Cat's Affections
(A.K.A. The Lion, The Witch And The Woman)

Quistis was sitting in the library, doing not much of anything when Rinoa came in. She cringed slightly and turned away--she had always been a bit uncomfortable around the Forest Owl's "princess," and that was when the entire group was there along with them. She wasn't terribly interested in being alone with her for any period of time.

Unfortunately, Rinoa seemed to be utterly oblivious to her unease. As soon as she saw her she approached, slipping easily into a chair next to her. "Quistis!" she exclaimed, as Quistis endeavored to put on a polite smile. "I didn't see you much at the party last night. Where were you?"

(Hiding,) she thought distantly. "Oh? ...I left early." She smiled apologetically. "I was tired. It had been a long day."

Rinoa laughed, as if she had made the cleverest joke ever. "I suppose so," she said, leaning in as if they were sharing a secret. "It really was a terrible day. But at least it's over, right?"

Quistis blinked. "I suppose so," she responded, suppressing a shudder and wondering how Rinoa could brush it off so easily.

Rinoa paused, looking at her critically. "You're pretty quiet this morning," she observed.

"Am I?" Quistis didn't know what to say about that.

"Well... I guess you're kinda quiet all the time, aren't you?" Rinoa looked almost concerned. "What's wrong?"

Quistis felt a sudden sting of resentment. (What, you think you've fixed all of Squall's problems so you come over to work on mine?) "What makes you think there's anything wrong?" she asked, more sharply than she had intended to.

Rinoa drew back as if she had slapped her, and Quistis immediately felt sorry. She glanced away, quickly.

"...you're not angry with me, are you?" Rinoa asked tentatively. Quistis looked back at her, surprised.

"Why should I be angry with you?" she asked.

This time, Rinoa glanced away, and Quistis could have sworn--if she was the type who swore. The girl was blushing--a pale-rose coloration that spread delicately across her cheekbones, as if she had put it there with a brush. "About Squall--" she began.

And Quistis came very close to swearing again. At herself for being such an idiot, at Squall for being Squall, and at Rinoa for somehow noticing everything that she worked so hard to keep anyone from noticing, ever.

"I mean,' she continued, unmercifully, "I know you how you felt, and--"

"Rinoa." Her tone was uncomfortably icy, but she didn't care.

Rinoa glanced at her, looking shyly up through her eyelashes as if she was afraid that she was going to be scolded. Qusitis was momentarily flustered--she had to keep reminding herself that this girl was not a SeeD, didn't see the world the way a SeeD did, didn't have nearly the control over emotions or the confidence that a SeeD would learn--she was someone whom Quistis didn't have any idea how to deal with.

"It's nothing."

Apparently it was the wrong answer. Rinoa sat up straight in her seat, eyes wide as if Quistis had just proclaimed that she was about to shoot herself. "No!" she spluttered, and then visibly calmed herself down. "I mean--it isn't nothing. If something is bothering you, then--"

"Rinoa," she tried again, forcing a forgiving smile. "Really. You're happy; he's happy. That's all that matters."

"But what about you?"

Quistis bit the inside of her lip.

"I mean--I know you must have felt that way for a long time before I met you all, and--well, I just--"

"It's all right," Quistis cut her off. She was never comfortable with this kind of so-called "girl talk," and Rinoa was making it decidedly not easier. "It was just a... a hopeless infatuation." Rinoa and her god-be-damned skills of observation could probably tell that she was telling half-truths, but as long as she didn't make an issue of it Quistis didn't care. "I never actually thought it would... work out."

Rinoa looked at her with pity. Pity. "I'm sorry."

"It was silly of me anyway," Quistis said, making a dismissive gesture with one hand. "Indulging myself like that. Leading myself on...." she sighed. "He's not exactly the ideal person, either. He never listens to anyone or anything, he's too independent, proud, moody--and, to top it all, you wouldn't believe how adept he is at getting himself into things he can't get out of. But somehow, I always found a way to ignore all of that." She smiled, as if they were discussing pleasant matters over afternoon tea. "...it was... very silly of me."

Rinoa was looking at her with the oddest expression, and Quistis suddenly realized that--despite her intentions--what she had just said much have been very, very awkward for Rinoa to hear. Embarrassed, she glanced away.

"You could always get a cat," Rinoa said, after considering for a moment.

Quistis looked up sharply. "What?"

Now, Rinoa was fighting down a grin. "A cat," she said. "They're little animals about this big--"

"Yes, I know what a cat is," Quistis said, rather snappishly. "What makes you think that a cat is going to make me feel any better?"

The grin escaped, flooding Rinoa's face with mirth. "Well," she said, "they never listen to you, they're independent, proud, moody, and likely to get themselves into scrapes they can't get out of--but, you can always bell them or lock them in your room if you need to."

Quistis stared, incredulously, as Rinoa's words sunk in. Then, unable to resist the young Sorceress's infectious grin, she started laughing. "You--" she started, shaking a finger at her accusingly. "You are going to bring him nothing but trouble."

Rinoa's smile widened, if that was really possible. "I know," she said. "I think he'll manage."

"Oh, I don't doubt that. He seems to, somehow." She shook her head. "But you're not going to make it easy on him, are you?"

Rinoa's eyes twinkled. "If I did, life would be no fun," she said. "And Squall? He's one person who really needs to learn how to have fun."

Quistis nodded wholeheartedly, and then bit back a sigh. "Well," she said, hoping to mask the lingering disappointment she still felt. "I wish you better luck with him than I had."

Rinoa reached out, clapping her on the shoulder once or twice. "You too, Quistis," she said.

Very nearly all of Quistis's brain locked up. "...excuse me?"

"Have fun, I mean." Rinoa winked, wagging a finger at her. "It's not the end of the world, you know. You're only eighteen."

Quistis chuckled a bit at that. "We're certainly not the average teenagers," she said, but nodded as well. "You're perfectly right, though. If we aren't going to let him get away with brooding over things, I don't see why I should be exempt."

"That's the spirit!" Rinoa gave her a cheerful thumbs-up. "So. No hard feelings, then?"

"Of course not." She smiled. "And I'll be here if and when you ever need a shoulder to cry on."

"Ouch!" Rinoa laughed, feigning offense. "I'm sure I'll look you up at least once. It'll be nice to have someone who knows that this isn't as easy as it seems."

Quistis stood up, straightening her outfit back into their original immaculate state. "Well," she said. "I had better be off. It was a pleasure talking to you, Rinoa."

Rinoa affected a sigh. "Oh... where are you headed to?"

Quistis hesitated a moment at that, before relaxing and giving her a conspiratorial wink. "Off to see about getting a cat," she said.