It is another day in Square World once again. Under the bright sunshine and tall buildings, people are moving around the city, ready for their everyday job. It is just another busy day in Square World.
In front of one of the
tallest buildings in Square World, stood a man, looking up, staring at the
building in front of him. After working here for countless hours and for quite
some time, this is the first time he had the time to look up at the building.
He felt a sense of pride, that he worked here once before. He felt that this is
the place he felt appreciated, and what made him what he is today.
The man had a smile on his
face, and he slowly walked into the front entrance. The moment he walked into
the building, he heard a loud barking noise made by an animal. He looked around
and then he saw a man with a lion like animal.
“Cloud!”
The man with the lion like
animal addressed. Cloud looked at him and greeted him with a smile, and then
walked towards the animal, brushing it’s fur with his hands.
“Hey, Red! How are you
feeling today?”
The animal looked like it
welcomed Cloud’s presence and started jumping up and down to get Cloud’s
attention. Red, actually a dog that doesn’t talk, is a good friend to Cloud and
the others during the production of FF7. While playing an intelligent, talking
animal character, it just does what his owner asks him to do. His voice is done
by somebody else, thus making it look like an intelligent creature. But when
not in the studio, it is just someone’s pet, it’s owner’s companion.
“So, why are you here? I
thought you finished your job last week?” Red’s owner asked Cloud. Cloud just
scratched his head.
“I haven’t found any job yet.
I come back here, hoping to be able to find something to do. Besides, I heard
that FF8 is starting production. There may be a part for me.”
Cloud answered bluntly. Red’s
owner just nodded.
“I guess I gotta go. Catcha
later!”
Red’s owner said goodbye and
left the building.
Cloud watched as Red and it’s
owner left. Red turned back and looked like it will really miss Cloud. Somehow,
beneath this pet, is a soul that understands human behaviour and feelings.
Cloud could sense it during the production of FF7. Red just had that soul
behind it that makes it’s character so lively and human like.
Cloud thought in his mind
while walking down the corridor heading to the elevator. He wasn’t paying much
attention to his surroundings. He had a tendency to do that wherever he went.
He would just think about things even though they are not of any importance to
him. Many times, this leads him to trouble, this time though…
Cloud felt a blow on his left
shoulder when he was just at the turn of a corner. He looked to his left and
his breathing just stopped. He saw a girl with black silky hair, wearing office
wear and holding her right shoulder like she was in pain. She looked up at him
with her glasses misadjusted and this time Cloud’s heart just stopped. Her skin
is fair and smooth, and a goddess could only own the features of her face. She
is beautiful! No, incredible! No, perfe…
“Watch where you are
walking!”
Cloud mind shattered the
moment he heard those rude voices. He couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. Such
words couldn’t had came out from…
“Are you sleep walking?!”
Yup. No mistake. Those words just
came out from this incredibly beautiful…
“Huh?”
Cloud gasped the moment he
saw the furious look on the girl’s face. A few seconds ago, he was deeply
astonished with the beauty of this girl. Now that feeling totally went away.
She is…
“Don’t
look at me with that look! I can charge you with sexual harassment at anytime!”
She…her…This
is…
“Miss,
you are the one that bumped into…”
“So
now you are saying that it’s my fault? All my fault?!”
Cloud
just stood there stupefied. Why must god match such a beautiful girl with such
an attitude?
“Damn
it! Stop looking at me like that!”
Cloud
got up from his thoughts and gathered his consciousness. The girl looked really
furious now but so is Cloud. Without knowing it he pointed his index finger at
the girl.
“Now
listen miss…”
“Excuse
me!”
The
girl stomped away with steam filling her head and Cloud felt another pain in
his toes. The girl’s high heel just stomped right on Cloud toes and Cloud
nearly gave out a cry. Cloud supported himself by placing one of his hands on
the wall while looking at the girl stomping away. There is only one word to
describe this girl. Mean.
“Ah,
Cloud. You are finally here.”
Reeves
that was sitting on a directors chair greeted when he saw Cloud coming in.
Cloud was walking with one leg and dragging another, and there is an angry look
on his face. Reeves hadn’t seen that look on Cloud’s face for a long time.
Knowing that it is better not to ask about it, Reeves decided to stick to what
he planned to ask.
“Say
Cloud, what do you think?”
Reeves
said while looking at the stage in front of him. Cloud joined Reeves and saw
something that he could probably see once in his life. There is a row of girls
sitting at different position on a stage, posing, and some chatting. Cloud had
never seen such a large collection of beautiful girl at a same time, in a
single place. It’s like a beauty pageant contest. Cloud looked at Reeves that
is rubbing his goatee.
“These
are the candidates for the next main female character for FF8. I know they are
all beautiful, but something was missing…”
Cloud
was too stunned when looking at the girls in front of him. They are all great!
From their looks, they are the best a game could ever have! What more could
Reeves can ask for?
“What
can it be? What is still missing…”
Reeves
said while scratching his head. Cloud looked at Reeves and wondered. What more
can a game have? Isn’t how the female character looks that matters? Everything
else could be acted, it can be done in front of the screen. What more…
Cloud’s
eyes were brought to the entrance of the studio, where he saw a familiar face
standing there, looking. That face…that is the furious face he saw just a
moment ago. That is the mean girl that bumped into him. What is she doing here?
“If
you would just excuse me…”
Cloud
told Reeves and walked towards the girl. The expression on the girl changed
when she saw Cloud walking towards her. She turned her head away but didn’t
leave.
“Miss.
Can’t you read?”
Cloud
said while pointing at the sign above him. It says “Unauthorized personnel
please stay out”. Cloud suddenly felt a surge of pleasure when he gets the kick
of it.
“What
are you going to do? Shoo me?”
The
girl replied with a stubborn look on her face.
“Don’t
you know who I am?”
Cloud
said and waited for the girl to gasp and ask for his autograph. He is Cloud.
Girls die for him.
The
girl just looked at him with her eyes wide open. Cloud felt his heart being
squeezed.
“You…really…don’t
know who I am?”
Cloud
couldn’t believe the girl. He thought the girl was just filled with steam when
she bumped into him and clouded her eyes. Now that she was calm, she couldn’t
still recognize him.
The
girl shook her head in reply.
How
can that be! It’s Cloud! The main character of FF7! How could she be in Square
World and don’t know about him?!
“You are giving me that look again!”
The
girl scolded and Cloud gets a grip of his mind again. How could this girl not
recognize the infamous Cloud from FF7?!
“Now,
don’t you ever play TV games?”
Cloud
asked the girl. The girl thought a little and replied.
“Well,
action games are nice, especially those with a lot of blood and gore…”
Cloud
impression for this girl dropped into the pit again. Cloud gathered his thought
and asked again.
“RPG?”
The
girl listened and scratched her head. Suddenly, her thoughts brightened up and
she snapped her finger.
“You
mean those games where characters walked around and raise levels?”
Cloud
nodded.
“No.
They are stupid.”
Cloud
mind was shattered again, now with a bigger hammer. How can someone in Square
World say RPG is stupid? It is the best game genre ever created!
“How
can you say that?!”
Cloud
cried out as a protest to the girl’s reply. The girl just looked away and
spoke.
“Don’t
you think it’s strange people stay up late at night, controlling their
characters to run around, meeting same old enemies, selecting attacks from
menus and looking at the same old fighting sequence again and again? How can
people play that?”
The
girl expressed her thought and Cloud couldn’t hold himself. He shouted out at
her.
“RPGs
have the best story and character development! People all over the world play
it and enjoy it! It had become the best genre ever!”
“I
rather stick to racing car games and beat’ em ups.”
The
girl ended her thought when she saw Cloud getting more and more furious. She
was mean to this guy a moment ago. There is no knowing what he will do the next
minute…
“Hey
Cloud! Who’s that over there?”
Cloud
turned around and saw Reeves walking towards him. Reeves’ eyes were fixed onto
the girl and she started to feel more and more uncomfortable. His eyes moved
from her tip to her toes and she felt like she was being studied. She could cry
out at any moment…
“You.”
Reeves
addressed the girl and the girl replied with a ‘huh’.
“Are
you interested in acting?”
Reeves
interrogated the girl.
“A
little. I was the tree in the school drama.”
Reeves
shook his head and sighed.
“What
a waste. Care to join us for 20,000 gil a month?”
Reeves
made her an offer for the post of the main female character in FF8. The girl
looked shocked and started covering up her body with her hands.
“I…I…am
not…into…nude scenes…”
Reeves
looked at her with an astonished look. What is this girl thinking? Don’t she
know about this production?
“Listen.
We would never do that kind of games in Square. I am offering you the main
female character in FF8. How about that?”
Cloud
looked at Reeves. This girl…the main famale character of FF8? She finds RPG
stupid! How can she be allowed to be in this game?
“30,000
gil.”
The
girl just looked back. Reeves made a quick decisive move.
“40,000
gil and keep quiet if you agree.”
The
girl kept quiet. Reeves reached for the girl’s hand and shook it. A smile was
formed on his face.
“Welcome
aboard, miss…?”
Reeves
haven’t caught the girl’s name.
“Rinoa.”
The
girl replied in a shocked state.
“Welcome
aboard, miss Rinoa. I am Reeves. Happy working with you.”
Reeves
said and walked away, leaving Rinoa in a devastated state. Cloud was about to
call out to Reeves, but Reeves turned around instead.
“Cloud,
didn’t you said you want a job?”
Reeves
asked and Cloud just nodded.
“Rinoa
is new here. Since you knew around this place well and you have acting
experience, you will be her manager. We will discuss about this later. Welcome back.”
Reeves
ended his ‘command’ with a smile and walked away from the two. Cloud collapse
on the floor with his arms support his body. He looked up and Rinoa and she
looked down at him. Both of them know that the future will be very, very
unpredictable.
Something from da author!
Ah…characters…games…Square World…things are getting more and more
confusing every chapter. This chapter introduces the famous Rinoa and hopefully
you found it interesting. If it doesn’t, there are many more interesting
characters in the next few chapters. Think Vincent…
I spent a lot of brainpower on this fic, please read!