Room 421, Monday, Midday

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa hoped for the hundredth time that Squall wouldn't mind, that they were missing fall break. She really could use time at a spa. But the sooner they found a committee to place in charge of Timber, the sooner they could start the transitional process, which meant the sooner they could move the Galbadian troops out. Assuming this wasn't some big trap set up by her father, of course. If it was ... if it was, he was going to find out exactly what happened when you double-crossed a Sorceress.

She had made reservations at the Timber Hotel. After all, the train that served as the Timber Owls' headquarters had been destroyed, back when she was still Squall's client. As for the Owls themselves, Zone and Watts had been in hiding on the White Seed ship, but, according to their letters, had made their way back to Timber after Ultimecia's defeat. She had asked repeatedly about a new headquarters, but Zone's letters were constantly cryptic, insisting that there was a high risk of interception by Galbadian forces.

(There was, but she suspected he hadn't set up a new HQ yet, and was happy to have an excuse to duck the subject.)

She would find them, or more likely, they would find her. Unless they didn't want to be found? A lot had changed since she was their chief strategist, after all. She had no idea what sort of welcome she would receive in Timber.

None of which was helping her pack.

(Just for her Knight. Squall and Rinoa will be headed back to their world over break to deal with Timbran / Galbadian relations, zomg.)

Comments

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall shrugged. "It wasn't important at the time. And I haven't thought about it, since. But... it's important to you, so if you want to tell me, I'll listen."

A few years, and a few epiphanies, had taught him at least SOMETHING about interpersonal relationships. One of the things he'd learned? NEVER tell anyone to go talk to a wall.

As for her other question... "I don't see how you think that's extreme. There weren't any civilians on the train. If you blew it up outside the city, there wouldn't be any collateral damage."

[angelo_wings]

"It's not just important to me," she said, standing up abruptly so she could pace the room. "The Owls were founded by Zone's and Watts' fathers. They were captured by Galbadian troops during the invasion, and dragged to the gates of town. They were executed, in public, to set an example for everyone else. Right in front of Zone and Watts."

She risked a glance back at him to see if he understood yet how serious all of this was.

"They joined as soon as they were old enough to be let in," she said, simply. "The history matters, Squall."

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

...Oh.

It wasn't just important, it was personal. Zone and Watts kept at the revolution, even though they sucked at it, because it was unthinkable for them not to.

And they probably got stuck being in charge because nobody else wanted to be.

It probably would have helped Rinoa if Squall said any of that out loud, but he didn't.

What he DID say was "I didn't realize. ...Should you include Watts on the list, too?"

[angelo_wings]

Squall never said all that he was thinking, but his reaction, at least, told her that he understood. And that helped.

And so she sat back down again, a lot of her anger drained.

"Watts won't want to be on the list," she said. "He hates the idea of being in public. But I'll ask, just in case."

It was important to put them on the committee, because it was showing respect to Timber's past, and honoring their fathers' sacrifices. It brought the horror full circle.

"Of course there were civilians on the train," she chided. "Whoever was driving the train. The employees. And all of Deling's guards were there. Many of them hated him as much as we did. And even if they didn't, they don't deserve to be blown up on a train."

Yes. It was Deling's faceless guards she had agonized over, on that train.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"They were still on the other side," Squall countered. "They were still complicit. If you're going to fight a war, you can't afford to agonize over every death. Besides, anyone that close to Deling was probably..."

Oh.

"...You were worried your father might be on the train," he guessed, quietly.

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa closed her eyes, hunching over her own knees.

"Go ahead," she said softly. "You ... can say it. Whatever you're thinking."

She had passed up a prime opportunity to rid the world of a monster, because her estranged father (who she hated, and who was up to his elbows in the monster's crimes anyway) might -- might -- have been in range of the blast.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Caring that much about random bad guys you didn't know, Squall couldn't understand. Caring that much about someone you loved, regardless of the circumstances? That was an entirely different story.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I didn't realize you had a good reason."

[angelo_wings]

That brought her up short.

"Wait, what?" she said. "How does ... why does that count as a good reason?"

She stared at him. "Everyone on that train could have been someone's father. Deling probably has kids. And my father was head of his army. It's war. Casualties happen. It's not like the attacks on Timber stopped just because I went there."

No. As far as she could tell, Galbadian soldiers still had just as many raids looking for resistance groups. Which had told her that her father had made it very clear which side he was on, and that she should act accordingly.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall shrugged. He understood very few emotions, and this was one of them. "Yeah, but you care about your father, even though you hate him. Love doesn't have to make sense."

[angelo_wings]

Love was too frustrating to bother making sense. Dammit.

"Would you have understood, then?" she said. "It doesn't matter. We weren't like you. We weren't soldiers. We couldn't be quite so callous about collateral damage, I guess. A life is still a life."

Something else was bothering her, now.

"How am I supposed to forgive him?" she asked. "He did Deling's bidding."

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"All lives are important," Squall agreed. "But sometimes, you have to prioritize in order to accomplish what you need to."

He shrugged. "You don't have to forgive him," he told her cautiously. "You just have to work with him. You can put it behind you, for now."

[angelo_wings]

She exhaled, messily. "And what if no one in Timber wants to negotiate with him?" she asked. "He was Deling's general. I keep saying that we want to end this quietly, and no one wants more war. What if people do?"

She looked over at him, carefully. "Trabia Garden is gone. Zone and Watts' fathers were executed. Maybe Galbadia should be made to pay for its crimes."

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall considered that. "If people in Timber wanted war, there would be a lot more resistance," he decided. "And it would be more violent. We have to assume they just want freedom." Because they had to start from somewhere. "There can be peace, or there can be justice. You have to decide which is more important."

[angelo_wings]

"So you think everyone now wants peace," she said. "I do, too. But maybe we want peace because all we've had is war. Maybe later, we'll be sorry we gave up the chance for justice, just to have peace. Maybe ..."

She rumpled her hair.

"What do you think?" she said.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall shrugged. "I don't know. I think people want the wars to be over. I think that if people started blaming each other for all the things they'd done wrong, it would just end up going in circles. I think..."

He looked at her, a little worried. "If war breaks out again, we'll have to either sit back and let it happen... or else stop it. I don't think you want to have to make that choice."

[angelo_wings]

She was very careful not to meet his eyes.

"There's a third option," she said.

He was a SeeD. He had to realize he was leaving something out.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall nodded. "Pick sides," he agreed. "Or start our own side."

They could always try to bring peace to the world by subduing it. But... That's what Ultimecia had been trying to do.

"You've said you don't want that. I don't think you'd like yourself if you tried."

[angelo_wings]

She wouldn't. Except ...

"I won't let him destroy Timber," she said.

She didn't want to start a Sorceress War, but if Galbadia attacked ... she would stop them. She would make them sorry.

Everyone had a line. That would seem to be hers.

"I don't care how ugly it gets," she said, simply. "Those are my terms. If he moves against Timber, then he'll get war."

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall nodded once, firmly. "And he'll lose."

Caraway wouldn't be that stupid.

[angelo_wings]

Okay. If he understood that, then ... then okay.

"Timber may not want my help, anyway," she said softly.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"If it turns out that it doesn't... we'll reevaluate. For right now, assume that it does." They wouldn't turn down her help, would they? They knew her.