aterat | A Soldier and a smol pup

Angeal landed in a fountain and fortunately found an odd change of clothes in his new 'apartment' while his dried. And he did try his best to keep up with that gnome guy or whoever handed him the blue satchel and took off. But it scurried under some fallen tree trunks and even with his heightened senses and enhanced physical abilities, the First Class couldn't seem to keep up and it frustratingly disappeared out of sight.

Where this place was and why he was here wasn't answered. Why he was back from the Lifestream had gone unanswered. Everything about this place made absolute zero sense. He could remember picking Zack up from the battlefield, and bringing him to the Lifestream. And he even touched his own back. No Buster sword there, he'd given that to Zack who gave it to Cloud.

And then he wandered with his thoughts tumbling over each other eventually he came to the park and found a small wooden bench. So he sat down and tried to figure this new place out. He's not quite sure what is going on or why he's back from the Lifestream. Nothing looks familiar and as he continued to sit there, his ears picked up the sound of a small whine.

Standing up, the First Class started to look around and finally located the sound coming from a very small ball of fur.

Turning to someone nearby, he shook his head. "Does he belong to you?"

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With how long she'd been stuck in this place Illyana had gotten pretty good at recognizing new arrivals. Not that Recently she'd even made steps towards something really miraculous: trying to be helpful to them. Granted the 'steps' were just her telling herself she'd try to help the next newcomer she came across. That was about as generous as Illyana usually got towards non-teammates.

Today was different though! Today, she'd come across someone who clearly looked new and confused who had also seemingly found some sort of strange furball.

"That depends," she said with a tilt of her head. "Does it have horns?" Well, so much for trying to be helpful to a new arrival. "No, it doesn't. Looks like you've already made a new friend."

A woman had been nearby and heard his question. And for some reason Angeal straightened to his full 6'4" height when he really took notice of her there. His blue mako eyes took a look at his new companion and then gave her an odd look when she mentioned horns.

Why did she mention horns? Did dogs normally have horns here?

And then he looked back at the pup when she mentioned he'd made a new friend. Funny, he hadn't meant to find something that might need care because he honestly had thought he was done with all of that and had been in the Lifestream.

But as he kneeled down and reached out a hand for the pup to inspect, he had to mention it at least in passing. "I don't suppose dogs normally have horns here."

"Not here," she said with a shrug. Not really anywhere. Dogs with horns would probably just be demons where she's been. That wasn't going to stop her from teasing someone about things like that though. It just came a bit too naturally.

"Dogs do seem to be becoming more common though. All different breeds of the little monsters."

He wasn't sure if she was being serious or not, but he didn't see any telltale signs that indicated humour. So he kept petting the little furball and smiled up at the lady. "They're common here?"

But when she mentioned 'monsters' he had to sigh at the four legged furball who was busy doing the tail wag thing for a moment before returning his gaze to his two legged companion. "Not sure he qualifies as a monster. But maybe he'll earn it when he gets bigger."

"A few people have found them" she rolled her shoulders in a shrug. "Maybe they're becoming more common as a reaction to us." It had been mentioned that they would influence this world as it grew. There'd even been one young woman who had talked to the planet and it'd implied it was learning from them and whoever was around. Though Illyana wasn't entirely sure if the addition of more dogs here really meant anything. Maybe it reflected on the people here somehow.

"A good monster can hide itself. I'd know." There'd been no end to the number of people back home that referred to her as a monster. "When he grows he may be something fierce." She looked down at the dog again and then shook her head. That was a bit hard to imagine actually.

He nodded at hearing this new report of dogs being here. Still, he had to ask. "A common reaction to us?" Was this lady a stranger here too like he was? She looked to Angeal like she belonged here. In his own eyes, he stuck out like a sore thumb so to speak. It was an interesting thought that there were others like him, strangers to this new world and were they trying to figure out why they were here too?

To the monster comment, he shook his head. "I'm guessing you don't think this pup is a monster then." Monsters were Angeal when he'd lost his mind and sprouted his white wings and all of that. But this pup was nothing like that. "But there are monsters that can hide themselves, that's a fact."

And he was referring to himself.

"That's what they told us we were brought here for: to exist and help re-create their world." She shrugged nonchalantly as if it were an average every day fact to tell someone. "Evidently the natives can't do it themselves. Kind of embarrassing for them, huh?"

She smirked and then shrugged again. "Maybe it's a monster in hiding. You never really know. Have experience with monsters?"

Angeal shook his head. "Existing and helping to recreate their world." He sighed and then nodded at her assessment. "The orders are pretty vague."

Not that he wasn't used to that because he'd gotten orders like that at times. And when they were particularly atrocious, Angeal as a First declined them. He then let out a small laugh at her question.

"We had some pretty interesting monsters back home. And I hear one of them managed to make its way here actually."

"Aren't they? Almost like they don't even really know why we're here." That was her assumption anyway. Maybe it was a rude one, but it wasn't like Illyana was a particularly nice person most of the time.

"Oh? Which one made it's way here?"

Angeal shook his head. "That hadn't occurred to me as of yet. But it sounds logical in my own mind." On that he could definitely agree. And what he's said was true, he hadn't thought about it until now.

To her question though he nodded. "I heard there are creatures known as Tonberries. Have you run across one?"

"Do you have a logical mind then? We could use with more of those here." Most people here seemed to run on emotion rather than logic.

She cast her gaze to the side as the clicked her tongue thoughtfully. "Tonberries? Maybe. What do they look like?"

He nodded. "Years of having to have it on the job." He had to deal with two grown men and their egos playing mom to both. And then there was the whole business of keeping Zack safe.

There was a slight smile at her next question. They're not much higher than your knee. But they're green and they wield chef knives which can do a pretty sizeable amount of damage when they connect."

"Ah, and what sort of job did you have?" Whether or not Illyana was actually curious was left up in the air, she at least sounded curious if that meant anything.

Her eyes narrowed at the mention and she twisted her mouth in a frown. "Those things. I killed a few of them." After they'd killed her, but that was unimportant. "One of them spoke to us. I think she's still around."

"Just a soldier." Angeal replied. He didn't need to get into the whole First Class thing because if he reappeared back in his life, it would be to go directly back to the Lifestream. And that was a nowhere destination but totally fitting for a dead person such as he was.

However, she seemed to know of the Tonberries and that was impressive enough. But then when it was said they spoke, that took Angeal back.

"They can talk?"

A Soldier and a smol pup

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