Can I tell you this time

She takes the seat beside her. She believes that maybe there’ll be a chance Snow comes back. If she was able to then surely he, too, right? “I’m in the Archimedes Ward. The Golden Ward is very pretty. Even at night. When all the lights are lit up.” She had seen it on her first night back in the city. She wondered if Vanille had stopped by her Ward and checked the area out, maybe even her housing as well. “The Archimedes Ward is pretty nice, too. It’s definitely something different.” At least not something she was completely used to seeing. 

It was a shame they didn’t live near each other, but that was fine. At least Serah was around, so she wasn’t alone. “The Golden Ward is so pretty,” she sighed wistfully. Vanille was lucky. She could sleep anywhere, really, but it was nice to stay somewhere like that. Yet it still didn’t beat home.

“Oh!” Vanille admired the banners and decorations that hung among her ward. “It’s so pretty!” It almost made up for being stuck here.

Sasuke appreciated Vanille’s concern, but it was completely unnecessary. Especially now that he was healed. Sure he’d get scuffed up later, but that is just how it was when you were raised to be a magic ninja assassin for war! (Starting at the tender age of 7 mind you.)

He held up his hand towards the girl and shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Trust me.” He hope that his words would be enough to ease her concerns, even just slightly. “There are risks I need to take if I want to get stronger. The burns are the least of my worries right now.”

What on Earth did a kid that young have to train for? It just wasn’t right. Vanille had seen this kind of thing before, little boys used as weapons for a cause they did not understand. Yes, Sasuke may have been 14, but...

Matt knew he should calm down. But god, it had been so long since he could talk about this stuff. “They’re fun! Maybe a bunch of us could play it, sometime.” Matt ran his fingers over the books, then turned to Vanille. “Do you like reading, then?”

A bunch? Where was this boy going to find a group of people to play his nerd game? She... wasn’t going to ask.

{ ⚔ }: This…wasn’t possible.

That voice overwhelmed with the familiar cheerful tone nearly caused her to choke on her own words. Astonished, Lightning merely observed as the young lady approached her. Cloud’s words suddenly interrupted her thoughts, having tailed the warrior since their previous conversation.

Should Vanille disappear from Spirale, would she return to the crystal pillar?

“Vanille, is that really you?” her usual calm expression immediately vacated her face.

It was Lightning. With how gung-ho that woman was, Vanille was surprised she wasn’t trying to stick her blade into whatever brought her here. Not that she would have much luck, but this was Lightning...

Not having much time to react, Sasuke could only watch as the energy quickly healed his burns. Briefly he looked up at Vanille, then back down at his arms. It reminded him of medical ninjutsu, but considering the circumstances he assumed that isn’t what it was. “…Yes, I’m …fine. …Thank you?”  

It took him a moment to find his words since he was taken aback by the girl’s sudden but kind gesture. “….Its not what it looks like.” He turned and started to pack up the medi-kit, seeing as how he wouldn’t be needing it. “I was just training. The burns are a result of that, and its pretty normal for me.” 

The boy seemed confused, and he had every right to be. Under normal circumstances, Vanille would have never even dreamed of using her powers. However, everyone else seemed fine with the idea of strange magic. She would’ve been out of place if she didn’t.

“Do I know how to play these?”

Matt smirked. He could have gone on a wild story about his Garrison D&D sessions, about his campaigns against Bugbears and Wyverns and Blood Elves, but he chose not to. This girl - whose name he still didn’t know - didn’t need to suffer like that.

“Yeah, I used to play them all the time. I can tell you about them, if you want. These over here are the FATE system, and-” Reign it in, buddy. “Just… there are different rules for each one. I’m pretty sure I’ve played them all.”

"..."

“Uh, yeah! That sure looks like a library!”

Matt was barely paying attention, too focused on some cute girl holding his hand. Honestly, if she was a cute boy, he’d be just as useless. Maybe it was the pink hair that really got him? She looked familiar, like a video game character he had a crush on once…

Matt hurried inside the library. “I dunno if they’ll have visual novels,” he hummed, but that wasn’t his main pull of attention. Instead, it was a far corner by the fantasy section. Tabletop roleplaying manuals. Holy shit.

Vanille watched his attention shift from the books to the fantasy section. She felt strangely comfortable around him, and she soon realised why. He reminded her of Hope in a strange way - if Hope ever got the chance to grow up. Let’s not dwell on that.

Oh, she was holding his hand, and they were leaving. Okay. Yes. This is what Matt wanted, dare I say expected, from his day. But… he was excited about more than the visual novels, and more than the cute girl. He was gonna see books. Real, physical books, in English. He could read them.

“Yeah!” Matt said, suddenly perking up. “To the library!”

Vanille didn’t even notice Matt’s head was elsewhere. She dragged him to the library, humming to herself. At least Matt didn’t protest when he was dragged along - that was something! They arrived at the library, and that was when she let go of his hand.

Don’t overshare, Matt.

“If there’s a library or something, I bet there’s tons.” Okay, good one. Don’t force her into it or anything, you giant loser. “Oh, I’m Matt, by the way. Matt Holt.”

“There is!”