They had temporarily escaped the heat of the day, Fang and he, by sitting in the shade of one the spring's overhangs. Years later, Hope could still vividly recall the scene -- the breeze coming off of the water; the cool stone underfoot, forever untouched by the sun; the stark contrast between their shadow-ensconced enclave and the brightly-lit canyon beyond; the gentle murmur of the falls, crashing some distance away.
In hindsight, Fang had probably wanted to sit in silence, but Hope was young and uncertain, and to keep the self-doubt from setting in, he needed to talk. He started to mumble something; Fang glared back. But Hope decided to forge on. "Did you ever come here before, you know, you completed your Focus?"
Fang sighed. "A few times. Not much has changed. Just as beautiful as ever." Her lips twisted up into a smirk. "Just as dangerous."
Silence crept back into the alcove, but it was Fang that chose to speak next. "You scared, kid?"
It was a kindness, posing the statement as a question. Of course he was scared; only a madwoman like Fang thrived on uncertainty and discord. But she was giving him a chance to voice his fear, and that meant something.
"Well, yeah." Hope shrugged, trying to look a little less concerned than he felt. "I don't know what's going to happen. I don't... I don't know what to do." What else was there to say? He was a normal boy from a normal family, and every night, when the behemoths howled in the distance, he flinched.
Fang stood up, looking out across the water. From the side, Hope could tell she was still smirking, but her eyes were pained, and her voice took a far-away tone. "When I was young, there was a lobo den in this chasm, right across the water from where we are now. The cubs were cute lil' things."
A pause. "One of them mauled an orphans from Oerba. I killed the den."
"I'm... I'm sorry," Hope said instinctively, realizing even as he spoke that it was the exact wrong thing to say.
"I don't need your sympathy," Fang snarled. "I did what I did to protect the people I loved. Just..." The anger started to fade from her voice. "What I'm trying to say is, suck it up, kid. We all hafta play the hand that Lady Luck deals us, even if it's not the hand we like, or wanted." She motioned with her head. "Now come on, let's see if we can scrounge up something to eat."
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Date: 2011-08-08 02:21 am (UTC)They had temporarily escaped the heat of the day, Fang and he, by sitting in the shade of one the spring's overhangs. Years later, Hope could still vividly recall the scene -- the breeze coming off of the water; the cool stone underfoot, forever untouched by the sun; the stark contrast between their shadow-ensconced enclave and the brightly-lit canyon beyond; the gentle murmur of the falls, crashing some distance away.
In hindsight, Fang had probably wanted to sit in silence, but Hope was young and uncertain, and to keep the self-doubt from setting in, he needed to talk. He started to mumble something; Fang glared back. But Hope decided to forge on. "Did you ever come here before, you know, you completed your Focus?"
Fang sighed. "A few times. Not much has changed. Just as beautiful as ever." Her lips twisted up into a smirk. "Just as dangerous."
Silence crept back into the alcove, but it was Fang that chose to speak next. "You scared, kid?"
It was a kindness, posing the statement as a question. Of course he was scared; only a madwoman like Fang thrived on uncertainty and discord. But she was giving him a chance to voice his fear, and that meant something.
"Well, yeah." Hope shrugged, trying to look a little less concerned than he felt. "I don't know what's going to happen. I don't... I don't know what to do." What else was there to say? He was a normal boy from a normal family, and every night, when the behemoths howled in the distance, he flinched.
Fang stood up, looking out across the water. From the side, Hope could tell she was still smirking, but her eyes were pained, and her voice took a far-away tone. "When I was young, there was a lobo den in this chasm, right across the water from where we are now. The cubs were cute lil' things."
A pause. "One of them mauled an orphans from Oerba. I killed the den."
"I'm... I'm sorry," Hope said instinctively, realizing even as he spoke that it was the exact wrong thing to say.
"I don't need your sympathy," Fang snarled. "I did what I did to protect the people I loved. Just..." The anger started to fade from her voice. "What I'm trying to say is, suck it up, kid. We all hafta play the hand that Lady Luck deals us, even if it's not the hand we like, or wanted." She motioned with her head. "Now come on, let's see if we can scrounge up something to eat."