Squall leant against the wall of the elevator and exhaled hard. The sinking feeling in his stomach wasn't caused by the rapid descent back down to the basement - a glass of water and 20 minutes of fresh air in the quad couldn't take his mind off the imminent notion of having to croon like an imbecile in front of his friends. He looked up briefly at Rinoa and Zell who were sharing the elevator ride with him. They were mute with apprehension. Rinoa's fingers nervously adjusted the black ribbon she wore around her left arm, while Zell had his eyes shut and his head leant back against the opposite wall. From the exaggerated rise and fall of his ribcage, it looked to Squall as though he was trying to stay calm by taking deep breaths. Damn… leave some oxygen for the rest of us. Squall shuffled his feet. On second thought, asphyxiation might be preferable to dying of embarrassment. At least I'm not the only one who's nervous.
The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open with a soft ping. Rinoa stepped out first, followed by Squall and Zell. Descending the steps, they could see that Irvine and Selphie had already returned to the basement ahead of them. They stood with Instructor White and Quistis, a few feet behind the mixing desk, seemingly no less anxious than the rest of them. Footsteps echoed around the basement as Rinoa, Zell and Squall walked over. With the group fully assembled once again, Instructor White looked at the faces around her. There was a lot of shuffling feet and a distinct avoidance of eye contact. Squall and Zell in particular looked as though they'd rather be absolutely anywhere else. To say the group seemed nervous would be a considerable understatement.
Instructor White tried to adopt an authoritative and reassuring tone as explained how she wanted to address the question of vocals; "Okay ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. A rock 'n' roll band cannot be mute if it wants to be taken seriously. At least one of you… ideally more than one of you… is going to have to sing. So the job I have right now is to work out whether any of you can hold a tune well enough to be granted the use of a microphone." She put one hand on her hip and gestured towards some chairs scattered about the place with the other; "Everyone take a seat and I'll tell you how this is going to work."
There were two swivel chairs behind the mixing desk. Instructor White took the right hand one, and before Quistis had the chance to sit down she pointed to the other and said; "Quistis, could you sit here and take charge of the CD player?" Quistis was a little surprised to be given something to do, but took the seat as directed and examined the equipment in front of her. Zell, Selphie and Rinoa grabbed a chair each, while Squall sat on an upturned packing crate and Irvine leant against the back wall. Instructor White reached down into a box under the table and began searching for something. A few seconds later, she pulled out a CD and a brown folder. "I've got a disc of backing tracks here. I want you all to pick one, ideally something you know, and try to sing along to it. We'll play the track through the PA and…" She pointed to the mic stand nearest the desk, about eight feet away. " …you'll need to sing into that mic. Everyone clear?" Selphie looked up from her boots and asked; "So… it's like karaoke… but… without a karaoke machine?" Instructor White nodded with conviction; "Exactly. Have any of you tried karaoke before?"
All except Quistis shook their heads. She reluctantly explained; "I've tried it. I'm told I sound like a cat trapped in a cement mixer. That's why I'm sitting this out and not inflicting it on you today." Zell looked at Quistis, alarmed at the bleak assessment she gave of her own abilities; "Man, that's harsh! Who told you that?" Quistis turned in her seat to face Zell; "Xu. There was a karaoke night down at the Bearded Mermaid about six months ago. After seven or eight shots we both thought it would be a brilliant idea to put our names down. Xu just about managed to hold her own, but I think I cleared the place out. I haven't had the nerve to set foot in there since. Just be thankful she endured it so you don't have to." Instructor White smirked in Quistis' direction. She pictured an empty bar strewn with abandoned pint glasses and an intoxicated Quistis screeching horribly into a microphone; "I was just about to ask whether you wanted to take a turn at this… but I guess the answer is no." Quistis nodded in response; "Trust me, you don't want to hear it."
Instructor White turned back towards Selphie; "Selphie, you never sang in your old band?" She shook her head; "We had a singer. I stuck to playing my instrument." Instructor White nodded in understanding; "Alright. As you're all going into it cold, there's a couple of pointers that might help. Firstly, don't stop. Just keep going as best you can. If you make a mistake, forget about it and carry on. Try and make it to the end of the song. Secondly, try and sing as loudly as you can comfortably sustain. There's no point whispering into the mic, but there's also no point shredding your vocal cords and not being able to speak for the next three days." The group shuffled and a few nodded their heads. "So then… in reverse order from last time… Selphie, could I hear you first please?"
Selphie's stomach turned a somersault. Rinoa sensed her friend tense up as her anxiety level spiked. She leaned over and sought to reassure her; "Hey, you've got this. It's like Squall said yesterday… we've all heard you sing already and you've got nothing to be embarrassed about." Selphie looked at her friend with a smile and a sense of relief. She always knows how to make me feel better. Instructor White handed Selphie the CD case; "Have a look and see if anything grabs you." She perused the track listing, looking for something she recognised. Her finger stopped at one track in particular. "Lay It On The Line, please." It was a fairly well-known pop song.
Selphie handed the CD to Quistis while Instructor White flicked through the papers in the folder then handed Selphie the lyrics sheet for her chosen track. She strided over to the mic stand, determined to give it her best shot. Quistis loaded the CD into the player, and skipped ahead to track seven. She looked up at Selphie; "Let me know when you're ready." Selphie took two deep breaths and gripped the microphone with her right hand; "Let's do it." Quistis pressed play as Selphie scanned the lyrics sheet to read the first line of the song. It had a short intro, no more than a couple of bars, and Selphie was quickly into the first verse.
"𝄞 Oh baby I know you've been 𝄞 Lookin' over your shoulder… 𝄞"
A quick adjustment on the desk raised Selphie's vocal level to match that of the backing track. Her friends had some idea what to expect, having been within earshot countless times when she involuntarily let slip a tune - it was unavoidable if they were travelling by train - but to hear her sing with purpose, amplified through the PA and echoing around the cavernous basement… It was unmistakably still her… but much, much moreso. As Selphie finished the first verse, Instructor White leaned over to Quistis and shared her initial reaction. "She's set the standard quite high here. She's hitting the notes and she's got that slight Trabian lilt. That's nice… memorable." A few more seconds passed and Selphie continued into the second verse.
"𝄞 The things that I see 𝄞 Yeah, they start to make me wonder… 𝄞"
Instructor White closed her eyes for a second and concentrated on analysing what she was hearing. She's naturally quite high pitched… and 'bang', straight on the note… She opened her eyes again and leaned over towards Quistis in the chair beside her; "She can hold a tune, no doubt about that… but…" Instructor White contorted her face slightly at the criticism she was about to make; "…she sounds quite… girly." Quistis crossed her arms and shot back; "She's a girl. What the hell did you expect her to sound like? A chain-smoking forty year old man?" Instructor White struck an apologetic expression and tried to clarify; "What I mean is… I'm not immediately thinking rock." She looked back at Selphie before adding; "That could just be the song she chose though, it's very pop." Rinoa was familiar with the song Selphie had chosen and she knew what was coming up. As the chorus approached, she leaned down between Instructor White and Quistis and said; "Stand by for the high notes." They looked back over toward Selphie to see how she'd cope with the challenge. Selphie glanced down at the lyrics sheet and took a deep breath. Here goes…
"𝄞 Lay it on the line 𝄞 You gotta lay it on the line 𝄞 Are you messin' me around… 𝄞"
She concentrated on holding the difficult high note as long as she could, then let loose for the descending melody of the songs chorus. Instructor White was impressed; "She hit that, no problem. That's way up at the top of the soprano register." Rinoa smiled; "I knew she'd be good at this." Instructor White nodded in agreement; "Her voice doesn't distort or crack when she pushes hard, if anything she gets clearer and more focused. That's unusual… normally it's the opposite." That part's tricky… Selphie thought to herself. I hope that sounded alright… She looked over at her friends and the Instructor behind the mixing desk. Okay… they don't have their fingers in their ears…
Selphie's eyes fixed on Irvine leaning up against the back wall behind the desk. Wearing a big grin, he silently mouthed "You're doing great" towards her, before blowing her a kiss. With that, any remaining jitters she still had were gone. Gaining in confidence now, she pushed on through the third verse, tapping her right foot in time to the beat. By the time the chorus came around again, she was in the zone, giving it a bit more volume than last time. She went round the chorus one more time; and as the backing track faded out, it was replaced by the applause of her friends echoing around the basement. Selphie's cheeks turned slightly red as she walked back from the mic stand and straight into a hug from Irvine. With her face buried in Irvine's chest, she mumbled "Was it OK?" Irvine bowed his head and whispered into Selphie's ear; "Baby, you did wonderful." Irvine released his grip and let his hands settle on Selphie's shoulders while she giggled up at him, half embarrassed, half relieved.
More than happy with Selphie's performance, Instructor White was keen to move things along; "Okay… Zell… you're next." She handed Zell the CD case. He took it and immediately tried to get his excuses in early; "Look guys… I'll give it a shot, but I don't think I can match what Selphie did. Just sayin'… don't get your hopes up or nothin'." Sensing his lack of confidence, Instructor White tried to reassure him; "It's fine Zell… what happens in the basement stays in the basement, remember?" Zell looked down at the case in his hand and scanned the list of tracks. "Alright…" he sighed; "Fourteen."
Instructor White took the CD case back off him and asked; "Stole Off With My Girl?" Zell swallowed as he tried to fight down the sense of dread; "Yeah." Instructor White found the lyrics sheet in the folder and handed it to him; "Alright, go get in position." Zell walked over to the mic stand, grabbed the mic off it and cleared his throat. Quistis selected the track on the CD player, then looked across at Zell, anticipating the signal to start. He spoke into the mic; "I'm ready." She pressed play. The track Zell had chosen was a brazen, high-tempo rock song from maybe two decades ago. It kicked in over the PA system with a pounding drum beat.
"𝄞 Hunt ya down like a dog 𝄞 Ain't no escape this time 𝄞 Ya gonna get what's comin' to ya… 𝄞"
The original record had quite a shouty vocal delivery, and despite Zell's best efforts to stay true to that style, it was obvious after the first line that he was flat. Flat as a pancake in fact. Selphie pulled a pained expression while Squall buried his head in his hands; Gonna have to put a brave face on this one…
"𝄞 Nobody gonna steal off with my girl 𝄞 Nobody gonna steal off with my giiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrl… 𝄞"
When the pitch of the song changed for the chorus, Zell's attempt to follow it got screechy. A couple of notes he wretched out were like the proverbial nails down a chalkboard. Remembering the advice he'd received shortly beforehand, Zell didn't give up. He strained to hit note after note. Instructor White leaned back towards the others and offered some solace; "I thought you might like to know… this song is only two minutes eight seconds long." After what felt more like twenty minutes, the track did eventually come to an end. His friends generously applauded Zell's attempt all the same while he trudged back to the group feeling completely deflated. He felt compelled to apologise for what he'd just subjected them to; "Sorry guys… I know that wasn't great."
Irvine slapped him on the back and tried to offer some consolation; "Don't worry about it, you got the drums covered… that's more important." He slumped down on an upturned box next to Quistis, thoroughly unimpressed with his own efforts. She leaned over and tried to cheer him up; "That was still better than me." Zell brushed Quistis remark off dismissively. He knew she was just trying to make him feel better. Head in his hands, he retorted; "I don't think it's possible to sound any worse than I did just then." Quistis adopted a serious tone in response; "Oh, it's entirely possible, I can assure you. You might have been out of tune but at least you didn't sound like a dying animal. If I attempted that, you would have all fled in panic." Zell looked up. He couldn't help but laugh a little at that. Is she really THAT bad?
Instructor White swiveled around in her chair, ready for the next vocal candidate to take centre stage; "Irvine, you're up." He slowly let out a breath through his nose and got to his feet; "Sure." He took the CD case and read through the track list. Almost immediately he settled on a song he knew pretty well; "Number five… Crossroad Gambler." It was a classic, a cautionary tale of a wandering vagrant who strikes a deal with the devil, giving him the ability to cheat at cards without getting caught. With lyrics sheet in hand, the hard thud of his boots reverberated around the basement. He stooped down towards the microphone and asked; "How do I change the height?" Instructor White pointed at the stand; "Release the clamp on the side there and it should slide up and down."
Irvine loosened the screw of the clamp and raised it up to account for his 6'1 frame before tightening it again. Quistis looked up; "Ready?". He filled his lungs and hesitantly replied; "Yeah." She pressed play and the track kicked in over the PA system. A couple of seconds in, the main melody rang out and most of the group recognised Irvine's choice of song. Rinoa instinctively blurted out; "I haven't heard this in ages!" Selphie looked at her, equally excited; "It's the one that goes like… crossroad gambler… something something cross the line… It's that one, right?" Rinoa nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, that's the one! It's a good song." Four bars in, the first verse began, and Irvine concentrated on trying to hit the right pitch.
"𝄞 Drifter, down on a losing streak but 𝄞 You got one last trick to fool 'em all… 𝄞"
Quistis reached across to the mixer desk and increased the volume of Irvine's microphone; "He's quieter than I thought he'd be." Instructor White nodded in agreement; "Yeah… you'd think big guy, big voice… but he's closer to talking volume." She scribbled a few notes on a sheet in front of her, while Quistis admitted; "I actually like his voice. It's kind of soothing." Irvine had to correct himself a couple of times, but he succeeded in hitting most of the notes he attempted. He ploughed on and attempted to tackle the song's chorus.
"𝄞 Ohhh, crossroad gambler 𝄞 Take your money 'cross the line 𝄞 Dontcha give a second thought 𝄞 'Bout the girl you left behind… 𝄞"
Instructor White raised her eyebrows in surprise when Irvine briefly jumped into a falsetto register to hit a couple of high notes, then dropped back down again, seemingly without any effort at all. She rested her chin on her hand, weighing up the dilemma she faced; "It is a nice voice… I'm just not sure you'd be able to hear him properly over a rock band." There was another factor to consider; "He's already got to deal with learning the bass. I'm not sure we can ask him to sing as well. That might be a stretch too far." Quistis nodded in understanding. While Irvine sang, Rinoa looked at Selphie standing to her right. Her friend's attention was fixed on Irvine, and while his performance was nothing to be ashamed of, there was a subtle look on Selphie's face which Rinoa immediately recognised. Irvine could be singing through the options on the local takeaway menu for all Selphie cared.
Rinoa leaned close and whispered deviously in her friend's ear; "As soon as we're done here, you've got to tell me everything that happened last night." Selphie's concentration was broken and her expression changed to one of embarrassment. She bit her lip and looked down at her boots, her cheeks turning slightly red. God, Rin, can't you guess? Irvine worked his way through the remainder of the track, gently crooning through another verse and chorus before it finally faded out. The group put their hands together in appreciation of his efforts and he walked back over to them with a sense of relief that he hadn't made a complete ass of himself.
"Alright… squad leader… you're next." Instructor White handed Squall the CD case. He frowned as he looked down the track listing. There were quite a few he didn't know and several he knew but didn't like. Reaching the very end of the list, he spotted something he knew and liked; "Twenty-two." Instructor White flicked to the back of the folder and found the lyrics sheet. Glancing at the title before handing it to him, she smiled; "A fine choice." He gave the CD case back to her and began walking over to the mic stand. Quistis leaned across and asked; "Did he say twenty-two?" Instructor White nodded and she skipped forward to the track Squall had chosen, then waited for the signal to start.
Squall lowered the mic stand down a couple of inches, then re-fastened the clamp. He looked back towards Quistis and nodded. The backing track kicked in with it's dominant guitar riff and wailing harmonica line. Looks of partial recognition slowly spread across a few faces in the group. Squall had chosen a raucous old blues standard; Midnight Train. Instructor White was familiar with it, but the rest of the group only knew it as a distant, long-lost memory rather than something they could consciously identify. Behind the mixing desk, Selphie's boot began tapping involuntarily in time with the rhythm. She had to admit; "He's picked a great song." The cue to begin singing wasn't as obvious in this track as any of the previous tracks they'd heard, so Squall really had to listen for it. He concentrated intently as the point in the song drew closer, he took a deep breath and held it, waiting for the exact moment. And… go.
"𝄞 She's on the midnight train 𝄞 She's on the midnight train 𝄞 She left me standin' here and now I gotta know if all my love's in vain… 𝄞"
An emotive, gritty howl echoed around the basement and Rinoa's breath hitched at the sound. The timbre of Squall's voice took her straight back to the moment he'd screamed out her name in desperation across Ellone's empathic connection. Instructor White reached over to the mixer desk and reduced Squall's vocal level, explaining to a surprised Quistis; "It's still set for Irvine." Quistis looked back wide-eyed at Instructor White and tried to convey her sense of shock at Squall's voice; "I don't know what I was expecting… but… it definitely wasn't this." Instructor White smiled back; "Oh he's hitting all the right notes, no question." She span round to face Rinoa; "Surprised?" Blinking in disbelief, Rinoa struggled to form a response; "Uhhhh… Yeah! Very!" After a short pause, she added; "With his deep speaking voice, I thought he'd be all moody and serious, but he can get a lot higher than I thought he'd be able to." Instructor White offered an explanation; "It's pretty common for the singing voice to have a higher range than the speaking voice."
"𝄞 Y'know she done me wrong 𝄞 Yeah she done me wrong 𝄞 My baby caught the train and now I just don't know where my mind has gone… 𝄞"
This old blues number didn't really have a verse-chorus structure; just a series of three or four different verses that went round and round. What it lacked in structure, it made up for with a wide range of notes; some loud and brazen, others soft and tender. Squall thought about the version of this track he was familiar with, bringing to mind which lines were sung loud, and which more quietly. He did his best to mimic the style, giving it more power in some places and holding back elsewhere to generate a softer, captivating sound with a slight vibrato. Instructor White leaned over to Quistis; "Hear the difference compared to Selphie when he pushes hard? The voice breaks up a little, gets grittier." Glancing in Squall's direction, Selphie cupped her right elbow in her left hand; "There's something about his voice that's giving me chills." Instructor White replied; "I think I know what you mean. You can hear the hurt. It carries a lot of feeling."
Rinoa listened to the chatter but remained silent, wondering instead whether they'd stumbled across an unexpected window into all those pent up emotions she knew ran deep beneath Squall's stoic facade. Instructor White turned back around in her chair to take in the final few bars of his performance. The track came to an abrupt end and Squall realised he hadn't once looked over to his friends behind the mixing desk. He'd either been reading the lyrics sheet, concentrating on the mic in front of him or had his eyes shut while he focused on the backing track. He looked up from the piece of paper in his hand and saw the group break into a fairly loud round of applause. Selphie even threw in a "WOO-HOO!" for good measure. He began walking back toward the group, lyrics sheet fluttering limply at his side.
Instructor White held the CD case out toward Rinoa; "Ready to bring the karaoke party to a close?" She looked nervous, but gently took the case and started reading the track listing. If Irvine hadn't already picked it, she would have been tempted to go with track five. She liked that song a lot. Her finger continued trailing the small print until it stopped a few lines further down. The title was familiar, in fact Rinoa was pretty sure she had the album this track came from buried somewhere in her bedroom back in Deling City. She tried to bring the track to mind; I think I remember how this one goes… She quietly hummed the melody of the chorus to herself; Yeah… Let's do it. She looked up at Instructor White; "Eleven please."
Quistis began skipping to Rinoa's chosen track as Rinoa handed the CD case back to Instructor White. Flicking through the folder, Instructor White found the accompanying lyrics sheet for Rinoa's choice; Give Me A Sign. It was an out-and-out rock song by a Galbadian group, The Skipsurfers. With the lyrics sheet in her right hand, Rinoa walked over to the mic stand. She took several deep breaths to try and fight down the anxiety and lower her heart rate. A few seconds later, she nodded towards Quistis, indicating she was ready to start. As the melody kicked in over a pounding bass drum, Rinoa filled her lungs, gripped the mic hard and wretched out the opening high note with as much power as she could muster.
"𝄞 Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! 𝄞"
Her richly-textured voice filled the cavernous space from floor to ceiling. Selphie lifted her hands to her mouth in astonishment and whispered; "Oh my god." Instructor White sat upright in her chair and let slip; "Ooooo… I think we might have a winner here." As the song's verse kicked in, the promise of that dramatic first note was fulfilled in full.
"𝄞 I can't wait any more 𝄞 For you to be mine 𝄞 Every second apart… 𝄞"
Her voice moulded itself around the song's melody, with some notes and phrases carrying a chocolatey richness while others punched through with a powerful clarity. Rinoa jumped effortlessly from gritty low notes into falsetto highs and back again. She held long notes with ease, accentuating some with a strong vibrato that she seemed to be able to call upon at will. Selphie leaned down towards Quistis and asked; "Can you believe this?!" An exasperated Quistis could only pout as she replied; "No! First the piano… and now she sounds like that?!" She exhaled hard through her nostrils and crossed her arms, glowering in Rinoa's direction. Quistis had to admit, she was more than a little jealous right now; "She's just sickeningly talented. I swear, I'd hate her if she wasn't so fucking nice." Selphie was a little surprised at the strength of Quistis response; Yikes! You sure this is just about music stuff Quisty?
Ever since Quistis admitted she'd harboured feelings for Squall in Trabia Garden's ruined basketball court, Quistis and Rinoa could sometimes be prickly with each other. They'd been getting along well recently though; which left Selphie wondering if they'd finally had that difficult conversation to clear the air between them. Either way, this wasn't the time to revisit that thorny topic. Instead, Selphie tried to bring it back to Rinoa's performance; "I was thinking maybe she'd sound like her mom, but she sounds totally different." Instructor White turned around with a confused look on her face; "Wait… Is her mother a singer or something?" Quistis nodded in confirmation; "Julia Heartilly." Instructor White's eyebrows raised in surprise; "Okay… wow. How does a famous singer's daughter wind up becoming a resistance fighter?" Quistis had the answer for that one too; "Principles." Instructor White looked back in Rinoa's direction; "Now you've pointed it out, she does look like her. Selphie's right though…" Instructor White gestured towards Rinoa with her hand; "…she doesn't sound like her. She's got a much more powerful voice." As if to underline the point, Rinoa launched into the song's chorus with gusto.
"𝄞 I'm going out of my mind 𝄞 Every night I'm alone 𝄞 Oh baby give me a sign… 𝄞"
Leaning against the back wall next to Irvine, Squall's steely exterior gave no indication of the torrent of emotions that raged inside. When Rinoa's lips parted to unleash that opening note, the last stronghold of scepticism he'd been desperately clinging to crumbled away into nothing. It was pointless to try and deny it any longer; despite all the doubts and the natural aversion Squall had towards this cover story, it was happening. And yet… that voice. The slight huskiness of Rinoa's speaking voice, something Squall found absolutely adorable, became more pronounced when she sang. Squall didn't know the track Rinoa had chosen, but after this, he'd never forget it. Irvine nudged Squall in the side and muttered what he already knew; "Dude, she sounds incredible." Squall turned briefly to look at Irvine with a hint of a smile on his face, before his attention switched back to Rinoa; "Yeah, she does."
With everyone assembled around her, Instructor White looked at her watch. 12:15. "Alright, you guys should go and get some lunch. I need a little time to think about what I've heard this morning and then let you know what my recommendation is." Zell scuffed his foot across the floor and asked; "When d'ya want us all back down here?" She took a deep breath; "Let's say… 13:30." Partly driven by an increasing sense of hunger, Squall was keen to get back to the upper levels; "Alright, 13:30 it is. Come on, let's go." The group turned towards the elevator, but after a few steps Quistis stopped and turned around; "You'll need lunch too, won't you?" Instructor White mentally kicked herself for forgetting to bring something to eat from home. There were at least three meals in her refrigerator, neatly stacked in plastic clip boxes. She could only attribute her forgetfulness to the departure from her usual routine. Today was only the second or third time she'd come in on a Saturday since she'd started teaching at Balamb Garden.
She looked up Quistis, feeling a pang of hunger at the thought of food; "Yeah… could you bring me a sandwich from the cafeteria?" Quistis replied; "Can do. Are you staying down here?" She nodded back in Quistis direction; "Yes. I need to go through the notes I've made… move things around…" The cafeteria operated a skeleton crew on weekends, but they'd be able to provide a sandwich. Wondering what they might have available, Quistis asked; "Any preference?" Instructor White smiled, appreciating the thoughtfulness; "Chicken mayo if they've got it, otherwise anything else will be fine. Thank you." Quistis turned on her heels and caught up with the others, following them into the waiting elevator.
Clutching a paper-wrapped sandwich in one hand, Quistis spotted Xu walking towards the central ring from the infirmary. She stopped and waited as her friend approached; "Hey." Xu smiled; "Hey." They began walking and Xu asked; "How's the prep for the Timber mission going?" Reaching the bottom of the steps to the elevator shaft, Quistis pulled an exasperated expression; "Let's just say it's been a really weird morning. Squall says he's got the wider strategy worked out in his head, so I'm not really worried about the operational side of it. I know he's been thinking about this mission since we got back to Balamb." They stepped into the waiting elevator as Quistis continued; "We just need final confirmation on the cover before we can start." Xu pushed the button for the 3rd floor; "What's the cover for this one?" Quistis pressed the button for the basement and the elevator doors slid shut; "A band. I can't play anything but some of the others can." The elevator began its ascent and a horrible possibility dawned on Xu. She looked at Quistis solemnly; "You're not singing, are you?" She frowned back; "No, I'm not." Xu looked visibly relieved as she leant back against the side of the elevator. The hazy flashback of a drunken karaoke night faded away, but her interest was piqued. She tilted her head and asked; "So who is then?"
The paper around Instructor White's sandwich rustled as Quistis shifted it back and forth from one hand to the other; "Based on what I just heard, it'll be Rinoa. I tell you Xu… that girl's got a set of pipes on her like you wouldn't believe." A few seconds passed, filled only by the whirr of the elevator until Xu asked; "Is it wise to have a sorceress out front and centre… literally in the spotlight?" Quistis hadn't thought of it like that. Could that be a problem? Sensing that Quistis had retreated into deep thought, Xu tried to help her out; "Could any of the others sing instead?" Quistis looked up; "Actually, yeah. Selphie and… Squall, of all people. Irvine didn't do badly…." Xu cut her off abruptly; "Whoa whoa whoa… hold up… you're telling me commander grumpy-bollocks can actually sing?" Quistis folded her arms; "Yeah… but… I wouldn't call him that to his face Xu." The idea was preposterous; "What, like really sing?" Quistis' brow raised in an effort to appear sincere; "Yeah… Honestly Xu, he's not bad." The elevator doors slid open and Xu stepped out into the refreshing cool of the third floor atrium. As the doors began to close again she turned back towards Quistis with one hand on her hip and a disbelieving expression on her face; "I think I'll have to hear it before I believe it QT."