vatheon | Mood(ier) Than Usual

Who: Squall Leonhart and the bubble
Where: A coffee shop in the plaza
When: Morning
Style: Starting in action, feel free to change
Status: Open

[He could not get over it. Squall simply could not get over it. This murder fiasco left him with overwhelming guilt and a feeling of uselessness.

Squall hates feeling useless. And when he tried owning up to his failure, people kept trying to comfort and coddle him. And he couldn't understand why people wouldn't just accept his apologies.

Why is this so much harder than it should be?

Eventually, he stopped trying, needing some time to cool off and feel miserable in peace, so he headed for a coffee shop he visited fairly frequently. Unfortunately for him, the only available seating was outside. The shop had started serving a seasonal blend with pumpkin and spice, business was booming.

And as such, Squall is currently seated at an outdoor table with a pumpkin spice coffee in hand, and he is positively radiating negativity.

Talk to him? Or just ask how that coffee tastes, that's good too.]

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[The waitress obeys, taking her leave, leaving Argilla looking at the menu, distracted from what was going to be a serious discussion. It's probably a good thing, though; and when Squall prompts her, though, she looks up again, seeming thoughtful.]

Perhaps, if you have a recommendation.

[After taking one last glance at the page she was on, she gently slides the menu in his direction. If he even needs it.]

[First, he really needs an idea of what she likes. There's an entire world of flavors when it comes to coffee, and if it's food she wants, she has plenty to choose from.]

What do you like? Sweet things?

[Maybe having all of those choices is part of the problem. It's a little overwhelming, when you're still learning what half of them are, but-- she doesn't seem to mind, and neither does Squall.

She nods.]

I do. [Like sweet things, that is.] I've tried brownies before.

[And a few other things. But she should probably branch out.]

[Baked goods, huh? Coffee shops almost always have good selections of those.]

Have you tried muffins?

[. . . Hmmm. After a moment of consideration, Argilla shakes her head. She hasn't; and since Squall doesn't even seem to need the menu, she takes it back for a moment and flips to the desserts.

Which are at the back.]

These?

[She points to a picture of them. Looks like they have something called raisins.]

Right those. There's also cinnamon rolls or donuts or other things if you want to try something else.

[As he mentions them, she looks at those too. Each one looks more delicious than the last. Reading the descriptions doesn't do much for her, since she doesn't know what all the ingredients are, except by their name--

But the pictures are enough.]

You're sure you wouldn't like something as well?

[Are you fussing over him, Argilla? There really is no need to.]

I'm fine.

[But now that he thinks of it, a coffee cake sounds appealing...]

[Hey, somebody should. Though she's sure Rinoa does enough fussing . . .

Anyway, he'll have a chance to change his mind about the coffee cake. Argilla calls the waitress order, and in the end, decides to go with a muffin, since it's what Squall suggested first.

A banana muffin to be exact.

. . . And since locals, particularly waitresses, are kind of persistent and naggy, she'll be turning to Squall again.]

[Wow okay waitress, if you're really that insistent, he'll get something! Squall chooses a blueberry coffee cake.

And it's not long before she returns with their treats. Squall picks up a spoon and digs into his food.]

[Talk about good service.

Well, Argilla's pleased, anyway, and the waitress seems pleased too that she was able to serve both of them. So when she leaves, it's with a smile on her face.

After that, when Squall starts digging into his coffee cake, she'll do the same to her muffin; and when enough silence has passed, she'll speak again, once she swallows another bite.

It really is quite good.]

How long do you intend to stay?

[Squall has finished most of his coffee cake by the time Argilla asks her question. He takes a moment to wipe some crumbs from his face with a napkin before answering.]

I'll probably leave once we're done here. I was going to do so sooner, but people kept bothering me.

[He should go somewhere less public if he doesn't want to be disturbed.]

[For a moment, she almost asks if she's one of them. But considering she already gave him the chance to turn her away (if that's what he wanted), it's definitely unnecessary by now.

She refuses to feel bad for "bothering" him.]

People do tend to do that, when they feel it's what you need.

[People liiiike Serph.]

[It's not what he needs, though. Or, at least, that's what he thinks.]

It's like they all found me at once.

They were simply concerned . . . does that surprise you?

[Because she doesn't think it should.]

Not really.

[He's come to understand friends as nosy people who get up in your business when you don't want them to. He's wondering if they coordinated so that they all came one right after another though.]

I see.

[. . . Well, good. She's glad that's totally clear, and feels satisfied with the silence for the moment. But then she takes a couple more bites off her muffin, swallowing before speaking again.]

Then I suppose my next question would be whether or not they made a difference.

[He has to think about this.]

...maybe.

You don't know?

[That's . . . not really a clear answer. Not that she's all too surprised.]

[It's a non committal answer.]

Sometimes it's hard for me to tell if I feel better or not.

. . . Fair enough.

[Feelings are difficult and Argilla knows this. Though she's come to handle hers quite well, for not being used to them at all.]

What happened isn't something to be taken lightly . . . so it'll take some time. No matter how quickly others want you to move on.

I just want them to stop telling me it's not my fault.

[He's heard it so many times and it's bull.]

It just isn't that simple.

[He really does blame himself, doesn't he . . . ?

Argilla doesn't. Though after what he's said, she isn't about to say that aloud. She simply stays quiet, because she can't exactly disagree, either. It isn't simple. Not at all.]

Do you intend to punish yourself?

[He doesn't know. He was seriously thinking about resigning from the DF, but Serph is clearly not accepting that.]

Not anymore.

. . . Good.

[She senses something of Serph's influence in those words, though she doesn't know it for sure.]

Rinoa -- I don't think that's what she'd want.

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