Hey. Remember me? Yeah, I live. I know, it's a shock after all this time. I've learned recently that I am incredibly slow when it comes to writing anymore. Sorry about that.

So, welcome to my newest fic (yes, the title is something of an Ib reference, before you ask :P), Fabricated Worlds! This just kind of grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go until I did something about it - you know how those plot bunnies are. And speaking of bunnies, you can pretty much blame/praise SpookedRabbits for this whole thing; I encountered (her?) Libra fics on this site some time ago, and I swear, I don't think I have ever fallen so hard and fast for a fictional character before. I had never played Awakening when I read those - actually still haven't gotten the chance, to be honest - so I had no idea who Libra was, what he looked like, anything, and still, I was completely lost to him. So, because of SpookedRabbits' fics, as well as certain lines in support conversations I've seen on youtube, I believe wholeheartedly in a darker Libra lurking behind those white robes and shining armor, and I can't help but write him that way. In addition, this being a modern AU allows me to twist his backstory as I please so that I may shape him into what I want him to be without making him painfully OOC. Should be lots of fun ;P

The other character here is my tactician from my woefully unwritten fic Stratagem, which I do not recommend you read AT ALL; when I wrote that first chapter, I didn't know who she was yet, but after six years of getting to know her very well, I realize that I did her all wrong, which is why that story never went anywhere (on paper). So, ignore that, and please also ignore this first chapter as well. I quite honestly kind of hate it, but it is what it has to be; the person you see here is not her, either, but for good reason. Also, when we get to her 'real' character, she, like Libra, will be slightly different due to the modern AU. I ask that you go ahead and finish the second chapter of this fic before you pass judgement on it, because that's what the rest of it is going to be like, not this hideous thing that had to come first.

That said, I hope you enjoy; I have had a marvelous time writing this fic so far! ^v^

New Ylisstol. The capital city of the kingdom, such as it was, of Ylisse. Frankly it wasn't much of a kingdom anymore; not at all. They were really only a couple of steps away from doing away with the whole royalty business and installing an elected official to run things. And believe it or not, this actually still mattered to people, which pitted the different factions against eachother daily, thus creating a kingdom rife with political unrest when it was just about due for a revolution anyways. Not real bright.

In any case, New Ylisstol (a city quite similar to one that might be found on another level of the Tower, but that here was fiction) had become a hideous, seething city filled with hideous, seething people, who swarmed about hideously and seething in a hideous, seething mass. Which, one might reflect, if one had time to stop seething and being hideous, was why all the heads on a particular street were turning, the faces set into them showing incredulity, to gawk at the individual who was currently be-bopping her way down the street, hair impractically flying loose about her face (aghast were the proper, efficiently bunned businesswomen who witnessed this spectacle), wearing brightly colored clothing (those same businesswomen stared enviously after a glance down at their own boring, bluish gray suits and skirts) that also flopped around as she danced (nothing need be said about that debacle), but what bothered the hideous inhabitants of this city and had them seething was the fact that this female (due to her immaturity, girl or woman could not be defined simply by looking) was not only dancing erratically, but singing to go along with it! But as well they should stare - in any place it would be strange to see a girl of undetermined age grooving down the street to the rendition of Oliver And Company's Why Should I Worry that she herself was performing.

The stares gradually faded away and the citizens turned back to their various forms of drudgery, after deciding that this chick was from outta town; 'Way out', some mumbled derisively. In either case, it was true, and the out-of-towner, though still grinning as her song ended, realized with a total lack of surprise that she was truly, completely, and hopelessly lost. "WHOOOO!" she cried raucously, doing a brief jig. "Who's shocked?!"

At this the people glanced back up for a moment to assess whether she was on drugs or just weird. There was a general consensus of drugs, and again they went back to work. Meanwhile, she shimmied herself on down the street, now singing Perfect Isn't Easy; her brain was apparently playing through the soundtrack. She was of course dancing along, too. She even found a staircase to walk down for the final dramatic note. More heads turned so their eyes could behold her, as was to be expected. Who could ever know, however, that a pair of gold-flecked green eyes would also turn her way, or that they would belong to who was to be one of the most important people in her life? Not her, for darn sure. She just slid on down to a bus station and plopped carelessly on the bench, surrounded on either side by people with music blaring so loudly from their earbuds they couldn't hear her belting out I Won't Say I'm In Love from Disney's Hercules with undeniable flair and a growl that could simply not be ignored.

The bus pulled into the station, and the crowds shuffled in - well no, not her; she flounced. But another failed to shuffle despondently as well. Unknown to that person, they were walking with head held high and an amazing, rarely-seen light shining out from their eyes. Naturally, they were light green, almost like a blanched forest green Crayola crayon, with gold flecking the irises in the most interesting patterns. They were set into a smooth, pale face and framed by almost shining golden hair, though as this peculiarly important person stepped out of the sun, it came to look like a dull, dirty blonde. The forces of the universe pushed them towards a seat in the sun, the warmth of which widened slightly the enigmatic smile on their pale pink lips.

And for this epic tale not to be creepy, this person was obviously a male of similar age to our dancing traveler.

~.~.~

Libra smiled, softly, calmly, and unknowingly mysteriously, causing eyes that he did not see to focus on him rather intently. He did cut a rather cryptic figure, however. Clothed in all black on such a hot day, and in some kind of robes at that, people cast him strange glances, silently weighing him, wondering if he were a priest or something - but then, what church ministers were clad in all black? None that they knew of. Even the Cult of Grima wore a little color. Usually blood-red, but, still. For his part, Libra knew none of their turmoil and frowns, his eyes largely closed as he luxuriated in the warmth of the sun. The sliver he subconsciously kept them open was, possibly by the universe's doing, enough for him to see the neon figure that walked past him, searching for an empty seat. Gently, his eyes reopened, and he focused them on the girl he'd seen dancing down the street. His smile became more sincere as she turned a few circles before seeing someone get up to move to the back, where someone was waving frenetically, and rushing to plant herself in the vacant seat. Naturally, it was directly across from Libra.

"Hello," he greeted when she looked up at him, a sort of grin on her face. It looked like she was trying not to break out into laughter, though he couldn't imagine why.

"Hey," she said back cheerily enough, giving a little wave before sliding a battered-looking backpack off her shoulder and into her lap and plunging a hand inside to rummage around. Libra blinked as she pulled out a similarly worn out green jacket and swiftly pulled it over her head despite the warmth of the day and the vehicle. "I'm not much for manners," she went on a moment later, hugging her bag to her chest (Libra got the sense she was more than a little nervous, though you'd never find a trace of it on her face) and looking him in the eye once more. "So I'm totally just gonna ask. You a priest or something?"

He laughed lightly. "Am I that obvious? I had hoped to throw some people for a loop by wearing black." She grinned roguishly at this statement but said nothing, clearly still waiting for an answer. He nodded. "Yes, I am. As the dragon on my sleeve might imply," and he turned his hand so that she - and the other curious onlookers - could see the neatly embroidered white dragon on his cuff, "I am a priest of-"

"The Church of Naga," she finished for him, an intrigued glint in her eyes, which he noticed vaguely were a darker and yet brighter green than his own, shining out at the world. The listeners-in lost their interest swiftly. The Church of Naga was boring. The musical girl was clearly not of their mindset. "The original Church of Naga here in Ylisstol? It's still standing?"

"Through no help of the Royal Family," he said, a bit more bitterly than he had perhaps meant to sound, and he smiled again, brightly, to cover for his mistake. "But we've kept it up just the same. Yes, Naga's church is still standing, and tall as it ever did."

She nodded, but he could tell she was by no means satisfied. "Epic. I've always wanted to see it, if just once in my life, y'know? Are the murals depicting the Shepherds still there on the north wall? I-"

Libra interrupted this time, giving her a wry look. "Don't I get a question or two? Such as - since you asked about my attire - why you're wearing so much neon?"

The girl laughed, not in a sheepish way, but all out, as though that were the funniest thing she'd heard all day. If her intent was not to seem nervous, she had failed, as her laughter belied a shakiness that the rest of her wasn't showing. Libra frowned internally. "Alright, alright, fair enough," she conceded, still giggling. "I'll be square with you. This place terrifies the crap out of me," she said, and he could tell she was being completely honest. "My neon sensory overload is so people would see me and know I was there, like, they couldn't deny they saw me there."

Libra nodded slowly. "I suppose the singing was for that as well?"

"Mm-hmm," she hummed honestly. "Good old NY's got itself quite a rep for people going missing. Just snatched off the streets, and disappearing like they were never there to begin with. Wasn't happenin' to me!" she declared with a little more spunk, as she had become slightly subdued during her speech.

Now it was Libra who felt unsatisfied, and he folded his arms to show this. "Then, if you don't mind my asking, why were you wandering around like you were?"

She sighed and reached into the pocket of her jacket, rummaging in there also before pulling out a scrap of paper. "I've just technically moved here to live with one of my aunts, but naturally I have no idea where I'm going OR where I've been," she said, chuckling at her own joke. Then she sighed again. "So, Mr. Priest of Naga. Have any idea where 4159 Awakening Way is?"

Libra whistled before he could stop himself. "Ritz-y."

Her eyes widened. "What, seriously? That witch!" He blinked. "She's always acting like she's broke and asking my mom for money!"

"Living there, it might be true," Libra remarked. She groaned.

"So, you do know where it is then?"

"Yes," he said slowly, frowning visibly now, and she got a strange look on her face, though again, she said nothing, waiting for him to continue. "But doesn't she have you a hotel room or something for the night?"

Now the girl looked startled, almost spooked. "Why? Why would I need one?"

Libra scoffed unintentionally. "You could never get there today, and she should know if you're staying with her. I know where it is, and it's on the other side of city from here!" She made to speak, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "And I don't mean 20 blocks away, I mean the other side of the city; that place is nearly at the Plegian border," he finished grimly.

At once, he felt terrible, as the girl took on a panicked expression. "I don't have half enough money to get there by buses or cabs!" she exclaimed. He wasn't surprised. Her eyes flicked to the window behind his head. "And there's no way I could walk there; it'd take me 'til Thursday, even though I'd be starting at 11 in the morning..." Her voice shrank in volume as she mumbled, "Now what the heck am I supposed to do?"

"There are extra rooms at the church, if you need a place to stay; the nun's quarters are empty these days," he said kindly, reaching forward to place a hand on her shoulder. It was a full minute of her staring at him before he realized 1) He probably wasn't meant to hear that, much less speak back to it, and 2) That probably sounded extremely creepy in the predator kind of way. He wanted to backpedal, say something comforting and non-creeper-like, but no words would come, so he merely sat that, mouth working with no sound coming out and feeling like an idiot. Fortunately, it seemed to have cheered up the neon girl, as she laughed and slapped his hand away playfully.

"Ease up, Father. I know about you priest-types," she proclaimed - loudly. She started laughing again at the look on his face and reached across the aisle to clap him on the back, as though to say she meant no harm, laugh it off, man, chill. For several minutes she went on laughing, unable to stop, and finally he calmed himself down, shooting her a mock look of disdain which only made her giggle.

At last she mastered herself, the incessant giggling fading out, and she sat up straight in her seat only to slouch back forward onto her elbows. "If the offer's still open, that'd be great," she said, and he nodded at her, an easy smile on both of their faces.

"Of course. Our stop should be coming up in just a few minutes."

He waited patiently, in contrast to his new companion (in more ways than one), who was gesturing jazzily as she began to sing He's A Tramp, albeit at a lower volume than her earlier songs. At last the bus began to slow, and Libra motioned for the girl - they hadn't traded names, he realized - to get up and follow him to the doors. She stuffed the scrap of paper with her aunt's address on it in her pants pocket as opposed to her jacket, and when Libra glanced outside, he saw that the wind was gusting; minutely, for this city, but enough that it likely would have been tugged out of her hand had she tried to hold it, or, as she was aware, her worn jacket's loose, floppy pocket. I didn't even notice. Probably wouldn't have, if I hadn't seen her do that, he mused, looking her over again as she gathered up her things, considering. She acts so oblivious, but I wonder... How much does she really see?

She turned back to face him, smiling, but in a small way that said she wasn't exactly happy with her current situation. He gave her a reassuring look in return, and turned to head for the bus's doors, deliberately flicking the contents of his left pocket (a decent-sized wad of bills) to the floor as he did so, glancing at the girl out of the corner of his eye. Though the very second before she'd been swaying in time to her own song, making dreamy expressions and generally not (appearing) to pay attention, as soon as that money came out of his pocket, her eyes zeroed in on it with a frightening level of intensity. In a lightning-fast movement, she'd darted her hand out to catch it, fingers tightening successfully around their target. Then she was back to affecting cluelessness, her expression deceptively innocent when she tapped him on the arm; he looked at her with as much feigned obliviousness as she was giving him, pointedly looking surprised when she pushed them at him. "You dropped this," she said brightly, and he accepted it with a grateful smile.

"I had no idea! Thank you."

"Yep," she said amiably, and went on ahead, exiting the vehicle to stand on the sidewalk, closing her eyes in what looked to be honest, carefree enjoyment as the wind blew a little stronger, pulling her hair away from her face to stream behind her elegantly. Libra shook his head, his lips pulling up into his own honest grin as he strode forward to join her.

I always do find the interesting ones, don't I?

End part one, thank glob. Now, on to chapter 2!