A/N: First and foremost, I'd like to give a big-warm hug to LadyNightRunner, for her story entitled 'In Short, Zack,' inspired me greatly to tackle this. This is one hundred themes, centered around a particularly crass Junior Turk. As you probably guessed from the summary, this is a slight Genesis/Oc thing. But don't worry, these 'drabbles' range from cute to funny. We've got Reno, Rude, Sephiroth, the whole nine. I just thought this could be great characterization for me. And it was fun. This takes place before Crisis Core. Meaning: Genesis isn't evil, Zack is still a Third Class, and the war hasn't started yet. Thank you.
Seriously, if you haven't read 'In Short, Zack,' you should. It takes one-hundred and one drabbles inside Zack's head. It's very good. Now, without further adue, start reading!
Oh, and if you liked this, Mireya has her own story called 'Poetic Tragedy'. Feel free to check it out.
-: Redemption :-
And I am so lost for words... And I am so overwhelmed.
Please... don't go yet. Can you stay a moment please? We can dance together. We can dance forever.
1.) Introduction
She climbed to the highest mountain she could find, and reached its peak. Once she made it to the top, she smiled. The sun made the sky look absolutely stunning, setting on the Gold Saucer. The woman panted as she slumped over, perspiration sliding off her face. With an exhausted grin, she managed to finally stand up straight. She wanted the world to here her name.
"Hello world!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "My name is Mireya!"
And she hoped that the whole world could hear her.
2.) Complicated
Her eyes widened as she circled Sephiroth in awe. She hadn't been that close to a SOLDIER before—especially one that she really despised. But she had to give him props. She clapped her hands together and smiled, "How do you get your hair to do that?"
3.) Making History
The pen in her hand began to shake rapidly as she pulled it away from her paper. She was confused for a second before slowly picking up her paper, her left brow rising. "I… made poetry?" she blinked, looking at the one stanza she had written.
4.) Rivalry
"Infinite in mystery is the Gift of the Goddess. LOVELESS, act—"
"Act I," Mireya quickly answered back. Being the member of the Study Group that she was, she was 'woefully' well-versed in LOVELESS. She hated poetry with a passion, and so her answer rolled cryptically off her tongue. She folded her arms at the smirking, crimson-wearing red-head. "Hero of dawn," she continued, throwing her hands into the air dramatically while walking around the first class SOLDIER. "Healer of worlds—I'm sure you know, right, almighty First Class?"
Genesis slowly nodded his head. "Why must we go through such silly banter? Act II," he mused as he paused for a brief amount of time. "The prisoner departs with his new found love and embarks on a new journey."
Mireya's cerulean eyes wondered towards the ground. Feeling defeated, she sighed. "Fine, I have no idea. I give. You win, Shakespeare boy."
5.) Unbreakable
In the heat of the battle, she had only two choices when fighting. One: Getting bested by Wutai warriors, or two: Surrendering and becoming someone's plaything. But she knew she always had a third choice. She could have given up on her dreams. Her aspirations. In this battle, her strength was pathetic, her speed lacked a great deal of form, and she was rather impulsive with her moves.
But she kept a determined look in her eyes, filled with everything she hoped to achieve in life—slowly, but surely—breaking her opponent in two.
6.) Obsession
When no one looked, Mireya would run to the storage room and marvel at the dozen quarts of ice-cream that she strategically hid in the freezer. She put the ice-cream there so that when it was time to pull a prank or try to mess with SOLDIERS, she could put people in very 'cold' situations. And strangely, she could talk about ice-cream for hours on end.
"What are you doing, Mireya?" Came Tseng, placing his arms around his back and sighing. Mireya flinched at the sound of his voice before turning around very sluggishly.
"Uh, just keeping my 'cool' is all, Tseng! I swear!"
7.) Eternity
Sometimes, she wondered what happened to the people she was sent out to kill. When she was alone, she would crawl up into a little ball and sit in a corner with the lights turned off. Was she a condemner? And if so, how long would it take before she became a name on someone else's hit list? She silently cried, waiting for an answer.
8.) Gateway
"Hey, Genesis! You're a big philosopher, right? What do you think the ultimate happiness is?" Mireya asked, her eyes widened and her hands clasped together tightly. She placed a wide grin on her face, trying to get him to focus on her, and not his book. Genesis, however, kept reading LOVELESS, getting slightly annoyed by the Junior Turk. "Pleeease, Shakespeare boy? I need it for an assignment! C'mon, don't you want me to succeed in life?"
Genesis sighed, his earring jangling with the motion. "Though no oath is barred between the lovers, in their hearts, they know they will live as one," said Genesis before walking off. His crimson trench coat fluttered behind him. Mireya stomped her left foot onto the ground, her heel digging into the carpet, and her face red with rage.
"Get back here! You—I—I don't know what that means! I don't know what you're talking about! You and your flowery language!"
9.) Death
She didn't like it, period. Every time she thought about death, her sister's voice quickly filled her mind. When her sister started to talk to her, she would always recite the same poem. It's funny that I just realized that I can't be there for everyone. Because that leaves so little time to be there for me. And if I don't work on myself a little bit—what kind of person am I going to be? It all kept coming back to her.
"I'm not afraid of death, no, I am not!" Mireya yelled, her voice slightly cracking. She stood in a line with many other people wanting to become a Turk. Just like her. Unbeknownst to you that I'm already taken never comes about. Because once I put my arms around you, there is no way out.
She cringed through training that day.
10.) Opportunities
"No."
"Why not, Mireya? Come on, Turk. Me, you, and Costa Del Sol." The tall, long-haired, blonde, Third Class SOLDIER said with his hands in his pockets. Mireya's face reddened as she clinched her spoon.
"I said no, Rox! Comprende? Non? Nein? Não? Huh, SOLDIER? No! Never! Nada! Zip! And if you ask me that question again, this time, I will castrate you!" She yelled, glaring at Rox. She angrily filled her spoon with white mash-potatoes, looked at it, and then whined. "So much for my lunch break, jerk!"
And with that, Rox found himself with a new kind of hair-grease.
11.) 33%
Mireya's head rung as she spun around with her sister spinning right next to her.
"How full is the cup, Mireya?" Her sister dizzily chanted, still spinning around in a circle. Mireya hastened her speed, spinning even faster, fixated on not losing to her sister. Unexpectedly, Mireya tripped over a small rock. Her sister heard her journey down to the ground and stopped. Mireya's sister pulled a pen out of her pocket and shoved it in front of her face. "You lose! Poetry! Now!"
Mireya had gotten up, almost falling. She gritted her teeth before pushing her sister on the ground. "How about if you make my cry, Chinree? Then I'll write you some rhymes, comprende?"
12.) Dead Wrong
Mireya thought that it was impossible to defeat a Behemoth with just one flick of a sword. That is, until Genesis Rhapsodos wield his rapier, saving her life once again.
13.) Running Away
"Ew, Sephiroth! I didn't know kitties like you could wreak the place up like this!" Zack exclaimed, playfully hiding behind Angeal. Mireya stood in the lobby, trying to figure out what that Second Class SOLDIER was getting at while waiting in line to collect some papers. Her nose quirked a bit while Angeal tried to scold the SOLDIER for his antics. She immediately covered her nose with her hands, as she now felt sick to her stomach. She nearly knocked three people down trying to find some fresh air.
She had never ran as fast as she had in her life.
14.) Judgment
"Nope, it isn't possible! So, you're telling me that this 'Alexander' summon is virtually impervious to everything?!" Mireya trembled, walking next to Rude. He and Reno were suppose to be showing her the basics of a 'Turk mission'.
"But I bet you I could take it, yo." He said, slipping his hands out of his pocket and putting them behind his head. Mireya tilted her head.
"Impossible! I mean, Alexander has the ability to pull a Holy—"
"I ain't lyin', Lady. Geez, you need to learn to stop being so anal! Loosen up a little, will you, yo? Here's a better question, can you take down Alexander?" Reno sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes at the Junior Turk. Mireya scoffed as she stopped walking, putting her hands on her hips.
"You know, you're going to have to back that talk up after all this is over. You. Me. Training room. We'll see who can really take it on! Pfft." 'Oh man, what am I thinking? I'm going to get owned!'
"We'll see about that, newb."
15.) Seeking Solstice
When she went to sleep, she had her stuffed animal in her hands. Now where could it have gone to? She put her index finger on her chin and groggily got out of her bed. Her hair was a mess, and she wore nothing more than wine-colored babydoll. 'What? It's my room, isn't it? Shouldn't I be able to wear anything I want? On the journey of finding her stuffed animal, all the clues of its abduction lead to her doorway.
And there her stuffed bunny sat with a note clipped to it.
16.) Excuses
"Don't talk like that!" she shrieked, standing on the edge of a helicopter, ready to jump into the sky. Her hair whisked into the air, her earrings jangling. "I'm afraid of heights, okay? Okay, Genesis? Abort mission! Abort! I don't care if this isn't real! Genesis! End this now!" Genesis rose a brow. He had anticipated that Mireya would do something like this. A slight smirk played on his lips.
"Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting, Mireya," he mused. "We seek it thus, and take to the sky. Don't be afraid of her." Mireya blinked a couple of times before groaning, hanging onto Genesis for dear life.
"Gee, it feels like I'm talking to the book its self!" Mireya retorted, not looking forward to their ascend downwards to earth. Genesis tilted his head slightly, amused by her ability to not leave things alone. He shrugged.
"If you want to read, by all means, do. You can't fall off the floor."
"I. Don't. Get. It!"
17.) Vengeance
She was one to hold extreme temper tantrums, especially when it was that particular time of the month. And so, she shot Reno and Rude venomous looks.
"Who the hell ate my apple sauce?!"
"What? You can't leave food in the fridge and expect it not to get eaten 'round here, yo."
Reno would soon learn the wrath of a woman without her apple sauce.
18.) Love
She gritted her teeth, but in situations where it was imperative to create good poetry, she had to swallow her pride and do what was right.
"I am not yours, not lost in you. Not lost, although I long to be lost as a candle lit at noon, lost as a snowflake in the sea. You love me, and I find you still. A spirit beautiful and bright, yet I am I, who long to be. Lost as a light is lost in light. Oh plunge me deep in love, put out my senses, leave me deaf and blind, swept by the tempest of your love, a taper in a rushing wind," she paused, looking at the audience of her fellow classmates, each one wanting her spot.
"Well, Mireya, it's beautiful! Please, keep going!"
Mireya scoffed, disliking the fact that she had to juggle three things that she hated: Poetry, love, and her sister. She felt like just giving up. She didn't care if she failed the assignment.
"It was my sister's poem," she smiled, sitting it her seat, an impish grin dancing on her lips.
19.) Tears
Her sister was finally successful in making her cry.
"Looks like I owe you some rhymes, huh?" Mireya silently sobbed, gripping her umbrella as she attempted the wipe her cheeks with her free hand.
20.) My Inspiration
After watching Sephiroth walk the lobby a couple of times, one thing was for sure. She now wanted 'Sephiroth hair'.
21.) Never Again
"Waaaaaah! Why doesn't Shinra have signs on their bathroom doors?!"
22.) Online
"Gen-e-sis," Mireya cooed devilishly, waving her arms above her head. Genesis silently contemplated her comment for a while. Exhausted from training all day, he gave her a weak look. To compensate for his weak state, Mireya flashed a forced, sweet smile. "Guess what I learned? Are you really afraid of ghosts, Shakespeare boy?" she chuckled.
"How ironic," Genesis cogitated. "Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it. I don't know where you got that information, but it's as true as the sincerity in your eyes. Aren't you afraid of everything, Mireya?" Mireya's face turned three shades of crimson.
"What? Shuddup, Genesis! I am not—eep!" Mireya shrieked, shuddering at the touch of Genesis's glove-covered hand grabbing her own. She quickly went into spiraling fits of denial. "Ppprmpt," she managed to say, her cerulean eyes wondering down to the floor.
"You're so skittish, Love. I feel like I can break you," he chuckled, letting go of her hand. "Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return."
23.) Failure
"Even though I'm afraid of heights, Reno, I love being in the sky. I love the sky—so beautiful—so outstretching. Easy to look at—like baby birds nesting. Blue… ever blue," she paused, closing her eyes while adjusting her head set. "…Oh jeez. That was some bad poetry, wasn't it? Reno? Rude?"
"I don't know nothing about poetry, Lady. Sorry, can't help you, yo."
"Aww. Sad Panda," Mireya said. "What about you, Rude?" Rude adjusted his shades.
"It was… interesting."
'Note to self: Never ask Reno and Rude about my bad poetry.'
24.) Rebirth
Panting, Mireya cried as she attempted to claw a bullet out of her leg. She barely stood up, looking down on her opponent. She adjusted her feat on the tree branch and readied an arrow at her opponent. She hid in the trees, but she didn't really care about being hidden now.
"You're dead you ass!"
She had near perfect aim.
25.) Breaking Away
Being bear hugged by members of the Mako-infused SOLDIER proved to be deadly for Mireya. She tried her best to avoid them, but somehow, Rox lurked around every corner.
26.) Forever and a Day
She said she hated SOLDIER with a burning passion. Third Class Zack Fair contemplated that every time he saw her talking to either Genesis, or fighting with Rox. For some reason, she always came to Shinra HQ—for absolutely no reason at all.
27.) Lost and Found
"Hide the book! Hiiiide it!" Mireya yelled, running in the hallway with a book in her hands. Mireya was wearing a bright pink tutu and a pink leotard, prancing down the corridors with Rox speeding in front of her. There was an extremely irritated Genesis slowly following the two. She threw the book towards Rox, who cleverly—but clumsily missed the catch.
"Learn some aim, Third Class Rox!" Mireya laughed. It was three a.m. in the morning, and they were both buzzed on caffeine. Rox rolled his eyes.
"I doubt you could do better!"
Mireya laughed as Genesis tried to grab his book out of her hands. But just as swiftly, Mireya jumped out of the way. "First chapter: Mireya… Poetic Tragedy… Mireya likes to dance, so that makes me stronger!" Before she could say anything else, Genesis—in the blink of an eye—pushed Mireya into a wall and grabbed his oh-so-worshiped LOVELESS.
"…Like stealing the juice out of tomorrow's fruit." Genesis paused. "…But Love, I am faster."
28.) Light
"I'm crap at buying birthday presents," Mireya sighed, pressing her hands on a container that encased an emerald earring "…But it's so pretty!"
29.) Dark
She taped her foot impatiently as Nola, a fellow Study Grouper, smiled, holding a copy of LOVELESS in her hands.
"Well, one day Nola, someone showed me a glass of water that was half full. And she said, 'Is it half full or half empty?' So, I drank the water. No more problems." Mireya declared, nodding her head proudly. She put her index finger in the air and twirled it. "I know, I know, Nola. I'm cool. Come to the dark side. We have cookies."
30.) Faith
"The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you've gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you've gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning, right, Turk? Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can beat his ass?" Rox joked, laughing with the surprising calm Mireya. It was rare that Rox got Mireya to laugh. "Wait, Mireya, your hair-tie is on fire."
"What?!" Mireya yelled, jumping up and down. "Get it out! Get it out! Get it out!"
"Don't worry Sunshine, I'm just kidding." Rox chuckled, but oddly, Mireya didn't get mad. She smiled and grabbed his hands. Rox gave her a questionable look.
"I… I think I love you, Rox!"
"Really?!"
"Don't worry Sunshine, I'm just kidding," she smirked, walking off.
31.) Colors
"You're living in a world full of colors now, aren't you, Chinree?"
32.) Exploration
Mireya was happy. She had finally been able to save enough money to buy a cell phone. While on an assassination mission, Mireya was running on a dirt trail just as fast as she could. … Until she came to a fork in the road. She quickly pulled out her cell phone and called the one person that she knew could help her.
"Which road do I take?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know."
"Then," the voice paused. "It doesn't matter."
"Gaia, what does that mean?!"
33.) Seeing Red
She poked her sister in the eye. Poor naïve Chinree was afraid of the dark. "First line of defense against evil—open your damn eyes!"
34.) Shades of Grey
Sure, they were all going to die, but she knew she would go out with her middle finger upraised in the oldest salute known to the world.
35.) Forgotten
Mireya came into her living room, where a number of Turks and SOLDIERS alike were partying. She sat on the couch and looked at her cheese fries.
"Guys, I'm drinking Jolt. In about three minutes, my reaction time is going to exceed twice that of a Mako-infused SOLDIER. Steal another fry, I break your fingers."
36.) Dreamer
"Last night, I dreamed I ate a ten-pound marshmallow, and when I woke up the pillow was gone."
37.) Mist
"Too often, we lose sight of life's simple pleasures. Remember, when someone annoys you it takes forty-two muscles in your face to frown but, it only takes four muscles to extend your arm and bitch-slap the sorry guy upside the head…"
38.) Burning
"I loved you more than anything in this world, and you told me how much you'd care for me and how much you needed me, but I knew it was all a lie, because if you cared for me like you said you did, you wouldn't have caused me to stay awake night after night crying over what you put me through," Mireya sobbed, barely being able to read the paper she held in her hand. Tears were streaming down her face.
"I've been hurt by you so many times, I know it's better for me if I just give up and let you go, but you have been such a large part of me for so long... I don't know if I can make it through this world without you. You not only have captured my heart, but my soul... But I will let you go, and I will move on and maybe one day you will realize I mean as much to you just as much as you have to me, but hopefully by then I won't need you anymore," she paused, biting her lower lip. "Because I already know how that story ends, and to be honest with you, I don't think that I would be able to handle the hurt again, Chinree."
39.) Out of Time
"I'm not going to play Life with you Genesis, because you persist on talking about LOVELESS! Gee, can you quote something else? How about... something else?" Mireya whined, cradling her phone like it was her soul.
"That's all life is, a series of moments. Go seize yours, Love." And then the phone clicked. Mireya gasped in disbelief.
"Shakespeare boy…"
40.) Knowing How
"Okay, for serious, Rox! I think I've made my first real piece of poetry! You want to hear me read it?!" Mireya giggled in glee as she plummeted next to Rox on a lobby couch.
"Sure, why not? Is it for me?"
"Why don't you find out, SOLDIER?"
Rox smirked. "Fine. I take it that it's for me."
"I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick, it even makes me rhyme. I hate the way you're always right, I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it when you're not around, And the fact you didn't call, But most of all, I hate the way I don't hate you. Not even close. Not even a little bit," she paused.
"…Not even at all."
41.) Fork in the Road
"I am a dreamer. Seriously, I'm living on another planet. Imagine all the people in Midgar living as one! You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, Sephiroth. It's not the size of the dreamer, it's the size of the dream, Cat Woman!"
42.) Start
"Love is passion. Obsession. Someone you can't live without. Someone you fall head over heels for. Find someone you can love like crazy, and will love you the same way back. Listen to your heart. No sense in life without this. To make the journey without falling deeply in love, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try, because if you haven't tried, then you haven't lived."
Her sister's words kept ringing through her head as she paced back and forth.
"Pshaw! Love is for losers! …Or is it?"
43.) Nature's Fury
She was not really bad at heart, But only rather rude and wild; She was an aggravating child.
44.) At Peace
"I still feel pangs of remorse over an insidious habit I've had since I was a teenager. About three times a week, I attend estate auctions and make insulting, low-ball bids for prized heirlooms until I'm asked to leave."
'Cha-ching! Mireya is the life of the party once again!'
45.) Heart Song
"Chinree? Gaia saw you were getting tired, and a cure was not meant to be. So she put her arms around you, and whispered, 'Come with me.' With tearful eyes we watched you, as we saw you pass away. Although we love you deeply, we could not make you stay. Your golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands at rest. Gaia broke our hearts to prove to us... She only takes the best."
46.) Reflection
"I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either."
47.) Perfection
"Grah!" She yawned, balling up the piece of paper on her desk. "Chinree, I'll give you your rhymes yet… comprende?" she mumbled, on the verge or tears.
48.) Everyday Magic
"Dude… I think Sephiroth can Supernova!"
"Yeah, what's that suppose to mean?" Zack blinked, holding the spray can in his hands impishly.
"It means run like hell, and never turn back!!" Mireya yelled, "I'm outta here!" And before Zack could reply, he faced a blanked faced First Class SOLDIER. Now he had to explain why it said 'Cat Woman' across his room door.
49.) Umbrella
Rude should have hidden his Rhianna CD more carefully. Reno and Mireya were having a field day with it.
Poor Rude.
50.) Party
For what ever reason, Mireya found a cheesy finger in her fries. She cracked a window with her screaming.
51.) Troubling Thoughts
"Genesis, I get paid a lot of money to kill people and make it look like an accident... and you're real close to having an accident."
52.) Stirring of the Wind
It was getting really windy outside and Mireya and Genesis made their way inside Shira HQ.
"What do you think about all this wind, Genesis?"
"We strive to destroy the evil around us. Yet, we often forget that there is no light without darkness, nor darkness without light. Perhaps a plant it the best analogy. A plant realizes that too little light is deadly, but it also knows that too much light is equally deadly. It is the balance of the two that makes the world."
"Poetic, Shakespeare boy!" She laughed, and Genesis couldn't help but snicker at her 'insult'. It had grown to become… affectionate now.
53.) Future
She was here to kick ass, or chew bubble gum. She was all out of gum.
54.) Heath and Healing
"Don't let them push you around, for every bruise they give, give them five broken bones!" Rox yelled, bull-dozing through a couple of fake grunts.
55.) Separation
"Auugh! I've been kissed by a dog! I have dog germs! Get some hot water! Get some disinfectant! Get some iodine!"
Rox smirked as he watched her run around in denial.
56.) Everything For You
She had been thinking about everything Genesis had said to her that day. She pulled out her phone and had to talk to him.
"If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?"
57.) Slow Down
"You want to know why I hate you, Rox?" She seethed. "To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down, SOLDIER. Comprende?"
58.) Lesson
These were the best years in her life. And she had friends to share them with.
59.) Challenge
Mireya made sure she remembered to never challenge Sephiroth to a 'hair' fight. He will not be amused, and probably cut all her hair off with his sword.
60.) Exhaustion
"Son of a…" Mireya gasped, holding her leg with both of her hands. The training mechanism shut off around her and Rox. "My leeeeg! I broke it! Waaaaah!" Rox kneeled down next to her and sighed, trying not to touch her leg.
"Turk, it's just a scrape. On your finger."
61.) Accuracy
"Gaia, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those I had to kill because they ticked me off!"
Rox gulped as he watched Mireya prop her bow and shoot arrows out of it. He watched how she had improved her technique and gotten a little bit stronger. And while she was hitting her targets perfectly, he couldn't help but think of his balls. Poor balls.
62.) Verses
"So, what happened with Alexander?" Rude asked in monotone. Both Mireya and Reno, after two minutes in the training room, came out bloody, bruised, and exhausted. They were both trying to help the other walk, but were equally failing.
"No problem, yo."
"We got pwned."
They said in unison before passing out onto the floor.
63.) Heartfelt Apology
"Cats are known to see within the dark. Yet, if you had sight like a cat, even for one day, would you really want to see what is in the dark?"
Mireya gulped. She wouldn't ask Sephiroth any questions anytime soon.
64.) Luck
"I don't trust or love anyone. Because people are so creepy. Creepy creepy creeps. Creeping around. Creeping here and creeping there. Creeping everywhere. Crippity crappity creepies. Except you, Genesis." She said, looking at him, expecting a thank you of some sort. But then, she just got the same smirk. And then she blushed. Insanely. "Uh… platonically, of course!"
Before Genesis could say anything, his cell phone began to ring. He stood up straight and a smirk danced on his lips. "That love at first sight should happen to me, was life's most delicious revenge on a self-opinionated fool."
"Gaia? What?! Dude, you do that way to often!" Mireya chuckled.
65.) Impressions
"Oh thank Gaia! I'm so happy you saved me! You're the best SOLDIER I've ever met in my existence! I'd marry you! Why, I'd do what ever you asked me to do! You're so much better than Genesis!"
"… I am Genesis. Nice to meet you too."
66.) Teenager
Getting rid of a man without hurting his masculinity is a problem. "Get out" and "I never want to see you again" might sound like a challenge. If you want to get rid of a man, I suggest saying, "I love you... I want to marry you... I want to have your children." Sometimes they leave skid marks.
Mireya put down the magazine she was reading in sheer embarrassment.
Oh how she wished that were true.
67.) Irregular Orbit
She didn't understand it—but now, every time she stood around Genesis, the whole world started to spin around her.
68.) Cold Embrace
"Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow, snow!" Mireya exclaimed, tossing the white flakes up into the air. "Snow, snow, snow, snow—"
"Why don't you do something about it, Turk?!" Rox yelled back, tired of hearing her scream. Mireya looked at him with fiery eyes, but they soon softened.
"Happy earlier Christmas Kohana-Hanukah snow—extravaganza!"
69.) Frost
"Would there be this eternal seeking if the found existed?" Genesis pondered, looking idly into the sky. Mireya folded her arms.
"I stopped wanting what I am looking for, looking for it," Mireya mused, smirking. "Isn't that the response you wanted? Something poetic? We all know how this'll end. In a tragedy."
"Love, genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong," he paused, his lips curling into a tired grin. "They are conflicts between two rights."
"Aww, Shakespeare boy, I always thought you were a lefty."
70.) Moment In Time
Now, it was getting harder to breath whenever she was around the crimson First Class SOLDIER. She didn't have the heart to tell him.
71.) Dangerous Territory
"Your sister was just a silly poet. It wasn't like she was going to become something great—"
"Shut up," Mireya hissed. "You want to know what an arrow to the neck feels like, critic? I don't care about going to jail. Comprende?"
72.) Boundaries
"Listen Mireya," Rox began, as they walked through the hallway of Shira HQ. He had a fairly serious look on his face as he stopped, apparently. Mireya sweatdroped. 'Was he going to ask me to marry him? Oh Gaia! No!' "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that everything you do comes back on you. Three-fold for the normal shit, and ten-fold for the freaky shit."
And surprisingly, Mireya couldn't help but laugh.
"You're right, for once."
73.) Unsettling Revelations
"I'ma Turk now? A full fledged Turk!? … What? Bathroom duty? That SUCKS, Tseng!"
74.) Shattered
Rox winced in pain, holding his nose. It wasn't his fault that he had forgot that Mireya's birthday was tomorrow.
75.) Bitter Silence
Genesis was on a mission the day of her birthday. And so, Mireya went to the surprise party her friends had thrown her. But without him there, everything felt… weird.
76.) The True You
With his obsession for poetry, Genesis should have been an outstanding kisser. Genesis was actually a horrible kisser. She was going to fix that.
77.) Pretense
Mireya walked in a well-lit forest, trying to remember everything she had learned from her sister. Our greatest pretenses are built up not to hide the evil and ugly in us, but our emptiness. The hardest thing to hide is something not there.
She smiled as she looked into the sky.
78.) Midnight
It was the greatest time to pull pranks.
79.) Shadows
"She is as wholesome as a bowl of cornflakes and at least as sexy," Mireya chuckled as she started her own auto-biography. "What… wait. I just treated myself!"
80.) Summer Haze
Mireya felt sick to her stomach. Popsicles looked like dripping snot when others ate them. She sat under a tree with Genesis, who looked slightly amused at the various faces she was making.
"The most wasted day is that in which we haven't laughed."
Mireya put on a smile, flipping her blonde hair out of her eyes. "… Like stealing the juice out of tomorrow's fruit. Comprendee, SOLDIER?" She whispered, placing her lips gently on his, leaving just enough space to let out an audible whisper. "I want to die with you, Shakespeare boy."
81.) Memories
"Forgiveness is the final form of love," she said, placing her index-finger on her lips. "I forgive you, Chinree."
82.) Change in the Weather
Genesis was feeling a little sick lately. She stood by his side, warding off any crazed fans that tried to catch was he had caught. For days.
83.) Illogical
She couldn't stop crying. Her cheeks were stained red, and her eyes were weighted down in tears.
"… Come back… Shakespeare boy…"
84.) Patience
Mireya couldn't wait any longer. This was stupid. Why was Rox waiting to do what he needed to do? Rox held a needle to her hand, trying to remove a stray splinter from it. He fidgeted with the needle, and Mireya huffed in exasperation. But really, Rox didn't want to cause her anymore pain than she was already feeling.
"Jeez, just stick it in, Rox! You act so stupid!" Rox raised a brow, bemused at this.
"Are you sure, Mireya? I don't think you can handle it."
"What? Are you serious? Oh... wait!"
85.) Only Human
"So, he died?" Nola asked, close to tears. Mireya put on a melancholy frown. "And it was going so well for you two…"
"Nola… Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall his return," she sighed. "Can I—can I borrow your LOVELESS book?"
86.) Picking up the pieces
It wasn't easy, but she had finally finished Genesis's LOVELESS puzzle. She would put it in her room.
87.) Gunshot
She had to know. She had to know why he had left so abruptly. Mireya climbed the highest mountain, anger swimming in her eyes.
"Say it, say it! Say what this is all for!" she screamed. "…Say it's redemption," she muttered. "'Cause our world is grey, world is grey. We're just swaying from side to side. Our world is grey, world is grey. We are thieves and saints alike. But you don't let go, don't let go. We keep swaying and swaying. And you don't let go, don't."
"Yeah, I think I love you for it."
88.) Possession
No one could touch anything in Genesis's room. Else they lost their right to owning two hands.
89.) Twilight
Now, she hated looking at stars. Because they reminded her of him, and how one day, he would become apart of the Lifestream.
90.) Nowhere and Nothing
"You don't understand anything, Rox!" Mireya exclaimed, trying to push him out of her way. But the once Third Class SOLDIER, now a Second Class SOLDIER, easily stopped the Turk from passing him. He grabbed her arms, and looking her in the eyes.
"Stop anguishing! Gaia, if there's anyone who should feel sad, it's me," Rox said, gritting his teeth. "I loved you, Mireya. I loved you!"
The silence around them was more comforting than the arms that held them.
91.) Answers
Every time she went out on missions to assassinate a couple of Wutai warriors, she always saw a this angelic figure—with one wing—flying through the sky with no care in the world.
92.) Innocence
She was slowly changing, and everyone could see that. Mireya waved her arm into the air, flicking stray blood off her arm. She walked over to a Wutai warrior, who was scurrying away from her. She propped her bow as she saw the warrior whimpering, too scared even for words.
"When will the war of the beats bring the world's end? LOVELESS—Act—," she paused, tightening the grip on her bow. "Silence is the wrong answer."
93.) Simplicity
She knew she would be hurt again. But she never expected that it would hurt this bad.
94.) Reality
"Mireya, how about you?" her instructor called. "What is reality?"
Mireya gazed it him with blank eyes. "'Reality' is the property or quality of being real, that which underlies the truth of appearances or phenomena, real nature or constitution of things. Back of all appearance stands the changeless Reality. That Reality is Gaia, Mind, Spirit, Principle or Substance. Reality is the Mind that thinks and plans. Reality is the Power that works and achieves, and the Substance that becomes. Reality is the Law that governs and controls. The Mind of Reality is perfect. The Power of Reality is perfect."
95.) Acceptance
Rox and Mireya stood over Genesis's grave. And then that's when it hit her. She automatically burst into tears, collapsing onto her knees, and buried her face into her hands.
"… To become the dew that quenches the sand… to spare the sands, the seas, and the skies…. I offer thee, in sweet sacrifice."
97.) Enthusiasm
Mireya now knew, that to sing is to love and affirm, to fly and soar, to coast into the hearts of the people who listen, to tell them that life is to live, that love is there, that nothing is a promise, but that beauty exists, and must be hunted for and found.
98.) Game
She wasn't losing anymore. Mireya always played to win.
99.) Friendship
She stopped by his grave every week, to see if the LOVELESS book she left on it the day before was still intact.
100.) Ending
"Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love."