[ And sure enough, whenever Noel arrives in the rec wing - it'll be hard to miss the large chocobo happily walking circles around an open space. Hope isn't far away, book in hand but not reading, as he watches his new companion. ]
[Noel's eyes are on the chocobo as he approaches, stopping about arm's length from Hope's side. It's a moment before he looks away from the chocobo, toward Hope.]
No, not yet. [ He smiles a little, glancing from the chocobo to Noel and sighing. ] As it turns out, it's rather hard to come up with name or at least decide on one.
If you have some ideas, why don't you try asking her if she likes one? [He's well aware it sounds like a strange suggestion, but with how smart a chocobo could be...]
[ Especially considering how picky about food she's been, still he calls her over and watches as she hurries over - curious about the new person. ]
This is Noel, he's a friend so be nice to him. [ A moment passes before she gives an affirmative sound, flapping her wings and shuffling to get a better look at Noel. ]
[Noel chuckles lightly, turning his eyes back to the chocobo.] Maybe you're right.
[And then his attention is more fully captured as she approaches, his right hand lifting only to still in the air between himself and the large bird to give her the choice. His voice when he speaks has gentled somewhat. He trusts in the training she's had, but there's still better ways to befriend a chocobo than by normal force of personality.] Nice to meet you.
[Directly addressing the chocobo, his posture has even shifted somewhat, shoulders down and relaxed, muscles loose instead of taut like something prepped to move.]
[ Hope just watches quickly as she tilts her head one way and then another, still terribly curious but not quite reaching out just yet. When Noel raises his hand, she perks up excitedly and lowers her head just enough to start nuzzling his hand. It's enough to get Hope smiling again, chuckling under his breath and glancing between the two. ]
I'm grateful she listens well and is so friendly, I really don't know if I could ever properly train one myself. At least not one that was already grown.
[Noel's expression brightens as she nuzzles his hand, and he's quick to start stroking her feathers in the same way he'd observed when he and Serah had met up with the hunters on the Archlyte Steppe. Those chocobos had seemed to like it so it was worth a try.]
If you raised it from a chick I think you could do it.
[He glances to Hope now, attention divided between the conversation and the chocobo.] But once they get older, if they're not trained yet they can be really stubborn about listening.
[ He remembers the chocobo back on Gran Pulse, the first ones they had met and it had been a surprise how different they were to the ones he had seen around back on Cocoon. They had taken to him really well though perhaps not as easily as they took to Sazh, who seemed to fit in with every chocobo they met. Still, he smiles warmly as his companion responds happily to Noel's attention. ]
Still, after everything that happened in these last few weeks it would definitely be something easier to handle.
[Noel chuckles quietly, eyes back on the chocobo. Really, he's more than happy to give her the attention she seems to want.]
You're selling yourself short. All you really need is patience, determination and focus to train a chocobo. Pretty sure you've got all that. [Come now Hope, you implemented and saw through plans that spanned hundreds of years.]
[ That's all true but his machines weren't picky eaters or woke him up in the middle of the night trying to play. ]
I suppose. Still, she'll be a lot of help for getting somewhere quick on our next mission. [ Still, there's a tired sigh. ] I just hope the next planet we land on has friendly weather than Anja.
[Just wear her out and she'll sleep through the night, or Noel can wear her out for you by playing with her-- certainly his fondness of her is already clear.]
[The tired sigh, though, is enough to draw Noel's gaze back to Hope.]
The last part wasn't even part of the weather, the apex species of Anja were absolutely awful and fought in any way they could.
[ Try not to get ahead of yourself there, Noel. ]
High enough to kill a person. The first time, during our drop, we had teleportation devices kick in before we hit the ground so we landed safety. The second time was after I went home, we were dropped back onto the planet and thankfully it was when the gravity was acting up so we were able to take advantage of that. [ He crosses his arms, frowning. ] The last time was during Anja's end, the first craft to leave was knocked out of the air when an EMP went off... so, not so much a free fall but I'm very tired of falling out of the sky.
[Noel takes a quiet breath as he finally returns to stroking the chocobo's feathers. When he'd asked about weather well... it hadn't been the thing he'd expected to hear. Still, to hear about how hard the natives fought... he couldn't exactly blame them. But he'd never say that to someone who had been there.]
I kind of understand what you mean about being tired of falling from the sky. [He pauses, shifting as his hand trails down the back of the chocobo's neck--or at least what he can reach. Something Hope had said caught his attention.]
... you went back home, in the middle of that? [He doesn't believe it was by choice really... but it does pique his interest.]
[ There's a pause as Hope considers the question. Right, he hadn't told Noel about it had he? He hadn't told Noel about Blue's last mission before the end either. It gets another sigh out of Hope as he leans back where he stands, gaze fixed on the chocobo and frowning slightly. ]
When I was first recruited by the CDC it was before Cocoon had fallen the first time. I was fourteen, still a l'Cie and it was before we faced Orphan. [ It was strange to think about now. ]
I stayed here for awhile but around the time Light recruited, I was walking around camp and suddenly I was falling. Before I even realized what was happening, I was back home and all of this felt like a dream. Eight centuries went by without another thought until one day, I found myself back here where only two days had gone by.
[Noel is silent for a while, simply taking in what Hope is telling him and taking his time to let everything sink in. It's a bit worrying, the control the CDC seems to have over when people are brought here from. Noel's expression shifts somewhat, his focus more inward than outward while his hands continue idle, if distracted movements. His conversation with Terra about how much power the CDC has drifting to the forefront of his mind.]
The ability to destroy planets is one thing... but to be able to reach into different points on the timeline to bring someone to them twice... [He doesn't like it, but he does try to keep his tone at least neutral, if a bit quiet.]
I don't believe what happened to us that went back home was planned. [ At least, that's what he figures. He could never be too sure but from what he's learned in his talks with the instructors, they didn't seem to have clue why what happened did happen to them. ]
As for why I was brought back though? Again, I don't think it was planned but the fact did remain that I had not finished my contract. [ Which makes him think— ] Noel, did the person who recruited you actually tell you what you were getting into?
[Noel nods at Hope's follow-up to his own statement. Neither of them can be sure, it seems... but the doubt is there. Maybe it isn't the instructors here with them that have the kind of power he's worried about... but it still seems like someone within the CDC does.
It's in this thoughtful state that Hope's question catches Noel off guard. It's a moment before he looks away from Hope, instead turning toward feathers he isn't even focusing on.]
Only after I agreed... but even then I didn't change my answer. ["Before I tell you, you have to answer me. Do you want to save the world?" those words still echo in his head from time to time. Noel had swore he would do anything.]
[ Only after he agreed? It earns Noel a frown but ultimately Hope's attention drifts again, arms crossed and thinking back to his own recruitment. It was centuries ago now although he had only been with the CDC close to a year and the entire experience was still clear as day in his mind. ]
I wasn't told anything. [ He finally says. ] The recruited asked me if my mother would be proud of the things I had done and of what I would do. I said yes and that was it, the next thing I know I'm waking up on the Neheda.
[Noel turns back to Hope at that, a frown tugging at his lips. The distant look in his eyes remains however.]
He asked me... if I wanted to save the world. [He swallows as he pauses. For all his memories had been fading when he thought of growing up, he remembered that conversation with startling clarity.] On top of the airship, staring out over everything, I told him I would do anything. [He sighs, left hand falling to his side as his right rakes back through his hair.] Next thing I remember was just about four hours before I saw you back on Selena.
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[ And sure enough, whenever Noel arrives in the rec wing - it'll be hard to miss the large chocobo happily walking circles around an open space. Hope isn't far away, book in hand but not reading, as he watches his new companion. ]
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So does she have a name yet?
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[ Especially considering how picky about food she's been, still he calls her over and watches as she hurries over - curious about the new person. ]
This is Noel, he's a friend so be nice to him. [ A moment passes before she gives an affirmative sound, flapping her wings and shuffling to get a better look at Noel. ]
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[And then his attention is more fully captured as she approaches, his right hand lifting only to still in the air between himself and the large bird to give her the choice. His voice when he speaks has gentled somewhat. He trusts in the training she's had, but there's still better ways to befriend a chocobo than by normal force of personality.] Nice to meet you.
[Directly addressing the chocobo, his posture has even shifted somewhat, shoulders down and relaxed, muscles loose instead of taut like something prepped to move.]
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I'm grateful she listens well and is so friendly, I really don't know if I could ever properly train one myself. At least not one that was already grown.
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If you raised it from a chick I think you could do it.
[He glances to Hope now, attention divided between the conversation and the chocobo.] But once they get older, if they're not trained yet they can be really stubborn about listening.
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[ He remembers the chocobo back on Gran Pulse, the first ones they had met and it had been a surprise how different they were to the ones he had seen around back on Cocoon. They had taken to him really well though perhaps not as easily as they took to Sazh, who seemed to fit in with every chocobo they met. Still, he smiles warmly as his companion responds happily to Noel's attention. ]
Still, after everything that happened in these last few weeks it would definitely be something easier to handle.
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You're selling yourself short. All you really need is patience, determination and focus to train a chocobo. Pretty sure you've got all that. [Come now Hope, you implemented and saw through plans that spanned hundreds of years.]
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I suppose. Still, she'll be a lot of help for getting somewhere quick on our next mission. [ Still, there's a tired sigh. ] I just hope the next planet we land on has friendly weather than Anja.
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[The tired sigh, though, is enough to draw Noel's gaze back to Hope.]
What was the weather like?
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[ He hopes so, so much that their drop onto this next planet is nothing like his drop onto Anja. ]
If I could make it through this mission without ending up in free fall, I'd also be very happy.
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Not sure I want to ask anything more specific about the weather. [Somewhere deep down, he's thankful he wasn't there...]
But free fall? From how high up?
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[ Try not to get ahead of yourself there, Noel. ]
High enough to kill a person. The first time, during our drop, we had teleportation devices kick in before we hit the ground so we landed safety. The second time was after I went home, we were dropped back onto the planet and thankfully it was when the gravity was acting up so we were able to take advantage of that. [ He crosses his arms, frowning. ] The last time was during Anja's end, the first craft to leave was knocked out of the air when an EMP went off... so, not so much a free fall but I'm very tired of falling out of the sky.
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I kind of understand what you mean about being tired of falling from the sky. [He pauses, shifting as his hand trails down the back of the chocobo's neck--or at least what he can reach. Something Hope had said caught his attention.]
... you went back home, in the middle of that? [He doesn't believe it was by choice really... but it does pique his interest.]
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When I was first recruited by the CDC it was before Cocoon had fallen the first time. I was fourteen, still a l'Cie and it was before we faced Orphan. [ It was strange to think about now. ]
I stayed here for awhile but around the time Light recruited, I was walking around camp and suddenly I was falling. Before I even realized what was happening, I was back home and all of this felt like a dream. Eight centuries went by without another thought until one day, I found myself back here where only two days had gone by.
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The ability to destroy planets is one thing... but to be able to reach into different points on the timeline to bring someone to them twice... [He doesn't like it, but he does try to keep his tone at least neutral, if a bit quiet.]
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As for why I was brought back though? Again, I don't think it was planned but the fact did remain that I had not finished my contract. [ Which makes him think— ] Noel, did the person who recruited you actually tell you what you were getting into?
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It's in this thoughtful state that Hope's question catches Noel off guard. It's a moment before he looks away from Hope, instead turning toward feathers he isn't even focusing on.]
Only after I agreed... but even then I didn't change my answer. ["Before I tell you, you have to answer me. Do you want to save the world?" those words still echo in his head from time to time. Noel had swore he would do anything.]
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I wasn't told anything. [ He finally says. ] The recruited asked me if my mother would be proud of the things I had done and of what I would do. I said yes and that was it, the next thing I know I'm waking up on the Neheda.
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He asked me... if I wanted to save the world. [He swallows as he pauses. For all his memories had been fading when he thought of growing up, he remembered that conversation with startling clarity.] On top of the airship, staring out over everything, I told him I would do anything. [He sighs, left hand falling to his side as his right rakes back through his hair.] Next thing I remember was just about four hours before I saw you back on Selena.