Xu walked down the hallway from the dormitory. Her hangover was almost gone, but the buzz she still had, was probably due to her drinking scotch earlier whilst talking to her friend. It wasn't something she normally did, drink scotch that is, but given the situation it was the only thing she could do really. Like her smoking, it was a guilty pleasure which she indulged in from time to time. She loved the taste of the amber liquid on the back of her throat and how sometimes it just grabbed tight hold of her and made her feel so alive. Today however was not one of them times. Instead it made her more pensive. She didn't usually show her emotions much, Xu was known for being the original strong, silent type. She could be even colder than Squall at times, but that was partly due to her role within Garden. She tried to fake a smile but she couldn't. Something inside her was stirring and it didn't sit comfortably with her at all. Feeling slightly light-headed, she instead headed for the elevator rather than go to the library like she had originally planned. She pressed for the second floor - the classrooms and administration wing were located here. She got off the elevator and headed along the footbridge leading to the outer-ring where the classrooms and offices were, but instead of turning right towards the balcony, she turned left. She passed along several of the doors before she finally stopped at one and looked at the door. It was an old office which was originally one of the Faculty members rooms. She peered inside it. These offices had been long abandoned since the failed coup led by NORG and some of the SeeDs who seemed dissatisfied by Cid's leadership. Xu remembered the blood in the hallways, the monsters, black uniforms vs blue uniforms, friends turning on each other. It was a horrible event, one which she wished she didn't have to shed blood in. It was one thing wounding your comrades in combat training and spell training but to actually fight them in real combat. She shuddered at the thought. She continued on along the hallway, passing more of the abandoned rooms. The faculty often lived in these offices, so they were well-worn in. Some SeeDs had requested they be allowed to move into these rooms but Cid firmly shook his head. He said the new administration would decide the purpose of these rooms in due time. Xu didn't like that idea, the 'New Administration'. She was happy in the fact Squall and the others had saved the world from the brink of defeat, but part of her just felt they were being pushed well beyond their limits, even her dear friend Quistis who graduated SeeD with her. She felt that there may have been a slight theme of nepotism in the ranks at the moment, and if she noticed it, surely the dissenters would notice it too. She stopped at the door marked "Commander Squall Leonhart" and paused for a moment. He did deserve an office given his new rank, but she had a feeling the first thing he would do now the sorceress war had calmed down would be to see if he could redeploy to Timber. She knew he was bound by his contract to Rinoa, but she wondered if all of SeeD would be dragged into this war she had got them involved in. Not wanting to think anymore of it, she headed to her office which was three doors down from it and slipped in there.
Xu's office was one of the average sized ones. It didn't have any "living space" compared to the former faculty ones, but what it did have was an extremely comfortable black leather sofa which she had passed out on several times over the years. She quickly went to her workstation and pulled her PDA out of her handbag and scrolled through its options. She found the option marked "SYNC" and then looked for the relevant option on her work station. She still had twenty minutes before she had to meet Quistis in the garage so she did what she had to quickly - she unloaded her work-data onto the station so she could work on a complete report of the past weeks later on this evening. Even though she was off, Xu liked to get paper work done whenever she could. It helped her focus on what had to be done instead of more trivial things, the most current one being who she took back to her apartment last night. She couldn't shake the urge to just ring Selphie and ask her, but given how Irvine had already asked her, the chances were she didn't know either. Xu watched the "Sync in progress bar" slowly filling up and looked at the estimated time - seven minutes till completion. Seeing as anything she tried on either device would stop the transfer, she opened the bottom draw of her desk. It was filled with protein bars, energy drinks and the final thing she was looking for - a refill on her cigarettes. Quistis really did only smoke when she was drunk, but Xu was a smoker. Like Seifer used to be, she would steal away five minutes here and there to light up when no one was looking. Her office actually had its own small balcony, perfect for her to light up in peace. It was a dirty habit, she knew it was, but she didn't have time for regrets, not in her field of work anyway. SeeDs had a life expectancy of Thirty if they stayed active in the field. Most of them usually made it to twenty-five before either specializing in education, becoming instructors at the various gardens or moving into the private security businesses - setting up their own bodyguard agencies, working as guards for rich families or in some cases, becoming professional freelance contractors who used their network of contacts with Garden to expand their reach and sometimes do things Cid wasn't fond of them doing. Xu longed to be back in the field again, she was the best covert operative in Garden after all. She was also the only Ninja in SeeD too. She came to garden when she was Thirteen, just about to turn Fourteen, the same year as Quistis joined. Xu was already fully combat trained by then. Although she was an Orphan, she had the luxury of knowing her birth parents first hand - they were Trabians who lived near the Esthar border. They seemed normal to most people in their rural village, but behind closed doors, they were different. Her father and mother were both highly skilled Ninja who were highly trained in the art of several weapons, the ones which Xu had in her locker in her office. They trained her from an early age and by the time they died when she was ten, Xu was already proficient with the basic tools of a Ninja. She was a ward of the state for three years, being passed from family to family but none of them could control her. Xu was 'unruly' as a child so the decision to hand her over to Garden was a no-brainier. Xu walked to her balcony and lit a cigarette. As she took a drag on it, she reflected more on how she got to garden in the first place.
Her parents died when she was ten, the local police said it was an accidental death - a gas main had blown up under her home whilst she was at school, but Xu knew at this early age that it was no accident. Ninja's don't die by 'accident'. Her family had enemies and when Xu found out, the first thing she did was sneak back into her home and steal away what weapons of her parents she could and hid them in a place only she would know - her fathers secret mountain lodge in the mountains near their village. Xu then waited for the day she would be able to return here. Every family which adopted her didn't have the time for her. She was often neglected, so she used her training to escape or to defend herself from unwanted advances. Social Services believed she was just acting out, but one of the social workers realized who she was and quickly contacted Cid Kramer. He was more than happy to take her on, so much so he went out to Trabia to meet her himself. She remembered the first day they had met - he had more hair and was slightly leaner than he was now, but he still wore the same styled cords and waistcoat over shirt. It was hard to think he was the leader of an elite school of mercenaries, but he was. He wasn't like the other men who had talked to her either - he was interested in her and her only. He asked her what she wanted to do, what she could do already and if she had any information for him which would help him. She didn't know why, but she felt she could trust him. She took him to her father's cabin where they took the weapons she stored there, along with several documents detailing who she actually was and her lineage. Xu was the daughter of the legendary Shinobi Hanzo Hitsaguya, known also as "Lyuda" (The white death). Xu never knew her family name, she was always told people in her family only went by one name, so she kept the tradition up. It was only recently, after Garden had become mobile when Cid gave her the documents which now lay in her office detailing her fathers past and her own legacy. Xu Hitsaguya was probably the most dangerous woman on the planet. In recent weeks Xu had started to look into her families death more and more and it was revealed to have been a Galbadian hit on them as her father had killed some influential diplomat a number of years ago. Xu had hoped to seek revenge to honor her family's legacy, but Cid reminded her than the Hitsaguya clan was known for rising above retaliation like that. She should seek redemption for him on the battlefield and when the time is right, she will restore his honor.
Finishing her cigarette and casually flicking it over the balcony, Xu turned back to her office. She disconnected the PDA and locked her draw and powered down the work station. She looked round the room, in case she needed anything before leaving it. She locked the door behind her and headed back towards the elevator. She made it halfway down the corridor before she bumped into Headmaster Cid and his wife, the former sorceress Edea Kramer. She held her nerves as she greeted them both. Ever since Xu found out that Edea Kramer was the sorceress responsible for the chaos and bloodshed in Galbadia, it made her uneasy whenever they were close. Edea could sense her distrust, many in Garden felt that way. Xu couldn't treat her with the same forgiveness as Squall, Quistis and the others could, seeing how she had no bond or past with her, but she did respect her for the fact she was the mother that they never had and she did raise them well. She saluted Cid and bowed respectfully to Edea before letting them continue on. Further down the hall she bumped into Squall. Xu liked dealing with Squall. There was never any need for protracted small talk, they were both business driven people who preferred to get to the point where possible. She smiled at him.
Xu: "Good morning Squall. Going to see your new office?"
Squall: "I guess"
Xu: "Good. Well I hope you like it. If you need anything, just ask, I'll be right down the hall"
Squall nodded and watched Xu carry on down the hallway. He thought for a moment how could she be right down the hall when she was in her civilian clothes and obviously headed out for the day but then he just let that thought slide. He knew where her office was in-case he needed to for future reference. Squall hurried to catch up to Cid and Edea whilst Xu glanced at her watch - she had five minutes to get to the parking lot. She was never normally late, but her sly cigarette had cost her valuable time. She waited impatiently for the lift and as soon as the doors opened she slipped through and hammered the ground floor button. The doors closed and even though it only took eight seconds to make the descent, it felt like eight long minutes. Xu was never normally impatient, but given her hangover and nagging mental problems regarding her suitor last night, she was exhibiting behavior normally not associated with her. The doors opened and she flung herself through them, almost knocking a cadet over who was in her way. She didn't stop to apologize, she just waved her hand behind her head as if to say "sorry, in a rush!". She quickly made it to the entrance of the garage with a minute to spare and noticed Quistis was only just leaving the dormitory entrance - she had been mobbed by the Trepies. It was times like this where the Garden Faculty were useful - they usually kept her free from hassle, but since they all left the moment the garden had docked at Fishermans Horizon, there was more chaos than order in garden at times. Quistis was too polite to tell the Trepies to clear out the way, so Xu had to do it for her. Usually the use of magic was forbidden outside of the training centre and classrooms, but she knew something needed to be done. She knew magic could be cast without any fancy gestures, but as a Ninja, symbolism was a key part of her arsenal. She had learned the various hand seals which the Ninja used when "using" their own brand of magic - 'Jutsu'. She had learned how to combine these with her Para-magic and her guardian force, Megitsune to create very dramatic scenes. She brought her hands together and made several complicated gestures with her fingers, bending some down, extending others, rotating her hands and soon she felt a rush of energy to her fingertips in her right hand. She smiled and then quickly slammed her fist down onto the floor. A blast of wind, amplified by her Para-magic surrounded her before she released it towards the crowd. Quistis heard the roar of the wind and did the only thing she could - ducked down behind a wall. The Trepies look confused but then realised why - a miniature tornado spell had been hurled their way and before any of them could react, it cast them in all directions, clearing a path for Quistis. Everyone in the main hallways stopped and looked at Xu. Her face was stone cold with a look of danger about it. They got the hint slowly but surely - leave Quistis alone, especially whilst the Diamond was around. Quistis caught up to Xu as the pair headed down towards the garage.
Quistis: "Thanks Xu, you saved my ass there. I've had nothing but trouble off them all morning."
Xu simply shrugged her shoulders. Quistis knew what was coming so she simply lowered her head like a child and waited to be scolded by the older woman.
Xu: "You have to be more assertive. Without the faculty round now, they're getting more and more dangerous and creepier now. Sooner or later, you will find yourself in trouble and you will end up having to use force to get yourself out of trouble. You were lucky I was there, but what would happen if I wasn't? You think Squall would save you like that? No. He'd probably just stare them down and then make you feel childish like I am now"
Quistis: "I guess you're right... Next time I'll use my blue magic to hose them down with aqua breath or something"
Xu: "I was thinking more about your fire breath or maybe the bad breath attack"
Quistis: "No, anything but that. Every time I use it, I want to throw up!"
Xu swiped her card key at the garage door. Quistis went to swipe for the keys but Xu stopped her. Xu instead swiped for them and looked at her as if to say "Seriously? In your state?". Xu probably shouldn't have driven either but she got the keys out for the standard issue city car. She clicked "3" on the passengers and Quistis gave her a look of confusion.
Xu: "Nida's coming with us to Balamb. He messaged me earlier after I told him I was taking you to Balamb and he said neither of us were in any state to drive so he offered to do so. He's got business in Balamb to attend to anyway and he said he'd make his own way back to Garden, letting us drive back home."
Quistis: "Oh.. Ok, didn't expect that"
Xu smiled. There was a lot more Quistis didn't expect today. There was the spa they had booked, but the dinner she had booked for them was actually going to be for her and Nida. Before the mission to raid the Lunatic Pandora, Nida said to Quistis if she survived it, he would take her to dinner. Xu saw the promise being made and reminded him that he owed her lunch and not just a cafeteria date either. Xu was going to make sure Quistis had a better day than evening. This would free her up to have some down time in Balamb. She liked to sit on the docks and watch the sea, it helped her relax, and whilst her two friends would be eating and talking, hopefully finding that spark which was yet to form between them, she would be watching the dock hands working half-naked on the boats. Xu was a pervert sometimes, and for that, she was proud. The two girls waited by the car for a few minutes before Nida turned up. He was wearing light blue denim jeans, a tight, white shirt and a baseball cap with a plain black hooded jacket tied around his waist. He nodded at Xu who returned the gesture but greeted Quistis differently - he took her hand and led her to the car.
Quistis: "Is this a repeat of last night, Nida the brave knight rescuing me from the evil Trepies?"
Nida: "If that is what you want it to be. I'm just helping you to the car because you are a little unsteady on your feet right now"
Quistis almost fell over. Nida caught her in his arms as Xu burst out laughing.
Xu: "If you wanted him to hold you in his arms Trepe, all you needed to do was ask!"
Quistis and Nida went a deep shade of red. Xu simply turned around and looked for the car. Before she could even point to it, a voice from behind her stopped her in her tracks.
Quistis: "SHOTGUN"
Xu: "Hyne dammit!"
Xu opened the car door and then moved to the back door. She let Quistis in the passenger side first and then climbed in behind her. Nida got into the driver's seat and turned the ignition. The car's engine roared into life as he revved it several times before he drove out of the garden. Xu pulled her PDA out and played round with it, she was looking for the latest news updates going on around the world, it was mostly just talk of the fall of the sorceress and Galbadia in chaos after the war. "Nothing interesting" she thought as music suddenly kicked in on the radio. Quistis had hit play on the sound system and the sound of soft rock came through the speakers. It was a happy melody which had the three of them nodding their heads in time to the music and singing along to the lyrics. She knew the song but couldn't think who it was or what its title was. The lyrics were about some guy turning on his radio and hearing a song which reminded him about a girl he used to know which made him go down memory lane. She drummed her fingers on her thighs in time to the chorus' guitar riff, it was an iconic riff which everyone recognized and it was almost impossible not to smile when you heard it. For a moment, despite the pleasant song, Xu sighed to herself. The girl in the song, Marianne had this beautiful song dedicated to her which was heard around the world. It made her slightly jealous but at the same time she remembered that the last time someone tried to sing a song about her or to her, it didn't end well.
Nida: "Gil for your thoughts Xu?"
Xu shook her head, being woken up from her daydream. She mumbled something and shrugged before losing herself to her PDA again.
Quistis: "Xu's a terrible person to travel with. You'd get more conversation out of Squa...OW!"
Xu's boot kicked the back of Quistis' chair hard. Quistis jerked forwards and turned round to hit Xu in retaliation but the driver put an end to it.
Nida: "Behave children! I'll make you both walk to Balamb"
Quistis: "No... i don't think i could do any big walking things today... my head is killing me, I forgot my sunglasses and it's too bright outside"
Xu: "I'd walk, but in these boots? You must be joking!"
Quistis looked at her boots. They were different to her usual boots she wore with her SeeD uniform - they were slimmer and they actually had a defined heel on them, it was like a pair of shin-high high heels. Xu always knew how to dress to impress and despite the fact she always shot down anyone eying her up when she wasn't drunk, she enjoyed all the attention. Quistis also noticed the faint outline underneath her skirt - xu's kunai band. Quistis wanted to ask Xu if she went anywhere without a blade on her, but in her handbag, Quistis herself had her combat knife and tied around her waist, like a fashion accessory was her whip - "Save the Queen" the malboro tentacle which could resist almost all attempts to snap it. She then looked at Nida and wondered if he was armed. He must have been. All SeeDs were armed even when off duty. As she eyed his body for any abnormal marks, she couldn't help but admire his muscular figure. She wanted to look elsewhere, but she couldn't.
Xu: "Want me to pick your jaw up Trepe?"
Quistis and Nida both went a bright shade of red again. Xu loved to torment her friends. Most people just saw her as the right hand of Cid who simply did the office work, mission briefings and the occasional field mission, they didn't know her as the trickster, the wind up merchant and the card groups second in command.
Xu: "Nida, what are you packing? Quistis is eying you for any bulges"
Xu placed heavy emphasis on the bulge part of her question. Nida flashed her a cheeky grin in the mirror which was returned by the girl on the back seat.
Nida: "My specialty weapon is the spear, but because its too awkward to carry round, I also use a retractable Bo staff too, specially designed to shrink down from seven-foot to two foot which makes storing it even easier."
Xu: "Back up weapon?"
Nida: "Colt .45, semi automatic, standard G-army issue. 7+1"
Quistis: "how good a shot with it are you?"
Nida: "Not Irvine sadly. I'm good with it, but its more of a last resort weapon. Irvine said he'd teach me how to use the shotgun like he does which is a bit easier to use in combat situations than a lone pistol. Somehow I doubt he'll get round to teaching me. He follows Selphie round like a lost puppy these days"
Quistis: "They really like each other, it's just the pair of them are too stubborn to act on it"
Xu: "I'll make things happen between them, leave it to me"
Nida and Quistis both shouted "No!". Xu's habit of trying to play cupid between some people often ended in disaster. She would either read the signals wrong and create an awkward date for them, or she would over-complicate things and cause a rift where the two people who liked each other would actually go off each other because of her meddling. Xu folded her arms as if to say "fine then" and looked out the window. Balamb was a nice place to live, it was a mild climate, they didn't get much snow and the scenery was pleasant, but she missed the cold of Trabia. She planned to head back there the next time she could get some leave authorized.
Quistis: "Thinking about 'home' ?"
Xu: "Yeah, right now I'd be in a snow drift six feet deep!"
Nida: "I don't know how you Trabians deal with the weather? You must all have Shiva in your blood!"
Xu shook her head.
Xu: "Shiva didn't like me, said I was too much of an Ice Queen for her!"
Quistis: "Its true, In the end I junctioned her and we're close, but she's also extremely close to Squall. Must be his whole loner image thing."
Nida: "Someone too cold for Shiva? I don't believe it. Who do you roll with now Xu?"
Xu smiled. Not many people had heard of her guardian and for good reason - it was a unique one in which it had stayed in her family's clan for generations. Xu had been junctioned to her since her childhood.
Xu: "Megitsune, she's a fox who likes to trick people"
Nida: "Just like you then... I wonder who had that personality first, her or you!"
Quistis: "To be honest, I've met megitsune, and they are both as bad as each other"
Xu: "What about you Nida?"
Nida: "Ramuh, one of the thunder gods. He gets on well with Quetzacotl"
Quistis: "I've got Leviathan so it's probably best those guys don't meet. The last time Leviathan and Quetzacotl met up in a friendly training session, all hell broke loose!"
Nida: "I heard about that, something like Selphie and you managed to flood the quad when doing a GF demonstration to the junior cadets"
Quistis said nothing as Xu simply laughed to herself in the back seat.
=...=...=
The car eventually reached Balamb. They managed to find a parking space on the edge of town which was reserved for SeeD vehicles. As they exited the vehicle, Xu messaged Nida the time and location of the restaurant. Nida nodded as he got the message and bit the girls farewell. He shook Xu's hand and then helped Quistis out of the car and hugged her. He leaned in close and said "See you later" before walking off. Quistis tried to get her head round it but she gave up as the three parted ways. Nida headed off towards the residential area, probably going to visit some friends whilst the girls headed down to the waterfront where their Spa was located. They walked along in the sun, it was warm and there was a mild breeze coming in from the ocean. The weather was perfect, better than they could have hoped for. Many of the local boys and men stopped in their tracks as the two SeeDs walked past them. They were both so natural, they made everyone's heads turn. Quistis tried to hide her face behind her hair, but Xu basked in it. She winked at one boy who must have been thirteen at the most. His legs started to tremble before he blew her a kiss. Xu smiled, playing along with him just to infuriate his friends. In Garden Xu was very critical of people eying her up unless she wanted to be, but out in Balamb, Dollet or Galbadia, she was different, she basked in the attention. Quistis often admired this trait in her friend, how she could separate her work persona from her own persona. One day she'd have to ask her how to just let go like that but she knew what her answer would be - "don't think, just do".
The women eventually reached the Spa and Xu booked them in. Xu opted to use the pool and sauna facilities, she felt she might as well get some training in before the pamper session. Before Quistis could even say what she wanted, Xu nominated her for the detox, pointing to her friend's painfully hungover expression. The girls at the spa were more than happy to oblige - they whisked Quistis away to be pampered whilst one who remained asked Xu for her measurements so they could get her a swim suit. The woman returned with a charcoal grey and black outfit, similar to her ones in her wardrobe. Xu smiled as she took it, she had been here before to use the facilities when on down time. Even though she was off, she looked to train in any way she could, wherever she could. swimming was perfect - it built stamina and worked all her muscles as well as helped her control her breathing. As she headed towards the changing room, some of the men and women at the Spa already stopped and stared. They had seen her visit before, but every time she came, she never failed to catch their imagination. Xu knew they were looking, so she played up to her adoring crowd. She flicked her hair back from the side of her head and looked over her shoulder at one of the lifeguards and winked at him. He smiled back at her and tried to mouth something but she was gone. The changing room door swung shut behind her.
"Never gets boring"
Xu dived into the pool. It was a full 50 meters long by 25 meters wide pool. Half of it had been sectioned off into lanes for the competitive swimmers whilst the other half was for the casual swimmers. Xu was in the furthest lane from the casual swimmers. She cut through the water and let her powerful arms and legs help her carve her way through. She planned to swim 200 meters on each dive. Her goal was a kilometer in 30 minutes with minimal cool down time between each dive, rising to try and hit 5k before she hit the sauna to cool down for a bit and to recuperate. She enjoyed being in the water - the freedom it gave her to move as she saw fit - being able to spin around whilst seemingly weightless was a bonus. It helped her time her rotations when she was using her acrobatic skills in combat. The quicker and more precise the turns, the more momentum she picked up. As she finished her first 200m in roughly 2:30 she exited the pool and sat down at the side of it, getting her breath back. When she trained like this, Megiutsune removed all her strength and stamina boosting junctions. It felt like cheating if she trained like this whilst fully junctioned. As the water dripped from her face, she looked out the window at the Balambian coastline. It was perfect. She planned to spend a night on the beach again at some point, she just didn't know who to spend it with. That was her problem - she wanted companionship, she just couldn't bring herself to face it.
"Pretty impressive time that?"
Xu looked up, the lifeguard she had flirted with earlier sat down next to her. He was six feet four. He was tanned and quite muscular. He wore red shorts and yellow muscle vest which left nothing to the imagination. Xu didn't like guys who were overly tall or buff much, but she couldn't help but admire his physique. He could have easily walked into a body building gym and not look out of place at all. He ran his fingers through his short blonde hair and smiled at her.
Lifeguard: "Name's Auron"
Xu: "Xu, pleasure to meet you"
Xu flashed a cheeky smile at him and ran her finger across his bicep. He didn't react, most of the women who went swimming whenever he was on duty did this to him. It was all part of the experience - have a big, athletic muscular young man to save you in-case you drown.
Auron: "With speed like yours, I'd assume you're a SeeD?"
Xu noted how observant he was. Granted his job was to observe people and to intervene if they were in danger, but the fact after watching her swim for just under three minutes, he had worked her out already.
Xu: "What gave it away?"
Auron: "The 2:30, 200m time was one... and the Tattoo on your upper left arm too."
Xu forgot about her SeeD tattoo most of the time. She got it done when she became a SeeD four years ago and it was just a part of her now which she paid no attention too. The faculty disproved of people getting SeeD logo tattoo's when they graduated, but the students did it anyway. Just the sight of that logo said enough about a person so if they ever left the field, they could let people know not to mess with them. The black and white interlocking hooked shapes were in the center of a golden pointed ring, similar to the ring which surrounded Balamb garden and this was set on a blue cross. Xu's tattoo was different to some of the ones he had seen though. It had four markings underneath it, the first was the letter "A", the second was the letter "X", the third was a small red heart and the fourth was the letter "V". As Auron looked at them, Xu saved him the explanation. She could feel he was paying more attention to her breasts in the very tight swimsuit than her ink.
Xu: "The A is my current rank and the highest one you can attain, X is the rank I graduated with, Rank 10 of 31, The heart is a secret which not many people know or will know [she winked] and the V is the number of weapons I specialize in."
Auron: "Five weapons?"
Xu: "Yeah, I shouldn't have shared that information, I am likely to have to kill you now for that, but you're pretty enough to be smart and not blab are you?"
Xu's playful tone did have a slight threatening sound about it. Auron knew SeeDs were ones not to be messed with and he didn't plan on revealing her secrets, but at the same time it gave him an insight into the black-haired woman who had now dived into the pool. She was beautiful and dangerous. Many guys would love to chase her, her looks and skills would make her the perfect catch. But not him, even though she was attractive, he didn't bother trying to play her flirting game. He knew she would only leave him wanting more and never able to get it. Watching her as she cut through the water, he admired her technique and wondered just how much she had given up to become the way she had?
=...=...=
Xu: "How was your pamper session?"
Quistis looked more alive as the two girls left the Spa at 14:30. Quistis had the full treatment - skin cleanse and scrub, hair, nails, make up, waxing. She felt more alive too. The hangover was gone, and to celebrate she rummaged round in her handbag. Xu tapped her on the shoulder and held out a cigarette and her lighter.
Quistis: "Lifesaver! I promise I'll stop after today!"
Xu said nothing as she lit one for herself after Quistis passed her the lighter back. As the two women smoked, Quistis looked at Xu. She was unusually quiet for a girls afternoon. Maybe Dian was weighing on her mind still.
Quistis: "What did you do then whilst they saved me from my hangover?"
Xu: "I swam 3k before giving up to set in the sauna for a bit. The big muscular lifeguard was talking to me for a while, but he didn't want to play my game. I set him up to take the bait and he just went away instead. After sulking in the sauna for a little while, I then got my hair trimmed a little and cleaned myself up a little bit"
Quistis: "Think he was gay?"
Xu: "Believe me, the way he was staring at me, he wasn't gay!"
Quistis: "Maybe he knows of you and your trail of broken hearts. You are infamous for that remember"
Xu shot a warning glance at Quistis which was intended to be a "Don't start with that today, not today". Quistis got the message and changed the subject quickly.
Quistis: "So where are we going?"
Xu pointed to the rather plain-looking building at the end of the road. It was a combination of blue and white-painted walls with simple flowers decorating it. The sign was made of driftwood collected from the beach and the docks. It said "Ifrit's Cove" on it, the paint made to look like scorch marks on the wood. Xu checked her PDA, there was a message from Nida which simply read "seated and waiting". Xu replied and put it away. She pulled another cigarette out as they neared the restaurant. Quistis looked at her with some slight annoyance
Quistis: "Do you have to smoke now? We have a meal to go to"
Xu waved her away
Xu: "Just go in and get seated, I'll be in when we're ready. The reservation is under Trepe. I've already paid in advance so pick what you want!"
Quistis hugged her friend and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Quistis: "You're the best Xu!"
Xu brushed it off and watched her go in. Nida had picked the table in the window so Xu could watch her friend's reaction. Quistis froze up for a moment when she saw Nida waiting with a glass of water. She didn't know where to look apart from out the window at Xu who smiled and took a picture on her PDA of her shell-shocked friend. Nida stood up to greet her and showed her to her seat. He was awestruck at how beautiful she looked after the spa morning with her perfect make up and she was just awestruck in the fact her best friend and another friend had worked behind her back to make her go on this date. Xu checked her PDA, it was a message from Quistis which simply said "YOU. ARE. DEAD!". Xu simply waved to her and turned round and headed towards the docks. Nida would call her when they were done, he knew Xu wanted to be alone today so he was doing his best to help her and her friend out.
Xu: "Don't mess this one up Quistis, he's perfect for you..."
...=BALAMB HARBOUR=...
"Xu. Its Squall. When are you available to talk? Call me when you can"
Xu sat on the end of the pier looking at the message. She took a drag from her cigarette hit the phone icon to contact him. She hoped she wasn't interrupting anything as the phone rang. Him and Rinoa had been inseparable when work wasn't concerned recently. Although she was happy for him she was eager to get back to business. As she waited for the ringing to stop, a voice answered her.
Squall: "Xu?"
Xu: "Just got your message Squall. I'm in Balamb at the docks with Quistis and Nida. Is everything ok?"
Squall: "Its fine, I need to talk with you in person at some point tomorrow daytime, we need to sort out the structure of Garden"
Xu didn't even need to ask, she knew why Squall was contacting her directly.
Xu: "When do you leave for Timber?"
Squall: "3 days time. Myself, Zell, Selphie and Rinoa are going. I want you, Quistis, Xavier and Nida to work with Cid in my absence and keep things running. Irvine isn't a SeeD and he doesn't wish to take the SeeD exam, but treat him like we would an associate. His skills are highly useful despite his one blip"
Xu: "Affirmative. Can I ask you a question Commander?"
Squall: "If it what I think you intend to ask, please leave it till tomorrow. That is something what should be answered in person."
Xu: "Ok. Forward any inventory requests you may need. I'll get then dispatched to wherever you need them"
Squall: "We're traveling light, this is a small cell support mission, we will only need assistance if things go south"
Xu: "Noted. Message me in the morning, usual time. We can arrange a meeting then"
Squall replied and disconnected the call. Xu stared at the display, letting the message sink in before she took another drag of her cigarette. She looked at the sun. It was 17:00 and it was slowly starting to dip. The orange light reflected off the ocean and made the sky a mixture of colours. She always liked watching the sun on Balamb pier. It reminded her of Dian and the numerous times they came here. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small hip flask. She unscrewed the top of it and took a sip before fastening it again and placing it back into her bag.
Xu: "...I miss you"
=..IFRIT'S COVE, BALAMB..=
Nida: "So you don't know who Xu hooked up with either?"
Quistis: "No! I've asked and she doesn't know. Irvine doesn't know either which means Selphie, queen of gossip doesn't know! The only thing I can think of is one of the cadets or low rank SeeDs decided to take the plunge and make a move. Fortune favours the bold as they say"
Nida smiled. They had both finished their meals and were sat on the terrace outside the front of the restaurant waiting for Xu to show up. Both had stuck to soft drinks given the delicate state of Quistis in her post-hangover recovery period and Nida was driving so he was being responsible. They both had Balamb fish and chips, a light and easy meal for Quistis to handle with her reduced appetite and Nida enjoyed the fish from round here. They spent the afternoon just idly talking and eating. They were already friends so instead of getting to know each other for the first time like some people who went on dates like this did, they spent it talking about a subject they both had a mutual interest in - Xu.
Nida: "Can you remember who the last person was to enter the Fox's den and survive without being bit was?"
Quistis tried to think. Many guys had fallen for Xu's stunning looks and hard to get routine, but they all had their hopes dashed by the following morning. Only a handful had managed to come back for more over the years but her inability to want to commit to someone was legendary. It was one of her traits, like Selphie's fascination with the color yellow, Irvine's focus on anything with two legs and a pair of breasts, Zell's tendency to over react to anything and everything and of course Squall's "...whatever" routine. They both knew Xu was a lovely person, but she kept everyone at bay, only really letting her friends close.
Nida: "Did she ever have a thing with Seifer?"
Quistis spat her drink out on the floor in shock at the bluntness of Nida's question
Quistis: "I can see why you ask, they are two polar opposites with their behavior, but they are also too similar - full of pride and very focused and determined. If there ever was anything, I didn't know about it... But it does make sense, Seifer was always hostile to people he shown signs of affection for."
Nida: "And him and Xu always seemed to hit it off negatively whenever they were in the same room as each other"
As Nida and Quistis tried to discuss Xu's love life, her voice cut them off.
Xu: "No, I never fucked Seifer, wouldn't have gave him the satisfaction of knowing he'd lay naked with me! No, I never considered it, he was attractive but he had eyes for one woman only at Balamb and we all know who that was... Nida, I thought you knew better than to indulge Trepe in her little ideas, she might seem all prim and proper, but she's just as insane as Selphie sometimes!"
Nida and Quistis were speechless
Xu: "I've been here for about twenty minutes now, I heard everything, I just wanted to see if the story you were coming up with was almost believeable... And the last person to enter the "fox's den" as you put it Nida and didn't leave with their heart-broken was my mystery guest last night, as he bailed out on me!"
Quistis: "Sorry Xu... We jus.."
Xu held her hand up and simply waved it as if she was brushing the subject away
Xu: "C'mon, it was funny and you do know an awful lot about me anyway. If you two ever teamed up with Selphie I'd be doomed. Anyway, its nearly 18:00, we gotta head back to Garden. Selphie messaged us and asked us to meet her on the second floor near one of the old faculty offices."
Quistis: "Did Cid give her an office under the pretense it was for chair of the garden festival committee?"
Nida: "This means it'll probably be another party. You think you can handle it Quis?"
Xu: "She will do. Just no cocktails for her..."
Quistis: "Or cactaur needle shots for you. You still need to take another 995 of them to live up to your bold statement!"
Xu shot them both a warning glance before walking off towards the car.
=20:00, Balamb Garden, Dormitory wing, Xu's Quarters=
She sat there in her underwear on the edge of her bed. Wondering what to wear tonight. It wasn't an official SeeD function so her uniform was out of the question thankfully. She liked its feel, but sometimes, the skirt was a bit of a pain, especially when you're drunk and start showing off, it left little to the imagination sometimes. She rooted through her wardrobe and pulled out two dresses. A long sleek red one with a golden fox embroided on the floorlength skirt section of it. The top half of the dress rested on her hips perfectly and was loose enough in parts to still be comfortable and to show some skin where needed. The other dress was the classic "Little Black Dress", popular among the women in Dollet. The SeeD's take on it was to modify it slightly - she had cut the skirt section of it shorter so it rested halfway up her thighs instead of nearer to her knees. She then used the excess material she'd removed to create some frills which went on the straps which went over her shoulders. The dress was tight enough to show off her figure, but gave enough room to hide a spare weapon as and when needed. As she pondered which one to wear, a voice behind her startled her.
"Black one Xu, you know you'd only change into it again"
Quistis stood behind her. She was wearing a plain black dress. It wasn't too long or too short and it revealed as much skin as needed. She then wore a peach shawl around her shoulders and had her hair down. She wore her glasses to draw more attention to her face than her hair.
Xu: "Dressed up like that for anyone special?"
Quistis: "I don't know, but Ami said I looked hot last night, she wanted me to 'blow her away tonight' "
It seems Quistis had finally uncovered all of last nights escapades thanks to Nida's photographs and her only reaction to the one of her kissing Ami was "Did Zell mind?". For someone so intelligent and skilled in battle, she sure could be stupid sometimes. Xu walked over to Quistis and patted her on the head before directing her to the kitchen - if they were going to go out, they had to have a drink or two first. Quistis nodded and headed off in search of alcohol whilst Xu slipped herself into her dress. She left a training outfit out on her bed in-case she felt the need to do some late night training. After slipping into her dress, adjusting herself and putting her heels on, she quickly did her make up, just a small amount of eyeliner was needed given most of her make-up from the spa day was still on. She touched up where needed doing and then headed out to the couch where Quistis was waiting with the wine and the drinks.
Xu: "No shots tonight Trepe. You're a fun drunk, but when you start trying to outdo everyone, you get weird!"
Quistis: "You think your vampire might be there tonight?"
Xu pondered for a second, it was a small-scale function in Selphie's new office, probably to celebrate Squall getting an office too since she knew when Selphie first heard about him getting an office, a party would be suggested instantly. She then thought back to the ball last night and remembered that she did make it into the SeeD lounge but only briefly. She was missing a good hour or so of the night. She must have just headed off for a smoke first and picked up someone headed towards the secret area or something. It was the only explanation as to why she couldn't work out who was all over her. The only other option she had was to tell Selphie someone else did it and see if the guilty party stepped forwards in the face of the rumours.
Xu: "Nah, gave up thinking about that anyway. We gotta move soon, drink up, we'll take this bottle and another bottle from the cupboard with us. I don't know if its BYOB or not so lets be prepared!"
Taking the alcohol they wanted, the girls finished their drinks and then made their exit from Xu's room. They headed towards the second floor and in the lobby the bumped into Nida and Xavier. The two men greeted the ladies, Nida being all proper with Quistis, kissing her hand and taking her by the arm to walk her to the lift whilst Xavier and Xu simply nodded at each other. They didn't say a word, the understanding between them was enough, especially on a day like today. They looked over at Nida and Quistis who headed into the lift together and waved them on. As the lift doors closed the pair waited till their friends were gone before they hugged. Xu buried her head into Xavier's chest and held onto his waist tightly. She didn't want to stay too long as her make-up would surely run if she started crying, so instead she simply let go of Xavier and smiled.
Xu: "Thank you"
Xavier kissed her on the forehead
Xavier: "Don't mention it. Take it you talked to him?"
Xu nodded, and then motioned to the lift, the doors had opened and Quistis still waited inside. The pair simply nodded and walked towards her. As they got in the lift, none of them spoke, they simply left the lift onto the second floor hallway and made their way towards Selphie's office. Xu pulled out a cigarette from her bag and lit it. She offered one to Xavier who passed on it.
Xavier: "How do you smoke those and still stay in perfect shape?"
Xu simply shrugged her shoulders.
Xu: "I guess over-compensating in my training helps. Quistis thinks I only socially smoke though so lets keep that on the hush-hush yeah?"
Xavier nodded as Quistis continued on up ahead of them. The two SeeDs followed the card king to Selphie's office. It was fairly empty except for a large desk, a whiteboard, a plan of Garden and several chairs and couches. Music was playing on the stereo plugged into the wall and everyone had "partnered up" for the evening - Irvine sat at Selphie's desk as the SeeD was busy playing hostess, his eyes followed her every move. Squall and Rinoa sat over by the window, out of the way of everyone, the way Squall preferred to be. Nida and Quistis sat on two chairs next to each other and started to make small talk, The Diamond twins of the card club (Jasmine who always stood on the left and Pearl who always stood on the right) stood there with Jack and Joker (Steve and Chris) talking about cards as always. Zell and Ami sat on one of the couches, Ami was looking at Quistis rather nervously at first but she eventually relaxed. This just left Edea and Cid who were leaving as Xu arrived. As the party bid farewell to the husband and wife, Xu and Xavier made their hurried hello and goodbyes. Cid looked at Xu with a disproving glare as he smelt the cigarette smoke on her before waving to her. She knew he would be talking to her in the morning, but that was a different matter. With everyone present who was meant to be present, Selphie cut the music and started her typical pre-party speech. She climbed up on her table and started to reel it off.
Selphie: "Hello one and all, and welcome to the latest and greatest gathering. It's only a small function tonight, but that's cool, it's always cool. Just some music, some booze and some good music yeah? Anyway, this is just a very personal gathering to celebrate a few things... Firstly [Irvine bangs his fingers on the table as if he were performing a drum roll].. thank you Irvine... Firstly.. I have a new office so lets warm it up and make many good memories in here. If you ever have an event you want planning, please come find me when I'm not on mission!"
Everyone clapped.
Selphie: "Secondly, this is also a chance for us all to get together without massive attention to announce some major news. As you may know, our darling commander and the lovely Rinoa are in a contractual agreement which means we do need to go back there and see out the contract we entered into. That's right... Squall, Zell, Rinoa and myself are going back into timber in three days! We're gonna haul ass and kick Galbadia outta there and make the bells ring out once more!"
Rinoa blushed as everyone passionately applauded them. Xu looked at Squall who caught her gaze and simply nodded. They still had to discuss things about Garden since he, the commander would be out in the field.
Selphie: "And finally, we're here to finish off from where we left off last night! But a few ground rules ok? Quistis - no kissing Zell's girlfriend, Xu, no bailing early and waking up wondering why you have a hickey, Squall - no hiding in the corner ok?"
Selphie jumped down from the table and raised both her hands in the air as if to say "Party!". The music went up and the drinks flowed. As the night went on, people posed for various pictures with each other, told stories about past experiences with the garden festival, past visits to timber when they got over there and about some of the highlights about the night before. It wasn't a crazy night, but the alcohol seemed to loosen everyone up. Even Squall seemed to be enjoying himself this time, though he and Rinoa did go earlier than everyone had thought they would. Xu envied him, she would have killed to be able to bail out and have an excuse to do so, but sadly, she couldn't, not tonight. Instead she walked over to Selphie's window and pressed down on it, it popped open and she pushed it open - Selphie had a balcony too. As she stepped out into the night, she took a deep breath and looked back in the room at everyone talking. She wanted to join in, but today, she couldn't. Xavier caught her glance and simply nodded. He stayed sat where he was whilst Xu lit up a cigarette. Selphie came out through the doors and collared Xu.
Selphie: "You can smoke inside you know, don't be running away now"
Xu: "Sorry hun, it's a great party, but I need to get home, its been a rough day and I don't wanna put a downer on everyone tonight by being like this"
Selphie threw her arms around the neck of Xu. She almost choked her as she squeezed her tight.
Selphie: "I know you're like Squall and you only talk when forced to... But we're all here for you Xu. Maybe its just all this downtime. I can see you're itching to get out there and kill something or someone."
Xu: "That easy to read huh?"
Selphie: "Look, stay, have another drink and see how you feel. You never know, you might enjoy it a little bit more."
Xu hugged Selphie back. Unlike Squall, Xu could empathize with people and could express her feelings at least. She glanced back into the room, Xavier had slipped out when she was distracted. She knew he wanted to be alone so she let him leave. As Selphie went back into the room. Xu took a drag from her cigarette and looked up at the moon. She pulled out her PDA and scrolled down to Xavier's contact details and started to write a message.
"Thanks for coming, even if it was for a little bit! I know tonight has been hard on you, probably harder than it has on me...Just remember to come see me if you need to talk yeah? I'm here for you remember"
Xu sent the message, took another drag of her cigarette before returning to the party. She knew she couldn't change the past and the present looked to be pretty dull for her, but tomorrow was the future, another day. A meeting with SeeD commander Squall awaited, the only time they would have before the mission launch so she had to make sure everything was covered. She knew roughly what she wanted to say to him, so she decided to just go and try to enjoy the rest of the night.
A/N: Guess the song on the radio!
Conversation between Xu and Squall in B-Garden hallway quoted from "The Bells of freedom" by Ronin-Ai, chapter 1
The ninja-magic (jutsu) is similar to the para-magic the SeeDs use, but it isn't as powerful and it isn't stored up in quota form like the SeeDs, it is more like Rinoa's - natural energy. Through the use of GF's, Xu can augment her own magic with that of her drawn magic supplies and make the spells stronger. The hand seals and symbols she will use over this story are more for image purposes than actually strengthening a spell.
