A/N: I apologize for the long wait on the update! Slipped into a bit of a writer's block there for awhile. x.x; But, to make up for it this is a double-update! Meaning you get two chapters for the price of one!. :D
Ohyes, to clarify any potential confusion on the weapons 'system' I've written in .. I was trying to come up with a way to explain where those weapons mysteriously go when they put 'em away. Holsters, sheaths, sure .. but some of those gunblades are pretty darn bulky! So I got an idea from another 'fic writer where the weapons are 'junctioned' to their clothing. There's really no way to explain it other than the activation of a junction point makes the weapons appear/disappear (perhaps by some commonly used spiffy Estharian technology..?) Not my idea, but since it's a minor part of the story anyway it shouldn't matter too much .. right? n.n; Just didn't want people being too confuzzled. ANYWAY .. this should cover the A/N for both chapters. So I leave ya'll in peace! Review if you get a chance! :)
Disclaimer: Nah. Still don't own any of the characters..
"Where I Belong" -- Chapter Three: Idle Talk
Everyone knew that within Garden, rumors could spread like wildfire. Mostly they were the result of childish conflict -- a very clichéd method of getting back at people. And Quistis had dealt with the aftermath of many such rumors. She'd learned to ignore what she heard, since most of it was warped and twisted around to make it seem worse -- more gossip-worthy.
Quistis Trepe -- once again an Instructor of Balamb Garden -- stepped into her first class of the day, azure eyes bright behind her black-rimmed librarian style glasses, and every strand of her golden hair seeming to sit precisely in its place. Usually the students quieted once she'd arrived at the very moment the bell would sound to announce the start of the period, but today they seemed rowdy and unwilling to submit to the usual routine.
"Class!" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and assuming her best stern expression. It was especially hard, something borrowed from Squall. Despite the authoritative tone in her voice, the students continued to lean across their seats to talk to each other, and Quistis rolled her eyes as she realized today's 'news' must've been especially juicy.
Ascending the platform to stand behind her desk, her hand drifted to the junction for Save the Queen on her belt, and then she felt the familiar weight of the whip in her hand. This would have to get their attention..
A flick of her wrist was all it took to send an impressive ripple down the length of the whip, a loud crack sounding as it reached the tip of the weapon. Twenty pairs of eyes turned on the blonde, and the din hushed to a whisper.
"Excuse me for interrupting your conversations, but what is so urgently needing to be discussed that we can't get down to business today?" Ice-blue gaze searched the faces as she spoke, though she noticed that the majority of eyes were deviant, fixated on the whip in her grasp. A shaky hand raised from the back of the class, the girl it was attached to rising awkwardly from her seat.
"Mm. Instructor Trepe. I can tell you.." The girl's free hand twisted a mouse-brown ringlet around her finger as she spoke and began shuffling sideways towards the aisle, but Quistis staid her with a raised hand.
"I think by now the entire class knows whatever it is. Just tell me from where you are."
Somewhere from the left side of the room came a snicker, but Quistis ignored it to keep her eyes locked on the girl's face.
"Uhm. Well see, these guys were up in the dorm hallway yesterday and they heard someone scream, so they went to check it out.." she paused, wringing her hands a bit. Clearly, she was uncomfortable speaking in front of the class -- even if everyone already knew the story.
"It was Miss Heartilly. She was standing in the door of her.. er.. the Commander's room.."
Quistis' eyebrows shot up instantly. Any sort of rumor involving both Squall and Rinoa could not be good..
"..Well, she yelled something and then they said she ran out of the room. They saw the Commander leave right after that -- and said they'd never seen him that angry before. ..And then they said Mr. Kinneas was there too."
Quistis put her weapon away and leaned over her desk. "There in the hallway?" she asked, feeling the hair stand up on the back of her neck with her worry.
"No. He left the room also.."
There was another snicker and Quistis shook her head disapprovingly. This was bad. Very bad. Not only was there conflict between Squall, Rinoa, and Irvine, but also now the entire Garden knew. And Squall did not take being gossiped about well.
"Excuse me.." Quistis announced hastily, almost jogging out of the classroom. There was an exchange of muffled words outside and an exclaimed 'what' before Quistis stepped neatly back into the room.
"Class, I wish I'd found out about this sooner. Thank you for the help, Lea."
The girl nodded and sat down with an audible sigh, and Quistis managed a weak smile.
"Today's class is to be a study period. I suggest you use this time wisely to catch up on anything you've not done," and her gaze flickered to a particularly delinquent student in the front row. "Instructor Dincht will be in periodically to check on you. So don't try anything, hm?"
Telling any group of students to 'not try anything' in the presence of Zell Dincht was like trying to tell the boy to swear off hotdogs for a month.
It just wasn't going to happen.
And Quistis still could not believe who the faculty had offered teaching jobs to lately. Zell? Irvine? Them teach cadets seriously? Please.
But they got the job done, and Quistis knew those in their classes found them to be thoroughly enjoyable experiences.
Hearing the mechanical whirr of study panels switching on, Quistis cracked another small smile and then exited the room, watching as a black and yellow blur flew past her.
"Have fun, Zell," she smirked, before disappearing around the bend leading to the lift.
She needed to visit the Training Center..
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Drip. Drip. Drip.
It was a sound that was beginning to grind away at the last of his nerves. Somehow the T-Rexaur he'd just slain had toppled over onto a tree in its death throes, and now its dark red, oxygen-deficient blood was leaking onto a rock from the wound in its neck, hitting the stone surface with a sound like a leaky faucet.
The creature's eyes were still wide open, frozen in a look wild with instinct. One that suggested the beast's very existence revolved around battle and survival.
..Not so different from his existence nowadays.
Squall swung Lionheart a few times, the glowing blade cutting through the air with a soft whoosh. The blood clinging to it slid away in thin lines. His final slash left the cutting edge nearly spotless, and he brought it up to rest on his shoulder.
The blood had begun to spread out along the earth now, pooling at his feet before being absorbed into the dry earth, staining russet clay black. Squall turned away from the scene, his belts rattling and boot heels clicking against the uneven terrain. He was heading back now, though the fight with the Rex hadn't improved his mood as much as he thought it would've.
Punching the button on the gate with his free hand, the thick steel doors slid open slowly with a grinding, tearing sound as vegetation that had crept under its runners again was crushed and broken. He stepped out into the crescent of land that was the first atrium of the Training Center and though he couldn't see around the bend thanks to a tall mangrove leaning in his view, he could still hear the distinct cracking of a whip just ahead.
His eyes closed slowly as he fought a wave of annoyance bubbling up. He should have known Quistis was going to seek him out as soon as she'd learned what had happened.
But who had told her? Irvine? Rinoa?
Squall adjusted the way his gunblade sat on his shoulder, shifting it until it sat in a familiar spot that didn't tingle under the weight of the blade. A toss of his head bounced his hair out of his eyes for only a second, before the soft strands again fell across his forehead and intensified his hooded gaze.
He moved ahead then, his pace slow as he fell into a confident swagger -- one that came out whenever he was prepared to be a listener, though he'd stopped caring even before they'd opened their mouth.
He stepped around the tree that had been blocking his view and watched the whip strike the Grat the blonde was fighting. With a hiss and release of pungent gases the creature slumped over onto the ground, greenish-brown blood oozing from gashes along its form. The tentacles twitched feebly in the dirt, even as its heart had long since given up.
"Squall.." Quistis said nervously as she noticed him watching her. Feeling secure in the presence of him and his impressive gunblade, she put her weapon away and placed both hands behind her back. She looked up at him over the top of her glasses, a look that seemed oddly expectant.
He cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing.. simply waiting to see if she was going to 'start' first.
"Quistis?" he finally asked after a few moments, shifting his weight to the other leg.
"I heard about.. er. I heard from..uhh..about..you know?" It was strange seeing Quistis Trepe be at a loss for words, her usually calm and steady gaze flickering with anxiety and nervousness. But Squall didn't feel the least bit sorry for her, even as he caused her to look away by further hardening his glare. She'd come to confront him, and he fully intended to stand there and make her squirm. It was her decision to bring up a subject Squall would love to forget.
Lionheart swung down off of Squall's shoulder and Quistis nearly jumped back as he did it, but relaxed as he buried the tip of the weapon in the dirt and leaned on its handle.
"Who told you?" his voice lowered to a growl, and his eyes never left her face. He looked almost like an animal himself, with his unruly hair and the wolf fur thick and bristled around his neck. Even his chain seemed to take on a menacing slant as it violently bounced against his chest.
"A girl in my class, Lea Meneses. You've probably never heard of her.."
It was like someone had pulled the plug on him. That energy that tensed his muscles and had his leather gloves stretched taut over his knuckles seemed to dissipate all at once. A brief expression of shock flashed over Squall's features. He looked entirely taken aback.
"Someone.. in your class? A student? That means.." He peered across at Quistis again to confirm his suspicions and saw her head give a slight nod, and all at once he had the gunblade in his hands and was swinging it fiercely at the nearest tree.
Quistis flinched as the tree shuddered with the impact, its tall boughs shaking loose insects and sending tiny fruits raining down. Lionheart was buried in deep, and Squall made no attempt to remove it right away. The deep, ragged breaths he drew could be seen even through his thick jacket, and there was a look in his eyes that probably matched the one Lea had mentioned.
"Why can't they just stay out of my business? Just because I have to be their Commander they think they have the right to analyze my life?"
"Squall, please. You know how teenagers are, everything's always about gossip. Especially when they can gossip about the staff. You remember how it was when we were younger? Things haven't changed much.." Brows furrowed, as she suddenly felt a pang of guilt for even coming. Wasn't he under enough stress already?
The wood cracked and shook with protest as the gunblade was roughly yanked free. Squall stood there, focusing on the ground rather than Quistis.
Just thinking.
Just breathing.
Looking like he was trying not to give into that urge to put Lionheart through something else today..
..he'd been giving into urges plenty already.
"Are you going to apologize to Rinoa? I haven't seen her all day, and Selphie told me she looked pretty upset. Of course, I didn't know why at the time."
"Why should I? This was going to happen anyway. She was going to hurt either way. Can't say I would've wanted it like this if I could have avoided it, but either way she would've ended up like this.." His voice was almost a whisper now, as he put his weapon away at last, tugging at the junction point on one of his belts for a moment before stepping forward.
"Quistis, don't even bother. I'm not going back to her. I don't love her anymore."
She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, and she drew a deep breath in instead. What could she possibly say to him? He'd already seemed to have made his decision.
"But at least apologize to her, even if you're going to leave her. It's the least you can do." Quistis' voice had an edge of urgency to it, as if she was prepared to beg. She simply did not want the tension in the air whenever Squall and Rinoa were in the room together.
"Hn," he snorted, moving along the wall now on his way to the corridor leading back to the main area of Garden.
"Hey Quistis! Glad I found you, I've gotta ask y'something. Have you seen -- oh.." Irvine bounded into view suddenly, nearly running into Squall as he moved to join Quistis. She could already feel that dreaded tension building by the second as the two men stared at each other.
"Uh.. hey Squall. I was just looking for you and --"
Squall jerked, and then a low rumble issued from his throat. "Just stop there," he snapped, cutting Irvine off mid-sentence.
"Listen to me, and I want you to tell the others also. If it doesn't concern SeeD business don't even bother talking to me. Just stay out."
With that he looked to each of them to make sure they'd understood him fully, and then left them in silence. They didn't see the softening of his expression as he turned away, or the look of sad longing in his eyes as he let the front drop for a few moments.
"I can't now.." Irvine whispered as he watched Squall disappear out the door.
Quistis looked up at him, sensing something off with him and placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Can't what?"
"Leave him alone."
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