thecooler | blizzaga (open)

Entry tags:

blizzaga (open)

Who: Tidus and OPEN
What: Arriving/freaking out/trying to be cool about it
When: Day 21
Where: Residential area
Warnings: Nudity, spoilers for an 17 year old game, existential crises, the usual. Will update if needed.

What were things like after death? Back in Tidus's hometown, it had been a taboo subject, for reasons he was only just now beginning to understand. When he'd come to Spira and seen his departed mother's echo, he thought he'd had an answer: he'd go to the Farplane, the colorful, flower-filled afterlife that most Spirans reached someday. He'd find his father, and Yuna's, and maybe bug Auron some more. He wasn't exactly happy about choosing to die, but the hope was that it wouldn't be a bad afterlife.

The frigid chill and unforgiving metal that greeted him when he awoke again? Was nothing at all like his expectations. He lifted an arm to shield his eyes from the glare of the spotlight, noting with some confusion that his arm-guard was absent. He glanced down and found that he'd been stripped bare. Well, that explained the chill.

Then there was a voice telling him to step forward into the unknown. He glanced around, squinting at the darkness...had others come this way? They probably had. He scrambled to his feet, projecting more confidence than he actually felt. But there was just one thing to do before he left.

He lifted a hand to his mouth, sucked in a breath, and made some unintelligible sputtering sound. His fingers were too cold to even manage a whistle. He sighed, balled his fists, and strode along the lighted path, only to stop like a deer in headlights when the door reveals a living space. And...people?

After a few seconds, he closed the door, leaning against it with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes as he glanced around the room. He lifted a leg just enough to cover himself for the sake of politeness, suppressing a shiver. "So, uh, hey guys, what's shaking?"

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Padmé slowly opens her eyes, the chill seeping in the more she realizes that she is, in fact, not dead.

How? She's a little afraid to find the answer. Hadn't this been what Anakin had been looking for, a way to bring someone back from the dead? Was she some sort of Sith experiment, pulled from the cool abyss of the Force after her death?

She looks down, but nothing seems different. Aside from the fact that she was naked as if she were in the middle of changing her clothes and obviously not pregnant anymore. She can see her feet with no issue, something that's been a point of contention for the last few months. But it leaves an emptiness in her that she can't really express.

Then, a voice she's never heard before speaks out and she notices the trail of lights that lead out of the chamber of... pods. She's in a medi-pod, maybe? But it's not a Bacta-tank, so she's really confused.

"Hello?" Again, the voice tells her to follow the lights out and she sighs as her hair falls down her back. She reaches up and pulls the few pins and bands in it so that it falls to at least cover her breasts and most of her torso as she heads down the hall, past the bulkhead doors and sees a young man in front of her.

"Hello? Can you tell me where we are?"

Tidus's breath catches, freezing right in front of him. Other pods. Other people. There's a woman there, as lost and disoriented as he is. He turns, enough to show that he's listening but careful to avoid staring. There's a sadness in his voice.

"Wish I could. I'm...actually pretty sure I'm dead, but I know what the afterlife's supposed to be like. And this isn't it."

She appreciates that he's not staring. It's bad enough that she's not dressed, considering the costumes she's worn for the last year before her death. And the sadness in his voice makes her smile sadly. As do his words.

"No, this is hardly what I expected the afterlife to be like either. It's a bit more chill than I expected."

"Yeah, I was thinking more waterfalls and flowers, myself," he laughed hollowly. "So we're initiated into...something? Probably sinister? Not liking our odds here."

But showing too much weakness was a danger too. He lifted his head. "Think there's an ambush behind that door?"

"I suppose we were both wrong then, if this truly is the afterlife." She doubts it, because there's just no way this would be acceptable as a any sort of afterlife for anyone.

"I'm inclined to agree that nothing about this is looking to be in our favor." She smiles and it's one she's worn many times over her long fourteen years in the political sarlaac infested career in the Galactic Republic. "However, I'm not about to roll over for anyone, let alone a disembodied voice."

She throws her shoulders back and lets her face take on the appearance of disdain, looking more like the Former Queen of Naboo and Senator she is. "I think we won't know what's going on exactly unless we enter through that door."

This woman had confidence. Real confidence, not the false bravado he was so used to projecting. He nodded and slipped back into guardian mode---not that she necessarily needed protection, but that she was the only choice of ally at the moment. And not a bad one at all.

"I like your style. No weapons, so we'll have to use brains...and I think you're probably better at that than me. But I'm not going down easy either."

His smile's hesitant but genuine. "Oh, and I'm Tidus, by the way."

Well, after living your life with death threats for over fourteen years, being in a place like this leaves nothing to be afraid of. Not even with her being naked is she about to let herself be intimidated by some unseen entity.

"Thank you, but all it takes is keeping your eyes and ears open and thinking before you make a move." Not that she always does that herself. She's sure she's caused many ulcers amongst her guards and poor Obi-Wan more than once over the years.

She nods her head in greeting as he gives her his name. "Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. I wish we'd met under better circumstances, but the only thing we can do is go forward."

"Doesn't surprise me," Tidus grinned. He wasn't exactly familiar with the term 'senator', but could easily guess at what sort of career it met. He hadn't had the best experiences with local governments, but...he really couldn't afford not to give her a chance.

"Right. Even...like this, I know a few tricks. Just hope I won't have to use them."

"Most things can be handled with a level head." She says that, but she knows that even if she's calm, not every opponent will be. And she's faced some pretty irrationally behaving people in her career. Most notably, some closest to her. However, she also knows that most of the good she's done is because she doesn't lead impulsively.

Besides, she's always done what's best for others and has hardly ever thought about the consequences in regards to herself.

"Yes, I hope that we won't have to be aggressive either, but our awakening doesn't instill a great deal of confidence."

She takes a step towards the doors that slide open as she approaches it. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" And that's all she gives him to ready himself with before stepping through the now open bulkhead as regally as a queen.

"Right with you."

Tidus tried, as ever, to look confident as they entered. The good news was that there were no immediate traps. It was also marginally warmer, and looked like a habitable space. There were even signs of other people!

"We're not alone. Hope that's not a bad sign."

"Tidus?"

Yuna was torn between running to him and finding something to cover him up. She hadn't thought she'd seen him here, let alone in this state of undress. Concern wins out and she runs to him, gently pulling him into her arms. "There are clothes and blanks in the rooms. I can get you something."

She closed her eyes, felt his shoulders trembling beneath her palms and realized that he was really here.

"Y-Yuna?"

The bravado Tidus had tried to project fell away, leaving a clearly surprised expression. It seemed like it had been only yesterday that he'd said goodbye. And maybe it was, for him, but what had happened to her in the meantime? She'd been here long enough to seem comfortable with the surroundings.

Then she was approaching, and he shivered, not entirely from the cold. The last time they'd seen each other, he'd dissolved right in front of her, and though he felt frozen solid right now, was that enough?

It was. Yuna's embrace was wonderfully warm and real, and he returned the gesture with a soft sigh.

"Sounds good. Sorry if I scared you---tried to whistle, my fingers were too frozen."

It'd been... so long.

She'd thought she'd found a peaceful life but it was never enough. She'd gone searching for him. Yuna had accepted his disappearance, it'd been Tidus's choice to make, but she had never wanted to give him up and she had been willing to fight for him.

Her arms tightened around his shoulders and she held herself close. Ignoring, for the moment, that he was naked. "I was looking for you for so long." Her voice was soft, pressed into the crook of his neck. "I never thought I'd see you again."

It was hard to believe he was here.

Tidus clasped his hands together behind her back, holding on tight...and trying to warm his fingers, because the temptation to touch her was strong. Her soft hair brushed his cheek, and he nuzzled it. Her warmth seeped into him slowly, and his brain finally caught up.

"I hoped I'd see you. Someday. I mean...if my mom went to the Farplane, I was hoping I would too, but there was so much I didn't know. I didn't know..."

Yet here he was, shivering and underdressed for the occasion, but alive and with the woman he loved. Newly aware of the huge risk he'd taken with his gamble, and suddenly feeling quite guilty about it.

It was then that the other thing she'd said caught up to him. "You were looking?"

He had nothing to feel guilty about. Tidus had done what was right and if their roles had been reversed, Yuna would have done the same. She was ready to sacrifice herself for her loved ones and strangers. How could she fault Tidus for doing the same?

Yuna nodded her head and held him tight. Her fingers trailed along his shoulder blades towards his waist, pressing her palms against his skin to try and warm him.

"I never stopped trying to find you." She whispered the words against his neck.

She knew that she should pull away. Not only were they standing in a public space but Tidus was still naked. At the same time, Yuna didn't want to let him go. She didn't want him to disappear again.

Tidus would've been content to stay like this forever. He wasn't exactly shy, and he was just as relieved that he was solid and real as she was. But he could feel the raised eyebrows and questions that might be coming Yuna's way.

As he resolved to continue this in private, another thought went through his head at her words. He remembered the last thing she'd said to him then, and how his throat had felt stuck in response...or maybe there wasn't enough of it left for him to speak.

He wouldn't make that mistake twice.

"That's one of the many reasons why I love you," he whispered into her hair. He squeezed her tightly one more time, breathing her in, then reached one arm behind his back to find her hand and lace their fingers together.

"So...c'mon. Why don't we sit and you tell me all about it?"

She was ready to pull away, to take his hand and try to explain what was going on but then those three words stopped her. "I love you." They hadn't been able to say that before.

"Yeah." She let him go and took his hand.

Yuna was careful not to look down. It wasn't that she was shy but Tidus wasn't just anyone. He was the man she'd fallen in love with and he was very naked. "Um... there should be clothes in your room. I'll show you the way. We have-" Her glanced away. "We have a lot to talk about."

She kept his hand in hers and walked towards the residential rooms where Tidus would find something to wear.

"Sure thing."

Tidus happily walked beside her, mostly carefree. He'd heard whispers about this compound that didn't sound too great, but...being with her was still better than he'd ever dreamed. Not that her being imprisoned too was a good thing, but...

He followed her to the rooms, poking at doorways until his was found. It was a relief to have some privacy, and speaking of...first order of business was to get dressed before he embarrassed Yuna any further. He pulled on one of the weird suits, then called out to her with a grin.

"All good now. Guess we should sit, get comfortable? As much as that's possible?"

Yuna reluctantly let go of Tidus's hand as he disappeared into his room. She wanted to stay with him but this was awkward enough without her watching him dress.

She chewed at the inside of her cheek and tried to keep her thoughts focused. There was so much she wanted to tell him, not just about this strange place but Spira and everything that's happened there.

It was too much.

Her eyes opened and she turned to step into the small room. "Yeah." Yuna reached for his hand again, lacing their fingers together as she took a seat on his bed. "I don't know where to start. There is so much I want to tell you."

Tidus had started pulling a blanket over his shoulders when Yuna returned to his side, and carefully wrapped it around her as well. Hey, he was freezing, he'd take any comfort he could get.

"Been there before," he said, shaking his head. "How about the beginning? We beat Sin, Auron left, then I did...and I'm sorry, Yuna. I'm so sorry."

His gaze dropped to his lap for a few moments before he could resume looking at her. "But what happened next?"

Her hips shifted and she scooted closer to his side as his arm and the blanket draped around her thin shoulders. Heat blossomed in her chest and she felt her cheeks glow with a touch of warmth. She'd never gotten to things like this before he vanished. Even something as simple as holding each other close for warmth.

"Don't be sorry. I understand." Her voice was soft and wistful. "I wasn't happy that you were gone but I would have done the same, I was ready to do the same thing. After that, I addressed Spira and returned home to Besaid. It wasn't look until I saw this sphere of you or… I thought it was you. I couldn't be sure but I wanted to find more and I thought it would lead me to you. It was me and Rikku and Paine and the Gullwings."

She smiled over at him. "We were Sphere hunters. We traveled all over Spira looking for clues." It was a lot of fun, even if it had become rather trying. "As we searched, we uncovered secrets from the battle where Sin was born and found that Spira was.. imbalanced." Magic was dying.

Yuna paused and met Tidus's gaze.

It was so nice to be close to her again. Tidus would've been happy to listen to her say anything, but this was important. He focused, frowning on that last word.

"What, like the spirits of us dead guys were causing trouble again?"

"No." She shook her head but the motion was subdued. "It was as if, after the Aoens left, everything magical began to fade. Spira is turning into a new place." Magic was still alive but the forest and the creatures that thrived off of magic were beginning to weaken.

"I then-" Her voice cut and she signed. "Somehow got involved between two large factions that arose after Yevon disbanded." Even now Yuna didn't think she had it in her not to help people who needed her. "It was... disasterific."

Yuna sighed and rested her head on Tidus's shoulder. "The man in the sphere. The one who looked like you. His name was Shuyin. He wanted to awaken a weapon that was being kept beneath Bevelle. It would have destroyed Spira."

"Another totally nuts guy, huh?" Tidus sighed, lightly leaning his head on hers. That never seemed to change. What she'd said about the changing magic was worrisome, too, but he trusted she could handle anything.

"Why would he do that?"

"It was to save the woman that he loved. A summoner named Lennen. After the war, she had moved off to the farplane but Shuyin's spirit was stuck. We found him and then helped him see Lennen again." It was a happy ending to a story even if Yuna hadn't been able to find Tidus.

"It wasn't long after that when I woke up here."

She reached for his hand and held it with her own.

"It's selfish of me but I'm so happy that you're here."

"I guess we know what they went through, huh."

Tidus bowed his head. He trusted that Yuna was strong, that she had a number of good friends still with her. Her grief would never consume her like that, right? The guilt still twisted in his gut.

"And here I thought I was being selfish. I wanted you to be safe and happy, but...something this weird is so much better with you."

"yeah."

Yuna smiled, remembering their time together, their journey. It was so long ago now but she held those memories close to her heart. "I'm glad Tidus." She'd never thought she'd see him again.

"I don't know what we're going to do now but we'll figure it out."

They always do.

"Definitely."

Tidus tugged her tighter against him, allowing himself to truly relax. It was difficult to shut out the knowledge of what was coming, but with her strength buoying him, and them supporting each other...he could.

After a moment, he looked sheepish. "So she's watching us all the time, huh?"

Yuna felt her smile grow as she shifted to meet Tidus's gaze. "Not all the time." She didn't think that they were being watched in their rooms...

...

...

Maybe they were.

"I don't know. Is there really a way to tell?"

"...good point. Uh. What kind of stuff does she usually react to?"

He wondered if trying to get a rise out of her would work.

By this point, it wasn't surprising to find someone coming out of the chamber naked. What was surprising was seeing someone coming out of the chamber at all. It'd been the small group of them for so long that Darius was starting to think that LACUNA was keeping the group small for control reasons. It would make sense, after all.

The calm atmosphere around the man was also strange. Had any of them been that calm when arriving here? Perhaps, but the first people he'd come in contact with here Grace and Obi-Wan. Neither encounter could be called calm.

"Imprisonment and forced testing." It was meant to be both informative and to vaguely set the man at ease. "There's a rather hideous jumpsuit in your room if you're interested."

Hideous jumpsuit, eh? He gave it a look and shrugged, but there were a few cracks in his projected calm---a little hiccup in his voice, widened eyes. That sounded...pretty threatening, actually.

"Guess we can't be too picky. But what kind of testing?"

"So far nothing horribly uncomfortable." He gestured for Tidus to follow him. He could at least help the other man find his room so he could change and get accustomed to the place he would now be living in (at least until the human rebellion against their AI overload). "We've been given an aptitude test, a morality, and skills test. I'm sure there'll be others, LACUNA has said as much."

He paused, tilting his head to see if the other man was following. "Darius Tanz, by the way. I'd prefer you leave off the initiate. She does that enough to us as is."

Wesley glances up from what appears to be a dry, textureless food bar of some sort, looks at the newcomer with a raised eyebrow, realizes that the young man before him is still not dressed, and politely averts his eyes, looking back down at the food bar.

"You'll want to find your room. There's a jumpsuit inside for you. And don't worry, you're... more or less safe."

That's a relief. Somewhat. He gives Wesley a wave and starts down the hall, though he calls back over his shoulder to address him. Luckily, it isn't far.

"Define more or less?"

Wesley keeps his eye on his food as he responds, though he's not really inclined to eat it while he talks.

Not that he was terribly inclined to eat it anyway.

"Well, the more is that you're not in danger of immediate harm. Our captor will prevent any violence from befalling you, and will intercede if anybody attempts to hurt you."

He sighs and takes another swig of the lukewarm tap water. Mostly because these revolting ration bars dry his mouth out horribly.

"The less is that we appear to be prisoners and we're subject to experimentation."

"I...don't really like either of those words," he called back, a muffled thump sounding down the hallway as he appeared to locate something important. Ah! Room lock! Clothes! Awesome! It's not long before he returns, looking a little more sure of himself.

"What kind of stuff do they do?"

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