Mood(ier) Than Usual

[unshelledbullet]

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.]

Comments

[bufudine]

[Serph nods, agreeing with those statements. Yes, Squall screwed up. Serph screwed up. But he follows Squall's statement with...]

What do you intend to do now?

[unshelledbullet]

[Do? What can he do? Does Vatheon even want to let him do anything now that he made the screw up of the century?]

Maybe I should resign.

[bufudine]

[Sorry Squall, did you say something? Because Serph just reached over and slapped you.]

[unshelledbullet]

[WHAT

He's just going to...stare at Serph a little bit.

Good thing he wasn't holding his coffee when you hit him.]

[bufudine]

[Serph is polite enough to make sure Squall hadn't been holding the coffee, see. Imagine if Serph still wore his Tag Ring and had slapped Squall with his left hand. Things could have been so much worse.

Serph's expression looks a lot like his usual neutral one, but his mouth is a flat line.]

Why did you become a leader of the Defense Force?

[unshelledbullet]

[Why? Squall used to never think of himself as a leader type. But he was always thrust into the role ever since graduating his training. He was the leader of the group sent to Timber, continued to be leader once the group grew and objectives changed, and Cid forced him to become Garden's leader.]

I wanted to help.

[Help Vatheon. Help Minato. Help himself.]

[bufudine]

[Squall wanted people to get mad? Well... Serph isn't mad -- people die when he's truly angry -- but right now he's speaking slightly slower than usual, his words more articulated.]

Are you going to stop helping because it's become difficult?

[unshelledbullet]

[It's not that Squall wants to stop. But...]

Do people even still want me?

[He thinks back to what he told Heat: a leader is only as good as his followers.]

[bufudine]

[It's not really like Squall to presume others' thoughts. And really, it's not really about what other people think about Squall, but what Squall thinks they think, which is really just a manifestation of his own failure.]

That isn't something you decide on your own.

[Because it's Squall's telling himself they don't want him. No one else. Serph continues.]

Leaders sometimes make mistakes. [Serph glances away briefly.] There are always consequences.

[He knows it all too well. What happened the past month is small stuff to Serph. He turns his attention back to Squall, expression set.]

But leaders keep going.

[unshelledbullet]

[These are things that Squall should know. But the truth is, he's not that experienced of a leader. He came into the role back in his world because he was forced to. And being a leader of mercenaries was different from being a leader of a group of volunteers that protect those who need it.

He almost wants to just slink away from Serph, just to get away from that gaze.

He still has a way to go.]

I understand.

protagonisting protagonists in under 10 comments

[bufudine]

[Good.

Serph nods and rises from his seat.]

I expect to see you tomorrow when we trade shifts.