first heartbeat ღ « voice » ღ and the world turned, the world turned.

[battled]

Hello – is there someone who can hear me? The woman in the palace... Is what she said – is it true? We were chosen? Brought here for a purpose?

[ She makes a quiet 'mm,' sound, acknowledging and pondering the situation all at once. ]

If that's the case... Is there anyone here who can tell me, have you seen a young girl with a pink ribbon in her hair, named Marlene? She might have had a boy with – [ You can almost hear the slight smile in her voice when she speaks. ] – light brown hair, a bit long, with her. They were with me, not too long ago… Surely, they could have been brought here, too… [ She's concerned, but also very hopeful. It's possible, right? Completely possible.]

I would be grateful for any information you could offer me! I need to find them as soon as I can. [ And then another thought occurs to her. Marlene and Denzel weren't the only members of her family there in the church with them. What if some of the people she knows are already here, and can hear her? ]

Barret? Are you here? [ And, of course... Though he's doing so much better than he was before, she is always concerned for his well being...]

Cloud?

Comments

voice

[leekloid]

Wooow♪ Lots of people, but I'll look for them. I only know as much as you, but if two people look, we'll find them quicker, don't you think? Ehehe... [ She sounds fairly helpful, even if her voice is rather robotic. ] Maybe everyone else will help... Hmm... Everyone, please help find everyone Miss is looking for!! [ No, Miku, shouting is not going to help. ]

voice

[battled]

Oh -- hello! [ She is very... vocal. /shot. ] It's very kind of you to help! I'm sure that yelling won't help much... If they're here, I'm sure they'll find me... [ Her voice is kind and gentle and ... the opposite of loud right now. You can almost hear the smile on her face. ] I'm Tifa -- you don't have to keep calling me miss.

Video

[a_most_debonair_corsair]

Can't say I know any of those names, Miss. Though, considering this likely isn't even your world, I'm afraid you won't be attending that business anytime soon.

video;

[soldieringlife]

[The voice, a woman's voice, asks for Cloud. He knows Cloud (even if Cloud doesn't know him).

There's something familiar about that voice, but he won't say anything about that yet, just fiddles with the bracelet until he gets a video feed going.]

Hi there. [He smiles.] I haven't seen a girl like that, or the others, but Cloud's here. He's not too hard to find. [After all, Zack had found him right away, and Cloud didn't even remember him.]

In the meantime, if there's anything else I can do to help, let me know. The name's Zack.

Video

[battled]

Oh! [ She didn't really mean to vocalize her reaction to it, but she's surprised by the sudden video. It doesn't take her long to figure out that she can reciprocate, and he's met with a friendly face. ] -- Are you certain? I'm sure if I've been -- [ Now she's starting to worry... ] - They may have been brought with me? Or just before... I'm sure these Gods -- they are Gods, aren't they? -- wouldn't leave two children unattended...

voice

[leekloid]

Tifa, Ti-fa! Got it! I'm Miku. I hope they find you... too many people are looking for friends and family, it's so sad... Maybe if you sing, they'll hear your emotions, and find you sooner? Hmm, well, that's what I would do!

Re: Video

[a_most_debonair_corsair]

[A beautiful woman! Target lock. Engage.]

Well, I'm not quick to consider anything a god, except in name. Whoever they are, they obviously have the power to draw us all from many different lands and time periods. A major feat in itself. I don't see why they had to take abilities from us, if they were only going to give us new ones.

Johnny, at your service. Captain of the Jellyfish Air Pirates, and avid admirer of beauty and justice. I doubt these beings care much about our circumstances, compared to the troubles their own world is facing.

voice; --> video;

[battled]

[ She takes a moment before she responds, and even longer before she switches to video. At first, she wants to mask the visible shock by keeping her face out of view. She knows his face, she remembers his voice -- But he's been gone so long. So long... ] I -- [ Give her just a second. ] I remember.

[ Once she's able to handle her trademark swallowing down her emotions and force a smile to the surface, hiding the surprise and the shock and the pang of guilt and sting of lost friends that only surfaces momentarily every so often for her (usually keeping itself held deep down beneath), she switches over to video. ]

It's been a long time.

video

[departing]

We can hear you fine.

You can rest easy on that score.

I haven't...seen Miss.Marlene anywhere. Sorry.

video;

[soldieringlife]

Tifa.

[He'd thought, maybe, with that voice, and especially as she'd asked for Cloud... He hadn't been sure, but it really is her. He hadn't known what happened to her, after Nibelheim, but he'd gathered from Cloud's words that she'd been alive, and he'd been glad to hear it.]

You sure grew up. [He says it lightly, almost a joke, because of course she grew up. Everybody does, though some sooner than others. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been little more than a kid, 15 or so. But he guesses she did grow up then, when they'd last seen each other. He smiles again, because it is good to be remembered. Not to be alone.]

Yeah, it's been a while, huh? [And there's more than one reason for that, he knows.] It's good to see you.

video

[battled]

Thank you. I hate to impose, but could I ask a favor? If you do see her, please... Let me know as soon as you can?

voice

[battled]

[ Strange girl... Sweet, though, it seems. ] Sing? I - [ Don't... ] I don't really sing... I'll just have to look for them.

video

[departing]

I will.

With these circumstances it can be hard to know what's going on sometimes.

Everything's happening at once. It's a little overwhelming, to be honest.

voice

[leekloid]

[ Strange is slightly nicer than stupid, so she'll take it! ] ... You... you don't sing... [ Oh no, that makes her really sad... ] Well, if it's okay with you, I'll take over and lead them to you? Is that okay? It's my job to sing people's feelings, so um... I'm a professional!

video forever

[battled]

[ A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WHO CAN KICK YOUR ASS SIR. Even though she... wouldn't... at first... Any chest comments will be met with a very... stern frown. ]

-- Abilities? New abilities? The grey woman never mentioned anything like that...

[ Oh, now he's all nice and... that introduction was rather colorful. ] My name's Tifa. It's nice to meet you, despite circumstances being... unfavorable, as I'm able to tell.

Re: video forever

[a_most_debonair_corsair]

Extremely so, considering we're essentially drafted into service against our will.

video;

[battled]

Seven years tends to lend to aging, yes. [ She never thought she'd be so relieved to someone. If only Aerith -- but maybe, maybe she is... She won't ask, not right away. If he says Cloud's here... Cloud would tell her if Aerith were here and alive, wouldn't he? ]

[ She returns the smile readily, a light chuckle coming from her. ] It's good to see you, too, Zack. [ A relief. SOBBU. ] Cloud must be happy...

voice

[battled]

No, I'm afraid not. I do hum, from time to time, but... [ Wait, what? -- ] Is that some sort of magic? Singing feelings?

[ Voice ] Cloud is seriously worried about Tifa vs. lion we all know who wins

[pyritic]

[ Hello, this is probably the most promptly Tifa's heard Cloud answer a message lately. ]

Here. But Barret's not. I don't think Marlene or her friend are around either. [ ...boy with brown hair, ok, whatever. probably just one of the kids in Kalm.

...or...sector 7? After all, they haven't seen Marlene in a while, and if Tifa's asking about just the three of them... hoo boy. so off. so very, very off. But the fact that she is asking about Barret and Marlene too makes him more certain she's his Tifa, the girl he grew up with. He'd hoped to see her again...but back home, not in this messed-up place. --example A, there's lions outside. Not good. ] Where are you, Tifa?

video;

[soldieringlife]

Seven years? Time sure flies.

[That's more than it had been for him, but that makes sense. Time would have kept on passing without him, and he already knows that people come from different times here. He smiles again.] Well, you look great.

[When she mentions Cloud, though, Zack looks visibly troubled, glancing away momentarily. He wishes Cloud was glad to see him. That would be nice. He doesn't exactly have the best poker face, and he can't hide the fact that the subject pains him.]

Ah, well, about that. [Zack reaches up to scratch the back of his head.] Cloud doesn't exactly remember me. I'm not completely sure why, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with what happened--to us. I'm worried about him.

[And he looks to her, waiting to hear what she'll say in response. If she's from that far ahead, she might know more about this than he does.]

[battled]

Service? [ That worries her. It sounds military. ] More fighting?

video

[battled]

Can you bring me up to speed, maybe? What do you mean by everything?

[ Voice ] lmao falcon punch to lions ok. though she doesn't have her normal manry strengths here 8(

[battled]

[ Seriously who are you and what did you do with the Cloud she knows right now what is air. One of the first tips, aside from Zack saying he's worried, that maybe Cloud isn't quite up to speed with her is that he says 'her friend' about Denzel... And he's the one who brought Denzel to them. They're closer, maybe even more than she and Cloud are these days, than that. ]

If she hasn't come to find you... Maybe she really isn't here.

[ Yeah you're off too Cloud. It's cool. ] I'm just outside the palace. They told me I'm supposed to live in Freya's house... Where are you?

video;

[battled]

It does. [ She thinks back to home again and seems a little more serious for a moment, though the smile never leaves her lips completely. ] I'm raising two kids now. Funny, isn't it?

[ ;___; Zack... You're all dead and :( dead... ] Thank you. You look well, yourself.

[ Yeah, she can read everything on his face, and her brow comes together. The smile finally fades, and she's worried. very worried. ] -- Doesn't remember--? [ He couldn't possibly be from before everything... ] I'll talk to him, I'm sure it's just a difference in time... [ She hopes. really hopes. She does remember one instance where she had to help him rebuild himself... But he couldn't be from that far behind her, could he? ]

[ Voice ] true I guess for once Cloud's Tifa worries are justified

[pyritic]

Freya...? [ Kissing snowbabe house. He knows the people there aren't bad, but...kissing snowbabe house. Why. ] I'm in Heimdall. I'll come over and meet you.

I've been here a while, I would've seen her. So don't worry. [ He does pay some attention to the network, so he likes to think he'd have noticed a familiar four-year-old crying for her daddy. Not to mention Marlene's daddy would shoot him if he'd accidentally left her to her own devices in this place. ]