•|| Master Post: Serah Farron » FFXIII ||•

[herosheroine]

TITLE WORDS, QUOTE, OR NAME SUBTITLE WORDS, QUOTE, SOMETHING
BASIC NAME: Serah Farron CANON: FFXIII AGE: 25 ( 21 ) DOB: 11.22 GENDER: Female SPECIES: Human ACTIVE: SUGGESTIONS: game, PSL, Memes PLAYER: Koree PLURK: sweetalker	APPEARANCE VISUAL: Link HEIGHT: 5'5" BUILD: CAN USE WORDS OR A LINK: STUFF HAIR: Pink EYES: Blue FEATURES: Sagittarius tattoo, solid black, size of her closed fist over her left breast; Five puncture scars from her neck down the back of her shoulder from a close encounter with a very large hand with screw like fingertips. DRESS: STUFF VOICE: STUFF PB: STUFF	PERMISSIONS BACKTAGGING: ✔✘ THREADHOPPING: ✔✘ FOURTHWALLING: ✔✘ ROMANCE: ✔✘ MINDREADING: ✔✘ MANIPULATION: ✔✘ INJURY: ✔✘ FIGHTING: ✔✘ KILLING: ✔✘ feel free to contact for details
SECOND TITLE WORDS, QUOTE, OR NAME SECOND SUBTITLE WORDS, QUOTE, SOMETHING BACKGROUND Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec vestibulum purus ligula, quis tincidunt dolor placerat quis. Nulla sagittis, magna vitae tristique dictum, mauris arcu cursus lacus, quis porttitor orci tortor et risus. Nunc pharetra eros at laoreet ullamcorper. Fusce non nulla sed purus hendrerit facilisis eget at leo. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Aenean eleifend rutrum egestas. Proin sed diam dictum, eleifend quam a, cursus orci. Sed lacinia est non sem rhoncus fermentum. Morbi vitae luctus augue, semper auctor purus. Curabitur pulvinar turpis vel augue tincidunt dignissim. Aenean malesuada quam mauris, sed mattis augue tristique non. Duis vehicula purus non mauris pretium, non dignissim massa laoreet. Donec fringilla augue non convallis sodales. In at interdum erat, non scelerisque libero. Duis blandit nulla et diam ultrices, in ullamcorper dolor sodales. Mauris lobortis velit sit amet elit malesuada, in rutrum turpis rutrum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque non libero convallis, faucibus nisl porttitor, ullamcorper lacus. Pellentesque elementum massa id magna ullamcorper, sed eleifend odio venenatis. Mauris tristique, sem at eleifend dapibus, magna elit ornare nisi, sit amet porta ante nibh ac quam. Duis tempus nisi convallis leo rhoncus tempor. Curabitur condimentum ipsum felis, at interdum nisl cursus hendrerit. Curabitur quis diam ultricies, tincidunt orci sollicitudin, viverra tortor. Integer mollis dui ut suscipit porttitor. Quisque aliquet nunc at est tincidunt gravida. Maecenas at leo vel magna tincidunt ultricies ut sed justo. Nunc fermentum nec tellus at varius. Sed at metus dignissim, pretium purus in, commodo erat. PERSONALITY Serah Farron is an optimistic, intelligent, kind, and determined woman. She's been through some very dark times and difficult journeys for someone her age, but despite how dangerous, tiring, or tough the going has gotten or might become she tries to keep a positive and bright outlook on things. She was given some blunt advice by a good friend and now understands the real meaning of refusing to simply give up and wait to die. She wasn't always this way, though, and it wasn't all that long ago that she struggled with severe depression, collapsing under the weight of events. Let's start at the beginning. OVERALL As a child Serah was the youngest in a family of four. She had an older sister named Claire, a mother and a father all living together in the city of Bohdum on the artificial planet known as Cocoon. Their father died when Serah was still fairly young and their mother passed away from an unspecified illness later when the girls were older. I know that this is more history than personality, but I mention it because it all serves as a major turning point in Serah's life. With the death of their mother Claire became the only family that Serah had, and the other way around as well. She changed her name to Lightning and took on the role of the caregiver, the provider, and Serah's sole protector. She began to shut out her emotions and Serah had to learn to adapt. Seeing how hard Lightning was working to provide for the two of them Serah began to fill the role of the support around the house, cooking, cleaning, and doing what she could to look after Lightning in other ways. Whether she was always more practical minded or became this way after the two were orphaned isn't entirely clear, but none the less that's how she grew up from that point on. Practical, but still a sweet girl by nature, Serah was and remains very curious and eager to learn as well. She's usually mature, soft spoken, and gentle but she does have a limit to how much she can take. When her temper is pushed to said limit she "goes from smiling angel to angry ogre" (direct quote from her traveling companion, Noel Kreiss), one who can stand her ground and command the likes of monsters. She's the kind of person that learns how to understand others by observing either from up close or from a distance, as that's something that she's had to do for years while she watched Lightning build up wall after wall to shut people out and her own emotions in. Even though it's something that she learned out of necessity it's also something that Serah has come to enjoy doing. It's not just people, either, she likes being able to just relax and take life in. She doesn't ask for much in life. After all that's happened already she's simply learned to enjoy the little things and to be grateful for what she has and what she can attain by her own strength. All of this might lend an appearance of having wisdom beyond her years, and maybe that's true depending on who you ask, but it's simply Serah's ability to understand others helps her with knowing what to say and when. She's learned that sometimes giving someone space, or stepping back away from things to look at them from a distance is the better answer. One glance at Serah can tell you that she's the friendly type. She has a lot of patience and generally she's very accommodating of others, but she shouldn't be mistaken for being a doormat. She is still a Farron, after all, and apparently they're all fighters in some way. Her older sister is as stubborn as they come and the man she dates who later on becomes her fiance is a hard-headed hero type. Serah knows how to speak up for herself and she's not shy about being firm about it either- at least so long as your name wasn't Lightning. She'll tease and joke with people that she's familiar with, Lightning included. She's not afraid to get a little sassy with people, something that might be especially important given the gravity of her task. Through it all, even though they're all risking their lives (especially with Serah's visions) she never stops smiling and trying to keep things light hearted. At one point in the game you discover a skill that allows Noel and Serah (whoever is in control) to throw Mog to retrieve hard to reach treasures and hidden items. Mog, clearly distraught at the idea of being tossed around like a football, pleads to Serah to help him out and she replies with a teasing "Good luck!". I'll point out that if Mog was in any actual danger she would have stepped in, it's probably just that we find out later that moogles in XIII are apparently afraid of flying too high despite being perfectly capable! She knows more than a few puns, too (at least I think it's reasonable to assume that she was the one supplying the puns during the joke telling mission/quest, a reasonable conclusion since it's still early on and Noel doesn't seem like the type for puns, but maybe I'm wrong). She even goes as far as to greet Lebreau with "Good morning, Kupo!" and teasingly offer to let Yuj try on her new dress as some of her dialogue options. It's true that they should be taken with a grain of salt, but they do seem like the sort of things that Serah would do if you follow her character progression. It's more of a gameplay thing, but Serah is also pretty affectionate with animals. She's not afraid of stray cats and openly praises and helps her monster companions in battle, worrying over them as much as she does Noel. You can hear both Noel and Serah encouraging them during fights with phrases like "What a good boy!" and "You deserve a treat!". When they arrive in Serendipity she encourages them to have a look around. Several games are available here and this could almost count as headcanon but I believe Serah and Noel spend at least a few hours relaxing there and just unwinding after days of era-hopping. Similarly they visit both a futuristic city and a village of hunters on Pulse and while the player is in control of Noel Serah can be seen wandering off to talk to NPC's in the background, or sitting down and just enjoying the scenery. SKILLS & INTERESTS You wouldn't guess by looks alone that she's become an incredibly formidable fighter because really she's very slight in frame and has a very unassuming appearance. She just doesn't look very strong. On top of that she'd grown accustomed to being protected if danger did show itself, simply because the two most important people in her life were always there, always jumping in or showing up to save the day and didn't need to learn how to fight until it was time to rebuild on Pulse. Surprisingly Serah showed a quick uptake with weapons training at that point. She picked up on the knowledge of how to use them quick enough, but when left weaponless on the battlefield she used to cringe away from danger. Not anymore. There's a fighter's spirit belied by that sweet and fragile looking exterior, and that came out in full force once she picked up her journey with Noel. Before the events of the first game sent everything to hell in a hand basket Serah had an interest in studying history. Her interest in the Vestige would suggest that her interest specifically lies in architectural history (or perhaps the history of artifacts, ancient history, or Pulse artifacts and Pulse itself instead) in particular and had plans to attend university at Cocoon's largest city (Eden). Like most people Serah needs to know that her existence actually means something. She wants to know that she's making a difference in the world- hopefully a positive one. She wants to help others regardless if that means teaching them, fighting for them, or just being there as support for them. Life on Pulse, though, that makes that a challenge. The problem there was that since Serah was the only one that remembered the timeline as it was supposed to be and refused to believe that Lightning was gone people began to accuse her of all sorts of things. Some said that she was just in denial, didn't want to face reality. In a way they were right. Serah couldn't really move on. More than that, though, Serah struggled with questioning her own sanity for a long time. As the only person who was questioning the timeline as it was (among other things, like the sudden ability for people to use magic, and people who had feared Pulse their entire lives suddenly just being okay with moving there) and as she was already being questioned and criticized for pushing the Lightning issue she just clammed up about it. She has a great deal of compassion for Alyssa later when she finds out that she's going through the same thing and she immediately relates to that pain- as well as feeling personally responsible for Alyssa's friend's death, maybe even understanding what Alyssa's dreams mean. Anyway- she became increasingly distressed by all of this. She didn't know what to do or how to fit into their new life without her sister around. She wasn't a fighter, she wasn't a medic, and even though she still had Snow (her fiancee) the lack of purpose just fueled her feelings further. Later Serah talked to Snow about her interest in possibly becoming a teacher in order to teach the children the recent history of Cocoon's fall to survivors (now settlers). It's worth noting that because of the altered events of history (including Lightning's unexplained disappearance) Serah was still in a bad state of depression at this time. Building the school was Snow's attempt at helping to draw her out of that (and to a degree there was SOME improvement), but it turned out she was a TERRIBLE teacher for a good while as her students thought that their time could be put to better use and Serah was failing to convey the importance of learning the history and the story leading up to the fall of Cocoon. It was one night while she was out running that she came across one of her distraught students that Serah realized she had a purpose and understood that her students were in fact relying on her in a way. Things began to improve after that, slowly but surely. It was also around this time that Snow set out to try to find Lightning, denying Serah's wish to go with him. So there she stayed until Noel's arrival. Later on Serah expressed that it took Snow's and Lightning's departures for her to find her own identity, to make a niche for herself and settle down on a path, but it didn't take long for her to blossom after setting out. RELATIONSHIPS She's clearly accustomed to Lightning's straight forward way of dealing with things with complete finality, and as close as they are because of their loss even Serah still felt fear of her sister's rejection. Though Serah understands Lightning rather well it doesn't appear to be mutual. The air between the two is one of patience and protection, with Serah often times following what Lightning thinks is best and for the most part Serah would have avoided being willful or difficult. The relationship shows improvements during XIII-2 in the few instances we see it in action, but anything else is more relevant to "Lightning Returns" and I won't go into that here. There was one point of contention between the sisters, though. For however much Lightning runs the household she did eventually either consent to Serah and Snow dating or accepted that Serah was going to make her own choices in life (my money is on number two). She understood the loss, sacrifice, and personal changes that Lightning endured following the death of their parents and tried to give the elder Farron room to do what she felt like she needed to do while still looking out for her in her own way; actually, the same could be said of anyone that Serah befriends. She's practical and thoughtful, and so long as her head is clear she's often looking out for the well being of others ahead of herself. Lightning's gift from Serah was a very nice survival knife to help protect her while on duty. It was also Serah's plea that convinced Light to take her own birthday off work. Snow and Serah are an excellent balance for one another. He anchors her through her darkest points, at least enough that she doesn't resort to doing anything drastic. When she tried leaving him to face her solitary focus alone he refused to give up on her, instead proposing to her and swearing to stay by her side no matter what happened. It's his devotion that made her realize that she wasn't alone and gave her the strength to fight against her focus. Like him she's always trying to look on the bright side, see the good in people instead of the bad, and determined to do the right thing and protect others. She even goes so far as to try pushing him out, breaking up with him after becoming branded (and she really puts up a good act considering how shaken she must have been by then. Instead of sounding afraid she just comes across as being blunt and to the point. Stating that "It's over." and "It's not your choice, it's mine." when he tries to talk her out of it.). Unlike Snow (at least the old Snow) Serah is very practical and doesn't usually rush into things headlong without considering the danger first. This has changed a little since XIII-2, where she's become a little more fearless, but not actually reckless. One thing that hasn't changed is the fact that she's content to be swept up in his energetic attitude. In some ways she already acts like his wife, scolding him teasingly when he's late or careless, not at all afraid to rely on him, trusting, too. She becomes incredibly angry and frustrated, yelling at Noel after discovering that Snow had been branded. The outburst that follows is raw and emotional, easily the most potent instance of Serah losing her control in the entirety of the game. She angrily asks who could be so stupid as to let himself be branded, knowing that succeed or fail their life is over. She speaks from first hand experience, having just told Snow and Noel earlier about what it was like to turn into crystal. She does explain that she thought she had good dreams during that time, and that she was able to hear what was going on thanks to Snow carrying her crystal tear- but it's clearly a brave front. When she thinks that the same fate might befall Snow she becomes terrified for him, and at the idea of losing him. She loves that big lug and takes strength from that bond that they share. Corny as it might be, he's her rock. Really Serah cares deeply for all of the people around her but Snow is one of the closest in her heart. The members of NORA house, Snow's adopted family, became like family to Serah as well over time. At first she was surprised that they thought of her as such because she considered herself simply an acquaintance of theirs through Snow, but she not only comes to see them as family but begins to live with them. As mentioned before her relationship with the village children began to improve before Snow left to find Lightning, and even though it seems like Gadot and the other members of NORA don't really take her skills too seriously they all clearly still care a great deal about her and respect her as a person as well as Snow's fiancee. They pick up where Snow left off, trying to look out for her and keep her from falling back into a serious depression with Snow's absence. They even go so far as to get her a pet cat to look after on top of having her students. Judging from the easy banter and teasing dialogue options available throughout the New Bohdum 3AF level of the game it becomes apparent that Serah and NORA have opened up to one another over the years. Then there's Noel. Noel is the young man who turns up riding in on the crazy meteorite, the one who takes her along on the journey in search of Lightning, and the one who eventually shows her how to fight and survive in the wilderness. They more or less have no other choice than to rely on one another, but we're never given the sense that it's done so out of simple obligation. They form a team, along with Mog, and come to care about and look out for one another. At some point early enough on- in Serah's own words -Noel stops being "That boy from the future." and has become family to her. I would definitely describe the relationship as that of brother and sister, with both being protective over one another. Along the way of their travels Serah comes to care about him and his fate more and more, worrying after him like an older sister might. I'd love to get into her relationship with the others but there are a lot of them (Mog, Sazh, Dahj, Hope, Fang, and Vanille) and this is already pretty long, so I'll stop here! What's important to note is that for the people who are dear to Serah and the people who rely on her she'll always try her hardest to do right by them and her own heart, regardless if she knows them well or not. BECOMING A L'CIE & JOURNEYING THROUGH TIME Becoming a Pulse l'cie was the worst possible thing that could have happened to a person, especially Serah, for so many reasons. Like most other people Serah needed a little help to come around and face the situation, but I think it still speaks volumes of her character that she was able to. To face all of this with seemingly only one person willing to stand by her side demonstrates a lot of strength. In the course of one week she was confronted with becoming a Fal'cie slave (a l'cie), and the terrifying probability that she was expected to destroy her home world and kill everyone she loved. There was also the realization that either way, either failure to or succeeding in completing her focus meant that she could never be with her loved ones again. With help from Snow she accepted the reality of her situation and then bravely challenges it, and won. She didn't know if she'd become a Cei'th or crystal when she defied her focus, but she did it anyway, prepared to accept the consequences for her choice, even if it meant doing it alone, but I doubt she ever considered herself to be truly alone after that talk with Snow, and his proposal-- a reminder that she had people that cared about her no matter what her fate turned out to be. The journey reveals more and more of Serah's strength, and gradually over time it becomes much more outwardly apparent until even the way that she carries herself is more confident. While her outward demeanor is still sweet and considerate of those around her she also begins masking her fears of not being able to do what they've set out to do, as well as her initial fear and confusion over the visions that she has and what it means each time she has a new one. And even after discovering that the visions will eventually lead to her own death she persists in the mission of changing the future for the better. She wants to give Noel and everyone else a world where humanity doesn't dwindle out of existence, where Noel doesn't have to be alone and Yeul doesn't have to keep dying because of the paradoxes. Possibly driving her on in this is the lingering remorse that she feels for the incidents leading up to the Fall of Cocoon. Even though another would have taken her place had she not gone into the Vestige Serah still feels largely responsible for the events of the "Purge". The Purge was a military operation in direct response to the Fal'cie being discovered after Serah wandered into the Vestige. During the operation all inhabitants of Bohdum (including tourists and visitors) were shuffled onto trains and slotted for execution under the guise of being simply banished to Pulse. A lot of people died that day, and more people still in the days that followed. When all was finally said and done it worked out in the end, but Serah shows signs of still carrying that heavy grief in her heart when she, Noel, and Mog encounter Alyssa and hear her harrowing story. She wants to try to atone for what happened, even though she's not sure if they ever can she'll still try. So for the sake of making things right for the future Serah helps others, even problems that have little to nothing to do with her own. And though she does look to Noel a lot at first, ends up following him around a great deal, that too eventually begins to change as she gains even more confidence in their mission and gets the hang of navigating the paradoxes and time itself. Her insecurities and uncertainties of finding the people she's set out to look for fade with each new era. She doesn't want to see anything bad happen to Noel or the people she loves; that's why she'll risk her own life to change the future and assure that he has a place to be around other people, to be happy instead of alone By the time we reach the end of the journey and the last gate closes in XIII-2 Serah has grown in a lot of ways. She goes on and faces her death knowing that they tried their hardest and doesn't regret it, only asking Lightning to remember her for what she tried to do, rather than what she couldn't. ABILITIES Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec vestibulum purus ligula, quis tincidunt dolor placerat quis. Nulla sagittis, magna vitae tristique dictum, mauris arcu cursus lacus, quis porttitor orci tortor et risus. Nunc pharetra eros at laoreet ullamcorper. Fusce non nulla sed purus hendrerit facilisis eget at leo. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Aenean eleifend rutrum egestas. Proin sed diam dictum, eleifend quam a, cursus orci. Sed lacinia est non sem rhoncus fermentum. Morbi vitae luctus augue, semper auctor purus. Curabitur pulvinar turpis vel augue tincidunt dignissim. Aenean malesuada quam mauris, sed mattis augue tristique non. Duis vehicula purus non mauris pretium, non dignissim massa laoreet. Donec fringilla augue non convallis sodales. In at interdum erat, non scelerisque libero. Duis blandit nulla et diam ultrices, in ullamcorper dolor sodales. Mauris lobortis velit sit amet elit malesuada, in rutrum turpis rutrum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque non libero convallis, faucibus nisl porttitor, ullamcorper lacus. Pellentesque elementum massa id magna ullamcorper, sed eleifend odio venenatis. Mauris tristique, sem at eleifend dapibus, magna elit ornare nisi, sit amet porta ante nibh ac quam. Duis tempus nisi convallis leo rhoncus tempor. Curabitur condimentum ipsum felis, at interdum nisl cursus hendrerit. Curabitur quis diam ultricies, tincidunt orci sollicitudin, viverra tortor. Integer mollis dui ut suscipit porttitor. Quisque aliquet nunc at est tincidunt gravida. Maecenas at leo vel magna tincidunt ultricies ut sed justo. Nunc fermentum nec tellus at varius. Sed at metus dignissim, pretium purus in, commodo erat. EXTRA Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec vestibulum purus ligula, quis tincidunt dolor placerat quis. Nulla sagittis, magna vitae tristique dictum, mauris arcu cursus lacus, quis porttitor orci tortor et risus. Nunc pharetra eros at laoreet ullamcorper. Fusce non nulla sed purus hendrerit facilisis eget at leo. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Aenean eleifend rutrum egestas. Proin sed diam dictum, eleifend quam a, cursus orci. Sed lacinia est non sem rhoncus fermentum. Morbi vitae luctus augue, semper auctor purus. Curabitur pulvinar turpis vel augue tincidunt dignissim. Aenean malesuada quam mauris, sed mattis augue tristique non. Duis vehicula purus non mauris pretium, non dignissim massa laoreet. Donec fringilla augue non convallis sodales. In at interdum erat, non scelerisque libero. Duis blandit nulla et diam ultrices, in ullamcorper dolor sodales. Mauris lobortis velit sit amet elit malesuada, in rutrum turpis rutrum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque non libero convallis, faucibus nisl porttitor, ullamcorper lacus. Pellentesque elementum massa id magna ullamcorper, sed eleifend odio venenatis. Mauris tristique, sem at eleifend dapibus, magna elit ornare nisi, sit amet porta ante nibh ac quam. Duis tempus nisi convallis leo rhoncus tempor. Curabitur condimentum ipsum felis, at interdum nisl cursus hendrerit. Curabitur quis diam ultricies, tincidunt orci sollicitudin, viverra tortor. Integer mollis dui ut suscipit porttitor. Quisque aliquet nunc at est tincidunt gravida. Maecenas at leo vel magna tincidunt ultricies ut sed justo. Nunc fermentum nec tellus at varius. Sed at metus dignissim, pretium purus in, commodo erat.

Comments

♏ » Arrival

[paradoxically]

[Considering every single thing that had happened to him before this current point, this wasn't even that weird. Suddenly dropping out of the Historia Crux into some unknown world they hadn't even been aiming for happened far more often than it should have.

However.

A few things were incredibly off.

First of all, there was no annoying squeaky announcement that they had arrived, followed by an overloud KUPO! from Mog - in fact, the little white marshmallow was nowhere to be found.

Second, there usually weren't crumpled up pieces of paper sticking out of his pants pocket welcoming him to this strange new world while simultaneously complimenting his gorerous icy blue eyes of all things.

Third - and most importantly - Serah wasn't there. She had been ever-present at his side, and now that they were so close to finally finding Caius and fixing the timeline he was certain she wouldn't just disappear.

Which was how Noel ended up fumbling with the silly little device for far too long, turning it on and off - imagine video with no sound, text that makes absolutely no sense, jumbled up words that all equal out to just one thing -

Searh is gone and he doesn't have time for this.

And if she can hear him she should probably find him really soon because he is going to bother each and every person in this marketplace until someone tells him where she is.]

[herosheroine]

[ Three years. It's been three years since she's been home, since she's seen Mog, Hope, Claire, Sazh, Dahj, or even Vanille and Fang. Three years since she and Noel put a supposed stop to Caius' plan to destroy the world and time, since they closed the final time gate and restored the timeline to its true history. Three years since she died.

She knows that things had gone sideways back home after her death, but here in service to the Twelve she'd been powerless to do anything about it, to effect change, or help the people she loved.

She wonders with increasing frequency these days if she's not simply living in another dream world, like when Caius had attacked the two of them in the Unseen Realm. Maybe it was some sort of afterlife, a realm like Serendipity, on a larger scale, where people from all worlds and times could come, only involuntarily.

No, though, that wasn't it. Couldn't be it. She could still summon her monsters. She could still summon Mog, albeit he seemed... inanimate, not sentient, not alive. He hadn't spoken to her once in all the time she'd been on Zodion and that was still true on Ophiuchus. And now, with the disappearance of Zack and Cloud...

She had just finished strapping one of the birds into his harness for the wagon. Zack may be gone, but the welcome center he'd helped build still needed someone to help ferry arrivals back and forth from the Market to the settlement. They didn't always need the wagon, didn't always have that many arrivals- these days fewer and fewer in fact -but just to be safe, she would bring it anyway.

Forgotten, in an instant.

When her phone goes off Serah pauses from buckling the next strap to retrieve the device from the holder on her hip, and nearly drops it a moment later after opening her feed. All at once it feels as if she can't breathe, as if a hand had reached right into her chest, gripped her heart, and was squeezing with an icy cold grip.

Noel.

She hasn't seen him since... since...

The five puncture wound scars along her neck and upper back begin to ache with phantom pain as she recalls the memory. The last time she'd seen Noel was the expedition, over a year ago, longer even. She'd been looking after him after he fell into his coma, and would have continued to do so for the entire trip had Seifer not come along and snapped her out of her daze. After finally returning to Ourana, the alter of arrivals restored, Noel returned home and after months of searching Serah had finally resigned herself to the truth: He was gone for good. Happy as she'd wanted to be, the loneliness afterwards was devastating. She was lucky enough to have friends to fall back on then... Cloud, and Zack. Is it coincidence, then, that after they return home, Noel's familiar face turns up on the network again? She doesn't know. Serah doesn't care.

In as much time as it takes to swipe at her eyes with the back of her hand she's whistled for Rowan. Reliably, the silver comes at her call at a loping run and Serah practically vaults up onto his back, spurring him into an all out sprint soon after. The cart and single chocobo are forgotten. It only vaguely occurs to her that it's lucky Marcus and Aiden are out. The yellow and gold are more than capable of defending the pens until she returns. In her urgency she hadn't even thought to call for someone to come look after them in her stead.

It takes only minutes for them to arrive, and once they do Serah is quick to dismount, not even really waiting for Rowan to come to a full stop before she's off. A few of the locals look a little startled, but recognize Serah as the caretaker of the birds and don't give her any grief for the abrupt arrival. The next moment she's rushing further into the crowd, looking around for the familiar head of brown hair.

She'd never gotten the chance to apologize for leaving things the way that they had, for hurting him on Valentine's Day.

She'd never really finished thanking him for the bungalow he'd spent so much time working to build, down by the beach, just to make her feel a little closer to home.

Why are there so many things left unsaid between them? How did it get like this? ]

Noel...!

[ There. All at once he's in front of her, and all SHE can do is stare at him like an idiot, on the brink of tears. She should be sorry that he's here again, stuck in this place at the whim of the Twelve.

But she's not. ]

[paradoxically]

[Oddly, everyone seemed to know exactly who he's talking about - after all, a girl who weighs possibly a hundred pounds dripping wet with light pink hair and an irritating moogle for a pet/weapon was pretty difficult to forget. Despite their recognition, no one is actually able to tell him where she is, all naming different randomly spots as possibilities before going on about their merry way.

On one hand, she was here, somewhere, and all he technically had to do was find her.

On the other, he had no idea where here even was, or how to go about seeking out any of the places mentioned.

Someone had been kind enough to hand him some sort of map and point out roughly which direction he should head in. It wasn't much to go on, considering, but they had gotten far further on less. He was still a hunter, after all, he had been taught how to track, he would just have to seek her out on his own.

Thankfully, she found him.]

Serah! [There's little time wasted once he spots her, moving through the crowd, intent upon reaching her.] There you are. For a second there, I thought I'd lost you.

[But his happiness at finding her is short lived as he takes in the sight of her, as all of the differences quickly became apparent - she looked older, only by a few years, yes, but it was a noticeable change for someone who had spent every second of the past weeks and months at her side. There were scars spanning across her neck and shoulder that he was completely certain hadn't been there before.

Coupled with the fact that she was currently standing there, staring at him completely dumbfounded and on the verge of tears that made him realize that something was very, very wrong.]

Hey, it's okay. I'm here. [He reaches for her without even thinking, placing his hand upon her unmarred shoulder.]

[herosheroine]

[ The moment that his hand touches her shoulder it all becomes real, visceral, and then Serah can't help herself. With a short, happy laugh she reaches up and brushes at her eyes again with the back of a bare hand. Whether she's laughing at her own reaction or out of the simple joy of seeing a friendly, familiar face again is unclear, but she's definitely happy to see him. That much is obvious. She doesn't do anything to disrupt the hand on her shoulder. In fact, she steps in closer and goes for a hug. Where as before she might have kept a familiar but still respectful distance, the years on Zodion and Ophichus have done their job in breaking down those walls of inhibition. A part of her was still consciously aware that she was taking a chance invading his personal space, but she was too caught in the moment to be more mindful right then. ] Gods... it's so good to see you again. [ She admits, even as she readies herself, braces for the inevitable admission that he either doesn't remember his time on Zodion or he doesn't know how much time has passed since he left. So many people have come and gone by now that she can't really help but assume. But it's possible- she supposes, even if she doesn't dare wish it -that he was with one of the other groups that had settled on another part of the planet. But that's not as important as the fact that he's here, now. ]

[paradoxically]

[All too suddenly his space is being invaded and she's moving in close, wrapping her arms around him in a way that had so rarely been felt before. The affection in and of its self wasn't exactly strange, considering all they had been through together on their journey a certain level of closeness had developed between them - they had comforted each other before, when the path before them got rough and their journey seemed impossible - or each time yet another Yuel perished before his eyes.

But this was distinctly different in a way he couldn't quite comprehend. He can feel it all the way into his bones.

It's instinctual to reciprocate, wrapping his arms around her softly, one hand coming up to rest on the mess of pink hair while the other remains in the middle of her back - exactly how he had always held Yuel, but he knew no other way.]

Serah... [Voice soft, her name falling from his lips in a whisper as something clenches painfully within his chest. Something isn't right.

"It's so good to see you again."

No, something most definitely wasn't right.]

Are you feeling okay? [Has she seen some vision of the future without him? Had it been more than a few minutes that they had been separated? Had she been lost in the Historia Crux when they jumped in, fully expecting to arrive safely back in 500AF?

Shifting, both hands coming to rest upon her shoulders as he stepped away, still staying close but giving them each their own space, head dipping forward slightly to look at her properly.] We were together up until a few minutes ago. Don't you remember? We beat Caius and we were on our way to see Hope.

[herosheroine]

[ It's just as she expected. Noel comes from home with no memories of ever leaving it. It's the same song and dance each time, but the joy of seeing the people she loves outweighs the sorrow of lost memories, even if it doesn't erase it.

For those few brief moments she savors the warmth of his embrace, letting him pull back again after and reclaim their more customary personal space. The weight of his hands on her shoulders- light, not too pressing -ground her in the moment. She's glad for the question, the reminder. It tells of what she should avoid mentioning... ]

I remember... [ She smiles, a small one but no less sincere for it. ] but you should know that time works differently here. It's a long story, and there's a lot to fill you in on. Why don't we go back to the settlement, first? We'd have more privacy there.

[paradoxically]

[She smiles and it's enough.

Soft as it may be, it's warm and sincere and enough to reassure him that she's alright, she's fine, that there's time left, that maybe they can still manage to outrun her fate.

With how long they had spent traveling through time, jumping from one era to another, back and forth along the timelines, it didn't seem all that strange that this world's sense of it may be different than any other.]

Sounds like a good plan to me. [A sharp nod accompanies the words, and he offers a gentle smile of his own, hoping to calm and steady her in the way she so often did him.] Lead the way.

[herosheroine]

[ That smile she gets in return does help, steadies her enough that she can prepare a little better for the conversation to come. She starts walking them out of the market then, explaining a little of the basics as they go- at least with regards to where he'd arrived. Rowan rejoins them and is able to easily carry them both back.

The further they go the more that she physically relaxes, not seeming at all put off by the proximity that only having one mount to ride between them necessitates. Maybe that's telling, maybe it isn't. In any case, as they trod along Serah explains the market and where they were headed. The people who'd been brought here by the powers-that-be had set up a camp of sorts on the cliffs, and over the course of a year it had developed into a settlement of its own. By that time they've reached said cliffs, and Noel can see for himself the piers and boardwalks connecting groupings of grass-roofed bungalows, colorful little cottages lining the beach near the shore, and stone buildings built into the faces of several pillars and cliffs, walkways connecting them high up above the gentle roar of the sea below.

Further ahead atop the cliffs are several buildings, ruins of old temples, one of them partially restored and housing the chocobos. A makeshift fence keeps most of them from wandering, though the birds could arguably easily jump it they're staying put obediently, suggesting that enough time has passed that they're fully tamed even roaming freely like they are. ]

I've been raising and breeding them to help around the settlements. My place is actually down there, by the shore. See the blue cottage down there?

[ She points for good measure as Rowan comfortably navigates down to the beach a ways past the pillars. ]

Home sweet home away from home.

•|| Crossed Lines

[herosheroine]

[ It wasn't until well into the day after the next that the two of them finally came out of their haze. She can hardly believe that they'd actually- that she'd actually kept them sequestered away for a whole day...

Being the first to rise gave her plenty of time to let the reality sink in, though. As she laid there beside Noel in the pre-dawn light, the sky just beginning to glow a warm purple through the skylights, she felt a lot of things.

For one, tired. She felt extremely lazy, sated and maybe a few other things, sore, satisfied, and content. Those were the feelings that ran bone deep. Accompanying them, however, were creeping doubt and sudden uncertainty that she'd made the right decision. Had... had she taken advantage of him by not telling him the full story up front? She didn't think he'd hold it against her but that did little to alleviate her conscience in the present.

Well... there was nothing for it but to talk to him when he roused and see what he thought. For the moment she tried to be at peace with the choice, turning in his arms just enough that she could rest her head on his shoulder and watch him sleep. She'd seen a similar sight before in Ourana, of course, but the moment rarely- if ever -felt this still and peaceful. Serah was always too busy chewing on her guilt. Now, that guilt is more of a distant buzz at the back of her mind. Yes, there's still a chance of Snow turning up with no memory of his previous stay, just like Noel had, but... she'd had to come to terms with the fact that it wasn't likely, and even if it did happen she couldn't help how things had developed here, worlds away from the life she knew. She couldn't help how her feelings had changed...

A bare hand reaches up and over, fingertips gingerly tracing Noel's forehead to brush his bangs back from his eyes. Under the sheets she knew that she'd left ample marks behind just as he had, little kiss bruises here and there that would probably be gone in another couple of days, but for now, a reminder of how swept away they'd both gotten in the past twenty-four hours. ]

Hey, sleepyhead, how long do you plan to sleep...? I didn't wear you out that much, did I?

[ She teases, smiling. How quickly she forgets how easily that tease could be turned around on her. ]

[paradoxically]

[It was insane and terrifying how much your life could change in the span of a day.

It was also breathtaking and miraculous. The changes which had taken place in Noel's were a distinct mixture of both.

Two days ago he never would have predicted anything that had happened, wouldn't have guessed how things would take a turn between them. Thirty-six hours ago, when he had crept up the steps leading to the loft, he never would have imagined that he would still be laying there beside her all of this time later. Everything within him was sated, content, at peace, strange, new sensations that he had never before been privileged to experience.

Distantly, he felt her twist and turn in his arms, hold tightening once she had settled, keeping her close even in sleep. A deep breath fell from his lips as the warmth of her pressed against him, putting his mind at ease and allowing him to fall back into that deeper, more comfortable state of rest.

But then her voice broke through the cloudy darkness and despite how much he didn't want to leave and return to the waking world, he felt compelled to listen, to follow. Thick lashes fluttered rapidly as his eyes slipped opened for the briefest of moments, long enough to glance at her before groaning and rolling over more fully onto his side. Every muscle still felt heavy with use, protesting each movement, skin pulled tight over each mark that had been left behind, stinging as he twisted in just the right way to remind him of their presence. There was a distinct weariness that hung over him that came from hours of strenuous activity and the depletion of stamina and energy, and it felt as though he may never get enough rest.

How long had he actually been asleep anyway? It couldn't have been more than a couple of hours and surely he was allowed more than that. Especially considering how comfortable her bed currently felt against his soreness, the cool expanse of sheets feeling like heaven after hours of being burned from the inside out by the intensity of their passion.

Another soft groan emits from deep within his throat before he presses his face firmly into the pillows as if he could somehow block her out and will himself back to sleep.] Come on, Serah. Just five more minutes.

[Yes, yes you did wear him out that much. Not that he's complaining.]

[herosheroine]

[ The answer seems abundantly apparent. In hind sight she hadn't let him sleep much... but she HAD warned him, after all. Besides, it was kind of amusing how the tables had turned. At the start of all this it was her asking for just five more minutes.

Leaning over him, she leans down closer and pokes his cheek, speaking near his ear. ]

Now that's not very fair. I seem to recall asking you for five more minutes and you being pretty bossy and insistent.

[ Her tone is all play and no bite, of course, because she was hardly bothered or upset by it. ]

[paradoxically]

[One eye - the only one currently visible with his face still smooshed down into the pillow - slips open at the reminder that all of this is entirely his fault. Yet, somehow, he can't bring himself to feel guilt over any of it.

Unwittingly he nudges his cheek against her own before she draws away, sighing deeply in contentment at the brief contact. Before giving up entirely on the idea of getting any more sleep, rolling over to rest on his back, pressing his palms roughly against his eyes before smiling up at her.]

I think you're giving me a run for my money. [It's playful and teasing because honestly he really isn't bothered by her waking him either.]

[herosheroine]

[ She watches him waking slowly, has the actual nerve to smile so much that her eyes crinkle at the corners with amusement as he peeks back up at her. She smiles a little at the brush of their cheeks, imagining for a split second what it might be like if this was their every day. He'd wanted that once, and she'd been afraid of it, run from it... but now here she is again, come full circle.

His shifting to settle on his back prompts her to move beside him again, settling on her stomach with her arms propping her up against her elbows, continuing to watch over him even now, amused. ]

Oh? Well, they do say turnabout is fair play.

[paradoxically]

[Part of him - a part that's been buried deep, hidden away within him and never allowed to see the light of day or have any true thought given to it - desperately wants this to be their every day. Wants to wake up to her, to have her face be the first thing he sees, to have her voice be the first thing he hears. Wants to sleep next to her every night and have everything that went along with it.

Once he had wanted those things with Yuel, but now that he's experienced them with her, those desires are warped and confused.

Lifting a hand - the one still almost comically wearing the leather rope bands - lifts, cupping her cheek softly for a moment before falling away.]

Is that why you woke me up?

[herosheroine]

[ The lines blur so easily these days... Once, she'd have looked at Noel and seen her partner on the journey to rectify the past, who then became a trusted and cherished friend, who has now become family. He's still all those things, but... somehow all those things have become mixed up, jumbled, and the lines of where one ends and the next begins are indistinguishable from one another. Now she looks at him and she sees a partner who she cherishes and trusts like family... plus something more.

And when he touches her like this, that something more becomes even more pronounced. It doesn't feel like the sort of contact shared between people who are just friends, or even just lovers for the moment. It feels like there's something more behind it. Her eyes search his for a moment before they close briefly with a gentle shake of her head, so as not to disrupt his touch. When she looks at him again the playfulness from before has slipped away. ]

I think we should probably have that talk...

[paradoxically]

[Noel had been fully aware that this was coming - of course it was coming, there was far too much hanging in the air between them and left unsaid for it not to be - and yet hearing the words, knowing that it was already upon them made his heart skip a beat as the peace around them began to shatter.

Shifting to push himself upwards onto his elbows, he sighed softly, lifting a hand to run his fingers through comically messy hair.

Somewhere in his mind the thought sparked to ask her if it couldn't have waited, so sure that this was going to be about Snow and how wrong all of this was, about how they were only helping each only because they had no other choice and there could be nothing more (and why did his heart ache just a little at that thought?) But it had obviously bothered her enough to wake him, and he would always do everything within his power to put her at ease.]

What's on your mind?

♏ » He liked it so he put a ring(band) on it

[paradoxically]

[It had taken weeks to gather enough supplies.

Weeks of going off on his own in the early morning hours before she had woken. Weeks of sneaking off, claiming he was going hunting. Trading with those that remained for whatever extra he might have found but didn't need.

Until finally he had gathered enough leather to shape into thin straps that would wind about her wrist. Until he had found enough sea glass to shape into beads, and a small piece of reclaimed wood, pale enough to make a match.

He had made other things over the weeks - a wind chime, which now hung in the front room, made from large pieces of sea glass and shells that they had found walking along the water. Wood cravings that he had worked on in the evenings when their other work was done and there was nothing left that needed their attention.

But this, this project was special. The shells which held special cravings, runes that the Farseers believed to bring protection to those who wore them. Bands of rings that would wrap around her fingers, down her hands and onto her wrist and forearm. It had taken on a lighter color scheme than his own, but it suited her.

As did the pair set of wings that hung from near the wrist, made from that light wood, the focus of the entire set. There was no special wrappings, no ribbon or bow, just the gift carefully carried within his hands as he climbed the stairs to the second floor bedroom.

He wasn't entirely sure what had made him decide to give it to her on this particular night - no, scratch that, he knew exactly what it had been.

Early in the day there had been another, a local man who Noel had never seen before who had come to inquire about their chocobos. Serah had spoken to him, and as their conversation had wore on, it only became more and more apparent that he was more interested in her than the birds.

Jealousy had welled up within him, the primal need to march over and make it known that Serah was his and this guy seriously needed to back off.

But she wasn't, and he had no right to feel or act so possessive over her. Not yet.

Taking a deep intake of breath as he reached the top of the stairs and she finally came into view. Bathed in the late afternoon sunlight as it poured in through the windows and streaming in through the glass inlay of the ceiling. It was absolutely breathtaking like he had never seen anything more beautiful than she was at that moment.]

You're so beautiful. [It slipped forth without him even meaning for it to, but he honestly didn't care.]

[herosheroine]

[ Even knowing that the time was coming it's a little too easy to lose track of the days. Since Noel's return Serah's attention has been divided. The days don't feel as if they're crawling by any longer, each one a stark reminder of how long it had been since she'd seen one of her loved ones. The bungalow finally started to feel like a real home again, not just someplace she resided. Warmth and laughter and conversation all lit up the small space, giving it more of an intimate feel, especially as the days passed and Noel became more accustomed to life in New Ourana. They fell into a routine, worked together to care for the chocobos, finally putting plans into action to finish the ranch that she and the others had planned and started on a year ago, before their untimely disappearances. It's slow going, as they still rely on the Twelve to provide materials that they can't get from the other villages now, but recently there's been some good news. With communications being easier between settlements Serah was finally able to arrange for some of the supplies they'd need to feed the birds, some supplies to help with harvesting greens, some leathers to fashion simple tack and harnesses, and eventually some saddles as well. She'd arranged for a trade to take place, and is planning on letting Noel know the good news just as soon as she's finished figuring out the details about the eggs that they'll be able to spare to bring for trade. It's a deal that she's been working on finalizing for weeks now, so as much as she's NOTICED Noel slipping off, she hasn't had the time to spare to investigate. It doesn't sit well to let it lie, she's still afraid some days that she'll wake up to find him gone and be left with more regrets, but she has to loosen her grip or she's also worried she'll wind up smothering him. As it is she's actually nervous that maybe she's been doing so already, hogging his time and attention selfishly. It's part of the reason that she doesn't press the issue or even tease him about it like she might have normally. The former seeress only hopes that won't come back to bite her later. But, with that being said is it really a surprise that the first week of her sign coming into power comes as such a surprise? At first she thinks nothing of the villagers extra attention, doesn't even NOTICE it, to be honest. Anything that wasn't pertaining to her expecting mother-birds was kind of pushed to the wayside. Someone had FINALLY caught on, though, and turned up to ask about the birds. Serah, in business mindset already and well accustomed to being known as the woman to see about mounts, was all too happy to talk about the birds with what she thought was a prospective customer. It never really caught her attention that he was there for anything else, but then she always became just a little oblivious when she was talking about their charges. Marcus, Roxy, Rowan, Misty, and the others- they'd all long since become more than simple monsters she'd tamed in their journey through time. They'd become valued teammates, and then companions, familiar anchors to a world she didn't think she'd ever see again when the Twelve pulled her from the chaos and into their service. Now, sitting on her bed in the midst of a few sheets of paper and a journal that she'd re-purposed into a ledger, she was just making a few notes to help keep track of how many eggs or birds were going where. There are some who'd reached the age where they could be entrusted to their new keepers, and there were some keepers who'd need lessons still. Her plate has been a lot more full since the departure of Cloud and Zack... Honestly, if anything Noel's turning up had been like an impromptu vacation. Or, y'know, honeymoon. Doing it backwards, ya'll, doing it backwards. ] Noel...? [ Despite the surprise at the sudden admission there's also a faint tint of pink that dusts her cheeks when Serah looks up at him. The compliment is sudden enough that it snaps her out of her concentration, and sweet enough to make her blush. She realizes then that he may have been watching her for some time, and she wonders if she's unintentionally ignored him, if he needs or wants something- not that he needs a reason, not Noel. ] Hm... [ She replies with a smile that crinkles the corners of her eyes as her expression softens and turns just a hint playful at the same time. Setting the journal and the pen aside she gathers her papers up to make room on the bed for him to sit with her. ] Come to charm me away from work for the day? Because it's working.

[paradoxically]

[The knowledge that he truly didn't need a reason to come to her, that she would willingly set down whatever project she was working on to give her his full attention had partially been what had drawn him up the stairs to begin with. Perhaps he simply wished to remind him that he was the only one currently who held that privilege, that no one else mattered quite as much as he did - especially not some random villager who thought he someone had the right to flirt with what was Noel's.

But she wasn't and for the entire life of him he could not figure out why these possessive thoughts continued to crop up. He had yet to learn that one became more desirable when their sign was in power, and it would never have been his first thought when it came to her. She didn't need any help when it came to being the most desirable thing in the entire world to him.] You've been working pretty hard lately.

I thought you could use a break. [His smile is bright and just for her, moving deeper into the room they now shared easily, climbing onto the bed until he was positioned as close to her as he could possibly be, body twisted so they could face each other.]

[herosheroine]

Thoughtful as always. I think you're right. [ Serah's smile persists, and watching him, she waits until Noel settles before doing the same. Once they've both gotten into comfortable positions she relaxes. It's almost instinct, to reach for his hand with one of her own, fingers seeking to twine between his. Immediately there's the feeling of familiar lines and callouses, all the unique parts of his touch that she's come to know and love. ]

Things have become pretty hectic since the first clutch has started to mature. There's so many arrangements to make, and the birds still need care.

[ Somehow she hadn't realized how much work there would be with the loss of two people, but it isn't fair to split the load between the two that remain. She'd been fortunate with the timing before. The birds were young enough that she could manage most things with only a bit of extra help here and there. Now that they've reached an age that they can be trained, however... ]

I've been thinking it may be time to look for extra help. We should talk about it later?

[ Because talking about it now would, of course, be counterproductive to taking a break. ]

And what about you? You've been out on a lot of hunting trips lately. But you're doing alright, right...?

[paradoxically]

[Noel doesn't mind splitting the work between them, especially considering it's a constant reminder that this is a world that's alive, a world that's thriving. A world that has people. It was absolutely everything he had ever wanted, and where he had once dreamed of this sort of life with Yuel, that focus had shifted.

Now he could never imagine having this sort of life with anyone else but Serah.

Their fingers intertwine, and he squeezes slender fingers within his own softly, once, twice, before lifting her hand to his lips, pressing them against the soft back in a gentle caress.]

Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I'm alright. It's just - there's something I've been working on. Something that I want to give you.

[Once, Snow had given her a necklace to symbolize their engagement, and he had always thought there was something impersonal about it. Sure, it had it's own meaning, with the charm hanging so close to her heart. And that had been where he had gotten his own idea, after all.

Reaching into his pocket with his free hand, he carefully brought out the leather ropes that he had created, decorated with the beads and shells, lovingly crafted over the weeks, pouring his heart and soul into each and every part.]

When I saw you with that man earlier I - when I saw how he was talking to you, flirting with you, it did something to me. I was going to wait to give this to you for something special, but seeing that made me realize that if I keep waiting, I might lose you.

I want us to be together, Serah. [As he spoke he had been carefully unraveling[ ] the rope bands, so that when they come to rest on his leg, they looked as they would upon her wrist.] I want you to be mine.

1/2

[herosheroine]

[ Try as she might, sometimes Serah can't help but be aware of the little subtle differences between her relationship with Noel and what she had with Snow. Maybe in a way it helps her, to put more distance between the present and the past, but these little tender gestures of affection are something that was once so rare. It was never something she'd disliked, but it is still kind of a nice difference.

Every time he did something like kiss the back of her hand it... well, it made her feel special in ways that were maybe just a little too embarrassing to give voice. Like a princess. Shut up. Someone precious, and cherished, someone he wouldn't take for granted, and unless she wants to do just that she really should pull her head back down from the clouds.

He was saying he had something for her and now Serah's curiosity is piqued. The moment that she lays eyes on the gift she understands exactly where all of his time went. She can't hope to stop the surprised little gasp, seeing the detail and craftsmanship. It looks like something that he'd taken great pains to craft and craft correctly. That kind of thoughtfulness, directed towards her is... humbling. ]

Noel... You made this...?

[ His words after aren't lost on her, of course. In fact, they cause a flush of heat in her neck and face, a happy embarrassment. That guy was flirting? Noel was jealous?? ]

2/2

[herosheroine]

[ "I might lose you." "I want us to be together, Serah." "I want you to be mine." Words failed her, if just for a moment. They seized up in her throat, a tangled lump wrapped around her heart as it thumped hard several times. Her mind is moving much too sluggishly. It's like she knows the answer but she needs him to confirm it. Assuming and being wrong would make this terribly awkward. ] Are... are you asking me to...? Are you saying you want to get married?

1/2

[paradoxically]

[Are you saying you want to get married?

Those words take the shape of an arrow aimed directly at him, only at the last moment, it can't quite decide whether it wants to strike his head or his heart and so it splits into two, hitting both with equal force. A force so powerful that it sends him reeling, that it stops his brain from forming any further coherent thought. That it stops his heart from beating, leaving it stationary within his chest as the world around him ceases to exist.

Was he saying that? Was that what he truly, honestly wanted? Did he want to say goodbye to the life he had once dreamed of having with Yuel to begin this life he was forging with Serah? Were they ready? Had they come far enough? There were so many questions without any answers and he felt dizzy, like the room was spinning, like he could feel the world turning on it's axis.

Did she only think that because it's what Snow had done? Did she only want it because she thought that's how these things worked?

What if? What if? What if?

Whatifwhatifhwhatifwhatifwhatifwhatifwhat -]

2/2

[paradoxically]

[But then he looked at her. Gods all he ever had to do was look at her and this feeling of calm would fall over him. This sense of peace, like as long as they were together everything was going to be alright.

That was how love was supposed to feel, wasn't it? Like no matter what happened, you were going to be alright so long as you were together?

He loved her. The realization came with no reaction other than a settling within his mind and stillness in his heart. The sky was blue, water was wet and Noel loved Serah.]

Yes. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Serah. I want to go to sleep with you at night and wake up with you in the morning. I want to make a better world with you.