http://blitzing-by.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] blitzing-by.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] paixaorpg2006-03-28 02:48 pm

At Long Last [Completed]

Character(s): Al, Dias, Tidus, and Yuna
Content: Tidus stops being impatient! The train arrives after its delay and there is a reunion to be had!
Setting: Train station in Central Paixao
Time: Friday morning
Warnings: None (maybe excessive mush later on ;D)

It had to be the longest, most excruciating wait of his life. Getting to the train station on Wednesday, Tidus had patiently waited for whatever this train thing was. He saw pictures of it in the station. He’d never seen anything like it before. So Yuna and her friends were riding on some giant tin machina. Ooookay, well, however they got here, it’d be fine.

So he waited.

And waited.

When it turned to Thursday, Tidus had looked around for some station attendant. When he found one, he told Tidus that the train was going to be delayed. Something had broken down and the repairs would take some time.

Resigned to more waiting, Tidus went back to the bench that had become his temporary home. He couldn’t afford the hotel anymore, so he practically lived there in the station. The little money he had left went to buying little tidbits of food. He’d need some sort of job soon, unless he wanted to scrounge in the trash for a living. That wasn’t acceptable to someone whose actions had changed the course of an entire world. He wouldn’t let himself sink to those levels.

Tidus was very well-acquainted with the train station. He knew every corner of it, spending his time memorizing it. He steadfastly refused to leave it, knowing the moment he left would be the moment the train-machina came. He’d miss them, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Little did he know then that the train-machina was nearly impossible for him to miss. It made the loudest, clangiest, most chugging sounds he’d ever heard. Not that he’d heard many to compare it to. Some machina could be loud… but none were like this one!

On Friday morning, Tidus stood and watched a train-machina boom and clatter its way into the station. It was a lot bigger, noisier, and smellier than he’d imagined. He stared at it in surprise. ‘No surprise this thing broke down. Doesn’t look like the sturdiest machina ever built,’ he thought grimly.

After the shock wore off, joy flooded into him. Yuna was finally here! She had to be! This was the train machina from the picture… this was the place, and even though the day was wrong, this had to be what she meant.

Tidus walked down the platform, looking for some door or exit from the train. ‘Stay still! Let her find you,’ his better instincts told him. It took all his will, but he waited up by the engine (loud as it was) and watched the people get off.

'Please, please let her be here...'

[identity profile] gonewithmysin.livejournal.com 2006-03-29 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
As soon as the machina halted, Yuna was on her feet. She'd requested to sit in the aisle seat when things had started up again, knowing that it would probably be near impossible to refrain from leaping to her feet and bolting off of the train as soon as they reached the station. On one hand, she hated to think that Tidus would've been waiting for her for so long. On the other, more selfish one, she prayed that he would be there when she reached the platform.

Crowds of people stood up, blocking the ex-summoner's path. Small and slight, Yuna tried her best to wedge between the citizens and newcomers, pushing her way through slowly with meek apologies tossed to anyone she managed to jostle. For the moment, she forgot to even wait for her companions to follow as she reached the door and stumbled, foot catching on the step of the train, and barely maintained enough balance to not fall to the platform and embarrass herself further. As soon as the girl gathered her bearings, she turned her head, looking back and forth to see if she could spot him. He wasn't pale, not like the citizens of Paixao, so he would be easy to spot. Well, maybe standing on her tip-toes would help?

Mismatched eyes eventually did fall on a young man with blond hair and a distinguishing tan. Yuna forgot herself for a moment, pausing to stare at him with wide, swiftly misting eyes. When that moment passed, she bolted forward, running full speed in his direction, not even thinking to call his name and warn him as she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She could feel him. He was real, solid... He was here.

"I didn't fall through you," she whispered softly. "You're really, really here."

[identity profile] heavens-too-far.livejournal.com 2006-03-30 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
Dias was the second of the three companions off the train, both very much relieved to be out of the contraption and also wanting to stay close to Yuna, just in case. Having accompanied healers before - well, just the one, really - he knew they generally needed defending...and perhaps, considering that the last healer he'd travelled with had been a close friend of his, he felt particularly protective of Yuna now. Not that she'd exactly hung around waiting for him to check that the coast was clear...

The mercenary soon picked her out from the crowd, and couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Well, there wasn't really much question that she'd found the man she'd been looking for...the only question that remained was whether she and this Tidus person were really friends, as she had claimed, or whether they were something rather more than that. The embrace seemed rather - enthusiastic, even for close friends.

Regardless, it made his natural inclination, which was to slip off unnoticed, both more prudent and more easily carried out. There was no reason for him to hang around cluttering up what ought to be a private reunion...and although his height and blue hair definitely made sure he stood out in a crowd, there was a big enough one being let off of the train that he could probably leave now without attracting too much attention.

He consulted the map on his journal. The shop Miles had agreed to meet him at wasn't far from the station, it seemed...

[identity profile] gonewithmysin.livejournal.com 2006-03-30 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Yuna could hardly help herself. She was beaming like a complete idiot as tears, decidedly happy tears streamed down her cheeks. Still holding on to him, she drew back enough to look up at him, just standing there looking as though to blink or take her eyes off of him would make him vanish. From past experiences, it wasn't an entirely unrealistic fear either.

He spoke, though, of those last moments... Apologized even, to which she vehemently shoke her head in protest.

"No, don't apologize. I should... If I hadn't..." she stammered, not sure of just what she was trying to convey aside from 'there's no need for an apology' and the utter relief that he really was here and that she hadn't been dreaming him up. "Just... I'm just so happy you're really here!" Yuna repeated, hugging him tightly again and smiling with that vibrant, genuine smile.

In those brief moments, the young woman remembered her companions and jerked her head back once more, glancing over her shoulder to see Dias standing there a few feet back. As happy as she'd been, Yuna felt a bit guilty for just leaving them both in the dust like that. When she turned back to Tidus, she regretfully took a step back from their embrace. There would be time later, in private, to catch up. She reached out to take his hand in hers, gently guiding him over to where Dias stood.

"Let me introduce you to the people who have accompanied me this far," she said, not wanting to let go but also not wanting to be rude at the same time. "Tidus, this is Dias. I'm not sure if I could've made it this far without he or Alphonse. Dias, this is Tidus, the..." Yuna flushed, looking down for a moment, unsure of just what she should introduce him as. They would probably have to talk some time... about all that, a thought that only made her flush even more before she continued, still holding onto his hand without really realizing it. "...the companion I spoke to you about."

[identity profile] heavens-too-far.livejournal.com 2006-03-31 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Dias glanced up when Yuna led her companion (friend, Dias decided, wasn't really a word that seemed to fit, not after that greeting, whatever Yuna might have told them) over to him, tucking his journal away before - after a moment's hesitation - extending his hand, shaking Tidus' offered hand firmly.

He shrugged slightly when Tidus expressed his gratitude. He'd been thanked for protecting people before, quite a lot, in fact, but considering he hadn't actually DONE much protecting, the thanks seemed superfluous. "She didn't need much looking after on my part. Thanks aren't necessary."

He studied Yuna's friend somewhat critically before he withdrew his hand; blond and blue-eyed, like most of the natives, but Dias would never have mistaken him for belonging in Paixao all the same. The Paixaoans were pale, like pictures drawn with all tints and no shades, with no darkness or intensity to what little color they had - Tidus, though, looked normal. Although, Dias noted in a private corner of his mind, that 'normal' was relative when someone wore an outfit like that.

[identity profile] gonewithmysin.livejournal.com 2006-04-01 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Yuna beamed as the two men exchanged a few words. She'd smiled before, but now? Now the former summoner seemed to positively glow. One look in her blue and green eyes would reveal that she'd found something very special, something she'd clearly been looking for for some time. It was difficult to maintain her composure, to be sure, but she wouldn't want to seem like an ungrateful, thankless woman. Though he might deny it, Dias and Alphonse had both done so much for her simply in accompanying her this far.

"He and Alphonse have both been a great help," Yuna piped up to Tidus. "I'm... honestly not sure if I would have even made it this far without them." In mentioning Alphonse's name, it dawned on the young woman that she had yet to see her younger companion exit the train. He was a good deal shorter than Dias and would thus be a touch more difficult to spot. So, though it did little to help her, Yuna stood on her tiptoes and scanned the crowd for him. "Dias, was Alphonse with you?"

[identity profile] extantsoul.livejournal.com 2006-04-01 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Standing tippy-toe, Al strained to catch sight of Yuna and Dias through the crowd of people roving about the platform. After Yuna had run off from the train to find her friend and Dias followed her, Al found himself suddenly alone. His eyes caught a glimpse of blue hair, and he began to sidle around people and push his way towards his companions.

"Ah--Dias! Yuna!" Al called out as he half-skipped across the remaining space between them. There was a young man standing next to Yuna--was this her friend? He didn't look much like Al had expected. As Yuna was demure and modest, he had thought her friend would be similar. However, his open shirt and mismatched sleeves and pants legs made him look almost wild in comparison.

But no matter! Al was readily open to accept any friend of Yuna's as a friend as well, and so he smiled up at the man. "Um, hello! You must be the friend Yuna told us about. It's nice to meet you! I'm Al."

[identity profile] heavens-too-far.livejournal.com 2006-04-03 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Dias raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Tidus' remarkably accurate observation that there was someplace else that he needed to be. The man - boy, he revised after a moment's contemplation; if Tidus were nineteen, Dias would be very surprised - had certainly picked up on that quickly. Better instincts than his companions so far, then...this was a plus, although it made Tidus a person to keep an eye on. Alphonse and Yuna were nice people, which in Dias' personal lexicon tended to add up to 'naive'; they were friendly and trusting and, as such traits prevented them from expecting any danger, not particularly alert. However, Tidus...

Hmm. Why hadn't he paid more attention to what Yuna had told them about herself and Tidus while they were waiting on the train repairs? He would have to ask again.

Dias opted for the short explanation. He was good at those. "I'm a mercenary," he informed Tidus. "And we're running low on fol - money," he corrected himself after a moment, noting the blank look on Tidus' face. "So I've taken a job with someone who wants me to rescue a friend of his. I told him I'd be there as soon as possible, and it's not far from here. Can you watch over Alphonse and Yuna until I return?" Not only was Dias trying to, indirectly, convey the fact that he intended to go alone(not just to Tidus, either, but to his other companions - he hadn't brought it up earlier because he hadn't really wanted to argue the point with either of them in case they chose to object), but he was distinctly interested in Tidus' answer. The boy certainly seemed fit enough to be a warrior, but Dias didn't see a weapon - Tidus' answer might prove illuminating. If Tidus were a capable fighter, then there'd be far less of an element of risk in leaving Al and Yuna behind.

(OOC: If Tidus is lugging a sword around, lemme know and I'll change my post. XD )

[identity profile] gonewithmysin.livejournal.com 2006-04-04 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
Yuna smiled and gave a small wave to Alphonse as he approached them at last. She breathed a sigh of relief, intensely glad that they hadn't somehow managed to lose him in the crowd. Her relief was quickly replaced with another flush when he referred to Tidus as the 'friend' she'd been talking about. Why was so clumsy about that sort of thing? She hadn't been so awkward and fidgety in Macalania Woods when he'd...

And she blushed even more upon recalling that particular memory. To be honest with herself, Yuna supposed she hadn't had much time to consider the reality of, well, what they were to each other. Now that they had the chance...

She found herself looking up at him curiously, lost again for a moment before she blinked and quickly turned her head back to Dias when he spoke. It just wasn't like her to be so easily distracted from a simple conversation.

As for the conversation, Yuna couldn't say she was happy with Dias' decision to go alone, but to be fair, she wasn't exactly suited for mercenary work. Perhaps it would indeed be best to let him do what he needed to do. He would return. She did not doubt that much from the honorable man.

"I wish you luck, Dias. If there's anything we can do to help, well, I doubt you'll take it, but the offer is there," Yuna finally said. She looked over at Alphonse and then smiled before looking back up to Tidus. "I think... we'll be alright for a little while. We have the best Guardian in all of Spira with us, after all."

[identity profile] extantsoul.livejournal.com 2006-04-04 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, you're welcome...But I think Dias was the one who really looked out for us," Al corrected, a pleased blush spreading across his cheeks nonetheless. Despite Tidus's strange looks, something about him was kind of cool, and Al took a slight admiration to him.

--Somewhere to be? He quickly turned to face Dias, his face growing increasingly disappointed as the man spoke and even more so when Yuna agreed with him.

"You're going now?" Al asked desolately. "But..." He stopped mid-sentence and bit his lip. He wanted to help too! Surely he could do something. What if they needed someone small to fit in tight spaces or could make use of his alchemy? It wasn't that he minded staying back with Yuna and Tidus--it would certainly be a good chance to get to know them better, especially the latter--but he wanted to do everything he could to not be a hindrance. Which pleading to come along would probably make him. Dias seemed to want to do this alone, and Al knew he couldn't argue against it.

But still, although they had barely known each other a week, Al felt a tug of worry. Even if it would only be for a short amount of time, they were losing someone from the group. Dias would be gone. Something about this bothered him.

"You'll be coming back, right?"

[identity profile] heavens-too-far.livejournal.com 2006-04-05 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Dias nodded to Yuna as the girl wished him luck. "The only help I may need is healing when I return," he said with the barest hint of a shrug. "If I even need that. I still haven't been told what I'll be going up against, but I should be able to handle it."

Then his attention turned to Tidus. The best guardian from Yuna's world...? Well, there was no doubt that Yuna seemed like she might be a bit biased in her assessment, but nevertheless it allowed Dias to relax a bit. Even if Tidus weren't a fantastic fighter, that Yuna had faith in him suggested he was capable enough, at least temporarily. "Good to hear," he said with a slight nod of gratitude in the young man's direction. "I'll keep in contact with you so that I at least know where you are, if nothing else."

Then, finally, he turned his attention to Alphonse. The boy was worried he wouldn't come back...? That was almost - touching. "Of course I'll be back," he said, somewhat roughly. "Don't worry about me."

Dias' gaze flickered over the other three once more before he strode past them, walking easily through the crowd (it was amazing how quickly paths cleared for a looming, muscular swordsman) as he made his way out of the station.

Time to find this Miles Edgeworth.

[identity profile] gonewithmysin.livejournal.com 2006-04-06 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
"Good luck!" Yuna called after Dias, finding some odd urge to wave at his retreating form with her free hand as he disappeared into the crowd. She was indeed worried about their stoic friend, but if anyone could handle themselves, it would be Dias. Or so she assured herself. Hopefully he had simply been kidding about the healing comment, but Dias didn't exactly seem the type to kid.

She had to look up Tidus again, aware that she was probably casting far too many a glance in his direction. It was just so surreal to see him here, right before her when she'd thought she might never... At any rate, Yuna simply felt an urge to keep checking to make sure he was really right next to her even though she could feel his hand in hers.

Finally, the young woman pried her eyes away from him to regard Alphonse. The younger man seemed displeased by Dias' departure and a little worried, so she offered him an encouraging smile.

"So... Where should we head next?" Yuna assumed they'd all at least find a central place to stay for a bit, which might be an daunting task in and of itself. It was funny, though. Nearly anything seemed doable right now.

[identity profile] extantsoul.livejournal.com 2006-04-06 07:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ah, yeah, I won't... You'll be okay!" Al replied with a weak smile. Yet, as he watched the man's retreating back, the fact that Dias had said he might need healing when he returned was even more worrying. Sighing softly, Al tried to mentally shake the feeling--Dias was strong, right? There wouldn't be a problem! Before losing sight of him, he cupped one hand by his mouth while waving the other in the air and called after Dias: "Stay safe!"

Al watched for a few seconds more, arm slowly lowering from its wave, before turning back to his new companions and returning Yuna's smile. "Uhh, I don't know. I'm getting a little hungry," he replied plainly. His fingertips brushed the small machine that was stuck awkwardly in his pocket, just in case. "But Tidus knows the area better, right? Are you staying somewhere?"

[identity profile] gonewithmysin.livejournal.com 2006-04-10 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
"I think getting something to eat would be a good idea. We can all catch up, and you two can get to know each other a little better," Yuna agreed. The train ride had been fairly long, as big as this city was, and she hadn't been eating very much as excited as she'd been at the prospect of seeing Tidus again. She wasn't certain if she'd be able to force herself to eat too much at the moment either, but it was important to force down a little something to keep her energy up.

The idea of getting a job was strange to a girl who'd done nothing but train to be a summoner all her life. In ways it was a little exciting, but Yuna wondered what she could possibly be good at in a place like Paixao. Perhaps there was a place that happened to be in the market for healers?

It was daunting, facing this new world, but... Yuna steeled herself when she felt Tidus squeeze her hand. They'd be alright. She had a feeling that all of them had been through much worse.

[identity profile] extantsoul.livejournal.com 2006-04-11 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
Al nodded in agreement. "Yeah, then let's do that! If at least one of us finds a job today, we should be okay." It suddenly occurred to him that he didn't quite know how much one could make, nor if it would cover any hotel costs. Weren't they supposed to be expensive? He began counting in his head, fingers subconsciously curling in and out as he did so. Maybe Dias was right to be so concerned over money. Unless they got a job... Well. Surely they wouldn't have to worry about that!

His stomach growled, alerting him to the important matter at hand, and Al gave an embarrassed laugh. "Shall we go?" he asked, looking up and down the busy train platform and wondering where to exit.