[Fanfic] To Learn Something New (ch 26)

Title: To Learn Something New

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim
Rating: K+
Genre: General
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is property of Square Enix. I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: I don't even know

sea /sea/ n the salt water that covers much of the Earth's surface (literary)

The sea is cold, is unforgiving. It swallows everything you throw into it, and throws up everything it wants to your beaches. It knows no boundary and yet it becomes a boundary for humans who want to go to the other side of the world, as it sends waves after waves of foreboding.

But the sea is ever-changing, too. Sometimes it is kind and warm. Sometimes it invites you to come and play inside its belly because it keeps way too many jeweleries inside. Sometimes it is not as cold as the blue mountain. Sometimes it's a deep jade.

And jade is Hope's eyes.

Lightning sees the sea every time she peers into his eyes for a second too long. A sea that sometimes runs amok, sometimes drifts idly. His eyes have a depth that sometimes entices her but sometimes sends her scurrying away too. Such a complicated being, Lightning decides one day. She chooses to keep Hope at an arm's length lest she catches herself staring into those eyes again.

That was the plan, anyway. But right now, she can't take her eyes away from his, mere centimeters away. She is nose to nose to Hope, with one of his big hands on her right cheek and the other on the small of her back, sending shivers up her spine. They are so close she can even count his speckles. She bets he can count her eyelashes.

And with slow movements, both of them decide to close their eyes at the same time, leaning closer and closer and—

Lightning lets the sea take her wherever it wants.

The First Few Weeks

I'm back for more rambling.

It's about life in Japan. The first month of it, anyway. I made a few videos about my trip and my dorm here, so check my YouTube channel. I have more projects in my laptop... but never actually got around to it. (Please send some cookies to energize me!)

So. Life here actually started on Monday, where the students of my program were gathered and led to the Ward Office to do some administration. 'Hey I'm here in Japan legally so here's my residence card.' 'Because I'm a citizen of Japan (though temporarily) I have to enter the health insurance program? Cool okay.' 'Yeah and also the national pension program. But I don't have any income here so I'll just apply for exemption on the same day I apply for it.' Yadda yadda. (There's a video.)

シの帰り道

October 6, 2016.

My previously silent phone suddenly bursted with messages once it's connected to internet.
The first message I read was from a classmate of middle school days.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Ah, so this is what it means to have the Earth crumbles beneath you feet, I thought. So this is what it means to have the world stop spinning on its axis.
 
I chose to open the message from my sister next. She simply asked if I could call her right away.
But I had class in two minutes, there's not enough time, there's not enough process in my brain to talk.
I ended up taking the 90-minutes class and barely listened to the lecture.

After class ended I hastily slipped out and found a corner before dialing my sister's LINE account. She treaded the topic carefully. But I had known. I had known what she was going to say.

My father is gone.

---

紅一葉

舞い散る朝に

永久祈り   ........................................... (1)

囁いた

温かい手を

さようなら   ........................................... (2)

濡れ瞳

埋もれられ愛

キラメクよ ............................................. (3)

経たぬトキ

シの帰り道

先発し ..................................................(4)

古い本

幾千語り

なくしちゃった .......................................(5)

くすのきく

遠い呼び声

ゆらゆらり .............................................(6)

悲しみも

喜びと舞う

美しさ ................................................. (7)