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[contempsi]

Choice A - Fisherman's Horizon
[For someone who isn't exactly used to setting foot in a town and having people actually stroll by - sometimes waving or offering a smile, other times a crotchety old glare and a mutter about "kids these days" - this place is rather unsettling for a kid who'd almost, bitter as it was, gotten accustomed to pretty much

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BREAKS HIATUS FOR HOPEY DOPE

[brightsiding]

[ There really wasn't much Vanille liked more than being let out of class early, especially when it was about to be lunch period. She could take her time walking to the Inn to switch out her books instead of carrying all of them with her all day long, take her time eating her food... It was definitely a bigger treat than teachers probably ever realized. Particularly when their dorms were so far away, and they had to spend so much more time traveling.

The walk was definitely something she relished, though. Fisherman's Horizon had this nice homey feel to it that really put her at ease.

Walking down the hallway in, somehow, an even more cheerful manner than usual, she spots a familiar head of fluffy white and- she can't help herself, darting over to him, almost completely abandoning her plans for a nice, calm walk. ]

Hooooooooope!

wuuuubububu ;w;

[contempsi]

[He'd been lost in his thoughts, but his name being called - and in a voice that leaves no doubt as to its owner - jerks him out of his own daze. Hope blinks, eyes widening for an instant before they settle on Vanille's ever-sunny expression.]

Oh... h-hey. [He swallows thickly, relief settling over him in an instant.] So they brought you here too, huh...

/ ' u')/

[brightsiding]

[ By the time he's turned around, she's already closed in on him, leaned in to give him a little squeeze, and then pulled back, hands resting on his shoulders. ]

Huh? What do you mean 'brought me?' I walked here from the inn, just like everyone else, silly! [ Don't say weird stuff, Hope! ]

Say, shouldn't you be in class? If you're skipping out, you might want to go somewhere less obvious, yeah? If Seifer catches you out here, you'll be in big trouble! Unless... You got let out early, too? Are you waiting on someone to get out to go to lunch together?

>w<

[contempsi]

What...?

[The hug is nice, but... he frowns, uncertain of what to do or say, staring at her for a moment.]

I- n-no, they... they said that I don't have class yet, because it's the middle of the term. [He holds out the crinkled-and-dog-eared piece of paper he'd been toting around with him all day.

Then he's quickly shaking his head.]

No, wait... what's going on?

B; hoo-boy.....

[subjected]

[ Claire doesn't follow her students out immediately once class ends- with the inherent weirdness present since so many people started developing unusual abilities...? Yeah, no. Her own malady is plenty stressful all on its own, and so as the last of the students filter out, she keeps to herself, busily messing with one of the sets of heavy blinds on the windows instead. Irritated, she presses it back insistently, contemplating using staples or something to make sure it stops letting in even the faintest hint of sunlight

[contempsi]

[Hope waits for all the students to file out before slipping past the threshold; he'd caught a few glimpses of the woman from where he waited patiently and although she didn't entirely look like his comrade-in-arms... there was something about her stern face and the hue of her hair that told him to wait.

Not to mention the whole issue with her name being written on the schedule like that - a name he wouldn't have even known hours ago if it weren't for that ill-natured illusion that called her out before his arrival here. If she'd kept that aspect of herself so carefully guarded, why would she leave it lying in plain sight?

Or is this all a coincidence?

Drawing in a deep breath, Hope takes a few steps toward her. The way she seems practically covered head to foot seems strange and bewildering as well, and he doesn't even think to conceal his own concentrated expression as he approaches.]

Um... [He stops a few feet from where she's adjusting the window blinds, chewing his lip a little as he peers up into her face.] ...Lightning...?

[subjected]

[ Claire's pretty used to people hanging back or deliberately seeking her out in the times after class-- and unfortunately, in her eyes, she's gotten used to people looking for her double even though she's done everything she can to keep the differences obvious. She represses an annoyed sigh as she finally gives up on the blinds for now. ]

She's--

[ All that, but what she really wasn't expecting was to see Hope Estheim talking to her, from only a short distance away. She stares at him blankly, as if he was a chocobo that suddenly chose to reveal it could talk. After all, the boy had done a pretty good job avoiding her so far, and her him, after that first encounter a few months beforehand. A good explanation for why she didn't recognize his voice at first, but something that makes this quite baffling when it's taken into consideration.

Her eyes narrow to go with the frown that quickly spreads across her face, gaze falling downward from his face to study the boy in entirety. ]

Why are you here?

[contempsi]

[Her voice, the brusque way of speaking... it's definitely her, even in the strange attire and the new hairstyle. It's certainly mind-boggling, but he can look past it for now.

Hope glances down at himself, then takes another couple of steps forward. She's probably talking like that because he's in his uniform, and therefore mistaken for one of the other students in this place. His plan to blend in until he figured this situation all out apparently worked a little too well. A little chuckle escapes him, a bit of a smile forming on his face.]

Don't worry, it's just me. Hope.

I... I didn't want anyone else to figure me out, so I put on the uniform they gave me.

[He continues to approach her as he speaks, the relief flooding him beginning to colour his expression as well.]

A:

[nobleidealist]

[And Lloyd is staring at his new uniform as he walks down the hall, coming out of what looks like your room, Hope! ]

Dad's clothes are a lot better than these..

[contempsi]

[Even indoors he wasn't really watching where he was going; not until the stranger's voice shakes him out of his reverie, anyway.]

Huh? Aah-! [Hope manages to stop before smacking into the guy head-on, thankfully. His gaze automatically flies between the room number and the stranger, and he can feel himself automatically bristling.]

Who are you?

[Oh, right. The letter said he'd be sharing a room... he forgot. As soon as the blurted out question leaves him Hope winces a little and ducks his head, somewhat embarrassed.]

[nobleidealist]

W-Whoa! [Lloyd braces for impact and tumbles to the side, eyes wide as he fumbles against the wall, looking confused]

Uh..I'm leaving my room? I mean my name's Lloyd. Lloyd Irving.

[contempsi]

Oh.

[A sigh.]

This was my assigned room, too. [He's starting to get used to the fact that wherever this place is... the people here don't recognize him. It's a load off, but Hope automatically reaches to clasp at his wrist for a few seconds, fidgeting nervously.] So I... I guess we're supposed to share it.

[adewdropbright]

[ By now Aerith's discovered some semblance of control over the spontaneously growing plants. Mostly, it's that her power seems to want to make everything prettier, and if she focuses on plants that are already there, they become healthier--sometimes dramatically so, but it's still less conspicuous than flowers springing up between the cobblestones.

So she's focusing on a hanging pot of wisteria (and it is looking radiant *shot*) while Hope is focusing on the panel. This isn't a recipe for disaster, no sir. It is, however, the reason they bump into each other, and Aerith's concentration is broken as she's thrown off-balance, her head turning to Hope. ]

Oh--oops!

[ There's a small bed of petunias spontaneously popping up around them; a nice way to break a fall. Of course, their sudden appearance might cause that fall... ]

[contempsi]

[Apparently his luck with bumping into strange people shows no signs of improving. Jerking in surprise, mouth opened to issue a sheepish apology, Hope's foot will instead be slipping over one of those very petunias.

And so he'll be tumbling down into that bed of flowers with a little yelp of surprise, hands automatically reaching to grasp at whatever he can. This results in little fingers twisting around several of the blooms, beheading some and yanking a few others out of the ground entirely.

He quickly scrambles to his feet again, embarrassed and annoyed all at once.]

... sorry.

[Hope winces in spite of himself, and rubs his palms together to try and clean them off, sending pollen and mangled bits of petals in the air.

This makes him sneeze.]

[adewdropbright]

[ There's a small frown of dismay as the flowers are beheaded and otherwise decimate, but she is more worried about the boy. ] Gesundheit. It's all right, I wasn't looking. [ And, well, the flowers that got in his way are hers, but she's not admitting that. She has no idea if he's a native or not.

...Maybe what he thinks about those will give her a hint. ] Are you okay? At least the flowers broke your fall. [ Drawing attention to them to take away attention from herself and the fact that she's doing strange magic. :|b ]

[contempsi]

Yeah, but... [He frowns, rubbing at one of his knees a bit and glancing over the ruined bed. His uniform pants are a little grass-stained now at the knee... thankfully they're dark enough that no one would notice except up close.]

I don't think these were here before. [Okay, that sounds pretty weird. Hope fidgets with his hands a little.] I-I mean, well... [A huff.] Nevermind. Um... forget I said that.

B: VILLIERS class!

[haha_steelguard]

[Just in time to hear a familiar voice over the general hubbub as class ends!]

Looking good today, guys. I know you all have plenty of other things to study and learn, but don't forget to take time out to clear your mind and get your bodies working!

[He waves his students out, though he's not following immediately; he generally puts in the time and effort to tidy up just a little between classes, after all.]

[contempsi]

[Yep, definitely Snow's voice. He can't think of anyone else's who carries like that.

Hope sighs to himself a little, idly dusting off his uniform and wandering in as the exiting crowd of cadets gradually thins out. He's a little apprehensive-okay, maybe a bit more than just "a little"-after the day he's had so far. Silently praying to himself that this isn't going to end up another meeting with an unsettling feeling in his stomach the way finding "Lightning" did, he hurries the rest of the way over to where Snow's towering form is.]

So... they really did make you into a teacher at this place. [Trying to smile.]

[haha_steelguard]

[Give him a moment. His mental gears just shifted without a clutch.]

[The training dummy he'd been hefting drops to the ground as he turns to look at Hope. But hadn't he...]

[Yeah. He had. Time Compression had done it again. Still...]

Instructor Villers. Who'd've thought, huh?

[This isn't the first time he's done this. But it doesn't get any easier.]

[contempsi]

[The faltering doesn't exactly escape the kid's notice - it's kind of hard to ignore a training dummy thumping abruptly against the floor. Hope's smile fades. Not into a frown, necessarily, but definitely a little more serious.]

Um... yeah. This isn't weird to you?