A Friend in Need [Rinoa]

Tagged : Rinoa | Words : 680 | Notes : I got nothing xD

“Okay, see you later!” Selphie called to a group of her friends as they went their separate ways once more. It had been a while since she’d seen everyone, what with her running around from city to city completing assignments for SeeD in order to raise more money for Trabia Garden’s restoration project. Although she really would’ve preferred to go over there and help her old school recover first-hand, Selphie knew that they would need money to buy new materials and to hire workers who could probably handle at least twice the workload the average students could handle, and a SeeD’s salary was pretty generous. Of course, her salary did rely on whether she actually worked for it, which had taken a while to get used to. Back when she’d travelled with Squall and the others, their salaries were paid whether they actually did anything exciting or not, but then, she supposed they had been working on a mission then… it was just a really long mission that somehow didn’t feel like one. Her latest missions sure felt like work though, maybe because she was doing them by herself. Things were always more fun to do when you did them with friends, and that included work. But ultimately, Selphie couldn’t complain. She’d worked hard in school to pass the SeeD exams and she did enjoy this job even if it felt a little lonely at times. And knowing that her money went to helping her old Garden recover from the blast she hadn’t been able to prevent made her happy. Balamb Garden was like a home to her, but you never truly forgot your roots, or at least Selphie didn’t. Trabia Garden would always remain the place she’d grown up and lived most her life, it would always be her first home, the place that brought her the most joy.

With a slight skip in her step, the brunette made her way into the main hall of Balamb Garden. She’d just come back from a mission, and she hadn’t even gotten the chance to change out of her SeeD uniform, but that could wait. It felt like she hadn’t seen her friends in years even though it couldn’t have been more than a month since she last set foot in this building, and she’d texted, called and emailed her friends on the road but still… it would be nice to see them face to face again. As she walked, she mentally crossed out the names of people she’d already met today, going down the list to see who she needed to go greet next. The Trepies had been able to tell her that Quistis wasn’t around, and apparently Zell and Irvine were in Balamb right now, probably visiting Zell’s mother. Squall was apparently in a meeting of sorts with Cid and Xu so… that left Rinoa, right? Unless she was in the meeting as well, but that wasn’t likely to be the case. Even though Selphie liked to see Rinoa as an honorary SeeD, at the end of the day, the other girl hadn’t completed the exams necessary to make it to their ranks, so why would she be in a private meeting? …unless Squall was being a grump and they needed her there to scold him whenever he passed a serious comment off with a snide ‘whatever’ of course. That thought made her giggle. Squall was a handful sometimes, but she knew deep down that he had a good heart.

But enough about Squall, it was time to go track down Rinoa! Now where could she be… hmm… Maybe the library? Rinoa liked to read, so it seemed like a good place to start. Loud as Selphie could be, she was surprisingly quiet when she entered the reader’s den and walked up to the counter, “Hiya,” she waved at the lady standing behind it, “Have you seen Rinoa anywhere?” The library wasn’t that huge so she could probably see for herself, but she didn’t want to wander around and bother too many people if her friend wasn’t here anyway.

You'll find me

How you shyly placed your eyes on me. Did you ever know that I had mine on you?

Rinoa bit her lip in concentration as she looked at the small text in front of her.

She had to try figuring this out. Why couldn't she seem to find anything? This wasn't making any sense, she wasn't finding an answer, and it was just getting worse. Rinoa had been trying to avoid admitting that, but she couldn't any longer. No, something was wrong. It had been every few weeks before, now it was once every few days. And it was getting worse in what she did too. Before she had just passed out and woken up in the same place. Now it seemed like she was being moved while she was unconscious...or she was moving herself. Rinoa didn't know which one, but she was getting more and more scared about the circumstances. What if...she was being possessed? What if Ultimecia was back? Or...or someone else? Another sorceress? Every time she thought about it, she got stressed out and felt like crying. It didn't help that she laid awake at night, terrified that if she slept, this would happen again. Leaning forward, Rinoa pressed her face into her arms and felt tears collect in her eyes.

A low whine and a pressure on her thigh caused her vision to clear while she straightened up. She peered down to see Angelo's foot on her thigh, a worried look on his face. Pushing off her chair, Rinoa wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her, burying her face in his fuzzy coat. "Oh Angelo..." Leaning back and rocking on her heels, the brunette stroked the soft coat of her companion and looked up at the ceiling. "I think I need to tell him.", she whispered softly. Instantly a fear seized her and clenched down on her stomach. She knew she was going to have to tell Squall, but for some reason it terrified her to do so. It was an irrational fear really, but she couldn't help it. What if everything changed? Squall was the headmaster...he had to do something about her. But what could he do? Stick her back in that chamber and freeze her so her powers couldn't become corrupt? Rinoa bit her lip in fear.

She had allowed it before because she had seen no other option. Now though, she had things to live for. She had an opportunity to make a life for herself, to do things independently instead of being under her fathers thumb. Rinoa had even been accepted into the SeeD program. It might not seem like that big of a deal, but she had been elated about it. But now this. And all she could do was hope that it went away. But what was 'it'? How could she fix something she didn't even understand? Once more she patted at Angelo's head, thankful that he was allowed special access to the school. I guess that's what happened when you were dating the headmaster - people allowed you special privileges. Or maybe it had been her part in saving the world...that too.

Either way, she was glad for the company.

Notes: Super tired is how I can describe the icky Wearing: Normal Setting: Dat library Tagged: Selphie Words: 566

made by Δ ashy of caution shine

Tagged : Rinoa | Words : 571 | Notes : I got nothing xD

For some reason, even though Selphie had just gotten back from a mission on the other side of the planet, she had more energy than ever before. Maybe because she’d been on a train for several hours prior to walking back to the Garden, trains tended to excite her. Or maybe she was just pumped up and ready to go drag her friends places after spending entirely too much time away from them. Maybe both? Well, it didn’t matter anyway! People were used to her excitable personality, and they’d probably get concerned if she didn’t act like her usual happy self. ”She’s in the back,” the receptionist told her with a smile, “How was your mission, dear?” Selphie didn’t come here too often to read, but she spent a lot of time in the library if she happened to be working on her site. Quistis’s classroom had her preference, but sometimes actual classes took place there, and while she was occasionally allowed to sit in an inconspicuous place and work silently on the site, she was also sent out plenty of times. If the classroom wasn’t available, she spent a lot of time here, so even if she wasn’t the book-loving type, Selphie still knew most of the people who worked here fairly well. “Oh you know, the usual,” Selphie smirked and casually leaned against the counter, “Beat up some monsters, talk to some angry villagers, same old same old,” as eager as she was to see Rinoa, she obviously wasn’t going to ignore other people on the way over either. “How are things here?”

The talk lasted a few more minutes before Selphie quietly excused herself and walked further into the library to go greet the friend she’d specifically come to see. On the way over she was greeted by one last person, whom she again shared some idle prattle with. Some would’ve felt annoyed about being kept from their goals, but Selphie loved talking to people. She loved having people around even if they did occasionally get in the way. Of course she had her moments where she’d rather be left alone, as hard as that was to believe, but it didn’t happen too often. After finishing the second interruption, Selphie hurried her step to make sure that the students sitting by the desks on the way to the back wouldn’t spot her. She’d talk to them later, but right now she really wanted to get things moving.

It didn’t take long at all to spot the woman she sought, and with a cheeky smirk, Selphie creeped up closer behind her. Rinoa was hugging her dog, so neither of them should be able to spot her. Angelo knew her anyway, so she didn’t think the dog would lunge at her for sneaking up on her master like that. Well, hopefully anyway. Probably not. For a moment the brunette wondered why Rinoa was hugging her dog instead of reading, but she didn’t ponder it too long. Obviously she was fond of her pet, so why shouldn’t she grab and hug the animal every once in a while? Selphie would’ve done the same, had she had any pets. “Guess who?” she giggled and reached her arms around Rinoa’s head to block the girl’s view with her hands. “Starts with an S~” because her voice obviously didn’t give her away. But Selphie couldn’t care less about that. “Doesn’t end with an L.”

FEEL YOUR HEART BEATING FAST

{Words} 566{Tagged} Selphie {Wearing} Sooomething

While she hugged and stroked Angelo, Rinoa's mind turned to her problem. If it was simply that she passed out and got a bit dizzy sometimes, it wouldn't be a problem. Or if this had been happening before she had become a sorceress, no big deal. But this wasn't healthy, and something was wrong. She knew it, deep down inside. The problem was that she didn't quite understand what was going with her own self. And it was just getting worse. She had gone from simply passing out and waking up in the same spot, to passing out and waking up in a completely different location. The last time, she had had blood on her hands and arms. That had shaken her badly, to the point where she had pretended to be sick just so she could hide away in her room and not face anyone. She had cried for hours, terrified of what she had been doing. The wounds on her own hands hadn't quite healed yet, but they were close to getting better. But the question remained - had it been her own blood or someone elses?

She hoped for her own, and everyone else's sake that it was her own. But that didn't explain the missing students that hadn't been found recently. What if...oh no. If not...then she would have to figure out what exactly she was doing during her episodes of unconsciousness. And she would have to tell someone...probably Squall. She didn't look forward to that at all. She could stand this happening to her far easier than she could a look of disappointment on his face, or knowing she was an extra burden. But eventually she would be found out. When she was, she would have nothing left but her own shame. Biting her lip, Rinoa eased back from her pet and slipped once more into her chair. Leaning forward and onto her elbows, she stared down at the text in front of her, but couldn't quite seem to concentrate on what it was saying.

She nearly jumped out of her seat when hands covered her eyes. With a pounding heart, Rinoa's hands reached forward to shut the book she had in front of her. The giggling voice quickly soothed her a bit though, and Rinoa attempted to still her racing heart. Out of everyone, Selphie would be the least likely to question the book she had out on sorceresses, and she highly doubted the younger girl would pick up on her terror right away. She'd been able to hide her worries and problem so far, even from people like Squall. She could do it for a little bit longer.

While her heart still beat overly quickly, Rinoa decided to play along. "Hmmmmm.", she hummed under her breath, as if deep in thought. "Well...those are some very large, manly hands. I'm going to say...Zell?", she finally asked in a teasing tone. "No...wait. Cid?", she guessed a second time. Not that...Cid had anywhere near manly hands. Actually, Rinoa was a bit creeped out by the ex-headmaster. "Or could it be...Irvine? That almost sounds like Irvine to me. What a deep voice you have." Excited, Angelo yipped a few times and ran around his mistress and the second companion. Rinoa laughed. "Shush Angelo."

{NOTES } D'awwww

Tagged : Rinoa | Words : 577 | Notes : I love their friendship xD

Her overly excited expression soured a little when Rinoa mentioned manly hands. A mixture of confusion and shock made its way onto her face as she soundlessly mouthed the words ‘manly’ and ‘hands’ to herself. Glancing down at her hands, she really didn’t think they looked that bad but… maybe Rinoa was seeing something she wasn’t. Her jaw dropped when her friend mentioned a deep voice. Now she knew Rinoa was messing with her, which honestly didn’t come as a surprise. Rinoa could mess around as much as she and Zell could, if she wanted to, which was exactly why the shorter girl had taken a liking to her. She was laid back and knew how to have fun, which was becoming a rare thing these days with people panicking over all sorts of stuff. “Heeey!” she called in mock offense as she pulled her hands almost protectively to her body, “I don’t have manly hands, you do!” it was a childish retort, which seemed exactly up her alley. People had criticized her in the past for not being serious enough, especially for a member of SeeD, but Selphie figured most people weren’t really mature grownups. They just pretended to be exactly because other people were giving them a hard time over childish moments. How else was it that even old farts responded well to her peppy attitude? Everyone needed a little sunshine in their lives, and if Selphie could help with that, she’d be more than happy to do so.

“Angelooo...” she yipped when the dog started running around her, and she knelt down on the floor with her arms spread, “Come here you pretty, pretty doggy you!” Even though Angelo wasn’t her dog, Selphie still loved him as though he was, and she genuinely missed Rinoa canine companion as well whenever she had to go away for a while. Maybe she just gushed over the animal because she had no pets of her own, not because she didn’t want to of course. If the Garden officials had let her, she would’ve probably had a bunch of pets scurrying around the place as well. A few dogs, maybe a parrot. She’d surround herself with them and love them and hug them and take care of them and… ahhh, Selphie loved pets. They never complained about you being loud or childish, they simply loved you for who you were. With a wide grin, Selphie started patting the dog when it got close enough, “Oooh did mommy Rinoa give you a bath? You’re so soft!” she smirked up at Rinoa for a second before giving the dog one final hug and standing back up again. “He’s such a cutie pie, you’re such a cutie pie, yes you are!” she’d have to ask Rinoa if she could take her dog out for a walk later. Surely her friend wouldn’t mind it much, especially not if they went out together. “Ahh, sorry!” she giggled and pulled up a chair to sit next to her friend, setting it up backwards so she could lean her arms and chin on the back of the chair. “It’s been so long, hasn’t it? How have you been Rinny?” How long had it even been? It felt like a lifetime to her, but she was sure it had only been a few weeks. It couldn’t have been more than a month tops. A month without her friends was still too long though. “I’ve missed you!”

FEEL YOUR HEART BEATING FAST

{Words} 675 {Tagged} Selphie {Wearing} Her normal

Rinoa had hit a tender spot.

She couldn't help but grin widely when she felt Selphie's hand leave her face. Peeking to the side, Rinoa saw a moment later that she seemed to be hiding her hands by her body. "I actually work every day to make my hands as manly as Squall's.", she said with a mock serious expression on her face. "You never know when you'll need to slap someone, you know? And I've heard that you can hurt someone twice as badly if you slap them with calluses on your hands." Totally a lie, but until Selphie looked it up or had someone else tell her the truth, she might buy the story. And it was funny, Rinoa would admit it. Poor Selphie needed a little extra excitement in her life, and Rinoa liked to give it to her, if only to see her reaction like she was currently doing. Even now she was attempting to hold her serious features after what she had said, but in order to do so, she was going to have to hide her own hands. Rinoa knew she didn't have manly hands, and didn't want them. She was a big supporter of women doing all the things men could do and all of that...but she really would like to keep her fingers looking feminine. Couldn't she have both?

Twisting in her seat, Rinoa leaned forward and watched with a slight smile on her face while Selphie got down with Angelo and roughed around with him on the floor. Angelo needed all the love and attention he could possibly get - he always had craved it. Ultimately though, Rinoa knew her faithful dog would always come back to her, so she didn't worry about anyone else stealing his affections while they played with him. It seemed odd too...but something about just...seeing someone enjoying themselves so much lifted her spirits and the heavy weight that was resting on her shoulders from what had been happening with her lately. The faint smile turned even brighter when she listened to everything the hyper brunette was telling Angelo.

Finally though, Selphie seemed to think that Rinoa was more important than her dog. Her grin widened when Selphie sat down, until she was giggling right alongside the other girl - one Rinoa had quickly and was quickly viewing as one of her best friends. She was just so lovable, Rinoa couldn't help but get attached to her. Besides, ever since Rinoa had enrolled in the SeeD classes and program, she had been asking Selphie for a bunch of tips and help both studying and with other things. The girl had been invaluable, as had studying in Squall's office with him like she had also been doing. He didn't seem to mind, and he offered good advice if she was stuck about something.

How had she been? Rinoa's smile slipped briefly, before she plastered it all over her face again. If she couldn't even tell Squall, how was she going to tell Selphie? Or maybe she should tell Selphie about what had been happening with her. Until she had woken up with blood on her hands, Rinoa hadn't been nearly as worried as she was now...but something was just off, or didn't seem right. "Oh you know, lots of studying. How did you survive all these exams when you were taking your SeeD classes?", she asked to take the focus off of herself. Rinoa was aching to confide in someone about what was happening to her, but fear drove her to keep silent about it for just a little while longer. She kept hoping that it would go away...but something told her it wouldn't. "I've missed you too!", she said in response, spontaneously leaning forward in her seat and giving Selphie a weird little hug - awkward because of how Selphie was sitting on her chair. "How about you? Any exciting new missions lately?"

{NOTES } They do have a great relationship XD I imagine they conspire about all the things...