Balamb Garden, Sick Bay, Friday Afternoon and Into Evening, Fandom Time (NFB)

[angelo_wings]

Adel had been defeated, and Ellone rescued. The present danger had subsided, although the specter of Ultimecia -- the Sorceress from the future, who had been pulling strings and possessing minds -- had not departed. And in the meantime, there were lots of doctors, nurses and healers annoying the crap out of the Fandomites.

Jono	//I swear to bloody... Look, if one of you so much as twitches in my direction again, I'm going to light all yer bloody arses on fire-- Stop that!// Jonothon was possibly not what the nurses at Garden would consider to be a cooperative patient, no. //For th'love of-- Can this wait until after somebody gets me some naffin' trousers, at least?!// He hated them all.
SeeD Cadets	"Sir, please stay calm," one cadet requested. "You've been badly injured and we're doing our best to heal you." He was on fire. Had he not noticed that? He was possibly in shock. Unless he was a Sorceress. He was talking in their heads, after all. It was kind of unnerving, but they had been trained to ignore things like that and deal with their tasks. In this case, healing the possible-fire-elemental-Sorceress, whether he liked it or not.
Jono	//I am calm! I am th'very definition of fooking calm!// You could tell, by the way he was waving his arms in the air, trying to swat them away from him, while throwing off sparks in shades of red and orange. //Stop prodding at me!//
SeeD Cadets	Everyone backed away from him so that they didn't get hit by the flying sparks. One of them held out a potion, which was supposed to be helpful, but instead was entirely the wrong move. "Sir, if you could just drink this..."
Jono	Really, any moment now, Jono was going to just start pulling out hair, here. //Do you see a mouth!?// He was going to take that potion and throw it at them, at this rate. //I don't have one. Or a throat, or a bloody digestive system, for that matter. And I've gotten on passably well without for quite some time. Sod off!//
Raven	Raven had finally convinced the nurse poking at her that she was absolutely fine and in no need of any medical attention. She swept into Jono's room, trailed by her own guard. "Please, leave him be," she said, polite but firm, moving to put herself between Jono and the cadets. "Jono is fine" -- thank Azar -- "and I will tend to him now."
SeeD Cadets	The nurses looked at Raven, and at Jono. "He's... supposed to be like that?" one of them asked." One or two of them, after thinking this through, turned back to Jono curiously, ready to poke and prod in an entirely different way.
Jono	//So much as touch me, and I'll blow yer naffin' faces off,// Jono replied, his eyes sparking a blazing red and his fire billowing out even more wildly than before. Them being concerned for him was one thing. Jonothon was not going to become a guinea pig. ... And he was going to plead innocent if, say, a stray lick of fire flashed out and whipped dangerously close to the nearest nurse's nose. //You heard th'lady. Leave.//
Raven	"Jono, please, that is not helping," Raven said, glancing over her shoulder at him. And if she smiled and her gaze lingered for a moment, that was entirely her prerogative, shhh. She turned back to the nurses. "You will leave him be now," she said. It wasn't a request, though she kept her tone polite. "There are others more in need of your skills now. If I require your assistance, I will call for you, but I must insist that you leave now. Please."
Jono	Jono leaned forward, looking something like a wild creature ready to strike, until the nurses finally gave in and started filing out of the room. And it wasn't until Jono was absolutely certain that they were gone that he even considered relaxing. //Have I mentioned lately how much I hate hospitals? Not that I've been given much reason to, but...// There was a pause, and then he hunched down a little more. //Most people at least get one of those ridiculous gowns.// Most people were not on fire.
Raven	Raven unfastened her cloak and pulled it from her shoulders and held it out to Jono. "Will this help?" she said. "I will see if I can get them to get you something to wear." Bringing those extra wrappings had been a good idea, but they'd vaporized with the rest of his clothing, hadn't they? "You are all right?" she asked, just wanting to be certain. She wasn't sensing anything different from him. "What happened? Where did your clothing go?" She didn't want to admit just how terrified the explosion had made her, instead just focusing on her relief that he and Karla and Rinoa seemed to be well.
Jono	//I'm fine,// Jono replied, draping the cloak across his lap. He didn't really want to scorch it, he just wanted to not be sitting there naked anymore. //Th'fire was a little much for my clothing, is all...// And for him, for that matter. He was kind of dazed, trying to piece together what had happened, himself. //I suppose I should've... Considered that.// Not that he had any idea how he might have, no.
Raven	She projected a warm wave of comfort, stepping closer and offering her hand. "Do not worry about the cloak; I have others," she murmured. "And I am sorry you had to do that. But if it is any consolation, you saved Rinoa. I have not spoken to her yet, but Squall is with her now, and she is recovering."
Jono	//She is...?// Jono's gaze flicked up toward Raven, even as he shifted his weight about and kind of buried himself under her cloak. Now he looked like some insane parody of the stereotypical Grim Reaper, with the black fabric pulled tight around him and a steady glow pouring out from deep inside. Which was way better than naked. //That's good to hear, then. That it worked.//
Raven	"Adel is gone, as far as I understand it," Raven said. She worried at her lower lip. "Karla was shielding herself and Rinoa...but she was not shielding you." That had only occurred to her after the explosion.
Jono	Jono kept his gaze on Raven for a few more seconds, and then he shrugged, huddling down a little more deeply inside of the cloak. //I didn't ask her to,// he noted. //And... what would she have shielded me from? Myself? I don't think she could've handled one more shield, through that.//
Raven	Raven wasn't entirely sure what Karla could have done herself, so she simply shook her head to cast off any lingering fear. "I am merely happy that you are all right, and Karla and Rinoa as well," she said. "Is there anything I can do for you now?"
Jono	//Right this very instant?// Oh, Raven, you asked difficult questions. Jono shrugged a little, though he actually did put a moment's thought into his reply. //I wouldn't complain about something to cover this mess up with,// he admitted, waving a hand towards that glow that emanated from under the hood of her cloak. //You already managed t'get th'nurses to leave.// There was another moment of hesitation, and then he reached a hand to pat at a spot on the bed, beside him. //Company, I'll take.//
Raven	Raven gave him a gentle smile. "You will always have that," she said, moving to sit sideways on the bed, turned toward him. "I will see about getting you something to wrap yourself in a moment. And I will check on Karla and Rinoa as well. Squall and Tara are fine, I know that much already."
Jono	Jono nodded a little, trying to sort out what had happened inside of the Lunatic Pandora in his mind's eye before speaking again. //You saw to that, luv,// he noted, softly. //Thank you for that.//
Raven	"I did not wish to leave," Raven said. That much had been obvious. "But I understood why." She could sense there was something bothering him, but she didn't want to push. But she did anyway, just a little nudge. She wouldn't be Raven if she didn't. "You are troubled," she said. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
Jono	//You wouldn't like it to hear it, if I out and said it,// Jono replied. //That I... wasn't exactly expecting to make it through that.// There he went, saying it regardless. Gold star.
Raven	Raven closed her eyes. For a few minutes after the building exploded and began to fall, she'd been terrified of just that, that she'd lost him. "But you did," she said. "And you saved Rinoa and stopped Adel." She managed a small smile as she opened her eyes. "Please do not do it again."
Jono	//I'm not in any hurry to repeat the experience,// Jono agreed, with a small nod as he pulled the cloak around his shoulders a little more tightly. //I'm not made for that, I don't think.// The fact that he'd obliterated his body and had to somehow rebuild a new one without the added bonus of any actual sense of awareness to speak of was his first hint, yes. //But it worked.//
Raven	"It did," she agreed. "Though I wish it had not been necessary. I know you are troubled by the constant use of your powers to destroy." She'd hoped so much that such a thing wouldn't be required any time soon, and yet.
Jono	Jono gave a small shrug of his shoulders, and then he leaned sideways slightly, tiredly, so that he could rest his shoulder against Raven's. He'd worry about worrying so much... later. Yes. //I am,// he admitted. //But... there are situations that... aren't as bad as others, I suppose.// He still wasn't thrilled. But he wasn't beating himself up as much as he could be, either.
Raven	Raven leaned in to him, slipping her arm around his back, not quite touching him but there if he wanted it. "I fear they are unavoidable," she murmured. "But it was a good thing that you did. And you were very brave. A hero."
Jono	There was the crazy thing. After all of that, he did want it. Maybe he'd come to the realization that life was too bloody fleeting to spend it hiding from human contact. Maybe he was just too tired to care. But she was warm, and he was drained and bewildered and still a little mortified, and the two seemed to fit together nicely, if only for just that moment. //Don't go calling me names, luv,// he admonished, softly. //You know it isn't nice.//
Raven	She was terribly happy to oblige, pressing her arm gently against his back while her hand idly played with the folds of her cloak on his opposite hip. "Oh, I am very sorry, please forgive me," she said, mostly managing to keep her face serious. Mostly. "I should not say such terrible things about how courageous you were, and certainly not how you are a champion for the forces of good in this world now."
Jono	//Eugh,// Jono replied, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling as he settled on in. //Yes, precisely that, Sunshine. I really don't take well to that sort of slander.// Actually, it made him kind of squirmy. Proud, yes, but it called to mind visions of gilded statues with halos of perpetual flame reaching proudly for the heavens, fuelled by natural gas or some such rubbish, and... no. A whole world of no, right there.
Raven	Mmmm, Pride...it made her feel all warm inside. "Very well," she said with a smile and an overly-dramatic sigh. "I will do my best to hold my tongue." She was quiet for a moment as she leaned against his shoulder. "Thank you for the flowers," she said softly. "I am sorry I did not have a chance to say so before, but with all the children running about this weekend, my thoughts were elsewhere."

Karla	The next time Karla woke up again, she was no longer in a haze of pain. That was new and exciting. Her skin no longer felt tight and sensitive and even her head had mostly stopped throbbing. She still felt like weak as a kitten and that gnawing sensation she got whenever she exhausted her Craft, but that was a familiar feeling by now. Intellectually, she knew she should eat, but the very thought of food right now made her nauseous and she wasn't in any mood to force herself. Instead, she decided to make pleasant conversation with the person lounging in the doorway. "Who're you?" she demanded, wishing her voice didn't sound so damn small. "Go 'way. I want one of my friends. Where's Raven? Or Tara? I dun want you."
SeeD Cadets	The cadet nodded at Karla. "We're here for your protection," she said. "No one leaves their room without a clean bill of health. Please be patient."
Karla	"We have obviously never met," Karla growled. She struggled up to a sitting position and glared at him. "And also, you aren't the boss of me. If I decide I want to leave, I'm going to." Big words for the witch who wasn't sure if she could stand up unaided yet. "Lucky for you, I don't want to right yet." So mature. "But I do want my friends. Not all of them were in the blast. Where are they?!" If they'd gotten hurt by these people, Karla would-- --Sit here and be very grumpy about that.
SeeD Cadets	"They're safe," the cadet insisted. She waved to a nurse, who came over to fuss over Karla. "They're nearby. You can see them after you're feeling better. Please just lie down and let us take care of you."
Karla	"I'm fine," Karla said. "I want to see my friends! I want to know they're all right! Don't touch me!" She struggled against the fussing nurse, baring her teeth at the female and fighting off a rising surge of panic. She had no Craft right now. None. She was tapped out. She didn't know these people, she didn't know where her friends were, and all these people could be pals with Seifer for what she knew. "Leave me alone!" she snapped, jerking her arm away when the nurse tried to grab it. The effort it took to do that made her almost woozy, but she held herself upright. "Raven! Rinoa! Tara! Someone!"
Raven	Raven had been staying close to Jono, making sure no one unnecessarily poked at him, but when she heard Karla's cry she came running. "Karla! It is all right!" she said soothingly, moving to her bedside and slipping one hand into Karla's to give it a comforting sqeeze. "I am here. You are safe." There was part of her that was upset that Karla and Jono hadn't been entirely honest with her about what they'd planned, but now was not the time to get into that. She was far more concerned with making certain they were both all right.
Karla	Karla hid a little behind Raven, still peeking out to glare at the nurse and the cadet in the uniform. "I don't know them," she said frostily. In case that wasn't clear to anyone. "Who are they? Where are we? How is everyone? That one said I'm not allowed to leave. On whose authority?"
Raven	"I am not entirely certain who they are" -- she hadn't exactly bothered to ask -- "but Squall is not alarmed by them, only annoyed." Very annoyed. "They wish to make certain we are all all right after what happened." She reached out with her gifts, making certain (again) that Karla was uninjured. Exhausted, yes, but that was to be expected. She was going to have to make certain Karla ate something soon.
Karla	A task Karla was going to handle with similar levels of grace and dignity. "Tell them I'm fine," Karla ordered, not sounding at all like an overtired toddler. "If there's anything that needs Healing, you can do it."
Raven	Raven was already looking up at the nurse. "She is fine, I assure you," she said. "I would know if she were not. Please, bring some food? Not mere broth or such light fare; she is in need of something substantial." The nurse hesitated a moment, then moved off to do as Raven had requested.
Karla	"'M not hungry," Karla mumbled. "Don't wanna eat." Yup. Grace and dignity. "I'm cold," she added. "And I can't help but notice you're still here," she said, turning her glare onto the cadet.
Raven	"I will take care of her," Raven informed the cadet. "You may go." She gently tried to push Karla back down on the bed. "Lie back, Karla," she said. "I will get you another blanket, but you must rest to recover your strength."
Quistis	The cadet didn't move. Not until a voice came from the hallway. "Dismissed," Quistis said. The cadet saluted, crisply, and turned to exit without another word. "I apologize for the necessity of that," she said, standing at attention. "We had to be sure you weren't with Adel's forces. My name is Quistis Trepe. I'm the Commander of Balamb Garden."
Raven	"I am Raven, and this is Karla," Raven introduced themselves. "We are both friends of Rinoa and Squall, and accompanied them to help find Ellone. We are no danger to you, I swear." Unless Karla got crankier.
Quistis	"I believe you," Quistis said. "Your friend Tara has explained to me the situation. I have been informed as well that Ellone is safe, and that Adel is dead. For both matters, Garden is in your debt." She bowed, respectfully.
Karla	If they were feeling all that grateful, the least they could do was give her more blankets. But Karla successfully swallowed back that ungracious comment. For now. "We helped because Squall and Rinoa are our friends," she said, trying not to sound quite so cranky. "There are no debts between friends." Yeah, that's right Squall. Karla just called you a friend. How do you like that?
Quistis	"I appreciate your intentions," Quistis said, sounding unruffled. "I only wished to express my own feelings on the matter. I've ordered the guards removed. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like, or you can leave once you've recovered. And if you find yourself in need of anything, we'd be happy to be of service." She hesitated before adding a far more personal sounding, "Thank you." The former part had been from the Commander of Balamb Garden, performing her duty. And the latter, from Quistis, another orphan of the Sorceress War.
Raven	"You are very welcome," Raven asked. And, since Quistis had offered: "Could I make one request of you? Would you have long strips of leather or a similar material? I think Jono would be more comfortable if he could wrap himself again."
Quistis	"Of course," Quistis said, nodding quickly. "There's no shortage of leather around here. Let me see what I can do." She felt oddly grateful to receive the request. They couldn't actually seem to heal the boy with the fire; at least this way, she was doing something to help him.
Karla	"Jono's okay?" Karla asked, sinking back into her pillows with relief. "Thank the Darkness. How's Rinoa? She's okay, right?"
Raven	"He is fine," Raven assured her. "Cranky." She wrinkled her nose. "Like you. I have not seen Rinoa yet, but Squall is with her."
Karla	"I'm not cranky," Karla lied said. "I just wanna go home. I like my bed." Sure. "Maybe I'll hang out with Jono," she added. "He'll keep people away from us and I'll provide snarky commentary."
Raven	"Not until he has proper clothing," Raven said absently. What? It was important.
Karla	"Not gonna ogle your boyfriend," Karla sulked. "Not while I feel like I've been dragged through Hell facedown, dammit." Besides, Raven had seen her boyfriend naked. Twice!
Raven	Hey! There was no need to keep score. "Which is all the more reason you must eat something," Raven said, conveniently just as the nurse returned with a tray of food. She took it and sat down on the edge of Karla's bed, holding it out to her. "Eat," she said firmly.
Karla	Karla eyed the food that had been brought, feeling her stomach twist and turn upon itself. This was the most difficult part of it all. She knew she had to eat, especially if she didn't want to continue to lose weight at an alarming pace. But at times like these, her whole body rebelled at the idea of food and eating too much too fast could just make her lose whatever she'd managed to get down. Even so, knowing she ought to eat and actually working up enough energy to do so were very different, especially right now. "Don't want it," she decided. "Don't like it."
Raven	"Karla, you expended a great deal of energy shielding yourself and Rinoa," Raven said. "You must regain your strength. You know this." She eyed the food. It wasn't gourmet by a long shot, but it looked perfectly edible at least. "If you do not eat, the nurses will assume you are unhealthy and begin to poke at you again," she added. "They mean well, but...well, it is best if you show them just how fine you are."
Karla	Whereas Karla was glaring at it like it was something they'd scraped off of the...whatever the Hell it had been that Adel had climbed out of. "If any of them come near me, you can just tell them to go away," she argued, picking up a spoon and poking at the food on her tray. "And that I'm just fine."
Raven	"I will, of course," Raven said. "I do not wish them bothering you any more than you do. But I think they will be more convinced if they see with their own eyes rather than just accepting my words." Whether it was true or not, she wasn't above using the possibility to convince Karla to get some food in her.
Karla	And in her current condition, she couldn't even vanish the food to make Raven think she ate it. Karla hated everything. Grumbling uncomplimentary things about the entire universe, she took a small bite, holding it in her mouth until the churning in her stomach subsided. And then another, grimacing the whole time. "I hate this," she said, meaning the process more than the food, but if someone wanted to assume she meant the meal and take it away, she wouldn't complain.
Raven	"I know," Raven said soothingly, patting Karla's leg. "But I made a promise to look after you at times such as these, and I intend to keep it." She'd do it even if she hadn't made the promise, however.
Karla	"Hrmph," was Karla's eloquent answer, but she took another bite. And another and another and soon it was no longer a battle to keep the food down, but to keep herself from eating too quickly. Her stomach, realizing this foreign substance was actually of use and value began clamoring for more and she sent the nurse back for seconds and then thirds before she was done. Finally, plate cleaned, Karla leaned back against her pillow. "I'm fine," she growled at the nurse who was still hovering, in case she needed something else. "I just want a small nap. And another blanket. But I'm ready to go whenever." She gave a giant yawn. "Anytime," she murmured sleepily. "'M good." And she was out.
Raven	Raven smiled as Karla drifted off, then asked the nurse for another blanket. She tucked it around Karla, bending over her to press a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep well," she murmured. "I will not be far away." She slipped from the room, leaving instructions for the nurses to please not disturb Karla's rest.

Quistis	Sometime after the chaos had died down, Quistis made it a point to stop by the only bed she hadn't visited yet. "May I come in?" she asked.
Jono	Jono couldn't help it. He was narrowing his eyes at the door at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, pulling Raven's borrowed cloak even more tightly around his shoulders. Under it, there was the constant flicker of fire, and the white-hot glow of a pair of eyes that weren't exactly looking forward to more company. //That depends entirely on whether or not yer planning on finding me a pair of trousers.// Some dignity for the guy on fire, please!
Quistis	It was a good thing Quistis came bearing gifts. "Would these do?" she asked, shutting the door firmly behind her. Draped over one arm was a standard SeeD uniform; she had had to guess at size. If it wasn't the right size, it was probably close. There were enough SeeDs here that she had gotten good at estimating. Over the uniform were a number of leather straps that had, until a few minutes with a pair of scissors, been part of a very nice leather trenchcoat. Trenchcoats were easily replaced.
Jono	Jonothon actually sagged in relief, as he spotted the uniform and the straps. Finally, someone that had a lick of sense in them. //Those ought t'be adequate,// he agreed, holding his arms out for them. Clothes? Yes? Please? Clothing? For him? //Thank you.// Really, if it wasn't for the obvious problems in attempting such a thing, he could kiss this woman, right about now.
Quistis	He could join her fan club. Which may have started because she was, at times, the only one with a lick of sense around here. Good thing she was in charge. She handed him the clothing, and the straps, before respectfully turning her back. "I'm Quistis Trepe," she said. "Commander of Balamb Garden. I've ordered the guards removed, from you and your companions. A precautionary measure. I'm sure you understand."
Jono	//Guards, I can understand,// Jono agreed, shucking the cloak and pulling on the pants before anything else. They weren't leather, but he didn't care. Dignity was his once again! And from there, he could work on wrapping himself up with what looked to be some quality leather. Nice. //It's th'bloody berks wot were in here trying to put me out while I was sitting around naked as a jaybird for so bloody long that I'm not terribly fond of.// Really, could anyone blame him?
Quistis	"We've never encountered someone like you before," Quistis said, lifting her shoulders. "There isn't an established medical protocol for your condition. They were only trying to help." In their clumsy, misguided way, obviously. "Can I ask you to confirm Adel's death? We found no remains. I understand that you were the one directly responsible for her defeat."
Jono	//She's... gone, yes,// Jono replied, though his voice seemed a little sideways, a little inside-out as he did so. Details were still a tiny bit fuzzy, on what had happened. One moment, he was unleashing everything that he had, and then the next, just... cold. A little bit of everything, from everywhere, all at once. And then whole and warm and pain and falling over and burning all over again. But he did remember his anger, and some grim sense of satisfaction that the job had been done, that Adel's component atoms had been torn from one another, relentlessly. It had been an eventful few minutes. //She was killing a friend of mine. I wasn't exactly going to stand for that. And Karla helped, I mean. She protected Rinoa.// In the face of the flame that he'd thrown about, that was one hell of a big deal.
Quistis	"Then I should thank you," she said, simply, still facing the wall. "Adel's reign of terror spanned many years, before she was sealed. She was cruel, and merciless. Many of the cadets here are orphans, from the Sorceress War."
Jono	Jono had gone in an instant from sideways straight on to awkward. Taking thanks in stride wasn't something that he did very well at the best of times, and here was this woman, telling him that he'd done something that at least an entire generation of people hadn't been able to, and now he was going to... ... To focus his attention on the other wall as he finished wrapping himself up again. //Sounds like... one hell of a colourful history you've got, here.//
Quistis	"I'd prefer it to be less colorful," Quistis said. "I suppose Adel's death has assisted, in that." She cleared her throat. "I only thought you should know," she said. "And I wanted to bring you the change of clothes. I'll ask the nurses not to interrupt you, but let us know if there's anything else you need."
Jono	There was a moment's silence as Jono smoothed his hands down over his wrappings, glancing down at himself to make certain that there weren't any gaps in the wrappings, before he made a reach for the jacket. He'd wrestle with that in a little bit, maybe. For now, he was thankful to be covered, at least. //I won't want much,// he replied, shrugging. //Now that I'm dressed, you'll find that I'm... fairly self-sufficient. More or less.// Not eating or breathing had that effect, generally.

Rinoa	Rinoa felt incredibly self-conscious, when the doctors finally, finally stopped prodding at her and reluctantly agreed she could go. Everything seemed so unreal, as if it were a particularly bad nightmare. They had almost won. And then she had decided to trust someone who was known to be a threat, and had been crazy for months, just because they used to date. And that, her stupidity, had nearly allowed Adel to come back. Maybe this was what it meant to be SeeD. That killing him would have been the right move. Maybe she was idealistic and childish, and this was why the Owls had never gotten anything accomplished. She hugged herself awkwardly and found a seat in the waiting room, hoping everyone else was okay. She wasn't sure if anyone would be upset with her. But the headache was starting to make her paranoid, and that fact worried her enough to make her even more paranoid. And she'd probably deserve the lecture, anyway.
Raven	Raven had been splitting her time between Jono and Karla, but when she saw Rinoa, she gave her a concerned look and moved to sit beside her. "Hello, Rinoa," she said. "How are you feeling?"
Rinoa	"Tired," she said, rubbing her eyes. It gave her an excuse not to look up. It was even true, more or less. "Exhausted. Is everyone ... okay?"
Raven	"They are well," Raven promised, sending a soft pulse of reassurance. "Karla was very tired as well, but she has eaten to replenish her strength and will be fine. And Jono is all right, I made certain of that." And in a much better mood now that he had clothing again.
Rinoa	Jono ... and Karla? There had been fire, she knew that, and something keeping her from it. That must have been them. There was a warm tingle of calm, from somewhere, like maybe things would be okay. She took a deep breath and relished it. "I'm sorry," she said. It wasn't much, but it was all she had. "I can't believe I was that stupid."
Raven	Raven slipped an arm around Rinoa's shoulders to give her a comforting squeeze. "Sorry?" she said. "For what? Your friend was not himself, and you are not to blame for his actions in attacking you." If Seifer had been Jono or Karla or any of her friends at that point, she would have done exactly the same thing.
Squall	"Mercy isn't something to apologize for," Squall added, from his chair nearby. Well, look at that -- he wasn't comatose when he was staring at the floor.
Rinoa	Rinoa curled into Raven's arms. "I could have been more careful," she said. "I keep doing that. I make stupid mistakes and everyone pays for it. I should have known ..." She didn't feel like it had been mercy. It had been ... idealism? It almost felt like weakness, but she weren't sure those feelings were entirely welcome.
Raven	"You have a good heart, Rinoa," Raven said soothingly. "Perhaps it was wrong to thing Seifer had surrendered and would not hurt you, but you did not know that. And what matters now is we are all safe and Adel has been vanquished." She stroked her hand down Rinoa's hair and back, still projecting comfort. "All of us make mistakes," she said. "I have made some very big ones, and I know how hard it is to struggle with the guilt. But we must learn from them, not let the guilt and regret consume us."
Rinoa	There was something very soothing about talking to Raven. Had anyone ever told her that? "I don't remember most of it," she admitted. "While I was with her. It was ..." Some strange dark void, where she had felt herself fading away. She shuddered. "Adel's vanquished, and we're safe," she echoed. "For now."
Raven	"It is probably best not to dwell on it too much," Raven said. Azar knew she wished she couldn't remember a lot of what she'd done when she'd been under her father's power. "Is there anything more you need to do here before we return to Fandom?" she asked. "I am not very useful in a fight, but I am willing to help you in any way I can, even if it is just to talk."
Rinoa	"Thank you," she said. "I ... I might take you up on that." Probably not right this moment, as her headache seemed to be getting worse, and it was soothing enough to just sit here, like this. But hopefully the offer didn't expire once they got back to Fandom. Also hopefully, no one would try to keep her here. She was fine. She wanted to be away from Garden, and not having to think about any of this.

Karla	Awhile later, Karla's dulcet tones could be heard in the hallway. "Take that away! I'm fine! I can walk." Lunch and a nap hadn't improved her disposition much. Or rather, not enough to withstand the offer of a wheelchair to get her from one place to another. A few seconds later, Karla poked her head into the waiting room and spotted Rinoa. "Ahh, good, you're here," she said. She shuffled her way inside, keeping one hand close to the wall, until she reached Rinoa's chair and sat heavily in the one next to her. And then turned to give Rinoa a hug.
Rinoa	Rinoa was not going to turn down the hug. Rinoa was not going to turn down much of anything, right now, because that would involve effort, but hugs were welcome. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Are you ... okay?"
Karla	Karla waved an unconcerned hand. It trembled slightly; she ignored it. "Top shape," she said, her other arm still wrapped tightly around her friend. "Though the nurses around here could give the males back home a run for their money in fussy. I just need to eat a bit more and get a few nights' sleep and I'll be as good as new." That, at least, was fairly honest. "Don't be sorry," she added. "I'm fine. How're you?"
Rinoa	Her head felt like someone had slammed it into a brick wall, but she was a little afraid of the implications of that. "Here," she said tonelessly. "Tired. Stupid. I don't know what I was thinking. Everything was clean until then. Ellone was out, Adel was still frozen ..."
Karla	"Adel frozen means she was still a threat," Karla pointed out quietly. "One lying in wait, who could be awoken at anytime. Now she's not. I'm not saying that you did the smartest thing..." No, Karla really couldn't make that argument. "...but what's done is done. Beating yourself up over it isn't going to change anything. Learn from what happened. But don't take it so close to heart you forget who you are."
Rinoa	"Adel's gone," she agreed. "It's not over, yet. There are still forces out there" -- and 'out there' might be fudging a bit, but she wasn't going to think about that -- "that want to get their hands on Ellone." She wasn't going to say the name, either. "Do you ever worry about that?" she added, as an afterthought. "Forgetting who you are?"
Karla	"Yeah," Karla said quietly. "There's me and then there's the Queen that I have to magically become after I graduate. I'm terrified of losing myself to her; of pushing everything that makes me 'Karla' back so I become a better Queen and losing myself in the process. It's sort of been happening, from time to time. Ish." She wasn't entirely sure how to explain it. It's not like there was a foreign entity trying to take over or anything. "It's more like a mindset that I sometimes slip into. I nearly did, back when Seifer grabbed you. I could have stopped him, you know. You'd've gotten your throat slit, but for a moment, it almost didn't matter. I figured Raven would be able to save you and it would have stopped him and..." she shrugged, looking away. "But that's not the kind of gamble I can take with someone's life." Again.
Rinoa	"I ... I think I know what you mean," she said, carefully. "Sometimes, being the Sorceress wants to be louder than ... than Rinoa." She considered what her friend was talking about, and shuddered. "I'm not sure you shouldn't have," she said. "I'm not any good at tactics. I do something ridiculous and then things go to hell. Maybe it's okay to be ruthless if you're not fucking up." It was possible that Rinoa's idealism had taken a bit of a body blow, today.
Karla	"In the long run, I think being ruthless will end up doing more damage than not," Karla said quietly. "I was ruthless when we were getting Raven back. I almost got Warren killed. We got Raven back, yes, but my relationship with him is pretty rocky, one friend now hates me and another isn't entirely fond of me, either. It's entirely possible we could have gotten Raven back even if I hadn't done what I did. So I jeopardized three relationships--and Warren's life--being ruthless and efficient. Erring towards caution and mercy isn't all bad." Not that it was all good, either. Not with Rinoa and Gabrielle's examples still before her. "The trick is finding some kind of line, I guess."

Jono	It felt like just about for-bloody-ever before Jono managed to make his way from naked and swarmed by nurses to clothed, and looking rather dapper in a SeeD uniform that more or less fit, making his way into the waiting room. Relief practically rolled off of him in waves as he noticed Rinoa sitting there. //Rinoa, luv? How're you doing?// She was Not Dead. This was something that he was thankful to be seeing with his own two eyes.
Rinoa	"Hi," she said, offering him a weak smile. "I've ... felt better." She had to imagine all of them had, really. This had not been a day at the beach for anyone. "Thank you," she added, softly. Because she had, at least, put together where the fire came from. "I'm sorry that you had to."
Jono	Jonothon's shoulders twitched upwards, just a little, and he made his way across the room to find a seat for himself, a few away from hers. //It's done and over with now, luv. Th'people around here seemed thankful enough about it, at least.// When they weren't prodding at him. //Perhaps it was all for th'best?// The bright side of things was a weird place for Jono to look. But it kept him from stomping about and kicking curious doctors in the rears.
Rinoa	"You saw her," Rinoa said, with a shudder. And she wasn't talking about Adel's looks this time, either. "You can imagine what she was like, with an army behind her." In many ways, the army would have been superfluous. It was then that she noticed his outfit, and she offered him a flash of a smile. "Have you gone native?" she asked.
Jono	//Wot?// There was a pause, and then Jono glanced down at himself. Oh. Right. //No. Sorry to disappoint, luv. It's just, my clothing suffered a bit of damage in th'fireball,// here, have some understatement, //and I needed something in th'way of... well... everything.// Trousers, Rinoa. They'd made him sit around without them for forever because they thought that he was burning to death, and putting clothing on a burn victim who was still on fire was stupid. His dignity had died today. He was still in mourning.
Rinoa	They could have a funeral for his dignity. It would be laid to rest with honors. Maybe a joint one, his dignity and her idealism? She was trying to pretend she didn't miss the latter. "It was a silly question," she admitted, flushing. "Are you ... I don't even know how to ask if you're okay. You've been scared of your power, I know."
Jono	It was a few moments more before Jonothon found words again. //I'm not entirely certain,// he settled on, with a shrug of his shoulders. //My powers are... something I'm working with. Still bloody terrified of them, but... Maybe between Cable and Emma, I'll be able to figure out some sort of balance.// Which conveniently steered away from the fact that he'd spent a chunk of time without a body, which was kind of freaking him out a bit. People just weren't supposed to come back from ashes. //All th'more reason now to start working at it, right?//
Rinoa	"I suppose," she said awkwardly. "I wish it hadn't come to that. If something had happened to you ..." She wouldn't have forgiven herself. It had been her decision to bring him along. Not for anything resembling this. "I ... I keep waiting for someone to lecture me." She certainly felt like she deserved a lecture, at this point.

Squall	After he'd double-triple-EXTRA-checked that Rinoa was okay, or at least as okay as she was going to be, Squall went looking for Quistis. "I'm sorry I wasn't helpful earlier," he told her. "Did you get an adequate rundown of events from my friends?"
Quistis	"Adequate," Quistis said. She was inclined to be upset with him, but that was hopeless. Squall had done his best to never give a damn about anything, right until Rinoa had marched in and refused to go away. He was never all that sane when she was in danger. Which seemed to be frequently. "Adel is dead. Ellone is with Sir Laguna. Everyone seems to be recovering from their injuries." Including Seifer. But if he could be evasive, then she could keep secrets of her own.
Squall	Squall nodded. "Do you need me to clear up any questions? If you'd like, I can write up a full report." He hated writing up reports, but he understood why they were important.
Quistis	"I would, thank you," Quistis said. He might hate writing reports, but they were usually informative, if short. "I need to know what we're dealing with. If Adel has been defeated, there could have been a new Sorceress created." One that would be easy prey for Ultimecia.
Squall	"There were a few soldiers onboard the Lunatic Pandora," Squall pointed out. "If she's among them, then she's already a follower of Ultimecia, and will probably be possessed more easily. If she's not... I don't know where to start looking."
Quistis	"I suppose it won't take long for us to know for sure," Quistis said, still turning the matter over in her mind. "Ultimecia was never one for subtlety, or patience." The most obvious answer -- that Ultimecia had returned to Rinoa -- didn't seem to have occurred to Squall yet. But Ultimecia's control had placed Rinoa in a coma, then dragged her around like a rag doll. And Rinoa seemed to be herself.

(Post 8 of plot. Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Post 8.)

(And this is it! Everyone will be back tonight. This one will have OCD, so we can continue in live play. Preplayed with the amazing and kickass furnaceface, trigons_child, glacial_witch, and whateverknight -- life_inshadow isn't in this one (yet) because Tara was off doing plotty bits. Lastly? I cannot thank everyone involved in this plot enough -- you guys have been superkickass win. Thank you, thank you, thank you. NFI, NFB, and OOC is love.)

Comments

Re: Continuation: Aftermath: Squall and Quistis

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall shrugged. "Whatever. I'm glad he helped. It was good getting to fight alongside him. I don't feel like talking to him."

Re: Continuation: Aftermath: Squall and Quistis

[ff8-npcs.livejournal.com]

Quistis had a feeling she wasn't getting the whole story. Sir Laguna had pleaded, and Squall seemed so indifferent. Squall seemed indifferent to most people, but there was something more, here.

"I'll tell him you've left, then," she said dubiously. "As you seem so set on going."

He was supposed to be here, running Garden. He knew that as well as she did.

Re: Continuation: Aftermath: Squall and Quistis

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

She at least deserved an explanation, didn't she? She was one of his closest friends, after all. "He abandoned me and Sis for years," Squall told her. "Showing up now and trying to talk isn't going to make everything okay."

Well, an explanation of sorts. He'd accidentally left out some important bits.

Re: Continuation: Aftermath: Squall and Quistis

[ff8-npcs.livejournal.com]

"Abandoned you?" Quistis asked. "I never saw you in any of those experiences, Squall. And he traveled the world looking for Ellone. How is it you know Sir Laguna?"

Re: Continuation: Aftermath: Squall and Quistis

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"After," Squall clarified. After the bits they had been shown. "Laguna sent Sis home and stayed in Esthar. And when he found out that Raine died, he never went back for Sis. He just left her there. And me. Raine died giving birth to me." Squall wasn't pouting, not really. Just incredibly upset that Esthar meant more to Laguna than family, that was all.

Re: Continuation: Aftermath: Squall and Quistis

[ff8-npcs.livejournal.com]

"You're ... you're Raine's child?" Quistis hadn't even known Raine had had a child, though she had imagined that Raine and Sir Laguna had eventually been married, somewhere.

Though considering that Ellone ended up in the orphanage, she might have guessed something had gone wrong.

"He's your father," she said. "And he never came for you?"

Re: Continuation: Aftermath: Squall and Quistis

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"Well, he didn't know until just recently," Squall allowed. "If he had ever bothered to look for Sis, he would have found out. But he didn't." And he had really lame excuses, too.

"After she told him, he showed up in Fandom on Parents Weekend," Squall grumbled. "He's still a moron, like he was in the past."