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09.16.03
wahehehehehe!!!!! Sorry with the delayz… lolz.. got preoccupied with lotsa thingz.. messed up with the codings here in fanfiction.net.. wahehehehehe.. mumblings of a mere beginner again.. hoped the prologue piqued ur interest a bit..up to the 1st chappie!!!!! XD hope ya like it.. comments are very much appreciated.. ^.~
ps. Changed formats a bit.. italics denote thoughts of the characters.. the *~* is much used up alredi.. XD
09.17.03
kyahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! I'm finally done with the first chappie!!!!!!!!! Itz sooo long to type it all ova.. XD hope you guys had the patience to read below.. cyah in the next chappie! ^.~
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 8 doesn't belong to me.. but there are other characters that I came up with.. originally.. ^-^VVV
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Ffviii: Sweet Love...
Story One: Balamb Garden University
9:15 am Hallway
"Squall! Squall Leonhart!" A blonde, spiky haired guy dressed in the assigned male uniform of the university and bearing a distinct black tattoo on his right cheek called out the statuesque figure before him.
"Dincht? What do you want?" The statuesque figure turned around, revealing his manly face.
"Heard of the new comer yet?"
"Yeah, as if no one ever talked about this guy."
"GUY?! Man, she's a girl! She even has a beautiful face!"
"Like you said with Katerine Sutherlands whose face was a zit farm."
"But this time, the newbie has a nice body."
"You said that once with Silvia Byrants, but she turned out to be an overloaded truck."
Zell wasn't the person who would give up that easily. He tried again. "Anyway, she's a genius!"
"Not interested."
"Geez, what a bummer you are." His friend murmured under his breath as they walked side by side.
Squall raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "What were you saying, Zell Dincht?"
Zell shook his head nervously, knowing that his friend mentioning his whole name meant trouble for him. "No. Nothing at all."
Sheesh, I can really get massive heart attacks when I'm with Squall. Good thing, he can't read minds. Or else I'm one piece of dead meat. He thought as Squall continued to glare at him and strolled a few inches away but went slower as they came across the Student Affairs Board.
Zell abruptly stopped upon noticing the board and wondered out loud. "Man, what on earth is happening to the SA committee???? Setting up their board like this?!"
"Now, what's the problem, Dincht?" Squall demanded as he stood beside Zell in front of the board and reached for a note. "What's this?"
His eyebrows met in thought as he read. It's a..
"My goodness. I never knew that my picture was to be posted in public right after my arrival. Will you excuse me, gentlemen?" A feminine voice pipped up as Zell and Squall looked back to see the girl who is clearly a newbie in the campus.
That's the girl.. I bumped with earlier… Does that mean… she's the one?? Squall thought as the girl contentedly retrieved her photo before she got her luggages back and went the other direction.
~*~*~*~*~
Unfortunately, when she arrived at the principal's office, she was already too late. The sign at the door noted, "Meeting at hand." She sighed. "Now, what will I do?" She looked around the halls. Well, she certainly couldn't go just anywhere, she might get lost instead, plus her dorm keycard was with the principal.
"Looks like my classes today are suspended for good… hmmm… " She took a step closer to the directory stand, still clutching tight her luggages. "Well, I had always wanted to check this place out.."
~*~*~*~*~
11:35 am Dining Lounge
"I do hope that she doesn't turn out to be one of those cheesy feminine gals that come from an all girl's school.." Quisitis Trepe, a female with blonde, pinned up hairdo, added, drinking gleefully her hot chocolate in a gold-labeled demitasse cup.
"I also hope that she doesn't turn out to be some femme fatale whip-woman - - like you - - " Zell commented as he snickered. "We wouldn't need a brunette version of you, do we?"
Quistis momentarily flashed him a honey-dipped sarcastic look before turning to Squall, "Leonhart, why do you insist on inviting this - - this playboy - - into out table?!"
The silent answer from Squall only insulted her more, and she was on the verge of flipping her sandwich onto Zell's "very" happy face.
"Squall needs friends like me to guard him from you girlie-prowlers out there, woman!" With that, he slammed his fist onto the table, causing the delicate demitasse cup to rattle between Quistis's fingers.
Squall glanced down onto his own lunch; he suddenly realized that the coffee had drenched his sandwich, including a part of his report, an effect caused by Zell's unwieldy macho act.
"My.. sandwich.. it's submerged… in…," he muttered then grimaced for a second before finally returning to his report paper.
Quistis and Zell exchanged blank stares. "Weird," they both whispered.
"Hey, hey, hey! What's up with the SeeD cadet trio?" Selphie Tilmitt, a childish gal with short, brown flyaway hair, chimed in a sing-song tone. The quiet tension between Quistis and Zell and between Squall and his sandwich provided her for a few minutes to prop herself comfortably beside Squall. "So, what's going on?" She paused for a moment before passing several papers to the three of them.
"Whoa?! Survey - - again? For the skating club?" Zell got up from his lazy, reclining position, jiggering the table once again with his strong, heavy arms. This time the demitasse cup turtle-topped, giving Quistis's fingernails a sweet chocolate bath.
"Zell - - the - - " Quistis began.
Selphie was beginning to understand what the scene was. Yes, it's another horrifyingly replayed episode of the rebattle Quistis vs. Zell. She thought. Nothing can be more boring than this; why don't they just get married, huh? No.. wait a minute… I like Zell too - -
"Cool it, Quistis." Squall said in an attempt to sound like he was involved when in fact he was immersed in his report. He slipped in the first two pages of his report into an envelope labeled A2-54.
"You talking to me?" Quistis sarcastically retorted, "like you were even listening." She pulled out a handkerchief to dry her fingers.
"Ooh.. now I'm beginning to see something here.." Zell brought down the survey paper below his eyes, only to receive Selphie's angry look.
Selphie stood up from her seat and delicately placed herself onto the table directly, blocking the only view Quistis and Squall had of each other. "Lookie you two, if you want to battle, it's the training grounds for the both of you. But this IS the dining lounge, and all you do here is eat." Then she turned to Zell, who was still fearfully hiding behind the survey paper. "Zell.. have some consideration. A little respect for the highest ranking SeeD cadet Quistis.. She's an A Alpha 28, and you're not even close to B10!"
"Hey, I am B10! I've reached B10 last month!"
"Oh.. you did?" Selphie asked. Turning to Quistis, she continued. "And since you're an Alpha, you can't let a scum like Zell pull you down to his level, okie?"
Quistis and Zell glared at each other but decided to call a truce, which was at everyone's hope a permanent one. In a zap, Selphie immediately switched to her "cute" mode. Pasting the most adorable smile she could possibly come up with, she forced a survey paper onto Squall's face. "Now, about my survey?"
"You know, I'm not an avid skater.." Quistis began. She meticulously skimmed through the questions. #1: Where do you think we can hold the skating competition? A. at the Winter Wonderland B. at the training grounds (freeze the ponds and lakes) C. at the.. as usual, these are Selphie's survey questions. Isn't there a D option for nowhere? Quistis thought inside herself.
"Hmm, should we honor the winner as the 'Ice Queen' or the 'Skating Princess?'" Selphie chirped with nonchalance.
"How about the 'Frozen Water Princess' if she's young, but if she looks old like someone I know.. then change the 'princess' to 'queen' or 'witch' if specific." Zell suggested in an intelligent tone, intentionally referring Quistis.
"Close, but not too close," Selphie replied, rejecting Zell's proposal in her utmost polite voice. "Squall!! You want us to think you're asleep? Say something!" She pressed on.
"Why not.."
After waiting for ten minutes or so, Selphie yawned and murmured. "Oh, Squall, forget it." She wiped the tears in her eyes.
At that very moment, Quistis looked at her watch and turned to see the other people who were still lounging around the place. She licked her lips in an intent way. "Oh, look at the time."
She abruptly stretched up and pulled along with her her shoulder duffel bag. "Gotta go - - the student council freak is on you 3:20." She warned as she walked away.
"What?! He's here?!" Zell almost screamed, swallowing his hotdog whole.
"That means Raijin and Fuujin must be here too." Selphie muttered, crossing her legs. Squall was also up and going, heading towards Quistis's direction with his coffee-stained report by his right-hand.
Before them, Seifer was striding in his trademark crossed-signed trenchcoat with his two "disciples" behind him, a silvery-haired woman with an eyepatch on the left eye and a tanned, brawny man. As always, a Beethoven symphony blared unconsciously on the background.
"Of course! The 12:15 Wednesday lunch check! Why didn't I remember that?" Zell fumed as he scrambled from his seat towards Squall. " … Never gonna let him take away my tattoo.."
Selphie looked around only to see that everyone from the cadet trio had left. "They're gone?!" She jumped off the table and made her quickest steps towards the lounge exit when Raijin and Fuujin went cascading before her to block her way.
"17th violation of the Balamb Garden University Student Council ordered by the Kramer.." Fuujin began.
"Oh man, cut to the chase, Fuujin. What's my violation today? I'm beginning to collect violation infringements like a nut!" She turned around to see Seifer, as usual, holding his violation record book.
"Late for your class again, Miss Tilmitt?" He said in an irritatingly bland tone.
"Mister.. if you haven't realized it yet, I'm not the only one who's always late for your.. whatchamacallit.. ah.. 12:!5 Wednesday lunch check. In fact, a moment ago, if you were actually paying attention, three cadet trainees were sitting right here."
"And you're the only one who 'manages' to be late? Uh, is that what you meant?" Seifer made sure that he wouldn't be misinformed.
"No, Mr. Almasy! The point is I'm the only one brave enough to stay here and not scramble away from you like those three!"
"So, am I suppose to give you a merit for that?" Seifer was in the process of filling in an infringement form.
"No?" Selphie squeaked. "But anyway, since you're such a gentleman and a loyal Balamb civic student, you wouldn't mind answering this survey of mine.." She flipped a piece of paper before him. "It concerns the public, civic benefit of all the Balamb students involved in the skating competition. No sooner would I have you read it because I knew you to be an intelligent.."
".. Miss Tilmitt, did you know that there's a violation for apple-polishing?"
"Uh no? Anyway, cheerio! Goodbye!" She pushed the two away and started scrambling as far as possible towards the doorway to the hall.
Raijin began. "Should we follow her, Seifer?"
Seifer looked at her with a glance of amusement. "She's a kid. We'll let her go."
~*~*~*~*~
3:10 pm Skating Rink
After quite a while of workout in the rink, she realized that she couldn't get her moves right. Twice she fell slightly while landing her double twist. Was she really out of practice? Well, nobody was watching her anyway. She looked around to affirm her thoughts. What was that song again?
… If at first you don't succeed…
She slowly skated around the rink, trying to rev up some energy for another airflip.
… dust yourself up and try again…
She made a quick spin which caused her hair to float amongst the cold air in the skating stadium.
… you can dust it off and try again..
As she was spinning in an elliptical course, she gracefully imitated the swan by bending her head further back, which reflexively balanced by raising her right leg, allowing the remaining foot to take a control of acceleration.
… try again…
Finally, she moved her right leg, which was bent against her body, straight across her sideways. She threw it back a little and then forced it forward into the air as her other leg released its hold onto the ice, dictating the graceful movement of her body.
".. I guess… that… that… was it… a … a… successful… air… twist…"
"A perfect air twist." A childlike voice corrected behind her.
She turned around, abruptly dictated from a session of self-exploration, ".. Uh, do I know you?"
"Well, no, but I know you.. the new girl.. Rinoa Heartilly, correct?" The girl presented her most charming smile to the other girl who was on ice.
"Now, how did you know?" Rinoa started to skate towards Selphie who was leaning against the rink barracks.
"Not just a pretty face after all, huh? You were pretty good back there.."
".. How did you know?" Rinoa reiterated.
"Everybody knows about you. I believe the Student Affairs crew is in charge of announcing newbies to Balamb."
"Oh, now I see." Rinoa murmured as a smile crept on her face.
"And you were bombarded by public proposal letters, not a mediocre thing for such a pretty one?"
"Galbadia's universities are non-coed." Rinoa replied in an instant. Including mine, that is. She added silently.
When she was almost there where Selphie was, she realized it was an awkward approach to talk with her there, so she decided to skate towards the clear, open exit, take off her skates, and walked briskly towards Selphie after gathering her luggage in a matter of minutes.
"That's fast.. for an experienced skater like you.." Selphie remarked as the two girls walked out the rink area.
"Well, I - - I - - don't know what to say, but thank you.. uh.. er.." Rinoa paused, trying to figure out her companion's name.
"Oh, I forgot. I really enjoyed talking to you that I haven't introduced myself yet. Selphie Tilmitt." Selphie smirked. "I suppose that you still cant easily find your way around, so…"
"So?"
"I'm willing to be your tourguide, personal tourguide for as long as you like. Free of charge."
"That's wonderful." Rinoa clapped her hands in excitement, accidentally dropping her luggage on the floor. "Oops, silly me.."
Selphie laughed in response as she bent down to help Rinoa and started showing her around Balamb Garden.
~*~*~*~*~
9:00 pm Dorm No. 426, Dormitory Section C
Rinoa collapsed on her bed after taking a shower, staring at the ceiling.
Good thing, Uncle gave me my dorm key while Selphie was showing me around. Rinoa recalled as she got the shiny blue-green card from her pocket, encrypted with her identification data. Or else…. Well, never mind.. She stood up from her bed. Suddenly, memories of the moment when she bumped into a brown haired male student haunted her. That guy.. oooh, it's so embarrassing! Oh my gosh, it's late, plus I still got tons and millions and myriads of loads of homework to complete.. Teachers can sure think of some great intros for newbies. Rinoa complained silently, stretching first before she headed to her study table.
But I hope that my first day tomorrow comes alright…