Mythology
Chapter Five: Food And Dance
By PasifiKStaR
Author's Note: Not really any angsty stuff here. I changed the genre. -_- Anyway, it's mostly random stuff with a big description of Rinoa dancing.
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.
His hands rose up the sides of her body as hungry lips assaulted hers, practically bruising them as he laid her down on her cot. She didn't have time to wonder if the meager bed could hold them both up as her fingers ran through his thick hair. His lips trailed down her slim neck as her heart raced against his palm. Silently, Rinoa wondered if she was dreaming or not.
His breathing was ragged as his hardened hands ran against her ribs, under her shirt. Rinoa pulled his head up to kiss her again. Her warm lips were needy for his as the creaking of her cot sounded against the crying wind.
Suddenly, Squall pushed himself up above her. Rinoa noticed that he had stopped his heated caresses and searing kisses and opened her eyes reluctantly. Squall's face was down cast as he laid above her, his arms propping him up. He was breathing deeply with his eyes diverted away from her.
"Squall...?" Rinoa whispered quietly. *What's going on...?*
"I'm sorry." Squall breathed out in a raspy voice as he got off of her. Panic filled her as she watched him stand up. Rinoa sat up as she watched him put his shoes back on.
"Squall, wait-"
"I'm sorry about all of that," Squall said in a rushed voice. "I shouldn't have done that."
*No, wait...I want you to do that!* her mind screamed out. Rinoa was shaking in her cot. Her hair was tousled as she sat there. Squall quickly unzipped the entrance to her tent.
"I'm sorry, Rinoa. It won't happen again." Squall assured her.
He disappeared into the howling winds and Rinoa stared at the closed tent flap with an unreadable look. She closed her eyes as she suddenly felt abandoned and alone. She had been fine before he showed up, then after a few minutes of tasting his passion and being left alone without her fill left her empty.
She couldn't help but feel cast aside. As if she wasn't worth anything.
That morning, she had slept in. After her brief, but intense meeting with Squall, she hadn't been able to return to sleep. When she finally woke up, she didn't even realize she had gotten to sleep at all. Yawning, she stepped out her tent still dressed in her pajamas.
She was heading towards the communal bathroom while holding her ceramic mug with the Final Fantasy VII logo on it. In the mug was her baby blue tooth brush and tooth paste. A face towel was swung over her right shoulder as she yawned. Her hair had been tied back into a messy pony tail, but she didn't care.
As soon as she opened her tent, she saw the research tent ahead of her and frowned. She tore her eyes away from it as she walked ahead of her. She didn't want to see Squall, let alone be reminded of him. "Rinoa, did you over sleep?"
Rinoa froze and slowly turned around to look back at the tent. Quistis was at the front steps, looking stern as ever. She was holding a camera. "Uh...yeah...I had a head ache, so I took a rest."
Quistis merely nodded. "All right. Well, go eat breakfast. If you need me, I'll be taking pictures in the ruins."
Rinoa nodded. "Okay."
"And try to finish the second tablet today!" Quistis said. "I want to start translating them as soon as possible!"
"Right!" Rinoa said. She smiled at Quistis as the tall blond quickly walked past her, hugging a tripod under one arm and the camera in the other. She sighed and turned around.
As she did, she caught Squall standing by the door way of the research tent. His eyes went wide, as he realized he was caught looking at her. Their eyes met for a moment before Rinoa tore them away and made a beeline for the bathroom.
She brushed her teeth furiously as she tried to forget what had happened the night before. However, the more she tried to forget, the more she remembered. She closed her eyes and spat out her toothpaste. She took a deep breath and swept her hair back with her comb and washed her face.
She looked at her watch. She had been in the bathroom for twenty minutes. Rinoa frowned. She put her things away and took a deep breath. With her brown eyes focused ahead of her, she headed out of the bathroom. She kept her eyes on the path with her tent as her target.
The closer to she got to her tent, the stronger her senses became aware of Squall in the tent right across from hers - the research tent. Her heart began to race. *No...you're almost there,* she insisted. *Just keep your eyes on the tent.*
Squall sat in the corner of the tent, looking out one of the screened off 'windows' of the tent. He watched her practically march to her tent without so much as a glance over to where he was. He suddenly felt guilty. Did she hate him now?
Judging by the way she almost ripped her tent trying to tug the zipper down, he would put his money on yes. Rinoa disappeared into her tent and Squall got up. He looked around the camp. It was practically vacant. Most of the volunteers were in the ruins with Quistis and the others. The only people left were the cooks and cafeteria workers.
Squall exited the tent and walked across the path to Rinoa's tent. He paused as he stood by tent. He opened his mouth to make her aware of his presence, but nothing came out. Feeling stupid, he turned around and headed back to the research tent. Half way there, he stopped and turned back around, telling himself that he had to straighten things out.
He reached her tent once more and he stopped. What exactly was he going to say? Feeling like a complete idiot, he turned around and headed back to the research tent. He figured he should think about what he was going to say to her before he barged in. He stopped halfway to the tent and took a deep breath. He'd never figure it out, so he should just go speak to her.
He turned around and began to walk to Rinoa's tent. Just as he reached it, it unzipped and Rinoa stepped out. Half way out of the tent, she realized that Squall was right in front of her and raised an eyebrow in question as her face slightly colored.
*Now's your chance! Get this straightened out!* Squall's mind shouted. He nodded to himself and opened his mouth. "Did you eat breakfast yet?" He mentally slapped himself.
Rinoa stepped completely out of her tent and shook her head slightly. "No, I'm not hungry." she replied slowly. She turned around and closed her tent.
"It doesn't matter if you are or not, you should eat something," Squall told her sternly. "The cafeteria tent is still open. Let's go." He reached for her arm.
"I can go by myself," she replied with a slightly shaky voice. Her arm pulled away from his and she distanced herself from him. "I'll go eat."
Squall stood there as she turned her back to him and quickly hurried up the hill to the tent and Squall swore. *Shit...,* He looked up at the sky. It was growing cloudy with dark clouds above him. *I'm just great at this...*
Seifer sat on a fallen column as Quistis laid out a grid pattern over an wide area before him. Her hair was up in a bun with stray bangs falling over her face. He smiled slightly as she crawled around on her hands and knees, taking measurements and recording them on a clip board.
"I don't see why you need to do this," Seifer said as he looked around the fallen building. "This was just a storage room."
Quistis shot him an annoyed glare. "Storage room or not, it deserved to be chronicled."
"What? You want to know where the shelves were?" Seifer scoffed. He looked back down at her and saw the serious look on her face and his smug smile fell. "You're serious?"
Quistis stood up and dusted off her clothes. "Listen, I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand this," she told seriously. "But I take this very seriously."
"Hyne, Quisty-"
"PROFESSOR TREPE." she corrected him swiftly.
"Right, Quisty," Seifer continued with a smug grin as she glared at him. He jumped off the column he had been sitting on and walked over to her. "Okay, the shelves were on the north wall."
"How do you know?" Quistis asked with narrowed, annoyed eyes.
Seifer sighed and put his hands on her slim shoulders. He slowly lead her to the north wall and took her left hand in his. He noticed that Quistis didn't automatically retaliate and shove him back. *Maybe because she's giving in...?* he thought to himself. *Nah...not this soon...*
"Well?" Quistis snapped. Seifer rolled his eyes and lifted her hand to a groove in the wall.
"There are grooves in the wall about a pace length from each other," he said. He put one hand on her hip and slowly lead her along the wall. He kept her hand lightly on the dusty wall so she could feel the grooves as they passed them. "They're an equal distance apart. If you look over here, you'll see a stain. The stain is from wine, so there was probably a wine storage section here. And over there, you'll see the remains of the stone base where the shelves rested as well as the niches in the ground where the poles that supported the shelves went."
He glanced back down at the blond female and saw the disbelieving look in her eyes. "You're...you're right..." she stammered as she let her hand fall from the wall. She turned to look at him and Seifer took a cautious step back, just in case she swung at him. Her blue eyes were narrowed behind her glasses as she looked at him. "How did you know!?"
Seifer smirked and shrugged his broad shoulders. "You think that just because I'm rich, I'm stupid?" he asked coolly. Quistis looked down with guilty eyes.
"Of course not," she told him strongly. Her eyes lifted to meet his defiantly. "I think you're stupid because you're acting like a spoiled little boy!"
Seifer didn't expect that. His emerald eyes went wide as Quistis walked past him and began to take measurements of the base of the shelves on her notes. He stood there and watched her. Her face was slightly flushed from their little conversation. "Let's go to the ball room." he said suddenly. Quistis looked up at him as if he were crazy.
"I'm not done here-"
"You can always come back," he assured her. Quistis looked at him suspiciously, but stood up. She was about to reach down and get her notes when he put his hand on her shoulder and stopped her. "You don't have to record EVERYTHING."
*Okay...why is my heart racing?* Quistis thought to herself. She saw Seifer's lips curl into a smirk as he took her hand in his and pull her forward. "Hey! Hey! I can walk on my own."
"Well, you're not really resisting, are you?" Seifer asked coolly as he walked ahead of her. Quistis immediately tugged her arm back once she realized that she hadn't resisted. He frowned as her face grew warmer. Seifer merely let out an amused laugh.
"How do you know where the ball room is, anyway?" Quistis snapped as she followed behind him. "I don't even know why I'm following you!"
"You're obviously enamored with me, Quisty," Seifer told her casually as he walked ahead of her. Upon hearing that, the proud female stopped in her tracks. She turned on her heel and headed back to the storage room. Seifer heard her foot steps stop and head back. He whirled around, surprised that he had taken his joke so seriously. "Professor Trepe!" he called out. "I'm just kidding! Can't you take a joke!?"
Her answer was strong and firm. "No."
"I expected that..." Seifer mumbled. He ran after her and grabbed her hand.
She whirled around and glared at him. "Let me go, Seifer-"
"Just come with me to the ball room," Seifer told her. "It's on the south side of the palace."
"How would you know?" Quistis snapped.
"Because it only makes sense," Seifer assured her. "If it's on the south side of the palace, it's by the front of the palace. And since it juts out, you would be able to see the sun rise on one side and set on the other."
Quistis' blue eyes grew more questioning as he finished his sentence. *I won't admit it, but that IS a romantic notion.*
Green eyes pleaded with her blue ones and she rolled her eyes and took a step forward. Seifer's cocky grin returned and he held her hand as he lead her through the ruins carefully. He made sure that she wouldn't fall over anything or trip over any of the fallen rubble. Quistis pretended not to care as her eyes looked around.
The old palace they were in was massive. There were already two teams in there, not counting her one woman team, and she hadn't heard or seen them since they split up that morning. "It used to be several stories tall," Seifer said, almost wistfully as he lead her to the ball room. "But I guess most of it got worn and blown away."
Quistis merely nodded. Most of the bottom floor had a roof. In some parts, there was evidence to four stories and a few minarets that circled the palace. The minarets had long fallen, but in the wider areas, the ceiling had been blown away. Seifer tugged gently on her arm.
"What?" she grumbled as she looked back at him with a vicious glare.
"We're here." he stated. He pulled her through the column lined doors of the once elegant ball room. Quistis reluctantly stepped through and stopped.
Her eyes went wide as she saw the wide, open space before her. She had seen it's column lined patios from the outside, but she hadn't had a chance to look inside. She found that the ceiling was mostly gone, but there was a perfect circle at the center of the domed room. the walls were white alabaster carved with intricate patterns of leaves and vines all across the top of the room.
Massive columns supported the ceiling as through the hole at the top, the sun shone directly on the center of the ball room. Seifer watched as Quistis' eyes took in the fallen splendor. "Hyne..." she whispered as she walked further into the room. "This must've been amazing..."
"The opus," Seifer said as he pointed to the hole. "Used to be covered with glass so that at night the moon light would fall over the dancers."
"Really?" Quistis said. She stood underneath it and looked up. She squinted her as she looked up at the cloudy sky with the rays of sun light peeking through it's haze.
"It's really empty now, but during it's glory days, there would be sections for food, dancing, and a place for the bands and performers." Seifer told her. He walked up to her and Quistis turned to him with a pleased smile.
"Okay," she said as her smile turned suspicious. "How'd you know all of that?"
"That's a secret," Seifer grinned. He leaned closer to Quistis and could feel the heat of her body against his as she froze in her spot. "Like it?"
His deep voice resonated in her body and Quistis suddenly felt like melting. She took a deep gasp and nodded slightly. "Yeah...it's great..." she said. She took one step back and looked back around the room.
Seifer watched as she turned around and looked around the massive room like a child. Every so often she would rush over to a certain place and stop. Then she would rush back and stop to look at something.
Quistis tried to busy herself with the designs on the wall and tried to suppress the heat that was covering her body. Every step she took, she knew that Seifer was watching her with those laughing emerald eyes. He unnerved her with that attitude of his. His cocky smile never ceased to stop infuriating her.
But every time he touched her, her senses went into over drive. Her heart would start beating in her chest and her palms grew damp. Her face would blush and her entire body felt like she had been shocked. She hadn't even realized that she had stopped by one of the pillars that lined the wall to the outside of the palace.
She felt two hands on her waist and she froze. "Chicken-wuss said something interesting the other day...for the first time," Seifer said. His warm breath blew past Quistis' ear. "Something about you being able to dance. Is that true?"
"I...I think he was talking about Rinoa..." Quistis stammered. *Why isn't my body moving? MOVE dammit!*
"Really?" Seifer asked coolly. "I could've swore he said you." His hand closed around hers and spun her around. Quistis' eyes went wide as she found herself crushed against him.
"What...?" she gasped, her eyes wide open. Seifer smirked.
"So you really can't dance then?" Seifer said with a teasing smirk. "I thought you'd be better than that."
A scowl graced Quistis face as she pushed him away from her. "I have work to do!" she announced.
Seifer didn't let her hand go as she tried to walk away. "Then take a break."
"I don't WANT to dance with you!" Quistis growled. Rinoa looked up from where she was seated with Selphie, Zell, and Irvine. Quistis was practically being dragged to the dance floor by the elegantly dressed Prince of Centra himself.
"Stop making a scene!" Seifer snapped. "Just shut up and dance, woman!" Quistis had more to say to him, but they were already in the middle of the dance floor with everyone watching them.
"Seifer just keeps getting more and more persistent with Quistis, doesn't he?" Rinoa said as she watched the couple dance.
"Yeah...he's never been this attached to anyone before," Irvine commented. "Usually, he's done and over with his infatuations within a month or so."
"Remember when he came by the shop with Squall and said that he wanted Squall to marry them?" Selphie laughed. Rinoa nodded and giggled.
"Quistis was SO mad!" Rinoa said. "It got even worse when I asked him if he wanted to buy anything and he said Quistis."
"Seifer just has no idea how to be charming," Irvine told him casually. He leaned back against the soft cushions they were on. "He just doesn't have that in him."
"I'm glad that Quistis isn't falling for him right away," Zell added. "I think it's good that he's rejected a few times."
"A FEW times?" Selphie gasped. "Every time he visits, Quistis refuses to talk to him."
"And when she finally does, she's usually yelling at him." Rinoa nodded in agreement.
"Still, it was nice of him to invite us to this party," Selphie said as she looked around the huge ball room. Nobles, monarchy, and the wealthy and renowned lined the ball room. They talked and ate amongst themselves as the little group sat to one corner. "It's really fun to watch the nobles' daughters getting all jealous because Quistis is dancing with Seifer."
"You should've heard what they were saying earlier," Rinoa added. She motioned for the three of them to lean forward so she could tell them. "Several daughters' parents have talked to the King and Queen about marriage to Seifer."
"No way," Irvine said with large eyes. "They'd actually LET their daughter marry that uncouth man?"
"I guess so," Rinoa nodded. "But so far, the King and Queen have been hesitant in arranging anything."
"That's because they know if they did Seifer would probably run away and kidnap Quistis or something." Zell replied. The group laughed.
"Yeah, he would!" Rinoa laughed.
Zell looked up, past Rinoa and waved. "Hey! Squall's here!" Rinoa immediately froze as she felt her entire body burn up. Slowly, she turned her head and saw the handsome young man walking towards them in confident strides that reminded her of a cat stalking it's prey.
Selphie began to nudge Rinoa in the ribs as she giggled and pointed over to Squall. Rinoa rolled her eyes. She HAD seen him coming. "About time you got here," Irvine said as the man took his seat on one of the cushioned couches behind where Rinoa was seated on a floor cushion. "We're almost out of wine."
"I don't drink," Squall told him casually. "Unless it's a special occasion."
"It's party!" Zell told him exasperated. "Of course it's a special occasion."
Squall's cool and collected blue eyes landed on Zell's. "I meant a religious one."
"Oh..."
"Where are Seifer and our future Queen?" Squall asked calmly as he laid back against the soft cushions of the couch. A servant girl passed him and offered him a drink. He shook his head and she went away.
"Dancing," Selphie said. "He came and dragged Quistis up."
"I think it's kind of cute when they're not fighting," Rinoa said. She turned her head towards the dance floor. She had to admit that Seifer knew how to dance the formal dances well. Quistis had been attending these things since she was a child and could easily match Seifer's pace. "I think they're going to go be a good ruling couple. After all...SOMEONE has to rule the country and I doubt Seifer will be able to."
"Here's to that!" Zell said. He raised his cup and the group, except for Squall, toasted it.
"Miss Caraway," a voice said to their left. Rinoa turned and stood up immediately. She bowed her head formally.
"Good evening, your majesty," Rinoa said with a warm smile. "How are you this evening?"
"Very well, thank you," said the tall, elegant black haired woman. She was wearing dark robes lined with gold. Her long dark hair was held up in a tight bun beneath a slender gold crown as golden earrings danged from her ears. She had a heavy, thick necklace and bracelets on her pale arms. "Miss Trepe said that you would grace us with your talents this evening. We were wondering when you going to begin?"
Rinoa's eyes went wide and she nodded. "Whenever you wish me to, your majesty. It's an honor to perform before the royal court."
"Excellent," Queen Edea told her with a warm smile. "Please begin when you so wish to."
Rinoa bowed her head and waited for the elegant Queen to return to her husband. Selphie tugged on the edge of Rinoa's dress. "So you're really going to do it?"
"I have to now," Rinoa said in a low voice. She frowned and tossed a glare at Quistis. "Ooh...I'm going to get even with her."
"I think she's been punished enough," Irvine said. He looked up at Rinoa and grinned. "So what's the General's Daughter going to perform?"
"The only dance I'm half way decent at," Rinoa said as she headed for the band to request her song. "The Seduction of Shiva."
Irvine looked pleased, Zell looked impressed, Selphie nodded, as if approving of Rinoa's dance. Squall merely lifted up an eyebrow. He'd seen that dance once performed by some traveling entertainers. It was a dance performed by women, but usually there was one main dancer accompanied by lesser dancers who hadn't learned the dance completely.
However, from what Squall could remember, the dancers were barely clothed in strips of multi-colored sheer fabric. Their faces were covered except for their eyes as their bare arms, legs, and stomach twisted and turned in accordance with the dance. The Seduction of Shiva was an elegant, almost erotic dance, representing a Guardian's loyalty to her master. To the point where she would not just fight, but would give her body for him. And for the virginal Guardian, that was the peak of loyalty.
Quistis suddenly appeared with Seifer tailing behind her. "Why didn't any of you stop him!?" she demanded as she sat back down on the couch next to Zell.
"He's our prince," Zell told her. "He could have our head cut off or something."
"Oh, Hyne..." Quistis sighed. She looked around. "Where's Rinoa?"
"Plotting your demise," Selphie said with a grin. "She has to dance now because you told the Queen that she would."
Quistis winced. Rinoa would get her back for sure. Probably using Seifer just to make it even worse for her. Just as she thought that, the tall blond laid down on the cushion before her feet. "So what's happening? Why is the music stopping?" he asked. He reached for stack of grapes and held it up. "Quistis, could hold this and feed it to me?"
"No." she stated sternly. She resisted the urge to kick him in the gut.
"You're no fun." Seifer pretended to pout.
"Rinoa's going to dance," Irvine reported. "The Dance of Siren?"
"The Seduction of Shiva," Selphie corrected him. "Hyne, Irvine, don't you know your dances?"
"Was I ever out there dancing?" Irvine asked, raising an eyebrow. Selphie thought for a moment and nodded.
Suddenly, the heard the music start up and a rhythmic beat echoed through the ball room. Everyone seemed to clear the dance floor as a young woman stepped out from the crowd. Sounds of awe were heard through the crowd as a pale skinned woman dressed in light blue top and short skirt underneath a sheer white cloak stood underneath the moon lit spot underneath the room's opus.
A long blue scarf went around her neck and covered her nose and mouth. A sheer white scarf went over her face, blurring her eyes. Her mid back length dark hair fell around her face as gold head pins were pinned into her hair to keep the scarf and it's accessories dangling around it. She took a deep breath and tried to gain the rhythm of the music.
She was barefoot and her feet were adorned with gold jewelry. Her hands had matching jewelry. In her hand was a silver sword, which was used in the beginning of the dance. She took her place kneeling in front of the crowd as the beat grew stronger. Squall leaned forward on his couch and watched with interest.
The pipes and drums began to play and Rinoa opened her eyes. The sword, which she had been kneeling in front of was lifted in her right hand. She leaned all the way back, until her head touched the floor by her feet as she swung the sword over her body, almost touching the top of her stomach as she did so.
She sat up, raising the sword over her head and swinging it smoothly around her body as her stood up with a quick motion and seemed to dance with the sword in her hand. The scarves tied to it's base wrapped around her arm as she waved it over her head and around her body. As she leapt around the room, it meant that she was fighting off someone to protect her master.
"Where's she get the costume?" Selphie said as she leaned over to Quistis.
"Probably from the dancer's quarters." Quistis deduced.
Finally, Rinoa slowed down and allowed the sword to fall in from her hands. She turned her back to the crowd and slowly lifted her arms out straight and raised them right above her head. She arched her back backwards as the fast sound of drums echoed in the room. Everyone began to clap as her hips moved from side to side in a smooth motion.
The bang members began to chant the sound as Rinoa's arms moved up and down fluidly. They were calling out to the man she was seducing, before she straightened her body and whirled around. Shouts were give as she spun around the room, her arms in the air and to her sides, turning and coiling.
Elaborate finger movements were used as her body moved from side to side, almost possessed by the music as everyone clapped around her. From where he was sitting, Squall could see that her eyes were closed and she was completely transfixed by the music. His eyes went down her body, watching her feet move from side to side.
As she laid back on the ground and prostrated herself, Squall smiled. It was every man's favorite part of the dance. Perfectly named 'the act', Rinoa was supposed to represent Shiva actually in the middle giving her body to her opponent. As she moved her body up and down, like a snake, no one could see her hand move to the sword she had dropped earlier.
Her pale fingers caressed it's handle as they coiled around it. Then it was the final movement. Rinoa, now on her knees with her back arched and her head touching the floor by her feet once more, lifted the sword and with one, swift final blow, sliced the head off of the opponent who would've been on top of her. She ended with bringing the sword forward and impaling it on the, representative of stabbing the opponent in the heart.
As soon as it was over, everyone began to clap and cheer as she Rinoa sat there for a moment to catch her breath. She stood up back up, using the sword to push herself up and smiled as she headed back to the changing room. Her heart was still racing.
The look on Squall's face could only be described as appreciative.
"UGH!!!" Rinoa looked up from where she was, sitting at the research table cleaning off the third tablet, as Quistis stormed.
"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked with a slight frown as Quistis slammed her notes on the table.
"A whole day has gone to waste!" Quistis nearly yelled, making Rinoa jerk her head back. "Because of HIM!" She pointed to the door way, where she knew Seifer would be standing.
"Oh, come on...you know you liked it." Seifer said with a cocky grin.
"What?" Rinoa asked. She tilted her head to side. "Wait, what's going on?"
"I swept her off her feet, that's what's going on," Seifer replied before Quistis could answer. "We danced the day away!"
From his corner, Squall rolled his eyes and returned to the book he was reading. A slight part of him felt jealous at the fact that Seifer had danced with Quistis and therefore had actually been close to her the whole day where as Rinoa wouldn't even look at him. Even thought he knew it was for the best, it still annoyed him.
"Is everyone ready!?" another voice shouted from the door way. Selphie ran in, putting her tools on the table as she smiled brightly. "Irvine and Zell are getting their cars!"
"Ugh, I'm sorry, Selphie," Quistis said tiredly. "But I think I've had my fill of goofing off today."
"WHY?" Selphie whined. She frowned and looked up at Quistis with large green eyes. "Quisty, we were going to have dinner and everything!"
"I think I'll be fine with the cafeteria food." Quistis assured her softly.
"Please, Quistis?" Selphie asked.
"Yeah, Quistis," Rinoa said as she put the tablet away. "C'mon, you deserve to go out and get something to eat. You didn't come with us when we went into town last time. It'll do you some good to have some food other than hot dogs."
Quistis looked at both girls, who were giving her large sad eyes. She sighed and nodded. "Fine..."
"Booyaka!" Selphie said. "C'mon, let's go! Seifer, Squall, are you guys coming?" she asked cheerfully.
Rinoa froze as she closed the case where the tablets were kept. She vaguely heard Seifer say he was and waited for Squall's answer.
"I think I'm going to stay here," Squall said coolly, noticing Rinoa's pause. "Someone might need a doctor."
"Hmm...okay, have it your way," Selphie said with a frown. "We'll bring you back some food, 'kay?"
Squall smiled slightly. "Thank you."
"Let's go!" Zell shouted from outside. Selphie get a squeal of joy as she raced out. Quistis and Seifer followed behind her. Rinoa stopped as she reached the door way.
"Umm..." she began reluctantly. "Do you have your list ready?" she asked in a hesitant voice.
Squall looked up at her. Her back was turned to him. "Yes," He said softly. He looked over his notes and tore out a sheet of paper. He stood up and walked over to her. Rinoa could feel him breath just behind her. He pressed the paper into her palm and then he stepped back. "Thank you."
"Yeah..." she mumbled. She nodded and quickly rushed outside. Squall watched her run down the path to where the cars were. He looked up at the sky and narrowed his eyes.
*It's going to rain.*
"Gauze...bandages...alcohol..." Rinoa went through the list that Squall had given her as she walked through a drug store in town. She had split up from the others when she said she had to pick up a few things for Squall first.
Selphie was about to tease her about it when Irvine dragged her into the restaurant where they would eat dinner. Rinoa would meet them there. She walked up to the register and paid before heading out. Zell was waiting by his car so that Rinoa could dump the equipment inside before they went into the establishment.
"So how much does he owe you?" Zell said as they walked into the restaurant.
"Sixty seven gil," Rinoa answered. "Man, I hope I have enough for tonight's dinner."
"Don't worry about it," Zell told her. "Irvine knows the lady who owns it."
Rinoa smirked. "I bet Irvine knows all the ladies in this town." She and Zell laughed and the table looked up as they approached.
"What are you laughing at?" Quistis asked curiously as Rinoa took a seat next to her.
"She said that Irvine probably knows all the ladies in town." Zell said. Irvine rolled his eyes, but gave a proud grin.
"Let's just order..." Seifer grumbled. They looked at their menus and quickly ordered their meals. Irvine ordered for them, charming the waitress as he did so. Selphie just gave him a questioning look and he sheepishly replied that he was doing it so they could get a discount.
Right. The food came within a few minutes and they began to eat. About half way through the meal, Irvine cracked a joke that sent the whole table laughing. As he tossed his head back, he caught the sight of someone reaching the bar.
"Hey...hey!" Irvine shouted. "Hey, Squall!!!"
Rinoa felt her heart stop as she bit into her chicken. The group turned and saw Squall making his way through the crowded restaurant towards them. "What are you doing here?" Zell said as he ate a sausage. "I thought that you weren't going to come."
"I forgot to add something to that list I gave Rinoa, so I came to get it," Squall replied. "I figured I should get something to eat before I left."
"Why don't you join us?" Quistis said. She waved her hand in the air. "Waitress! Can we please get another chair!"
"No, no, that's all right-" Squall began, but Selphie shook her head and waved for him to stay.
"Non-sense!" Selphie said. The waitress came by and added another chair to their table, right next to Rinoa. "Have a seat. We're not done yet, anyway!"
Squall hesitated but sat down. He was wearing dark pants and a white shirt underneath his usual leather jacket. "Thanks..." he mumbled. He raised his hand in the air and a pretty young waitress immediately came over. She flashed him a bright smile. "I'll have my usual."
"Of course, Dr. Leonhart." the waitress said, a flirtatious tone in her voice.
"Looks like Irvine isn't the only one who knows the ladies," Selphie smirked as she ate her steak. "Huh, Squall?"
"We just eat here a lot." Squall replied.
"Sure..." Selphie winked. "Anyway, whose up for some late night shopping around here?" she asked with a devious grin. "I heard there are some really great bargains..."
"I've got to get back to the camp," Quistis told her tiredly. "I'm absolutely drained."
"I'll go with you." Seifer concluded. Quistis rolled her eyes, but didn't reply.
"Can I drive you guys up?" Zell asked. Seifer scowled and was about to refuse, when Quistis agreed. "I think I'll grab some hot dogs from the cafeteria tent before it closes."
"I'll go shopping with you," Rinoa said from where she was seated across from Selphie. "At least window shopping. I'm flat broke."
"Oh yeah, you owe her like seventy gil for the supplies." Zell said.
Squall nodded in understanding. The rest of the dinner went along uneventfully and then Quistis, who decided to ignore Seifer and speak to Zell about how magnificent his sketches of the ruins were, left with Zell and Seifer. They paid their share and exited the restaurant before the other four were finished.
"So are you going to head back up?" Selphie asked Squall as they stepped out of the building.
"I think I'll walk off the food a bit." Squall answered. He glanced over at Rinoa, whose lip twitched.
The two girls looped arms ahead of Squall and Irvine and began to walk up the street and look into the stores. Irvine looked over at Squall. "You didn't need anything, did you?" he asked as the girls were out of hearing distance.
Squall narrowed his eyes. "What do you think?" he snapped.
The other man grinned. "I thought so."
A hour passed by and they were making their way back down the street where their cars were parked. Selphie and Rinoa were talking rapidly about the scarf that Rinoa bought. "I don't care HOW much it costs," Rinoa insisted. "It's perfect!"
Selphie nodded in agreement. "It totally flattered you! The color, everything!"
"Do you think I should wear it to the dinner next month?" Rinoa asked.
"Oh yeah, definitely," Selphie agreed. They reached the front of the restaurant and Selphie looked across the street. "Rinoa, look!!" The taller brunette looked across the street. Selphie was already dashing across.
"Selphie, wait!" Rinoa gasped. She looked both ways and when no cars were coming, she ran after her friend.
Irvine smiled. "I swear, they haven't changed a bit." he chuckled.
"But they're still not-"
"Them, I know..." Irvine said. He looked over at Squall with a concerned look. "Listen, I know you don't want to hear it. I know you also don't want to believe it, but they're still the same souls. Just in different bodies that happen to look like them."
"I already told you before, Irvine," Squall told him tiredly. "Rinoa is not MY Rinoa."
"Then why didn't you leave?" Irvine asked casually. "Why are you still here? Why didn't you go back up to the camp?"
"I just didn't want her to be around a pervert like you." Squall replied smoothly. Irvine groaned.
"Okay, let's go!" a voice shouted. The two men looked up and saw Selphie running towards them. "Irvine, get in the car! Squall, can you wait for a Rinoa and drive her back? Thanks!"
"Wait a second, where's Rinoa?" Irvine asked. Selphie just grabbed his arm and dragged him to his car.
"Shhh!" Selphie said. He looked down at her face and saw the conspiring look in her eyes. He immediately got the idea and grinned. He unlocked his red car and they got in.
"Hey, Squall! Have a fun time!" Irvine winked. Squall suddenly realized what they were doing and took a step forward. It was too late. Irvine peeled out of his parking spot and into the street.
"Irvine!" Squall growled. *That bastard, I'll kill him!*
He looked back across the street at the store. Occasionally, he would see Rinoa look out through the door and then return back inside. After fifteen minutes, she came outside. She had looked out the door and saw Squall, and only Squall, standing there. Mentally cursing her luck, she took a deep breath and walked across the street.
"Where are Irvine and Selphie?" she asked casually as she looked around.
"They ditched us." Squall stated.
"They WHAT!?" Rinoa's eyes went wide as she heard that. "WHY!? Wait..." she paused and thought for a moment. *She left me in there and then ran off with Irvine! I'll KILL HER!!!*
"Let's get going," Squall said. He turned away from her and headed towards his car. "It's going to start raining soon."
As soon as he said it, it began to rain and Rinoa frowned. Squall turned around and let out a slight chuckle as he saw her standing there, not able to believe that it was actually raining. Grumbling, she walked after him. Her dark hair was getting wetter and darker as rain fell on it. Squall looked up at the sky and knew it wasn't going to quit any time soon.
"Where's you car?" she mumbled as she stood next to him.
"It's right here." he said. He lifted up a remote and charcoal metallic black Jaguar beeped in front of them. Rinoa's eyes nearly fell out. Squall opened the door for her and Rinoa felt her face grow warm.
Even that simple movement made him look like a dashing knight. Reluctantly, she got into the car and he closed it after her. She watched him jog around the front of the car and get into the driver's seat. "Hyne, I'm soaking...and it's only been raining for a minute."
"It's desert rain," Squall said. "It's hard and heavy."
"I guess..." Rinoa mumbled. She buckled her seat belt as the car started. *Wow... what a nice car...* The radio turned on and classical Centran music filled the car. *And a refined taste in music...you're too perfect, aren't you?*
"Are you okay?" Squall asked as he pulled out into the street. "Do you want the heater on or something?"
"No, I'm fine," Rinoa replied quickly. He was just a foot from her. Her entire left side, the side closest to him was starting to tingle. *I'm too close...WAY too close...I will kill Selphie.*
*I'm going to kill Irvine,* Squall thought to himself as they drove down the street. *The stupid little...I can't believe he'd set me up like this...*
The drive was silent as they reached the outskirts of the town. Through the wall of rain, Squall saw something up ahead and breaked. Rinoa was pushed forward and she turned to look at him sharply. She was about to complain when she saw him looking forward.
"A car accident?" she murmured. *No...NO, this is the ONLY road back!!*
"Oh, Hyne..." Squall grumbled as he hit the steering wheel. "They've got to be kidding me..."
Right in front of them, there was a car flipped over on it's back. People were lined along the side walk and to make things worse, the road had been washed out. Rinoa's eyes went wide. "I'm going to kill Selphie!" If it weren't for her, they would be on the other side of the washed out road heading back towards the camp. She would be away from Squall and happy.
"You can help me kill Irvine, too." Squall grumbled. He put his car into reverse and looked behind him. He quickly made a three point turn and headed back into town.
"Squall, where are we going?" Rinoa said as she looked back at the accident behind them. "There's no other way to the camp!" she exclaimed as she looked over at him.
"We can't go back until the road is back." he told her simply.
"Then where are we going?" Rinoa gasped. "I can't afford a room! And I don't even have my phone with me!"
"We'll call them from my place." Squall replied. Rinoa looked at him.
"YOUR place!?" she gasped. Her mind was settled. For the high uncomfort level she would feel for the rest of the night, she would kill Selphie the next time she saw her.