File009 – R.O.X.X.I.E.
Drifting……
Everything is a blur…
No… more like a blob.
Who… what… where… when… Everything aches, yet everything is relaxed. Am I asleep? Awake? Dreaming? Alive or Dead? Human or monster? Does it matter…?
"Oi, you awake?"
Roxxie opened her eyes blearily, realizing she was in bed.
"Hnnng what?" she sat up, her hair a tasseled mess. "Wha- oooh man. I think I had one too many elixers the other night…"
Zax chuckled, sitting in a chair his chin resting on the top of the back of it. "You know we got a mission with You-Know-Who today," he said pointedly, handing her her uniform.
"Ugh, do I have to? He annoys me. Call me in sick or whatever."
Zax pouted adorably. "B-but then I'll be all aloooone with him!" he whined.
Roxxie flustered, her hands rustling through her hair. "Fine! Fine! I'm going!" she stood up, grabbing her clothes and hesitating.
"What?" asked Zax with an innocently curious grin.
"Would you mind leaving the room while I get changed?" she said, as if this were too obvious to be nice about.
"Ugh, do I have to? It would annoy me. Call me in sic -"
"Shut UP, Zax!" she giggled, giving him a playfull – yet surprisingly strong – shove out the door.
Minutes later she was out alongside him, shifting her buster sword and tossing her hair. Zax briefed her on the mission as they walked along.
"… and not I think of it, in that area, sector five, there's this really cute flower girl,"
Roxxie raised her eyebrows.
"Yeah, I totally fell through the roof. Thank goodness she kinda saved me," he didn't seem to notice the eyebrow-hint meant she was annoyed.
"I see." Said Roxxie cooly, her pace increasing in speed by just a little bit.
"Um…" Zax quickly fell in-step.
"Yea, that was way back on one of my first missions. I wonder if I'll see her again?"
"Hmm." Roxxie was NOT looking at him.
"Umm Rox, are you jealous?" Zax giggled.
"Why should I be?" she said in a very obviously agitated tone.
"Look she's just some girl I know, it's not like… You know…" Zax mused, poking his fingers together.
"No, I don't."
That time, it wasn't Roxxie speaking. They looked up to see another Soldier in front of them, his arms crossed and, as always, looking devoutly pissed off.
"Oh hey!" Zax said, a bit more cheerfully, slinging an arm around him, which he instantly shrugged off.
"Don't touch me," he said with a glint in his eyes.
"Listen, you," Roxxie said flaring up a bit at once. I really can't stand this guy, and he's not getting off to a good start with me. "Calm the hell down, alright? Let's get going."
"Ah, don't worry about it!!" said the ever cheerful Zax. "Lane doesn't discriminate, he hates everyone equally!"
Lane murmured something about a painful death as they all clambered into the back of a truck.
"So we're joining crybaby here for some searchparty? For someone who isn't even related to Shin-Ra in any way?" said Roxxie irritably, arms crossed leaning back in her seat. Lane's eyes narrowed, his hand resting on his sword hilt temptingly.
"We," Zax said a bit loudly to try and keep them apart. "Are searching for someone who went missing… and she's very important… In a way…" he leaned in close to Roxxie to mutter some details.
"Zax if I have to put up with him much longer..."
"Do you know why he's the way he is? That's what this mission is about. If we can find who we're looking for he won't be so angsty…"
"Who are we looking for?" Said Roxxie at once, wanting to get this over with.
"A couple of years ago, he lived on that chocobo ranch out past the gold saucer, right?"
"Wait… wasn't it like, demolished at the time?"
"Well see, before that happened he lived alone with his grandmother and sister. Complicated story short, his sister left to find work in the city and almost as soon as she was gone the place was destroyed. He's the only survivor and he's been looking for his sister since. He became a huge ass too, actually, but hay…"
Roxxie scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"My god he really is a big baby…"
"Rox, come on, you just don't like the way his attitude has become…"
They both glanced at Lane. He stared out the window his hand still resting over his blade, looking incredibly preoccupied.
"Whatever. So how do we know if we've found her?" Roxxie said intently.
"Um… only Lane knows. He doesn't really like to talk about it…"
Roxxie's veins POPPED. Luckily the truck had stopped, and they all filtered out. Lane was about to instantly walk off but Roxxie grabbed his wrist, wrenching him to stand in front of her.
"Kay, tell us the details," she said tossing her hair back. "What does sissy look like?"
He glared at her and turned his head away. "I didn't ask you mindless dogs to accompany me," he said in a surprisingly soft voice.
"LISTEN YOU-!"
"Lane, dude," Zax said calmly, "We just wanna help you find her, so why not let us?"
Lane was quiet. For a minute, glaring out at the slums of sector five they were about to enter.
"She's the most beautiful person ever, the nicest and most kind girl you could get to know. She wouldn't even be in a place like this…"
"Hate to break it to ya," Roxxie snarled a bit. "But sometimes the worst things happen to the best people. Now TELL us what she looks like, ungreatfull brat."
"Brown hair, violet eyes!" He snapped, turning to head on into the town.
"Thanks," Roxxie sighed. "Gosh, that was so helpful. Zax, I'm already getting a headache…"
"Let's just ask around," he said, hands behind his head looking totally relaxed. "If worst comes to worst we won't find her today."
"Yeah, but we'll have to continue…"
"I'm sure there are plenty of leads… to be found in the bar…"
Roxxie grinned at him and sighed following him on into the slums.
Roxxie slammed the glass down on the counter with a loud clunk and a sigh.
"Aren't you glad," Zax asked her, "That I suggested we look around here?"
"Chyah, there are plenty of leads in here on this missing chick," Roxxie chuckled darkly, mockingly looking into her glass as if expecting to find Lane's missing sister inside. She looked around, and slipped out of her seat. She approached a man that sat not far from them. "Hay, you," she said bossily.
He looked around, irritated at first, though upon seeing her he seemed to lighten up a bit.
"Can I help you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a crooked grin.
"Sure, Handsome," she said flatly, clearly sarcastic. "I'm lookin' for this girl – brown hair, purple eyes – you seen anyone like that around here?"
His smile faltered. He eyed her suspiciously, then noticed Zax. He quickly turned away, looking nervous. "Don't know nothing about her," he mumbled, and at once Roxxie's hand was under his chin turning him to face her again.
"Awww, come on big daddy," she said sweetly, pouting at him adorably. "I just wanna know where she is, wassa matterrrr?" she purred.
He melted like putty in her hands."
"Wellll?" she asked, keeping her fingers crossed behind her back. "Tell meeeeeeeeeee?"
This guy clearly knows something. Jesus, I can't believe how easy this is going to be.
"I-I already t-told you SOLDIERS she a-ain't here anymore!" he sputtered. "T-the kid with black hair and bad temper! He practically beat it outta me!!"
Roxxie practically dropped him, no longer acting cute and pouty, just looking pissed. "Yeah okay well WHERE is she, then? Where was she before she left?"
He fumbled back into his seat. "They honeybee Inn!" He gasped, thrown off by her sudden sour attitude. "That's all I know, all right!? She used to work at the Honeybee inn; she was their number one girl…"
Roxxie turned to look at Zax blankly. He had his hand over his mouth looking vaguely embarrassed.
"… Thanks man," Zax said, placing an arm around Roxxie's shoulders and steering her out of the bar.
"Wassa matter?" She asked him, blinking curiously.
"Urm, that is…" Zax chuckled. He seemed rather awkward.
They walked several minutes, the whole time Roxxie pestering Zax with questions.
"What? What's the honeybee? It's just an inn. Where are we going? Shouldn't we ask him more?"
Zax suddenly stopped, holding her shoulder and pointing. She looked up to observe her surroundings, mainly the building he was indicating.
Bright neon signs, posters of women in the windows, and several lonely men wandering around outside begging for entry. She looked thoughtful, glancing up at Zax. They were at a safe enough distance away that they hadn't been noticed yet.
"It's….. a love hotel?" she asked him, looking disgusted. He shrugged and nodded.
"Myeeeah, a members-only gentlemen's club of sorts."
"Is THIS why that little Lane brat is so pissed off?" Roxxie asked in an undertone. "Doesn't wanna admit his sister was a floozy?"
Zax rubbed his head. "Well I dunno about that… but this is our only lead…."
Roxxie blinked and giggled. "Are you too embarrassed to go in there?"
He flailed a little. "It's members only, Rox," he mumbled.
"Mmmmhm. Whatever, I'll find a way in." she grinned. She walked up to the front of the building, ignoring the catcalls and fox whistles from the crowd of guys unable to make their way into the inn. She approached the bouncer guarding the door.
"Membership card, plea….?" He hesitated, seeing a woman walking up to him. It wasn't unheard of, but pretty uncommon. "… Membership card, please." He corrected himself.
"Aaaactuallyyyyy," Roxxie said, jutting her hip out and clasping her hands together. "I was wonderiiing how does one get involved with employment around heeere?" she fluttered her eyelashes with a sweet smile.
Zax's jaw dropped.
A/N: awright cool, new chapter out. I have SO MANY ideas on what to write for later on chapters, but man, its hard for me to connect em properly, ya know??...
