"Selphie, is this going to take much longer?" Iris asked in exasperation. "My arms are getting sore."
Selphie's head poked out of the theatre's dressing room, looking somewhat dishevelled.
"Just two more minutes," she piped. "I'm having a little trouble getting the bar out. Think you can hold out that long?"
Iris heaved a sigh. She was holding up the central point of numerous garlands which criss-crossed all over the place, and if left to their own devices, would get into a hopeless tangle.
"I suppose so."
"Great!"
Selphie ducked back into the dressing room, and grunts of effort accompanied by metal grating against wood could be heard. Two minutes later, Selphie emerged, looking even more dishevelled and carrying a metal pole almost twice her height.
"Okay, you can let go now," Selphie said after attaching the garlands to one end of the pole. Iris gratefully let go and tried to work some feeling back into her arms.
Selphie stuck the other end of the pole into the hole in the ground which had been put there for that purpose. That done, she turned around and beamed up at Iris.
"Thanks a lot! Can you help me with the props too?"
Iris sighed and buried her face in one hand.
"Why me, Hyne?" she asked.
"Well, I needed someone tall to do this. Usually I get Irvy to do it, but I couldn't find him. He's probably hiding, I've put a lot of pressure on his patience lately. And besides, with your slippers you're actually an inch taller than him."
"Lucky me," Iris said monotonously.
Selphie grinned.
"Cheer up," she piped happily. "It's gonna be one great pahtay!"
She did a little twirl and danced back into the dressing room to get the props. Iris was about to follow when she caught sight of a black hat peeking around the corner.
"Irvine!" she yelled. "Get your butt over here NOW!"
"Eep!" Irvine tried to make a run for it, but Iris had already hopped off the stage and assaulted the Galbadian cowboy.
"You're coming with me," she said grimly and dragged him to the stage, holding on to his right ear.
Selphie just came out of the dressing room in time to see the pair.
"Hi Irvy!" she called happily.
"He just came to take my place for the rest of the day," Iris said with a smile.
"Junikooo..." Irvine moaned.
"Hey, I did my part for today! And my name is Iris."
Selphie decided to pick that moment to use her charms. She sauntered up to Irvine and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Cheer up, Irvy," she said, then snatched his hat. Irvine cried out in protest and grabbed for it, but Selphie was faster. He was forced to chase her halfway across the stage before he caught her. He lifted her clear off the ground and turned around a few times. Selphie giggled uncontrollably as he kissed her smartly on the nose.
"Give," Irvine said sternly, though still with a grin. Selphie, still clear off the ground, considered briefly, then hugged the hat close and shook her head.
"Mine!" she said decisively.
"Yours?"
"Yes, mine!"
"No it's not!"
Selphie grinned and put the hat on.
"I'll give it back after you've helped me with the props."
Irvine raised an eyebrow.
"Promise?"
"Promise!"
Irvine sighed and let her down. Selphie gave a happy little twirl and latched on to one of Irvine's arms. Iris breathed a sigh of relief and quickly made her way down the hallways. It was best to get away quickly before Selphie changed her mind.
The SeeD walked towards the nearest exit, hands in pockets and whistling to herself. Now that she had escaped Selphie, she had the rest of the day to herself. Maybe she could go down to the beach at Balamb? The weather was nice enough. Outside, the sun was shining, with just enough of a breeze blowing. Iris briefly considered getting her T-Board, then decided against it. Walking would do fine today.
Iris sat at one of the docks, heels kicking against the concrete. The light breeze ruffled her white bangs and brought the salty scent of the sea to her nostrils. She leaned back a little, and considered her situation. She had returned to the place which would always be home to her, and her friends had taken her back without question. Except Lloric. The thought of him brought a little painful twinge to her heart. She could shove a thought aside well enough, so it didn't hurt her constantly, but she couldn't leave it like that forever. Sooner or later, she would have to confront it if she didn't want a tiny grain of sadness living in her. She sighed. She would have to either somehow get his forgiveness, or learn to live without it. She really hoped it would come to the former.
"Hello, Iris!" a male voice greeted her from behind.
Iris turned her head to see Laguna Loire and Kiros Seagill making their way towards her. Both were casually dressed in cord pants and flannel shirts. Iris got up from her sitting place and almost found herself bowing before she caught herself. She had almost forgotten that bowing in greeting was not generally done in Balamb. Instead of finishing the slight bow she had started, she simply turned it into a friendly nod.
"Good morning, President Loire," she said pleasantly. Her usual smile had automatically slipped into place. She supposed it happened so easily because no matter what her mood was, her polite smile during a greeting was always genuine.
Laguna shook her hand.
"Please, I'd much prefer if you'd call me Laguna," he said in an equally pleasant tone.
Iris nodded slowly, once again fighting back the urge to bow.
"Alright... Laguna."
She turned her attention to Kiros Seagill. Or at least, she was fairly sure it was Kiros Seagill. She knew him to be friends with President Loire... Laguna, and he did bear a resemblance to Lloric.
"Good morning," she said, smothering a third bow. Instead, she extended her hand for the dark man to shake. "I'm Iris Bardok."
Shockingly white teeth flashed in Kiros's dark face as he grinned.
"Kiros Seagill," he introduced himself. "But I believe I have heard of you, if you used to go by the name of `Juniko Bardok'."
Iris smiled wryly.
"You will have," she said as she shook his hand. "I'm afraid I might have... offended... your son." She could feel herself blushing slightly as Kiros briefly studied her with a look of amusement which turned into another grin.
"I don't think I understand my dear son. If I were his age, I think I would have forgiven you for anything."
Iris's blush deepened. Laguna cuffed his friend playfully.
"You're embarrassing our company, Kiros. Go do something useful and find Ward."
"You'd think it'd be hard to lose a guy is size," Kiros muttered. Just before ambling off, he laid a hand on Iris's shoulder.
"My son seems to have inherited his sensitivity from his mother. Give him some time. He'll come around," he said in a quietly reassuring way. That done, he went in search of his over-sized friend.
As soon as Kiros had disappeared from view, Laguna sat down where Iris had been sitting before and gestured for her to sit down next to him. Iris shrugged and obeyed. A small alarm bell was going off in her head though.
Laguna smiled at the young woman next to him.
"So, how long has it been since you returned to Garden?" he asked in a conversational tone.
Iris blinked.
"How do you know I was ever gone?"
"I haf my vays," Laguna said with a grin.
"You snooped in my file," Iris said flatly.
"It's on public access," he pointed out.
Iris waved the answer aside and supported her head in her hand.
"Why don't you just spit out what's bothering you?"
Iris winced inwardly at her own bluntness. But she had said it now.
Laguna stroked his chin thoughtfully, studying the slightly irritated-looking girl in front of him. She seemed so much like Squall just then, and so much like Kira as well...
"Alright," he said quietly. "You remind me a lot of a woman I once knew, who went by the name of Kira Bardok. And I was wondering whether you might be related to her."
Iris's head flew up in surprise. Could it be that this man knew something about her that she herself didn't?
"I wouldn't know," she said slowly, studying Laguna intently. "I never knew either of my parents. Until I came to Garden, I had lived at the orphanage at Balamb for as long as I can remember."
Laguna sighed and leaned back slightly.
"I see. But if you find out anything of that sort, I should like to know."
He was about to get up when Iris stopped him.
"Do you still have any contact to this... Kira Bardok?"
Laguna shook his head sadly.
"No. That's why I asked you, I thought you might know where she is now. The only thing I know is that she originally came from Trabia, if that helps."
The president of Esthar got up, briefly took Iris's hand, and wove his way through the thin crowd of people towards the hulking form of Ward Zabac.
Iris looked into the waves, pondering what she had just learned, and letting her heels kick against the concrete again. It looked like she had something to research.