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damned_lounge2008-11-01 01:46 am
nest.livejournal.com) wrote in damned_lounge2008-11-01 01:46 am
Entry tags:
Oktoberfest '08 Entry, Before the Road Home, by Jansen
Title: Before The Road Home
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nest
Beta (if applicable): NONE. D: THIS IS PROBABLY RIDDLED WITH MISTAKES AND EW. YOU CAN BASK IN THE FULL GLORY OF MY FAIL.
Word Count: 3,490
Rating: PG
Character(s): Anise, Arietta, brief appearances from Guy and Claude, even briefer mentions of Jade, Ashton and Dias.
Pairing(s) (if applicable): Not really, but possible Claude/Guy (YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT CALLIE) if you squint.
Summary: Even though they're no longer trapped in Landel's Institute, Anise hasn't forgotten about the people she cares about most, and she plans on doing whatever it takes to get some answers.
Notes (if applicable): LOL, RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRE. I honestly thought I was going to be too busy to participate this year, and while I guess I technically was, that didn't stop me from suddenly sitting down to write out this idea that wouldn't leave me alone. Just as I was getting to the end, though, a better way to handle this hit me. But, alas, it's too late to go back and fix it now. :( Sorry it's so rushed. And sorry if any of this is ooc. orz
All you really need to know is that this takes place in the same universe as my previous fic, found over here.
The neighborhood’s entrance was run-down and dilapidated, and for a moment, she wondered if she had the right place. But the crooked sign labeled Sunny Hillsides was unmistakable, so she was confident that the information she’d dug up was right. Still, when she saw the state of this pitiful place, she couldn’t help but wish she’d at least wound up in a nicer part of town.
After all, no one wanted to see their family living in a dump like this.
Eyebrows furrowing, she clutched the crinkled piece of paper that bore the “names” and address of her parents and made her way down the cracked sidewalk. In the distance, she could hear someone’s dog barking. The girl stopped, pausing just long enough to realize it was likely coming from the next street over. Besides, she thought to herself, if someone wanting to abduct her was close by, they wouldn’t be dumb enough to give their position away. That wasn’t a very nice thought, though, so she mainly focused on quickening her pace and paying sharp attention to her surroundings.
A part of her felt like it was stupid to be traveling in broad daylight like this, much less alone, but if there was anyone who knew how to make herself look as innocent and unassuming as possible, it was Anise Tatlin.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been walking, but once she caught sight of 6719 Delong St., Anise stopped dead in her tracks, taking in the small home that, even though it was built very differently than the houses back on her own world, showed signs of being old, and not very well cared for. For a moment, she actually felt cold into her bones. Now that she’d reached Dolores Haze’s house, she didn’t entirely know what to do. Obviously, going up and ringing the doorbell wasn’t the best idea, especially if her parents thought she’d gone missing, and there was any chance of them sending her back to another Institute. They’d been tricked into all of that before. There wasn’t any reason to assume they couldn’t be tricked again.
It pained her to think like that, but Anise knew she had to be realistic. She couldn’t afford not to be. Not if she didn’t want to get locked up again, anyway.
But she couldn’t just stop here, only to turn around, either. I just have to make sure they’re safe, she told herself. At the very least, she would have that to hold onto while she helped find a way home for all of them. Once they’d managed to do that, it wouldn’t matter if she could get them to completely believe her or not -- all they’d need to do was come with her for a little while, and then they’d make it back to Auldrant together. That was what really mattered, right? Recovering from the memory loss could come later once they were out of this horrible place.
Anise knew she was getting ahead of herself. It was hard not to when her parents were involved. Even though she was technically free from the Institute’s walls, she still had so much so think about.
But now wasn’t the time for any of that. Without another thought, she silently crept towards the short, rusted rod-iron fence, and after a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching her, she nimbly climbed over into the overgrown backyard. The browning grass looked like it hadn’t been properly cut in a long while. It was weird, she thought to herself. Her parents had never really had the means to afford a nice place to live (at least, not the Mama and Papa she knew), but they weren’t slobs.
That thought put her on edge as she made her way to the small patio, which was cramped with boxes that were soggy from last night’s rain. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a variety of garden tools had been carelessly thrown inside, as if the person packing had been in a hurry. They obviously hadn’t finished the job. Maybe didn’t even intend to. Against her better judgment, Anise ventured towards the dusty windows, peering inside just enough to catch a good look at a lumpy sofa, a coffee table with a white mug on top, some Earth gadgets she didn’t recognize or really care about, and…no Mama or Papa.
She sighed, folding her arms and frowning. Great. Now what was she supposed to do? Hanging around until one of them showed up was dangerous, but seeing all this weird stuff had only given her more to worry about than anything else.
“Dolores?!”
The sudden voice nearly made Anise jump, but her stomach turned the moment she heard it. She hadn’t needed to whirl around to know who it was, but her instincts put her on guard. Her eyes focused on the girl standing across the yard from her, near the entrance. Though her face was obscured by the doll clutched in her arms, the pink hair was more than enough to give her away.
“Gloomietta.” Without even thinking, Anise placed her hands on her hips and scowled at the girl. She didn’t know how the hell she’d managed to convince anyone to let her out, or if she was for real about all this Dolores stuff, but she didn’t care. This was the last person she’d expected or wanted to see.
“Why do you keep calling me that?” Arietta asked. “You’re weird, Dolores.” She paused, studying the girl from behind her doll. “They told me…the doctors were going to make you better. How come you’re here if you‘re not better?”
But as far as Anise was concerned, she was the only person who had a right to be asking any questions. “Where are my parents?” she demanded. “What did you do to them, Gloomietta?!”
The pink-haired girl shifted where she stood, looking uncomfortable, but not like she was unused to these kinds of exchanges. “I didn’t do anything. That’s just something else you made up, Dolores. Stop being so mean! I don‘t like it.”
“Where are my parents?” Anise asked again, this time louder. “Just answer the question!”
“They left,” she said simply. “Two weeks ago. But…don’t ask me where to, because I don’t know.”
Anise fell silent, though her eyes never left Arietta for a second. She might have been trying to push this innocent girl act, but she wasn’t buying it for a second. Not to mention she didn’t get why Mama and Papa would just pick up and leave. Anise didn’t like it one bit. Where would they have possibly gone, and why?
Of course, that was if Gloomietta was even telling the truth. There was no reason to assume she was, and Anise wasn’t prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“You…escaped, didn’t you?” Arietta suddenly asked.
“What’s it to you?” she shot back. “You went along with their dumb lies so you could get out, too.”
“They’re not lies!” She held tighter to her doll, clearly upset by this. Anise’s eyes were suddenly drawn to a small tabby cat that was rubbing against Arietta’s legs and purring. “Dolores, if you don’t stop being mean, I’m telling Mommy you escaped. Then she’ll call the police, and they’ll take you away again.”
Anise scowled. This was getting her nowhere, and fast. Her parents weren’t here, and all she had to go by was stupid Gloomietta. Talk about a waste of time and energy!
She didn’t have to put up with this.
“This is my house, isn’t it? I have as much of a right to be here as anyone else.” Anise took a few steps towards her, indicating that she wasn’t going to back down or let Gloomietta just push her around. “Just get out of here.”
The other girl hesitated as Anise approached her, and it was clear she was scared by the idea of being approached by a crazy person. “You’ll be sorry!” she suddenly blurted before bolting off into the other direction like a scared animal. The cat that had been at her feet paused before darting after her. After a few moments, they’d disappeared down the street, and Anise breathed a small sigh to herself.
Still, she knew she didn’t have much time if she wanted any answers. It was possible Arietta would make good on her threat and get her “mother” -- whoever she was -- to call someone.
I’ll have to move fast.
Without wasting another second, Anise made her way further into the yard until she saw a smaller bedroom window. At first she was afraid she was going to have to use a rock to break it open so she could try unlocking it from the inside, but it slid open easily enough once she tested it. After sending another backward glance over her shoulder, the girl slipped inside. As soon as her ragged boots landed against the carpet, she turned and closed the window nice and tight, even flipping the lock in place for good measure.
Her parents’ bedroom -- or, at least, that’s what she assumed it was -- was actually a lot tidier than the house’s exterior. The bed, which was covered by a thin, blue blanket, had been neatly made up, giving no hint of any recent disturbances. The only thing that seemed mildly out of place was a scattered pile of papers resting on top of the desk that was at the far end of the room. Frowning to herself, Anise stepped over to it and began rummaging through them.
Even with Earth’s weird customs, it didn’t take her long to figure out what they were -- some water and gas bills here, several medical bills for some kind of back surgery, among other things…like letters from people wanting to collect the money. She wasn’t real sure on how dollars compared to gald, but some of these numbers were pretty big. Just like back home, it looked like her parents had managed to land themselves in some pretty serious debt.
Was that why they’d left? Guilt settled uncomfortably into the pit of her stomach as she sifted through the other papers. Had her absence really left them in such a bad bind that they’d been forced to escape from it? Or maybe they’d gone out to find her once they’d caught wind of her disappearance from the destroyed Institute, which was a terrible idea considering the horrible money problems they were having.
There was no real way of knowing, was there? She sighed, cursing under her breath.
Time was probably running short. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Anise hastily grabbed a few of the papers before shoving them into her pocket. She knew she only had a few minutes to make a quick run through the rest of the house. Nothing struck her as out of the ordinary or potentially dangerous -- a pile of cleaned dishes left on the counter, that mug she’d seen earlier (oddly enough, it had some loose change in it, which she shoved into her pocket), the sports section of a dated newspaper, and a box from a supposed friend that had been labeled as an “early Christmas present”. Anise actually opened it for good measure, but all she found was an ugly wool sweater.
Mama…Papa…where are you?
That was the only question weighing on her mind as she pushed the front door open a little. She knew she’d likely have to slip out through one of the back windows if she didn’t want to just leave the door open for anyone to just walk inside. Still, she wanted to make sure she’d checked everywhere for any possible clues.
As she stepped outside, the only thing that greeted her was the sight of the cracked sidewalks and old, crooked street. Was this what her father saw everyday he’d gone to work? Was this the yard they remembered their daughter playing in? It was a depressing thought -- one that Anise didn’t waste much time dwelling on.
At her feet was a fuzzy mat with the words WELCOME staring back at her. And beneath the corner, something…silver glinted in the sunlight, catching Anise’s eye. Eyes brightening, she quickly stooped down to grab whatever it was.
“It’s a key,” she said to herself. It was small and light, but that’s what it definitely was. Was it for the house, though? After shutting the door behind her, she slipped the key into the hole and turned it to the side. As soon as she heard the faint click of the lock sliding into place, Anise suddenly realized that her parents had left it for her, just incase their daughter had come back in search of her family.
Of course, they hadn’t been sure enough of her return to leave a note, or anything, explaining where they’d run off to. But then, her parents had always gone out of their way to make sure she didn’t worry too much. Maybe they just assumed their Dolores knew how to get a hold of them during a situation like this.
Too bad her parents were the ones with the memory problem.
Idly, she placed a hand in her coat pocket, feeling the papers she’d snatched earlier. They weren’t much, but Anise had been left with less when she’d first started her search for this place. She’d find her parents, one way or another. Hopefully by then they’ll have found a way back to Auldrant. Then she’d be able to take them away from this horrible place. Then they’d be home, together.
Without another thought, she took off running, past the shaggy front yard and into the opposite direction she’d come. The small bit of change jingled in her pocket, and for a moment she fantasized about using the public bus to get to the outskirt out town. But as she got to the neighborhood’s exit, her hair stood on end, and she stopped in her tracks.
She’d had enough experience to know when she was being watched. Even after she furtively glanced around, though, she didn’t catch sight of anyone. It was weird, to say the least, but it was enough to make her decide to take the longest, most difficult-to-trace route back outside of the city.
Maybe some people would have suggested walking through the dimly-lit alleyways that zig-zagged between the buildings, but Anise drifted among the crowds of people who were commuting home from work. Thankfully, this sort of work came second-natured to her, and by the time she reached the abandoned, outer-blocks, the dreadful feeling from before was mostly gone.
Bringing something dirty back to their camp wasn’t something she wanted on her hands. Her friends already had little idea of these excursions of hers. There was no doubt in Anise’s mind they’d disapprove of her going it alone and would want to get involved. But the truth was, it was safest for everyone this way, and that was that.
+++
The trip through the woods was quiet and uneventful, but she didn’t bother to take time to enjoy the way the birds were singing, or how nice the sun felt on her back. The sun would be setting soon, and there was an instinctive part of her that wanted to get to a more enclosed place before dark came. Maybe she was overreacting, but she’d heard some pretty nasty rumors about some of the things that could come out at night. Whether they were leftovers from the Institute, or something else, or if they even existed, though, Anise didn’t really care. She just didn’t want to get eaten by anything. That would have been a dumb way to go, especially after everything else she’d been through.
Once she made it back to the Safe House (as everyone had taken to calling it by now), she hung her coat up beside the door and noiselessly slipped inside. There weren’t many people here right now, which was a rarity. The Colonel had sent her and Guy as representatives for the latest meeting -- or, rather, the Colonel had sent Guy, and Anise had volunteered to accompany him. Maybe it was kind of underhanded, but the Safe House was actually closer to the city than their other hideout, and going to the meetings cut down on traveling time a good deal.
“Who’s there?” someone called from the kitchen. Anise froze before slipping into her most innocent voice.
“Just little old me!” she giggled. “I decided to go out for some fresh air, and got a little lost on the way. It was pretty scary, but I’m safe and sound now.”
Claude poked his head out and stared at Anise with a small frown. The blond’s left cheek was bulging a little, as if he was chewing on something. “You got lost, huh?” His voice was a little muffled, so he guilty swallowed what was in his mouth. “You really should be more careful, you know. Next time you want to go outside for a bit, let somebody know. That way you can at least have a buddy with you.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ll remember that,” she brightly replied, even though she had no intention of asking anyone to go with her on her “outings”. “By the way…what were you eating?”
The boy paused, rubbing the back of his head. “Oh, uh, I found some old chips lying around. They tasted kind of stale, but I was hungry, so…”
Anise knew Claude wasn’t the greatest cook, so that made sense, at least. Still, she wondered where the others were, and she curiously tilted her head. “Is it just you right now?”
“I guess.” He glanced around, as if to check if anyone else was around. “Ashton and Dias are out…training or something, I think. Guy is…” Falling silent, Claude frowned and folded his arms over his chest. “Where is Guy, anyway? If he left, he didn’t say anything to me. I just assumed he was with you, to be honest.”
At that moment, the man in question stepped through the door, and he smiled as soon as he caught sight of the girl. “Hey there, Anise! I was looking all over for you. Everything all right?”
“Of course!” she laughed. It was instinctive and natural for her to brush off other people’s concerns, so she didn’t even think twice about it. “But, you know, if you were wanting to go out for a romantic stroll or something, I wouldn’t be opposed. It’s not nighttime yet, so we’ve still got time!”
She was kidding (well, half-kidding, at least), and apparently it was enough to draw the attention away from her. Guy gave a sheepish smile and said, “Maybe not this evening. How about another time?” At that moment, Claude made a weird noise, and Anise glanced back at him with raised eyebrows. Once she was met with a sudden, innocent expression of his own, though, she decided to let it go, and turned her attention back on Guy.
Their eyes met before he turned away to settle down on one of the sagging chairs. “It’s probably best to just sit tight for now,” he added as he casually crossed his legs.
It was then she remembered that sensation of being followed from earlier -- but she promptly discarded the thought. Guy couldn’t possibly have known what she was up to…could he? But she couldn’t just ask, either. Her quest to find her parents was secret for a reason!
…Maybe that was her just thinking too hard about it. For now, she was tired from today’s excursion -- the fatigue suddenly washed over to her, as if it‘d caught up at last. “You’re right. Guess I’ll take a nap or something, then. A lady needs her beauty sleep, you know.” After sitting down on the dirty couch, she closed her eyes. Guy might have said something else to her, but before she even realized it, she’d drifted off to sleep.
It was dark by the time she opened her eyes again. Belatedly, she realized someone had tossed a blanket over her. After pulling it tighter around herself, Anise turned onto her side and gazed at the wall. She thought of her parents. Where were they sleeping tonight? Were they safe? Had Gloomietta really been telling the truth when she’d said they‘d up and left?
She’d gone to that house looking for reassurance, but all she’d come back with were more questions. Anise hated it.
Guy’s familiar, light footsteps sounded from the porch, and she immediately closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep in case he walked inside to check on her. There wasn’t much for her to do besides that for the moment, unfortunately. It took her a lot longer to doze off this time around, but once she did, her dreams were as restless and uncertain as the nights at Landel’s had been.
Author:
nestBeta (if applicable): NONE. D: THIS IS PROBABLY RIDDLED WITH MISTAKES AND EW. YOU CAN BASK IN THE FULL GLORY OF MY FAIL.
Word Count: 3,490
Rating: PG
Character(s): Anise, Arietta, brief appearances from Guy and Claude, even briefer mentions of Jade, Ashton and Dias.
Pairing(s) (if applicable): Not really, but possible Claude/Guy (YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT CALLIE) if you squint.
Summary: Even though they're no longer trapped in Landel's Institute, Anise hasn't forgotten about the people she cares about most, and she plans on doing whatever it takes to get some answers.
Notes (if applicable): LOL, RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRE. I honestly thought I was going to be too busy to participate this year, and while I guess I technically was, that didn't stop me from suddenly sitting down to write out this idea that wouldn't leave me alone. Just as I was getting to the end, though, a better way to handle this hit me. But, alas, it's too late to go back and fix it now. :( Sorry it's so rushed. And sorry if any of this is ooc. orz
All you really need to know is that this takes place in the same universe as my previous fic, found over here.
The neighborhood’s entrance was run-down and dilapidated, and for a moment, she wondered if she had the right place. But the crooked sign labeled Sunny Hillsides was unmistakable, so she was confident that the information she’d dug up was right. Still, when she saw the state of this pitiful place, she couldn’t help but wish she’d at least wound up in a nicer part of town.
After all, no one wanted to see their family living in a dump like this.
Eyebrows furrowing, she clutched the crinkled piece of paper that bore the “names” and address of her parents and made her way down the cracked sidewalk. In the distance, she could hear someone’s dog barking. The girl stopped, pausing just long enough to realize it was likely coming from the next street over. Besides, she thought to herself, if someone wanting to abduct her was close by, they wouldn’t be dumb enough to give their position away. That wasn’t a very nice thought, though, so she mainly focused on quickening her pace and paying sharp attention to her surroundings.
A part of her felt like it was stupid to be traveling in broad daylight like this, much less alone, but if there was anyone who knew how to make herself look as innocent and unassuming as possible, it was Anise Tatlin.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been walking, but once she caught sight of 6719 Delong St., Anise stopped dead in her tracks, taking in the small home that, even though it was built very differently than the houses back on her own world, showed signs of being old, and not very well cared for. For a moment, she actually felt cold into her bones. Now that she’d reached Dolores Haze’s house, she didn’t entirely know what to do. Obviously, going up and ringing the doorbell wasn’t the best idea, especially if her parents thought she’d gone missing, and there was any chance of them sending her back to another Institute. They’d been tricked into all of that before. There wasn’t any reason to assume they couldn’t be tricked again.
It pained her to think like that, but Anise knew she had to be realistic. She couldn’t afford not to be. Not if she didn’t want to get locked up again, anyway.
But she couldn’t just stop here, only to turn around, either. I just have to make sure they’re safe, she told herself. At the very least, she would have that to hold onto while she helped find a way home for all of them. Once they’d managed to do that, it wouldn’t matter if she could get them to completely believe her or not -- all they’d need to do was come with her for a little while, and then they’d make it back to Auldrant together. That was what really mattered, right? Recovering from the memory loss could come later once they were out of this horrible place.
Anise knew she was getting ahead of herself. It was hard not to when her parents were involved. Even though she was technically free from the Institute’s walls, she still had so much so think about.
But now wasn’t the time for any of that. Without another thought, she silently crept towards the short, rusted rod-iron fence, and after a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching her, she nimbly climbed over into the overgrown backyard. The browning grass looked like it hadn’t been properly cut in a long while. It was weird, she thought to herself. Her parents had never really had the means to afford a nice place to live (at least, not the Mama and Papa she knew), but they weren’t slobs.
That thought put her on edge as she made her way to the small patio, which was cramped with boxes that were soggy from last night’s rain. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a variety of garden tools had been carelessly thrown inside, as if the person packing had been in a hurry. They obviously hadn’t finished the job. Maybe didn’t even intend to. Against her better judgment, Anise ventured towards the dusty windows, peering inside just enough to catch a good look at a lumpy sofa, a coffee table with a white mug on top, some Earth gadgets she didn’t recognize or really care about, and…no Mama or Papa.
She sighed, folding her arms and frowning. Great. Now what was she supposed to do? Hanging around until one of them showed up was dangerous, but seeing all this weird stuff had only given her more to worry about than anything else.
“Dolores?!”
The sudden voice nearly made Anise jump, but her stomach turned the moment she heard it. She hadn’t needed to whirl around to know who it was, but her instincts put her on guard. Her eyes focused on the girl standing across the yard from her, near the entrance. Though her face was obscured by the doll clutched in her arms, the pink hair was more than enough to give her away.
“Gloomietta.” Without even thinking, Anise placed her hands on her hips and scowled at the girl. She didn’t know how the hell she’d managed to convince anyone to let her out, or if she was for real about all this Dolores stuff, but she didn’t care. This was the last person she’d expected or wanted to see.
“Why do you keep calling me that?” Arietta asked. “You’re weird, Dolores.” She paused, studying the girl from behind her doll. “They told me…the doctors were going to make you better. How come you’re here if you‘re not better?”
But as far as Anise was concerned, she was the only person who had a right to be asking any questions. “Where are my parents?” she demanded. “What did you do to them, Gloomietta?!”
The pink-haired girl shifted where she stood, looking uncomfortable, but not like she was unused to these kinds of exchanges. “I didn’t do anything. That’s just something else you made up, Dolores. Stop being so mean! I don‘t like it.”
“Where are my parents?” Anise asked again, this time louder. “Just answer the question!”
“They left,” she said simply. “Two weeks ago. But…don’t ask me where to, because I don’t know.”
Anise fell silent, though her eyes never left Arietta for a second. She might have been trying to push this innocent girl act, but she wasn’t buying it for a second. Not to mention she didn’t get why Mama and Papa would just pick up and leave. Anise didn’t like it one bit. Where would they have possibly gone, and why?
Of course, that was if Gloomietta was even telling the truth. There was no reason to assume she was, and Anise wasn’t prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“You…escaped, didn’t you?” Arietta suddenly asked.
“What’s it to you?” she shot back. “You went along with their dumb lies so you could get out, too.”
“They’re not lies!” She held tighter to her doll, clearly upset by this. Anise’s eyes were suddenly drawn to a small tabby cat that was rubbing against Arietta’s legs and purring. “Dolores, if you don’t stop being mean, I’m telling Mommy you escaped. Then she’ll call the police, and they’ll take you away again.”
Anise scowled. This was getting her nowhere, and fast. Her parents weren’t here, and all she had to go by was stupid Gloomietta. Talk about a waste of time and energy!
She didn’t have to put up with this.
“This is my house, isn’t it? I have as much of a right to be here as anyone else.” Anise took a few steps towards her, indicating that she wasn’t going to back down or let Gloomietta just push her around. “Just get out of here.”
The other girl hesitated as Anise approached her, and it was clear she was scared by the idea of being approached by a crazy person. “You’ll be sorry!” she suddenly blurted before bolting off into the other direction like a scared animal. The cat that had been at her feet paused before darting after her. After a few moments, they’d disappeared down the street, and Anise breathed a small sigh to herself.
Still, she knew she didn’t have much time if she wanted any answers. It was possible Arietta would make good on her threat and get her “mother” -- whoever she was -- to call someone.
I’ll have to move fast.
Without wasting another second, Anise made her way further into the yard until she saw a smaller bedroom window. At first she was afraid she was going to have to use a rock to break it open so she could try unlocking it from the inside, but it slid open easily enough once she tested it. After sending another backward glance over her shoulder, the girl slipped inside. As soon as her ragged boots landed against the carpet, she turned and closed the window nice and tight, even flipping the lock in place for good measure.
Her parents’ bedroom -- or, at least, that’s what she assumed it was -- was actually a lot tidier than the house’s exterior. The bed, which was covered by a thin, blue blanket, had been neatly made up, giving no hint of any recent disturbances. The only thing that seemed mildly out of place was a scattered pile of papers resting on top of the desk that was at the far end of the room. Frowning to herself, Anise stepped over to it and began rummaging through them.
Even with Earth’s weird customs, it didn’t take her long to figure out what they were -- some water and gas bills here, several medical bills for some kind of back surgery, among other things…like letters from people wanting to collect the money. She wasn’t real sure on how dollars compared to gald, but some of these numbers were pretty big. Just like back home, it looked like her parents had managed to land themselves in some pretty serious debt.
Was that why they’d left? Guilt settled uncomfortably into the pit of her stomach as she sifted through the other papers. Had her absence really left them in such a bad bind that they’d been forced to escape from it? Or maybe they’d gone out to find her once they’d caught wind of her disappearance from the destroyed Institute, which was a terrible idea considering the horrible money problems they were having.
There was no real way of knowing, was there? She sighed, cursing under her breath.
Time was probably running short. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Anise hastily grabbed a few of the papers before shoving them into her pocket. She knew she only had a few minutes to make a quick run through the rest of the house. Nothing struck her as out of the ordinary or potentially dangerous -- a pile of cleaned dishes left on the counter, that mug she’d seen earlier (oddly enough, it had some loose change in it, which she shoved into her pocket), the sports section of a dated newspaper, and a box from a supposed friend that had been labeled as an “early Christmas present”. Anise actually opened it for good measure, but all she found was an ugly wool sweater.
Mama…Papa…where are you?
That was the only question weighing on her mind as she pushed the front door open a little. She knew she’d likely have to slip out through one of the back windows if she didn’t want to just leave the door open for anyone to just walk inside. Still, she wanted to make sure she’d checked everywhere for any possible clues.
As she stepped outside, the only thing that greeted her was the sight of the cracked sidewalks and old, crooked street. Was this what her father saw everyday he’d gone to work? Was this the yard they remembered their daughter playing in? It was a depressing thought -- one that Anise didn’t waste much time dwelling on.
At her feet was a fuzzy mat with the words WELCOME staring back at her. And beneath the corner, something…silver glinted in the sunlight, catching Anise’s eye. Eyes brightening, she quickly stooped down to grab whatever it was.
“It’s a key,” she said to herself. It was small and light, but that’s what it definitely was. Was it for the house, though? After shutting the door behind her, she slipped the key into the hole and turned it to the side. As soon as she heard the faint click of the lock sliding into place, Anise suddenly realized that her parents had left it for her, just incase their daughter had come back in search of her family.
Of course, they hadn’t been sure enough of her return to leave a note, or anything, explaining where they’d run off to. But then, her parents had always gone out of their way to make sure she didn’t worry too much. Maybe they just assumed their Dolores knew how to get a hold of them during a situation like this.
Too bad her parents were the ones with the memory problem.
Idly, she placed a hand in her coat pocket, feeling the papers she’d snatched earlier. They weren’t much, but Anise had been left with less when she’d first started her search for this place. She’d find her parents, one way or another. Hopefully by then they’ll have found a way back to Auldrant. Then she’d be able to take them away from this horrible place. Then they’d be home, together.
Without another thought, she took off running, past the shaggy front yard and into the opposite direction she’d come. The small bit of change jingled in her pocket, and for a moment she fantasized about using the public bus to get to the outskirt out town. But as she got to the neighborhood’s exit, her hair stood on end, and she stopped in her tracks.
She’d had enough experience to know when she was being watched. Even after she furtively glanced around, though, she didn’t catch sight of anyone. It was weird, to say the least, but it was enough to make her decide to take the longest, most difficult-to-trace route back outside of the city.
Maybe some people would have suggested walking through the dimly-lit alleyways that zig-zagged between the buildings, but Anise drifted among the crowds of people who were commuting home from work. Thankfully, this sort of work came second-natured to her, and by the time she reached the abandoned, outer-blocks, the dreadful feeling from before was mostly gone.
Bringing something dirty back to their camp wasn’t something she wanted on her hands. Her friends already had little idea of these excursions of hers. There was no doubt in Anise’s mind they’d disapprove of her going it alone and would want to get involved. But the truth was, it was safest for everyone this way, and that was that.
+++
The trip through the woods was quiet and uneventful, but she didn’t bother to take time to enjoy the way the birds were singing, or how nice the sun felt on her back. The sun would be setting soon, and there was an instinctive part of her that wanted to get to a more enclosed place before dark came. Maybe she was overreacting, but she’d heard some pretty nasty rumors about some of the things that could come out at night. Whether they were leftovers from the Institute, or something else, or if they even existed, though, Anise didn’t really care. She just didn’t want to get eaten by anything. That would have been a dumb way to go, especially after everything else she’d been through.
Once she made it back to the Safe House (as everyone had taken to calling it by now), she hung her coat up beside the door and noiselessly slipped inside. There weren’t many people here right now, which was a rarity. The Colonel had sent her and Guy as representatives for the latest meeting -- or, rather, the Colonel had sent Guy, and Anise had volunteered to accompany him. Maybe it was kind of underhanded, but the Safe House was actually closer to the city than their other hideout, and going to the meetings cut down on traveling time a good deal.
“Who’s there?” someone called from the kitchen. Anise froze before slipping into her most innocent voice.
“Just little old me!” she giggled. “I decided to go out for some fresh air, and got a little lost on the way. It was pretty scary, but I’m safe and sound now.”
Claude poked his head out and stared at Anise with a small frown. The blond’s left cheek was bulging a little, as if he was chewing on something. “You got lost, huh?” His voice was a little muffled, so he guilty swallowed what was in his mouth. “You really should be more careful, you know. Next time you want to go outside for a bit, let somebody know. That way you can at least have a buddy with you.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ll remember that,” she brightly replied, even though she had no intention of asking anyone to go with her on her “outings”. “By the way…what were you eating?”
The boy paused, rubbing the back of his head. “Oh, uh, I found some old chips lying around. They tasted kind of stale, but I was hungry, so…”
Anise knew Claude wasn’t the greatest cook, so that made sense, at least. Still, she wondered where the others were, and she curiously tilted her head. “Is it just you right now?”
“I guess.” He glanced around, as if to check if anyone else was around. “Ashton and Dias are out…training or something, I think. Guy is…” Falling silent, Claude frowned and folded his arms over his chest. “Where is Guy, anyway? If he left, he didn’t say anything to me. I just assumed he was with you, to be honest.”
At that moment, the man in question stepped through the door, and he smiled as soon as he caught sight of the girl. “Hey there, Anise! I was looking all over for you. Everything all right?”
“Of course!” she laughed. It was instinctive and natural for her to brush off other people’s concerns, so she didn’t even think twice about it. “But, you know, if you were wanting to go out for a romantic stroll or something, I wouldn’t be opposed. It’s not nighttime yet, so we’ve still got time!”
She was kidding (well, half-kidding, at least), and apparently it was enough to draw the attention away from her. Guy gave a sheepish smile and said, “Maybe not this evening. How about another time?” At that moment, Claude made a weird noise, and Anise glanced back at him with raised eyebrows. Once she was met with a sudden, innocent expression of his own, though, she decided to let it go, and turned her attention back on Guy.
Their eyes met before he turned away to settle down on one of the sagging chairs. “It’s probably best to just sit tight for now,” he added as he casually crossed his legs.
It was then she remembered that sensation of being followed from earlier -- but she promptly discarded the thought. Guy couldn’t possibly have known what she was up to…could he? But she couldn’t just ask, either. Her quest to find her parents was secret for a reason!
…Maybe that was her just thinking too hard about it. For now, she was tired from today’s excursion -- the fatigue suddenly washed over to her, as if it‘d caught up at last. “You’re right. Guess I’ll take a nap or something, then. A lady needs her beauty sleep, you know.” After sitting down on the dirty couch, she closed her eyes. Guy might have said something else to her, but before she even realized it, she’d drifted off to sleep.
It was dark by the time she opened her eyes again. Belatedly, she realized someone had tossed a blanket over her. After pulling it tighter around herself, Anise turned onto her side and gazed at the wall. She thought of her parents. Where were they sleeping tonight? Were they safe? Had Gloomietta really been telling the truth when she’d said they‘d up and left?
She’d gone to that house looking for reassurance, but all she’d come back with were more questions. Anise hated it.
Guy’s familiar, light footsteps sounded from the porch, and she immediately closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep in case he walked inside to check on her. There wasn’t much for her to do besides that for the moment, unfortunately. It took her a lot longer to doze off this time around, but once she did, her dreams were as restless and uncertain as the nights at Landel’s had been.
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I love the idea, and the characterization was spot on, so stop saying you fail and give yourself a pat on the back. :| Right now.
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I'm debating on re-writing part of it, since I'm not 100 percent happy with how things played out, and it's so obvious I did this last minute. xD;; But it makes me happy to hear you approve of the characterization. ♥ Thanks!!