Order's Sanctuary is a pristine, grand dormitory overlooking a garden of multi-colored flowers. As Terra approaches the lattice gates, she can't help but admire the almost ethereal glow of the place. Almost like something out of a fantasy.
The flyer that Celes had given here is still in her pocket. When she'd heard that Terra would need to commute the hour-long drive to Dissdia University, she had exhausted her governmental sources to find a suitable living unit. Terra's friends and family had gathered enough money to secure a down-deposit to secure a spot for her. She has yet to meet the head of the dormitory, but she'd heard nothing but gleaming reviews from her friends… primarily Celes.
Terra raises her fist to the door and raps gently. Her stomach backflips into her intestines when she hears footsteps from the other side. A deep, dark part of her mind wonders if she'll make new friends… or risk being alone again.
The door creaks open to reveal an icy blue eye. "What do you want?" its owner growls.
Terra steps back. "U-um… I'm Terra Bradford. I'll be moving in?" Is she in the wrong place? The address looks right…
The eye regards her silently. She feels it straying on her face before sweeping down her body.
"You're a girl."
"Excuse me?"
The door swings open now. Terra slowly lifts her gaze to see those blue eyes staring down at her face again. Its owner has a slim, rugged face with a scar running across his nose.
"What a pain," the young man sighs.
Terra really doesn't know how to respond.
Then another voice rings in the hall behind him. "Yo, Squall! Who are you talking to?"
"Oh no." His sarcasm is dripping now. Another young man bounces into view, and unlike this "Squall," he has a friendlier grin with wide, almost puppy-like eyes.
"Hey," he says to Terra. "You're Squall's new girlfriend?"
"Shut up," Squall hisses.
"Just kidding. Just kidding." The friendly one turns to Terra and holds out his hand. "It's not often a beautiful young woman comes to this place. You must've caught the winds of fortune." He grins. "Bartz Klauser."
"Terra Bradford." She returns the smile and his invitation. "I'll be living here from now on."
Bartz's eyes pop. His face turns bright red, and he whips back at Squall. Squall replies with a sigh.
"That's awesome!" Bartz blurts. "We've been dying to know who this newcomer is! I can't believe it's a beautiful lady~"
Terra laughs nervously. "What's wrong with me being a woman?"
Bartz insists on dragging her inside. She glances back to see a scowling Squall trudging in afterwards with her luggage. Their eyes meet, and with a frown he looks away.
"Hey everyone!" Bartz announces to the hallway. "Look who arrived!"
The other inhabitants slowly emerge. Some from their rooms, some from the second floor balcony, some from the sides. As the occupants fill in, the recognition also sinks in.
"Holy smokes! It's a girl!"
Terra Bradford is the only girl here.
"I told you. Boys get wild," Squall mutters somewhere behind her, but it's quickly drowned by a sea of footsteps. She's overwhelmed with introductions, questions, and curiosity.
"Boys and men." A voice rips through the din of noise. Everyone looks up to the balcony. Terra's jaw drops. The most beautiful woman she had ever seen makes her way down the stairs. Her glimmering eyes rake over Terra, her hair blowing gently behind her despite there not being a breeze, golden strands flowing like a halo. Her figure is seamlessly sculpted into a white evening dress.
"You must be Terra Bradford." Her hand is soft and warm. "I am Cosmos, manager of the Order's Sanctuary Dormitory."
Terra takes a while to find her voice. "H-h-hello, ma'am."
Cosmos's plush lips part into a radiant smile that even puts the moon to shame. "You must be tired, dear. Make yourself comfortable, and we'll begin introductions."
After her stuff was stored away in her room, Terra comes downstairs where Cosmos and the other inhabitants are waiting.
"I am W. o. L."
Terra blinks. "I'm sorry?"
The man with turquoise eyes clears his throat. He looks older than most of them and carry himself forward with the dignity of a knight's. "Simply call me Light, Terra. I'm the head of the dorm while Lady Cosmos is away."
"Lay off the ancient talk," Squall mutters under his breath. Light shoots him a glare, but it accomplishes nothing but giggles from the audience.
"I am Firion, and my dream is to see the world blooming with wild roses."
Terra makes a noise in her throat. "I-I'm sorry. Roses?"
Firion nods, his face deadly serious. "I'll show you my rose garden sometimes." Terra manages a "That's romantic," in response.
Then there's a kid. He's old enough that his voice had broken through puberty. "Hello, Terra! I'm Luneth, and I'm almost fifteen!"
"Are you the youngest one here, Luneth?"
"No. Tidus is technically the youngest one here." None of the other inhabitants react to Luneth's proclamation like she had. Luneth looks like a kid through and through.
"My name is Cecil," the young man with the soft, violet eyes says before she can pepper the kid with questions. Even his voice is calming. Terra notes his purple lipstick but doesn't point it out.
"You've already met me." Bartz grins. He elbows the one next to him: a young man with stormy eyes and the spikiest hair she'd ever seen.
"Cloud Strife."
"Um… hi, Cloud." Terra gives a weak smile. Cloud looks at her without a hint of mirth. She wonders how he can see with all that hair in his eyes.
"Hi." He shows no inclination to continue the conversation, and neither does the room want to persuade him.
"Squall Leonhart." She's almost relieved to hear the silence shatter. He bites his lips, and she can see gears grinding in his mind. "I didn't mean to rub you off the wrong way from before."
"Before what?" Firion says.
"Nothing," Squall mutters. Terra catches his eyes, and a moment of understanding pass through them until he tears his gaze away again.
The next introduction offers his hand. She grudgingly accepts it, and he brings it to his lips.
"Zidane Tribal, my fair Terra." He looks slightly older than Luneth.
"Zidane, I advise you to cease your charade," Light says sternly. "You are making Terra uncomfortable."
"Showoff," Bartz mutters with a grin.
"N-nice to meet you, Zidane." He winks at her. Terra instinctively looks down, but her cheeks are flushing.
"Zidane, don't hog all the attention. I'm Tidus. Nice to meet you!" Tidus has dimples when he smiles. Terra shyly offers one back, and his face beams.
Cosmos claps her hands, bringing back the attention. "Thank you for staying with us Terra. I'm sure you'll get to know these boys better over the span of your stay. Now, I want to go over some documents with you." She motions for the boys to leave. They reluctantly stand, but not before showering Terra with last-minute complements.
"Terra. Here is the contract. Please look it over and sign your name. Now I want to go over some very important ground rules…"
Terra goes straight to bed, her luggage still unpacked. It's been a whirlwind of a day, with many names and rules to remember. But there's not threat of trepidation, regardless of her being the only girl in the group.
It might be fun.
Someone knocks on her door. She doesn't have to worry about strangers, but an old fear draws her to the eyehole.
"Zidane?" she squeaks, opening the door.
"Terra. It's nice to see your beautiful face anytime."
"What's wrong?" She's already desensitized to his usual flirtatiousness. She'd seen it too much with Locke to even be affected anymore.
"There's an important floor meeting tonight," he says, hushed. His eyes dart around the hallway. "It's an emergency!"
Terra isn't sure what to think, but she retrieves a sweater and follows Zidane down the floor.
The entire case is assembled in Cecil's room Then stares at her as she stumbles in – some with eagerness, some with exasperation. She can't read Cloud's expression as usual, but Squall's expression oozes absolute disbelief.
"Where's Light?" Terra asks as Luneth closes the door.
Firion rummages through his bag and produces several maps. "He's on patrol duty."
"Please don't leave trash in my room," Cecil sighs. "I only opened it because you said it was an emergency."
"It's only the most important night of the dorm!" Bartz exclaims quietly.
"Come on," Tidus says. "Let's begin the initiation!"
Terra's heart drops. "Um. E-excuse me?" she squeaks. "Initiation?" She didn't sign up for this! There was nothing in the fine print about hazing!
Bartz waves his hand dismissively. "We're not hazing you. It's nothing too dangerous. We all did it," he adds, as if that's reassuring. "It's just a little welcoming ceremony for new members."
"You're speaking as though we're a sinister company," Cloud says, deadpan. Squall sighs.
"I'm sorry, Terra," Cecil says softly. "I tried to talk them out of it, but they're not having it."
"We'll be helping you break in," Luneth announces proudly. "But the rest is up to you."
"You want me to break and enter?" Her voice rises with each word. "What are you thinking?!"
Firion looks up from his maps. "If you get caught by Light, you'll be punished for breaking curfew. In addition, we'll also be punished because we're the ones that forced you to do it." He's explaining it as if it's so simple.
"This is crazy!"
"Shh!"
"You mean Cosmos and Light doesn't know about this," Terra says in disbelief. "And what if I don't want to do it?"
"Come on, Terra!" Zidane says with big, begging eyes. "Well… you don't have to do it. Buuuuut it's a time-honored tradition of the Order's Sanctuary! It's a one-in-a-lifetime event where you build leadership skills and teamwork with everyone! After this, we promise we won't drag you into anything else!"
Somehow that promise sounds very, very flimsy. Terra bites her lips. She never could deal with peer pressure. The thought of missing out from family bonding frustrates her. She could be sleeping away right now. Sleeping soundly in her room, alone.
Alone.
"If she doesn't feel like it, don't force her," Squall speaks up, his voice carrying a new authoritative tone. "We don't know who she'll run into!"
"It's perfectly safe, Bartz promises. "You'll probably run into Cecil's brother anyways."
"But what if she doesn't?" Squall snaps.
A thoughtful silence presses on the air.
"She'll have walke-talkies?" Tidus squeaks. Squall's blue eyes flare again, and he opens his mouth.
Then Terra steels her fists. "I'll do it."
"What?"
Terra looks up, eyes hard with determination. "I'll do it. I don't want to let everyone down down."
"But, Terra—"
"What's the plan, Firion?" She brushes past Squall. Firion looks up, at first too surprised to speak.
"E-erm. So we have outlined a plan of the place based on past explorations. I'll tell you the areas to generally avoid, but it's up to you on what you want to get."
"What do I have to do?"
Zidane motions her over to the window. "Do you see that big black building over there? That's the Old Chaos Shrine Dormitory.
"Your mission is to sneak in and steal a special keepsake. Pretty simple, right?"