Garry took a deep, composing breath as the little ... creature-thing told him the entire tale.
It was certainly more pleasant company than a blue doll with red eyes. Just the memory of it sent frigid chills down his spine. He was out of one terrifying place, and now he was somewhere else. Releasing a sigh, he idly fingered the handkerchief wrapped around his hand. "Ib" it said in neat embroidery. Oddly enough, the wound on his hand had been healed, his blue rose in full bloom, and this crystal was--!
A Hero of Light? Him?
All this, and all he could think was, "Is she still in there?" What if he'd accidentally left her there, just before she took his hand to follow him into their real home? She would be all alone--brave, but still a little girl who missed her parents. His shoulders slumped and he had to rest his hands on his knees. Keep it together, Garry. Keep it together. Right. What had he said to her before? They just had to keep going. He just had to keep going. Maybe they would be able to find one another somehow, or maybe she made it back home! Yes, that's right.
He lifted his head, attempting to give the bouncing, flying thing a gentle smile. "Ah, so, you said your name was Lemondrop?"
She giggled, fluttering before him. "That's me, kupo! Are ya ready to get goin', kupo?"
His smile widened and he tried to swallow down the anxiety and uncertainty. "This seems like quite a bit to take in, though! Ahah ..." Maybe he really shouldn't have gone to the gallery at all today. Maybe this would've all been avoided if he simply stayed home. "It's rather tough to wrap my mind around."
"C'mon, kupo! There's a world to save, and you're definitely here for a reason, kupo!" Lemondrop took his pale hand, urging him to take another step.
Yes, perhaps he really should've just stayed home today. But ...
He thought of Mary with the palette knife, scrambling desperately and screeching in frantic madness after them as Garry took Ib's hand and bolted for the painting, his lighter in hand, hearts pounding in their chests as the darkness closed in around them ...
There might've been a reason he was down there with Ib. There might've been a reason he was here, now, with this Moogle and these new clothes. And if the only way to make it back home was to go forward, then that was what he had to do. It was the same in the gallery, anyway.
After all, he thought as he pocketed the blood-stained handkerchief, I have to give this back to her someday!
"I'm ready as I'll ever be, I suppose! Ah, I'll be grateful for your help; you seem to have a better grasp of everything than I do!" Garry declared, straightening up. "Lead the way, Lemon!"
ii. county of flence
"What's the matter, kupo?"
Lemondrop fluttered around the frozen man, standing before the entrance to the County of Flence's museum. The usual gentle expression that Garry wore was taut and tense, his jaw clenching. His hands were balled up into fists and he took full, deep breaths.
His moogle reached for one of his clenched hands. "Garry, kupo?"
With one more deep breath, he attempted to compose himself, his forced smile quivering and uncertain. And he had a passing thought--if the Gallery brought him to that strange world, and now this one, would this museum bring him back somehow?
And did he have the courage to go inside and find out? "Ah. I'm sorry, Lemon. Never mind. We should continue on."
no subject
Garry took a deep, composing breath as the little ... creature-thing told him the entire tale.
It was certainly more pleasant company than a blue doll with red eyes. Just the memory of it sent frigid chills down his spine. He was out of one terrifying place, and now he was somewhere else. Releasing a sigh, he idly fingered the handkerchief wrapped around his hand. "Ib" it said in neat embroidery. Oddly enough, the wound on his hand had been healed, his blue rose in full bloom, and this crystal was--!
A Hero of Light? Him?
All this, and all he could think was, "Is she still in there?" What if he'd accidentally left her there, just before she took his hand to follow him into their real home? She would be all alone--brave, but still a little girl who missed her parents. His shoulders slumped and he had to rest his hands on his knees. Keep it together, Garry. Keep it together. Right. What had he said to her before? They just had to keep going. He just had to keep going. Maybe they would be able to find one another somehow, or maybe she made it back home! Yes, that's right.
He lifted his head, attempting to give the bouncing, flying thing a gentle smile. "Ah, so, you said your name was Lemondrop?"
She giggled, fluttering before him. "That's me, kupo! Are ya ready to get goin', kupo?"
His smile widened and he tried to swallow down the anxiety and uncertainty. "This seems like quite a bit to take in, though! Ahah ..." Maybe he really shouldn't have gone to the gallery at all today. Maybe this would've all been avoided if he simply stayed home. "It's rather tough to wrap my mind around."
"C'mon, kupo! There's a world to save, and you're definitely here for a reason, kupo!" Lemondrop took his pale hand, urging him to take another step.
Yes, perhaps he really should've just stayed home today. But ...
He thought of Mary with the palette knife, scrambling desperately and screeching in frantic madness after them as Garry took Ib's hand and bolted for the painting, his lighter in hand, hearts pounding in their chests as the darkness closed in around them ...
There might've been a reason he was down there with Ib. There might've been a reason he was here, now, with this Moogle and these new clothes. And if the only way to make it back home was to go forward, then that was what he had to do. It was the same in the gallery, anyway.
After all, he thought as he pocketed the blood-stained handkerchief, I have to give this back to her someday!
"I'm ready as I'll ever be, I suppose! Ah, I'll be grateful for your help; you seem to have a better grasp of everything than I do!" Garry declared, straightening up. "Lead the way, Lemon!"
ii. county of flence
"What's the matter, kupo?"
Lemondrop fluttered around the frozen man, standing before the entrance to the County of Flence's museum. The usual gentle expression that Garry wore was taut and tense, his jaw clenching. His hands were balled up into fists and he took full, deep breaths.
His moogle reached for one of his clenched hands. "Garry, kupo?"
With one more deep breath, he attempted to compose himself, his forced smile quivering and uncertain. And he had a passing thought--if the Gallery brought him to that strange world, and now this one, would this museum bring him back somehow?
And did he have the courage to go inside and find out? "Ah. I'm sorry, Lemon. Never mind. We should continue on."