Chapter 8: A Partner for the Ball

[Lawric]

Lawric finally arrived at the table with the fries. He paused in front of Jaime's tray, remembering the way she'd wolfed her food down right before she left, almost as if she knew he was interested in it. Brat. Even if she didn't do it intentionally, he decided the adjective fit. He slid the tray over, putting the fries in it's place and sitting down right across from Jun.

She must have been laughing only moments ago, the traces of a smile still lingered on her lips. He glanced between Zacke, Stella, and Hadrian, who all seemed to be enjoying their conversation. He looked away and took a drink of his tea.

[Jun Rayden Jaime]

Jun looked across distractedly as Lawric started setting down the fries, pushing Jaime's tray away in the process, before turning back to listen in on Zacke's reply, smirking a little.

In a way, I'm glad this is all a good distraction for him. Her smirk faded, glancing at Zacke's face and finding no trace of his earlier troubles. She glanced across at Lawric. Now that was not the face of a person part of a happy lunch group, more of an ¡§I-wish-I-wasn¡¦t-here¡¨ one. She knew that wasn¡¦t a great feeling at all, having been victim to it in her earlier cadet days when she was called an Instructor¡¦s pet and forced to lunch with a group of Trepies who thought she was one as well.

¡§Oh, I thought you went to get something else?¡¨ Jun asked him, attempting to create some riveting conversation, but failing to think of anything good. ¡§Nothing caught your appetite? Oh here¡K¡¨ She dug into her pocket and slid a few gil across to him. ¡§For the fries, I can¡¦t just accept free food without feeling like a free-loader.¡¨

-----

"Vaaaaan!" Jaime's voice travelled across the air and a whirl of blond hair rushed past Rayden, pulled at Van and tugged her past him. "What took you guys so lo--" Jaime paused, was silent for a while before laughing boisterously. "AHAHAHAHAHHA if Deo sees himself being carried by a guy he would die of shame ahahahahah! Come on Van we gotta tell Lawric about this! I wish we had a cam-corder!" With that, she quickly linked arms with her friend and started leading her at top speed towards the cafeteria.

Rayden stared at them, before looking down at Gemma.

"Well that's perky for you." He grinned, slowing down to walk beside her.

"So." He glanced down at Gemma with twinkling eyes. "Have you asked anyone to the ball? Or are you going with your brother?"

[Lawric]

"Oh, I thought you went to get something else? Nothing caught your appetite?"

Lawric looked across at Jun. "Oh, I'm okay--"

"Oh here," She dug into her pocket and slid a few gil across to him. "For the fries, I can't just accept free food without feeling like a free-loader."

He pressed his fingers over the gil and slid it back to her, shaking his head a little. "Don't worry about it, it's only a few. And I wouldn't feel right taking the money from you." he smirked. "I was raised in a house full of women. And now I live with Jaime and Van. Whether I like it or not, I have been brainwashed into living chivalrously."

He leaned against the back of his chair. "Anyway, let's say the fries are a treat from me. To make up for my friends wanting to pawn off your precious blade." he laughed. "They're not money-grubbing degenerates, you know... we were just under some hard financial times when I found the sword. Everyone saw it as a way to escape some of our troubles." he shrugged. "Trying to wage a campaign against Adel without a SeeD salary under you isn't easy."

Suddenly, he realized how rude he sounded. "Ahh, not that I think it was easy for you... " he averted his gaze anxiously. You moron.

[Polaris Lyn]

Lying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling wasn’t exactly the most productive—or healthy—thing she could be doing at the moment. She wasn’t even thinking anymore—a static had settled over her brain, making her thoughts fuzzy and discordant. Her thoughts jumped around, from Tomoe to “I cared about you” to “You’ve been removed from the Trinity mission, effective immediately” and hundreds of other things, a cacophony of mental noise that made her wince and throw her arm over her eyes. She wasn’t sure whether she was better off now or before; before she had been ignorant and curious and now she was informed and just…

Just what, exactly? What had happened, happened, and there was no point lounging around, wrapped around a pillow, and moping about it like she was some teenage girl with superficial problems. There was a something else, and that something else that was bothering her had bright blue eyes.

She swore and turned on her side, hair falling over her face, and she had a distant thought that her uniform was going to get wrinkled. She wasn’t thinking at all, was she? Polaris sighed and tried to focus on something else, but she couldn’t—the mission was finished and there was no other goal. She had always been driven, back during the war…but the war was over, so what was she to do now? She had just wanted Adel gone—who didn’t?—but now that the goal she had worked towards for years was finally accomplished…there was nothing left for her to do. The inactivity was getting to her, and it hadn’t even been a week.

She had wanted to go home after Adel—but that home, Esthar, belongs to Tomoe Sephirot, and that wasn’t who she was anymore. Polaris wondered if she should be mad at Zacke—except she couldn’t really blame him for what he did. He cared, and that was strange, but it was a reason behind his actions. He hadn’t known what she would do after, had he? So it wasn’t his fault.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault at all. Just hers. She couldn’t see it any other way.

Polaris sighed, hair fluttering against her mouth, and closed her eyes.

Life was tiring.

[stardust]

*BANGS FRYING PAN*

TADA! WELCOME REESE AMAERICK!! *friendship hugs* XD
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The brisk footsteps Stardust made echoed through the hallway that led to the infirmary. She thought she would feel nervous and would be lost on what to say to him, but it didn't seem that way. She was ready to face him---not as a DotNA spy, but as a comrade. She would be the first SeeD to recognize that. There was no anger, none, even if she willed it. This time, it was different--different from when he had last spoke to her. She had it realized the moment she thought she was going to lose him. It wasn't a daydream anymore.

The door of the infirmary automatically opened and Dr. Kadowaki's white coat was the first thing she saw. The amount of paperwork she was working on was enormous. "My, my," she said fondly, turning to face at her. "I take it you've heard what happened?"

"Sort of." Stardust curtly nodded. "How is he?"

"You're just in time. Rinoa's powers have truly exceeded my expectations this time. Along with the other injured SeeDs, Amaerick's recovery was remarkable, he should be regaining consciousness any minute now."

Stardust looked at Reese's cubicle. "Really..."

"What exactly happened to Rinoa back there?" asked the doctor curiously.

"She made a wish," she answered simply, moving past Kadowaki towards the cubicle at the back.

Pushing the curtains aside, the familiar figure welcomed her as always. However this time, his life support system was nowhere in sight. Reese was merely lying there, sleeping peacefully.

She pulled up a chair and sat beside his bed.

"Uhm..." she muttered, sitting properly. After a few minutes worth of silence, Stardust's proper sitting position was gone. Was Dr. Kadowaki lying to her?

Is he really going to wake up? Somehow, she wondered. Blinking, she leaned closer and pressed a finger on his cheek.

That was right. She was wide awake. Looking at all the things she learned from this person sleeping before her, Stardust was genuinely happy to see him back. There was no doubt about it. Reese was a friend. A very dear friend.

/You...surprise me./ Diwata said.

[vanesse]

"Oh it's Rayden, babe. But if you fancy calling me Randy I'm fine by it."

The smile on Vanesse's face disappeared when Rayden corrected her. She had just gotten his name wrong!

His name is Rayden, Paridge! What have you done? No wonder Randy sounded off. She wondered if he was pissed. He seemed to be smiling.

/Correction. What have YOU done./ Paridge defended, cackling.

"Sor--Sorryyyy!" she stammered, suddenly feeling guilty.

Around the same time, Gemma came into view saying she could come with her to the infirmary. She looked like an angel to her at that moment. She turned to Rayden who decided to sling the sleeping Deo on his shoulders, staggering a little.

"Let's go," said Rayden and started leading the way. Vanesse followed obediently and stood beside him and Gemma. She snuck a quick glance Rayden's way. That was a feat, Vanesse noted, to be able to lift Deo on your shoulders was definitely a feat. Deo wouldn't be so happy once he wakes up. she thought. But oh well... She started grinning. Sometimes, it's good to have shoulders to hang on.

As they near the cafeteria, Jaime met them halfway. The next thing she knew, her friend was voicing her thoughts about Deo with fits of laughter. It was contagious and Vanesse had to laugh.

"I know! We really should have a cam----CORDEEEERR!!" she shouted suddenly as soon as Jaime dragged her towards the cafeteria, leaving Deo, Rayden and Gemma behind.

The next thing she knew, they were at the cafeteria. The smell of food was intoxicating. "Ahh, Jaime. I'm getting weak knees." Vanesse panted. "Must have food...."

[Rayden Jaime Jun]

"Okay then, thanks for your threat." Jun took back her gil, stuffing them into her pocket. "Yo, everyone, treat yourself to fries, his treat!" She pointed at Lawric, not knowing what to think, the expression on her face blank. On the one hand, his was a nice gesture, but Jun still wasn't used to it, especially when her self-bred sense of manners dictated that one shouldn't receive stuff without paying in kind...or something to that effect.

She listened to him explain about how he'd cultivated his sense of chivlary, which somehow extended to the difficulties of being a cash-strapped Opps.

"Well you're right, it must be rather hard to survive without a regular source of income." She smiled to show that she wasn't offended at all. "But I think when you get paid as a SeeD, your freedom is sacrificed...and any sense of good temper flies out the window. I can see all of you Opps are easy-going people. While we...well...you'll see for yourself." She grinned.

----------------

Jaime nodde at Van.

"Alright Van, go grab you food. I have to raise the alarm hahaha." She sprinted ahead towards their old table and stopped just short of it.

"Lawric, you have to see what happened to Deooooo AHAHHAHA." She said across at him loudly, pointing towards the entrance where Rayden was starting to come in together with Gemma.


"Ahhh quick grab your food!" someone shouted at the sight of Rayden striding into the cafeteria, carrying Deo on his back. "The bottomless stomach pit is here, and he has another growth on his back! He's gonna wipe out all the food now!" There was a maddening rush at the cafeteria spread, the norm by now whenever Rayden was around.

Rayden rolled his eyes.

"These people are soooo fond of exaggerating." He muttered at Gemma, hoping that her impression of him wasn't replaced as a 'bottomless stomach pit'. "I merely have a healthy appetite."

[Hadrian D'arcell]

"As for you...you get to finish ALL of that." Jun had gone from giggly to scary by just saying that line. She also said somethng about the ten gils he owed her. However, he had no recollection of such things. Out of all Jun's orders and demands, the only comeback Hadrian could think of was, "Yes, ma'am." He shouldn't have just messed with her. What was he thinking?

/Alert. Confirmed debt of 20 gils present in Corpora Quadrigemina's memory bank./ CQ reminded.

Whatever. Stop referring to yourself in third person every damn time, he thought, boredly munching at the chocolate cake as the conversation ensued around him again. It seemed like Lawric was back with fries. The scenario just reminded him of when Jun asked him to buy her a fish burger, fries, and soda. But, it didn't matter. He just told himself he had no memory of the ten gils.

"Your on Hady" Stella caught his attention this time. "I'll ask Celestial Ashes to dance at the ball and call her just that. So you better have that 50 gil ready." With Zacke, Hadrian was sure he wouldn't be mean enough to do it so he knew he would get those fifty, but this look on Stella's face looked risky. She would do it.

In a hurry to cancel what he just said, he swallowed a piece of chocolate cake without chewing. Reflexively, Hadrian's fist pounded his chest, and he consecutively coughed harshly. Of all the things to block his airway, why chocolate cake?

Wa...water! He tapped the table repeatedly, looking as if he was dying. Gimme...water! I'm gon' die.... His eyes wildly scanned the table.

[Stella]

Stella was becoming very practiced at ignoring people. Maybe she should get an award of some kind. Best ignorer in the whole of Balamb Garden. She glanced over at Hady seeing his face slowly turning an interesting shade of red. She looked down at her soda with a coy little smile on her face.

"Dang Hady, always in need of a girl to rescue you" She ribbed him. Then with a grin slid the can down to him. Couldn't let him choke to death after all he'd be owing her 50 gil soon enough. Then she turned her attention back to Zacke with a shake of her head.

"Cool? Honestly?" Stella responded taking another bite of her pizza as she gazed across the table at Zacke. "Not always, when I'm on a mission I'm usually all business. But I guess that's how SeeDs are supposed to be. Can't help it really but I you must know how that is.... I guess"

She shrugged reaching out to grab another fry trying to remember if anyone had actually told her if Zacke was Seed or not. Well he must have been something or else they wouldn't have let him wander around like this.

"But Adel is dead and we're alive, if that isn't reason to celebrate I don't know what is" Stella continued giving him a meaningful look and a pretty smile.

"And tonight at the ball, you owe me a dance" she said giving Zacke a wink.

[Zacke]

LMAO I LOVE CQ.

and Rayden XD

---

"A dance? What, the fries aren't enough?" Zacke smirked. "Well, I guess I can pencil you in for one."

He lifted his bottle of water and set it down on the table in front of Hadrian. "If that's better than using soda, feel free."

He looked back at Stella. "Yeah, anyway, I don't think all SeeD are necessarily all-business while on the mission. I try not to be like that actually." He laughed. "Maybe that's why pinkhead hates me. She's all-business all-the-time." he rolled his eyes.

Thinking of Stardust again triggered thoughts of another person he hadn't even considered since he'd come back in contact with the team. He glanced to his side. "Hey, Jun, where's Reese? Did you guys find out where the hell he went and why he ditched us?"

[Lawric]

and omg I love Jaime XD "AHAHAHA" hahah she's so cutely obnoxious. like that loud friend that's always slightly embarrassing but at the same time you feel bad for her cos she doesn't know she's that loud and she can't control it XD

---

"Lawric, you have to see what happened to Deooooo AHAHHAHA."

Lawric frowned in confusion and turned his head at the sound of what had to be the most distinct laugh known to humanity. Jaime. He resisted the urge to smack his palm against his forehead as half of the cafeteria turned to see what the blonde-haired girl was so excitedly yelling about.

He couldn't help but smirk though, when he looked past Jaime's shoulder and at the door, to find some unfamiliar guy--Jaime and Van must know him--hauling a sleeping Deo in on his back.

Oh Hyne, I should have known... he mentally groaned.

He stood up and brushed past Jaime and Van, inwardly sighing as he weaved through tables and people and finally made his way over to Rayden. Man, Deo...

"Hey, thanks for helping the girls with this sloth." he said as he approached. "I can take him off your hands... he's a friend of mine."

[junkuroki]

Hahaha yeah someone should tell Jaime to tone down.
-----

"Zacke, are you sure you didn't ask for all that hatin'?" Jun cocked an eyebrow towards her blonde teammate, feeling the need to defend the absent Stardust. "You're always calling her names like, I dunno, Celestial Ashes. And you know Stardust better than I do, she's like all hell-bent on the mission and you crack jokes at her expense, no wonder she doesn't have much teammate love for you." She shrugged. "I suspect the only one who can make fun of her and not get a black face is Reese."

Her expression darkened at the mention of Reese, and even more so when Zacke asked about him, and his reason for ditching them.

"I'm really confused about Reese." Jun sighed heavily, putting a hand to her forehead. "Apparently he's...was the Dotna spy on the team all along. I really couldn't believe that..." Her voice dipped even lower. "But then when we started on the Ruby mission, he was found comatose by one of Garden's patrols. Dotna scum abandoned him there after injecting him with some kind of...I dunno, virus or drug or something. Fighting for his life, Xu said. He's still in the infirmary as we speak, and they hadn't come up with a cure for him so far." She frowned. "He probably tried to ditch Dotna...that's the most plausible reason I can think of."


"You're talking about the Dotna spy in the infirmary? I overheard Headmaster Leonhart saying that he's been cured by Sorceress Rinoa." Rayden butted in, having been relieved of his human burden with a small thanks to Lawric.

Jun stared up at him, then back at Zacke.

"That's a relief." She sighed again. "You think we should visit him?"

--------------------

Somebody tell Jun not to be nosy, cos Stardust wants a cosy reunion with Reese XD

[Hadrian D'arcell]

Bah XD
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After downing both water and soda given by Zacke and Stella, Hadrian momentarily thought that maybe true friends existed. He seriously thought he was going to die back there. Stella was saying something to him a while ago, but it didn't register. He scowled. He was done with the chocolate cake.

He heard some noise from across the table and was suddenly taken aback by the sight of Deo hanging loosely on Lawric's shoulder. He was sleeping like a log.

This... He stared at the scene. This is one of those moments. He finally learned his lesson when they faced Adel. He would never part with it again. Pulling out his camcorder, he silently grinned as he recorded the scene. He zoomed in on Deo's sleeping face then to the laughing faces of Jaime and Vanesse.

"You're talking about the Dotna spy in the infirmary? I overheard Headmaster Leonhart saying that he's been cured by Sorceress Rinoa." Hadrian overhead Rayden despite the small commotion. He raised an eyebrow.

DoTNA spy?

"That's a relief." Jun sighed. "You think we should visit him?"

What the hell is that? He slyly glanced at Zacke and Jun in between recording. They wanted to visit an Adel worshipper.

"Sorry to interrupt, but..." Hadrian said, his light tone was starting to sound serious. "Why would you want to visit a DoTNA?"

[Zacke]

NOOOO I LOVE HER SHE'S ADORABLE. don't tone it down Jaime!! there's enough grumps in this RP already >_<

---

Zacke frowned slightly as he listened to Jun. Whatever he'd said moments ago about not being all-business was now completely forgotten; his face said he was now in full SeeD mode.

DotNA spy? Are you kidding me?

"But then when we started on the Ruby mission, he was found comatose by one of Garden's patrols." Jun continued. Zacke's eyebrows raised. "Dotna scum abandoned him there after injecting him with some kind of...I dunno, virus or drug or something. Fighting for his life, Xu said."

He looked down at his tray, breaking his gaze but still listening intently. "He probably tried to ditch Dotna...that's the most plausible reason I can think of."

He nodded slowly, trying to wrap his mind around everything she had said. Wow. he thought. Unbelievable. The guy was pretty moody and antisocial, but Zacke had never pegged him as a potential threat. Especially given his ambiguous relationship with Stardust--who was always so hell-bent and paranoid about the mission. He was sure she couldn't have made such a drastic error in character judgment. Reese was pretty much the only one she didn't lash out at.

Now that the ugly truth was out, he didn't know how to feel about any of it, or how he should regard Reese. He actually didn't feel much at all. Maybe he should be mad? But the fact that Reese had been left to die somewhere and was now fighting to live kind of dissipated that anger. Not because Zacke was saintly sympathic--just because there wouldn't be much point in hating him now. And anyway, in the end, Reese hadn't done anything detrimental to the mission. Yeah, he had lied to them the whole time, and that ticked Zacke off. But as far as unforgivable sin... whatever Reese had been planning, he had obviously screwed it up somehow before he had the chance to pull it off. There's no way the guy would intentionally turn against DotNA if he knew what they'd do to him, right?

"You're talking about the Dotna spy in the infirmary? I overheard Headmaster Leonhart saying that he's been cured by Sorceress Rinoa." Zacke glanced up at Rayden, then shared a look with Jun.

"That's a relief." Jun sighed. He could tell the whole situation was vexing for her, which did bother him a little. Jun shouldn't worry herself over an unsavory person like Reese. "You think we should visit him?"

Zacke glanced at Hadrian. He turned back to Jun, overlooking the guy's question for the time being. "I don't really have anything to say to the guy, Jun." he paused and gave a sigh. "And anyway, there's no way Mrs. Leonhart did that just to be nice. I bet Garden wants to interrogate him. I think we should stay out of it for now."

[Gemma Ridean]

Crossing over towards the cafeteria lines, Gemma reached over the counter to grab one of the many shiny black trays and a set of silverware. Pretending to ignore the flirtatious blonde's last comment about her going to the SeeD ball with Jax, she simply rolled her eyes and continued to peruse through the assortment of food that Balamb Garden had to offer.

Glancing over towards her companion, she couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Deo sprawled over on Rayden's back. It was almost endearing, actually, the way the latter would check every now and then to see if the other was slipping off or not.

Picking up a set of silver tongs, she was about to take a juicy plum when suddenly--

"Ahhh quick grab your food! The bottomless stomach pit is here, and he has another growth on his back! He's gonna wipe out all the food now!"

It might as well been as if the Abominable Malboro had just walked into the room. Within seconds, all those in line ahead of her had frantically dashed back to their seats, shoveling as much food as they could into their mouths-- apparently, before a certain someone could get to it.

Raising an eyebrow, she turned around to face the culprit.

"Well at least you got rid of the lines."

He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head in exasperation. "

"These people are soooo fond of exaggerating." Moving closer, he muttered, "I merely have a healthy appetite."

"Oh really?" Gemma snorted between spurts of laughter. "From the looks of this crowd, I would have thought you were a Wendingo. Oh and by the way." She suddenly smiled sweetly.

"I will not be attending the ball with my brother. So lucky for you, it looks like he's still available."