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 Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 3:17 pm
Assembly Hall and Executive Chamber
Located underground in a large, cavernous room connecting to most of the AVALANCHE living quarters, the assembly hall is titled that merely because this is where the organization gathers whenever its members are called upon. It is nothing more than an expansive cave with level ground and enough room to seat a hundred, and squeeze in twice as many when standing.
The Executive Chamber is located directly behind the Assembly Hall, and is furnished lavishly with up-to-date technology and many other comforts. This is the main meeting room for the core members of the AVALANCHE organization.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:28 pm
Oh, this was bad.
There was a swift clatter of something heavy falling to the ground, raising a daft cacophony of noise in the meager, but quaint kitchen. A yelp resounded loudly throughout the household, and then a hiss as though through teeth tightly clenched. A young boy of about fourteen ran from his bedroom into the kitchen, a look of worry crossing his face as he called out. “Mom! Are you ok—Geez Mom! What did you do?” An unspoken, ‘this time’ hung in the air after his abruptly shortened question had been posed.
In the kitchen, a half-naked woman stood in a mass of pots and pans as they littered the tiled floor about her bare feet. She clutched her hand tightly and was bent over, cringing at the mess around her, long locks of tawny hair falling over her shoulders and veiling her face in a thick curtain. However, as the boy ran in, her head jerked up and she dropped her hand hastily, trying not to worry the youth that had obviously expected her to be in some sort of trouble. Her grin was as sheepish as that of a pup found at the scene of the crime when a particularly tasty morsel had gone missing, and her hazel eyes danced with mingled guilt and apology.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry,” she tried placating her son, gesturing easily until she winced at a particular movement and reached for her hand before she could stop herself. She felt her son’s gaze fade from anger and disbelief into a sigh of typical exasperation. “Just be careful, alright Mom?” he said as he bent down and began lifting up the pans from the floor. His mother seemed to hesitate and he noticed, glancing up to her. “What is it?” he asked before she could make up her mind whether to voice her thoughts or not.
“Well,” she started at last, seeming nervous. “I’ve got a meeting now with Bosso, and I’m already late, so w—” But he had already cut her off with a raised hand. “I’ll take care of it. Just get dressed and go, mom.” A look of relief flashed over her face and that familiar, genial, dopey grin settled her lips. “Thanks hon!” she called, already rushing past him with surprising grace for someone otherwise so clumsy.
“I won’t be too long,” she called out as she hastily tied up her hair and slung a belt around her waist, the sheath of her katana bumping heavily against her leg in a comforting manner. “Don’t worry about your Momma, okay? I will be home in time to prepare dinner.” She bolted for the door and blew a kiss over her shoulder at him just as he glanced to her, and then the door cut them off.
…and then she tore away.
The sun was setting, but the beams still bore down on her relentlessly, and in the heat of the Canyon, she could feel herself sweating. She tore through the passages anyway, making her way to the office of her superior. It was exhilarating in a way, to truly stretch her muscles like this, in a mad dash to keep her boss from waiting any longer, and somehow, her movements had not lost the careless grace that she bore years before when she worked for the Shin-Ra Corporation. Here, there was less to interact with—no cars to avoid or people to weave through—and, in a way, she missed that activity. When she had first moved away from the city, though not of her own accord, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to take it—living in the quiet countryside. She had grown up in the city, and that’s where she was most comfortable.
That had been part of the reason why she had decided to adopt a son. He was a darling little child, opinionated but cute nevertheless. And loud. She needed that. A boy that would cause havoc and keep her occupied at all hours of the day and night. And how she loved her son! It was as though he was her own flesh and blood, and she never treated him any differently. That was why she had taken up this opportunity when it had presented itself. She could support her child far better under the employment of AVALANCHE than she could working two jobs and trying to spend time with him.
So here she was—thirty and in the best of shape—racing around a corner and into the office of her employer. She didn’t bother to knock as she pushed open the door and barged into the room, her hair in her face even with the tie keeping most of it back, panting with hands on knees, sweat beading her forehead, and her appearance dusty and unkempt. “H—h—hey, B—Bosso!” she made out through her heavy breathing and managed to look up at him with a grin. “Y—you wanted to see me?”
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:32 pm
Cruze turned slowly in his chair. He had been pondering the situation in Junon since the end of his conversation with Setra...Sadly, this, was the best idea he could come up with...However, Rikk's appearance, and use of that annoying nickname she seemed to have for him, distracted him momentarily. He shut his eyes, taking a breath, and letting it out slowly...Good lord...This woman was a trial by fire all on her own...Ex-Turk or not, and as useful as she was...Ugh. The second in command hated dealing with her.
He steeled himself against the coming conversation, and then said, "First off, Rikk, if you are going to be late, do yourself a favor and make sure you don't look ridiculous when you do arrive. Second, start calling me by my name, or I will send a Raven after your son." He frankly didn't give a damn about the child one way or the other, but he knew she did; if the kid was going to be around, he was at least going to serve some kind of purpose...Getting his mother to stop calling Cruze 'bosso' seemed like a just one.
"On to important things,"he said, clearly not regarding the potential death of a child as anything of that category, "You heard about Kyota's recall I presume?" Of course she had; it seemed that word spread through AVALANCHE just as quickly as anywhere else...News of a member being recalled from a mission as they prepared to leave was certainly unusual, and undoubtedly going to circulate in rumor for a while. Without bothering to wait for something as obtrusive as her answer, he continued, "You will be going in his stead. You will Meet up with Setra in Junon, and oversee the detainee transport. Understood?" It was not a question of whether or not she would be going, because she was...It was just a question of how much she was going to argue.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:07 pm
A feathered blink was all that greeted his sigh, and she straightened up—self-conscious for once in her life—under her employer’s direct and vicious threats, however inelegantly and casually he seemed to tick them off. As though they were just additional requirements to those he constantly reminded her of, every time he was forced to direct his attention solely upon her.
She tilted her head in obvious bewilderment when he mentioned that she looked “ridiculous”. She gazed herself over and even sniffed at her armpit to see if she smelled offensively. Sure, she had been sweating, but no one had ever said that she smelled anything but appetizing. She shrugged to herself and dropped her arm again as the subject changed from her bossman’s random little quirks to—her son?!
She bristled as the man casually threatened her son’s life, and from behind her dark, rectangular glasses, her hazel eyes flashed with a vehement, protective fire. She was taking a step forward before she could quite figure out what she was doing, her left hand gripping the worn hilt of her katana in more of a protective move than one that threatened violence towards the man she stood before.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she shouldn’t have dared to interrupt the man, but she threw logic out the window. Logic be damned! This was her son he was talking about. Gritting her teeth, anger and passion lacing her voice, she cut right through his comments, brushing them aside, talking over him loudly.
“How dare you threaten my son! He has nothing to do with this! With you! With your organization or anything you want me here for! You leave him out of this!” she was shouting, she realized, but she didn’t care, taking another step forward, and this time pulling together enough sanity to remove her hand from her blade in case he misunderstood her intentions. “I can’t believe you’d get so worked up over a nickname, sir,” she grated out, as though not sure whether to cry from her frustration or continue yelling in her mild hysteria. “But for Gaia’s sake! Leave the future of this planet you want to save out of your hit list! He has never done a thing wrong to me or this world!”
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:21 pm
He sat there, eyebrow slightly quirked as he was yelled at. He waited until she seemed to be taking a moment to collect her breath, and then in the same voice he had been using all along, simply said, "If your quite through, let me remind you, your mistakes reflect not only on you but also on those near to you. If you want to keep him safe, then stop giving me nicknames, shut up, and go do your job." He really didn't seem to have taken in a single word she said; more just deflected it. As for the hand on the katana, he disregarded it in it's entirety. After all, he hadn't risen to the position of Second just on paperwork alone...Cruze certainly knew how to defend himself...Or, take someone out from 100 yards away with a Derringer.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:42 pm
Rikk grit her teeth at the way he casually ignored her fierce remarks, brushing them aside as though there were a mere fly that happened to be invading his space. For that instance, she was nothing more than a name and number to him—and she felt a bitter pang of regret in her heart that stirred up deep memories of a corporation that had been more of a family to her than ever her own bloodline had been to her.
But that was years ago. And I’m supposed to be dead. Even if I was to go back to them, they would kill me first, and ask questions later. The Turks don’t take lightly to traitors… because to them, it’s all personal.
She bit her lower lip and looked away from Cruze, not able to face his impassive gaze any longer. She was upset, clearly. He was much more of a cruel, dismissive b*****d than ever her old boss figures had been to her. Every one of the people she had worked for before had had some sort of weakness and opened up to her eventually. Even those that she couldn’t understand eventually began to open up to her over time, to see her as someone other than just rank and serial number.
But no such thing had ever happened with Cruze. And it won’t any time soon, she realized. So there’s no point in letting him get to you, Rikk. Just suck it up, get over it, and get this over with too so you can go home and have dinner with your son. He’s the one that’s important.
She dragged her gaze reluctantly back to Cruze’s disapproving one and stopped chewing her lip as she thought. Straightening a bit, she dipped her head and took a step back, trying to show him that she was being respectful and wouldn’t be making a fuss any more. I can’t promise anything, but I’m gonna try…
“So,” she began again, her voice still quavering slightly, but fast regaining its smooth tones. “I’m replacing Kyota—don’t ask why, I know—and heading to Junon.” She stared at him for a moment before realizing he probably wouldn’t bother reconfirming that. “…how soon am I supposed to leave?” She couldn’t bring herself to add the respectful ‘sir’ to the end of her query and bit it off, pursing her lips as she waited and hoped he wouldn’t be too much more insufferable.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:57 pm
"Midnight. I suggest you take care of any arrangements now,"he said, not bothering to meet her eyes; she wasn't someone he needed to waste his time on...After all, he had more important things to deal with. A sly smirk danced across his lips...Her silent acceptance that she had lost this battle pleased him thoroughly. Of course, the insignificant arrogant smile was the best that could be hoped for as a sign of happiness from him.
((god. my Cruze posts are SHORT.))
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:21 pm
She was perfectly happy to concede the battle to him. It was never about being better than anyone to her. All she had ever strived for in her life was to be someone worthy of notice. And when she had joined the Turks and finally found a family in them—and something more—she had been the happiest and most carefree than ever before. Even though her work was dirty, even though she was doing things she would have never have considered or seen herself doing besides in her wildest dreams.
The point was, she had become someone, a part of something, and she had been happy.
Now, the only thing that brought her happiness anymore was coming home every night, or very early in the morning, to the smiling and relieved, or sleeping and peaceful face of her son. He was all that she lived for now. Her most precious possession. And she did everything in the world to make him happy.
So when he gave her the short time frame, she was not only shocked, she was disappointed and upset all over again. She had promised to spend the evening with her boy! And here was this arrogant and smug man sitting before her, completely pleased that everything was going according to his plans, without any concern for hers or how they might interfere with her life.
She stepped forward again, but this time remembered to keep her tones polite and respectful. No need to dredge that up again. “But, sir,” she began, as though this was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. “I have to take care of my son. He’s only fourteen. I can’t leave him here for that long.” Then a thought struck her. “Wait, how long am I going there for?”
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:37 pm
"You will be gone until your mission is complete,"He said flatly. All this fuss over one life...An orphaned life, at that. If his parents hadn't wanted him enough to live long enough to see him grow up, then why should Cruze waste his time on such a life? Frankly, he didn't understand it at all. But, regardless, it seemed something that Rikk expected everyone would understand...So rather than voice his opinion and make her start arguing and waste more of his time, he just kept them to himself.
He could tell from her voice that she wanted to make arrangements for the child, or allow it to come with. Ugh..What a hindrance it was..."You cannot take him with you, so clear that thought from your mind. You have until Midnight to work it out for yourself,"He said, wanting to make it as clear as possible that his decision was utterly unwavering.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:26 pm
There seemed to be no way around it. Cruze had become more and more terse and clipped with his responses, barely venturing to say anything but what was necessary to her anymore. He was forcing her to leave, she realized, and it disturbed a part of her. Sure, others weren’t the most comfortable around her. And, like her boss, they told her to her face to get away from them. But here was her boss forcing her out and taking away the only option that she had felt comfortable with.
But she had no choice. She had to go. It wasn’t just to keep her place in this organization. This was how she made a living now. She counted on this man’s tolerance of her, and the constant assignments he handed out, to keep her bills paid, and take care of her son. He had mentioned getting a job himself too, but it had always been in times of financial trouble—never directly because he wanted it. If he wanted to do it, she would have been more than happy to let him. She herself had started working at the age of eleven.
So that was it. She nodded tersely and turned on her heel and moved towards the door, throwing a “See you later, Bosso!” over her shoulder as she went and closing the door immediately after her before he could have the time to respond or change his mind. It was childish, but she couldn’t hide the smirk that crossed her lips as she once again bolted down the hall and out into the open, heading back towards her apartment and where her son awaited her patiently.
She would have a lot to tell him.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:46 pm
Cruze glared at the door. She was just being snide...For now, he would let it go...but if she failed her mission, he would certainly follow through on his word...Any one of the trainees in the Raven program would need testing soon...To kill was part of their nature, but some of them needed that little extra push before they could be sent out into the field...Or better yet, he could always go with option B...He doubted she would like that any more though.
He shook his head, and rolled his eyes...Irritating as she was, her results were undeniable. Rikk was an excellent addition to their organization...The question was, was she competent enough for Ravens of her own? Obviously, they would be trained in the usual variety, the Leader's authority over all, and Cruze's over all save that...Could she handle that? And how would she react to Ravens like Midori? It seemed this mission would be an even better test than he had initially planned.
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:33 am
...Rikk, had just hung up on him. Cruze clenched his teeth, and covered his eyes with his right hand as his elbow rested on his desk...Why did he continue to employ her? Why didn't he just shoot her? It would solve his problem completely...He sighed. He knew why; Rikk's past in the Turks made her useful. She was a good example to the world as to the truth about Shin Ra...And she was a damn good fighter. Once in a while, he just wished she would ******** up...Give him some reason to fire her...Another sigh escaped him. Dealing with that woman was positively exhausting...
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Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:00 am
Heavy footsteps made their way through the executive chamber toward the Second in Command's office...Deuce wasn't bothering to mask the sound from his shoes on the floor. Odds were, once more the Master Second would be unhappy with their lack of progress with the captives...It had been more than long enough for them to have completed at least their base training, yet these two were turning out to be surprisingly resilient...And of course, the Masters never started on the advanced techniques until a Raven-to-be was sufficiently ready to be molded...
Deuce, however, could have been described as having had mixed feelings about the situation...If, he had feelings. He never liked seeing anyone go through the training, but in the case of these two Turks, he liked it even less...He wished he had never had a hand in their capture at all...But orders were orders, and he couldn't refuse such a command by the Masters...
He approached the open door to Cruze's office, and knelt in the darkness before the Master's desk. He waited quietly in that position for the AVALANCHEr to decide to inquire just what he was doing, even though they both knew that Deuce had arrived for the status update...however, with one arm, it was rather hard to balance.
Cruze was sitting at his desk, watching something on his monitor. He held in his hand a small, ornately decorated teacup, full of his usual brew of Oolong. He took another small sip, and then set the cup back down on it's saucer. The Second in Command shut his eyes for just a moment, sighed, and then turned them on the Raven before him.
"Report,"that was the only word he had to say. He smirked just a little at the lopsided machine crouching on the floor; he had been slowly earning the right to his limbs back over the weeks since his return to the headquarters...If there was some good news involved here, Cruze though he might just be feeling generous enough to return the remaining arm.
Frankly, he couldn't fathom why the two test subjects had been holding out so stubbornly. What could they possibly have been hanging on to? Some sort of misguided belief that they would be saved? That was not a possibility. Most would already be too far gone to salvage by this point, if by some miracle rescue did attempt to come...And then there was Touscon.
His irritation with that particular Raven was endless, though it never showed on his face. Tools were meant to be used as they were intended by their Master's hand, not to act of their own accord...Yet for some reason a streak of rebellion and free will in that woman just wouldn't die! Sooner or later though, he knew the Leader would find a way to crush it back into submission...
"Confirmed. Raven Touscon is making little additional progress. Her Re-training is currently unable to surpass 78.5%. Her emotional stability continues to remain in anger. Research indicates this will not be an issue to effect her completion date,"Replied Deuce, moving straight for the matter he knew Cruze had been thinking about most promptly...Somehow, the Master Second always seemed most annoyed with Touscon...After all, why should a Raven have to be trained twice?
He waited silently for a little 'hm.' of affirmation from the Master before continuing. "In the case of Subject A233, memory loss has become apparent. At present, the belief is that he will be prepared for stage two within a fortnight. Subject B238 is still refusing to limit break past the third form. It is believed she has no memory of any full transformations past the second limit at this time." After that point, Deuce continued to rattle off several more statistics about the condition of all those contained within the base, until he had listed off all the information he had been given to relay.
"Fine..."He sighed. That was annoying. Everything those statistics told him was simply that nothing had changed much since the day before...He poured himself another cup of tea, having finished the first while the Raven spoke. "Return to your maintenance station. Relay to the lead code 7C1592. Your arm is to be returned today...Let us hope you have learned your lesson..."He said softly, looking away from Deuce, and once more back to the monitor.
"Confirmed. Thank you for your charity, Master Second,"Said Deuce, as he got to his feet, and bowed once more at the waist, before exiting the room. He smiled a little to himself...He was getting his arm back today...
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:10 am
A new message was coming in, illuminating the screen of Cruze's computer even more, and somehow making the dim light he always seemed to want to sit in even just a bit darker. The message was from Junon; there was only one person who would have any reason to call him from there...so he would let it ring a while. The Second in Command poured himself another cup of hot tea, and leaned back in his chair, the screen still showing its box waiting for him to click "ACCEPT" and hear out whatever it was that woman wanted to complain about.
A few moments later, he sighed, sat up straight for an instant, and then leaned lazily on his hand while he clicked the little box. "What is it now, Rikk?"he asked, sounding as though she were some minor annoyance to be humored and then dismissed. He took another small sip of his tea, waiting for her response, knowing that it would probably be loud, and more than likely agitated.
If he noticed her appearance, he made no mention of it for the moment, nor did he even appear to look at her properly. However, he took it all in, and smirked a little to himself mentally...Just as to be expected of her, the woman in Junon was a total mess...Had he really expected anything else? No, even with one of his personal Ravens there, it wasn't like they could help her with her pitiable grooming habits....
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:31 am
Trellon had little else in mind but the resulting satisfaction that would be derived from the Second in Command when the mild-mannered and droll lab assistant rapped gently on the door separating his boss from the information he would be so pleased to receive. It was a matter of one’s taste, of course, but he had spent enough time working on just such a technique to allow for it now to falter under the eyes of the one who’d employed him for no other reason than his skills and love of science. Trellon lived by one rule alone: The pursuit of knowledge was greater than all else. For his own satisfaction, he would skin himself alive and submerge himself in the purest of alkali to watch its effects on his body as he verily shriveled up.
But therein lay the better. For why taste such sweet knowledge and impair self when his accessibility to countless test subjects was offered him by this once so noble a group as the infamous AVALANCHE? This method, he felt, was indeed much better. And far more profitable.
Silently he stepped into the office of his superior, knowing that whatever reclamations had would have to make would well be worth his while in exchange for imposing to deliver such important information to his superior.
“Sir,” he dictated formally. “Everything has been made ready for the specimen Turk B238. Shall we proceed with the aforementioned efforts as planned by the Commander Superior?” Swift, efficient. He, just as his creation, would have to be as such, in order to produce the necessary results.[Do not forget to send Deuce along with him for this.]
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