Fujin's short stint in the recovery area left her with a somewhat temporary limp for a few days, but otherwise unscathed aside from a rather nasty scar on her side that Kadowaski assured her would disappear with time. She had managed well despite the touch of weakness, he had gotten a Stainless steel cane from Kadowaski. The effect was interesting, she suddenly looked like she was perpetually anger, her gait deliberate permanently, her face intense from the pain of her injured leg. Her students had thought they might get to make fun of her, no such luck; she was in reality even more irate, and even less vulnerable. They thought her an easy target, but what she lost is speed she more than made up for in reach, as one of the kids learned rather swiftly, with a good hit on the head with the Steel bar when he made a comment. No one else tried.
That trial however had ended, and she was back on her own two feet good as new, even quicker than predicted. And now she was planning for dinner with Squall. She wasn't even entirely sure why it was such a big deal, it was a rather casual restaurant she remembered from her short stay in FH, so there was no need for a dress, thankfully, but she still set about getting some slightly more formal clothes than her close fitting ensemble she was normally in when out of uniform. She had been talking to a more trusted source, unwilling to let word of this sneak out as Squall had also done a rather careful job of not letting anyone know. It was an interesting secret; she had never done anything like this before. The Novelty was distracting. She however would force herself to calm and pay closer attention to the details rather than what she knew to be an overly romanticized notion of what may happen, she had read too many novels. She sat in her dorm, sparse except for papers in her room and a few photos she had scrounged from old places of Seifer and Raijin. she still missed them, she was slowly beginning to wonder if she would ever let it go. it was an internal argument for another time. She returned her mind to the papers she was grading and noticed she had doodled a gunblade in the corner of the paper in Pen without thinking about it, even more damning, it wasn't Hyperion she had inscribed, it was Lionheart. She groaned and dropped her head to the desk with a soft thud and laid her head there for a moment, was she really acting like such a lovesick puppy? This was completely preposterous. She let it drop and threw herself back into the papers giving it her undivided attention, reading the essay on the strategy of Magic. She paused reading and laying down her red pen she lifted the page and read it again. This was great, an excellent grasp of dynamics and timing as well as a bit of inventiveness. Obviously more than just written for a grade like some of her students and many of the papers, this one had a lot of thought placed into it. It harkened her mind back to a paper she had written in the Garden when she had been a student. It was an interesting coincidence. She marveled about the page until she noted the clipped, conservative signature in the corner of the page. Karin, she should have guessed this one, that kid had talent. but anyway, moving on. she shifted through a few more unremarkable papers, and paused, then turned her head looking at one paper and noticed something interesting a letter pattern in this paper, it was that of one of the troublemakers in the class, it was a code Fujin remembered using from back in her student days, the first letter of every line spelled out a... message... and a vulgar message it was. she smiled and marked the spelling mistakes in the code as well. Might as well mess with the kid if he wanted to mess with her. Then made a little script on her notes to hand off to the disciplinary committee, heh, wow it felt weird even to think that. she made a second note to see about becoming more involved in the Discipline of the Garden, it might be fun.
Squall's day went a little less smoothly, he was swamped yet again by paperwork, who knew Cid really was such a busy man. he sighed as he lifted one page reading a referential to the previous page and going over the wording a fifth time checking for even the smallest pinhole in the script. Just because he was young, every single employer felt as though they had to try to pull one over his eyes in the wording, he usually caught them, but occasionally Quistis or Selphie grabbed something he had nearly missed. he was not supposed to fail, he needed to be the best for the students, a Model by which they could align themselves, it was all important in his mind and omnipotent through his life when he was on the clock. he set down the papers and throwing is head back he sighed deeply and slumped a bit, he was grateful for the privacy of his own office if nothing else. it was relaxing to know he wouldn't be unexpectedly bothered by someone when one was attempting to clear the head.
He leafed back through the page once more line by line, inch by inch of wordy lines. he set the paper down on the desk when he was finished. Finally done with the critiques on the contract for an upcoming job, he breathed a sigh. He got disgusted with the Air tightness everything had to display in special situations. and this certainly warranted that classification. the request for SeeD was made a week ago, but without any great hurry to the notation. It was almost an afterthought; the request was for a number of the soldiers, twelve in all. That was an Abnormally high number, even stranger was the fact that they were paying double the going rate for the mission descriptor, and the fact that he personally had been asked to lead the mission. It was supposed to be a take and hold mission against a Rebel Detachment to be made in one month's time. He had spent days fretting over it, but at the end of the first week, he could hardly find any reason to reject the request on solid grounding. They were headed to FH this week for maintenance and he had plans for that but after that, he had to give some serious thought to who was leading the Garden in his absence. He also had to make sure he was personally in top shape; it would not do well to let his reputation sag in the face of something like this.
Time could really crawl when one let it, and at the end of this infuriating day he made his way back to his dorm for yet another important decision that needed his immediate attention. what he was going to wear for his little... date. he might as well get used to the idea, no matter how bad the form was, dating a subordinate, while not regulated was somewhat frowned upon... not to mention the person he was dating was a world wide criminal not too long ago.
Why did things like this always happen to him. he needed to get his act together, so, stepping into his dorm and opening his closet he began to browse, it had been a while since he had even thought about what he was going to wear, the situation never warranted anything out of the ordinary until now. He peered through his wardrobe, considering a good amount of it was jeans and white t-shirts, he pushed all of that aside and looked for something different. he reached in and pulled out three promising looking shirts and tossed them haphazardly onto his bed, and moved to his dresser and pulling the drawers open to the pants section, being that he was indeed that organized. he sifted through the options and pulled out an additional two pairs of pants before stepping back and closing the drawer to look over his choices. it really had been a while and he eliminated the lime green shirt immediately making note to dispose of it discreetly. He couldn't even remember if he had ever worn it and hoped he hadn't. He picked up the shirts, walked over to the opposite wall and hung them from the shelf so he could see them better. He moved back, and sat on his bed to look at the two remaining options, both were long sleeved button down shirts, collared and essentially the same. One was a dark maroon color, pinstriped with black tingeing it even darker. The other was a deep navy blue of a very similar smile though the breast pocket was on the other side. It was times like this he was glad for uniforms, and casual dress. He left the inner argument to inspect the pants he had found, the first was a pair of very dark blue jeans similar to his normal wardrobe but a bit more faded about the knees, and with a design curling up each leg, a vine-like design done in permanent marker. It was a project he had lain about two years ago, he just made a snaking design that grew around each pocket and up from the bottom, it was three quarters finished but it almost looked better as unfinished, it was different. He shrugged and threw the other pair in the closet haphazardly, they were a pair of looser black denim jeans, and he just felt it was a little too much of the same. A little change was needed. He took the Maroon shirt, it looked better in contrast than the blue hanging the blue one up again and set the outfit on the inside of the door to the closet. at leas that little argument was out of the way. he went and sat at his desk, suddenly wishing he had a hobby to still his mind.
Fujin Sat in her room and looked over her options in clothing, they didn't amount to much really. She sighed as she looked at what little she had, mostly uniforms. That was almost sad, but then again she had not really needed anything else until now. Again, she was mildly troubled by this thought, but only mildly as she set about rooting through her outfits looking for a twist that looked a little better, it was sparse but she had a few things to work with. this could take some time and careful consideration, after all, there were impressions to make, though the first had obviously been good.
The next two hours saw Fu throwing around a dozen or so Ideas and rejecting each summarily, she didn't have any real friends around too mooch off of so she had to wing this herself. Finally, she settled her mind, went back to the basics, and sat down with a piece of paper, when all else fails run the academics. She made a list and a compiling set for every possible combination and checking the ones she had already looked at and rating them on a one to ten scale for reference, if she could have perfect she would settle for as good as it gets. After only about twenty-five minutes under the new system, she had it down to three choices and finally struck one of them, then thought about the place they were going. it's location and view, having a touch of photographic memory she recalled The location of the place and tried to place it in her mind, It was the seafood place she had wondered It was well kept and she had met the owners while staying around, they had lived next to her erstwhile caretaker, It wasn't an overly fancy place but a solid choice, quiet in the evenings. That helped a bit. She nodded, her mind made up. She walked up to the lain outfits and picked up one of them. It was a dark Blue affair, like the sea in the evening, the Blouse was a gray very near to black, she had a belt of a similar shade that she found and placed with them both leaving them hanging in a prominent location in the closet with a satisfied smirk. She felt confident that the look of it would be well suited to the evening, and a very good look for her, if she did say so herself, the real test was yet to come on that front though.
The day finally arrived. The docking went smoothly, and classes were placed on hold for the regular maintenance and SeeD disembarked for a quiet vacation while bare staff stayed at Garden to ensure compliance with the rules and in case anything too horrific should happen. But Squall made his way off deck leaving Xu as acting XO. and left in his street clothes changing as he entered the restaurant where he would wait for Fujin, slipping into the slightly nicer clothes and leaving the extras in a backpack with a few other things he checked away at the door, one of the nicer things about this place, knowing the Owners, and being on good enough terms to have them do little things for you. So he looked himself over and took a deep breath, here was something he hadn't done since Rinoa had left. He turned every time the door opened, looking for Fujin, and was rebuffed a number of times, ad just when he was telling himself it was the last time he would look she stepped in, he had to look twice, she looked... different, dressed as she was it was startling. He had to almost double take to realize it was she, but she gave a wiry half smile and he knew it was she. After all, there maybe a million cycloptic albinos out there but none can manage to look quite that combination of cocky, amused, and knowing at the same time. He stepped up, she had recognized him instantly it seemed, well. There goes the score. He nodded to her and she nodded back, they were taken to their seats with a smile from the hostess and a comment that lead to her receiving two incredulous and slightly annoyed glares either of which was sufficient on its own to stifle any more such outbursts. The combination thereof caused silence and a nervous smile until they were seated and left to be waited upon, they didn't know it, but at the front desk they were already the talk of the town. Perfect for each other they said.
The table was silent with both sizing up the other, letting no detail escape their collective gazes. picking up the obsessive dress of the other and coming to simultaneous silent independent, and concurring opinions. Marvelous. Then the Waiter arrived and they ordered drinks, Water, for both, and spoken at the same time, providing a chuckle and a glance between them and then a look up at the Waiter who looked all too pleased. Together they ordered, Fujin first, by Subtle suggestion of Squall. She had the Shark, A preference taken in stride by the Lion, only fitting a carnivore place itself highest on the food chain, Squall opted for Angler, and something he had never tried. Why not, he reasoned, if the date is a bust at least he'd get a new experience out of it. The next twenty minutes were spent in a slow quite, and methodical quiz from one to the other, asking about hobbies books movies, experience, and finally history. Between the two of them there were some interesting points raised, such as Fujin's hobby of origami, something she rarely indulged in, but enjoyed thoroughly. and Sqaull's enjoyment of Independent film. There were other small surprises, such as they had remarkably similar taste in books, and movies. along with other bits of information that was slowly filed away. The quiet miniature war of information was placed on hold as the food arrived. Squall presented himself with good table manners and was more than pleased to discover she had similar attention to detail, it turned into a light meal commentary on the importance of table manners in their respective positions as well as light joking about some of the less oriented members of respective acquaintances. Zell's name popped up on that note, they mutually agreed he could not form polite table manners to save his skin. Pulling a chuckle from them both. As the meal ended, they sat, at ease. looking over the table the sun just beginning to set as the conversation continued, neither really knew when the smiles had been drawn but they were both smiling. Finally, though both knew it Fujin finally brought it up.
"Smile." she said, a slight grin on her own mouth as she leaned forward a bit, her head tilting just a bit to the side as she spoke.
"You too." he returned, and also leaned forward a bit, a mischievous spark raced across her eye so quickly, if he had been anyone else he might have thought it a trick of his eye, and from the minuscule growth of her smile a moment later he knew she had seen something in him to. They both sat upright, and the smirks shrank back to knowing smiles as Squall settled the bill with swiftness and he stood to pull out her chair for her, she allowed it, no need to kill a flattering habit after all. The walk back to the Garden was silent but yet, filled at the same time, though both had arrived with the intent of letting it end there, something told each that this was not the last time. the walk ended outside Fujin's room, they stood a few moments regarding each other neither sure what to make of any of it, but at the same time, not willing to just let it drop at that. Finally just before hysteria was assured from somewhere Fujin spoke.
"Goodnight." It almost sounded like a question, but Squall stumbled into an affirmative nod and after a hesitant moments of near invisible false starts and a nervous chuckle from both of them Fujin made the comfortable compromise available and offered a hand, that Squall took gratefully.
"Sleep well, obnoxious kids in the morning" And to that they couldn't help but burst into the first unrestrained laugh of the evening. After both had recovered Squall took a deep breath regaining his composure first and making one last note.
"by the way, I heard through the vines that The disciplinary committee is looking for a Coordinator." Seeing Fujin scoff he had to viciously suppress another round of laughter.
"you know they will never be quite as good as the last group even if you were all annoying." He said with a deadly serious and straight face which Fujin assumed and stared back with comparable intensity.
"Puberty Boy." She intoned with an edge of pure venom to match his cold disposition. They stood staring for a moment before both faces cracked a bit and they took that moment to turn their separate ways, Fujin waited to start laughing until she got into her room and closed the door, Squall waited until he was sure that no one was going to hear him, beside the omnipresent Garden faculty members who would have looked sidelong at each other If that wasn't telling. Overall, This had to count as a success.
A/N: Fixed the Spelling and grammer and am finally giving in, I need a Beta for the first time in my life I will admit that. Requirements: someone who will talk to me, someone with better spelling and grammer than me obviously. Perks: you get a hand in the creatiuve porcess since I pretty much have this writing itself, with only vauge direction. I have a rough idea of where I am heading, much like taking a road trip. so if you cannot handle the road trip mentality, please don't apply. I would love to have a friend ;;... but anyway, here's the much anticipated date scene. hope it was worth it, it's 3 chapters worth crammed into one chappie. IT'S HERE! OMG FQUABBLEPLIHAX! I'm working on the aftermath chapter, and digging into the charactors a little more. Non-Constructive Flames will be used to toast weenies. or will be used to ignite your house. either way, I'll smile, as will the fans. Please tell me what yoyu want to see more of in the Reviews, Your advice is TAKEN!