A Change of Pace: Team Dragoon the City of the Ancients Part Two

[lsr_boo]

Who: Veld, Elfe, Aerith, Vincent, Cloud, Haurke
When: While Team Science is working on Sephiroth and Team Reno is in Wutai
Location: Forgotten City of the Ancients
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Holy Machine is missing. There is no reason to believe that it's been destroyed. Instead there is writing on the wall and around the base of where the machine

Comments

[seraphic_maiden]

It had been a better night than ones previous, and Aerith was sure it had to do with the surroundings. No matter how uneasy the silence was, or the discomfort in being so close to the place she'd been killed, she felt...home. It did help to have so many friendly and familiar faces around her as well

[chief_mendacity]

Veld smiled to try to stop Aerith from giving him a worried look. This was a new morning; he supposed that everyone could feel it. "Alright, Haurke, make sure that you're completely sure you don't miss anything. Remember the dig we did in Wutai. Don't rush." Veld leveled a look at Cloud to make sure that the younger man didn't think to be pressing for answers.

“Valentine, if I need backup, you’re receiving.” It wasn’t that Veld didn’t trust Cloud, quite the contrary, but Veld knew that Vincent was by far the fastest out of all of them and if someone needed backup, it would be Vincent who was the go-between. And he did trust Vincent more. That was only natural when someone took a bullet for someone else. Veld tested his PHS in regards to the correct numbers and then turned.

“Elfe, Aerith?” Let’s head out. He led his daughters into the city itself. The streets were glistening with an almost crystal feel and the buildings still looked livable. In truth, it was like the place had been frozen in time.

[seraphic_maiden]

Aerith paused for a moment, considering inquiring to whether or not the man had slept. However, she remained silent for the time being and followed Veld into the city. It felt odd, like she was returning to a place of peace and comfort, like returning home.

Just out of the corner of her eye, Aerith slowly became aware of Elfe's closing distance. She was at first flattered and humbled, the thought that her newly-aquired sister had such a concern for her was endearing. But then she became aware of Elfe's heightened awareness and serious focus. Granted, Aerith was a healer and not a fighter. But she became aware that she was indept in her own protection. I'll have to take Veld up on his offer to teach me how to defend myself.

Nodding in agreement with Elfe's question, Aerith craned her neck to look around Veld to the center of the city. Her stomach knotted and became a heavy mass as the building seemed to nearly loom over them. "The machine is in the center of the city, isn't it?"

[bigdamnsword]

Cloud hovered near Haruke, surveying the landscape. He could hear the young man (pffft as if Cloud were all that much older) puttering around, doing the research thing.

He hadn't had much to do with Shinavi prior to this mission; occasionally Cloud had seen Shinavi around the background when visiting Reeve. Or hustling Rufus because of Reeve. Come to think of it, there was that one time when Tifa had called Cloud's PHS while he'd been driving Fenrir and it had seemed like a perfectly good idea to answer the phone without stopping and he'd nearly run over somebody who, now that he thought about it, was actually Haruke.

(Was it? Should he apologize? Should he doublecheck? The others had occasionally ragged Cloud for being inattentive, which was not true. He remembered Reeve's birthday; Tifa had written a note in his work diary, and stuck a post-it note on the fridge, and on his computer, and she'd sent him a text, and Yuffie had sent him an email, and Reeve had sent him a formal invitation to some sort of dinner thing, and all in all

[meganekitty]

Haruke was talking to himself as he worked, just a little like he always did...then he remembered he had an audience, and stopped. Reeve and Gabe put up with it - usually with chocolate - but what would Cloud think of a skinny secretary talking to himself while translating Cetrain? Especially an absentminded one who had nearly gotten run over that time...

"Sorry for moving around so much," he said, glancing up from his translation notes briefly. "It's kind of hard to make out..."

What's this word...Cloud? Huh, weird coincidence.

[bigdamnsword]

Cloud twitched when Shinavi spoke to him.

The guy was kinda polite, Cloud supposed, not that Cloud particularly minded if he muttered to himself a lot.

"... It's fine," he said, but then he paused; it seemed Shinavi had already been distracted by his notes.

Cloud eyed him curiously, before turning back to scanning the area. If there were anything important, Shinavi would tell him.

[meganekitty]

Haruke stopped at the last inscription, staring at the stone in amazement. Everyone here... What the hell is this?

"Clo-- er, Mr. Strife?" he asked, not looking away from his papers. "There's six of us here, right? You, me, Profes-- er, Veld, Aerith, Elfe, Vincent?"