No stars on Cocoon. I suppose that's truth.
"Fuck!" She shouted out loudly tousling more her already wild hair. Why can't I remember watching them?! She knew they are on Gran Pulse. She even remembered the shapes some constellations make and the stories referred to them but when it came to the memories of watching them, there was nothing but emptiness.
She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. She needed to let some steam off so she took the last look on the blank sky and turned back to window. Her sports bra and shorts were still a bit damp from washing but it wasn't interfering too much with her jogging plans.
She took her keys from a desk and gave her ID an angry look. Stupid card ya need it to do almost anything here. That's sooo Cocoonian! She put it into the pocket in her shorts and left the very small and neglected flat.
Nights on Cocoon were warm and quite bright. Much brighter than on Gran Pulse. Not that she remembered nights on Gran Pulse. She simply knew. Maybe it's because of these lights, which are almost everywhere, or maybe they simply are that bright on Cocoon.
She had a fast pace so after half an hour she was a bit out of breath and covered in sweat. She stopped in front of the familiar fence and took a few steps right looking for a hole. She remembered it was somewhere here.
"Gotcha!" She said loudly when she found it and came in through the hole.
There was not too wide zone of trees and when she crossed it she ended up on sandy beach with her eyes locked on the huge lake. Even at day the shore of the opposite side was barely visible. She liked this place. It somehow felt like home.
A moment later her clothes were laying carelessly on the sand, abandoned by their owner, who was testing the water. It was crystal clear and chilly as always. She liked that.
Her approach into the depths was fast and steady. That cold water had soothing effect on her heated skin. The brunette dived and, when touched the sandy bottom, she breathed out the air. She laid on her back and looked at the tiny lights, which were flickering on the dark, wavy water surface.
Someday I will come back there. I don't know how but there must be a way. I won't waste all of my life on that twisted planet.
She felt an ache in her lungs and had to resurface. After a few deep breaths she started to swim again. Chillness of water done marvels to her shattered nerves. Now she was a lot more at ease but not for long. Quick glance towards the shore immediately caused her adrenaline to spike up.
"Fuck!" Blue blinking light could be seen from behind the trees. She started to swim back to the shore as fast as she could than grabbed her clothes and put them on carelessly.
She rushed in direction of the hole in the fence. When she was close, she hid behind the tree and leaned out to look at the police car. It was parked about hundred meters from the hole. There was nobody near the car and it seemed to by empty inside but she couldn't see clearly from that distance. Maybe if I am fast, quiet and lucky enough I will sneak out of there.
But she wasn't.
She heard quiet noise behind her and her hands were drawn back with force. The cold metal tightened around her wrists with cracking noise and, before she could react somehow, small but strong hand grasped the back of her neck and made her bow a bit. She was guided towards the hole and then the police car. "Fuckin' Cocoon there is no place to swim peacefully". There wasn't any answer to that so she simply let the police officer to guide her in silence. When they get there she was thrown quite brutally on the car hood. "Hey! Ya could be more gentle!" She protested but grip on the back of neck didn't loosen.
" Ow… Gentle? I thought that… how did you called me a few days ago? 'Troublemakers?' Don't deserve gentleness." Said the clearly pleased voice which she recognized immediately.
"Y-ya…" She tried to look back but her cheek was pushed against the hood. Luckily her neck was released after a while and policewoman took two steps back, crossed arms on her chest and looked at brunette with big smirk on face.
"So that's your revenge." Said tanned women, rising up. The muscles of her body were really well-shaped but she was still womanly and slim. Her skin was all covered in droplets of water and a bit of sand in some places. Her anger from a moment before evaporated. She liked a good challenge and the pinkhead in front of her was definitely challenging.
"Revenge? I doubt so. That is private property. You were swimming in potable water tank. Someone called police so I am."She shrugged but after a while smirk came back on her face. "But I can't say it wasn't fun seeing you like that."
"Fun?"Smug smile appeared on the brunette's face."Half-naked, in handcuffs and wet? Ya know… If only ya asked nicely…"
"Your ID." Lightning interrupted her and stretched one hand in her direction. Even dim lights of night and pinkhead's solemn expression wasn't able to hide the blush which was crawling up her face.
"Hey! Ya had your fun so don't ruin mine. But I think that blush of yours…"
"ID!" She snapped, annoyed with her own blush which deepen after being caught.
"Okay, okay, easy there." Tall brunette maneuvered her handcuffed hand into her pocket but there was nothing there. Her eyes widened in realization.
"What? Your dog ate your ID, I suppose."
"Very funny. It had to fell out of my pocket on the beach along with my keys." She made a puppy eyes. "Can we?" Policewoman exhaled loudly and looked on her watch.
"I think it's better than driving you to the police station." They started walking towards the hole. I will have to thank Vanille for that puppy eyes technique… She stopped abruptly. Vanille?
"Why have you stopped?"
"That's nothin'… some memories."Said slightly taller, handcuffed woman. There was no time for that now. "Ya know… It would be easier if ya released my hands."
"So you could stun me and run away?" She asked a bit rhetorically with raised brow but didn't stop her progress.
"Yeah. That was exactly my plan. Why did ya handcuffed me in the first place? I wasn't aggressive etc."
"You could be armed." She shrugged. Brunette looked at herself and laughed. "Oh really? So ya should have searched me. Common I'm ready." Lightning at once saw the image in her mind's eye but decided to shove it out as fast as possible.
"Stop fooling around and come here." She wouldn't dare turning around because she knew her reddened cheeks would betray her again.
They stopped near the place the troublemaker left her belongings earlier. "It should be somewhere 'ere."After a few more steps some glistening metal object could be seen." These are my keys and…" she made two steps more "and that is my ID." The card was lying partly in the water. That's good it was waterproof. "But don't expect me to take it up with my teeth."
The pinkhead took the keys and throw it involuntarily to another one who couldn't even brace herself. Keys hit her arm and fell again on the sand."Hey! What was that for?"
"Eh.. Sorry."She rubbed her brow with embarrassment."I forgot I had handcuffed you. I don't use them often."
"Thank ya for distinction."
"You are welcome." Replied Light not paying attention to the irony in thanks. She took the keys again looked and at brunette's alluring body with puzzled expression.
"Ya can put it into my pocket". Smirk could be seen on her face before she turned back and exposed a small pocket on her right buttock. This time sergeant Farron was more ready. She knew that if she wants to hide her blushy nature she would have to be able to disconcert regularly this playful woman.
"So you can accuse me of harassment?" She shoved keys into one of handcuffed hands and crouched trying to get the ID card.
Than some impish idea planted itself in scantily-dressed woman's mind and she couldn't help it but feel obliged. She pushed gently the crouching woman, who tried to steady herself, but she could only manage to land with a butt in the water. Her eyes firstly widened of surprise and then narrowed on the laughing woman. Her hands and teeth clenched when she got up. Her face was reddened from anger, her brow twitching. She closed the distance between them with her fists still clenched but she could only switch on her icy stare and huff out the irritation. She was a police officer. It would be highly inappropriate to make a habit of beating people. Especially on duty. She cooled off a bit and smirked.
"You will pay for that."Luckily fines booklet and pen weren't wet."Literally." The other woman stopped laughing and was standing with mouth agape. Terror in her eyes.
"Fuck!" She would facepalm if she wasn't handcuffed and continued talking to herself. "Ya fuckin' idiot!"
"I agree. So the first one for invading the private property." Light was scribing busily looking time to time on the retrieved ID.
"I can't even facepalm because of ya."
"You can use a tree if you want."
"Very helpful advice. Do ya have some more?"
"Not right now." Voice of that pink haired woman was totally unconcerned and emotionless. "The second one for offending police officer."
"I didn't offend ya."
"Okay." She rose the cerulean eyes from the sheet of paper, quirking her brow in question. "Should I call it 'attacking police officer'?"
"I admit. I've offended ya."She let out a long submitting breath." How much would it cost?"
"Quite a lot."
"It's not the answer I was expectin'."
"I didn't expect that you would be so reckless to push me into the water."
"Yeah. I should have thought better of it. How could I know ya are so stiff?"
"I don't like being laughed at." She ended writing the second one and looked around tapping her fingers on the fines booklet. Her gaze locked on some bottles lying in the sand. "And the third one for littering."
"What?! These are not mine!"
"You can sue me but it's your word against mine." Her voice was totally emotionless in the opposition to very animated person in front of her.
"It would be all my paycheck! I'll die of starvation." That was no longer fun. Now she was getting irritated by injustice she was experiencing.
"That's not my problem."
"And ya said I was unprofessional. THAT is unprofessional as hell!" She made an offended expression and started struggling a bit with her immobile hands.
"Yes it would be." Light was watching the struggle in front of her and was visibly pleased with herself.
"And ya could open these handcuffs already. My wrists started to hurt a while ago."
The pinkhead closed the distance between them and removed the handcuffs.
"You look almost adorable with that pout of yours." She smirked again handing the brunette two pieces of paper.
"Two? Ya… tricked me!" Relieved laugh left her mouth. "I hate ya." The statement was accepted with an amused huff.
"I would cry if I cared." She stretched her hand with a plastic card on it. "Here, your ID."
"Thanks." She put it down into small pocket and looked at her reddened wrists. "I'd prefer ya to use these fluffy one next time."
"Next time?" She snorted."You're going to rob a bank or what?"
"Nah, but if ya're going to stop me I'll think about it." They started to walk back to the car both of them slightly amused with their game of flirting and disconcerting.
"Sorry for asking but were you changing your name lately?"
"No. Why?" The brunette raised her brows highly because of unexpected question.
"Just the curiosity. The card is new and 'Oerba Yun Fang'… it's not quite a popular type of name. You know three parts and so on."
"That's because I'm from Gran Pulse." She smiled proudly but Light only snorted.
"Yeah, sure. I should have guessed."
"No, I'm serious. I'm from Gran Pulse." She stopped in her tracks with solemn face. Lightning started watching her closely but knowing that the woman is a pure mischief didn't help her believe.
"If you say so." She shrugged but Fang knew she wasn't convinced.
"Why nobody believes me?! It was the same when I wanted to get my ID. The woman only laughed at me and said that they didn't have me in the data base but a lot of documents had been lost at wartime and there was a lot of people missin'. She added me to the list and that was all."
"Let's assume that you are from Pulse." She crossed her arms on her chest and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Gran Pulse." Fang corrected rolling her eyes.
"Right. How would you end up on Cocoon?"
"I…" She slumped her shoulders, her voice now quiet and sad. "Don't remember."
"Okaaay." Said Lightning felling a bit sorry but still not believing."There is no longer people on Gran Pulse. There was a plague after the war… or so we were told. It would be quite a time ago now. I was little when the war ended." She let Fang take a time she needed to acknowledge it all. It was quite a miserable view but after a while she stopped kicking a hole in the pavement and took a deep breath.
"It's still so fucked up in my head but I'll straighten it someday." She looked up in the sky with a smile."And I'll eventually come back home. But now I'm 'ere." Her mouths started to form into a grin when she faced shorter woman again."So what would ya say for a date?"
Light rose her brows in surprise. She was taken aback with that question but her response was firm.
"No."
"I knew that." She laughed nervously and scratched back of her neck.
"But I can drive ya back. It's getting cold."
"Nah. I will jog back. It'll warm me up." She pinched her chin and tilted the head to one side as if thinking about something complicated." Although I think ya could be much more effective than jogging." She winked at the police officer who was already rolling her eyes.
"I see you're back to your old self so I'll go now." She got into the car and drove away.
Brunette was standing there for a while more watching the receding car. She was happy as a sandboy. You idiot. You didn't even asked for her name but you've already asked her out.