Title: A New Perspective
Notes: This will turn into Seifer/Squall. Eventually. Maybe. I don't know if I'll finish this. Also, blame the format and probably the language used on a mind broken due to constant essay writing. ...And having written it at 3am after my brain had been nagging me for three days to just start writing the damn thing. It seems to have turned into a lot of unexpected storyline development for the setting rather than the story itself. But I'm pretty sure my brain is going to nag me for another few days until I get to writing the part I've really been wanting to write. So uh... Don't worry, I'm sure I'll finish? (Especially if, you know, you leave comments/critique pushing me to work on it) ... Yeah ... 3am ... Stopping now.
Disclaimer: Don't own the game, characters, places... Just the console that got me hooked and the laptop that allowed for me to write this.
"I need to get away from here."
The terse response caused Rinoa to tense. She shifted closer to the edge of the bed where she sat, her light body sinking into the soft down wrapped in the duvet. The cautious expression on her face spoke for her; she was at a loss for words. This wasn't the first time Squall had left her at a loss for words. Not lately. As each week went by, the ice beneath her feet seemed thinner. In fact, if she hadn't been sitting, she was sure she would have fallen straight through the floor.
Things hadn't changed at Balamb Garden. You would pass by the same faces every day; sit in the same classroom with the same group, learning the same thing, teaching the same thing; training as usual, missions as usual. Almost everyone found it comforting, although boring and monotonous. Every one of Squall's companions had returned to Balamb Garden with him after the ordeal they had experienced together. Quistis returned to instructing, with Squall occasionally and reluctantly performing demonstrations and assisting in training exercises to improve the quality of graduating students. Most of the others lent their assistance to Quistis as well, except Zell, who was kept occupied in other, less potentially destructive settings.
You could say the objective of the Garden had altered slightly. "To ensure peace and prosperity," the official script detailed the Garden's new aspiration ... Sure, it sounded great on paper. In reality, Balamb Garden conducted itself as an autonomous, prestigious force of elite soldiers for hire. The headmaster would use his own discretion in terms of acceptable missions and the instructors, all ranking SeeD officers, would have their say. To the public, it served as the perfect compromise. The threat of Balamb Garden as an available force for hire seemed to negate the necessity of soldiers serving each major power. Should conflict arise, SeeD negotiators would often step in and resolve the issue before it led to physical altercation. Should negotiation fail and one side attempt to retaliate, SeeD would be ready to step in to forcefully resolve the situation. Since the implementation of the new script, there had only been one such out of hand conflict. With the result favouring the side which hired Garden to handle negotiations, most were reluctant to bother with the hassle of conscripting a small army just to have it quickly shot down by the Garden hired by a neighbouring power.
Either way you look at it, from the perspective of someone who actually knew what was going on, the entire operation reeked of totalitarianism. Not that this bothered the majority. Most people understood the necessity of Garden and welcomed it. Those who didn't simply stayed out of their way. For the time being, it was working.
"Did you hear me?" Squall took one heavy-booted step forward. He never meant to come off as intimidating toward his friends, but sometimes Rinoa couldn't help but feel as though he were doing it on purpose. The young girl seemed to study the booted foot in front of her, glaring at it meaningfully before replacing her angered expression with that of her original look of caution.
"I heard you, Squall."
Rinoa lifted her head, her gaze trailing slowly up Squall's body. She bit down on her lip. This was hardly the time, she knew, to get distracted. The look on her companion's face was not one of contentment. Far from it; Squall's brow was furrowed, the sharp look in his eyes giving off a hawk-like expression. His lips were curved neither up nor down, forming a thin line to accent his thinning patience. He was serious, but he had been for weeks now. This wasn't unexpected, at least, so Rinoa thought. "Where are we going, then?"
The girl wasn't particularly attached to Balamb Garden. She was more of a resident than anything; not an official graduate, not an official student. She liked to consider herself an honorary member of the team, whatever that meant. Squall hadn't made any complaints; neither had the others. Seeing as their return had been only a short five months prior, everyone – including the headmaster – could honestly admit they hadn't given much thought or concern to the situation.
Everyone except Squall. He suddenly took a few quick, decisive steps toward the door of the dorm room, lifted his leather jacket from its perch, and pulled the door ajar. Rinoa rose from the bed as Squall turned to face her once again, her expression now one of bewilderment.
"I said, 'I' need to get away." The tension in the room was palpable, but Squall's expression changed to one resembling reluctance as he took one look back to Rinoa before stepping through the threshold of the doorway and shutting it behind him.