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[/style][STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 300px;letter-spacing: 2.5px;]Am I that untrusting?[/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 300px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px;]Is it because i'm scared?[/style] [STYLE=padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 5px; font-size: 20px; font-family: times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; color: #333333; background-color: #dfdfdf; letter-spacing: 8px;]
SQUALL LEONHART
[/style][STYLE=float:right; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/31dY3.png); color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: -4px; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 10.5px; line-height: 11px; border-left: 1px dotted #dfdfdf; width:310; opacity: 0.7; text-align: justify;] Squall's heart thundered, a scowl plastered across his face. He should have known coming to the training grounds was a bad idea, especially after that big T-Rexsaur scare that had been all the rage lately. With his gunblade over his shoulder he picked his feet up in a constant sprint as fast as his body would carry him, reaching out with one hand to grab anything as close to a door handle he could. He wasn't focused on the environment, he was only focused on getting out of this place, which led him to trip over a large rock and send he and the Revolver clambering to the ground. He climbed into a thick patch of brush as the gigantic beast poked its head around the corner, sniffing the air. He slowly reached out and fingered the grip of the Revolver, dragging it back into the brush with him as the monster seemed to lose interest for a moment.
He sighed as the beast's head rounded back around the corner, the sound of its stomps sending a ring through his ears. He grimaced and lifted the Revolver back to its original position, waited a few seconds, then clambered out of the brush and to his feet. He looked around to make sure nothing else was about to stir up any trouble, then slowly made his way to the training center's door and promptly let himself out. He walked over to a green metal bench near a trash can with a rag dispenser, plucking one out as he sat down and placed the Revolver standing up between his legs. He took the rag and wiped up each edge and all over the frame of the weapon, cleaning up random blotches and drops of blood from the monsters he'd managed to get the best of.
After the deed was done, he placed the weapon in its case (which he'd left by the bench, his way of marking his territory so others wouldn't disturb him), grabbed it, and began walking to the center hall of the Garden where a few small tables were sat to serve as a temporary replacement to the cafeteria. They'd gone for a small cart buffet during lunch hours with food that had been cooked elsewhere on campus, but of course, they still managed to cook the hot dogs due to the high demand. Leaving his weapon case at the table, he approached and grabbed a tray, filling it with two hot dogs and a good helping of fries, some celery, and an apple with a bottle of water to drink. True to his nature, anyone who tried to come near him either got a stern look or promptly ignored until they chose to leave him alone.[/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 310px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;]CODED BY ACRYLIK ON BTN![/style]
[atrb=colspan,2][style=margin-left: 25px; border-left: 3px solid #555555; margin-top: -10px; padding: 20 2 40 12; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px; font-family: helvetica; line-height: 14px; color: #a09891; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #111111;] Back at Balamb Garden once again, it hadn't been that long since she was stood in Headmaster Cid's office talking to the new SeeDs Karrl and Erinna. Talk about tension between those two! The young teenager ran her hand through her long dark hair as she exited the elevator on the first floor of Garden. Cid had been quite welcoming of her and even though he pulled a face when she asked him for another favour he still granted the request. According to Cid this SeeD recruit was almost of a different breed to the others, he had something...well something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Rinoa shrugged her shoulders as she skipped down the marble stairs just in front of the notice board. His name was Squall Leonhart. Everytime she thought of his last name it made her think Lionheart, maybe he would live up to that.Her request hadn't been that awkward but it was going to be another SeeD away from Garden. Wasn't that the whole point? That they were hired mercenaries? Rinoa giggled to herself as she made her way towards the area Cid had pointed out where Squall might be.
She didn't have a photo of him with her but she did her best to think back to the image Cid had shown her in his office. Rinoa poked her head around the corner whilst she held her hands behind her back. Wow ok this place was a little but more crowded than she had originally anticipated. Angelo was resting upstairs in Cid's office for the moment, he had been on the road as much as she had but he needed his rest...poor pup. Rinoa let her eyes scan across the room until they landed on a face that looked similiar to the image Cid had shown her. Huh... he looked older now and well...Rinoa shook her head and planted a bright smile across her face as she strode over to the young SeeD recruit. In her typical fashion she leant over to him with her hands behind her back, she began to swing on the heels of her feet.
"Hi you must be Squall, I'm Rinoa a Diplomat from Galbadia."
[/style][STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 300px;letter-spacing: 2.5px;]Am I that untrusting?[/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 300px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px;]Is it because i'm scared?[/style] [STYLE=padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 5px; font-size: 20px; font-family: times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; color: #333333; background-color: #dfdfdf; letter-spacing: 8px;]
SQUALL LEONHART
[/style][STYLE=float:right; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/31dY3.png); color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: -4px; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 10.5px; line-height: 11px; border-left: 1px dotted #dfdfdf; width:310; opacity: 0.7; text-align: justify;] If there was one thing a fifteen minute lunch break really taught you to do, it was to eat fast and ignore distractions. Luckily, that was Squall's specialty. He had the hot dogs down in a matter of minutes and was chewing on his celery, gulping down some water. As much as he hated the cafeteria's seemingly forced social interactions, he had to admit he kind of missed having the space. Out here in the literal center of Balamb Garden, it felt like anyone who was hungry was just watching you from the upper floor, and even the students passing by. He didn't like prying eyes; prying eyes led to approaches, which led to conversation. Finishing one of his sticks of celery quickly, he took another much-needed drink of water as he wiped the last remains of sweat from the training grounds off of his forehead with his sleeve. He took a quick look around to make sure nobody had any ideas of joining him at the small bench and table.
The main thing going through his head right now was his field exam. Rumors were abound that most of the instructors and even the Headmaster himself put a lot of faith in Squall, almost as if he were some kind of SeeD golden boy. That was certainly unwelcomed; for all they knew, he could completely bomb the field exam and be stuck studying and lazing about until the next one. As he chewed on the next and last piece of celery, he gave some thought about possible strategies to take for the trip. It could happen any day now, and he'd been going overdrive on his training because of it to make sure he was in his absolute prime. As he sat and thought, something very blue struck the corner of his eye; it obviously wasn't a SeeD uniform.
He looked over to see a girl standing near the elevator, trotting about back and forth and swinging her head whichever way. She looked lost, or maybe she was looking for one of her friends. It was probably some sort of new transfer student. He held a gaze on her for a few moments for reasons he couldn't explain, then shook himself out of it and looked back down at his tray, finishing his celery. He took the apple into his hand and no later than that did the same girl he'd been looking at suddenly show up. She leaned over cutely with her hands folded behind her back, swinging slightly on her heels as she spoke up and introduced herself. He sat his apple down in an attempt to at least be polite; she was a diplomat, after all.
He lowered his hands into a fold on the table, his Griever ring glinting from one of the overhead lights. ''Hi Rinoa. I'm Squall.'' That's about all he offered her or anyone, even on business when he was pretty much forced to talk.[/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 310px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;]CODED BY ACRYLIK ON BTN![/style]
[atrb=colspan,2][style=margin-left: 25px; border-left: 3px solid #555555; margin-top: -10px; padding: 20 2 40 12; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px; font-family: helvetica; line-height: 14px; color: #a09891; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #111111;] As soon as he confirmed his name Rinoa jumped up and down clapping her hands in an almost frantic manner, she skipped over the chair opposite and sat down on. Rinoa pulled the chair in close to the table before placing her elbows onto the table to hold her chin in her hands. She looked to Squall with a beaming smile across her face, her long dark hair fell over her shoulders as she leant in closer.
"Great! I have the right person."
Rinoa sat there and just looked at Squall, to anyone else it might seem like she was in awe of his presence which might be a little true but there was another reason she was at Balamb Garden. Karrl and Erinna had done a little background work in Spira which helped Rinoa decided where to move next but now was the time to report back to Sorceress Blue. She wasn't afraid to go back but having a personal SeeD by her side would be more spectacular. Rinoa knew a little about SeeD and their relationship with Blue but things had to change. Suddenly Rinoa slapped her hands down on the table and stood up.
"So Cid tells me you are still just a recruit but I have his permission to help change that. So come on then...up up up." credit `` columba of on the edge[/style]
[/style][STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 300px;letter-spacing: 2.5px;]Am I that untrusting?[/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 300px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px;]Is it because i'm scared?[/style] [STYLE=padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 5px; font-size: 20px; font-family: times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; color: #333333; background-color: #dfdfdf; letter-spacing: 8px;]
SQUALL LEONHART
[/style][STYLE=float:right; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/31dY3.png); color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: -4px; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 10.5px; line-height: 11px; border-left: 1px dotted #dfdfdf; width:310; opacity: 0.7; text-align: justify;] Squall had already lifted his apple and taken a bite as a look of excitement crossed the peppy girl's face. She seemed strangely happy to have found him, and Squall tried his hardest not to lift an eyebrow and seem rude as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands excitedly. What exactly was her deal? He was just a person, just like everybody else. It's not like she could steal him away on a mission or anything; he hadn't completed his field exam yet. Was she so excited to just find him and talk? She was a diplomat, so he couldn't exactly imagine anything else happening and to be honest that sounded pretty dull. He eyed her slowly as she skipped over to the chair opposite him and sat down, then scooted in quickly. She lifted her arms placed her elbows on the table, folding her hands to support her chin as a beaming bright smile spread across her face in stark contrast to the dark hair that hung by her shoulders. She happily announced that she had found the right person.
''That so?...'' He didn't want to come off as disinterested or rude, but responses like that came from the bottom pits of his nature. She sat and simply looked at him for a while, as if taking him in, causing a few passing students finishing their lunch to peek over and whisper among themselves. Suddenly feeling a rush of awkward, he lifted the apple from his tray again and took a deep bite, breaking his more-than-a-few-moments eye contact with her as his eyes drifted off to the side, chewing the bite before gulping it down and taking a drink of water. He scooted the case of the Revolver under the table and used it to set his feet on, trying to complete any action he could to look busy as she looked him over, but finally she took an action; slapping her hands down on the table and standing up suddenly, she announced why she had shown up and sat where nobody else would have dared to.
Apparently, she'd been talking to Headmaster Cid and he spilled the beans about how Squall had yet to have taken his field exam to become a full SeeD. This ''Rinoa'', for whatever reason, took great interest in that. One thing clicked more than anything else though; apparently, she ''had his permission to change that''. That didn't make sense at all. Quistis or one of the other instructors were supposed to be the ones babysitting the SeeDs taking part in their field exams, so why exactly was she given that qualification? As a SeeD, he tended not to ask questions about things of this nature though. He took a final bite of his apple and tossed it in a nearby trash bin, finished his water, and leaned under the table to grab Revolver's case. Lifting it in his left hand, he stood by the side of the table and uttered a simple response.
''Well, let's go then.'' He would keep quiet as he usually did, true to his nature. He set off walking toward the entrance to Garden, assuming the test would take place in the Fire Cavern as usual.[/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 310px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;]CODED BY ACRYLIK ON BTN![/style]
Rinoa swiftly slid around the table and moved up to your side as she moved her to hold her hands behind her back whilst she walked next to you. She kept a bright smile across her face even smiling at people she had never met before, there was no point frowning especially with the tension and difficult situation between Shin-ra and Galbadia brewing. It wasn't even brewing anymore it was about to hit the surface which was why she needed to gather as many allies as possible. SeeD would be a powerful ally to have in battle even Rinoa knew that. With the ties she held with Balamb Garden thanks to Seifer she was able to become a regular visitor and mingle with some of the actual SeeDs. Rinoa turned her head to look at Squall and actually take him in, he was strong. That much was apparent, it was all in his mannerisms and how he held himself. The smile on her face began to disappear a little as her throughts wandered to something other than work. He was pretty handsome, Noel was cute but this guy was....handsome.
"Oh wait I need to get Angelo...wait right there!"
The sudden realisation of needing to pick Angelo up dawned on her, she brought her right arm and hand up to her face. She extended her index finger to motion for him to give her a moment. With that done she sped off to the elevator to rush up to Cid's office. As the elevator doors closed Rinoa pushed her back against the wall and looked up to the ceiling. She could feel her cheeks flushing and burning up which was a little strange and she couldn't understand why. It's not like she had feelings for him or even liked him in that way...
Rinoa shook her head as the elevator doors opened, Angelo was waiting right there for her with his tail wagging. Rinoa waved off to Cid and ushered for Angelo to get in with her. She petted him and gave him a tight hug whilst the elevator took them both back down to the ground floor. Oh Angelo my only true friend she thought. The elevator doors slid open and Rinoa skipped outside with Angelo by her side, her eyes fixed straight onto Squall as she waved. It didn't take her long to be by back his side with Angelo in tow.
"I'm back! Apparently Instructor Treppe is out with someone else in the Fire Cavern so if you don't want to get this Bomb thing we can do the field exam first and then come back to the Fire Cavern later."
[/style][STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 300px;letter-spacing: 2.5px;]Am I that untrusting?[/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 300px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px;]Is it because i'm scared?[/style] [STYLE=padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 5px; font-size: 20px; font-family: times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; color: #333333; background-color: #dfdfdf; letter-spacing: 8px;]
SQUALL LEONHART
[/style][STYLE=float:right; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/31dY3.png); color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: -4px; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 10.5px; line-height: 11px; border-left: 1px dotted #dfdfdf; width:310; opacity: 0.7; text-align: justify;] As the peculiar girl slid around the table quickly and suddenly reached his side, he scooted away a few inches to re-create his bubble of personal space. It had been a while since anyone were so bold as to come this close to physical contact with him, and it was what made him most comfortable; any risk of contact wasn't a risk worth taking. She folded her hands behind her back as she walked alongside the lone lion-hearted young man in stark contrast to him; looking at it from an outside perspective would be like watching the sun and the moon floating side by side. To be honest, he wondered why he had never seen her around the Garden before. She had to have had substantial influence and maybe even a little history with some of the students to get acknowledged by Headmaster Cid, let alone given the clearance and authorization to oversee a field exam. In the middle of his deep train of thought that seemed to constantly loop around his brain, it was suddenly brought to a screeching halt by something odd.
Her eyes.
Nobody had ever looked at him that intensely before, and before he knew it, he'd stopped dead in his tracks with his eyes locking to hers. He tried to talk, but it only produced a lump in his throat. He'd almost never had this happen, and it worried him pretty seriously. The faintest, almost unnoticeable tint of red highlighted his face. He'd thought a girl or two was cute before, sure, but never like this. He took her in as much as she did him in those moments before realizing what he was doing, tearing his eyes away with a small huff to try and blow it off and cover it all up. Thankfully, she interrupted quickly with a cute little pose pointing her finger up and telling him to wait. She talked about needing to go get ''Angelo''. Was that a boyfriend or something? Wait...why was he thinking this way? He couldn't admit he was jealous; he downright refused to. He nodded to her as she walked over to the elevator. He stood there awkwardly for a few moments as she entered, then walked off to some nearby lockers. He withdrew Revolver from its case and stored the case itself, resting the crest of the weapon over his shoulder.
He returned to the spot as the elevator came down, and out stepped Rinoa with a medium-sized dog. He almost had to smile at his previous thoughts and how dumb they were, but he shook it off before any facial change could be seen. She waved at him and he turned, standing tall, nodding back to her as he waited for her to rejoin him at his side along with her dog. It was a bit odd, though; why bring the dog? Field exams were dangerous and there was a very good chance the canine would wind up injured, if not killed, by what they may have had to face. She gave him a quick briefing which explained a lot. Instructor Quistis was out on a field exam with somebody else, taking the Fire Cavern as a location. He rubbed at the back of his head as she asked her question. ''I'd rather get the field exam out of the way.'' He felt that was all he really needed to say; if the Fire Cavern was taken, it was generally frowned upon for another individual taking the field exam to interrupt someone else who also was. After a brief pause, he offered a little more.
''So where to?'' [/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 310px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;]CODED BY ACRYLIK ON BTN![/style]
[atrb=colspan,2][style=margin-left: 25px; border-left: 3px solid #555555; margin-top: -10px; padding: 20 2 40 12; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px; font-family: helvetica; line-height: 14px; color: #a09891; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #111111;] Rinoa stood by his side just looking up to him and it was then she noticed the scar across his face, how could she have not noticed it before? It wasn't a small faded one this one looked rather recent, it seemed to red and angry. Her dark eyes peered into his once more as she began to think about where it was that Headmaster Cid said to take Squall. She hoped that another instructor would be there....well they needed to be to officially mark Squall on his field exam. Rinoa shook her head lightly and smiled to Squall whilst Angelo stood by her side looking up at the both of them.
"Hmmm he said Xu would be there as well to 'mark' you...oh we needed to get the boat in Balamb and head to Esthar. Apparently Queen Garnet and some others ran into some trouble with unknown monsters."
She smiled even more brightly at this point and moved in front of Squall, she raised herself onto her tip toes and tried to look into his eyes. Boy he was so serious! Did he ever smile? Rinoa pulled a face before she raised her right hand in front of their faces and began to twirl it around in a circle. Angelo whined quite loudly which Rinoa ignored.
"You look tense and not very friendly. You will like me....you will like me. Did it work?"
There it was again; that stare. For whatever reason beyond his comprehension, this girl's stare made him tense up. A lot. He didn't exactly enjoy the discomfort it brought, and it sort of made him nervous. He watched her eyes out of the corner of his as they traced down the scar he'd received from Seifer. If she hung around the garden enough and were particularly observant, she'd notice that Seifer had one exactly like his almost, only it was mirrored. You would never see the two in a room together, but they were the subject of conversation among many instructors and the gossip topic of more than a student or two. He decided to continue the awkward stare until the girl decided to break it off, but she actually seemed to be thinking about something. She shook her head and smiled, and the dog that accompanied her simply stared up at the both of them. He made sure to listen up, fully expecting an all-business briefing.
''He'' must have meant Headmaster Cid. Apparently Xu was in the field and had been sent ahead in preparation, or at least that's what Squall was thinking. They also evidently had to travel quite a ways. They had to take a boat from Balamb all the way to a place called Esthar, because it had been reported that their Queen ran into some trouble with a bunch of monsters. It didn't make a ton of sense though; shouldn't she have some sort of royal guard for things like that? Even just a really tough bodyguard, if it were only a couple of monsters. Maybe something bigger was up. Again, his train of thought crashed and burned as the girl stepped her way in front of him.
She somewhat accused him of being tense (which was true, he wasn't going to argue that...) and ''not very friendly''. That last one was pretty much true; he did whatever he could to keep people away from him, especially attention-drawing people like her. For a reason he couldn't bring to mind though, he couldn't bring himself to act that way towards her, even before she'd introduced herself. There was something strange about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on. She struck another face before lifting her hand between the two of them, moving it around in a circle while chanting about how he was going to like her. He swallowed back a retort and somewhat of a small smile before stepping around her and waving her along after she'd finished.
[atrb=colspan,2][style=margin-left: 25px; border-left: 3px solid #555555; margin-top: -10px; padding: 20 2 40 12; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px; font-family: helvetica; line-height: 14px; color: #a09891; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #111111;] Her bright smile coated her face as she began to walk towards you with Angelo in tow behind her. She clasped her small hands behind her back whilst picking up her walking pace to a jog to catch up. You knew that the only transport off Balamb was by train or boat and both of those options departed from the town of Balamb. Rinoa flicked a few strands of her long dark hair away from her face and over her back. Her black boots squeaked against the clean laminate flooring of the Garden especially as she was almost running up to you. The young Diplomat slid through the barriers and out into the exterior of Balamb Garden, she quickly walked past the other students and straight to the exit. Rinoa glanced back to you letting her eyes run up and down your body until she realised you could see her. She twisted her head back around to watch where she was going, she felt her cheeks flush a bright pink but tried so hard to ignore it.
"Hmmm well lets get going then."
Rinoa knew she needed to get to Esthar quite quickly not just because of Squall and his exam but there could be someone who needed their assistance, Xu should have everything under control though in theory. The walk into Balamb was quite uneventful and for the first time in a while Rinoa kept quiet. There were so many questions she wanted to ask Squall but it seemed like a bad time. Angelo kept close to her legs and would occassionally brush up against her bare skin. As Rinoa entered Balamb she made straight for the train station and to the ticket attendant. Her hand reached inside her inner pocket on her blue woollen cardigan and she pulled out a few Gil coins. The tickets for Esthar were handed straight over to which Rinoa looked back to you and smiled. She held her gaze on you for a moment and her smile receeded but it wasn't a sad expression. Rinoa snapped her attention back to the task at hand and promptly got aboard the train.
"I wonder how bad it is outside Esthar....I guess we will find out in a few hours."
Rinoa sighed quietly as she pulled back the door of one of the rooms, Angelo ran straight in and promptly laid down beside the sofa. A giggle escaped Rinoa's mouth to which she covered her mouth. Not a bad set up really and at least the journey to Esthar wouldn't be too uncomfortable, this of course was one of the SeeD carriages Rinoa had managed to secure. Thanks Cid. Rinoa twirled around before plonking herself down onto the sofa just next to where Angelo was laid. {OOC: We can skip the train ride if you want and you can start your next post arriving at Esthar if you want. I don't mind either way ^_^}
As Squall continued his walking pace to the gate of the Garden, he couldn't help but watch Rinoa and somewhat take her in as she strolled passed him, easily tracked by the squeak of her boots against the polished floor. She whisked away a few bangs from her face and as she turned to look at him, his eyes immediately and obviously shot away in a different direction; any direction he could find to cut off any hints.
Due to this, he didn't catch her studying him, nor her turning and blushing after her good long look. He sighed it off as he usually did; after her explanation, it was all well and clear they'd either be taking a train or a boat, which meant a long ride filled with questions from basically his polar opposite. He didn't like to share information and that wasn't exactly a rare fact to know. He kept people out, and he deeply coerced himself into being happy that way. Rinoa pushed her way through the gate and Squall followed suit, stopping to explain why he was taking his weapon outside of Garden with him.
Given clearance, he walked through the gate and followed after Rinoa, speeding up his walk so as to give her evidence he could keep up with energy yet just chose not to. Suddenly though, he noticed a change; the peppy girl had gone silent, and the smallest little voice in his head wanted her to talk, just not to ask questions about him personally. He followed her to the train station, observing her walking straight up to withdraw a few Gil from a pocket to pay for two train tickets. Alright, that had done it he had to admit; he really didn't expect her to pay for the tickets, and he felt sort of bad.
Were she perceptive, she may have been able to use this observed feeling to get an answer or two out of him on the train, as evidenced by a visible frown. It wasn't sad, but as she held a smile back at him, his eyes showed a bit of confusion. Her smile faded and she boarded the train. Squall held back for a few moments to explain why he was carrying Revolver with him, explaining it was for official SeeD business pertaining to a field mission exam, and was granted reluctant clearance. For a moment, he sort of wished he would have brought Revolver's case along but quickly dismissed there wasn't anything he could do about it now.
He didn't exactly know how to answer her question, so he just let off a slight shrug, Revolver bouncing off his shoulder with the movement. Most of the rooms were occupied, and he didn't feel extremely comfortable having to possibly share a cabin with the girl he'd just met. She opened the door and plopped down to sit with her canine companion, and Squall followed in after her after speaking to one of the attendants on board the train about notifying him if a cabin was open near hers.
Despite being told there were very likely none vacant, he still somewhat hoped on it just to avoid a long conversation for the ride. He walked in with a sigh after that and shut the door behind him, laying Revolver to rest up against the window in a tucked-in-by-furniture corner. He sat down as well, giving a quick look to Rinoa and then Angelo. He reached out slowly with his palm open to the canine, trying to look as gentle as he could. If the animal responded positively, he'd give it a small scratch behind the ears then pull back slowly and look out the window.
((I was sort of thinking he may open up and answer a question or two, then skip the rest of the ride? If that sounds like a fun idea to you, of course!)) [/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 310px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;]CODED BY ACRYLIK ON BTN![/style]
[atrb=colspan,2][style=margin-left: 25px; border-left: 3px solid #555555; margin-top: -10px; padding: 20 2 40 12; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px; font-family: helvetica; line-height: 14px; color: #a09891; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #111111;] Angelo sniffed at Squall's open hand before licking it gently, he pulled away and then laid down at Rinoa's feet. Rinoa smiled at the quick exchange between man and dog, it was nice to see Angelo so relaxed around someone new. She closed her legs tightly and then rested her hands on her knees, she rocked a little on the seat going back and forth. Rinoa was actually trying to think of something to say to make this feel less awkward. Her long dark hair swayed back and forth as she moved; her dark eyes scanned the carpeted floor slowly making their way back to Squall. Rinoa caught her breath as she looked to him before quickly turning her head to look out of the window.
"So...how did you end up at Balamb Garden."
Personal much?! Rinoa knew full well it was personal but this guy needed to lighten up! He looked so tense and frigid as if the slightest thing could set him off. Taking a deep breath Rinoa turned her body and face towards Squall, she scanned him quickly again before returning her gaze to his face.
Well, that was sort of unexpected. Then again, it had been a while since Squall had been around any sort of animal. They were somewhat taboo in Garden with all the training and service going on, and not only were they generally frowned upon owning, a lot of students opted out of the responsibility anyway with their busy class schedules and mission departures. Squall had read in a magazine before that dogs and other animals can, in a way, pick up on what their owners and people they grow attached to really feel; he didn't like the thought of the dog somehow tipping Rinoa off to his real feelings, as it seemed pretty smart. He had no qualms about her bringing the canine along, but it did mean they had that much more to keep safe and look after. He watched the dog as it curled up at its owner's feet, pulling his hand back slowly to rest back on his lap as he stared out of the window.
''...You didn't have to pay for the tickets.'' Yep, he still felt kinda bad about that. Closed off as he was, he still liked to believe he was a gentleman, though she didn't exactly give him time to react to the situation as she had picked up her pace right past him at the station. He watched as her legs closed together tightly and her hands fell to them, and she began rocking slowly back and forth. He'd hoped he didn't make her feel too awkward, as if she had offended him by the gesture or some such. He decided to reply quickly before she spoke her mind. ''...Thanks.'' That was probably the first ''nice'' thing he'd said this entire trip, but he shrugged it off. It meant a lot coming from him. He watched as her eyes scanned along the floor, then slowly rolled their way up to look at him. He looked back, his eyes investigative as to what was on her mind. She probably had a question or two, and he was just waiting for her to spill them out so he could play another game of dodging around them like he always did.
Her head turned to look out of the window, as did his as he followed suit quickly, trying not to let on anything unwarranted by his questioning gaze. She asked how he'd ended up at the Garden, and to be honest, he couldn't completely remember everything. It was strange, and it was something he never really thought about. He put a palm to his head trying to remember as his eyes squinted, but he couldn't make out everything and it brought a small thud to his chest from a sudden jolt of his heart. He should have been able to remember! ''...Well. I've been at the Garden since I was a little kid. A lot of us were. It's really nothing special. I showed up with a few other kids, actually. But...well, I mean, they did take good care of us.'' That was about all he could offer; for some reason, his memory wouldn't reach back any further than that and it really bothered him.
He watched as she turned her body and gazed directly at him, as if to ask a more serious question. Angry? He couldn't exactly call it angry. It all boiled down to his lifestyle, and the way he'd convinced himself he liked to live it. No attachments, no friends, no social...anything. Deep, deep down, he didn't want it to be that way, but through years of telling himself he did, he'd shut that little nagging voice right up. Right as he was about to reply with a classic ''it's none of your business'', he stopped himself as his mouth opened, changing his reply. She did deserve to know at least a little about him, especially if they were working together, but he promised himself then and there he wasn't going to let on much. ''Growing up, I learned the only person you can depend on is yourself. Friends, family, anything...in the end, you're alone one way or another.'' And there it was. His eyes cast down to the floor, but he didn't look sad; in fact, he looked pretty adamant in his belief of that statement.
Maybe it was the closed-off surroundings and the relaxation of the train ride, the calm before the storm of his SeeD Exam he may or may not fail, but it almost felt good to let something, anything, off of his chest right now. He slowly rolled his head back up to look at her, as if expecting her to call the statement ridiculous.[/style] [STYLE=float:right; background-color: #000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #ffffff; width: 310px; ; letter-spacing: 2.5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;]CODED BY ACRYLIK ON BTN![/style]
[atrb=colspan,2][style=margin-left: 25px; border-left: 3px solid #555555; margin-top: -10px; padding: 20 2 40 12; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px; font-family: helvetica; line-height: 14px; color: #a09891; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #111111;] Rinoa didn't stir whilst Squall explained his most inner thoughts and feelings to her, she couldn't even take her eyes from him. There was something....just something that kept her hanging on his every word. Her lips and mouth became dry all of a sudden and she found it difficult to moisten her mouth. Rinoa could feel her heart beat quickening, it wasn't even just quickening it felt like it was about to burst through her chest. She let Squall finish what he had to say before she took a sharp breath inwards. She was able to tear her gaze away from him finally and look down to the ground, she felt almost bad that was his response. He seemed so cold but...the reason behind it seemed so sad. Rinoa shook her head lightly so her lond dark hair fell behind her shoulders. She looked to him and smiled faintly.
"For what's worth...you can depend on me no matter what.."
Rinoa reached out and gently placed her slender hand onto his knee. Her cheeks immediately flushed a bright pink and she quickly pulled away. Angelo stirred in his sleep which gave Rinoa a reason to shift herself from the sofa and up onto her feet. She walked towards the window and leant forward to look out of it.
{We can start a new thread on Esthar since that's where we are heading or keep it in this one.}
[/style][style=font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: #010101; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-top: -85px; margin-left: 55px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: 200!important;]Be my knight..[/style][style=font-family: helvetica; font-size: 40px; color: #cccccc; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 20px; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #000000; margin-left: 25px; border-left: 3px solid #555555; margin-top: -17px; padding-top: 40px; padding-left: 10px; padding-bottom: 20px;]Rinoa
"Oh wait I need to get Angelo...wait right there!"
