Time and Tides Archives

Irvine felt the Garden land as he exited from out of his room and start to head out into the city, he felt a little cooped up in the Garden and needed to stretch his legs. But first he wanted to go out and see if his commander was okay with him going out and around, course wondering if he wanted to unwind with him.

After a while Irvine spotted Squall and without hesitation, wrapped his around his shoulder and asked, "I was hoping to go out into the city and maybe take in some of the culture...then I figured you could use a little loosening up, interested?"

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Not surprisingly, Squall's instinctive reaction to having an arm unceremoniously draped around his shoulders was to do his damnedest to shrug it off. Sure, he knew it was Irvine, but that didn't mean that he was going to tolerate it more than he really had to.

"It depends on what you had in mind."

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Course his arm was flung off as he answered Squall's question.

"I dunno man, go to a few bars, go see some ladies, hit a few of the hot spots...ya know cruise around, have fun..."

Irvine was wondering if Squall would do it, but figured he knew his commander better than he knew the back of a woman's bra.

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The general idea was at least partially tempting. On the other hand, Squall was pretty sure that Rinoa would have wanted to have words with him, if he took part in everything on Irvine's list. Especially that middle point.

"I think I'll pass."

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Irvine shook his head and replied, "Come on...live a little...it's not like we're gonna get into trouble or something..." Well he wasn't sure about that but hey.

But he understood Squall too much and added, "It'll cheer you up...well for Squall standards of cheering up"

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Squall raised an eyebrow at Irvine's comment. The intention might not have been to get them into trouble, but that wasn't any sort of guarantee that it was going to remain that way.

"Maybe after what I'm here for."

He wasn't sure it would be a good idea to meet his father for the first time (again) smelling like he'd been to a few bars.

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Oh right...his family. Irvine's expression softened as if it was almost hurt then grinned and replied, "Yea, maybe it'd be a good idea to do that first..." He looked away and asked in all seriousness, "You going to be okay talking to your-to Laguna and explaining everything to his face?"

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He'd managed alright with Laguna the first time. But it would have been a lie to say that he was expecting this one to be the same. There wasn't quite the same distance here as there had been between the commander of Balamb Garden and the president of Esthar.

What difference it would make, he had no way of telling.

"I'll be alright."

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"You sure, I mean some of us could go and give you some support if you need it. That is if you want." stated the cowboy, trying his best to help out his friend.

He smiled and replied, "I mean hell I can round up all of us to tag along in case something happens...though, you coming in with four SeeDs might look a little intimidating."

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The offer got something that could almost be called a quirk of a smile from Squall. But he wasn't quite sure how Laguna would react to having a small swarm of what boiled down to mercenaries showing on his doorstep, metaphoric or not.

"Rinoa'll be there."

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The minute Squall said "Rinoa" Irvine knew to back off and knew that if anyone could help him through it, it'd be her. He chuckled and replied, "Alright, Rin has always been good support for you when you're down and vice versa. But just remember, Squall, you have two families...one of blood and one with us." He looked back at him with a smirk and replied, "And you know you can always ask either of us to help you out."

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"Yeah," he answered with a nod.

He made a point of not needing to ask their help most of the time, but that didn't mean that he ever forgot about them. SeeD was too much a part of his life, now.

Edited Date: 2011-02-22 06:10 am (UTC)

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He grinned then sighed adding, "Somehow I get the feeling we might have to still force ya to come out and say you need help as well." He looked up and smiled, "But like I said, Rin's good support for you, so you should be fine."

He smiled and replied, "Besides it also gives me more time to look around this town and have fun unsupervised."

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Okay, so Irvine might have been right. But Squall wasn't about to be the one to actually come out and and say it. As long as people knew - or could guess at it - it wasn't as important. Besides, it let him keep his dignity at least that much longer.

"Don't get into too much trouble."

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"Oh come on Squall...what possible trouble could I get into?" he answered with a cheeky smirk

He waved at him and added, "Have fun with the folks, commander." With that Irvine, left on his way to explore the city

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Rinoa walked up to him to lay a hand on his arm. She was looking forward to seeing Alfitaria. It was one of the major cities she hadn't explored before. And of course they were going to meet Squall's family.

"Ready for this?"

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Ready? Of course he wasn't ready. He wouldn't have been ready if he'd had another year to get used to the idea. But he was as ready as he'd ever be under the circumstances so after a moment of silence he nodded.

"Yeah."

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[ooc: is it all right if I switch to the thread below for meeting Ellone and Raine?]

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All morning Raine had been in a flutter of activity: getting Brooke and Slai ready for the outing, double checking that everyone's clothes were neatly pressed, hair was laying down. Almost as if she were trying to impress Squall, which was a ridiculous notion. Things had certainly improved between them since he re-arrived. Of course, she wished to herself that she knew him better, but each step was one in the right direction.

Part of her nervous energy had less to do with visiting her son and more to do with stepping foot in the Garden for the visit. Last time she was there, it was in the aftermath of Rinoa's rampage. Being held captive in there and watching Ellone be tortured really didn't help matters in the least.

Steeling herself to put that all aside, she took a deep breath, collected her wits and the baby, and strolled out the door with a warning. "I'm leaving with or without you." Slai scampered to her side and grasped hold of her hand. "I have Slai with me."

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Ellone had been helping where she could, getting herself and children ready. Her nerves were strained as well, though she was trying to stay calm and think more about the people who were coming and not the bad things associated with the Garden.

Once Raine called for her, she returned to the door, heading out with the girls. "I'm coming!" She'd grown so used to just the four of them that for a minute she forgot Uncle Laguna was there, too. "Want me to hold onto Slai?"

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"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Laguna called from what sounded like a room or two away. Even he wasn't sure what was taking him so long; he certainly hadn't been taking the time to further groom himself. It wasn't that he didn't look presentable -- just ordinary. If he was going to be perfectly honest with himself, he was nervous. Their family had grown by leaps and bounds overnight, or so it seemed to him.

Still. There was nothing to be afraid of, was there? This was supposed to be a happy occasion. Man, but he hoped Squall liked him. He seemed like he might be a hard kid to impress.

"Sorry," he apologized when he finally appeared, running the last few steps to catch up with Raine and Ellone. "Sorry. I'm ready."

((Sorry I'm so late! I missed this getting posted while I was out of town!))

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Raine eyed her husband and just shook her head. Some things would never change. She adjusted the blankets around the baby just that bit more, to keep the chilly air off her. "If you could, Ellone, that'd be a big help." Shifting Brooke on her shoulder, she picked up the bag of travel necessities and handed it off to Laguna. "Make yourself useful, honey."

Satisfied as much as she would be that they were ready to go, she set out to lead the way, although with each step, her dread grew. Once they were at the entrance, she inquired for Squall, and shot a look over her shoulder at the rest of the family. It was as if to ask, Are we ready for this?

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Ellone grinned at Laguna, reaching out to take Slai's hand. The little girl clung to her happily and Ellone swung their joined hands around. "Slowpoke!" she teased Laguna, elbowing him teasingly as he was handed the travel bag.

Once everyone was ready, she fell into place next to Raine, waiting for Squall to get there, along with whoever else he'd decided to bring. Her free hand gently squeezed Raine's arm before dropping again. Letting Slai hold onto her side for a minute, Ellone took a few steps forward so she would be slightly more visible next to her family, a familiar sight for her brother among the others.

It was time to wait. She hated waiting.

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Laguna had taken the bag quite without protest, grinning boyishly at his wife for her jibe about uselessness, slinging the back over his shoulder so that it lightly bounced against his back as they walked. "Hey, I never make funna you for takin' so long to get ready in the mornings, do I, Elle?" he teased in reply, offering her a wink as he proceeded to follow Raine, giving her a nod of assurance when she looked back.

Once they had arrived, he fell into place on Raine's right so that she was flanked by himself and Ellone. Even as they waited, he leaned over to carefully wiggle his index finger in front of Brooke's face, laughing when he coaxed a smile out of her. It was funny; before coming to Winhill and meeting Ellone, he'd never thought he'd be one for children, but Elle had stolen his heart and had planted the seed of his want for a family. Even if it was all sudden for him, he couldn't help being happy -- and getting Brooke to laugh was becoming one of his favorite pastimes. Slai still seemed a bit shy around him, but he hoped she would come around. Shy was new territory for him; Elle had never been shy about her affection when she was small, part of why they had hit it off. His concern now was coming on too strong where Slai was concerned -- not to mention Squall.

He was almost as nervous about meeting Squall as he had been the night he asked Raine to meet him in the field outside of town.

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Laguna wasn't the only one apprehensive about the whole affair. Sure, Squall had agreed to it and yes, it was way to late for him to back out of everything now, but that didn't stop him from worrying. He'd only vaguely sort of known Laguna at the age he was at now. Who knew how this whole thing would end up turning out?

But this wasn't the time for turning back. Who knew when there'd be another chance, and besides, he'd gone to the effort of getting the Garden to Alfitaria, so he might as well see the thing through properly.

As a result, they wouldn't have to wait too long before Squall showed up, with only Rinoa in tow. It had been tempting to bring the full compliment of SeeD, but that could wait until later. Until after they'd gotten the basics taken care of, at the very least.

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Raine, Laguna, Ellone, Slai and Brooke. Wow, had the family grown big. It was the younger Laguna she didn't really know yet, so Rinoa reserved an extra special smile just for him.

"You made it! Hi, guys!"

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Raine's greeting was far more reserved than Rinoa's. A small smile and a nod of her head. She couldn't help but feel uneasy still, even after all this time. To calm herself, she stole a glance up at Laguna, and then over to Squall to see how they both reacted to this meeting. Gaia's ways of dragging people in and out of time and familiarity still took adjusting to and she worried that things wouldn't go well between them. Laguna was loud and lively and Squall far more reserved and reticent than his father. More than anything though, she just wanted them to be a family finally. All of them. Even if it took a little warming up to get there.

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If Raine's greeting was reserved, Ellone's was far the opposite. She grinned and waved. Having gotten used to Rinoa during Brooke's birth, Slai waved, too.

"Hey there!" Ellone called, moving a few steps forward. "Glad you could make it!"

Rinoa's definitely getting a one-armed hug. Squall would, too, if Ellone could be sure he wouldn't make a face or be too embarrassed. Or offended.

"How was the trip?" She was a little disappointed that the others weren't around, too, but maybe it was best to start small for Uncle Laguna.

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"Hey," Laguna greeted the pair brightly with an enthusiastic wave. He may have been nervous, but that was no reason to keep from being himself. Even though he'd already pegged Squall as the type to keep quiet and straight-faced, walking on eggshells never helped anything. Laguna grinned broadly and held out a hand to Squall, offering Rinoa a wink in the process as he recalled her from their chat over the skyphone when he'd first arrived. She looked familiar somehow, in a way he couldn't quite place, but quickly decided that deja vu was probably not uncommon amongst Sky People. Travelling across worlds was sure to have side effects, right?

"Nice t'meet you in person. This place is-- wow." Laguna looked up to better take in their surroundings. "Really something."

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Squall's reaction was much similar to Raine's. A slight nod, before he got around the the necessary replies. He'd never been particularly outgoing.

"The trip was fine." One of the advantages of having a fairly mobile base of operations that wasn't particularly inconvenient to move. It wasn't the fastest, but it didn't need to be. Not to mention the simple fact that moving fast would mean needing to find ways to keep everything tied down, a daunting task with something the Garden's size.

Laguna's comment, on the other hand, got a firmer nod. "It's not our usual base of operations, but it's the Garden we currently having, so we've been making good use of it."

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Ellone got a hug back, of course. And her smile widened at Laguna's wink. Selphie had always said he was charming.

"I'm the pilot," she added. "You should come and visit the bridge some time. It's an amazing view, especially when we're on the move."

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"It feels even bigger when you're inside it. Squall gave me a tour and I have no idea how the students find their way around." Raine paused and glanced to her son, realizing that it was a younger version of himself that had done that. Sometimes this world made for terribly awkward situations.

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Ellone grinned in response to the comments about Garden's size. She'd only been in it a few times and she'd been as turned around as the rest of them.

"I think they probably get used to it after a while, but it'd take forever for me," she admitted, picking Slai up again and swinging the little girl around a little bit. "These people? Sister, brother, Slai. They're family, too."

Slai looked a little more relaxed, nodding as she smiled to Rinoa and Squall. Ellone held her close. She'd already gotten so attached to the girl; she had no idea what she'd do if anything separated them again.

"So, if we're all lost in Garden, does that mean we get another family tour?"

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Laguna laughed, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Well, we all know how I am about directions. I think. I'd need a map to get around a place this size on a daily basis!" Actually, he didn't know how much help a map would be. He'd gotten irreparably lost on many occasions, even with a map in his possession.

"Hey, a tour would be great. And I'd love to see that bridge sometime; I got to mess around with a spaceship during the Sorceress War and I gotta say, I'm kinda missing it. Not something I ever really thought about before, but there's just somethin' about the feeling flying gives you."

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"Yeah," Squall answered with a nod. "After a while you just get used to where everything is." And from there all you had to do was hit a routine and everything was fine. Barring, of course, the occasional switch between Gardens. But even that was just returning to the beginning of the process. Not to mention most students were willing enough to point people in the right way.

Still, there was a moment of silence as he considered the concept of a tour. He knew he wasn't anything resembling a decent tour guide, but on the other hand it was his family. So after a moment, he nodded, albeit with some hesitation.

"Sure."

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"All right!" Rinoa grinned, nudging Squall. "Let's take 'em up to the bridge. This way!"

Unlike Squall, Rinoa was an excellent tour guide. He probably knew more of the facts about Galbadia Garden than she did, while she had plenty of anecdotes to offer. Between them, she thought they might be able to cover things pretty well.

She started walking into the foyer, gesturing for them all to follow.

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Raine shifted her weight, waiting for the others to follow along too. This notion of all these kids growing up here was still difficult to swallow, even after all this time for her. And she quietly disapproved of the mercenary lifestyle it encouraged. Far too dangerous and the students too young. Especially the ones who couldn't possibly have even broken the age of ten yet.

Still this was her son's life and his choice to lead it, so little by little she was coming to at least accept that much. Keeping the family close was far more important to her than making a point about danger and practicality.

She walked to Squall's side and quirked her head to the side. "Would you like to hold Brooke? It's been a while since you've seen her." The little one was turning out to be an alert and lively baby, very keen to see what was going on around her, and often actively squirming around to do just that.

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Laguna grinned as he fell into step behind their tour guides, inching closer to Raine as they went. Well, things seemed to be going well so far. He wasn't really sure how such a visit could go bad aside from the inherent awkwardness of meeting your grown child, but he himself was sort of a champion screw-up on occasion, and though he felt he had grown out of it for the most part, nervousness had the potential to cause a relapse. Or leg cramps.

He leaned over to gently nudge Raine with his elbow. "Hey, not bad so far, right?" he asked in a low whisper.

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Slai had to be put down to walk on her own, but Ellone hurried ahead, making a game of skipping with the little girl to get her more engaged with being there. She seemed to be enjoying things at least, even if she was a little uncertain about where they were going.

Ellone ended the skipping time next to Rinoa, gently elbowing her friend before moving to thread her arm with Rinoa's. "Sooo, how are you?" She was grinning, almost teasingly, but she really was curious. Besides, if Squall was going to be occupied with baby-holding soon, Rinoa needed to be occupied with the other little one.

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Would he like to hold Brooke? He still wasn't entirely used to the idea that he had a baby sister, not to mention he wasn't quite sure he had the hang of holding her down properly. And then there was the fact that he wasn't at all sure what any of the SeeDs they ran into on the way would think if they saw him with a baby in his arms.

But... it wasn't like it would hurt anything, right?

"I... guess?"

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Rinoa leaned against her for a moment before walking on arm-in-arm with Ellone, deliberately matching her strides with her friend's. She was in a whimsical mood and she contemplated the question more seriously than Ellone had probably intended it.

"I'm okay. That's kind of dull, isn't it? But I really am, I like Alfitaria, I'm glad to be with all you guys... To be part of a family. So I'm... okay."

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The hesitant response didn't go unnoticed by his mother and Raine swallowed down a knowing smile. "Don't worry, she's not too much of a handful... yet." She shot a glance over to Laguna and then a fond grin emerged. It wasn't too hard to guess where Brooke's squirminess came from.

Very carefully she shifted the baby to place her into Squall's arms, then gave him a pat on the shoulder. "If you hold her up so she can see where she's going, she'll like it."

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"She's pretty lively," Laguna observed aloud, stroking his chin as he feigned thoughtfulness. Just as it was clear to Raine, it was already obvious to him which parent Brooke took after. Squall seemed to have inherited his mother's serious nature and knack for giving direction. He wondered, briefly, if either child had gotten his poor navigational skills. That would just set them up for a lifetime of unnecessary trials.

"Pretty friendly baby, too. Takes to people real easily, yeah?"

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Ellone smiled in response anyway. She was in a different kind of mood, too, one she'd come to associate with her childhood fiery spirit coming back out for a visit.

"Sometimes dull and boring is the best way to be," Ellone answered, walking along evenly with Rinoa and Slai. "I don't mind Alfitaria. It's so much bigger than Dali and Winhill, but it kind of reminds me of Esthar. So, I guess it's not too different from what I'm used to."

She glanced down at the little girl on her other side, still worried about how the poor child would be and had been adjusting to the sudden removal from her hometown, the only place she'd known until now. But, as Rinoa had said, they were family now. There was no way Ellone or Raine would leave Slai behind. The girl's presence had become such a natural feel that Ellone couldn't imagine a time that she wouldn't be with them. In some ways, she wanted Slai to have her real parents back - because goodness knew Ellone was more than aware of the kind of pain that came with losing one's parents - but at the same time, she didn't want to feel the heartbreak of having to say goodbye to Slai.

That line of thought pulled her expression down for a fraction of a minute before Slai pulled on her hand, clearly trying to get her to smile again. Ellone obliged easily.

"You're right, though. We're all family now. Aren't we, Slai?"

The little girl nodded. "Yep!"

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