wrnpcs | (no subject)

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Character(s): Headmaster Cid, and the applicant cadets Duo Maxwell, Fuuma Monou, Link, and Nill.

Location: The headmaster's office.

Rating: G

Open/Closed/Finished: Closed to the above.

Summary: This post will contain the trial threads for the above characters' applications (condensed to one post to reduce clutter). Headmaster Cid welcomes the new arrivals to the Final Fantasy VIII world.

[ Every day, it seemed, the Garden grew livelier with the activities of these off-world cadets. A fresh batch had arrived just this weekend, and after some cajoling of the registrar staff, their applications had been processed. Of course, there remained the matter of their interviews. ]

[ With a final slurp of the coffee in his mug, the headmaster righted his sweatervest before opening his office door to the waiting crowd. ]

((ooc: please reply with your character journal or another journal, noting in the subject line which character you are playing. each character will have his or her own individual thread.))

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It's very reassuring to hear that question from you. Your sense of integrity will prove valuable as a SeeD cadet.

[ He opens both arms to his sides in a welcoming gesture. ]

SeeD are encouraged to exercise their own judgment when accepting assignments.

Keep talking like that and you might even make me blush gramps.

[Duo grinned anyway, hands shoving into his pockets as he finally stopped messing with his hair.]

That ain't so bad then, can't say I've got any complaints about the way you're running things that's for sure.

Got one last question for you. What's the eats like here? Gotta eat to live and all that stuff. Kitchen always open or are there only certain times you can get chow?

[Someone with his metabolism couldn't be too careful on that front after all.]

[ She wasn't the only mute person here? Something about that was strangely comforting to the girl.

Nill takes the writing pad carefully, staring at for several minutes, brows focused in concentration. She moves over to his desk so that she had something to write against, before shakily writing out N I L L on the page. The handwriting was large and crooked, but legible.

Smiling shyly, she holds it up for him. ]

[He shakes his head.] Since spring, there have been earthquakes. But it was before that.

[Or as the news deems fit to call them. He knows the truth. He and a few other select people know what exactly is going on.]

But I haven't been home for a long time.

My, my. That's a lovely name you have.

[ That hot cocoa and electronic note come bustling in, in the hands of a helpful intern. The young man hands both directly to Nill before seeing himself out. ]

Here we are, a newfangled gadget that should make things somewhat easier. I'm not exactly sure of how to use it, but I think there is a pen stylus on the side? Aside from that, you can just type against its screen. Have you typed before? You choose the letters you want by touch.

The cafeteria isn't open twenty-four hours, but there's no enforceable regulations against stocking up a little cupboard in your dormitory. And of course, as a graduate, you'll be likely to travel the world sampling a vast array of cuisine.

[ His tone is a bit wistful when he talks about food, making the roundness of his midsection beneath his sweatervest less of a mystery. ]

That's right! You are one of the applicants who has traveled to other "worlds" after leaving his home. Other than ours, I mean.

Tell me all about that, then, won't you?

[He bites his lower lip, trying not to laugh or smile, and simply shakes his head as he remembers what happened back there, and thinks of how to make up a description of a world that's not his own.]

They don't treat foreigners well. And wars are everywhere, it seems.

[He points at his neck.] They placed collars on us when we came, to keep our powers locked. ["Sealed", he would have said, but it would just have come out sounding like "seared".]

But I met people, and that helped.

[ Alright, she's decided. The man is nice, and she doesn't have much reason to be afraid-at least in this particular room. She takes both items from him, setting down the electronic gadget to first enjoy a bit of the hot cocoa. After a few pleasant sips she switches her attention to the device she's been given.

Typing? She's never even heard of it, let alone done it. But she recognizes the letters on the screen. Her fingers brush across them and her eyes widen as the same ones appear in the space above the keyboard. She presses more of them, forgetting all about the question he asked her.

Once the screen is filled with letters, Nill proudly presents it to Cid with a smile on her face. Did she do a good job typing? ]

So save up on food when I can. Got it. Thanks for the tip gramps!

[He caught that change of tone and chuckled a little at the implication. He could work with this. The headmaster seemed like a decent guy and it sure as hell couldn't hurt to keep on his good side.]

Tell you what. Once I hit SeeD status I'll be sure to bring you things back from time to time, okay? Since I doubt you can get out to go around places much with a job like this one.

Sound like a plan to you gramps?

[Link mulls this over, choosing his words]

I lived in Ordon village, in the southern province of Hyrule. Most of the people there were older, or small children, so I did a lot of odd jobs. My job was working at the ranch there.

The goats were escape artists.

Indeed, allies are a most important asset when faced with uncertainty.

[ Cid's hands wiggle into his desk drawers and retrieve a roll of jelly candies. He offers one to this Kamui. ]

I'm afraid you'll find that our world also has its inhospitable citizens. They've been terrorized, you see, by the threats and tyranny of very powerful people we know as sorceresses. It appears that those who can utilize magic naturally are very common in worlds other than ours! But here, many people are wary of the extraordinary.

It sounds like you are trying to -

[ He stifles a laugh with a short cough.]

-butter me up. But I'll accept that offer on the condition that you not refer to me as "gramps" for the duration of your stay with us.

[ He gives a full, pleasant laugh. ]

I can quite imagine! There must have been quite a lot of work for you, as one of the few able-bodied young people. Were you expected to defend your Ordon village, too?

[Well there might have been a little buttering up involved but his intentions had been good for the most part. He was just too stubborn an ass to come out and say so.]

Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Who knows? Might have even just been trying to being nice one food addict to another.

[He shrugged though, not really minding one way or another, he was a big boy.]

Fine, fine. I won't call you Gramps, but I'm not calling you Headmaster or whatever either. Deal?

[Because Headmaster was entirely too long and formal and shortening it down to either head or master really didn't work too well.]

[ Cid's smile softens. This one is a very special young lady. It pangs him to imagine her ever becoming a stoic, combat-hardened SeeD, but he knows that turning her away from their tutelage would put her, unarmed, directly into yet greater danger: the real world. ]

That is precisely it. You can string the letters together to type whole words in this way, and I have been told it is much less fatiguing on the hands than scribbling all day long with pen or pencil. You can keep that little electronic note with you, it's yours.

How is that cocoa?

[He brings a hand to the back of his head, awkwardly silent for a few moments. Really, that's where so much started...]

It was usually peaceful, but when fighters were needed...

[Then he lets his hand drop, shuffling his feet a little. Link's never discussed much of his journey before, when he thinks about it]

A while ago, bulbins attacked the village. They kidnapped all the children, and Ilia. The only other person who could do something was wounded, so it fell to me.

[ Oh, young Commander Leonhart is sure to enjoy this one... ]

We'll sort out the matter of address later on. Cadet Maxwell, you may head out the hall and to the registrar.

[ He takes up a personalized memopad and scribbles his signature onto a sheet, then tears it off and hands it to the young man. ]

Give them this and they'll know what to do.

[ Cid nods, his face solemn with understanding. ]

Quite a lot of responsibility. What did you do then?

I left to try and save them, but I ran into a strange darkness. It... [He pauses here, knowing this might sound absurd] It changed my form, and I was captured.

[ All hers? Can she take it back home with her? Would it even work back home? Nill pulls the device back to her, clearing away the jumble of letters to type something a little less nonsensical. ]

[ She smiles again, bringing it back to type on once more. ]

[ Now that she had a way to communicate with relative ease, it was time to get down to business. Like how exactly was she supposed to get home, for example. ]

[ Cid clears his throat after a pause. ]

I'm afraid we aren't sure how to get you back home yet, Nill. Dr. Odine is working quite tirelessly on the matter, but there haven't been any breakthroughs as of yet.

[ There's good news, too, though! He scribbles his signature on a slip of his personalized paper. ]

You're welcome to stay here for the time being, until there's a way to send you back. How does that sound? Just take this slip of paper to the registrar and they'll sort out the details for you.

[ All of these stories of distant worlds are incredibly exciting. Cid finds himself wishing for a vacation... ]

I gather that you were able to free yourself from captivity, in some fashion? That's a very handy skill.

[ Nill nods as though she understands, but really all she got out of all that was that she can't go home. But if she had to pick a place to stay, it would definitely be here. Nill accepts the paper, carefully tucking it into a pocket of her dress. ]

[ She struggled a bit with the "th" but manages to spell it out. Part of her is a little excited despite all the nervousness. She sets the device she's been given down on the desk, smiling shyly before throwing her arms around Cid in a hug.

Thank you. ]

[He promises to live up to his full snotty potential especially when it comes to the Commander. The guy needs to learn to live a little after all, he'd thought Hiiro was bad, but he's going to learn that Squall's just as bad if not worse.]

Works for me I guess. I'm sure we've got time to figure out just what's going on and all.

[He took the sheet, scanning it quickly before grinning.]

Will do Cid, will do. Catch you 'round later then m'kay?

[That said he headed for the door, braid swinging merrily behind him as he left with a casual wave.]

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