A return of sorts

[sorcery_fledgling]

Who: Rinoa and you!
What: Someone returns from a canon update
Where: The Plaza, likely near the fountain
Style: Starting with brackets, but I'll match you
Status: Open to all~

[It's not a fun thing, discovering your ex has quite possibly gone off the deep end. It's even worse when he decides to shove you like unwanted trash at a 15 foot man-looking sorceress who's about to Junction you to her. Just as Adel reached for her, Rinoa screamed and tried to scramble back...

And suddenly found herself soaking wet and stumbling backwards into a fountain. She sputters and splashes, trying to regain her focus. When the panic finally subsides and she's calm enough to think, she slowly climbs out of the fountain, spitting out some of the water she swallowed. Yuck.

Once she's on the edge of the fountain, she sits and looks around, taking in the... strangely familiar surroundings. A bubble under the sea. She's seen this before.]

...Oh.

[Vatheon. Her second home.]

I'm back.

Comments

[unshelledbullet]

[Some people freak out and cause a ruckus when their friends disappear from the bubble. When Rinoa disappeared from Vatheon a few days ago, Squall simply just accepted it. Something like this was always a possibility and he knew it - Selphie even left for a few months, some friends he had made in this world left as well. And he knows that no amount of freaking out would bring them back.

He didn't try to keep his hopes up, and when he passes Rinoa by chance, he nearly misses her. But a double take confirms that yes, Rinoa has returned.]

Rinoa.

[You're back.]

[sorcery_fledgling]

[There was a sense of deja vu in all of this. She's wringing out her hair when she hears someone approach. She looks up, and there he was. Just like when she first came here.]

Squall.

[Oh right, she had been upset with him. But after everything that happened back home, a lot of that has dissipated.]

[unshelledbullet]

[Deja vu indeed. Squall was upset as well, but he can't hang onto something like this forever and ever.]

Welcome back.

[sorcery_fledgling]

Thank you.

[Perhaps it's time to clear the air, now that she's gained a distance between things.]

So, um...

[She gets to her feet, taking off her duster and wringing it out.]

Remember when you came back and told me stuff that happened? I think you left out a few details.

[unshelledbullet]

[WOW LIKE THIS WASN'T AWKWARD ENOUGH ALREADY.]

I did.

[What else can he say to that?]

[sorcery_fledgling]

[It's gonna be awkward either way. Might as well get it over with!]

I'm not mad. I get why you did it.

[If their places had been reversed, she'd have been at a loss as to what to tell him.]

And I'm not mad about the other thing either. I still don't agree with it, but I get why you felt that way.

[blitz_acing]

[Usually, when people turned up around the fountain, they weren't anyone Tidus recognized. He was slightly surprised, and confused, to see Rinoa, before he realized they...had never really actually met before, not counting the curse.]

I'm guessing you didn't decide to swim in the fountain and just came back just now.

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Rinoa doesn't recognize him, seeing as when they last "spoke" he was a chocobo.]

Mm, nope. Usually I swim up on the island.

[In a bathing suit and a towel on hand.]

[unshelledbullet]

[He's glad she understands.]

I'm done with that now if that makes you feel better.

[sorcery_fledgling]

I take it Serph talked to you.

[She's relieved to hear that. Serph had promised her he'd talk to Squall, but still, it was good to hear that nonetheless.]

Guess it's better just to put it behind us, huh? I don't think I could stay mad at you for real long anyway.

[blitz_acing]

So you know how to swim? I like going up there too. It's not like it's really dangerous or anything.

[he scratches the back of his head, then nearly jumps when he realizes something.]

Oh, sorry, are you cold? I don't have any towels, but you can wear my jacket and I'll go grab one for you.

[unshelledbullet]

He did.

[He did more than talk but he's not going to talk about that.]

I'm fine with that.

[sorcery_fledgling]

Oh, sure. I learned when I was a kid.

[She smiles a little at his politeness. He's kind of adorable, isn't he?]

I'm okay. I'll need to get home eventually and change my clothes, but I appreciate it.

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Oh, Squall. It's funny how differently she thinks of his short answers now.]

Well I would hope so.

[There's a smile, but it's a bit forced. Something still felt off. She'll get to that in a minute, though.]

Right. So how long was I gone? Anything happen? [Might as well get all the pressing questions out of the way. And she is a little worried about how things were during her absence.] The Embryon okay?

[blitz_acing]

Me too.

[He grins, about to start talking nonstop about how much he likes swimming, and underwater sports, but he thinks for once and decides against it for the time being.]

All right. Oh, I'm Tidus by the way. I'm not a bird. We met before.

[sorcery_fledgling]

Oh, were you that chocobo?

[That finally earns a laugh. She remembers that! It was an odd experience, to say the least.]

Nice to meet you as a person, Tidus. I'm Rinoa.

[teradine]

[Walking towards the flower shop where she works, Argilla often passes by the Plaza. Today she even thinks she heard the remnants of a scream, as she walks by; and while she is already curious about it, it's the splash afterwards that really gets her attention.

. . . It wouldn't be the first time her comrades have crash landed in, so she walks over a bit hastily, walking into earshot of Rinoa's voice.

Ah . . . not Sera, then.]

Rinoa.

[-- what does she mean, 'back'?]

What happened?

[booyaka_boom]

Riiiinooooaaaa~~

*Selphie was nearby on the plaza when she spots her friend, and she rushes over in an instant. She knew she'd been missing, but was sure she'd gone home, and was so glad now that she was back. So now she's rushing headlong into Rinoa from the other side of the fountain*

[sorcery_fledgling]

Argilla?

[Rinoa looks up, smiling in relief to see a familiar face.]

I just came back. I went home for a bit.

[When she realizes that might come as a surprise to Argilla, her smile fades.]

...You didn't know?

[sorcery_fledgling]

[...didn't Selphie tackle her the last time, too? Although at least Rinoa's a bit more prepared this time around.]

Hey, Selphie.

[She can't help but smile and stand up, bracing herself for the impact.]

[booyaka_boom]

*Selphie latched onto Rinoa, snuggling tightly into her*

I'm so glad you're back already!

*She moved back a little, smiling up at her friend*

Where have you been?

*And the way she looks at her, it's like she means in terms of time, instead of space*

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Huuuuuugs!]

Me too. Sorry for leaving like that.

[It takes her a minute to figure out what Selphie means, mostly due to her head still reeling from what had just happened to her and suddenly being brought back here.]

Um - oh, oh. Well... Last thing I saw is a fifteen foot sorceress from space bearing down on me.

[She does not sound happy about that, and of course she isn't.]

[booyaka_boom]

*Selphie bites her lip at this and gives Rinoa another quick squeeze, frowning softly*

But you know that everything ends up okay, right? After that... it works out... eventually.

[sorcery_fledgling]

Yeah, I remember you saying that. It's just... it was so horrifying.

[And from the looks of things, it's going to get worse for a bit.]

[booyaka_boom]

*You got that Rinoa. For you, they're really seriously gonna suck*

For now, you're back here. With me, and Squall. And it's...better than that. At least.

*She opened her mouth suddenly as if to say something, then just shook her head instead*