Library, Tuesday

[angelo_wings]

It was a new semester, and that meant Rinoa should be straightening up the shelves and making sure all of the card catalogs were organized and sitting at the desk looking as attentive as possible: cheerful and bright and welcoming to any new students who might wander in.

She resisted the urge to read for a whole two hours. Anyone after that was going to have to compete with the legal thriller she was halfway through, though she'd put it down with a sheepish grin as soon as she spotted someone entering. Honest.

(open/ocd-free! I'm going to be out for the next few hours -- I'll answer pings once I'm home!)

Comments

[angelo_wings]

"My Curagas are awesome lately," she said. Well, they were. Being a Sorceress meant all her magic stats seemed to be off the charts, although she never really wanted to use healing spells once she got her wings out, which ... was unnerving, yes. Quite a bit. "But I'm not healing you if you bed some weird-smelling prostitutes, because you'd deserve whatever odd bumps you get."

She leaned on the desk, hesitating.

"Trying?" she asked. "Because of ... because she was in your head."

[knight-fatali.livejournal.com]

He shrugged and then nodded. "Yeah. Headaches brought about by nightmares and... yeah. I figure it's something I'm going to have to deal with for a while."

He picked up one of the return slips, just to ball it up and throw it at her. "And what do you mean you wouldn't cure me? That's just cruel and unbest-friend like. I would totally return the favor."

[angelo_wings]

She dodged, but not very well, because she was giggling. "No, you wouldn't," she said. "Okay, imagine it wasn't a hooker. Let's say I need a cure from you because I have massive rug burns, from last night, when Squall and I were really --"

She'd follow up the insomnia bit in a minute. Right now ... well. Squall wasn't the only one she liked teasing.

[knight-fatali.livejournal.com]

Seifer made a face but nodded. "I would totally heal you, all while mocking you. Because really, toss down a blanket or something."

[angelo_wings]

"I don't actually have rug burns," she said, pretending to scold him. "I'm even going to be nice enough to let you pretend that that's because Squall and I just sit around holding hands and playing chess."

That totally sounded like something Rinoa might do, too.

"Have you tried sleep spells?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "Or just ... talking about it."

[knight-fatali.livejournal.com]

"I hate sleep spells, because I always feel like shit afterwards. Might as well deal with the nightmares or drug myself with one of Fuijin's specials." He had no idea what was in it, and he didn't want to ask.

"And talking... not so much."

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa couldn't help shuddering slightly. Sleep spells were ... well. You slept, but it was more like you passed out into a black hole or something. Not exactly restful fluffy sleep.

"I haven't, either," she said. "About some of the ..."

She gestured, vaguely, to her own head. It hadn't been nearly as bad as Seifer's -- or as long; Seifer had been Ultimecia's for months -- but there had been inky black depths creeping into that bright flower field, and she was scared there were still traces, some days. Like maybe Ultimecia left scars that didn't really go away.

[knight-fatali.livejournal.com]

Getting Seifer might take some obscene bribing. Or a direct order from the administration.

"Yeah. Of course, there's a lot that I'm not sure if it actually happened, or if it was just stuff she put in my head to fuck with me."

And really, he didn't want to talk anymore about it. "So, heard from anyone back home?"

[angelo_wings]

Getting a read on Seifer was hard, some days. She knew he didn't want to talk about what had happened, but she couldn't tell if he sort of needed to, and someone ought to sit him down and drag it out of him before it festered, or if he needed to forget about it as quickly as possible. In which case the 'dragging' thing would be the worst thing ever.

Knowing her, she was probably going to pick one and bulldoze her way into making him tell her if it was the right answer or not.

"Not in a while," she said. "But I pretended to be Quistis in class today. It was fun."

[knight-fatali.livejournal.com]

Well, forgetting wasn't really an option right now, and definitely wouldn't been when the 'waking up screaming' started.

"Wait. You used a whip on someone and I missed it?" Because, yes, that was the first place his brain went. "Tell me someone got it on tape."

[angelo_wings]

Great. And now she was blushing again.

"No whip," she said. "I don't even own a whip. If you want me to pose with a whip, you're going to have to find me one."

... that really ... came out sounding like an offer, didn't it?

[knight-fatali.livejournal.com]

Seifer blinked at her for a moment and then almost fell off the desk laughing.

"I think I can find a whip for you. Maybe we can get a leather bikini too, and make a poster for Squall to hang over his bed."

[angelo_wings]

You know what would help Seifer fall off the desk? If Rinoa pushed.

"Quistis doesn't wear a bikini, you pervert," she laughed.

Apparently, it was perverted for Seifer to want to see his ex-girlfriend semi-nude. Just in case he was keeping score, here.

[knight-fatali.livejournal.com]

Seifer landed on his ass, still laughing. "Yes, she does. Well, a swimsuit, and not so much since she became an instructor, but you've just never been to a beach party with us."

He leaned against the desk and grinned up at her. "I kinda of miss her. Pre-teach Quistis. And Zell. I miss Zell being around. Rai and Fu too."

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa leaned over the desk, offering him a hand. "I don't miss Zell," she admitted. Was that horrible? Zell was sort of ... odd. "But I miss Selphie. And I missed you."