|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:46 pm
Opening his mouth to respond to Kim, Ater stopped before his lips had even parted more than a few millimeters. Slowly he turned his head to look behind him, his hair falling away from his face and showing his ever livid burn scaring. There was a person there, somebody he'd not seen before.
He sighed lightly "Another newbie? We can't move for them these days. Well, if they didn't keep vanishing." His tone was flat and calm as he addressed the newcomer.
Ater's eyes calmly scanned up and down the person standing in front of him. The person literally screamed that he was new. The way he looked was like reading a book in a way. Nobody that had been in Shin-Ra smiled like they were actually enjoying themselves. Not unless they could lie to the guards at the pearly gates above and get away with it.
"Well what do you want?" Ater's tone remained calm and flat, even a little bit cold "We don't have time for show and tell with rookies." His eyes glared a little as he spoke. He was even tempted to try and scare the newcomer, but he could always do that later.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:21 pm
Aleksandr turned to Kim and smiled. He glanced back to Ater and replied, "actually, I was hoping to meet up with my partner for our next mission," before turning to the young lady standing near Ater and asking, "Kim, right? I was told you were most likely going to head here. I've been assigned to work with you. We are to protect President Rufus while he is speaking."
He turned once more to Ater, his eyes showing a glimpse of his annoyance. "Oh, and don't worry. I won't disappear," Aleksandr said with an air of confidence. He then walked past Kim and Ater, looking back at the young lady before stepping out into the hall.
"Yeah, he's just as they say. A real handful I think. Well, no matter. I can't expect to be friends with everyone. Besides, it's not my problem. The old guy's just bitter I think," Aleksandr said as he leaned against the wall in the hallway.
Despite the hustle and bustle around him he seemed to be alone. He then slinked down, sliding his back against the cool, plastered surface, and sat on the tiled floor, resting his head on his knees, arms crossed in his lap.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:42 pm
Kim blinked slowly, trying to figure out what just happened. A new member of the Turks, Aleksandr, had just introduced himself in an odd way. He wasn't shy or scared and addressed her and Ater in a famillar nature. Not that that was bad; she liked the varied personalities of ther co-workers.
She nodded when he adressed her and was a little suprised to hear her next assignment come from a new Turk. Where had he heard that? Everyone else was still waiting around for orders... it all would depend on when Rufus would be giving the speech, where... and lots of things.
He openly challenged Ater and walked away. Kim was suprised that this one wasn't intimidated by Ater's presence - she used to be, at the very begining. She looked up at Ater and gave him a weary smile, "So, what should we do about this guy?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:35 pm
"Sheesh, I should be more careful. I'm not the type to talk so big, especially because I'm still new to this outfit," Aleksandr said as he ran his fingers through his hair.
He realized he was in a lot of people's way and he slowly slid back up to his feet, balancing himself by placing his steady hands on the slick surface of the wall. "Hmmm, you know, I really shouldn't sneak around gathering information the way I have been, it'll probably get me in trouble," Aleksandr muttered to himself.
"s**t! And what about that fake order? What was I thinking?" he lamented as he started pacing back and forth in the hallway. "Gah! I'm so screwed!" he cried. He looked around at the Shinra employees that were staring at him, shocked by his outburst. "Uh, sorry. I'll be quiet," he muttered as a bright shade of red bepainted his cheeks. "What a great way to start my day," he concluded as he started wandering down the hall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:33 am
Swinging his eyes slowly to look at Kim, Ater gave a small shrug "Well, we still have to go to the labs, you could always follow this new 'partner' of yours." He seemed to sneer a little bit as he said the word. His eyes narrowing a little he carried on "But that's really your call Kim. Though we've not heard a peep out of the bigwigs about anything more than there's going to be a speech."
Ater turned his head to look at the way the man had left "We dislike him, he irks us. Maybe it's because we're so young." He chuckled ever so softly before looking back to Kim directly. "But anyways, we still have to go." The lift he'd called made a soft ping as the doors slid open "Come or go, we don't mind either really. You always have your phone."
Ater calmly stepped backwards into the lift, a finger hovering over the button to go up "But you better think fast." He chuckled again and watched as the doors began to slowly slide closed in front of him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:36 pm
A few moments later Aleksandr found himself pacing across the floor of his small apartment's living area. He was wearing down the fabric on the small rug he'd used to decorate the floor near his coffee table.
"Hmmm, what a way to start out my new career. I'm starting to feel like a real failure," Aleksandr muttered aloud before stopping in his tracks and falling backward onto the rug and crossed his legs, resting his elbows on his thighs and then his chin atop his knuckles, thinking hard.
After a few minutes he laid down, crossing his arms behind his head and resting on his fingers and open palms. He started laughing and shook his head. "Well, at least it'll be funny," he mused aloud as he crossed his legs and started bobbing his right foot up and down in the air as if keeping time to a song that only he could hear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:21 pm
"Well, we still have to go to the labs, you could always follow this new 'partner' of yours."
Kim looked at the spot she last saw the new Turk.
We dislike him, he irks us. Maybe it's because we're so young." He chuckled ever so softly before looking back to Kim directly. "But anyways, we still have to go." The lift he'd called made a soft ping as the doors slid open "Come or go, we don't mind either really. You always have your phone."
She sighed and thought about what she was going to do. She felt an obligation to find the Turk, a nagging at the back of her brain. She wanted to see if Ater and him would do better on the next try. Still...
"But you better think fast."
Her head snapped up, and she saw that Ater was already in the elevator. Watching the doors come together, she gasped and jogged to the door, barely making it into the little box before it closed with a 'ding'.
She took in some deep breaths and adjusted her glasses. Then, she gave Ater a look somewhere between suprise and humor, "Well," She said, "You made me make up my mind fast." She grinned, "I really should keep my head out of the clouds."
Leaning against the wall, she sighed, "There's no way I would have been able to find Aleksandr anyway, slow as I was. Hopefully, he'll contact a secretary to get my number, if he needs it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:22 pm
"Maybe he will" Ater shrugged, looking calmly at Kim "But at least you made up your mind fast when you had to. Good quality." He calmly pressed the button for the labs, the lift slowly starting to ascend towards their destination. The elvator music was as annoying as always, but he didn't mind. What he wanted to know was why he had been called up there in the first place.
He looked a his folded up sleeve, maybe it was something to do with that. Though he doubted they had miricle-grow for limbs yet, even if the tech-boffins were always comming up with new and inventive things. Then his mind drifted a little. He was uneasy about that new 'partner' of Kim's, something didn't seem right about him to Ater. It was strange. He'd have to keep his wits about him just incase.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:04 pm
It was only a matter of time before boredom overtook him. He sat up quickly, crossing his legs and turning his head to look at the coffee table next to him.
The coffee table was covered with magazines and littered with a myriad of pictures, documents, and wrappers from various types of instant food. He sat on his knees in front of his coffee table and rested his chin on his right hand in the space between his thumb and pointer finger. He thought to himself for a second about where he left the remote to his television. "Sheesh, I really should clean up," he said as he reached out and started sifting through things, knocking papers and wrappers to the floor. He finally managed to find his remote amongst the garbage and papers he had strewn across his table. "Finally," he muttered as he turned and pressed the power button, pointing his remote to the TV set on the opposite wall. Nothing happened.
"Great, and now I'm out of batteries. Maybe I should just take a nap," Aleksandr said as he fell back against the carpet, his head resting on some of the stray garbage on his floor. "Hmmm, that Kim girl was a real cutie," he mused to himself before rolling over and drifted off into sleep.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:19 pm
"Maybe he will" Ater shrugged, looking calmly at Kim "But at least you made up your mind fast when you had to. Good quality."
She grinned at his compliment, and gave him a smile in return, "That's good to hear. I'm not losing my mind from this job."
The ride up was relatively smooth but some smart aleck pressed some random floors so they stopped a couple times. She couldn't help but get annoyed when they suddenly stopped; at least no one else was getting on.
"So..." Kim started, staring at the increasing numbers as they appeared. "Is this excursion to the labs your choice, or is something waiting there for you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:42 pm
"Loosing your mind's not a problem. It's realising it's gone that's hard." He chuckled before his tone dropped to near deadpan "It's prolly more meds. They never really tell us. All we ever get it told to go up to the labs. It's really very impersonal."
Stretching a little, Ater tapped his foot lightly as the lift quickly rose, though the sporadic stopping was rather annoying. He'd have to remember to ask the tech boffins about installing security cameras propperly in the lifts. After all, hadn't the rebels been using them with little to no problem? It was a chilling thought, even for Ater.
With a soft ping the doors finally slid open once more. Revealing the neat grey layout of the labs to Kim and himself. A small white man stood calmly in front of the lift. It surprised Ater that it wasn't Hojo. The little b*****d always seemed to enjoy taunting Ater. The man, unimpressive as he was, adjusted his thick rimmed glasses and coughed lightly before speaking in a highly timid voice "Mister Vivin?" Ater nearly snarled at the man, he loathed being addressed so formally.
"What?" Ater hissed through his teeth at the man, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"If you could follow me please." The small man seemed to shrink a little, and rushed his request under Ater's glare.
"She's coming with us." Ater relaxed a little and nodded towards Kim as he stepped from the lift, the little man nigh on scurrying away as Ater began to walk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:00 pm
Aleksandr twitched in his sleep, remembering the events of his past. He experienced the familiar sights and sounds of that incident years ago, the incident that made him a Turk.
"Dad!" His boyish scream echoing in his mind. He sat up, panting heavily, leaning against his quivering arms. His forehead was beaded with sweat and his face was flushed, a ghostly pale. He got up onto his feet and half-staggered toward the kitchen, his legs weak from the shock.
Aleksandr opened up the cupboard and reached a shaky hand inside. He felt around, searching for a glass, but couldn't find one. "Why the hell did they have to make this cupboard up so high?" Aleksandr lamented. He shut it, half-angrily and half-distractedly. He shuffled over to his sink, which was full of unwashed dishes. He pushed them out of the way, listening to the clinking of dishes as they shifted under his influence. He turned on the sink and pressed his mouth up to the faucet.
After Aleksandr got a drink he turned off the water and sat down at his kitchen table, starting to pull out the important insurance forms that he'd yet to turn in for ShinRa. "Wow, this is boring and tedious all at the same time," he exclaimed, though his tone was tired and flat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:23 pm
"Ah, it's okay," Kim smiled, watching as the little lab guy tried to direct Ater away. "I think I'll wait here for you."
She looked around the lab with an air of curiosity. "I didn't get a good look at the place the last time I came." There were a bunch of tubes and clean, stark desks with little men and women shuffling around. Not many, but they reminded her of a small pack of tonberries.
She had to shoo Ater again, even motioning with her hands, "Go on. I'll be here when you get back."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:31 am
"Tch, fine." Ater tutted as he headed off with the lab assistant, the small man hurrying along at quite a fast pace for someone that didn't seem to use his legs fully. "So what is this about?" he asked the man as they rounded a corner "Medication again?"
"Ahh yes" the small man stopped, taking a small bottle of pills from his lab coat and handing them to Ater "Though there are other matters that need your attention. Since at this precise moment you ARE a high raking officer." Ater was surprised the man could emphasise a word, let alone make a full statement to him. Though his surprise only escalated as a small white envelope was handed to him as well "Professor Hojo asked this be given to you. But please, read it later. There is one last thing that needs attending too. It shouldn't take too long. Just enough time for your subordinate to look around the facilities."
Ater rolled his eyes, only a scientist would be more eloquent than anyone else in the building. "In here sir." The small man turned into a doorway and held it open for Ater, closing it after he entered. "Please, sit down."
The next thing Ater knew, he was coming too, it had been like he blanked for a second as soon as he sat down. Again, trust a scientist to be that proficient with a needle. "All done sir, now, you may leave. That was all the professor asked me to do before he left."
"Left?" Ater shook his head a little, he felt groggy, but it was quickly passing. Just what had that man hit him with anyways? Another of their little drug cocktails?
"That is what is explained in the letter." The small man nodded. Ater calmly picked up the letter, before what would have been one of the rarest moments in history happened. Ater let out a yelp and then started shouting loudly "WHAT IN THE LIVING ******** had taken Ater three seconds to realise what had happened as soon as he picked up the letter. With his left hand.
"Yes, the company requested that you not be compromised in field work. So the professor was assigned to the task. You were under his direct care after all. The letter does explain a lot." The scientist seemed calmed, less jittery.
"s**t." Ater swore, looking down at his left hand, a black leather glove tightly clung over it. "We can't feel it though." He lifted his hand up and flexed his fingers, examining the hand.
"It's not a real hand sir, just prosthetic. Though there are modifications which a believe the letter may also explain." The scientist slowly shuffled to the door. "Now if you'll excuse me sir, I have some research to finish up. New uses for Mako and better refinement. Just the basics." With the the meagre man shuffled out.
Ater sat in the chair for a while, looking at his hand before he slipped the letter into his pocket along with his pills, and stood up. He had to go find Kim. It seemed that the day was about to get interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:09 pm
Aleksandr finished his paperwork and slowly stretched out. He felt his stomach grumble and rested a hand against it. He then slid to his feet and shuffled slowly toward the door.
He stopped, checking himself in the mirror before he left, making insignificant adjustments to his hair before wandering out. He shut the door behind him and then locked it, shoving the keys into his pocket. He then wandered around for awhile looking for the cafeteria.
He eventually remembered how he'd wound up there before and he wandered into it. "Yay! Food!" he said tiredly as he got in line. He grabbed a tray and followed behind the ShinRa employees, all of them chit-chatting in their little cliques. He started feeling lonely but shook his head. "What would dad say if he caught you acting like such a whimp?" he asked himself under his breath.
Before Aleksandr knew it the line had ended, he had his food and he was now in search of a place to sit. He found an empty table then sat down. He looked down with a grimace at the bland-looking food, sitting in all their small-portioned glory. He prodded something that looked like a meat gelatin then brought a fork-ful to his mouth and almost immediately spat it out into his napkin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
