Onward to Zanarkand? [audio]

[nethi-cite.livejournal.com]

[After being carelessly dropped against the wooden floor, the video flickers on with bits of static filtering into it. However, any onlooker wouldn't be too impressed with the video of this message since the sky phone is tilted towards the ceiling of this modest little shack.]

Honestly, where did I put that map? [Doesn't this man sound vaguely familiar to you? Without that phony Rozarrian accent, dear ol' Doctor Cidolfus could he heard fishing about within his study in search of that said map. Between a few curses and swears based upon the Holy Father's name until he finally finds it.]

Ah, so I didn't lose it after all. Fate must be smiling upon me.

[A rustle or two could be heard here and there as he unfurled the map.]

There! This map truly does lead to Zanarkand's Ruins but I wonder if that treasure the moogle spoke of is real. I would be a fool to head there on my own but I cannot pass up such adventure.

I wonder, what truly lies there? Probably fiends. I doubt there is anything worth treasure in Zanarkand, but then again…perhaps I could find another piece of stone like this one.

[The audio goes quiet here but only for a few seconds before the doctor lets out an sigh.]

Auracite, was it? More like a mere trinket if you were to ask me, milord. This thing is useless; it cannot recharge itself like the nethicite, so its powers drain quite easily. However, he did state that he figured the auracite to similar to nethicite in some ways…

[The audio times out with the doctor muttering to himself, all too low to be captured by the sky phone’s recording.]

Report 002 [Video -> Audio || partially accidental]

[brewing-storm.livejournal.com]

[The camera has been on for a good five minutes, and Squall, who has been sitting there with his back to it with his jacket off to get some of the weight off his shoulders, and for probably some time, slouched. It's sundown, the sun peaking out over the edge of railing of what definitely seems to be B-Garden's Deck. Steady, careful breathing.]

(It's a lot to take in, I guess... Maybe I shouldn't have completely walked out like that. But what do they expect me to do right now? Just accept it? There no other way, is there?)

[Looks like someone did a pretty stupid thing, huh? Like go and blow up in someone's face that he didn't need to. One lanky, muscular arm moves, to drop a glove into the floor beside him, thumbing the ring on that hand afterwards. The camera itself has been sitting in his jacket, apparently. There's a shot of some fur and fringes of leather folds about the phone, and a glimpse of the sky, though nothing more. Just the sunset slowly wilting over the world. Squall doesn't say anything, not at first. He'd been planning to, but had long since given up on it. Now he's just brooding.]

(But I can't just walk away from everything the way it is. I don't want their lives on my hands, or their hands, but they're looking for someone to take up the slack.)

...Hmph-- so this is how it's going to be? (Well, then I guess it is. Either way... right? Walking away-- that's worse than just taking up the responsibility. There's too many people relying on this... So...)

[A nod, to himself, even if he's not happy with it all right now. Squall's lost in his own world.] Yeah... guess that's how it is.

[And in the next few seconds-- Squall's reaching for his jacket, for the phone, forgetting it'd ever been on in the first place-- one track minded. He fiddles with it in his motions, in between shrugging his jacket and glove back on.]

[FILTERED AUDIO to the SeeDs + Rinoa]
This is Squall, reporting in. I'm going to need all the immediate pressing mission reports. There's work to do.
[//end filter]

[The following is a public audio announcement:]

[Pause, just for a second. No time for backing out now, Leonhart. If he's going to do this, he's going to do it officially.]

If I could have your attention. I'm aware that I had a short disappearance.

I'm reassuming command of SeeD. Quistis Trepe is relieved to her former position.

[Er... yeah. That's that, then! The feed cuts shortly after.]