Whew, FFVII 'ey... I've procrastinated with writing this for soooo long. Same goes with my other story's next chapter but lets not get onto that... "x3 Hopefully this first chapter wont be too bad. It only features one of the canon characters but the next few chapters should hopefully show more. I just hope I'm not out of shape with my writing *crosses fingers*.
Hope you all enjoy.
Midgar, city of opportunity, or so she was told. That had been years ago, before she learned for herself that it was far from the truth. Struggling to earn an income in a strange city with only a few friends to help support you made life harder than it should have been.
"Lena! Get up!" Groaning the figure under the covers lifted their head from the mass of linen.
Dull blue eyes, almost grey, glared up at the intruder, strands of brown hair invading her vision. Staring at her friend Lena sighed, eyebrows narrowing in annoyance. "What?"
"Today is the day you get a job! You didn't come all this way just to leech off your friends, or did you?" A smile spread across her friend's face, he knew just how to play her and she knew it.
"No chance, you've seen me try before. I don't qualify for anything that pays well. Now, goodnight." Pulling the covers back over her face Lena attempted to fall back to sleep. Unfortunately for her, her friend had other ideas.
Feeling her eyes shift uncomfortably at the sudden burst of light through her eyelids the teen screamed in frustration. She was never allowed to sleep in, if she tried to then her friend would always pull something to drive her drowsiness away. One event involved a hard boiled chocobo egg. The hours of cleaning the mess taught her a lesion for a while.
"Lena, I swear, if you don't get up and at least try to find a job you can find someone else to mooch off." Her friend pulled the covers away from her, persistence meeting annoyance.
"Faro, I swear to you that I'm not going to get something to sustain myself for long. I can't get a good job without help."
Faro sighed in frustration, running his fingers through his obsidian locks. Glancing at the clock on the wall his frown deepened. "I've got to go to work now but please, do something productive."
Watching the elder male leave the room Lena stared at the partially open door. Hearing the front door open and close the brunette revelled in the silence. Not long after the sounds of vehicles and bustling people reached her ears, dispelling the last remnants of sleep from her system. Not only had Faro opened her curtains but he'd left her window open.
Growling in frustration Lena sat up, untangling herself from her thin covers. Stretching her arms out in front of her the young woman sighed in relief as some of her joints cracked, tension seeping away. Turning to look out of her open window she glanced disinterested at what greeted her.
Dull grey buildings surrounded the area. Further in the distance was the Shinra tower, the only visible part of the building from her position. Turning her gaze to the sky Lena frowned at the looming, grey clouds. Scowling at the thought of rain the brunette hopped out of bed.
Lena's toes curled as they made contact with the chilled floorboards. Automatically moving in the direction of the bathroom that was connected to her room the young woman let loose a long yawn. Grunting as something jammed into her side she finally opened her eyes to be greeted by her own image. Looking away she discovered the corner of the wash basin to be the cause of the throbbing in her side.
Proceeding to brush her teeth the brunette stared at the mirror, barely registering her dishevelled appearance. She twitched as an itch grew on her stomach. Relieving herself of the itch Lena spat out the frothy toothpaste into the wash basin. When finished clearing her mouth of toothpaste she stared once again at her reflection.
Lena concentrated on her eyes, leaning closer to see the more prominent blue specs near to the centre easier. Pulling away a few seconds later she ran her fingers through her hair before leaving the small bathroom. Dragging her feet she slowly made her way towards her closet, successfully grabbing a face wipe on the way. Wiping her face she opened the doors to her closet.
Various clothes lay in front of Lena, ranging from trousers, shirts, coats and other items of clothing. Looking through the clothing a pair of trousers and shirt were picked out. Dressing in the clean clothes Lena looked in the full length mirror. White and black trousers accompanied by a black shirt. While the trousers were made of two parts, the upper part black and the main part white, there were belts attached just above and below the knees, making the trousers seem even baggier than they actually were. The shirt contrasted with the pants, sitting closely to the body. Although the top of the shirt sat low and the bottom just to the end of her ribs, it was long sleeved, concealing her arms completely.
Content with her appearance the brunette picked up the hairbrush on her bedside table. She quickly ran the brush through her hair, untangling any knots that might have appeared during her sleep. Brushing her side fringe into place she nodded to herself, attempting to sweep it away from her eye with little success. Forcing herself to leave her hair alone she left the room.
Trudging down the stairs Lena headed for the kitchen area that was part of the living room. Scanning the contents of the cupboards and fridge she frowned. There was nothing for her that could be made quickly. Disinterested in the prospect of food she headed for the front door, grabbing her favourite jacket and slipping her boots on.
Leaving the apartment the young woman reached into her jacket pocket for her purse. Opening the coin section Lena fished through the loose gil in search of her key. Successful in her search she proceeded to lock the door before heading to the elevator.
Pressing the button for the elevator Lena returned her purse and concealed key back into her jacket pocket. Leaning on one leg she frowned at the time it was taking for the elevator to arrive. The stairs were beginning to seem appealing. Just as she was about to head for them the bell for the elevator chimed, signalling it's arrival. Turning around she shuffled into the small compartment, ignoring the other person already there.
The brunette looked over at the button panel, seeing that the ground floor button was already illuminated. Standing next to the stranger Lena finally allowed herself to look him over.
Red hair, dark blue, unkempt suit, almost black, unfastened top button, low sitting tie, at least a couple of inches taller than herself as her crown only reached the bridge of his nose, and blue eyes, looking right at her.
Blinking at the contact Lena quickly turned her attention to the doors in front of her, colour lightly staining her cheeks at being caught. A chuckle from the male next to her brought her attention back to him. Seeing the smirk on his face she frowned.
"What?" She asked, staring in confusion. She watched him half turn towards her, smirk still present.
"Like what you see?" The smirk grew, causing the tinge in her cheeks to darken. Lena began to curse Faro for living in an apartment so near to the top, she'd have to deal with this guy for a bit longer.
Hoping that keeping silent would end the conversation Lena stared intently at the metallic door. Relief flooded her when silence reigned for a few minutes although she swore he might have said something. She glared in frustration as the strangers face suddenly appeared in front of her field of vision. Despite the distance she wished for, she couldn't help but want to touch his face, just noticing the red marks. The unique feature was something she admired, even if she didn't like the impression she was getting.
"Hey girly, you listening?" Playfully the stranger in front of her waved his hand in her face, still leaning over so she had fewer other places to look.
"What do you want?" Lena knew that her irritation had seeped into her voice by the way the stranger backed away, hands held up as a kind of barrier against her. She was glad for that as she gained her personal space back but she also cursed herself for it, that was the reason why many found her so unapproachable.
"Okay, calm down. Jeez, only being friendly." At that time the bell for the elevator chimed, signalling that it had reached its destination. Hoping to escape as quickly as possible the brunette squeezed through the doors as soon as they began to open.
Walking quickly through the lobby Lena took a deep breath of the polluted air. When she'd first arrived in Midgar she'd struggled to breathe without pulling a face. She'd soon gotten used to it and now it didn't bother her, as long as she didn't think about it. Standing in the street for a moment the brunette began to move, automatically heading for a familiar place.
Before long she had reached a small café situated next to a clothing store. The shop wasn't expensive and so the clothes were cheaply made but that was the area she and Faro were living in. Cheap but despite that, nice. There were more than enough downsides to the city.
Walking into the small but cosy café Lena smiled at the man stood behind the counter. Taking her purse from her pocket she placed some gill before the man. "The usual please Jaren."
"Coming up. How goes the job search? Still nothing?" Jaren worked on getting the order ready as he spoke, glancing back briefly.
"Yeah. Nothing seems to either pay enough or is interesting. At this rate I might have to move back to Mideel, although that'll cost a bomb." Taking a sip of her steaming tea as it was placed in front of her Lena sighed. "Hopefully something will turn up before that."
"I'm sure you'll find something. I've heard of a couple but I'm sure you wouldn't take them, even though one pays alright." Jaren saw Lena's eyes light up and shook his head.
"What is it? If it pays well I'll do it." The brunette leaned in on the counter, ignoring the sandwich sat there waiting for her.
"Well, okay. I don't know too much about it but the employer's Shinra." Seeing Lena's face fall fulfilled Jaren's expectations, seeing other customer's enter he pushed the sandwich towards her. "Look, just think about it, you might dislike Shinra but the pay's good. That's what you were wanting right?"
Grumbling to herself Lena grabbed her sandwich and moved towards a vacant table. Staring at the plate in front of her she began to weigh her options. She could get a job that pays well but work for Shinra, or continue looking for a job while mooching off her friends. Her options were looking slim but she'd look for every possible path before making a decision.
Glancing at the clock she sighed. Despite the fact that she had driven herself out of the apartment early in the afternoon she felt like she needed more sleep. Since she had arrived in Midgar and remained jobless she hadn't managed to keep a stable sleep pattern. She liked to blame her unfamiliarity with the city but she knew it was down to her own irresponsibility.
Taking a bite out of her sandwich the brunette looked around. There were a few business men and a few teenagers. As usual the place wasn't heaving but was busy enough for its size. Ignoring those around her she focused on finishing her meal.
Standing, her chair giving a high pitched squeal, Lena made her way towards Jaren. She guessed that she had pulled a face unconsciously as the attendant backed away from the counter. Resting her elbows on the metallic surface she sighed before taking a mouthful of her cooling tea.
"Give me the details of those jobs. Might as well see what they're like." Jaren gave her a wary look before reaching for a notepad. Quickly scribbling down the details the attendant tore the piece of paper away from the rest before handing it to her. Wanting to look at the jobs in private Lena shoved the scrap of paper into her trouser pocket, muttering a thanks as she left.
Standing just outside the small café Lena sighed. Usually having her usual sandwich and tea she'd wander around the sector, familiarising herself with the area for future reference. Today however she didn't feel like walking, the weight of her decision pressing down on her. After a moment of pondering she began her journey back to the apartment, finishing her drink as she moved.
Before long the brunette found herself standing at the front door to the apartment. Absently reaching for her key she thought about the slip of paper in her pocket, hoping the jobs written there wouldn't be out of the question. Despite the employer she really needed the job.
Unlocking the door Lena headed into the apartment huffing. Kicking her boots off carelessly she wasted no time in moving towards the living space. A small coffee table, a couch, TV and a single armchair occupied the room. Sitting herself on the armchair, away from the rest of the furniture Lena reluctantly pulled the job details from her pocket.
There were two jobs written on the slip of paper. One was for a jewellers shop not too far away from the apartment, Lena recognised the name. They were looking for someone to advertise. She wasn't about to earn a pathetic wage for handing out leaflets. Reluctantly she looked over the second set of details. Quickly skimming the writing she found that the job was for a cleaner. Lena thought it strange that Shinra would be looking for someone whose job was to generally mop floors and wipe windows but ignored it as she saw the rough estimation for the monthly salary. It seemed Shinra paid even their cleaners generously.
Looking the details over more closely the brunette tore the paper in half, leaving one half on the coffee table while the other remained in her hand. Grasping the torn paper tightly she made her way to her bedroom. If she was to make the interview on time she had to get a move on.
Trudging through the door Lena sighed. The interview had been simple but the interviewers had unnerved her. They hardly blinked and if she didn't know any better she would have thought they were statues. Depositing her empty purse on the small desk next to the entrance she removed her shoes and jacket. Her weekly allowance given to her by Faro had been spent on the journey to the Shinra building and back. She winced as she thought what her friend's reaction would be when he found out.
The smells of cooking food struck her nose, beckoning her towards the source. She found herself in the small kitchen area. Looking towards the stove she found Faro standing there, tending to many pans at once.
"What's cooking?" Lena asked, seating herself at the cramped dining table. Her friend looked back briefly to acknowledge her.
"Just the same as usual, veggies and steaks. You're back late, did you go somewhere?" Faro turned down the heat on one of the pans before leaning on the counter closest.
"I'll have you know that I was at a job interview," Lena grinned at the surprised look on her friends face "so I'll be out of your hair soon enough, if I get the job that is."
"I'm glad to hear it, but where is this job? There's a lot of sleazebags around from the lower place you know." The brunette rolled her eyes. She appreciated the concern but sometimes he made it seem like she couldn't take care of herself.
"If the company was made up of sleazebags then the majority of the city would be working for them." Lena had to try really hard not to roll her eyes again. She was grateful that Faro needed to tend to the pans again so she couldn't see his face; she didn't want him judging her for her decisions.
"If I remember correctly, you said you'd never work for Shinra?" The bustle of the male preparing the table almost drowned out his voice.
"If I want a job I'll have to take what I get. I can't be picky right now. My mooching's getting to you." Playing with the knife and fork presented to her Lena frowned. She remembered her words clearly, as though she'd spoken them yesterday, her promise to never work for those who took her father from her.
"I only threatened to kick you out to try motivate you to find a job quicker. I don't mind you here but it would be nice for you to get out and work." Sounds of pots clanking as they were thrown into the sink reached the brunette's ears, pulling her away from her thoughts. A moment later a plate of food was placed in front of her, Faro seating himself opposite her with his own plate.
"You're a cruel man Faro, you know?" Lena gave her friend a mock glare as she started on her food.
"Would you prefer to be sharing a place with Dras? You know he'd be working you like a slave driver." A smirk grew on Faro's face, knowing the other's dislike for the mentioned male.
"I'd rather live on the streets than with that pig. Besides, you wouldn't do that even if he is your friend." Lena watched as the other nodded, focusing on his meal. Silence took over the conversation, leaving both figures in its embrace.
Eating slowly to savour her meal the brunette glanced at the clock, finally realising how much of her day had been wasted on a single interview. It was nowhere near the usual time she would retire to her room to rest but a sudden wave of drowsiness flooded her. Finishing the last of her meal she took her plate to the sink, placing it on the counter beside it. She would clean it in the morning, or afternoon, depending on when she decided it was time to get up.
Waving goodnight to Faro, Lena trudged to her room, hardly registering that she tripped on one of the stairs. Making it to her room with only a stubbed toe she changed into a clean pair of night clothes before collapsing onto the bed face first. Before allowing herself to sleep however she rethought her position and rolled onto her side, not wishing to suffocate herself in her sleep.
Well, that's the first chapter done, thanks for reading. Please leave a review if possible, should only take a minute or two and could help my future writing out.