Once in her room Meia wondered what she was doing, Jayson had talked her
into some mad scheme without her knowing what it was or why. She decided to
listen to her heart and hope it was giving her good advice.
Taking heed of Jayson's joke she unpacked all the weapons she had brought with her, wrapping her throwing star belt around her waist and fastening it up. She slung her staff holster over her shoulder and slotted her short staff in it for ease of reach. She sheathed her katana, Krystal, into its scabbard on her other belt and stashed a few healing items into her hip bag before making her way to Jayson's room.
Jayson had also prepared heavily, wearing his best gloves and an assortment of daggers sheathed in his belt, he also had two hip pouches full of healing items and shells for Fixxer which was strapped to his thigh in its accustomed place.
He was aware of faint giggling and creaking in the next room. 'God don't tell me they're at it again.' He thought as he left his room, almost bumping into Meia.
'You're getting into a habit of doing this aren't you?' he told her grinning.
She blushed slightly and asked 'So who do we get first?'
'We go to Quistis. Squall and Rinoa are a bit, uh, busy.' Jayson replied coughing.
'Ohh.' Meia murmured as realisation dawned.
They knocked on Quistis' door and she answered it slightly out of breath and red with exertion. Jayson wondered what she had been doing but didn't have the nerve to ask, especially when she turned her stare on him and said 'Jayson why are you up? You should rest!'
'Never mind. There's something more important. We need to take the Ragnarok to Mordred Plains.' Jayson told her staring her out for once.
'Why?' Quistis asked.
'I just feel that's where whatever is controlling the monsters is located.' Jayson replied, inwardly celebrating as Quistis broke the stare.
'Fine then go to Squall.' Quistis told him slightly annoyed.
'Well I'd rather you went since Rinoa and him seem to be busy.' Jayson told her. He noticed a brief flinch of pain cross Quistis' features and her face redden even more as he said this.
'Oh damn I forgot that Quistis was supposed to have had a crush on Squall.' He thought groaning inwardly.
'Actually on second thoughts, I'll do it. I have to take control sometime right?' he told her to her relief.
'Just back me up okay?' he told her grinning. She nodded and followed him and Meia to Squall's room where the moans seemed to have ceased.
He rapped loudly on the door and was guiltily pleased to hear Rinoa's complaint and annoyance. 'Welcome to my world.' He thought and waited patiently for the door to be opened. It was a few moments before this occurred and Squall's head popped out the gap, his hair more messed up than usual.
He gave them a bewildered look as he noticed the three of them. 'Is everything okay? Something happened?' he asked.
'Not really sir. I'm just requesting permission to use the Ragnarok.' Jayson replied.
'What for?' Squall asked, his brow creasing.
'I want to scan Mordred Plains. I suspect that's where the root of the problem here is.' Jayson answered shortly.
'I see. Very well, meet at the Airstation in half an hour okay?' Squall told them and disappeared.
'Well that was very brief.' Meia said as the door was shut on them.
'Well I'm sure Squall has something on his mind.' Quistis chuckled.
'Yeah like the fact that he really needed to put on some clothes.' Jayson replied dryly.
'What? You mean he answered the door naked?' Meia asked shocked.
'That's really not something I want to be thinking about.' Quistis said and then noticed the mass of weapons carried by the pair of them.
'Just why do you have a whole inventory strapped to your bodies? You expecting to get attacked by Squall?' Quistis asked with a faint grin.
'No. More likely Rinoa, she seemed to have been enjoyed herself.' Jayson replied jokingly.
'That's evil!' Meia told him trying not to laugh.
'Anyway Quistis we'll leave you to get prepared for our little excursion and see you at the Ragnarok.' Jayson told her nodding curtly, gently touching Meia's arm as he walked off down the corridor, Meia quickly catching him up.
'Are you okay?' Meia asked him as she drew level.
'What do you mean?' Jayson replied perplexed.
'You seem less withdrawn.' Meia replied.
'What makes you say that?' Jayson asked slightly bewildered.
'Just what Orion told Siren.' Meia replied grinning.
'Traitor!' Jayson thought. 'Well I don't know, maybe I'm just getting the chance to be the real me now.' He told her.
'Well I like it.' Meia replied smiling, watching Jayson's ears turn pink.
'People usually don't. They say I'm too sarcastic.' He replied laughing.
'You shouldn't always listen to Orion.' She told him.
'How did you know it was him?' he asked grinning, his face brightening.
'Educated guess.' She replied simply.
'So what's your specialty? I never did get to find out.' He asked casually.
'Katana and short staff.' She told him wondering about his abrupt change of topic.
'Strange combo.' Jayson mused.
'Maybe, but they are similar and you can't rely on one weapon right?' she replied.
'True.' he agreed.
The two of them walked to the Airstation idly chatting, Meia intently watching Jayson's features as he talked about Fixxer. She liked the way he smiled and his expressions as he enthusiastically described how he'd made it, his blue eyes sparkling.
He seemed so much different to when she first saw him, wandering the corridors of Garden, so closed in, his gaze usually resting on the ground but still somehow able to avoid those around him without walking into them.
That had been a few years ago when she first joined SeeD, still mourning the loss of her mother somehow feeling like she should blame SeeD but couldn't. It was strange that that first glance of Jayson was what helped her rise out of her gloom, the fact that there was someone who was so absorbed by something that he was closed off from everyone else, someone so internally consumed by gloom they were surrounded by an impenetrable wall of it.
It was a strange insight, one that made her realise to get on with her life lest the pain and gloom trapped her like that too. She had never asked him what had happened to him for him to have been that way and she knew she never would.
He had intrigued her and she was drawn closer to him noting his particular habits as if studying him. He was always silent in class never volunteering to answer questions and when he was called on to answer he was always hesitant, as if expecting his every word to be judged. She hadn't expected him to notice her anymore than anyone ever noticed him.
If people thought Squall had been a loner and introverted they would have realised he was as extroverted as Selphie compared to Jayson then. She could never understand why no-one noticed him, he did have a strong presence though maybe it was so dark nobody could bring themselves to look.
She had remembered when Seifer and a few other students had taunted him for learning so many different forms of combat, mocking him for not being good enough but it had just passed over him not even triggering a flicker of emotion, or so it seemed.
She had followed him to the Training Centre after that incident and witnessed an explosion of anger and passion as he had fought his way through countless monsters, expressing himself through his body movements.
That was when she realised why he studied so many styles of combat and it influenced her to take up the short staff to complement her ninjitsu weapon styles.
Then there had been the field exam and to her nervousness she found herself not only in Seifer's squad but she was with Jayson whom her feelings for had deepened over the years of watching him from afar.
She'd discovered that his gloom and pain had evolved into a steel barrier between his thoughts and the world, black sarcasm and dark cynicism. 'Just like Diablos.' She mused to herself now.
Taking heed of Jayson's joke she unpacked all the weapons she had brought with her, wrapping her throwing star belt around her waist and fastening it up. She slung her staff holster over her shoulder and slotted her short staff in it for ease of reach. She sheathed her katana, Krystal, into its scabbard on her other belt and stashed a few healing items into her hip bag before making her way to Jayson's room.
Jayson had also prepared heavily, wearing his best gloves and an assortment of daggers sheathed in his belt, he also had two hip pouches full of healing items and shells for Fixxer which was strapped to his thigh in its accustomed place.
He was aware of faint giggling and creaking in the next room. 'God don't tell me they're at it again.' He thought as he left his room, almost bumping into Meia.
'You're getting into a habit of doing this aren't you?' he told her grinning.
She blushed slightly and asked 'So who do we get first?'
'We go to Quistis. Squall and Rinoa are a bit, uh, busy.' Jayson replied coughing.
'Ohh.' Meia murmured as realisation dawned.
They knocked on Quistis' door and she answered it slightly out of breath and red with exertion. Jayson wondered what she had been doing but didn't have the nerve to ask, especially when she turned her stare on him and said 'Jayson why are you up? You should rest!'
'Never mind. There's something more important. We need to take the Ragnarok to Mordred Plains.' Jayson told her staring her out for once.
'Why?' Quistis asked.
'I just feel that's where whatever is controlling the monsters is located.' Jayson replied, inwardly celebrating as Quistis broke the stare.
'Fine then go to Squall.' Quistis told him slightly annoyed.
'Well I'd rather you went since Rinoa and him seem to be busy.' Jayson told her. He noticed a brief flinch of pain cross Quistis' features and her face redden even more as he said this.
'Oh damn I forgot that Quistis was supposed to have had a crush on Squall.' He thought groaning inwardly.
'Actually on second thoughts, I'll do it. I have to take control sometime right?' he told her to her relief.
'Just back me up okay?' he told her grinning. She nodded and followed him and Meia to Squall's room where the moans seemed to have ceased.
He rapped loudly on the door and was guiltily pleased to hear Rinoa's complaint and annoyance. 'Welcome to my world.' He thought and waited patiently for the door to be opened. It was a few moments before this occurred and Squall's head popped out the gap, his hair more messed up than usual.
He gave them a bewildered look as he noticed the three of them. 'Is everything okay? Something happened?' he asked.
'Not really sir. I'm just requesting permission to use the Ragnarok.' Jayson replied.
'What for?' Squall asked, his brow creasing.
'I want to scan Mordred Plains. I suspect that's where the root of the problem here is.' Jayson answered shortly.
'I see. Very well, meet at the Airstation in half an hour okay?' Squall told them and disappeared.
'Well that was very brief.' Meia said as the door was shut on them.
'Well I'm sure Squall has something on his mind.' Quistis chuckled.
'Yeah like the fact that he really needed to put on some clothes.' Jayson replied dryly.
'What? You mean he answered the door naked?' Meia asked shocked.
'That's really not something I want to be thinking about.' Quistis said and then noticed the mass of weapons carried by the pair of them.
'Just why do you have a whole inventory strapped to your bodies? You expecting to get attacked by Squall?' Quistis asked with a faint grin.
'No. More likely Rinoa, she seemed to have been enjoyed herself.' Jayson replied jokingly.
'That's evil!' Meia told him trying not to laugh.
'Anyway Quistis we'll leave you to get prepared for our little excursion and see you at the Ragnarok.' Jayson told her nodding curtly, gently touching Meia's arm as he walked off down the corridor, Meia quickly catching him up.
'Are you okay?' Meia asked him as she drew level.
'What do you mean?' Jayson replied perplexed.
'You seem less withdrawn.' Meia replied.
'What makes you say that?' Jayson asked slightly bewildered.
'Just what Orion told Siren.' Meia replied grinning.
'Traitor!' Jayson thought. 'Well I don't know, maybe I'm just getting the chance to be the real me now.' He told her.
'Well I like it.' Meia replied smiling, watching Jayson's ears turn pink.
'People usually don't. They say I'm too sarcastic.' He replied laughing.
'You shouldn't always listen to Orion.' She told him.
'How did you know it was him?' he asked grinning, his face brightening.
'Educated guess.' She replied simply.
'So what's your specialty? I never did get to find out.' He asked casually.
'Katana and short staff.' She told him wondering about his abrupt change of topic.
'Strange combo.' Jayson mused.
'Maybe, but they are similar and you can't rely on one weapon right?' she replied.
'True.' he agreed.
The two of them walked to the Airstation idly chatting, Meia intently watching Jayson's features as he talked about Fixxer. She liked the way he smiled and his expressions as he enthusiastically described how he'd made it, his blue eyes sparkling.
He seemed so much different to when she first saw him, wandering the corridors of Garden, so closed in, his gaze usually resting on the ground but still somehow able to avoid those around him without walking into them.
That had been a few years ago when she first joined SeeD, still mourning the loss of her mother somehow feeling like she should blame SeeD but couldn't. It was strange that that first glance of Jayson was what helped her rise out of her gloom, the fact that there was someone who was so absorbed by something that he was closed off from everyone else, someone so internally consumed by gloom they were surrounded by an impenetrable wall of it.
It was a strange insight, one that made her realise to get on with her life lest the pain and gloom trapped her like that too. She had never asked him what had happened to him for him to have been that way and she knew she never would.
He had intrigued her and she was drawn closer to him noting his particular habits as if studying him. He was always silent in class never volunteering to answer questions and when he was called on to answer he was always hesitant, as if expecting his every word to be judged. She hadn't expected him to notice her anymore than anyone ever noticed him.
If people thought Squall had been a loner and introverted they would have realised he was as extroverted as Selphie compared to Jayson then. She could never understand why no-one noticed him, he did have a strong presence though maybe it was so dark nobody could bring themselves to look.
She had remembered when Seifer and a few other students had taunted him for learning so many different forms of combat, mocking him for not being good enough but it had just passed over him not even triggering a flicker of emotion, or so it seemed.
She had followed him to the Training Centre after that incident and witnessed an explosion of anger and passion as he had fought his way through countless monsters, expressing himself through his body movements.
That was when she realised why he studied so many styles of combat and it influenced her to take up the short staff to complement her ninjitsu weapon styles.
Then there had been the field exam and to her nervousness she found herself not only in Seifer's squad but she was with Jayson whom her feelings for had deepened over the years of watching him from afar.
She'd discovered that his gloom and pain had evolved into a steel barrier between his thoughts and the world, black sarcasm and dark cynicism. 'Just like Diablos.' She mused to herself now.