Trust My Heart
by: Cathy-chan
*This is an old fanfic I've been working on for a quite a long time; and it's still not done merely 'cause I can't get my juices going on finishing it. But I can tell you right away that this'll be a long fanfic. And it's a Quistis fanfic. I've noticed there's a lot of fics that focus on the angst side of Quistis, so this is a positive take on a wonderful and brilliant lady. This is also not a Quifer. Hope you like it. I posted it here just to know what people think. So please read & review. Any comments are welcomed as long as they're constructive and not a flame. Enjoy the fic!
Chapter 1: A Lady
She squinted her round, blue eyes, trying her best to focus them on the computerized text. She scowled at the reflection of herself on the computer screen; she hadn't realized she had been working on The SeeD Standard Report from eve to dusk until now. She remembered a concerned comment someone once said to her: M'girl, you certainly work too hard.
"I couldn't agree with you more, Dr. Kadowaki. Don't you think so too?" she whispered to the reflection in the screen. She spread her slender arms and long legs to stretch the protesting, tired muscles within them. Her bottom eyelids, she noticed, were starting to become dark and baggy. She unhooked her reading glasses from the ridge of her nose and stared at it blankly on her hand. For some odd reason or other while staring at the functional eye-wear, she found herself contemplating her way of life.
She never thought of herself as anyone who caused too much trouble, as a matter of fact, she fixed many of them (but she would never openly admit it.) During her mid-teens, she utilized almost all of her mind and body to its limits, striving for one single outcome: a real, respected SeeD. Her ambitious goals didn't make her greedy or selfish, though; on the contrary she earned her rank with honour and pride. A very kind, loving woman was the usual description for her she knew. Her thoughts and opinions about herself and what other people thought of her were always positive; perfectly balanced with her realist side, neither contorting the truth nor denying them. Though, at mornings like this one, she couldn't help but brood on the darker viewpointsr. Did they thought she was too cautious? Too, as they say, buttoned down? Was "very kind and loving" accompanied by "meticulous and bossy" behind her back?
Her hand followed the contours of her eyeglasses. The cold, smooth, metallic surface felt impersonal on her fingertips and palm. The first words that came into her mind while she touched it were organized, simplistic, symmetrical..... not the least bit chaotic, fancy, or flamboyant. Like me, she thought. Had she forgotten what it felt like to be a teenager? Merely two years away from a score of years, but why did the age of eighteen seemed to contradict how she felt. As if an wizened adult was inside a youth's body. Of course, she reasoned rationally, it could be just my imagination. I'm as eighteen as I can be. So..... Why was it bothering her? She saved the data on the screen, and shut the computer off. Might as well stop by the cafeteria for some coffee since it's already morning, she thought after a long yawn.
Balamb Garden greeted Quistis with the typical, early-morning frenzy. The cafeteria was crowded with the same people at an exact time, just around eight o'clock. The Trepies discussed juicy gossips. Zell asked -more like pleaded- for any hotdogs that survived the mob. The cheerful cashier girl noticed Quistis approaching, happily welcoming her with a gleeful smile. "So, what'll it be, instructor?" she asked in her high-pitched, girlish voice.
"Oh, you don't have to call me instructor. I'm just a SeeD now, and the usual dark coffee, please."
"Right away, ma'am!" she turned to the other attendants and said, "Quistis's Usual: ASAP!" After her morning coffee was brewed, she sat herself at the single-seated table near the window.
She was startled by Zell, his face suddenly appearing with an easy-going grin behind her. "What's with all the ma'am stuff, Quistis? You should say something each and every time she calls ya that!"
"The what? Oh. There's nothing wrong with it," she said politely to the over-grinning Zell.
"Eh, I guess not. When you're like old 'nuff to be my mum or something." When he saw Quistis looking surprised or a little vexed, he waved his hands in front of him saying, "Oh...ah....just kiddin', Quis!! Just some very strange humour o'mine!" Zell showed her his trademark, sheepish but charming smile.
"That's all right. You did nothing wrong."
"Ah, I guess not.....Er.....Say! Us guys were thinkin' if we could visit Dollet some time. Not for any particular reason, but we guys thought we need a little break. Y'know, a little vacation for us hard working SeeDs and Balamb Garden students."
"A break? Sounds very nice! Which 'guys' are you talking about?"
"Me, Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa, even Xu and Nida. We tried to convince Squall too about the idea, but all he said was," Zell cleared his voice and made his best Squall the Leader frown. " 'A break, huh? Whatever. Don't ask me about it. Ask Quistis or something.' he said. Then I said, 'But, Squall, you're the commander. You call the shots here.' Then he said, with his usual stupid tone, '...Is that all? Then, like I said, ask Quistis.' Man! The guy doesn't take a hint sometimes!"
Quistis laughed. "That sounds like the Squall I know. Well, the 'commander' said to ask me, and so you did. Of course we can go."
"Oh yeah!! I knew you'd say yes! Listen, there's this famous spot near Dollet where there's this cool beach, see? It's this long stretch of sand called Lapin Beach. We're gonna see if we could get Squall, the TightaaaaiiI mean, the Leader, to wear a swimsuit and go with us. That'll be a challenge!"
"Of course, Rinoa will answer to that challenge."
"Course I was thinkin' that too." Zell grinned an even wider grin. "And knowing her schemes, I'm sure she'll live up to that challenge. Well thanks, Quistis! We're sailin' to Dollet right away!"
To be continued...
by: Cathy-chan
*This is an old fanfic I've been working on for a quite a long time; and it's still not done merely 'cause I can't get my juices going on finishing it. But I can tell you right away that this'll be a long fanfic. And it's a Quistis fanfic. I've noticed there's a lot of fics that focus on the angst side of Quistis, so this is a positive take on a wonderful and brilliant lady. This is also not a Quifer. Hope you like it. I posted it here just to know what people think. So please read & review. Any comments are welcomed as long as they're constructive and not a flame. Enjoy the fic!
Chapter 1: A Lady
She squinted her round, blue eyes, trying her best to focus them on the computerized text. She scowled at the reflection of herself on the computer screen; she hadn't realized she had been working on The SeeD Standard Report from eve to dusk until now. She remembered a concerned comment someone once said to her: M'girl, you certainly work too hard.
"I couldn't agree with you more, Dr. Kadowaki. Don't you think so too?" she whispered to the reflection in the screen. She spread her slender arms and long legs to stretch the protesting, tired muscles within them. Her bottom eyelids, she noticed, were starting to become dark and baggy. She unhooked her reading glasses from the ridge of her nose and stared at it blankly on her hand. For some odd reason or other while staring at the functional eye-wear, she found herself contemplating her way of life.
She never thought of herself as anyone who caused too much trouble, as a matter of fact, she fixed many of them (but she would never openly admit it.) During her mid-teens, she utilized almost all of her mind and body to its limits, striving for one single outcome: a real, respected SeeD. Her ambitious goals didn't make her greedy or selfish, though; on the contrary she earned her rank with honour and pride. A very kind, loving woman was the usual description for her she knew. Her thoughts and opinions about herself and what other people thought of her were always positive; perfectly balanced with her realist side, neither contorting the truth nor denying them. Though, at mornings like this one, she couldn't help but brood on the darker viewpointsr. Did they thought she was too cautious? Too, as they say, buttoned down? Was "very kind and loving" accompanied by "meticulous and bossy" behind her back?
Her hand followed the contours of her eyeglasses. The cold, smooth, metallic surface felt impersonal on her fingertips and palm. The first words that came into her mind while she touched it were organized, simplistic, symmetrical..... not the least bit chaotic, fancy, or flamboyant. Like me, she thought. Had she forgotten what it felt like to be a teenager? Merely two years away from a score of years, but why did the age of eighteen seemed to contradict how she felt. As if an wizened adult was inside a youth's body. Of course, she reasoned rationally, it could be just my imagination. I'm as eighteen as I can be. So..... Why was it bothering her? She saved the data on the screen, and shut the computer off. Might as well stop by the cafeteria for some coffee since it's already morning, she thought after a long yawn.
Balamb Garden greeted Quistis with the typical, early-morning frenzy. The cafeteria was crowded with the same people at an exact time, just around eight o'clock. The Trepies discussed juicy gossips. Zell asked -more like pleaded- for any hotdogs that survived the mob. The cheerful cashier girl noticed Quistis approaching, happily welcoming her with a gleeful smile. "So, what'll it be, instructor?" she asked in her high-pitched, girlish voice.
"Oh, you don't have to call me instructor. I'm just a SeeD now, and the usual dark coffee, please."
"Right away, ma'am!" she turned to the other attendants and said, "Quistis's Usual: ASAP!" After her morning coffee was brewed, she sat herself at the single-seated table near the window.
She was startled by Zell, his face suddenly appearing with an easy-going grin behind her. "What's with all the ma'am stuff, Quistis? You should say something each and every time she calls ya that!"
"The what? Oh. There's nothing wrong with it," she said politely to the over-grinning Zell.
"Eh, I guess not. When you're like old 'nuff to be my mum or something." When he saw Quistis looking surprised or a little vexed, he waved his hands in front of him saying, "Oh...ah....just kiddin', Quis!! Just some very strange humour o'mine!" Zell showed her his trademark, sheepish but charming smile.
"That's all right. You did nothing wrong."
"Ah, I guess not.....Er.....Say! Us guys were thinkin' if we could visit Dollet some time. Not for any particular reason, but we guys thought we need a little break. Y'know, a little vacation for us hard working SeeDs and Balamb Garden students."
"A break? Sounds very nice! Which 'guys' are you talking about?"
"Me, Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa, even Xu and Nida. We tried to convince Squall too about the idea, but all he said was," Zell cleared his voice and made his best Squall the Leader frown. " 'A break, huh? Whatever. Don't ask me about it. Ask Quistis or something.' he said. Then I said, 'But, Squall, you're the commander. You call the shots here.' Then he said, with his usual stupid tone, '...Is that all? Then, like I said, ask Quistis.' Man! The guy doesn't take a hint sometimes!"
Quistis laughed. "That sounds like the Squall I know. Well, the 'commander' said to ask me, and so you did. Of course we can go."
"Oh yeah!! I knew you'd say yes! Listen, there's this famous spot near Dollet where there's this cool beach, see? It's this long stretch of sand called Lapin Beach. We're gonna see if we could get Squall, the TightaaaaiiI mean, the Leader, to wear a swimsuit and go with us. That'll be a challenge!"
"Of course, Rinoa will answer to that challenge."
"Course I was thinkin' that too." Zell grinned an even wider grin. "And knowing her schemes, I'm sure she'll live up to that challenge. Well thanks, Quistis! We're sailin' to Dollet right away!"
To be continued...