Back in Action (Cissnei)

[Maiah (Martial Arts Female)]

Maiah examined herself in the mirror. Ever since her encounter with Rod, her thoughts about the Turks had increased. She often thought about her friends that had been a part of the Turks. It's just ever since bumping into Rod, he had sparked more curiosity on her part. She had found herself wanting to go back, she couldn't get it out of her head as to how things were going there. Who had left, who stayed and who came back. According to Rod, Cissnei had returned like he had as well as Two Guns. Now, here she was.

Word had yet to travel before the others found out that she too had come back to the Turks. She knew no one knew just yet because if they did, her phone would've been full of calls left and right. She was happy to be back. The thought of being among her friends again was uplifting. At least now, unlike the Dojo, she could fight real challenges and not worry about snapping spines or what have you. That and she knew she actually had true friends here. In the outside world, people didn't really relate with her well.

Her height hadn't helped her any either. The fact she could also kick just about anyone's butt too didn't help either. Most people thought she was intimidating just because of her height and after they found out how strong of a fighter she was, tended to leave her alone. She had made fewer friends as opposed to how many she made in the Turks. It was because she didn't belong living in the normal world. She had been a mercenary in the past and a Turk. All her life, she fought and killed to survive. Normal wasn't something she would have an easy time with, it seemed.

Currently in the women's locker room, Maiah was making sure that everything looked alright for the new uniform she was wearing. Compared to her first Turk uniform, it was just like it except brand new. It was loose but not baggy. Even if it were, Martial Arts would still be able to pack one heck of a punch. Loose clothing never slowed her down in a fight. Once she was sure she had the tie on right, she buttoned up the rest of her dress shirt underneath and zipped up her suite's jacket.

Now that that was settled, she began to brush her long brown hair. She wanted to look presentable on the first day. It wouldn't be right to demean the Turks looking like a slob. She had been excited about returning here, so much so that she sort of looked a mess when she got here from running the entire way. Odd for her considering she usually was the more calm and collected type. No matter, life wasn't going to be repetitive anymore. That was a relief in of itself.

Once she was done brushing her hair and set, Maiah left the locker room and headed out into the main hall. She wouldn't be going on any tough missions just yet. They would want to make sure that she was prepared for this line of work again unless they absolutely needed the extra hand. Tightening her gloves after putting them on, Maiah paused as she took a look around the place. It was pretty neat but nothing like she had thought. People were still getting used to the fact ShinRa was no longer trying to kill the planet.

If anyone were to notice her, she was merely standing off to the side, looking around a big, vast hall. Employees wandered passed her but would look up at her when they did so. None wore the Turk uniform and were quite surprised to see her there. Eventually, word would spread that Martial Arts, Maiah was back in uniform.

[Cissnei]

...Forgotten Turk...
"Wings symbolize freedom for those who have none."

Quiet footsteps sounded as Cissnei made her way down the hallway. Having been doing a lot of that to get in contact with people. With the Turks still in a bit of chaos with Reno's being a l'cie now, it was hard to get any peace and quiet. It was something she was used to however, and thus found herself once again holding onto some files that she was transferring from Tseng to Rude, a mission Rude apparently had to go on, but with Tseng away he had called her and asked her to hand it to Rude. Doing that, Cissnei retreated from his office and found herself once again wandering down the hallway.

Her mind turned back to Reno, as it did at all times when her brain was idle. He was a l'cie. Plain clear and simple. What would that mean? He had told her a few thing, but all in all, she really didn't know exactly how this was going to end. Would he still be there? Would he still live? He had gone off when he had figured out what he was, leaving her a note and running from ShinRa. The only thing was that she had woken up in time to go cut him off from escaping without having to talk to them. That moment might have been the worst in her life. He had promised to always be there, and then he had left. It had cut a huge hole in her heart, froze it over. Somehow she had made it through though, and with the help of her fellow Turks, they had tracked Reno down and convinced him to come back, no matter what he was.

While walking her crimson eyes were drawn down to her left hand. Honestly, Cissnei had never thought she'd ever get engaged or married or anything like that. Yet the ring that looked back at her reminded her of the fact that she was indeed engaged. When he had asked her to date him Cissnei had been elated, but...never had she thought it would lead this far. Yes, dating usually led to becoming engaged and all that, but still, being a Turk, Cissnei was used to the whole 'no family ties' thing. Relationships were new to her, at least in that way. Being the motherly one of the Turks, Cissnei had a compassionate heart and found it easy to like people, but this was a bit out of her league.

Yet she hadn't ever been happier then the moment Reno had asked her to be his wife. Stuff like that didn't happen every day, and he had been so sweet. Cissnei hadn't ever felt the way she had at that moment. Reno Sinclair wanted to marry her. She still couldn't believe it was true, yet what about his becoming a l'cie? How much time would they have together? It was a sad thought, but Cissnei wouldn't allow that to get her down. If she only had a few days with him she would be happy with that. Reno was one of a kind, someone she wished she could spend the rest of her life with...if only he wasn't a l'cie...

Mind turned away from those serious thoughts to lighter ones. The Turks were returning once again. First she had come back, and then Rod. Finally she had found out Nunchaku was back, and then to top it all off she had received a phone call from Ethan. It was almost to much to grasp, them all coming together once again. Only a few of them were still out in the 'real world.' Gun, Knife, Katana, Legend, Shotgun, and Martial Arts male and female. It was odd, eight of them all back together again. She had started a trend, maybe the rest would come back as well. Cissnei had always like them all, but more girls around ShinRa would be nice. It was only Elena and her, and she didn't know Elena all that well. Actually she hadn't really talked to her besides the regular greeting. Cissnei felt somewhat guilty about that, but with Reno becoming a l'cie, and herself only recently coming back, it was hard to fit everything in.

Lifting up her head Cissnei continued walking while deep in thought, quiet as always. It was just how she was. Suddenly something caught her acute eyesight. Cissnei was greeted by long brown hair on a tall lithe woman standing there with a suit on. Stopping dead, Cissnei couldn't do anything but stare. It was almost like she had just conjured the female to be standing there from out of her thoughts. Was she seeing things? She hadn't heard anything about Maiah coming back. Now, it if was Two Guns Cissnei would be more prepared, but for a few seconds Cissnei just stood there wondering if she was seeing things. But no, that had to be Maiah, she wasn't seeing things. She wasn't crazy. The previous Turk, the woman who had been a Turk alongside all of them was back, and Cissnei was happy to see her.

“Maiah! Your back.” Cissnei walked up toward her. Really she was basically the opposite of Maiah, but she had always like the woman. While Maiah was tall and lithe, Cissnei was short and petite. Just because she was small however, didn't mean she didn't have the respect of her co-workers. Maiah specialized in short range, Cissnei specialized in long. Of course, with Reno's training she could hold her own against normal people, but going up against someone like Maiah...Cissnei wouldn't be able to have a prayer of winning. Was it possible that she was mistaken and that this really wasn't Maiah? But no...that hair, that face, the height, it had to be Maiah. Reno and the future were forgotten as she became lost in the past and the last time she had seen Maiah. It had been years, but there was no mistaking the lithe woman. Hands didn't have her gloves to cover them as normal, instead they were bare. Except of course, the ring that was weighing down her left hand. When she got closer her soft voice spoke out once again, “How come no one told me you were coming back?” Cissnei was going to get a hug from her as well. On record, she had gotten a hug from each and every one of the Turks, even Rude. In a friendly manner Cissnei hugged Maiah and then stepped back, hand under her chin to support it. Watching the woman, Cissnei waited for her to talk to her, maybe explain why she was back and hadn't called her to say anything.

Words: 1230
Muse: awesome!
Tagged: Maiah!! <3
Notes: yaaaaaay Turks!

[Maiah (Martial Arts Female)]

(OOC: Love the sig! lol. Sorry that this is half the size, I've gotta zip off to college. See ya later!)

Maiah wondered if maybe there would be a slight chance of bumping into any of her former allies. She wouldn't doubt it, unless they were all too busy. Her main reason for not saying anything to anyone was to surprise them. The only ones who knew of her return were the President and probably Rod. As she stood there, memories came back to her. It sure was good to be back.

It was only a matter of time before the word got around. As she stood there, Martial Arts wondered how long it would be before she went out on a mission again. Any challenge would be great. She had grown tired of all the fake fights, the ones where you couldn't really do much damage to your opponent because you hadn't been allowed to kill. Further more, she blamed it on Rod that got the spark of the Turk life back into her. If she didn't bump into him, she probably would've not come back or just taken longer to decide if she was returning or not. Speaking of Rod, she hoped she hadn't hurt his back too much that day.

Martial Arts didn't mind filling in for him if she had caused him harm. She would atone for anything she did wrong. That was the kind of person Maiah was. As she stood there, she was unable to sift through all the stares she was getting to detect someone watching her with more curiosity. Then, a voice came from somewhere to the side. Judging by the voice, it was feminine and was heading in her direction. It sure sounded familiar but a bit older than last she heard it. Turning, she found Cissnei standing before her.

"Cissnei!" she said with a smile on her face. Sure, they were the complete opposite of each other but that's what lead to good friendships. Last Maiah had seen her, Shuriken hadn't changed all that much except age a little. She was a bit taller than last Maiah knew but not by much compared to herself. It didn't matter though, Maiah never judged others by their size. It was always a horrible mistake to make to underestimate someone just by their size. "Blame it on Rod for my return!" she stated with a smile.

Yes, if it hadn't been for Rod, she probably wouldn't be here again even though she had considered it a few times. Hearing the younger Turk's question it made Maiah feel slightly bad. "It's not because I didn't want you to find out. I planned on it being more of a surprise." She was speaking the truth. She liked the fact she managed to surprise Cissnei. "That and I don't think anyone knew I was coming back. Only the President knows I returned."

As if out of pure happiness, Cissnei walked up to Maiah and gave her a hug. Smiling, just as happy to see Cissnei once again, Maiah returned the hug. "It's good to see you again. How are things?" she asked Cissnei. It wasn't until she got a good look at her that Martial Arts noticed something off. The gloves Cissnei wore were gone but there was something else. On a ring finger, she wore an actual ring. "Cissy, is that a ring?" she questioned her. There was nothing wrong with the fact she was wearing a ring.

The fact Cissnei had a ring just made it more clear just how much Maiah had missed out on things happening in her friends' lives.

[Cissnei]

...Forgotten Turk...
"Wings symbolize freedom for those who have none."

Cissnei had wondered if Maiah would remember her. She wouldn't have thought so, but you were never sure. It was hard to forget the people that had made up your family, but it had been years, so it was understandable if she had. Yet her own name was spoken in recognition and her fear of not being remembered vanished into thin air. Cissnei couldn't help but smile back at Maiah, overjoyed throughly that the family was coming back together. One member at a time, but sooner or later they might have everyone back, minus the chief of course. He wouldn't ever be coming back, why would he? Elfe was his daughter. Besides, to the world he was dead, that was the way it was going to stay. It was how it should stay.

A confused look crossed her face. “Rod? Did you already see him?” With the smile still up on her face Cissnei looked up at the tall woman she thought of as a good friend. “If anything I should be thanking him if he truly did bring back, I've missed everyone from the old days.” So much had changed since they had all been together, but at the same time, a lot was still the same. Like the fact that even though years had passed they could still walk up to each other and talk like they had kept in contact all through the years. Thinking of that made Cissnei feel guilty that she hadn't kept in contact with anyone. After they had all basically left she had been swamped with just trying to survive in the real world, almost like she had to cut all ties with the Turks. At least after Zack's death she had felt like she needed to get away from every trace of ShinRa.

And yet, that had meant leaving behind her best friends, her family. It had hurt, but in the state she had been in, anything that had to do with ShinRa had been hard to look at or think of. Kind of hard to get away from it though, no matter where she had gone it seemed that ShinRa had been there, popping up here, ruining that there. And yet...she had come back to it all. Why? Because, yes, she realized that ShinRa did bad things, horrible things, but they still benefited the people much of the time. Besides, having been raised by ShinRa, it was the only home she knew, the only thing she knew, being a Turk. Once a Turk, always a Turk, and it was only intensified since it was the only thing she had ever known.

Cissnei waved off her explanation and smiled up at her again, “Don't worry about it, It takes a lot to surprise me, for a second there I thought I had conjured you out of my thoughts. I really am glad your back! Almost like old times with how many of us have come back.” Cissnei was quiet my nature, however that didn't mean she never talked like Rude. Friendly and nice, Cissnei got along with everyone. “You sure surprised me, I'm sure the others will be equally surprised as well.”

How were things? Her mind flashed back to all the events that had gone on in the last few weeks. A lot had happened, while she was away and while she was back. Where to even start? With Nunchaku Cissnei hadn't wanted to tell him strait up. Not because she thought he couldn't handle it, or that she didn't want him to know. But he was just about the happiest Turk there was, she hadn't wanted to bring him down in the dumps over what had all happened by telling him. Better to just let him continue to be happy and make the rest of their spirits higher.

“How are things...? Well of course they're chaotic as usual, I got sent on a mission the first day back, and after that....things somewhat fell apart.” Rubbing her face with her hands, Cissnei wondered just how she could explain everything that had happened and not sound insane to Maiah. Thankfully she had a bit of a delay with having to tell her about Reno having become a l'cie and the drama that had ensued there when something caught Maiah's eye.

Cissnei had forgotten to put her gloves on? With a somewhat shocked look her gaze dropped down to her left hand. A colorful blush heated her cheeks as she blinked a few times. The only people that knew of her and Reno's engagement were the people that had been there when he had proposed. That meant Rude and Rod. The blush was still there as she wondered how to tell her friend that she was engaged. To Reno Sinclair of all people. Cissnei had never thought growing up she'd ever be dating Reno, let alone engaged to him. He had always been somewhat of a ladies man, but the truth was she had always adored him. He had been the older cool guy in ShinRa, and she had been so quiet.

“I...oh...ummm...yeah...” Add her stuttering to her blush and Maiah would probably see right through her. “Yeah, actually...I have some news...obviously...” Glancing up at Maiah Cissnei took a breath and got it out. “I'm engaged......to Reno.” If that didn't surprise Maiah, Cissnei didn't know what would. “Surprise.” That was spoken with a bit of a nervous laugh, wondering just how she would feel about it. Probably not mad, but Cissnei could just imagine the look she would get. Quite possibly that deer in the headlights look...

Words: 1071
Muse: awesome
Tagged: Maiah
Notes: notta

[Maiah (Martial Arts Female)]

Maiah couldn't forget Cissnei. How could she? Martial Arts not once forgot a single member of their strange family. Hey, a family was a family even though they weren't really related by blood. If it hadn't been for the Turks, Maiah would probably still be living a mercenary life. A solitary one at that. It was a good thing to her that she had become one of them. Cissnei especially stood out in her memory. She was the youngest of the bunch who always looked after her fellow Turks like a mother figure. It had been amusing to see her nag at the older members, especially Legend telling him to quit smoking.

Hearing Cissnei's question about Rod, Maiah nodded her head to confirm that she had seen him beforehand. It was that encounter that caused her to finally decide that she was going to be a Turk again. Why she left it in the first place, she didn't know. "I hope his back's doing fine though...I kinda tossed him when I bumped into him." She said it sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck as she did so.

"He um...covered my eyes and I thought it was some wise guy and reacted accordingly." When she heard Cissnei thought she should thank Rod, Martial Arts just laughed. "Yeah, I missed you all a lot too. I always thought of you guys!" she stated. It had been the truth, Maiah always wondered how everyone was doing. Rod only finally gave her the nudge she needed to make up her mind finally and return to them. Besides, it was a lot better than beating up some random idiot that challenged her at the Dojo.

She listened as Cissnei told her there was no reason to explain herself. That she understood and that it just took a lot to surprise her. Martial Arts smiled at that. Cissnei's personality was still the same. She liked that because Cissnei was so nice. Quiet, sure but very nice. "I'm glad I surprised you. I knew eventually word would get out that I was back. Glad it's a Turk who found me first!" she said with a warm smile. Old times, yes it certainly was like old times. "Yeah, the old times...feels like nothing has changed since then."

Memories, memories, memories. That was what ran through Martial Art's head as she stood there before Cissnei, speaking to her. She tilted her head curiously as Shuriken explained to her that life had been rather chaotic. That she had to go on a mission the first day she came back and things had seemed to fall apart. It made Maiah look at the young Turk with concern written on her face. "That sounds bad. You gonna be alright?" Then the subject had turned onto the ring.

Maiah couldn't help but take notice when Cissnei was obviously not wearing her gloves. Martial Arts knew she couldn't forget what Turks wore gloves and who didn't. It was just a thing among them that she took notice of. Maybe because she was that in tuned with her surroundings? Martial Arts didn't talk a lot herself but she wasn't too quiet either. It's because of that, that she had observed a few things and noted who had gloves and who didn't. Looking at the ring now, she wondered who was the lucky guy.

Seeing Cissnei's face heat up, Maiah smiled to herself. There was no hiding from her that Cissnei was embarrassed. Hearing the stutter in Cissnei's voice made her smile widen all the more. Yes, she could tell Cissnei had found someone. It hadn't just been any old ring judging by the way the young girl was reacting. Oh, how rosy did Cissnei's cheeks go! Then, Cissnei finally confessed what it was. Hearing that there was news, obviously, Maiah patiently waited to hear what it was. When Cissnei finally confessed that she and Reno had been engaged, it made Maiah's eyebrows raise considerably. Reno?! Of all the guys, Reno?!

Yes, it certainly surprised Martial Arts. She didn't at all think the red head would be the type to get engaged to someone like Cissnei. Just goes to show you what surprise punches life could throw you. Hearing Cissnei's attempt at saying surprise, Maiah blinked to try and get rid of the deer caught in the headlights expression. "Reno?! Really?!" she exclaimed, unable to believe it. Not that she was mad, why would she be? Maiah didn't think anything of Reno other than a friend.

"Wow, Cissy...I'm really behind the times." She meant it too. There was a lot, it seemed, that she had catching up with. She brushed her bangs out of her face to look more clearly at Cissnei now and smiled. She was really happy for her. Good for her to find someone. Also someone that happened to be in the same line of work she was in. Having outside relationships was a difficult thing to do. Thus why most of the Turks had ended up single most of their lifetime as a Turk.

"I'm very happy for you, Cissy. Congratulations!" she said with a bright smile. She really meant what she said. Maiah hoped things would go well for the two. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what Cissnei meant by things falling apart. What happened while she was away? She guessed Cissnei will tell her when she was ready. She didn't have to tell her now if she didn't feel like it. Maiah wasn't one to push such matters if things were too personal. Hopefully, things weren't as bad as they seemed. That was life for you though. It always had ups and downs every corner. One just had to hold on and stick to it. If they didn't, then they'd never get stronger as a person. Martial Arts inwardly beat herself up for having left the Turks. Why did she do it? Was it because everyone else had? Or was it something more? Whatever it was, she hated herself for having left. Hopefully, no one would hold a grudge against her for having left.

[Cissnei]

...Forgotten Turk...
"Wings symbolize freedom for those who have none."

For a second Cissnei just stood there with a puzzled look on her face. Maiah tossed Rod? Sure he could be irritating to certain people at times, but was there some reason for 'tossing' him? Thankfully Maiah cleared it all up with explaining just why she had tossed him. For some reason Cissnei found that hilarious, and her face went from puzzled to her laughing. Much more laughter then normal for her, especially with how she usually just quietly chuckled. She could just imagine Rod being overconfident and thinking he'd be 'funny' and then getting beaten down by Maiah. Maiah wasn't anyone you wanted to mess with, and just the fact that he had tried something like that made her laugh. Oh men and their cockiness...they never learned did they...especially men like Rod, or even Reno.

“I can see Rod doing that. Poor man, he really should have thought that move through a bit more before he just did it.” Though she had gotten her laughing under control, a large grin was still on her face as she kept picturing the look on Rod's face when when he got creamed by Maiah, plus the occasional chuckle. Someday the boys would learn not to mess with any female Turks. Probably after more incidents when they got beaten down by the girls of the group. Female or not, the girls kicked butt, anyone had to admit that. She would have to see if she could find him later and ask if he was alright. Just her motherly side kicking in once again, as it did quite a bit. Nunchaku had even told her that his nickname for her was going to be Mommy Turk. Now that wasn't something she was entirely looking foreword too. Yet she took it in stride and looked a it as simply a sign of affection instead of the fact that she was being called Mommy.

Beaming at Maiah was probably an understatement. Cissnei couldn't be happier, with four of the old time Turks having come back, plus her and the ones that were here before, that was nine Turks. Their family was coming together. At least with this many back she wouldn't have to worry about them quite so much. Sure there was still others, Shotgun, Katana, Gun, Martial Arts male, Knife, and Legend, but the majority were back and safe, which was all she could ask for really. Cissnei briefly thought she should try to track them down, if only to say hello, but that thought passed out of her mind as quickly as it came in. If they weren't back they obviously had their own lives again. If they came back they came back, but if not Cissnei could only hope they were alright. “Us Turks definitely are family. In m case the only family I've ever known. I was worried about how you were all doing though. The 'real world' was hard to adjust to for me...”

The conversation took a turn for the worse then, at least in a more depressing note. Would everything be alright in the end? Was she going to be alright? Was Reno going to be alright? Was the company still going to be here? It all brought her high spirits down somewhat, dimming them down. Yet she couldn't let that get to her, at least not right away. "I think...in the end it will be alright, its just getting there you know?” With another little sigh Cissnei crossed her arms and tried to think of a way to start. “Have you...before you came back did you know anything about the portals that have been popping up around Gaia?” That was a good way, start from the beginning. If she could get it all out Maiah might be spared at least a little bit of confusion.

Onto the Reno subject though. Cissnei didn't mind jumping to that conversation, though a blush immediately heated her face. This was way out of her league, talking about relationships. Who would have ever thought quiet, shy little Cissnei would end up with the flamboyant, somewhat egotistical, loud Reno Sinclair? Not her, that was for sure. But life had a weird way of handing you something you never expected. Still, she was never happier then when she was with Reno. No matter where they were, on a mission, talking, doing nothing, just being around him made her happy. As cliché and mushy as that sounded, it was true. Was that what was meant when you found 'the one?'

Good thing she was expecting the deer in the headlights look, because that was sure what she got. At least for a moment before Maiah burst out in almost disbelief about it. Cissnei had to laugh a tiny bit at that, though her cheeks were still heated in a blush and she could barely meet her gaze. “Really. Kind of hard to believe hm? Reno and Cissnei, not the way anyone thought we'd end up. I'd place bets on that.” She gave her a little smile again, wondering exactly what she was thinking about this. Probably a big shock, but anything bad? Cissnei felt almost anxious for a moment before forcing herself to relax. She let out the breathe she hadn't even realized she was holding and smiled then, “Thank you. I...its kind of sudden, even for me. Half the time I still freak out when I see my ring.” For a second there was pleasurable silence before Cissnei finally broke it. “So how about you? Life in the 'real world' as fake and annoying as it was for me?”

Words: 1049
Muse: WAY better then I thought it'd be! >D
Tagged: Maiah
Notes: YAYZ TUUUURK!!

[Maiah (Martial Arts Female)]

Martial Arts knew Cissnei would've found it strange that Maiah would randomly toss Rod. It wasn't because she had the urge to throw the guy. It was because he had snuck up on her making her think some weirdo was trying to make a twisted pass at her. Well, he certainly learned his lesson. How he managed to get up after that though made her wonder. Most people usually remained flat on the ground in pain after she did that to them. Then again, she didn't toss him fully like she did to the others.

She laughed a little along with Cissnei. Yes, Rod really should have known she would've reacted the way she did. Then again, where Rod was intelligent, he didn't always think things through and ended up getting himself into situations like that. At least he hadn't gotten upset with her over it. It wasn't like she purposely meant to do him harm. If she knew it had been him then she wouldn't have tried that in the first place. She just hoped she didn't hurt him too badly. Maiah didn't mean to cause her friends pain.

"Yeah, he really should have...I just hope he learned from it and I don't end up doing it again by mistake!" she said with a nervous chuckle. Where there were times where she'd actually beat on a guy Turk for being a wise guy, she didn't enjoy doing it. She would just make them pay and be done with it. She especially felt bad for those she unintentionally did harm to. It was all in the past now though. Rod had brushed it off as nothing. Unless that was his pride kicking in, acting like it didn't hurt when it did.

Maiah listened to what Cissnei said about the Turks being family. Especially to little Cissnei. The Turks had been the only family she knew since she had come to them from an orphanage. "I think adjusting to the normal life had been hard for all of us. It wasn't easy for me especially, I had to get used to not breaking bones of my opponents working at the Dojo I was in." That part had especially been difficult for Maiah. She was far too used to doing serious harm.

She looked at Cissnei as she went on to explain that right now, life was just getting through a kink for her. That in the end, she believes it will all be better soon. "That's the spirit. Hang in there!" she replied. Then came a curious question about portals. Portals? What was Cissnei talking about? She had heard strange rumors but never took them seriously. Did that mean these portals to another dimension or world actually exist? Maiah almost couldn't believe it. "I've only heard about silly rumors...I guess you talking about them means they're real?"

What the portals meant, if they were true, Maiah didn't have a clue. She had only just come back from living a 'normal life'. She had been blissfully unaware of the happenings concerning the Planet. At least, only after the Advent Children incident concerning Geostigma did she find nothing else wrong. Maiah never bumped into these strange portals either so thus why she didn't believe the rumors yet. If she had seen one, she would've investigated further about what was really going on with Gaia.

Seeing the way Cissnei was acting about the subject concerning her engagement to Reno, Maiah almost laughed. She didn't though out of respect for the younger Turk. She didn't want to embarrass her. This was probably still all new to Cissnei. It would be horrible of Maiah to make her regret it. She was happy for her after all. It was kind of cute how it made Cissnei feel. She could tell the girl was bashful about it all. "Just goes to show ya life can throw you for a loop. Always expect the unexpected!" she said with a smile.

Maiah gave a slight laugh in response to what Cissnei said about the ring. How it still surprised her that she was engaged. "You'll get used to it!" she said with a smile. Then the subject changed to what normal life had been like for Martial Arts. When she thought about it, nothing was special about it. You pretty much went about the day, repeating routines you've done the day before. At least with the Turks, things were usually different and kept you on your toes. Events hadn't been all interesting in the real world.

"I could say it was boring and lonely. I didn't have many friends like I did here. Apparently, normal people are scared of tall gals like me!" she said. She said it so casually too as if it didn't bother her. Now that she thought about it, normal life hadn't been all that different from the mercenary life. She had hardly any friends from those experiences. Well, at least she was back where she belonged now. She knew that now more than ever that she didn't belong to a regular life but one like that of the Turks.

"Every day, where I knew nothing of what was going on behind the scenes, it grew boring. I was doing nothing but the same old thing every day." It was true, the days for normal life grew into a routine. Nothing interesting would happen and if it did, rarely. She had been very happy to run into Rod when she did. It reminded her that she needed to get out of the life she had been leading and return to the Turks. Where her family and real friends were.

"Lets just say I'm relieved to be here again. Life outside was just...dull. Nothing interesting happened often. It's a relief to be here once more. I hope I'll be able to catch up on all the times I've missed from trying to live a life I wasn't going to adjust to."

[Cissnei]

...Forgotten Turk...
"Wings symbolize freedom for those who have none."

“Somehow men like Rod never seem to learn quickly, so you'll probably have to toss him a few more times before he finally figures it out.” That was just the one reason why they were lovable, but of course sometimes you had to wonder why they didn't learn sooner. If Rod survived one attack however, he might just live through another. Maiah wasn't anyone you wanted beating up on you, because for the entire time Cissnei had known her, Maiah had fought to win and the men she went up against always went down hard and stayed down. The mere fact that Rod had come back up without a broken something was a miracle in itself.

“I'm surprised Rod doesn't have a broken bone or something. You must have taken it easy on him.” She was being serious with that comment. Maiah wasn't known as a 'take it easy on the target' kind of girl. Rod had really dodged a bullet walking away only bruised up slightly. Crossing her arms, Cissnei could only imagine how much his ego had been bruised when he had been taken down by Maiah. Thinking you were going to pull a 'funny' prank and then getting laid out flat on your back. Yes, Rod probably hadn't felt the most egotistical at that moment of his life. Her only regret was that she hadn't been there to witness it.

Cissnei definitely hadn't had an easy time adjusting. It was one thing to be someone like Shotgun and have joined the Turks from a family, and have somewhere to go back to. Something to go back to, a life waiting for you. She had none of those. No life besides being a Turk, no family besides her fellow Turks. Nothing in the real world that had any pull on her. This was probably all she'd ever know, all she'd ever be doing. Being a Turk wasn't all that bad. Actually it was a pretty exciting life. But what happened when she became old? Well at least she would have Reno. Hopefully. Cissnei didn't want to have to face the thought of having him ever taken away from her.

There it was. Cissnei really did wonder how Rod had walked away with no broken bones. With a serious look on her face Cissnei nodded, “Hard for us all. I hope the rest, the Turks still out there are happy. They deserve the best, I hope they're living it up.” Who knew, maybe one day they would see them all again. Cissnei liked that idea, seeing her fellow Turks once again. All of them back together would be quite the fun. The chaos that would ensue would be a pleasant change from her life in the real world. Get up, eat, go to a boring work job, work, go home, sleep and start the whole routine over again. She honestly didn't know how anyone did it daily and lived happily.

If only the portals were just silly rumors. The thing was, they were reality, and that made things dangerous. Who knew how many had been dragged through the portals already to a different world. It really wasn't anything to be laughed at, which was what most would do if they were ever told about the portals. Writing it off as some silly prank. If only. “Very real. ShinRa has been gathering as much information as possible about these portals, which seem to be gateways to other worlds.” With a sigh Cissnei brushed her hair back out of her eyes. “Which presents a problem, for the obvious reasons. We've found certain people that have gone through these portals. They're disoriented, have no idea whats happening, where they are etc. The President has been putting great attention on the portals.” The next part was telling her about Reno. But would Reno want to tell her? Or should she explain why things had been crazy that she had missed?

Thankfully onto a better subject. “Life has its ways of surprising you, thats for sure.” However the 'better' subject was making her blush fiercely. Glancing at the ring was originally just a way to escape meeting Maiah's gaze and try to stop blushing. However once she glanced at her ring Cissnei wondered if Maiah was right. Would she ever get used to it? She most likely would, however, it didn't seem possible right now, with how much it still surprised her. Mind flashed back to that conversation she had had with Reno that day. They had talked about if they thought they'd ever settle down and about that. At first Cissnei had viewed it just as another conversation, but now it held meaning. Maybe someday she would get that house in the country she would want. Still, that was a long ways into the future. Cissnei wasn't leaving the Turks anytime soon that was for sure.

Listening attentively, Cissnei heard everything she said and nodded along with it. Life had been hard for her as it hadn't been fun for Maiah either. Really once a Turk always a Turk. There was really no going back one you were a Turk. Nowhere else was full of enough action or exciting enough. “Scared of a tall girl? They should be, they should be scared of any Turk girl. At least here things are differently. You don't get looked at like your a freak for what you can do.”

A pause then. “What I thought was the worst was knowing something was happening in ShinRa, knowing something was different, and not knowing what it was. As a Turk you know everything that happens. Its good knowing what the world is up against, instead of sitting there with you head in the sand trying to figure it out yourself.” With a nod Cissnei wondered where they would go from there.

Words: 1102
Muse: great!
Tagged: Maiah
Notes: noone

[Maiah (Martial Arts Female)]

Yes, it had been a miracle that Rod had been able to get back up after Maiah had thrown him. She had been in her defensive mode. It was a lucky thing Rod had managed to react in time and manage to cut the throw short so he didn't go the entire way. That was a neat thing about being a Turk. You learned special ways in how to twist your body in the right direction to land on the ground more safely. Hearing Cissnei's words, Maiah had to smile and giggle a bit. Yeah, if it came down to that, she'd have to toss Rod a few more times before he learned enough to not sneak up on her like that again.

She thought about what Cissnei said next. Had she really gone easy on Rod? She didn't think so. If anything, she thought Rod had just been lucky enough to react in time like he had. "Well, he managed to make it so I didn't completely throw him." Martial Arts didn't think she had purposely gone easy on him. Usually when she tossed a guy, he ended up staying on the ground and probably ended up in the hospital for a week.

"I'm pretty sure when I went to throw him, I meant to do him enough harm to keep him grounded. He's just lucky he did what he did in time or he would be at the hospital." Maiah didn't exactly feel proud of that. If anything, it bothered her to think what harm she could have done considering the fact that she didn't know it had been Rod. Well, he was fine now so no need to worry over it anymore.

Her almond brown eyes settled on Cissnei once more as she mentioned the other Turks. Maiah hoped that those still out there were having a better time than those who had returned. It was a pity that she couldn't really enjoy a regular life like any normal girl would. It was because she wasn't normal. She was a Turk and even before then, she had been a mercenary. Lives that hadn't at all been normal things for a lady like herself. That's why she never found herself relating well to other women out there.

Unlike normal ladies, Maiah never really stopped to think about what it would be like to find a man and settle down. She was always on the move, one way or another. She refused to be the one to sit there and cry about something and instead took challenges in life head on. It was because of her assertive nature that had set her apart from normal girls. Despite being borderline tomboy, Maiah still retained feminine qualities enough to keep her from going over that line. Still, her more hardened behavior plus her height made her more intimidating than she really was. Maiah was too tough to sit there and worry about how pretty she looked. That sort of thing was petty to her.

Talking to Cissnei had been rather easy. Compared to last time they had interacted, they were on even better terms. Maybe because they were happy to see a fellow female Turk that they recognized? Regardless, Maiah hoped they could interact more like this again. She was enjoying the time they were having. Used to being the quiet type, they could certainly relate better than Maiah would with someone like Shotgun. Shotgun was just too energetic. Maiah wasn't that far off herself but she knew enough not to get annoying like that and was more reserved. Poor Rod usually had been the victim of most of Shotgun's charades.

Martial Arts pushed away the memory of Rod and Shotgun. Why did it seem like her memories kept turning back toward Rod? Dismissing it as just memories sparked from having seen him again, Maiah focused on the present once more. "I hope they're having the time of their lives too. I hope things are going much easier for them than it did any of us who tried."

Now onto the portal subject. Considering what Cissnei was telling her, the rumors had been true. Where these portals lead to, it was assumed that they were connected to other worlds. It was surprising to say the least. However, Maiah wasn't sure what to think. There could be worse people than Sephiroth out there in the other worlds. The thought of such a being coming here was unsettling. Hopefully, that wouldn't be the case. Martial Arts didn't feel like worrying about the Planet's survival again like she did when Meteor had been cast.

Meteor, how she remembered the disquiet that had settled over the world when Shinra couldn't destroy it with the shuttle. People had been so scared then and rushed into situations they regretted. Maiah had thankfully been smart enough not to do anything and wait. The wait though had been very sickening. The Geostigma incident had almost reached that same alarming rate. Martial Arts was glad both had been resolved. "Huh, I guess if I had stumbled through one of those portals into another world, I'd be in the same situation." Maiah didn't blame any off worlders if they attacked in their confusion for she would've done the same.

She smiled about what Cissnei said. Yes, life loved surprising you. It certainly took her for a loop in finding herself back here again. Maiah couldn't help but laugh a bit when Cissnei stated that anyone should fear a lady Turk. "Yes, cuz we don't take any crap from no one. It's good to feel like a normal Turk again!" she mused. She looked at Cissnei then as she went on to explain how it felt to not know what was going on. Maiah could agree that it had been the worst. "Yeah, it wasn't easy sitting there during Meteor or Geostigma."

Only then did she noticed the paper sin Cissnei's other hand. "Oh no, I've distracted you!" she exclaimed, pointing out the papers. "I'm sorry, Ciss. I was just so happy to see you again and was eager to catch up." She thought about it for a moment. "How about we hang out when you're finished with what you're doing? Maybe a bite to eat at the cafeteria and a go at the virtual training room, just us girls?"

[Cissnei]

...Forgotten Turk...
"Wings symbolize freedom for those who have none."

This was what Cissnei loved. Maiah was her family just the same as the rest of the Turks. Though there were a few that were more special then others, Cissnei hadn't gotten to know Knife or Martial Arts (Male) very well, whereas Rude and Nunchaku had always been like her brothers. So many of them were coming back. Cissnei really had started a chain reaction where most from the old days were coming back. With her, then Rod, Ethan, Anavel and now Maiah. Nine Turks were back. It really was amazing that so many had come back, something Cissnei was happy about, her family was coming together.

“Good thing Rod was able to get thrown completely, or else your right, we might be visiting him in the hospital.” She had to cover her mouth to contain her own laughter. Poor Rod, but if he had tried that on Maiah he deserved what he had gotten. Of course, that made her sound horrible, even to herself. Sometimes though the guys like Rod and Reno needed to be taken down a notch. Their egos were to big to just leave them be. Cissnei herself teased Reno about crashing his helicopter, which made her giggle when he got so defensive about it.

Though Cissnei had thought about finding a guy and settling down, it had just been dreams though. Reality for a Turk wasn't a family with a bunch of kids running around. It was missions and a whole lot of paperwork to fill out after that. So though she had dreamed about the future and what it might bring for her, Cissnei had never thought it would become reality. Even when she had left the Turks Cissnei had never viewed anyone in the 'real world' as anything more then a fellow citizen. Possibly because of the fact that her mind set was that having family ties made you weaker. After all, caring for someone or something that much gave people the ability to use that against you. One thing she was scared about most? Having what she loved taken away from her.

As far as Cissnei was concerned, the Turks coming back meant not remembering any harsh words that were spoken to one another. A clean slate, thats what she wanted. She couldn't even remember any squabbles she had ever had with any of the Turks. They were a family, they were bound to fight at times. But that didn't stop her from being close to each and every one of them. “Nunchaku is back as well. Something tells me things will be pretty chaotic here with nine Turks running around. At least your here now. Another girl will be nice, I mean, theres Elena, you know, Gun's little sister, I've just hardly talked to her so far, so I cant say its easy to talk to her. She seems nice enough though, just dedicated to the job. Then again, aren't we all.”

Unless Cissnei got into her motherly tirades, she got along with everyone. No one was safe when she got bossy though, like the fact that if she found out Ethan had jumped in front of a train she would chew him up one side and down the other for doing something so risky. And Legend had always gotten a talking to by her about his smoking habits. Legend...now that most of the Turks had come back Cissnei missed one Turk more then others, and that would have to be the 'daddy Turk.' Having never actually remembered having a dad, Cissnei had always felt as if Legend was her father. Maybe...maybe one day he would come back as well. Maybe...

With so many people having come back there was more paperwork then normal. Plus getting everyone settled back into the job. That along with Reno becoming a l'cie and the portal situation, the missions were piling up. There was the military squad called PSICOM as well, who claimed to be hunting these l'cie across the different worlds. As far as Cissnei was concerned they could just mind their own business and stay out of Gaia. The president felt the same way, and thus she had gone on missions to take out these military men. For the most part they were pansies, no match for any of the Turks, however they did have backup that could get ugly if the Turks were ever sent by themselves. Best to be in pairs with missions concerning the squad.

“True. Stumbling into an unknown world wouldn't be fun. But with that the missions are piling up because of this situation. With trying to find all the portals so that no one from Gaia goes to somewhere else, tracking down the people that have come out of the portals, and what else has been happening, we haven't really gotten a rest. And another thing, a military branch has come out of the portals, claiming to be tracking down something called l'cie, but ShinRa is trying to resolve that matter. Not good having a military branch running around creating a mess that isn't even from here.”

Cissnei looked down at the papers in her hand and waved it off. “Oh don't worry, if Tseng cant wait an extra five minutes to get the paperwork then he's really slid in patience. If you want I can drop these off and meet you in five? I'm really hungry actually, haven't eaten all day.” Suddenly Cissnei realized something. She hadn't even thought about who would be standing up in her wedding. Maybe...Maiah would like to? That shyness came over her again. Cissnei hadn't really put to much thought into what the wedding would be like or what she would even wear. A look of horror crossed Cissnei's face. She was going to have to go dress shopping! The last time she had gone dress shopping...had been when she had been shopping for her and Reno's first date. That hadn't gone very well considering she had tried on a million dresses and hated them all.

She was going to need help. Maiah had always been more like one of the guys, but she would probably give some good input. And there was Elena too, all together they might find something nice. Hopefully nothing weird like she had in her last cursed experience. With dresses so revealing if a harsh wind blew here wouldn't be anything left. Now that would be embarrassing.

Words: 1194
Muse: awesome!
Tagged: Maiah
Notes: none :3

[Maiah (Martial Arts Female)]

Maiah chuckled a bit at what Cissnei said about Rod. Yeah, if she managed to throw him well enough, he'd be in the hospital. That and she knew she would've regretted doing it. Maiah wouldn't have forgiven herself for seriously injuring a friend. "And I won't have to pay for the hospital bill!" she added to what Cissnei said with a chuckle. She just hoped Rod would be wiser the next time around and not go and get himself thrown by her again like that. Then again, he was like an energetic kid. He never learned even though he was very smart.

It was a lucky thing there was a good variance of people in the Turks. It helped keep the egotistical ones in check while also keeping the ones more serious from never getting fun in their lives. Maiah and Cissnei, they were the types to beat down the guys if they got out of hand. As for Elena, Maiah had yet to meet her. She had heard of her by word of mouth. She was apparently Gun's little sister. The one that came from the academy. A big surprise considering she had noted how Elena made it clear she would never wish to be a Turk.

Still, it was nice to hear there was someone new among them. Maiah would like to get to know her. Maybe she wasn't like Gun? Sure, Elena and Gun didn't appear to get along when they were near each other but Maiah didn't think that reason to judge Elena. After all, things like that only brought out the worse in people when they fought with someone. Elena could actually be a very nice person. It would just take time to get to know her.

Hearing Cissnei confirm that even Nunchaku was back was good to here. "That's good to know. Looks like there's a lot of people I've yet to say hello to. Yeah, Rod told me Elena had joined." She smiled at what else Cissnei had said about there at least being another lady in their numbers. She had to agree. It must've felt odd at times for Cissnei to be one of the only women on the team. There were just things girls and guys couldn't talk about.

Sure, Maiah acted like one of the guys but she wasn't completely a tomboy either. Even she enjoyed girl talk from time to time. She just related better with the guys is all. Still, it made her helpful in that field. She could give advice a guy would give to help a girl pal see what a real guy might say to them. That or she could explain why a guy was acting the way they did. "I guess I will have to meet her some time. Yeah, we're all dedicated to the job!" she finally said with a smile.

When the subject on L'Cie came up, she looked at Cissnei strangely. Not because Cissnei was strange, it was just she didn't know what L'Cie were. What was also unsettling was the fact that a military branch decided to invade Gaia. Who the hell were they to just romp onto Gaia like they did? Even more, who were they? Where did they come from? What were the L'cie? Obviously, Shinra wasn't going to allow these off world people cause trouble. The thing was locating them and making it obvious Shinra was supreme here.

"Sounds like a lot of work is ahead of us then...I see things haven't changed!" Maiah replied with a smile. "Good thing there's more of us now, it'll hopefully lessen the load a bit." She waited for Cissnei's response about the paperwork. When Cissnei said that Tseng could wait a few minutes, Maiah guessed she was right. Tseng, though strict, had the patience of a saint for the most part. Dealing with Reno and Rod...and even Two Guns in the past, the guy had to be.

"Yeah, you're right. The day Tseng snaps, I guess we'll really know it!" she mused. When Cissnei agreed to meet later, Maiah nodded. "Sure, I'll see you then." With that, Martial Arts gave Cissnei a wave. "Meet you at the cafeteria." With that, she set off, unaware of what Cissnei had been thinking. Although Maiah would be surprised when she heard if Cissnei thought it a good idea with what she was considering. Martial Arts was never asked for anything like that before so it would be an honor to her.

Walking down the halls, Maiah headed for the cafeteria to wait for Cissnei.