Chapter 8: A Partner for the Ball

[Lex]

"I'm always so accident-prone, can't help it when I'm such a petite girl."

Zacke raised an eyebrow, unable to keep from smirking. The smirk became a laugh when Jun barked at the girl to get out of her way and hurriedly left the cafeteria. Now he was left here with this girl...

"Umm, sorry about your lunch." he managed awkwardly, the smile still lingering on his face. "Ahh... excuse me." He moved away from the girl and back toward their lunch table.

He noticed the trolley of food sitting beside the table as he approached. He looked at it curiously. "Is that a gift, or what? Someone want to buy us all lunch?" He glanced at Rayden curiously, wondering if he was the delivery boy or something.

---

Lawric's gaze snapped away from the elevator when he noticed someone shove open the cafeteria doors a little too violently. His eyebrows raised when he noticed it was Jun--and even more so when he noticed her shirt.

Balamb Garden has the funkiest food. He thought as she passed. He couldn't even tell what it was she had spilled on her shirt. It looked really gross, though.

He looked back at Van and smirked. "So, you dragged Deo downstairs all by yourself, huh? Aww, poor little Van... " he teased, reaching out and mussing her hair.

---

The message on Jun's computer read as follows.

From: April Loving; [e-mail]
To: SeeD Jun Kuroki; [e-mail]
Cc:
Subject: EEEEEEEEE!!!

Jun! Ohmigosh! ADEL IS DEAD!!

Wow! I am, like, in total shock. I am so proud of you! I mean, I know we didn't get off to a good start, with the whole kidnapping thing and all... yeah sorry about that! But it's all good, amirite?! You know I love you chica!! Anyways, I just wanted to give you my congratulations! I'm so bummed, I can't come to the Ball! Thanks to Travis and David, I can't ever show my face in a Garden again. ;_; We're "criminals." WHATEVS. I guess as long as I stick with him, I'm safe, but I miss my freedom! You know? No shopping lately! BAH! >_< And he's such a crank. He doesn't even think it's smart to send this e-mail, but what do men know? Teehee ^_^

So how are you? How does it feel to be a hero?? HEROINE! Are you a celebrity yet?! Does everyone want your autograph?! GAWD life is probably awesome. I'm sooo jealous! We should have tea sometime! I promise not to drug you!! L0Lz.

Well, me and Travis are holed up somewheres in Esthar right now. I can't really give you the info over cyberspace, but if you ever really do wanna do the tea thang, let me know and maybe we could meet up somewhere! And tell the rest of those wild SeeD people you run with I said hi! I'm sure they'll be SOooOooO happy to hear from ME! HAH!

Always and Eva,

Ap Love~

---

*gags self* I think I got all the April Loving left in my system out of me, in that one post. >.O

[Stella]

Stella shrugged and stood up tossing her hair over her shoulder. Too much drama for her here. Talk about being insensitive.

"I'll see you guys later" She said as she picked up her tray and put it away. One the way out of the cafeteria she grabbed another soda and headed to her room.

[junkuroki]

Jun blinked at the email in surprise. April Loving? That was the last person she'd expect to receive mail from. But she couldn't help grinning at April's exuberance and energy, and just burst out laughing at some of the parts.


She started to reply.

Miss April,

Well that was a heck of a surprise. You always did manage to surprise me, but this is a nice one for a change, haha (j/k). I'm glad you and Trav and everyone else are okay. Send my regards to Mr. Granpa Trav, will you? And to David, Steffen, Labrynn well you know, the whole lot of you guys. I seriously thought you guys had perished in the Advelo fire. How did you manage to get out? NOW you have me excited and curious as well haha.

Life is okay, I suppose. I'm all elated that Adel's dead, and we have a ball coming up to honour the people who sacrificed themselves. I wish you were here. If you and Trav turn up I would cut in between you guys hahahaa. Yeah I was always an annoying gooseberry between the two of you wasn't I? Sorry about that, but I couldn't leave on my own.

I would love to take up your offer for tea, so like if you spot me in the street just holler XD I'll be sure to bring a box of les chocolate turtles!

Lots of Love,
Jun

P.S Hey, how are things between you and Trav? ^.^
P.S.S Tell David I have his poem. HAHAHA.

[Diego Stanton]

"Deo! What happened to you! You decided to take a shower in the fountain? Yuck, they have fishie droppings in there you know?" Jaime scolded lightly.

"Well... why didn't anybody wake me up???" Deo retorted as he pulled himself out of the water, knowing full well that trying to wake him was near impossible. He remembered the time Van had to carry him out of the Opps's headquarters while he slept through an earthquake and that time he accidentally lit the house on fire but didn't notice on the account that he was sleeping.

"Lawric... you have to tell me what it feels like to be dead. I mean I always had theories" he started rambling as he wrung out his jacket. "But--"

"DON'T---- CAUTION TAPE---- JACKASSES!!!!--- ELP-- M--- I'M --- KILL THE TECH CREW!!!!!!! F---- CK!!!!!"

Deo looked over to the elevator, which was drawing quite a crowd. seeD cadets were whispering to each other, trying to stare though the holes of the elevator to see what was going on in there. Nothing was audible coming from the elevator now but the word "kill."

Deo watched with curiosity. Without warning, small balls of orange flame began shooting through the holes in the elevator, almost singing the tips of Deo's hair. The seeD cadets began screaming and scattering off. One of the flames shot straight though his jacket, leaving a big, smoking gap.

"HOLY CRAP!" Deo yelled and grabbed Van, Lawric and Jaime simultaneously plunging all of them into the fountain water. He cautiously peeked over the top of the water at the elevator.

"I dare you to go check it out," he elbowed Lawric in the ribs. Since his mouth was still in the water it came out more like "Uhh duhhh yugugu chguguhgh ghshgglub."

[Lawric]

HAHAHA fire shooting out of the holes XD uh oh Blaze busted out the Firagas

---

"HOLY CRAP!" Deo yelled. Before Lawric could even process what Deo was HOLY CRAP!-ing about, he was grabbed by the arm and violently yanked off balance, inevitably falling over the stone barrier that surrounded the fountain and right into the fishie-poo water.

WHAT THE--

His calves still hung over the edge of the fountain, but his whole head and torso were submerged. He tried to push himself to the surface but on the first try his hands slid over the gil coating the bottom of the fountain, causing him to slip back under with a loud splash.

He came back up again, gasping, his hair plastered to his face and obscuring his vision. He heard Deo garble something incomprehensible--something about a dare--and jab him in the ribs, which brought on a cough. He spat out a mouthful of the chlorine-treated water and pushed his sopping hair out of his face.

He glanced around, and noticed the girls coughing and sputtering and climbing out of the fountain as well. Van and Jaime too?!

"Man, Deo," he groaned and pushed himself out of the fountain and stood. He was soaked from head to knees. "I don't mean to sound like Sig, but you seriously need to work on finding a happy medium between comatose and tweaked out." He pulled at his shirt, which was now sticking to his chest in a very annoying way. "And what were you saying about a dare? I know you don't think I'm going to go try to communicate with the Fire-Breathing Elevator Dragon... "

[Jaime]

Jaime was staring dumbly at the elevator door when someone pushed her into the water, and a lot of it ran up her nose when she had been caught unawares by the sudden lack of oxygen and forgot that humans couldn't inhale under water. She tried hauling herself up quickly, almost slipping under when her feet slid on the slippery floor of the fountain, but quickly caught her hands on the barrier. Stepping out with one foot, then the other carefully, she stood there dripping wet, coughing up the water and feeling more uncomfortable and awkward then she ever had been in her life.

"Van!" She realised her friend was still underwater, quickly offering a hand to pull her up.

"Deooooooo!!!" Her own voice and the surrounding sounds were muffled in her waterlogged ears. She tipped her head to the side, and the water started dribbling out. "Deooooooooooooooooo!" She whined even louder now with a fresh vengeance. "What did you think you were doing? I almost drowned there!" She pinched the bridge of her nose, attempting to ease the throbbing with no avail.

Then she heard Lawric speaking about a dare.

"Deo should be the one to go check it out." Jaime pouted, pointing a finger at Deo. "If you want me to forgive you for making all of us look like a mess of seaweed!"

[Rayden]

Rayden gasped at Hadrian with mock horror.

"Of course this doesn't belong to the cafeteria lady! It's mine! The first lesson any self-respecting glutton should learn is to be well-quipped. I can't have plates of food dropping all over the floor, it's a blasphemy." He said firmly with the air of a well-learned professor. "So next time, bring your own paper to wrap."

He continued placing the plates on the table when one of the new guys--the one with blonde hair like him--came back to the table. He was looking at his food with predatory intent. Rayden met his eyes with the glint of a mother tigress defending her cubs.

"They're mine." He growled, shifting the plates closer to himself and placed a hand in front of them.

Stella stood up and tossed her hair, then left the table.

Rayden glanced after her.

So much for asking her to the ball. He shrugged and continued his ravenous gobbling.

[vanesse]

Aww Lawric is so nice to Van hahaha
-------------------


The 'thing' inside the elevator shot a ball of fire at them and the next thing Vanesse felt was the feel of the cold water suffocating her. She landed down the fountain on her back and couldn't breathe for several seconds. Grasping for air, she accidentally swallowed some of the water.

"....Yuck, they have fishie droppings in there you know?"

Vanesse stopped struggling and miraculously was able to sit up. That wasn't true. Jaime was only teasing Deo. She hadn't been in Garden before. There was no way she could know.

"Yuck, they have fishie droppings in there you know?"

"....fishie droppings in there you know?"

"....fishie droppings...."

"....fishie...."

"....droppings..."

A fat goldfish peacefully swam in front of her.

I...just drank some of it. Her eyes slowly grew wide. Deo and Lawric were already up from the water and planning something, but she couldn't hear their words.

"Ughh....I think I'm going to be sick...." she mumbled, looking like she was going to vomit. Could she run to the bathroom? If she could locate it, that is.

/It's alllll in your mind./

Keep telling yourself that.

[stardust]

Meanwhile, on the "other" world.... XD
-----------------------------------------


DotNA?

Stardust stiffened. Of course, he would want to know. It was only natural.

"DoTNA, they..." she started, and eventually nodded. He wouldn't come back to them. It wasn't in his character. "They ambushed Garden last night and was caught right before we dealt with Adel. I heard Weiss Jong and the other high ranking officials are being imprisoned on the lower levels of Garden." If she didn't come in contact with one of them back at Shumi, her faith in Reese wouldn't have been this strong. "It's just a matter of time before their sentence is exacted on them," she said silently.

Stardust tried to remain an impassive face. She knew Reese was in trouble as well. She didn't want to break this too early, but....

"Since none of the DoTNAs would open their mouths, you were kept alive because Garden wants some answers," she added after a long pause, diverting her gaze to the empty vase beside the bed. "Your sentence depends on how true your answers will be."

[Zacke]

"They're mine."

Zacke cocked an eyebrow at Rayden's possessiveness with his meal. He looked back at the trolley. There's no way he can eat ALL of that... he glanced back at Rayden, who was eating as if he hadn't eaten in days.

He looked back down at his own food. Oookay.

There wasn't as much going on at the table now. Without the company of Jun and Stella, without the drama brought on by that SeeD girl, things had mellowed out to what would be a boring state--if he didn't have things on his mind that kept him from feeling bored.

Tomoe.

/Get a grip, Zackery. That girl has too many problems, and she doesn't want your help with any of them./

He sighed and glanced around for some sort of distraction; the opening to a conversation or something. He noticed Gemma was at their table now. Wow, she looked pretty different. The hair... It looked better like that. He had half a mind to compliment her--but ultimately decided against it.

Iris, I've gotta try to talk to Tomoe. It's going to eat at me until I do.

/Polaris. And waste your time if you want./

He unjunctioned his GF in mild irritation and stood from his chair. "Hey, I'll see you guys around--err, or at the Ball. Whatever." he flashed a grin and lifted his tray, moving away from the table. He dumped the food in a waste receptacle before exiting the cafeteria. What he saw next caused him to slow in his tracks.

"Umm... " Lawric, Van and Jaime, and some guy he hadn't met yet all stood around and in the fountain--all of them soaking. The first thing that popped into his head was, 'Kay, it's not a kiddie pool guys. But he didn't want to be a smartass to Van and Jaime; he already felt sort of awkward around them, due to the heated little exchange that had just taken place at their lunch table moments ago.

He decided to pretend he hadn't noticed and turned away, starting to walk again. Only to stop, again.

What the hell... ?

He frowned at the elevator, which had so many little holes in it, it looked like someone had just stood in front of it and emptied a machine gun. Fire spurted from the holes, garnering a few shrieks out of some of the cadets in the area.

The shooting fire ceased for a moment, and it was then he heard the screaming behind it. Zacke recognized it at once. Blaze. His frown became a smirk. The elevator must have gotten stuck on her, and now instead of waiting patiently--like a good-natured and sane person--Blaze was making herself an exit. Violently.

He shook his head and began moving around the people and caution tape, trying to get past. He had seen enough of Blaze's outbursts to know not to get involved in them if he didn't have to. Still, he couldn't help but...

"Blaziemuffins, hon, don't you worry!" he shouted at the elevator as he passed. "Just sit tight and don't be scared! They're gonna get you outta there real soon!"

He walked away, snickering to himself. Blaziemuffins...

[jaimelewis]

HAHAHAH BLAZIEMUFFINS XD
****************

Jaime stared at Zacke as he strode past them ,pretending not to notice the peculiar situation the four of them Opps were in. In a way, she was glad he didn't stop to point and laugh or anything. If she was the outsider and someone she knew was dripping wet and smelling of fishie poo, she would be sure to bust a gut or have some other internal injury from laughing too much.

He stood before the multi-holed elevator door and called whatever was inside "Blaziemuffins".

Blaziemuffins? She gasped in surprise. So that's what that creature in the elevator was called?

Then Zacke started to walk away from the elevator, smirking as if he'd cracked the biggest joke of the century.

"Wait!" She blocked his way, waving her hands about to get his attention (as if blocking his way wasn't enough). "You know that Firaga-spouting thing inside? Is that your pet? You can't just leave it there it's irresponsible!"

[Zacke]

HAHA waving her arms anyway XD gosh I love this girl

---

"Wait!"

Zacke halted abruptly and took a slight step back when Jaime jumped in front of him, gesturing wildly as if to get his attention. Whoa there--

"You know that Firaga-spouting thing inside? Is that your pet? You can't just walk away that's irresponsible!" she was talking excitedly, and it seemed as if she'd forgotten all about how 'heartless' he was.

He arched an eyebrow, unable to contain a laugh. "Pet?" He glanced back at the fire-spouting elevator doors. "Err, yeah, I guess you could call her that... but she's not mine." He laughed again, looking back at Jaime.

"That's Blaze in there. And yes, I am just walking away. I'm not a fan of third-degree burns." He moved around Jaime and started walking again, this time grinning and shaking his head. Pet... hah, they think you're an animal, Blaze. Classic.

[junkuroki]

"Blaze?" Jaime whipped around to stare at the elevator again disbelievingly, shedding water like a dog with her large movements, to the disgust of a few SeeD spectators nearby.

The yells and screeches and chinks against the elevator door sounded nothing like what a human could make, more like an alien out to take over the world.

"Craaaazy." She made circular motions with her finger on the right side of her head. "Pulling that kind of joke and expecting people to believe?" She snorted, turning back to look at Van. "Right Van? That can't be Bl---what's wrong?" Her friend looked kinda green. And Jaime thought she heard her faintly say that she was going to be sick earlier.

"I'll bring you to the restroom! Hold on to your horses! Think of rainbow skittles and strawberry ice-cream!" She brought her arm around the petite girl's shoulder, ushering her towards the cafeteria.


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


Jun shut down her computer with a sigh. She glanced around her neat room, her gaze falling on the bed. She wasn't tired yet, it was way too early to turn in. But what else could she do now to fill the time? After completing the mission, there seemed to be lots of free time with nothing to do. Go hack the monsters at the Training Centre? She was sick of battles, having that Adel battle yesterday was enough to make her stay away from violence for awhile. She didn't really feel like hiding in the library too, her mind too restless to concentrate on intellectual stuff like that.

Maybe I should...visit Reese? Perhaps Stardie has already ended her visit by now. She told herself. I'll just take a peek, if she's there I won't stay.

Motivated by a purpose in mind, Jun stood up from her chair, and grasped her hand on Tien Nu to sling it on, but hesitated.

Maybe I shouldn't be armed. Might give a wrong impression... She left it carefully on her bed, and exited from her dorm.

She was unaware of Zacke brushing past her with a smirk, and neither was her attention attracted by the small crowd gathered in front of the elevator. Her gaze was constantly drifting, a contrast from her mind which was entirely focused on the 'task' ahead of her.

Finally, she stopped in front of the infirmary door. She stepped in, and greeted Dr. Kadowaki, who was nearly buried in her desk with paperwork.

"Are you injured, dear?" The kindly doctor looked up and asked.

"No, I'm here to see Reese Amaerick."

"Oh?" The doctor was visibly surprised. "Last cubicle at the back."

Jun thanked her, and entered the patient area, not noticing that Dr. Kadowaki seemed to have something else to say.

As she approached the last cubicle, she caught a glimpse of pink hair beside the bed and stopped.

Stardust's still here. She frowned at herself. I should give them more time, they probably need it.

She turned on her heel and started to leave.

---------

Bah what a pointless post -__-

[Blaze Sanaku]

OOC: ROTFLMAO I'M GAGGING ON MY PEACH ICE TEA HERE XDXD hahah my family is in a bit of a crisis right now as my brother ran away and is somewhere lose in Paris sulking so that means I get lots and lots of computer time to myself!! I can finally make a decent post! It's gonna be super long though, I gotta make up for the pages I didn't post LMAO. Hope you don't mind if I bring in a random dude

---

Blaze had waited patiently for half an hour. 30 whole minutes she had waited, pacing around the elevator and muttering curses to herself. She jammed the emergency call button again.

"OPEN THE DOOR!!!!" She barked into it, even though she knew it was out of order.

"You know they won't hear you, you've tried pressing that button at least 20 times by now!! Wow you have so much spirit!" said Melvin in a chirpy voice, eyes bright and watering with adoration. The veins in Blaze's temples throbbed as she turned around to the other junior cadet who had gotten stuck in the elevator with Blaze. She stared at him with a gaze fierce enough to make Melvin flinch and cower behind his huge camera.

"S-s-sorry Miss Sanaku, M--m'am. You know how much I absolutely thank Hyne that I got to be stuck in an elevator with one of YOU guys. An actual, real live Adel destroyer!! YOU'RE SO COOL" Melvin practically squealed with excitement and began clicking him camera dozens of times at Blaze's scowling face.

Blaze closed her eyes and dug her nails into her arms, trying to calm herself down. It had been like this the moment she had entered the elevator with him.



"OH.MY.HYNE!!!!!!! YOU'RE BLAZE SANAKU!!! OHMYHYNEOHMYHYNE CAN I TAKE YOUR PICCIE? Where's Polaris Lynn?? I know she's around when you're around! Ooh and that Stardust Infinity I definitely know you guys don't like each other! I've always wanted to see a Blaze Stardust fight! and Jun Kuroki, man do I wish I could have a chance with her! Hey, did you hear about Reese Amaerick? he--"

"Wow! Seems like the elevator isn't working! I bet they'll get the tech crew around her any moment now. Wow you're a lot shorter in real life I always thought you were a 6 footer! What kind of shampoo do you use? Your hair looks real shiny. Does Gemma Ridean's hair look like that too? Funny that we somehow got stuck in this elevator together it must be fate!--"

"Wow I always thought you were meaner in real life, I mean I've heard all these stories about you hating lower division cadets but that must not be true 'cause you're just standing there with your eyes closed and I'm here and haven't even gotten a famous Blaze punch yet haha ---OWW!!!!! .... wow! Thanks a lot Miss Sanaku I'm sure as heck gonna savor the bruise you just gave me. Wait till the guys hear about this, they're gonna be so jealous that I--- AHHH OWW!! wow.... two of them? You're too kind, Miss Sanaku, too kind!"



Finally, Blaze could take it no more.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!" She suddenly screeched. CHINK! CHINK! "OPE--UP YOU GO---AMN---PIECE OF---IT!!" Blaze attacked the poor elevator doors over and over again, trying to crawl up the walls trying to escape her metal prison. She peeked through the holes she had made and saw that some officials were setting up caution tape around the outside.

"DON'T---- CAUTION TAPE---- JACKASSES!!!!--- ELP-- M--- I'M --- KILL THE TECH CREW!!!!!!! F---- CK!!!!!" Blaze's chest heaved up and down in pure fury. Moments ago she had helped kill Adel and now she was stuck in an elevator with THIS THING. Nobody was helping her. She began to shoot balls of fire out of the holes hoping she could light some people on fire and make them realize she was stuck. In Blaze's reasoning, lighting them on fire would inevitably help them come to her aid. Instead she saw people running away and screaming.

"Blaziemuffins, hon, don't you worry!" A voice suddenly rang out, loud and clear from the other side of the elevator doors, "Just sit tight and don't be scared! They're gonna get you outta there real soon!"

"Is that... no it can't be.. is that ZACKE MERCUTIO?!?! HYNE, I'M A HUGE FAN! One time he threw away this half eaten sandwich he didn't want but luckily I got to the trash can in time and saved it! It's right here, in my pocket! I really wish I could get out of the elevator now, I know we'd be just BEST FRIENDS!" Melvin squeaked. Blaze whipped around and slammed her fist into Melvin's face, breaking off a tooth and causing his nose to flow blood.

Melvin looked positively delighted. He pocketed the tooth and tried to catch all of the blood in his hands. "I'm gonna put all this blood in a jar and call it 'Blazimuffins Blood!'" he chirped.

Blaze was frightened now, truly frightened.

"ZACKE??? ZACKE DON'T YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM ME YOU LITTLE PRICK!!" Blaze screamed at the top of her lungs. She shot a fire ball directly at his butt when he was turned around and saw that it hit him smack dab on the target.

[Diego Stanton]

Deo jumped as he saw the fire ball hit Zacke in the butt.

"SEE?!?" Deo said loudly to Lawric, "that could have been you! And this is the thanks i get for saving everyone asses... literally." He tried to give the 'see, I told you' stern look to Van and Jaime but Jaime was leading away Van, who was green in the face.

Deo shrugged, figuring Van was on her period or something. He climbed out of the fountain water for the second time when the fireballs had ceased.

"How 'bout... we all go see what's going on over there?" Deo said thoughtfully. Zacke and Lawric didn't budge. "Fine... I can blow that door open no problem."

Deo fiddled around his sack of bombs before he found his 'door opener' bomb. With a snap of his thumb and forefinger it was lit, and he threw it at the elevator.

HISSSSSS......KABOOOOOOOOOOOM

Thick clouds of dust began pouring out of the elevator and out stepped Blaze, coughing uncontrollably. Melvin hopped out next to her, his nose still flowing blood.