Chapter 5 Complications
Author's Note: People are asking me... where's Squall???? He's here, just wait. The first chapter was an indication that's he's gotta exist, so just hold your horses, people. I plan to push him in a few more chapters, in the meantime, just enjoy the show! Don't worry, he's coming, hehehehe.
"So which part of Esthar are you from?" Irvine asked as he watched 'Terra' stick a fork into her spaghetti and twirl a large mound around the fork. She looked up and he was once again mesmerized with those eyes. "The city," She said cheerfully and resumed her twirling. "It's a really big place, have you been to Esthar?"
Irvine grinned. "Maybe you can be my guide?"
She couldn't resist it. "Irvine, you've overused your pick-up lines, so stop it. I'm not that stupid."
He burst out laughing. He wasn't an astute judge of character, but something tells him she's not being honest. One moment she's this blank bimbo and the next she's slamming down his lines. Which one is Terra?
"Your name is nice," He said as he popped a fishball into his mouth. "Is it short for something?"
"Eh? Not at all. That's my name. At least I'm sure that's all there is to my name," She paused and then laughed. There's the bimbo again, he thought. Let's see how she reacts to -
"Aah!!"
Irvine blinked. He turned his head and saw a girl with gravity-defying hair standing nearby, jumping up and down in distress. "My purse!!!"
"Oh man," Irvine sighed as he saw a figure sprinting out of the door. "Terra, can you wait here?"
"Oh sure. You're such a gentleman!" Rikku clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. What a sucker.
Selphie watched out of the corner of her eye. Heheh... can't pass down the chance to be a gentleman, can you?
She walked over to Rikku, putting on her most distressed look. "Is he going to be okay? It's so cold out there!!!"
Doesn't explain why you're not wearing a coat, Rikku thought, but she smiled. "I think he'll get your purse back."
Selphie looked anxiously out of the window and cried out in alarm. "Then why is he on the ground?!"
Rikku whirled around in horror. 'What?!"
Irvine pushed out the back door and began running in the direction of the thief. In the cold weather, he can't run very far, and Irvine was betting on that. Sure enough, he spotted the man up ahead, a black figure among the white snow. Without stopping to take a breather, he whipped out his gun and fired. The thief gave a yelp and dropped the wallet, scampering for safety.
"Can't blame you for trying to keep alive," Irvine muttered as he bent to recover the purse and suddenly a numbing pain climbed up his legs. Oh shit... no, not now... argh... he left his coat in the restaurant and - feeling faint, he fell into the freezing snow. Shit, Irvine, you're such a dumbass. Didn't your gym teacher ever tell you not to run in cold weather?!
"Irvine!!"
His ears pricked up and he heard footsteps crunching in the snow. A second later someone collapsed next to him and pulled his body to a sitting position. "Irvine, are you okay?"
He opened his eyes to meet a pair or concerned green orbs. The bimbo. "Terra..."
Rikku breathed a sigh of relief. It wouldn't do for him to die here, she'll never get to carry out her plan with ease.
Selphie sighed in relief. If Irvine dies she'll never get to finish her mission, and that's won't do. "Is he okay?"
"I think so," Rikku blinked. "Just cramped from the cold. How long has it been since you exercised in cold weather, cowboy?"
"Don't ask - urgh. How am I supposed to - " To his surprise Rikku reached around him and hauled him to a standing position with barely a grunt. "I can't drag you, so you'll have to make an effort to walk," She said worriedly. 'Can you?"
Irvine grit his teeth. "I don't have a choice, do I?" He noticed the girl standing a little way off. "Oh, miss, here's your purse."
"Thank you, thank you," Selphie reached for it. Blasted agent, can't even steal a girl's purse without screwing up. "Did he hurt you?"
"Nah, I - cramped up."
Rikku grit her teeth. The cold was gonna get to her if she doesn't get it the building fast. And Irvine was heavy. She was strong, but he might just stretch her limit. With steely determination, she slowly helped a limping Irvine into the hotel. "You have a room here?"
"Sixteenth floor," he grunted and she sighed. Selphie noted it quickly. "Um, I think I'll just leave now. But I hope we'll see each other soon, Mr..."
"Kinneas." Irvine flashed her a smile and Selphie nodded. He's a ladies man alright.
Rikku didn't mean to be rude, but she was glad when she finally dumped him of the bed. He grimaced. "Ow, woman, you're rough!"
"Be grateful," Rikku took off her muffler and coat and hat, careful not to dislodge the wig, though she's hardly worried about that. It won't blow off anything short of a storm. "Take off your shoes and get under the blanket. I'll get warm water."
He briefly wondered if he should take off his clothes but decided against it. That's what made his other dates run away. Nah, he'll just be a good boy here. Besides, she's genuinely concerned about him. Or at least he hoped so anyway.
Rikku thought deeply as she filled a basin with warm water. She needs to find a way to get to Seifer - fast. She didn't like the Trabian weather, she didn't like this charade, and she definitely doesn't like the prospect of taking care of a sick person. To top it off, something else was making her dislike this mission even more - the coming of a storm.
Storm.
She twisted the tap hard to stop the water flow. Funny how her life was turned upside-down. She lost her parents to Storm, and now she's afraid of lightning and thunder. Funny how a dead man can influence her so...even going as far as determining her life. Isn't she now an assassin? A killer?
I kill people who deserve to die, a voice inside countered. Quisty never ordered the death of harmless civilians. I'm just an instrument of God.
A stifled groan from the other room snapped her out of her reverie. She quickly hurried with the water. 'Are you alright??"
"Uh - yeah." Irvine winced as he tried to flex his heg. It was cramped, one of the worst cramps he had ever had. What a lark. He, Irvine Kinneas, the best sniper in Galbadia was suffering from a severe leg cramp. The story is about as pitiful as President Laguna's leg cramps.
Rikku set down the down and helped him warm his legs. "Next time, think twice before playing hero."
"Can't help it," Irvine managed to grin. "It's what I am."
Rikku suppressed a groan. He's not only suffering from cramps, but an overly inflated ego as well. Well, people like him are easy to burst. "There," She got up and nearly dropped the bowl when the doorbell sounded. Irvine closed his eyes. "That's probably Seifer. Can you please?"
Inconvenient, Rikku thought as she felt her small Wesson & Smith strapped to her body. At least the cold weather gave her an excuse to wear baggy clothes. But killing Seifer here was not a good idea. When she came up, the floor was swarming with suspicious looking men, whom she guessed were guards. Escaping would take a lot of planning.
"Hey," Seifer flashed her a grin when she opened the door. 'Heard about him. Is he awake?"
"I'm awake," Irvine answered as Seifer sauntered in. Rikku eyed the card key in his hand. Number 156. Good. She glanced outside and noted the room must be at the end of the corridor. "Would you like a drink?" She offered Seifer and the latter shook his head. "Sorry sweetheart, I need to talk to Irvine here. D'you mind leaving for a minute?"
She nodded, smiling. "I have to check in anyway. I'll see you later, Irvine."
She walked around the floor, noting everything. One thing which interested her was that Trabia Grand Continental was built in a honeycomb design, making it easy for her should she need to lose herself from pursuers. Now for a room.
"The Trabian Special Agency teamed up with the cops," Seifer said after he made sure Rikku was gone. "Seems like they've sent an agent to investigate me. Seen anybody suspicious?"
"Not that I can see," Irvine blinked as he wriggled his toes. "Unless you're implying Terra - "
"If she even has half the brains to consider it!" Seifer snorted with laughter, making Irvine laugh, but not for long. The little uneasiness came back, and Irvine frowned slightly. Seifer has a point. He aught to be careful with Terra.
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Three days is a long time. Long enough when you're looking after a sick person, but not too long. Rikku was patient enough to bear Irvine. And she actually didn't have the heart to leave him in his present condition, even if he brought it down upon himself.
A knock on the door made her look up from her magazine. She was secretly thankful for the distraction, because if she was going to read another paragraph about Julia Heartily's beauty tip she would surely puke. But an Estharian chick's gotta do what an Estharian chick gotta do.
"Hi!"
Rikku smiled broadly. It was that girl whose purse was snatched. "Hi. Looking for Irvine?"
"Yeah," She peered in. "I'm sorry, is he in?"
"Yeah," Rikku nodded. "Come on in, he's in the shower."
Selphie nodded. Her eyes fell on the magazine Rikku was holding and she silently laughed wickedly. Esthar Queen? What a ditz. All the beauty tips are rubbish. Who washes their hair in Ochu juice?!
"So like, you're staying here or something?" Selphie made herself at home and plopped down on the couch. She had dressed for the meeting today in a yellow turtleneck sweater and brown wool skirt. Irvine likes yellow and brown. How he puts up with 'Terra's' bright colors she will never figure out.
"Oh? Me? No, I have a room on the second floor," Rikku smiled sweetly, eyeing Selphie's clothes. The girl's up to something, she thought. Her eyes dart about too much. She made a mental note to look up her profile when she gets back to Esthar.
If she gets back to Esthar. She overheard a conversation Irvine had with Seifer, and it seems that he's going to be out for the morning, and the guards will be lax today. She would need to slip in and wait...
"Terra?"
She snapped out of her reverie and saw Irvine standing over her, looking concerned. "You oky? You've been gone quite a while there," he chuckled and Rikku turned red. "I...um... was thinking."
Seifer would consider that an accomplishment, Irvine thought as he chuckled. He turned to Selphie and the girl jumped to her feet. "Sorry for barging in, but I didn't think it was polite if I didn't stop by to say thanks," She said brightly and Irvine grinned. "No problem, it wasn't much of a bother. Hope everything's in there?"
"yeah," Selphie laughed. "So like, it's already afternoon, so can I treat you to lunch?"
Bingo. A trump card. Rikku sighed and patted her magazine. "I really want to go, but there's a promotion down in Trabia and I have to go." She made it sound like it was life and death.
She's a ditz, Irvine and Selphie thought simultaneously. Irvine smiled and shrugged. "Do you mind if I go, Terra?"
"Nope, not at all," Rikku smiled and hurriedly grabbed her handbag. "I'll see you tonight, Irvine."
Not when I'm through with him, Selphie thought tenuously as she watched Rikku hurry away.
Rikku calmly entered the elevator and walked down to the lobby. Looking around, she slipped into the back area and calmly walked on until she came to the locker room.
A girl spun around in alarm and Rikku quickly knocked her out with a well- placed blow to the neck. Picking up the body, she neatly folded the girl in a locker and examined several lockers. She found one with the receptionist uniform and hurriedly pulled it on, pulling on a dark wig and made her face up. Perfect.
The receptionist up front looked up from her work and smiled at her. "New girl?"
"Yeas," Rikku smiled. "You can take a break, I'll take over."
"Alright. The manager didn't mention any new arrivals though," The girl frowned and Rikku laughed. "It must have slipped his mind. I came from Esthar Grand Continental, hope you'll help me."
"Sure," The girl grinned and took off. Rikku sat down on a chair and looked at her watch. Seifer would be back in half an hour. She looked at the magnetized card keys hanging in the hollow of the desk. Picking up Seifer's room key, she got up and smiled at the customer coming towards the desk. 'Please hang on, someone else will come to assist you." And she left, leaving the perplexed customer. Poor guy, I don't even know how to check you in even if I wanted to.
Footnote: Heheh... Rikku's quite slick. The next chapter will be sort of a climax, maybe, so please be patient! And reviews, please? Just a quick word, or flame, I don't mind.
Author's Note: People are asking me... where's Squall???? He's here, just wait. The first chapter was an indication that's he's gotta exist, so just hold your horses, people. I plan to push him in a few more chapters, in the meantime, just enjoy the show! Don't worry, he's coming, hehehehe.
"So which part of Esthar are you from?" Irvine asked as he watched 'Terra' stick a fork into her spaghetti and twirl a large mound around the fork. She looked up and he was once again mesmerized with those eyes. "The city," She said cheerfully and resumed her twirling. "It's a really big place, have you been to Esthar?"
Irvine grinned. "Maybe you can be my guide?"
She couldn't resist it. "Irvine, you've overused your pick-up lines, so stop it. I'm not that stupid."
He burst out laughing. He wasn't an astute judge of character, but something tells him she's not being honest. One moment she's this blank bimbo and the next she's slamming down his lines. Which one is Terra?
"Your name is nice," He said as he popped a fishball into his mouth. "Is it short for something?"
"Eh? Not at all. That's my name. At least I'm sure that's all there is to my name," She paused and then laughed. There's the bimbo again, he thought. Let's see how she reacts to -
"Aah!!"
Irvine blinked. He turned his head and saw a girl with gravity-defying hair standing nearby, jumping up and down in distress. "My purse!!!"
"Oh man," Irvine sighed as he saw a figure sprinting out of the door. "Terra, can you wait here?"
"Oh sure. You're such a gentleman!" Rikku clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. What a sucker.
Selphie watched out of the corner of her eye. Heheh... can't pass down the chance to be a gentleman, can you?
She walked over to Rikku, putting on her most distressed look. "Is he going to be okay? It's so cold out there!!!"
Doesn't explain why you're not wearing a coat, Rikku thought, but she smiled. "I think he'll get your purse back."
Selphie looked anxiously out of the window and cried out in alarm. "Then why is he on the ground?!"
Rikku whirled around in horror. 'What?!"
Irvine pushed out the back door and began running in the direction of the thief. In the cold weather, he can't run very far, and Irvine was betting on that. Sure enough, he spotted the man up ahead, a black figure among the white snow. Without stopping to take a breather, he whipped out his gun and fired. The thief gave a yelp and dropped the wallet, scampering for safety.
"Can't blame you for trying to keep alive," Irvine muttered as he bent to recover the purse and suddenly a numbing pain climbed up his legs. Oh shit... no, not now... argh... he left his coat in the restaurant and - feeling faint, he fell into the freezing snow. Shit, Irvine, you're such a dumbass. Didn't your gym teacher ever tell you not to run in cold weather?!
"Irvine!!"
His ears pricked up and he heard footsteps crunching in the snow. A second later someone collapsed next to him and pulled his body to a sitting position. "Irvine, are you okay?"
He opened his eyes to meet a pair or concerned green orbs. The bimbo. "Terra..."
Rikku breathed a sigh of relief. It wouldn't do for him to die here, she'll never get to carry out her plan with ease.
Selphie sighed in relief. If Irvine dies she'll never get to finish her mission, and that's won't do. "Is he okay?"
"I think so," Rikku blinked. "Just cramped from the cold. How long has it been since you exercised in cold weather, cowboy?"
"Don't ask - urgh. How am I supposed to - " To his surprise Rikku reached around him and hauled him to a standing position with barely a grunt. "I can't drag you, so you'll have to make an effort to walk," She said worriedly. 'Can you?"
Irvine grit his teeth. "I don't have a choice, do I?" He noticed the girl standing a little way off. "Oh, miss, here's your purse."
"Thank you, thank you," Selphie reached for it. Blasted agent, can't even steal a girl's purse without screwing up. "Did he hurt you?"
"Nah, I - cramped up."
Rikku grit her teeth. The cold was gonna get to her if she doesn't get it the building fast. And Irvine was heavy. She was strong, but he might just stretch her limit. With steely determination, she slowly helped a limping Irvine into the hotel. "You have a room here?"
"Sixteenth floor," he grunted and she sighed. Selphie noted it quickly. "Um, I think I'll just leave now. But I hope we'll see each other soon, Mr..."
"Kinneas." Irvine flashed her a smile and Selphie nodded. He's a ladies man alright.
Rikku didn't mean to be rude, but she was glad when she finally dumped him of the bed. He grimaced. "Ow, woman, you're rough!"
"Be grateful," Rikku took off her muffler and coat and hat, careful not to dislodge the wig, though she's hardly worried about that. It won't blow off anything short of a storm. "Take off your shoes and get under the blanket. I'll get warm water."
He briefly wondered if he should take off his clothes but decided against it. That's what made his other dates run away. Nah, he'll just be a good boy here. Besides, she's genuinely concerned about him. Or at least he hoped so anyway.
Rikku thought deeply as she filled a basin with warm water. She needs to find a way to get to Seifer - fast. She didn't like the Trabian weather, she didn't like this charade, and she definitely doesn't like the prospect of taking care of a sick person. To top it off, something else was making her dislike this mission even more - the coming of a storm.
Storm.
She twisted the tap hard to stop the water flow. Funny how her life was turned upside-down. She lost her parents to Storm, and now she's afraid of lightning and thunder. Funny how a dead man can influence her so...even going as far as determining her life. Isn't she now an assassin? A killer?
I kill people who deserve to die, a voice inside countered. Quisty never ordered the death of harmless civilians. I'm just an instrument of God.
A stifled groan from the other room snapped her out of her reverie. She quickly hurried with the water. 'Are you alright??"
"Uh - yeah." Irvine winced as he tried to flex his heg. It was cramped, one of the worst cramps he had ever had. What a lark. He, Irvine Kinneas, the best sniper in Galbadia was suffering from a severe leg cramp. The story is about as pitiful as President Laguna's leg cramps.
Rikku set down the down and helped him warm his legs. "Next time, think twice before playing hero."
"Can't help it," Irvine managed to grin. "It's what I am."
Rikku suppressed a groan. He's not only suffering from cramps, but an overly inflated ego as well. Well, people like him are easy to burst. "There," She got up and nearly dropped the bowl when the doorbell sounded. Irvine closed his eyes. "That's probably Seifer. Can you please?"
Inconvenient, Rikku thought as she felt her small Wesson & Smith strapped to her body. At least the cold weather gave her an excuse to wear baggy clothes. But killing Seifer here was not a good idea. When she came up, the floor was swarming with suspicious looking men, whom she guessed were guards. Escaping would take a lot of planning.
"Hey," Seifer flashed her a grin when she opened the door. 'Heard about him. Is he awake?"
"I'm awake," Irvine answered as Seifer sauntered in. Rikku eyed the card key in his hand. Number 156. Good. She glanced outside and noted the room must be at the end of the corridor. "Would you like a drink?" She offered Seifer and the latter shook his head. "Sorry sweetheart, I need to talk to Irvine here. D'you mind leaving for a minute?"
She nodded, smiling. "I have to check in anyway. I'll see you later, Irvine."
She walked around the floor, noting everything. One thing which interested her was that Trabia Grand Continental was built in a honeycomb design, making it easy for her should she need to lose herself from pursuers. Now for a room.
"The Trabian Special Agency teamed up with the cops," Seifer said after he made sure Rikku was gone. "Seems like they've sent an agent to investigate me. Seen anybody suspicious?"
"Not that I can see," Irvine blinked as he wriggled his toes. "Unless you're implying Terra - "
"If she even has half the brains to consider it!" Seifer snorted with laughter, making Irvine laugh, but not for long. The little uneasiness came back, and Irvine frowned slightly. Seifer has a point. He aught to be careful with Terra.
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Three days is a long time. Long enough when you're looking after a sick person, but not too long. Rikku was patient enough to bear Irvine. And she actually didn't have the heart to leave him in his present condition, even if he brought it down upon himself.
A knock on the door made her look up from her magazine. She was secretly thankful for the distraction, because if she was going to read another paragraph about Julia Heartily's beauty tip she would surely puke. But an Estharian chick's gotta do what an Estharian chick gotta do.
"Hi!"
Rikku smiled broadly. It was that girl whose purse was snatched. "Hi. Looking for Irvine?"
"Yeah," She peered in. "I'm sorry, is he in?"
"Yeah," Rikku nodded. "Come on in, he's in the shower."
Selphie nodded. Her eyes fell on the magazine Rikku was holding and she silently laughed wickedly. Esthar Queen? What a ditz. All the beauty tips are rubbish. Who washes their hair in Ochu juice?!
"So like, you're staying here or something?" Selphie made herself at home and plopped down on the couch. She had dressed for the meeting today in a yellow turtleneck sweater and brown wool skirt. Irvine likes yellow and brown. How he puts up with 'Terra's' bright colors she will never figure out.
"Oh? Me? No, I have a room on the second floor," Rikku smiled sweetly, eyeing Selphie's clothes. The girl's up to something, she thought. Her eyes dart about too much. She made a mental note to look up her profile when she gets back to Esthar.
If she gets back to Esthar. She overheard a conversation Irvine had with Seifer, and it seems that he's going to be out for the morning, and the guards will be lax today. She would need to slip in and wait...
"Terra?"
She snapped out of her reverie and saw Irvine standing over her, looking concerned. "You oky? You've been gone quite a while there," he chuckled and Rikku turned red. "I...um... was thinking."
Seifer would consider that an accomplishment, Irvine thought as he chuckled. He turned to Selphie and the girl jumped to her feet. "Sorry for barging in, but I didn't think it was polite if I didn't stop by to say thanks," She said brightly and Irvine grinned. "No problem, it wasn't much of a bother. Hope everything's in there?"
"yeah," Selphie laughed. "So like, it's already afternoon, so can I treat you to lunch?"
Bingo. A trump card. Rikku sighed and patted her magazine. "I really want to go, but there's a promotion down in Trabia and I have to go." She made it sound like it was life and death.
She's a ditz, Irvine and Selphie thought simultaneously. Irvine smiled and shrugged. "Do you mind if I go, Terra?"
"Nope, not at all," Rikku smiled and hurriedly grabbed her handbag. "I'll see you tonight, Irvine."
Not when I'm through with him, Selphie thought tenuously as she watched Rikku hurry away.
Rikku calmly entered the elevator and walked down to the lobby. Looking around, she slipped into the back area and calmly walked on until she came to the locker room.
A girl spun around in alarm and Rikku quickly knocked her out with a well- placed blow to the neck. Picking up the body, she neatly folded the girl in a locker and examined several lockers. She found one with the receptionist uniform and hurriedly pulled it on, pulling on a dark wig and made her face up. Perfect.
The receptionist up front looked up from her work and smiled at her. "New girl?"
"Yeas," Rikku smiled. "You can take a break, I'll take over."
"Alright. The manager didn't mention any new arrivals though," The girl frowned and Rikku laughed. "It must have slipped his mind. I came from Esthar Grand Continental, hope you'll help me."
"Sure," The girl grinned and took off. Rikku sat down on a chair and looked at her watch. Seifer would be back in half an hour. She looked at the magnetized card keys hanging in the hollow of the desk. Picking up Seifer's room key, she got up and smiled at the customer coming towards the desk. 'Please hang on, someone else will come to assist you." And she left, leaving the perplexed customer. Poor guy, I don't even know how to check you in even if I wanted to.
Footnote: Heheh... Rikku's quite slick. The next chapter will be sort of a climax, maybe, so please be patient! And reviews, please? Just a quick word, or flame, I don't mind.