Three hours and a pot of coffee later, Quistis emerged from Anielle's room and made the long trek back to her dorm. She sincerely hoped that things would be a little easier for the family. Anielle's mother talked about all sorts of things: her daughter, broken homes, orphans, the beautiful forests north of Timber… all broken by more of those eerie silences. But Quistis refused to hang up until the lady was ready to let her go. She had to try to help Anielle.
Gray light filtered into the hallways, a ghostly radiance before dawn. Quistis walked the halls poised and confident – and refused to acknowledge any of the students and SeeDs heading for some early morning conditioning. She hadn't slept, she hadn't showered, she hadn't had a cup of coffee, Hyne knew what she looked like, and… Quistis stumbled before catching herself. The message! She banged her head against the door with a dull thud. Everyone in Garden was going to think she was a damned lush!
The door to her room opened with a click. Once inside, Quistis stood at a loss. She looked longingly at her bed, but it was too late to go to sleep. The damned screen-saver was still scrolling across her computer. What else did the bastard go through? This was her room. Her room. How dare he defile it.
'Alright then, Almasy, two can definitely play at this game.'
She sat at her desk and pulled out a sheet of paper, the computer screen providing enough light to write by.
A soft knock at the door interrupted her work. 'Anielle?' Quistis stood and tapped her mouse, temporarily removing the message. She tried to make herself presentable and swung open the door. Irvine stood outside, leaning heavily on the doorframe. The sharpshooter looked tired – worse than her if that was possible.
"Mornin' Quisty." A few years at Balamb had not completely removed his western Galbadia accent.
"Good morning, Sunshine," Quistis replied dryly. "You're up early." She gestured for him to come in, but he shook his head.
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd be up… have a late night?" He held her gaze, searching for anything amiss.
Quistis laughed nervously, "Well, you know me. Workaholic."
He didn't buy it, but kindly refused to comment. "I'm lookin' for Sefie. Has she…" He trailed off and refused to meet Quistis' eyes, "Have you seen her?"
Trouble in Paradise? "No, not since the meeting. Should I have?"
Irvine's face grew stormy, but a hint of red graced his cheeks. Quistis sighed audibly, interrupting his reply. "Get in here, cowboy." She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into the room before shutting the door with her leg. "Talk."
Irvine sat on the bed and ran his hands through a tangled mess of reddish brown hair. "Alright. So, I come back from my pretty long and damned boring mission, where all I can think about is a peaceful night with my Sefie…"
Quistis remained silent through his story, watching the emotions play across his face. Irvine was a gifted storyteller, if a little longwinded.
"… so finally, she puts it to me. Yes or no. I thought I could hedge around the question. It didn't fly. I've never seen her look so hurt, Quisty. Not since Trabia. I've searched Garden high and low to find her. Sefie's my light, Quisty. Why isn't that enough for her?"
He was angry. Angry at himself and at Selphie for putting him in this position. Quistis knelt on the floor in front of him and took both of his hands in her own. He still refused to look at her.
"Irvine, Selphie didn't know anything about this mission except that it was highly classified, which usually means at least one SeeD MIA. She's scared, Irvine. Scared of losing you and not knowing if you love her, when she would give the world for you."
"I do love her!" He yelled with frustration. He locked eyes with Quistis and she trapped them, her blue eyes full of emotion. "Irvine, we've had to grow up so fast. I know that, but it had to be this way. Don't fight it. You're going to have to choose: some future and intangible flirtations or your angel. She can't wait. It hurts too much."
Quistis swallowed some tears of her own, waves of loneliness almost overwhelming her defenses. Irvine knelt beside her and gave her a brief hug. Quistis bit hard on her lip, fighting the urge to let out suppressed emotions, and returned the embrace. She'd said a lot of things he didn't want to hear, but he had to. For the sake of her "family", he had to.
Irvine on his way back to his room to do some thinking, Quistis put finishing touches to her note before jumping in the shower. She had a morning training session in less than an hour, but after that she was free to sleep away the better part of her afternoon and evening. As for the letter… it was tolerable; Quistis only hoped it would be enough.
'Enough for what? To get him to stop? Or to get him to fight back?'
She curled up in a robe on her bed and re-read the note. It was missing something… Quistis let out a delighted gasp. It would cost her at least a month of night and weekend duties, but she knew where to get exactly what she needed. The screen-saver was on, again, and Quistis cheerfully rolled over to her computer to delete it. Lucky it hadn't reappeared while Irvine was there.
A knock, followed by Zell's voice, interrupted her. 'Dear Hyne, the announcement? Already? Please, not yet…'
She tightened the belt around her robe and, with a calming breath, answered the door. Zell and his girlfriend Ami, a recent SeeD graduate, stood outside. They were sending each other looks that could kill.
"Morning, Quistis. Ami and I have a problem -"
" – A question!" Ami interrupted.
"A problem. And since you're, like, second in command and all, we figured you could solve it."
"Solve? There's nothing to solve. You're so presumptuous!"
Quistis looked back and forth between the two SeeDs. Finally, with a disbelieving shake of her head, she waved them in.
There was a tense moment of silence before both of them started to talk at once, using competing volumes to capture Quistis' attention.
"She volunteers for missions with no regard for her safety or my feelings…"
"He thinks he can put himself in danger all he wants, but then I want some excitement and he totally comes down on me…"
Quistis covered her ears, forcing them to stop. She was shaking from exhaustion and more than a little irritation. "Okay, Ami. Outside." She pointed to the door. "You have a class with Instructor Aki. Cool off and come talk to me after lunch. Zell - we can walk and talk on the way to our training sessions."
Ami nodded stiffly and exited, while Quistis jumped in the bathroom to change. When she was finished, she came out to find Zell playing with her computer. She winced, praying he didn't see anything.
"Yeah, Quis. I was pretty surprised by your message this morning." Quistis visibly paled. She wanted to cry. "Don't worry, Cid already sent out a reaction, warning students of a hacker on campus and threatening expulsion for anyone caught impersonating a Garden member."
Her legs nearly gave out. "He knew I didn't write it?"
" 'Course, Quis. You never get drunk and your impersonator apparently spelled 'insidious' wrong."
Quistis didn't know whether to be flattered by that defense or not.
She shrugged helplessly. "Good enough for me. Let's go."
Zell was easy enough to talk to. He was actually a pretty reasonable and understanding person - just quick to get emotional. Ami, on the other hand, could hold a grudge for all eternity. Quistis wasn't totally sure she made any impact on the girl, but by the time it was over, she was beyond caring.
Apparently, there were a lot of people at Garden who only checked their messages once a day. She received some pretty strange looks from her colleagues and more importantly, her students. How could she teach under conditions like that?
A few Trepies approached and swore to unearth the slimy monster that could dare impersonate and slander their beloved Instructor. Quistis nodded coolly and kept walking, a stack of papers in her attaché case and the note clenched in one hand, feeling like a ten-pound weight. A ten-pound weight she couldn't wait to throw at Seifer's head. Hyne knew it was a big enough target.
'You've met your match, Almasy. Now you're going to lose to her.'
Author's Notes: Sorry that I haven't been thanking all my reviewers, properly. I just returned to school and everything's been hectic. You guys have been really supportive of my first attempt at humor. So in no particular order (and if I forget you, please yell at me), here's to UntchableQuistis, ArashiKishu, Quistis88, setobsessed, Rose, Cailin, and lanesa. Y'all are the best. :) So, yeah, I just wrote this amazing chapter seven, and now I don't know what happens next. I had everything planned out and… ugh. Hopefully I'll get over my writer's block before I post the next three chapters. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the story.
…without an ending. ;)
~Tiy
Gray light filtered into the hallways, a ghostly radiance before dawn. Quistis walked the halls poised and confident – and refused to acknowledge any of the students and SeeDs heading for some early morning conditioning. She hadn't slept, she hadn't showered, she hadn't had a cup of coffee, Hyne knew what she looked like, and… Quistis stumbled before catching herself. The message! She banged her head against the door with a dull thud. Everyone in Garden was going to think she was a damned lush!
The door to her room opened with a click. Once inside, Quistis stood at a loss. She looked longingly at her bed, but it was too late to go to sleep. The damned screen-saver was still scrolling across her computer. What else did the bastard go through? This was her room. Her room. How dare he defile it.
'Alright then, Almasy, two can definitely play at this game.'
She sat at her desk and pulled out a sheet of paper, the computer screen providing enough light to write by.
A soft knock at the door interrupted her work. 'Anielle?' Quistis stood and tapped her mouse, temporarily removing the message. She tried to make herself presentable and swung open the door. Irvine stood outside, leaning heavily on the doorframe. The sharpshooter looked tired – worse than her if that was possible.
"Mornin' Quisty." A few years at Balamb had not completely removed his western Galbadia accent.
"Good morning, Sunshine," Quistis replied dryly. "You're up early." She gestured for him to come in, but he shook his head.
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd be up… have a late night?" He held her gaze, searching for anything amiss.
Quistis laughed nervously, "Well, you know me. Workaholic."
He didn't buy it, but kindly refused to comment. "I'm lookin' for Sefie. Has she…" He trailed off and refused to meet Quistis' eyes, "Have you seen her?"
Trouble in Paradise? "No, not since the meeting. Should I have?"
Irvine's face grew stormy, but a hint of red graced his cheeks. Quistis sighed audibly, interrupting his reply. "Get in here, cowboy." She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into the room before shutting the door with her leg. "Talk."
Irvine sat on the bed and ran his hands through a tangled mess of reddish brown hair. "Alright. So, I come back from my pretty long and damned boring mission, where all I can think about is a peaceful night with my Sefie…"
Quistis remained silent through his story, watching the emotions play across his face. Irvine was a gifted storyteller, if a little longwinded.
"… so finally, she puts it to me. Yes or no. I thought I could hedge around the question. It didn't fly. I've never seen her look so hurt, Quisty. Not since Trabia. I've searched Garden high and low to find her. Sefie's my light, Quisty. Why isn't that enough for her?"
He was angry. Angry at himself and at Selphie for putting him in this position. Quistis knelt on the floor in front of him and took both of his hands in her own. He still refused to look at her.
"Irvine, Selphie didn't know anything about this mission except that it was highly classified, which usually means at least one SeeD MIA. She's scared, Irvine. Scared of losing you and not knowing if you love her, when she would give the world for you."
"I do love her!" He yelled with frustration. He locked eyes with Quistis and she trapped them, her blue eyes full of emotion. "Irvine, we've had to grow up so fast. I know that, but it had to be this way. Don't fight it. You're going to have to choose: some future and intangible flirtations or your angel. She can't wait. It hurts too much."
Quistis swallowed some tears of her own, waves of loneliness almost overwhelming her defenses. Irvine knelt beside her and gave her a brief hug. Quistis bit hard on her lip, fighting the urge to let out suppressed emotions, and returned the embrace. She'd said a lot of things he didn't want to hear, but he had to. For the sake of her "family", he had to.
Irvine on his way back to his room to do some thinking, Quistis put finishing touches to her note before jumping in the shower. She had a morning training session in less than an hour, but after that she was free to sleep away the better part of her afternoon and evening. As for the letter… it was tolerable; Quistis only hoped it would be enough.
'Enough for what? To get him to stop? Or to get him to fight back?'
She curled up in a robe on her bed and re-read the note. It was missing something… Quistis let out a delighted gasp. It would cost her at least a month of night and weekend duties, but she knew where to get exactly what she needed. The screen-saver was on, again, and Quistis cheerfully rolled over to her computer to delete it. Lucky it hadn't reappeared while Irvine was there.
A knock, followed by Zell's voice, interrupted her. 'Dear Hyne, the announcement? Already? Please, not yet…'
She tightened the belt around her robe and, with a calming breath, answered the door. Zell and his girlfriend Ami, a recent SeeD graduate, stood outside. They were sending each other looks that could kill.
"Morning, Quistis. Ami and I have a problem -"
" – A question!" Ami interrupted.
"A problem. And since you're, like, second in command and all, we figured you could solve it."
"Solve? There's nothing to solve. You're so presumptuous!"
Quistis looked back and forth between the two SeeDs. Finally, with a disbelieving shake of her head, she waved them in.
There was a tense moment of silence before both of them started to talk at once, using competing volumes to capture Quistis' attention.
"She volunteers for missions with no regard for her safety or my feelings…"
"He thinks he can put himself in danger all he wants, but then I want some excitement and he totally comes down on me…"
Quistis covered her ears, forcing them to stop. She was shaking from exhaustion and more than a little irritation. "Okay, Ami. Outside." She pointed to the door. "You have a class with Instructor Aki. Cool off and come talk to me after lunch. Zell - we can walk and talk on the way to our training sessions."
Ami nodded stiffly and exited, while Quistis jumped in the bathroom to change. When she was finished, she came out to find Zell playing with her computer. She winced, praying he didn't see anything.
"Yeah, Quis. I was pretty surprised by your message this morning." Quistis visibly paled. She wanted to cry. "Don't worry, Cid already sent out a reaction, warning students of a hacker on campus and threatening expulsion for anyone caught impersonating a Garden member."
Her legs nearly gave out. "He knew I didn't write it?"
" 'Course, Quis. You never get drunk and your impersonator apparently spelled 'insidious' wrong."
Quistis didn't know whether to be flattered by that defense or not.
She shrugged helplessly. "Good enough for me. Let's go."
Zell was easy enough to talk to. He was actually a pretty reasonable and understanding person - just quick to get emotional. Ami, on the other hand, could hold a grudge for all eternity. Quistis wasn't totally sure she made any impact on the girl, but by the time it was over, she was beyond caring.
Apparently, there were a lot of people at Garden who only checked their messages once a day. She received some pretty strange looks from her colleagues and more importantly, her students. How could she teach under conditions like that?
A few Trepies approached and swore to unearth the slimy monster that could dare impersonate and slander their beloved Instructor. Quistis nodded coolly and kept walking, a stack of papers in her attaché case and the note clenched in one hand, feeling like a ten-pound weight. A ten-pound weight she couldn't wait to throw at Seifer's head. Hyne knew it was a big enough target.
'You've met your match, Almasy. Now you're going to lose to her.'
Author's Notes: Sorry that I haven't been thanking all my reviewers, properly. I just returned to school and everything's been hectic. You guys have been really supportive of my first attempt at humor. So in no particular order (and if I forget you, please yell at me), here's to UntchableQuistis, ArashiKishu, Quistis88, setobsessed, Rose, Cailin, and lanesa. Y'all are the best. :) So, yeah, I just wrote this amazing chapter seven, and now I don't know what happens next. I had everything planned out and… ugh. Hopefully I'll get over my writer's block before I post the next three chapters. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the story.
…without an ending. ;)
~Tiy