumsy fingers. Absently his thumb traced the outline of the blossom-shaped blemish, and he wondered where his mug had escaped to. Only half-hearing what Snow was saying, he smiled faintly at the blonde's jab at his Eidolon anyway, though the show of mirth wavered slightly as something else stuck out at him. He couldn't place his metaphorical finger on it, however, and pushed the feeling away. Feeling the last remnants of his irritation drain away, and focusing on Snow's words completely, Hope nodded at his apology. Despite that, the next words elicited a narrowing of the man's eyes. "Apology accepted," he said, begrudgingly, "but 'little buddy'? I'm not a child anymore, nor am I little - well, compared to you, but you're hardly an accurate example." He folded his arms. And only then did it hit him what two things Snow had said, that had triggered an immediate response that he had ignored. With a snap of his gloved fingers, he counted off the first name with his index digit. "Light... you saw her in a dream. That mean's she's okay, doesn't it? The Oracle Drive has a prophecy stored that shows her fighting... but if she had enough time to contact you, then she must be all right. That she spoke to you through a dream, though, that's unusual. Perhaps," and now he seemed to be theorizing to himself mostly, barely looking at Snow, "whatever's happened to Lightning gave her that ability." Shaking himself, he glanced back up at the blonde man eight inches taller than he, tucking the haphazardly-stuffed envelope under one arm as he held up two fingers. "Shiva," he said simply, then pointed at Snow's bare left forearm - on which a dark and familiar mark used to be found. "But no brand..." Serah used magic back in the Bresha Ruins; Alyssa told me that. She's not a l'Cie any longer, either... "Snow, can you still-" He glanced past the tall ex-Cocoonian, glaring sharply at a tall man with limbs like string that had been blatantly gawking at the sight on the scaffolding from his post at the base of the construct. Freedman. Again. "We can talk back at my tent," he said, "away from my more nosy subordinates." The last two words were uttered with a small amount of venom, but not enough to be remarkable. "Follow me," he bade Snow, and stepped around him, heading back into the ruins. His "date" with the lighting technician could wait, for the moment - at least until he gleaned some clean copies of the documents he'd meant to show the engineer. He paused only to pick up the strewn coffee mug, the dark red cup sticking out quite obviously as if to allay his doubts about finding the thing. And as they went, overhead, the fal'Cie Fenrir again flickered out of existence, flooding the Paddraean Archaeopolis with bright natural light. [/style] [STYLE=margin: 25px 0px 10px 20px;width: 335px;color: #e2e2e2;background-color: #040404;opacity: .9; filter: alpha(opacity=90);padding: 5px;font-size: 10px;][style=float: left;height: 100px;width: 100px;-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px;background-image:url(http://i42.tinypic.com/357kiaf.png);margin: -20px 5px 20px 5px;][/style] Music: eternal paradox (noel's theme portion) - ffxiii-2 ost Notes: prophecies, brands, and creeper employees oh my Words: 752 Tagged: it's hero time[/style]

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[SNOW VILLIERS]

"What, no more nicknames? Your call, Hope," Snow said, about to continue on when Hope seemed to click like a lightbulb and fire off something about Light. Snow went to reply when Hope reacted again, pointing at where his brand had been. Snow waited long enough the third time that Hope's comment about going to the young white haired man's tent. Snow just shrugged and followed, putting his gloved hands behind his head as he observed the small base camp. He recognized the mechanical structure of a fal'Cie situated near some of the walkways, and briefly wondered if such action was safe. It seemed the machine was off currently however, or it had no intention of seeking a new thrall.

"Nice setup you've got here pal. If I were you I'd find a way to move further away from that old wall; I'd be worried that thing would fall and crush your camp," Snow said casually, still a bit concerned about the closeness of the base to the structures that could easily crush it if it were too deeply disturbed. "So I hear some director guy's bragged about my monster fighting skills a couple of times around here. Enough that people recognized me when I introduced myself. Can't help but wonder who that would be though. You know?"

Snow couldn't help but be impressed by the ruins, dangerous though they looked looming above the base camp. People hundreds of years ago on Pulse had built these great structures, and parts of them were still standing even now. He hoped some day that the world's new inhabitants would build something so grand. "Light's all right though. She should be anyways. Serah should have been able to fix the timeline with how long I've been sitting in limbo."

[Hope Estheim]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=cellspacing,0,bTable][atrb=cellpadding,0,bTable][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/mBgMc.png); background-position: bottom right;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-color: #040404;][atrb=width,421px,true] [STYLE=margin: 10px 20px 0px 20px; width: 381px; background-color: #040404; opacity: .7;filter:alpha(opacity=70);color: #eeeeee;font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]Hope noticed Snow's interested glancing around as they walked, and snapped easily into tour guide mode, explaining everything they knew about the ruined city. "Welcome to what's left of the city of Paddra, capital of the nation constituted of the Farseer people," he said, with a vague gesture. "Pay no attention to the fal'Cie - it hasn't been active in centuries. "Freedman," he said loudly, knowing the archaeologist was lingering nearby. An answering "sir!" proved those suspicions to be fact, and the tall man stepped out from his small alcove, in which he had been pretending to look busy. "I need an access pass for my guest," Hope bequeathed of him, and Freedman darted off without a word, only a nod in response. The scientist sighed, leaning back against the cracked wall at the base of the steps leading out of the lowest part of the dig. They would have to wait until a pass came back; even in the presence of the Director, an ID was a requirement at all times. It was an interesting regulation, that was for sure. There wasn't an issue with the procedure, but he couldn't help but wonder why it had been put into effect. "The Farseers were a tribe that thrived before the War of Transgression. They were ruled by a single luminary, a seeress by the name of Yeul." He folded his arms, glancing at Snow to gauge whether or not he was even listening. "In every generation, another was born with the same appearance and power as the previous seeress. Thus, the rule of the Farseers was handed down as if from master to apprentice, though there was never an apprenticeship to be had." Freedman returned at that moment with the identification communicator, handing it to Hope without meeting his eyes directly. He nodded and thanked the subordinate scientist stiffly, stepping aside to let him return to his business. He then led Snow up the stairs and across the wide stone space to another set of scaffolding, explaining all the while. "Yeul would look into the future, and guide her people accordingly. The visions each Yeul saw are recorded in devices called Oracle Drives; within the ruins, we've discovered and begun to analyze one of these such devices. You'll see it at the command tent," he said. "Don't mind the fal'Cie you saw back there; its only task was to amplify and project the visions held within the Oracle Drive so all might see. It's long dormant, as the city's been ruined for a long time." He nodded at the guard at the foot of the scaffolding, who saluted in response, and he continued up the slope, not needing to glance back; Snow's footfalls were heavy and noisy enough that they couldn't be missed. Ignoring Snow's new nickname for him with a tiny scowl, Hope turned back as the blonde man spoke to him. "The wall is more secure than it looks," he said simply. "Pulsian construction is remarkably sturdy." He raised a pale eyebrow at Snow's comment, finding it odd that he didn't know - and slightly offended by the exaggeration, even if the blonde man hadn't meant it as a jibe. "I'd hardly call it bragging..." he said quietly, but then spoke directly. "For all of your jumping around the timeline, you must have missed a few things. I think a formal introduction is in order -" using one hand to handle both the mug and the folder, he extended the other - "Director of Academy Research Team Alpha; Hope Estheim. At your service." "Light's all right though. She should be anyways. Serah should have been able to fix the timeline with how long I've been sitting in limbo." Hope smiled fondly. "That's good to hear," he said honestly, of the news of Lightning. And it was - the one thing he had seen or heard of her in ten years, the vision in the Oracle Drive, had depicted her fighting a strange enemy in an unknown location. Though he was somewhat surprised to hear Serah's name within the context in which it was said - "Fixing the timeline?" he echoed. There were a host of questions to go with that phrase. Perhaps Lightning asked her to... though fix what? Perhaps these paradoxes are causing more problems than we'd thought. "She's still with Noel, then?" he asked, the name feeling strangely familiar coming out of his mouth; odd, as he had only known that man through footage of the Atlas Paradox in the Bresha Ruins, and Alyssa's explanation of the events occurring therein. Another unusual factor, though less important than other discrepancies and occurrences that he had left to analyze. He pushed it to the back of his mind. "Snow, tell me everything you know," he said finally, a downturn to the corners of his lips. He looked away, glancing at the Oracle Drive. "Anything. Whatever you might have learned could be helpful." [/style] [STYLE=margin: 25px 0px 10px 20px;width: 335px;color: #e2e2e2;background-color: #040404;opacity: .9; filter: alpha(opacity=90);padding: 5px;font-size: 10px;][style=float: left;height: 100px;width: 100px;-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px;background-image:url(http://i42.tinypic.com/wsaheb.jpg);margin: -20px 5px 20px 5px;][/style] Music: eclipse (aggressive mix) - ffxiii-2 ost Notes: go away freedman; lots of monologue Words: 870 Tagged: hi snow[/style]

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[SNOW VILLIERS]

Snow listened to Hope's mini-lecture on the Farseers, the people who used to live here. Paddra, the place had been called. Not a bad name, a little exotic for his tastes though. When Hope mentioned the seeress Yeul he was a bit surprised however. He'd learned of her through Serah and her traveling partner Noel, who was apparently from the future. She was either immortal or she reincarnated semi-regularly. Didn't seem like a fun thing to him, knowing how you would die and not being able to do anything about it. Hope must have put a lot of effort in to figuring this place out. He was even more surprised when the young man introduced himself as the director.

"Wow, how about that? Leader of a whole research team. Your dad must be proud of you; that's a big accomplishment," Snow replied, clapping Hope on the shoulder, who seemed to not notice and go on to Noel and Serah. "Last time I checked she was, yeah. I've been kinda stuck in limbo so I dunno what's up now. He probably headed back to the future."

And then Hope asked the question he'd been waiting for and dreading all at once. Snow put a hand on his hip and the other on his chin and shook his head. "It's a long story. You already know the first part; Serah knew Light had survived, so I had to go off and find her. Ended up getting sucked in to some time vortex and getting knocked out. Light talked to me in a dream, told me about the paradoxes and the time gates and how time was being messed up.... it was too complicated for me to follow too well. She said Serah would fix it, and that she needed me to protect Cocoon 'cause a giant Flan was going to eat the pillar holding it up. Couldn't let that happen. I knew I wasn't tough enough just on my own to take on somethin' like that, so I found a fal'Cie and asked him to help. He was pretty agreeable about things, for a giant robot. Serah and her friend Noel helped me take it out; turns out a paradox was pumping hundreds of little Flan in to the area.

After that, I got pulled back in to the time stream and got lost. I couldn't tell you how long I was in there; there's no concept of time wherever I ended up. I tried to find my way out, but eventually I just got tired and passed out. When I came to, I was up over the ridge there and the brand was gone. I'm not really sure myself what happened, but if I'm back then that means everything must've been fixed somehow. That's just the abridged version though; more stuff happened, sure, but it's not all that important really..."

[Hope Estheim]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=cellspacing,0,bTable][atrb=cellpadding,0,bTable][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/mBgMc.png); background-position: bottom right;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-color: #040404;][atrb=width,421px,true] [STYLE=margin: 10px 20px 0px 20px; width: 381px; background-color: #040404; opacity: .7;filter:alpha(opacity=70);color: #eeeeee;font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]Snow made the statement about his father just as Hope looked back at him, and for a moment, honest surprise showed on his pale face, as he stumbled slightly from Snow's clapping him on the shoulder. After a moment, slightly parted lips moved into a small smile, and he agreed softly. "Yes... he is." Back to the future? Then Alyssa had been correct. A time traveler from the future... Hope found himself wishing he could have met Noel in person before he had returned to his native period - the things one could learn from someone who had experienced the results of actions in the present-day. But then again, to have done so would have definitely spawned another, larger paradox from the sheer anomaly of someone like Noel appearing in a past time period. Given that he and Serah had been, as Snow had said, fixing the timeline, he figured the creation of such a paradox would be more than detrimental to their mission. For that matter, why had he traveled through a Gate in the first place? - But Hope's memory answered that question for him, supplying the fact that Noel had come from a post-apocalyptic future, one where Cocoon had tumbled from its crystal perch and ravaged the landscape of Pulse. He had been the last person alive. Now how do I know that? Hope wondered to himself, fairly certain that Alyssa hadn't mentioned anything about it. He also chose not to inquire into Snow's mentions of limbo - temporal limbo, perhaps? A nothing-space between the Time Gates? He wondered if such a thing existed. Snow's story would have been unbelievable to anyone but himself, Hope reflected. As he listened, the man's summary of his receiving another l'Cie brand reminded Hope of what he was going to ask - but that could wait. A whole slew of other questions popped up in its wake, and it seemed that the explanation would answer none of them. "A flan," he said quietly, incredulously. Of all creatures to do humanity in, it would be a flan? Though, he supposed, the acid content of the gooey monsters more than spoke for itself... it really shouldn't have been as surprising as it was. And if a paradox had been responsible for that, it was no wonder that Serah and Noel had devoted so much time to resolving them and setting the timeline to rights. He did, however, find an interest in the 'timeless place' that Snow had arrived in prior to the Yaschas Massif. Hope judged that his ex-l'Cie companion had told him all that he could about the matter, but it didn't disperse his curiosity about the place. A place where time has no meaning... perhaps Lightning's there? His unfounded conjecture had no basis, but it still seemed like an apt explanation. Maybe. The scientist nodded. "You could be right," he replied, "though there's also the possibility that something went drastically wrong. "Snow," Hope said suddenly, setting down his things upon the table near the Oracle Drive. He paused, staring into space as another thought crossed his mind, as something else caught his attention. "What was your Focus?" Hope asked at last. One question out of a great many, though possibly the most inconsequential. He wished he could talk to Lightning, or Serah, or perhaps Noel... or test a few conjectures he had begun to make. All of this information had begun to cause Hope to feel that his intellect was inadequate. Surely there was no way to sort everything out... not to mention the fog hanging high above in the atmosphere. "And Snow, did you hear anything about the fog? he asked, the inquiry somewhat posthumous. "Did Light or Serah mention anything about it? All that we can discern is that it's not endemic to this world." And the threat it poses to everything it touches. And if something was putting his subordinates in danger, he would figure out what it was and how to neutralize it. The responsibility fell to him. [/style] [STYLE=margin: 25px 0px 10px 20px;width: 335px;color: #e2e2e2;background-color: #040404;opacity: .9; filter: alpha(opacity=90);padding: 5px;font-size: 10px;][style=float: left;height: 100px;width: 100px;-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px;background-image:url(http://i42.tinypic.com/wsaheb.jpg);margin: -20px 5px 20px 5px;][/style] Music: metashield's expansion - ffxiii-2 ost Notes: question time Words: 703 Tagged: sorry snow[/style]

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[SNOW VILLIERS]

Snow chuckled a bit at Hope's reaction to finding out that a flan of all things was what had threatened Cocoon. But then, Hope hadn't seen how ridiculously massive said flan had been. He was a bit surprised when the younger man asked what his Focus had been. Did it really matter? Snow just shrugged and shook his head. "To be honest, I never figured out what he wanted me to do. Got the vision, but I was too busy trying to get rid of the flan. When I did that, I was stuck in limbo and it didn't really matter what I did. Then I wake up and the brand's gone. Doesn't really matter now if you ask me," he said nonchalantly. Somehow, the blonde figured Hope would probably try to punch him again.

But he didn't, and instead asked if he knew anything about the fog. "I heard Lightning mention something about fog in Valhalla or... something like it. I'm not sure if this is the same stuff or not, but it looks like it. She didn't really have time to tell me much about the fog. Guess it wasn't too important at the time. Snow replied, crossing his arms and peering at the Oracle Drive. He couldn't really believe that Hope could see the future with that thing... it looked like just an old hologram dohickey like they used in Nautilus.

"So you can really see the future the seeress recorded with this thing? Does it still work?" he asked, not really wanting to touch it out of fear of knocking it over and breaking it if it was operational. That would ruin whatever Hope was doing here, and he couldn't do that even if it was a mistake. "Looks kinda like those things they used in Nautilus to show off those holograms."

[Hope Estheim]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=cellspacing,0,bTable][atrb=cellpadding,0,bTable][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/mBgMc.png); background-position: bottom right;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-color: #040404;][atrb=width,421px,true] [STYLE=margin: 10px 20px 0px 20px; width: 381px; background-color: #040404; opacity: .7;filter:alpha(opacity=70);color: #eeeeee;font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]Snow's explanation of his mysterious avoidance of a Focus was taken in with an expression of quiet contemplation, as Hope stood and thought with both hands on his hips. The occurrence had led to the planting of the tiniest seed of an idea in Hope's mind - a dangerous, risky idea, but an idea nonetheless. Brushing it away for now, he listened to the response to his second question - which left him wondering. Could it be the same fog from Valhalla? he half-guessed, but shook his head at himself. If this problem was related to Valhalla, Lightning would have said something by now. She would... ...and very irrationally, again the corner of his mouth tilted downward. The doubt plaguing him was nothing to be worried about at all, yet he could not avoid it. That too had to be pushed away, as Snow asked a question of his own. He inquired about the Oracle Drive, making the comparison to a Nautilus hologram, and Hope smiled slightly at that - and Snow's apparent nervousness. "We can," he clarified. "It's fully operational... though the technology outdates Nautilus by at least a millennium." He pushed the folder to the other side of the table. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to display a prophecy to familiarize Snow with the machine... "Watch," he said, as his palm ghosted the surface of the hexagon-plated sphere. The Oracle Drive whizzed to life, beaming to the slumbering fal'Cie whose dormant power reflected the projection to the space above the archaeological site. (That was a small shortcoming of the machine; all visions were streamed to be viewed by the collective, thus no research could be conducted without the entirety of the staff being aware.) Few stopped to watch the spectacle; everyone had become painfully familiar with the sequence during their tenures in the Paddra Ruins. "What - ?" Though the routine was disrupted, suddenly, as the vision that appeared was not the one of Lightning fighting her enemy in Valhalla - for the first time since his coming to the ruins, Hope saw another prophecy unfold. The recording was voiceless, but the anguish of the violet-haired man yelling into the storm was acute enough to be felt. The beach was dark, perhaps the shores of Valhalla, though the air held not the eerie greenish quality of the Unseen Realm. A shadow approached. The man saw this, and spoke - his words were unknown, but the swipe of his sword was quite apparent. The shadow dodged - became the shape of a young warrior, shouting something back as the storm raged overhead. He faced the man, but did not attack. The man charged, pushing his opponent back farther and farther; a stalemate was reached when the younger pushed back, locking both of their swords between them. Words were exchanged, increasingly tense, until the taller man heaved forward, putting the youth off-balance - The vision ended there. "... what was that?" Hope asked unto himself, under his breath. He was intrigued, but also concerned; the man in the vision, the one with the impossibly-sized blade, had been Lightning's opponent in Valhalla... and the other one, the defender, was - Noel? [/style] [STYLE=margin: 25px 0px 10px 20px;width: 335px;color: #e2e2e2;background-color: #040404;opacity: .9; filter: alpha(opacity=90);padding: 5px;font-size: 10px;][style=float: left;height: 100px;width: 100px;-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px;background-image:url(http://i42.tinypic.com/wsaheb.jpg);margin: -20px 5px 20px 5px;][/style] Music: horizon sky - exist strategy Notes: this post is crap Words: 545 Tagged: oi snow[/style]

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[SNOW VILLIERS]

Snow watched the vision quietly, his expression turning to that look of serious determination he had. "Caius Ballad," Snow said when Hope asked what had happened. "He's the reason Light disappeared, and why she's in Valhalla instead of New Bodhum with us. He's trying to destroy the goddess Etro so time will be erased and the seeress won't be forced to reincarnate. Or so he says. All I really know is he has it out for Etro and Lightning happened to get picked to defend her. So far as I know he knows the timeline well enough to screw with it without needing to travel through it. I know I fixed a couple paradoxes that ended up happening again because of him, so I don't know."

Snow shook his head and crossed his arms for a moment before undoing them again. "If he's still around and fighting Noel then Serah must be nearby. Can you tell where that is? I know it's a beach somewhere but I couldn't make out much else because of that fog. Think it might've been Valhalla?" he asked, frowning. Now he wanted to get moving again; Caius wouldn't appreciate Serah having messed with his plans so much...

[Sorry for the short post, I'm not too sure what to do with it...]

[Hope Estheim]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=cellspacing,0,bTable][atrb=cellpadding,0,bTable][atrb=style,background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/mBgMc.png); background-position: bottom right;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-color: #040404;][atrb=width,421px,true] [STYLE=margin: 10px 20px 0px 20px; width: 381px; background-color: #040404; opacity: .7;filter:alpha(opacity=70);color: #eeeeee;font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]The branch of explanation that the unusual vision had triggered from Snow was, perhaps, what Hope might have inquired into next - the mysterious man in purple, as stalwart as Lightning in the Oracle Drive's prophecy... one of the Oracle Drive's prophecies, he supposed. (He would look into the discrepancy later, try to discern what was responsible for the change; his pre-emptive thesis highlighted Snow as the only major difference between this trial and many others, but perhaps that assumption was incorrect. It would be an interesting problem to solve.) That train of thought seemed to run on autopilot in the back of his mind; he wasn't equipped to devote conscious thought to it, at the moment, as it seemed his prefrontal cortex had all but exploded with the understanding of the mystery man's motives. (He knew it was a hyperbolic statement, but ignored that little fact.) Hope Estheim, Director of Academy Research Team Alpha, was struck momentarily speechless. Sitting down in an adjacent workstation chair to take in the information, he frowned slightly in thought. It's incredible to realize how many issues and obstacles we've faced can be traced back to the actions of one man. This Caius has been the enemy all along. And in some ways, it was relieving to know that one person was responsible for the entire quandary. For a while, he had thought that the paradoxes were a natural occurrence, which bode nothing but ill for the state of the world, if that were true. If the paradoxical had become an element of reality, then surely that reality would destroy itself eventually... However, [/style] [STYLE=margin: 25px 0px 10px 20px;width: 335px;color: #e2e2e2;background-color: #040404;opacity: .9; filter: alpha(opacity=90);padding: 5px;font-size: 10px;][style=float: left;height: 100px;width: 100px;-webkit-border-radius: 100px;-moz-border-radius: 100px;border-radius: 100px;background-image:url(http://i42.tinypic.com/wsaheb.jpg);margin: -20px 5px 20px 5px;][/style] Music: crystallize - lindsey stirling Notes: not finished, will be soon Words: unknown Tagged: jgfjgfh[/style]

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