Hello, it's me. I was recently inspired by god knows what to write a FFVII story about Reno and Rude and an OC of mine. It's rather strange, I'll admit. Mainly because I wrote this at like... 2 am.
Reno and Rude will be introduced later right now I just want to establish my character.
And just a little note: I noticed that a lot of Fic's are in past tense so I decided to switch it up a bit and write in present. It's a little bit of a challenge for me, as is writing in girl First POV. Which is weird because I am a girl, but that's not the point.
Story commence!
I walk down the clean halls of the Shinra building holding some files that I'm supposed to hand to a Mr. Tseng. I'm excited because the files are what are going to notify him that Rufus Shinra deems me of all people worthy to be the newest Turk.
The building is large with over sixty floors. Some floors I have access to and some I don't. I'm still not sure which ones those are and so to put it simply, I'm lost. Rufus had told me that my new pass would allow me access to more floors. I'm in doubt about this because it didn't open anything useful… like elevators that say they go to the floor I need to go to.
My legs are sore and I don't know where I'm going so I'm taking a rest. No harm in that. I sit down on a chair and start to flip through the files. They're files about me so I don't see why I wouldn't be able to look at them.
The first page is a brief summary of myself and a picture I don't think is at all flattering. It has my name, height, weight, shoe size, eye and hair colour, measurement of my bust, waist, and hips. It has my birthday, where I live and where I was born. Who my parents are and what they do for a living and then everything they have on me they have on them on pages two and three.
Page four right through to six is the form for terms and conditions that I actually did read and sign. Page seven, eight, and nine were signatures from near everyone in the building for I don't even know what because Mr. Tseng is the only one who matters besides Rufus Shinra and Heidegger.
Page ten and eleven have my finger prints on them. Page twelve has the tests I did and passed on it and every page after that up to page twenty-one are scribbling and notes and comments on how I did. I can't make out all of what they said, so I don't try.
I don't bother to look at the rest. There are about fifty more pages and I don't feel like looking at them all because I'm starting to worry about being so lost and how late I'm going to end up.
Heels click down the hall and look up to see whoever is walking. A lady I haven't seen before walks past me. She has blonde hair, a red dress that looks like it might be a little too tight for her, and heels that look rather inappropriate for such a building. As she passes me I see her look at me. She looks at me like I'm filth. She makes no effort to hide this fact. I swallow hard and get up, continuing my journey to look for Mr. Tseng.
I find I'm shaking after receiving such a withering look from her. She had looked rather important and like she would mean business if I ever did en up meeting her.
I realize then that I do look rather lowly, not that I can help it. I don't have any official Shinra uniform, or clothes that look decently important on, and I'm younger than most of the people here by a good five years. They all know where they need to be while I look like a lost child (which I am).
There's a big number painted on the walls by some elevators (I'd tried them earlier and found out I didn't have the pass to work it) telling me yet again that I'm on the 56th floor. Which is the wrong floor to be on. I'm supposed to be on floor 64 where the Turks are supposed to be. I'm a Turk now, and I should be there but I can't find my way. A lot of people look too intimidating to talk to and I'm sure that if I did even try that they would see me as a low life and not give me the time of day.
I do another sweep of the floor and this time I find a stairwell.
I walk up the flights of stairs as high as they'll let me go. Even though I'm a Turk now, and even though I'm supposed to be stronger than this, I'm tired. The flies are getting heavy and I've been walking around for the past hour? Hour and a half? Two hours? I don't know anymore.
The stairs stop at floor 60 and I'm not complaining. Anything was better than being stuck on the 56th floor that I'm sure I have memorized now.
Right away I can tell that things aren't going to be so easy finding my way around still. There are guards everywhere who look like they mean business. They move everyone else that's here through their security quickly and without delay. It was silent as a grave- save for a few murmurs here and there to confirm identity and allow people through.
"You there," one says looking over at me, "Who're you?
"Me?" I ask, startled, even though I shouldn't be. I'm apart of an elite group. The fifth member at this point as far as I knew. Through our training we were honed to be always on our toes. To always be alert.
"Yes, you. Come here," the man says.
I nod and walk over and show him my badge. He looks over it very carefully and behind his shades I know he's looking intently at both my pass and me. Making sure it's not fake or that I'm not who I say I am.
I remind myself that now I'm a Turk I can't be so cowardly, or let my emotions show too easily. After all once I hand the files to Mr. Tseng and he signs them and I get my partner I'll be in charge of keeping company secrets.
"Miss," came the man's voice. "Everything seems to be in order, proceed through."
"Thank you," I say. For the briefest of moments I see that his face falters, like he's shocked that I said thank you. He recomposes his face quickly and it's like it never happened. I pretend to not have noticed.
I walk through and try the elevator and surprisingly my pass worked. Only up to the 62nd floor, but it was better than nothing.
The doors open into a library looking sort of place. Warm and sort of cozy but—
This building is illogical.
I sigh and start looking around.
"You're late. Very late, actually. Are you aware of this fact, Miss. Ashwood?"
"I am. I got lost and I didn't ask for directions. I'm sorry, Mr. Tseng," I say, my head low, but never breaking eye contact with the man.
Mr. Tseng is an intimidating man. He's quiet but I know he means business. His office is neat and orderly. Nothing is out of place and it looks like he's dusted recently, too. Everything is very simple, very professional. It's almost unnerving.
"Please," he says, snapping me back, "don't call me 'Mr'. Call me Tseng. In return I hope that you'll allow me to call you Cecilia."
"Of course, sir," I say.
He eyes me and I raise my head. I don't look away. He seems satisfied with my reactions, but it's hard to tell. Like any good Turk his emotions are hidden away. Something I need to practice at.
"Cecilia, I would like for you to wait outside while I look over your files. I call you in when I'm ready."
"Yes, sir."
I walk out of the room and quietly shut the door behind me. There's no need to disturb the man. There's a couch near a window that lets me look out over Midgar and down to the plates all the way to the Mako reactors, so I sit there.
The area here is very quiet also. Papers are being shuffled and I can hear people writing quickly. I find I don't know what to do with myself so I look out the window.
I see the Midgar train make its rounds below. The cities on the plates are bright and alive being powered by the Mako energy that Shinra provides. Below the plates are the slums. I know that but I've never been. They're supposed to be terrible places with no hope of ever getting any better. They're supposed to be smoggy and dirty. Filled with only the lowest of the low scum. I have to say I feel a little guilty looking down on everything. I'm about to be assigned a partner and become a Turk. I'll have a future while those in the slums-
"Cecilia?" comes a voice. "Please, step back into my office."
I nod dumbly and follow Tseng back into his office.
"Before I assign you a partner," he says getting straight to the point as he sits down. He glances up at me standing still and motions for me to sit down. I do. "Before I assign you a partner, I have to make you aware of a few things," he laces his fingers together and looks at me sternly as he says so. Something tells me that I don't need to worry about being scolded.
"Yes, anything, sir."
"As a Turk you guard company secrets at all costs. That means through torture and pressure. You and your partner are going to have to work flawlessly together. Make it so you don't even need words-"
"Not to be rude, Tseng," I say, cutting him off, "I was made fully aware of my duties as a Turk during my training. I was tested just as hard as everyone else and proved my worth."
Tseng lets a small smile tug at the corners of his lips, but he pushes it away. "Good," He says. "I just needed to make sure you were fully aware of the situation you were getting yourself into."
"I am, sir. It's not like I can back out anyway."
The smile tugs at his lips again. "You're very right. I'm glad we put you through."
"Thank you, sir," I say.
"Now, as for your partner…" He shifts through some paper on his desk before looking at me again. "I'm sure you're aware that you're apart of an elite group, am I right?"
"You are."
"Good. Until you joined everyone worked in partners. It keeps you safe and it allows for-" he looks at me and he stops himself as he sees I understand all of this already. "However, because you make our group an odd number, I'm going to assign you two partners. They happen to be the best we have even if they don't look it sometimes," and he laughs to himself. Sort of a little joke to himself, I guess.
"Thank you, sir, but-" this time it's he who cuts me off.
"I'm not assigning you because I think you cannot do the job. You're right, you were trained just like everyone else. However I want you to see how only the best of partners work so that when another is deemed enough to be a Turk you can be assigned to them and teach them how to be a good partner."
"Oh," I say rather stupidly.
"Despite what I just told you the two I have assigned for you are away on a mission in Junon. Instead I have a solo mission for you."
"Already?" I ask.
"Of course," Tseng says, "Aren't you up for it?"
"I am!" I say maybe a bit too boldly.
"Good, here are the files. I'll have a helicopter prepped for you for tomorrow. Be here, in my office at 6 am sharp. Understood?"
"Yes, Tseng," I say. I stand to leave but he calls me for one last thing.
"Your uniform," he says handing a fresh one to me. "You'll be needing that. And here's a bag of spares for you. You'll be needing them too."
Placing everything into the bag I thank him once again.
"Cecilia," he calls once last time.
"Yes?" I respond, feeling tired rather suddenly. So much had happened and I just wanted to rest.
"If you're having any doubts on if you'll a good Turk or not. Don't worry. You'll make a fine Turk."
"Thank you, sir," I say one last time before leaving.
I breathe a breath of relief once I feel I'm far enough away. I hadn't even realized I was worrying until he told me not to. How he looked at me told me he was telling the truth and that I really didn't need to worry.
I focus on my next task. Going home and sleeping.
As the elevator takes me down a couple of floors I have a realization.
I need to get out the building first.
I have no idea where to start with that task at all.