XII. Building Bridges

Lightning stacked and restacked the fake money in her possession, counting and recounting it whenever a purchase or trade was made. It was about their fifth go around the board so naturally no clear victor had been decided yet, but Yuj was pulling ahead quickly, in no small part due to the fact he'd purchased some of the most expensive property on the board. Lightning was close behind, followed by Snow; Serah was last among them only because of her reluctance to buy anything apart from rail roads and the fact that she had, unluckily enough, landed on 'Go To Jail' twice. Out of pity, Lightning offered her some of the property she owned, but Serah turned it down. Lebreau and Maqui watched the game unfold on the outskirts of the group while Noel was tucked safely away in the back-most room of the house and lost to the oblivion of sleep.

"Yuj, I'm going to send you to jail if you land on 'Free Parking' one more time," Serah mumbled, earning a snicker from all the other players. "For real. You think I won't? I'll drag you there myself!"

"I'm just really lucky this time around; don't take it out on me," he replied, a smile teasing at his lips.

"He warned you, Serah," Lightning put in, setting down her stack of fake, stupidly colorful money.

"Yeah, I know – but he didn't warn me about his dumb luck!"

"Dice must be rigged," Snow agreed jokingly. "Only explanation, isn't it?"

"Maybe we should have played checkers instead," Lightning remarked, crossing her arms and sitting back and smirking a little at the face Serah made in response.

"You say that like I'm a sore loser."

"You know I don't mean it like that." With that, Lightning nudged her sister, pushing her shoulder lightly. "C'mon. It's your turn."

The game continued onwards from there and Serah managed to get her hands on some property but by their thirteenth time around the board, a clear victor had emerged. Thankfully it wasn't Yuj, so Serah didn't have to curse his luck anymore, but certainly the fact that Snow managed to force Lightning into bankruptcy (in which she split what she had between Serah and Snow, and they both proceeded to tag-team Yuj and take him off the board as well) through slow, patient development of what he had rather than simply trying to buy up every square on the board was both somewhat impressive and somewhat disheartening. But hey – a game was a game was a game. Afterwards they all sat back and called it good, Yuj starting to put away the game without organizing the money or the cards that went with them (that would assuredly be Gadot's job next time he joined them for a session).

These sorts of lazy, peaceful afternoons were the sort that everyone had come to get used to and come to enjoy. They wound on and on without end and it was a blessing that they didn't; every moment was precious, and for once none of them had much to worry about. There was the matter of Caius, of course, and the Focus that Etro had given him and Lightning – but both he and it were far from the front of anyone's mind at any given moment. Once the game was put away, Lebreau fixed up some cocktails for all of them (and Lightning had to remind herself that yes, Serah was old enough to drink now) before plunking herself down at the end of the couch beside Yuj.

And they dissolved into small talk and banter and what-have-you, their voices set to the backdrop of distant waves and people going about their business around town outside. Snow invited Lightning to go parasailing – to which she vehemently refused not only on account of some of the horror stories she recalled from her youth but because she lacked a swimsuit altogether at the moment. Serah poked fun at her refusal, and it was Lightning's turn to get defensive, and things went on like that for a while and though maybe one or more of them had raised their voices a little no one could say that they were really or truly angry with anyone else. And that was just the way that it ought to be.

Lightning paused a beat when she caught something in the corner of her eye; she looked in its direction but it had vanished. She was about to dismiss it as her mind playing tricks on her but Snow had dropped his line of conversation across the coffee table with Yuj and was now craning his neck in an effort to get a better look around the corner at whatever had been there just seconds before. Serah leaned on him and seemed to be trying to do the same; Lightning took another sip of the pinkish red cocktail in her glass before setting it back on the table and rising, pausing once more than she caught a voice just outside – "You're the one that wanted to come here" – before the source of the disruption peeked around the corner once more – a young, short, blue-haired girl with knowing emerald eyes.

Everyone save her and Serah took rather kindly to this development, greeting Yeul warmly. Lebreau held a hand out to the seeress before Lightning called the dark-haired woman's and shook her head when her attention was caught; if Yeul was nearby then it was extremely likely that Caius was. Guaranteed, in fact. The elder Farron sister rose from her seat and Yuj and Lebreau pulled their legs in to open a path for her to get around the table. The seeress took a step back but otherwise regarded her in a friendly manner, her hands clasped in front of her.

Lightning was tempted to place a hand on the child's shoulder, but resisted the urge. "Is Caius with you?"

Yeul cast her glance toward the house's entrance; at the bottom of the steps leading up to the house was the black-clad man she had inquired about. The banter faded away until, gradually, room fell silent.

"Did you two need something?"

"Noel invited us here two days ago," Yeul explained. "And I wanted… I was curious about the—village?" A glance toward Caius, who slowly shook his head and mouthed a word to Yeul, whom quickly corrected herself: "Town." She smiled and seemed proud of herself; Lightning was tempted to tell her that as far as Cocoonites were concerned, there was no difference. But why rain on a child's parade when you could, you know, not do that?

Lightning hummed and forced a smile. "Well if you wanted to actually see Noel, he's asleep right now. But you're free to make yourself at home." At least it proved then to be easy to take advantage of this Yeul's natural curiosity to realize her full potential as a bargaining chip (well, she supposed that was a little rude of her to think; Yeul was a child with feelings and thoughts of her own and it wasn't her fault that her Guardian was horribly inclined to violence…), to keep Noel and Serah (relatively) out of harm's way… Lightning turned to Serah and reached out. "Would you hand me my glass?"

Serah complied and Lightning stepped away; Yeul took her place and slowly but surely made her way over to Serah before plunking herself down in Lightning's seat. It was a little bit overwhelming – being around so many people after it had just been her and Caius for so long, but she smiled at them all nonetheless. Serah beside her placed a hand on her shoulder and Yeul smiled at her. She was content to wait until most had returned to the conversations that they had been holding prior to her arrival, content to listen in rather than become an active participant until in short order Snow got her attention with: "Hey. You're that 'Yeul' Lightning told us about, aren't you? The seeress?"

She cast her gaze downward as if ashamed, then smiled up at him. If she and Serah were the same – and they must have been; she dared not speak of the visions that proved this, but she definitely was – then this man who held her hand in his and spoke to her gently, as Caius did to her (no, differently; but similarly enough that surely it didn't matter?) must be…?

"I am," she replied in a low voice. "Don't let Caius know that you know. He might take me away."

He gave her a thumbs up; she wasn't sure she understood the gesture but she was sure that she would soon enough. "Gotcha," he replied. "Noel invited you over then? You friends?"

Yeul paused to consider this. "I am not acquainted with him personally, but Caius is. But he does not seem like a bad person." Perhaps, with time, she could become friends with him. These exceptional circumstances lent themselves to that, didn't they? The seeress covered her mouth with her hands to shield her growing smile from prying eyes, and she squirmed a little where she sat; before, she thought she would only dream of meeting these two, whom she'd seen in her visions, up close and personal – only dreamed that she'd ever get to speak with them, and she felt a little bad about pushing her Guardian until he gave in, but if she hadn't she might've never had this chance.

"Not bad? Noel's great," Snow replied, placing a hand on Serah's shoulder, and she leaned into his touch until he removed his hand and instead pulled her into a loose half-embrace. "Kept Serah safe even when I couldn't. You'll like 'im."

"I'm sure, if I get the chance to get to know him," Yeul replied. "And Caius owes him an apology."

"He sure does," Serah mumbled, casting her gaze to the entryway – the best she could do; both Caius and her sister were speaking somewhere out of sight. "Is that why you two came here?"

"It was my excuse for convincing Caius to bring me," Yeul admitted, her face turning a light shade of pink. "I am not sure if he intends to actually apologize."

"Well, if you can get him to bring you here, then I'm sure you can get him to apologize," Serah said with a smile. Yeul replied with a stiff nod. "By the way," the blue-eyed woman continued, "I don't think we were ever formally introduced, were we? I know you—" pause, and Yeul knew that she took it because it was perhaps inaccurate to say that she knew her specifically—"I'm sure you know already, but – I'm Serah, Lightning's sister."

"And I'm Snow Villiers. Serah's fiancé." Oh. The blond man held his free hand out to Yeul, and she took it. His hands were so much bigger than hers, and she marveled at it for a second before, after a firm shake and a smile, he pulled away. "Those two over there are Yuj and Lebreau."

Upon hearing their names, the two NORA members in question left their little bubble and waved at Yeul. The seeress smiled and followed the precedent that the couple had set: "I am Yeul," she said, gesturing to herself. "And Caius Ballad is my Guardian. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Yuj gave a smile and a nod while Lebreau spoke: "Same to you, Yeul. Hey, are you thirsty?"

"What do you have?"

"Water, grapefruit juice, and milk."

Yeul considered the options for a moment before answering: "Water, please."


Etro's champion paced on the steps for several moments with crossed arms before letting out an exasperated sigh. "What do you think you're doing here?"

Lightning placed a hand on her hip, paying no little attention to the conversation – the introductions – going on inside the house. Her gaze fell on the taller man before her – though for once she didn't have to look up at him on account of the fact that she'd come to a halt several steps above where he stood. It was nice to be on more equal footing, she may have noted if this were a visit on more friendly terms; alas, it was not, and he met her gaze levelly, his expression (frustratingly enough) revealing nothing.

"Yeul requested to pay you a visit." And, well, Yeul requested that he apologize… Several times over the course of the previous day. The dark-haired man, however, was nowhere to be seen, and Caius wasn't about to ascend the steps without first being invited. He knew how he was regarded in Lightning's ring of friends – though thankfully that stigma did not seem to extend to his charge as well. "I have no interest in hurting you – or your sister – or your friends."

Lightning seemed to relax a little after looking him over – nothing seemed to imply he was being dishonest, but…

"Yeah? Just like you had no interest in hurting Noel, right?"

"I was not thinking clearly."

"Do you ever think clearly?" Caius shifted his weight in response and scoffed, brushing it off and biting back the urge to wince. His armor protected him from a lot of things but Lightning's silver tongue was not on that list. She opened her mouth to speak again before turning away and taking one long sip of her cocktail. She did not meet Caius's gaze as she continued, "Look at what you were prepared to do for one girl. I mean, that's kind of insanity."

"You would do the same if it was someone you cared about," he accused, standing a little straighter.

"No," Lightning replied. "Because I don't let my passions win out over my reason."

"Centuries of watching it, over and over, and knowing you are powerless to stop it might change your mind." His eyes fell to her chest briefly. What would Etro do with that once they were finished…?

"I hope I'll never have to find out one way or another. Look, Caius, if you really don't mean any harm, then prove it. I don't buy it, and I'm sure no one else in the house will, either."

He was tempted to snip back at her with, 'Because you've turned them against me,' but instead he just scowled and replied quietly: "Fine, then. If you want me to prove my intentions to you – then may I come in?"

That gave her some pause; so many words jumped to her lips in that moment and all of them she bit back – stop and think, Farron. The most beneficial course of action would be…

"Fine." She backed up the steps a bit, narrowing her eyes. "Keep in mind that we all know how to fight here."

The corners of his lips twitched a bit, as if she had cracked a joke. Lightning supposed that, in a way, the idea that any of them posed an actual threat to him was somehow amusing. Which it shouldn't have been, given that he knew what she (and Serah, and Noel) were capable of in battle, and even if she was unarmed, Lightning had been trained in hand-to-hand combat during her time in the military. And so she scoffed and moved aside and slowly, cautiously, quietly, Caius ascended the steps. Lightning had to fight the temptation to tug him down and pour the remainder of her drink, ice and all, down the back of his armor – just as a warning. She was almost certain that she' regret not doing it later.

She followed him up the steps in short order, and did not miss the pause in the room when the others caught sight of him, although they did their best to cover it up and return to their (now more hushed) conversations. Lightning noted how his eyes followed Lebreau as she made her way back from the kitchen with a mini bottle of water, which she promptly handed to Yeul – and the dark-haired woman seemed to be making a conscious effort not to pay any mind to it; Serah and Snow also both avoided looking in Caius's direction.

Lightning rejoined the group, plunking herself in the corner of the couch between where Yuj and Yeul sat. Caius's gaze fell briefly upon her for a moment and his expression was mostly unreadable, but he seemed relaxed, for the most part – and Lightning recalled the fact that he trusted that she meant no ill will toward Yeul but couldn't help but wonder how much. Surely not enough to keep him from pulling her away should any of them make a move that he disapproved of, and certainly that would not be with a simple slap on the wrist. Caius remained silent, his gaze roaming over the group for a moment before a smirk graced his lips, just briefly – an expression of approval, perhaps, at least for the moment. He didn't speak, but he didn't need to; his introduction had already been made for him and he wasn't exactly a man that anyone who met him would soon forget.

"Hey, Yeul," Yuj began, and his voice immediately cut through the tension hanging in the air and dissipated some of it. Always the master of volume control, Yuj must have been purposefully including the whole group when he spoke next, instead of using a voice more suited for one-on-one conversation. "Would you like to hear a story?"

The child nodded her head and unscrewed the cap from her water bottle before bringing it to her lips. Yuj stood and separated himself from the rest of the group so he was more or less standing in the middle of the room proper, where he had room to move around and gesture. Lightning quickly scooted over to fill the gap he left on the couch, her eyes focused on the blue-haired man; everyone, even Caius, seemed to focus in on him and it only took a few seconds for Serah and Snow's conversation between themselves to conclude. Once that was done, he dispelled the rest of the tension, as simply as Caius could call upon and dismiss Bahamut, or the chaos in Valhalla:

"So to get you on the same page as, well, everyone else – 'cause this one does require a little context – Cocoon fell three years ago, but before it fell we had these things called mu. They weren't a problem around Bodhum, but bigger cities – like Palompolum – had a real problem with them. They were about the size of cats," he paused and held his hands far enough apart to give a sort of visual of the size he was going for. Serah and Lebreau shared knowing glances – apparently Yuj had told this one before. "And they were real cute, actually – so cute that rumor has it that the Sanctum discontinued a weapons project dealing with them because they wouldn't be taken seriously. Which honestly, they wouldn't've been. At the rumor's height it was more or less the most mocked idea in the media. Anyway, they live in burrows and have really. Really, really. Sticky fingers. You know what that means, right?"

Yeul shook her head and Serah filled her in, "It means they like to take things that don't belong to them." Then the seeress understood and nodded at Yuj to continue.

"So, after we all came down here and got the town set up – which took what," he looked toward Lebreau. "Six months with all the help from the Guardian Corps?" She shrugged and nodded; close enough. "And everyone was starting to come down and get settled in, and lots of stuff started to go missing. Little stuff at first but eventually it was prominent enough that it started to become a problem. So, given that NORA was the closest thing to an organizational force in New Bodhum at the time, we had to get to the bottom of it."

"Yeah, and by get to the bottom of it, you mean log ten hours on that dumb phone RPG you and Maqui were into at the time," Snow interjected, earning a laugh from everyone – Yuj included.

"It was Maqui who logged ten hours. I just happened to start playing and left the app open by accident, and it ran up the gameplay clock," Yuj clarified, and then turned to Yeul and placed his hands on his hips. "Don't listen to Snow's lies."

And then Serah put in – "I remember getting up early that morning and finding both of you very deeply engrossed in a two-player campaign."

Lebreau just smirked and nodded an agreement. Lightning shot a glance to Caius – he managed to keep his expression neutral for the most part, but he couldn't hide the fact that a smile was threatening to break through. The Guardian was leaning against the wall just barely inside, arms crossed and eyes fixed on Yuj as he told his story.

"Alright, fine, maybe I played the game. A little!" he conceded. "Point is, we didn't find the root of the problem for several nights and Gadot and Lebreau ended up having to sit watch for the rest of the week. That week I learned how terrible I was at cooking."

"Thankfully, Serah saved the day," Lebreau put in. Everyone whom was both present and involved at the time nodded in agreement – and Serah's face turned a light shade of pink and she hid her face. Snow nudged her and they exchanged some words and a laugh.

"That she did!" Yuj agreed. "Anyway, we were just about to give up when near sunset on that Saturday – and I remember exactly how it was – it was warm, but not too, and sunny, and we were all sitting out on the deck, drinkin' and waiting for the stars to come out. It's all nice and quiet and peaceful and then a little furry black thing darts along the sand and we all just drop everything and go after it. Literally. We had to buy new cocktail glasses after it was dealt with." He laughed a bit and continued, growing more animated. "So basically you gotta imagine all of us – I mean you 'aven't met Gadot or Maqui yet but basically imagine me, Lebreau, Snow, this real big, muscular black guy, and a skinny blond kid in the worst possible clothes for living on a beach all yelling and running after a black, cat-sized pompom with legs."

"And tripping over themselves, if I remember correctly," Serah commented with a wry smile.

"I thought that was that other time – well, that's uh, not a good story to tell a kid," Lebreau replied.

"I think at least one person tripped both times." The storyteller had the final say, of course, and everyone just shrugged and nodded; one glance at Yeul told Lightning that now she was intensely curious as to what this other story was (given that she was a) literally sitting on the edge of her seat and b) looking around to the others to see if they would elaborate on Lebreau's comment), but she seemed, of course, content to hear the ending of this one. "Regardless, we chased the mu all the way back to its burrow and thankfully Maqui thought to bring a flashlight and so we just – shined it down in there and sure enough, there were the little trinkets and all it'd made off with, and it was all curled up at the back of the burrow and it actually had little kits!" He cupped his hands as if he were holding one. "And like an idiot, I reached into the burrow in an effort to get the trinkets out and got bit."

Caius snorted quietly. Lightning had a feeling that Yuj's ostensible purpose for reaching in wasn't quite on-point, but kept quiet as he continued: "Eventually Snow managed to get 'em out and we placed them in a little box and returned the stuff to the people but there was still the matter of what to do with the mu because well, they're certainly not native to Pulse and it's kind of cruel to let 'em die out here or let 'em stay and potentially mess up the ecosystem depending on how well they fare. But anyway, anyway – so we got a little cat carrier and—" he paused and snickered to himself—"and so like—god—we got a cat carrier for them and had them shipped back up to Cocoon next time supplies came around. Palompolum, specifically—" and at that Yuj lost his composure and burst out laughing.

Lebreau continued for him: "Hope – one of the l'Cie along with Snow and Lightning here – was taking his Biology class in school at the time – dumb for what he wants to do really, but I guess that's what they require kids to take these days – and last time he came down he said he needed to study a live animal or monster's behaviors and all for his final project. Now, this was a few weeks prior to this whole escapade so he already had a project by then, but these dolts had it shipped to him. Kind of as a half-joke, I guess, but once the mu got there all safe and sound, we got the angriest call from his dad."

Yeul briefly cast a glance to Caius.

"It had a video feed and everything," Yuj managed. "You should have seen the look on his face! He was so mad!"

"And Hope was in the background. If looks could kill—man!" Snow sat back, a grin plastered across his lips – a grin that was mirrored on Yeul's features as she fought to suppress her laughter. "Glad he knew we didn't mean any harm; also glad that mu are pretty cute."

"To be fair," Serah interjected, "They were better equipped to find a good home for the mu than we were, and it was back in its natural habitat. So it wasn't like anyone was being cruel or anything – and he was probably angry more for the fact that you had it specifically sent to them rather than the fact that you had it sent to Cocoon or anything."

"Granted," Lebreau replied with a shrug, finishing off her cocktail and setting it back on its coaster.

"So everything worked out in the end?" Yeul tilted her head to the side a bit with the question.

"It sure did. No hard feelings on any front," Yuj replied with a nod, earning a smile from the seeress.

"Good. Thank you, Yuj!" The blue haired man bowed as Lightning and Caius both gave stiff nods of agreement. "What did you think, Caius?"

Most in the room stiffened upon the reminder that the Guardian was still there, as if they'd forgotten and he'd suddenly materialized out of the ether upon his name being spoken. He was standing still as ever, his presence but a shadow on the wall. Before Yeul had caught his attention, it seemed even Caius had forgotten he was present – or it would have seemed that way were he not listening so intently to Yuj's tale. The blue-haired man returned to his seat after a bit of bickering with Snow and Lebreau about the finer details of the story and after Lightning scooted back over into the space she had occupied previously as Caius replied, "Interesting – to say the least." Violet eyes scanned the group of people during a short pause. "Are all of your days like this?"

"More 'r less," Snow admitted tentatively.

"Everyone's busier in the morning, but for the afternoon this is pretty much the standard," Serah added.

The warrior gave a satisfied grunt, then cast a glance to Yeul. She seemed happy enough, though when their eyes met a bit of worry crossed her features before he smiled in an attempt to dispel her fears. With the way she relaxed again, it seemed he'd been successful. "Seems nice."

"It is," Lightning agreed, staring Caius down with cold eyes that didn't match the brief smile she flashed him.

While he was well aware that he wasn't the most welcome guest – in no small part thanks to her efforts… "I hope I would not be imposing if I were to request that we stay for the time being?"

Lightning's eyes widened a bit and there was a pause among everyone, but then everyone's eyes went, ever so briefly, to Yeul, and a consensus seemed to be reached in the form of noncommittal shrugs and nods: sure why not. Caius, like this, was easily dealt with if he wanted to cause trouble, and Yeul was a good kid. The Guardian bowed his head in thanks and Yeul smiled, muttering, "Thank you."

Caius took a seat on the floor next to the coffee table given that there was no room left on the couch (or what little there was wasn't enough to accommodate him comfortably, rather) and the familiar rhythms of conversation resumed; Lebreau offered him a cocktail after being nudged by Yuj to do so and he declined but requested some water, which was swiftly delivered to him when Lebreau stepped into the kitchen to clean the empty glasses and fetch some snacks, a few of which Yeul picked at (she seemed very satisfied with the food too). Caius's efforts to remain a simple observer were quickly thwarted when apparently all others in the room had decided that they didn't like it when he kept quiet – perhaps because they were used to such a bustle of activity in that little house of their – and prodded him with a few questions or comments here or there, which he made efforts to reply to in as few words as possible, especially any which would require context that he didn't feel like these outsiders really needed to be filled in on.

Sometime before Yuj got started on a second story – this one involving his escapades in a place called Eden, which he'd apparently returned from (to quote) "a changed man" – Caius found himself swiping one or two crackers here or there. They weren't too bad – salty, mostly – and he ate them without bothering with the dip on account of it didn't look particularly appetizing to him (but with the way Yeul went after it, perhaps he ought to have reconsidered).

The story itself was a bit confusing, he found – but mostly because he had no idea what Cocoon had been like on the inside and the background that Yuj occasionally paused to fill them (mostly Yeul, really, and her eyes glimmered with curiosity; apparently the now-crystallized world in the sky was absolutely fascinating) in on only served to give him a general idea – but if he found himself really dying to know he figured he could just ask Lightning about it at a later date. At its conclusion, however, the door leading to the back-most room in the house creaked open, revealing a groggy and somewhat disheveled Noel shortly after he made his way down the short hallway to them. Lebreau greeted him with a quick, snippy, "How nice of you to finally join us."

As Noel rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the back of one hand (making sure that his pants were held up securely by his belt with the other), Snow put in: "You're lucky you were asleep; Gadot came lookin' for you a few hours ago." Pause. "Your friends came by, by the way."

It was that moment that the world seemed to snap into abrupt focus for him as his blue eyes fell on Caius. The Guardian just stared back at him before Noel glanced at Yeul. After a moment, Caius's former protégé smiled at them both in greeting before taking a seat beside (well, maybe an arm's length and a half away from, but still beside) the violet-haired man on the floor, presumably only because there really was no more room on the couch. Caius was a bit surprised the first thing past his lips was not an objection, a clarification that technically speaking they weren't friends, or even necessarily on friendly terms, but rather, "What'd Gadot want?"

"More help with the zirnitra. Apparently trying to drive it out without killing it didn't go so well."

That statement gave Caius some pause, and he stared Snow down for a moment. "You tried to drive out a zirnitra?" Why make such a simple procedure – namely, killing it outright to get rid of it – so complicated?

"Yeah. Maybe not the best plan – but they're nasty. Even as l'Cie, those things gave us some trouble – right, Lightning?"

The elder Farron nodded in agreement. "I feel bad for the poor schmucks that had those things as their marks," she muttered, and momentarily seemed a little melancholy before that familiar blaze of determination returned to her eyes and she looked to Snow. "If you need help killing it, then I'm game."

"Thanks, sis."

"Still not your sister." Yet.


The afternoon wound on and it was around the point that Serah had pulled out a new board game to play with Yeul – from the looks of the pieces, checkers – that Caius excused himself and went to sit on the steps outside. Even being an observer of such a busy scene was somewhat exhausting; the people that used this house as their hangout were just bursting with the sort of energy that Caius would have expected from playful children – and, given that he'd lived as a vagabond with all the various Yeuls for centuries on end, hadn't had prolonged exposure to for quite some time. That wasn't to say that he didn't enjoy it – certainly, it had lifted his spirits a bit, for whatever that was worth – but perhaps this group was better left for Yeul to deal with. She seemed happy enough to, occasionally flashing the sort of smile that could light up an entire room even in pitch darkness.

Caius grunted an acknowledgement but did not speak.

Moments later, Noel was sitting on the opposite end of the steps from him, on the same level – there was only just enough room between them for someone to pass by if they needed to, but only if both of them closed their legs. Which, frankly, neither of them were likely to do unless someone really needed by. Their knees almost touched and only Caius shifting away until his right shoulder was pressed against the side of the barrier that prevented people from just jumping onto (or off of) the deck onto the soft, white sand below prevented them from doing so.

"Hey."

Caius regarded the dark-haired man with silence, but glanced in his direction to indicate that he'd heard him. He was sure that some of the injuries he'd inflicted on the poor guy were still healing, even if the worst of it was over and, always the trooper, Noel was hardly in need of any assistance going about his day-to-day life. His fading black eye was proof of that; Caius only noticed the slight discoloration because he'd been looking for it in the first place, probably, and only because they were so close.

"You came, huh."

"Because Yeul requested it."

"Yeah, but you still did. That's something, you know."

Caius pressed his lips together.

After a brief pause, Noel continued: "So, what do you think?"

"They're… energetic." Caius glanced over his shoulder into the house. "Yeul seems to like them."

"And they seem to like Yeul," Noel replied with a slight smile, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning forward a bit. "Will you let her visit after this?"

"Perhaps."

The ghost of a smile teased at the corners of Noel's lips. "You do care about her happiness."

The Guardian's gaze fixed on the slowly-dimming horizon; the sky was still very much a bright, clear shade of blue, but he had a feeling that as the sun continued in its path over the cliffs at the town's back, that would not be the case in a few hours. "In the end, I suppose. It is secondary to her salvation, mind you." And it was that primary goal that he'd cast away everything that Noel had praised him on for. Because unhappiness could be fixed with time and diligence. And an endless cycle of death and reincarnation could be nothing short of a curse to be broken – when one was so painfully mortal that they had no chance to live, then…

"Still on that, huh…" Noel let the thought trail into silence – Caius was too stubborn for him to sway at the moment. Perhaps, trapped in this era and given enough time and effort, he could be swayed from this warpath. Then he sat back. "You already know what I've got to say to that. No point in repeating myself, really."

A long moment of silence grew between them, charged and heavy with all the words that were left unsaid but were, quietly, understood. Then, Caius spoke, a strange sort of levity creeping into his voice: "What if I told you that my existence was akin to that of a Cie'th?"

"Don't even, Caius."

A wry chuckle slipped past his lips. "It was a hypothetical." Maybe. "But I guess not." If nothing else, Noel was certainly steadfast in his morals. He reminded Caius a bit of… Well, himself – or rather, the man he had been centuries ago. Before the War. Before Paddra's fall. Before the Heart. Perhaps before even his promotion to Guardian, when he still identified himself using his true full name rather than simply as 'Caius Ballad' or, at the time, simply 'Caius'. If only Noel had it in him to end his life, he would make a fine Guardian. His lips parted as if there was more to say, but instead Caius merely turned his gaze to Noel and let himself smile a bit – it was a bit tight-lipped and perhaps Caius appeared more worried than anything but if Noel's reply in the form of a brighter smile was anything to go by, then he understood the meaning behind it and no words were necessary.

The silence that grew between them wasn't even uncomfortable from that point forward – although to be fair that might have been simply because it didn't get the chance to before Yeul knelt down and wrapped her arms around Caius's shoulders from behind, nuzzling into his hair. "Tired?" he prompted, and she nodded, mumbling something into his neck that even with her so close he couldn't quite understand. He brought up one hand to pat her head before she released him so that he could stand; then, Caius promptly picked Yeul up and cradled her in his arms, casting a glance toward Noel, whom seemed to understand that they were going to leave and acknowledged this fact with a curt wave of his hand.

"Leaving?"

Caius turned in time to see Yuj approaching, his hands on his hips. The violet-haired man replied with a nod, "About to, it seems."

"Take care, then. Don't be strangers now, y'hear me?" The fact that he was very pointedly avoiding Caius's eyes did not go unnoticed by the Guardian – but he thought nothing of it.

Yeul cast a smile toward Yuj, and Caius managed at least a smirk. "We'll try not to."


A/N: Rumor is actually a canon thing according to some quiz-or-another in XIII-2. Don't expect me to be able to tell you which one, though; I wrote this in like March. Staying 15 chapters ahead is great for ensuring I have stuff to update with but hell because I finished an uber long chapter a few hours ago and I can't even talk about it to anyone ahaha... Sob.

Feedback is, as always, appreciated! I love hearing that people are enjoying this, hehe.