How many wonders can one bubble hold?

[sorcery_fledgling]

Who: Rinoa and YOU! And you, and you and you and you.
Where: All over the damn place. She's exploring.
When: Anytime, from morning until evening.
Style: Either!
Status: Open~

[With so many questions and very few answers, Rinoa has decided to take things into her own hands and give the bubble and the island a good lookover. Packing a satchel and donned with good "exploration" clothes, Rinoa will be all over the place today. She'll be poking her head into corners and strange holes and inspecting whatever attracts her curiosity.

More than likely the eager but slightly naive girl will be found in some strange position or another while investigating, and if approached, she may just have a question in store. Or at the very least, an awkward explanation as to what she's doing.]

Comments

[sorcery_fledgling]

[She stares for a little, trying to absorb this. Squall, who had hardly fit in with his own classmates at Garden even though he was looked up to, had become part of someone's tribe in a few months.

She honestly wasn't expecting that, that he had made friends so quickly here.

And that right there makes her burst into a grin.]

That's so great! I had no idea you guys were so close!

[She could hug him for doing that for Squall, but seeing as he's a little wet (not to mention they don't know each other well, though that hasn't stopped her in the past) she refrains.]

Sorry if I seemed a little surprised! I just... Squall's always been so withdrawn, it's really good to hear something like that.

[bufudine]

[Serph honestly doesn't mind hugs! But he's a little relieved at the sudden smile; people look a lot better when they're happily smiling, in Serph's opinion.

He listens closely to what Rinoa has to say about Squall. Her words don't surprise him; he's had that impression for a while now, and their talk about family... well. It was hard not to reach out and offer Squall a place in his.]

Have you known him for long?

[She sounds like she has!]

[sorcery_fledgling]

[There'll be a next time, trust that.]

You know, I haven't. But we've been through a lot together and I've been talking with people who have known him awhile. On the surface, he's... pretty easy to read. Quiet, reserved, doesn't like talking or socializing much. Takes on burdens and everything else alone... He's a tough nut to crack. But he's been opening up a little more.

So it's... really good to hear that. Thank you. I mean it.

[bufudine]

[The question is who'll initiate it first. Serph or Rinoa??

He gives her a nod in acceptance of her thanks. He doesn't think he's done much, but Serph's not about to turn aside grattitude.]

How did you two meet?

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Good question. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!

oh god no. tl;dr heading your way.]

We met a little while ago, the night he graduated and became a SeeD.

[She smiles as she recalls the details.]

I don't know if Squall's told you anything about SeeDs, but they're trained mercenaries who are hired out by different governments and organizations. Squall became one pretty recently. Anyway, the night he graduated, I came to his school to hire SeeD to help my resistance faction back home. [She could go on and on about that, too, but that's not the point of this story.]

Sooo, there I was, standing in this ballroom looking up at the stars. I was by myself. I had a... friend, [Small frown when she thinks of Seifer. That's another story altogether, too.] who went to Garden, but I couldn't find him. I thought he would have become a SeeD, too, but he wasn't there.

Well, that doesn't matter. The point is, I looked over and suddenly there's this guy, leaning against the wall all by himself, looking up at the same spot where I had been looking. I guess Squall noticed me staring, so I walked over to him.

[Rinoa had begun walking in a small circle shortly after she began her narration, but paused as she frowned.] I even complimented him and said he was the best looking guy in the room - which he was - and yet when I first asked him to dance, he tried acting cool and tried to ignore me. But I didn't want to be alone, and I got it in my head to get a dance out of him, so I brushed it off and tried to charm him a bit. You know, see if I could convince him to like me a bit, so maybe he would dance.

I managed to get a "I can't dance" out of him, which I knew was a lie, so I took his hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor. The waltz had just started up, so we danced that. He was a bit shaky at first, but after a little bit he got into it. [She points a finger at Serph.] So no matter what he says, Squall IS a good dancer.

Once the song ended, I spotted the Headmaster - he runs the school and also negotiates the SeeD contracts - so I left Squall to go over and talk to him. I feel kind of bad just leaving him there, looking back. I should have at least said good-bye.

[bufudine]

[Delicious tl;dr. Too bad I play a silent protag who can't return it in kind.

But what is graduation?? Serph pays as close attention as he can, noting that small bit of hesitation when Rinoa talks about the friend she was supposed to meet. But, being the kind of guy he is, he doesn't ask about it. Instead, he saves it for another conversation. As she starts walking around, Serph continues to keep his attention on her, blinking bemusedly when she points at him.

Rinoa seems to know Squall fairly well. Better than if she'd only met him that one time.]

You met him again, am I correct?

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Totally okay, tl;dr is rare on my end anyway.

Ask her these things, Serph! She doesn't know the extent of his knowledge, although he did tell her a bit about his world. Still, it never crosses her mind that he wouldn't even know about something like graduating.

She's loving all these questions. It's a chance for her to retell certain events and go back over them. It's surprising what she learns through a retelling, sometimes.]

Yeah. The next day. The Headmaster agreed to help my faction and he sent out three SeeDs to meet us. Squall was one of those SeeDs. Selphie was another one, too, if you know her.

[bufudine]

[He nods; yeah, he knows Selphie. She confuses him a lot. But he tilts his head.]

Your faction?

[Is Rinoa a leader, too?]

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Don't feel bad, Rinoa doesn't fully understand Selphie most of the time, either.]

Yeah! I sort of co-lead a resistance faction called the Forest Owls back home.

[bufudine]

[Serph's voice is curious when he speaks.]

What were you resisting?

[sorcery_fledgling]

The Galbadian government. They invaded Timber 17 years ago and life has been pretty hard on the residents since then. There are resistance factions all over, but mine's the only active one, currently.

[bufudine]

[Okay, he can guess that Timber is a place -- which is going to utterly confuse him when he finds out cut wood can be called timber -- but...]

Is 'government' a Tribe?

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Let's hope he doesn't?]

Ah... government is a body of people that help run and rule a country or a place. I don't know how your Tribes work so I guess?

[bufudine]

[Okay he can understand running a place -- territory -- but what the heck is a country? A question for later, perhaps. First he'll answer Rinoa's question.]

In my world, Tribes are people who are united under a leader. Territory is associated with each Tribe, and encroaching on another's territory was deemed an act of war.

[A small pause.]

Members care for and guard each other. I was told this is much like what family is like.

[sorcery_fledgling]

That's pretty similar to how a country is, basically. Although encroaching on a country's land didn't necessarily mean war, unless the intentions were hostile.

[There's a little smile there.]

Pretty close, yeah. My understanding of family isn't great, but that's what a good family does.

[bufudine]

[Serph tilts his head, noting the phrasing of those words.]

You don't have family?

[sorcery_fledgling]

[...Oh this is going to be fun to explain.]

Well... technically, yes. My mother died right before I turned five years old. My father is still alive, but... we haven't gotten along in years. I ran away from home over a year ago because I couldn't stand being there anymore. [There is a lot more to that story, but she still hasn't told any of her friends the whole story, and she's not sure if she's ready quite yet.]

So, basically, I do, but it doesn't feel like a family. The closest thing I have are the others in the resistance faction with me.

[bufudine]

[Serph listens carefully to Rinoa's story. So... one can have parents, but not be family?]

But they are not family?

[By "they", he means the others in the resistance faction.]

[sorcery_fledgling]

I don't think I'd call them that. I'm close with some of the members, but there's always been that little bit of distance between us.

[Mainly due to the fact that they're all Timber folk who are fighting for their home while she's a General's daughter from the opposing side who's fighting because it's right. The fact that they keep calling her "Princess" doesn't help matters, either.]

[bufudine]

[Oh. And no mention of the same closeness with her other friends? That's a shame. He holds out his hand -- dry, now that he's been standing in the sun for a while -- palm facing upwards.]

There is always room for you in my family.

[Time is usually a prerequisite to becoming family, to becoming comrades, but it isn't that way with Serph.]

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Rinoa adores her friends, but in many ways she still feels like the outsider. They had their past and their ties to Garden to unite them. What did she have as ties but a contract and circumstance throwing them together? Calling them family would feel so presumptuous, even as much as she wants to.

So when Serph extends his hand to her, it takes everything she has not to tear up, because that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever offered her.]

Me? Are... Are you sure? What about the other members in your family, your tribe? Wouldn't they be upset?

And Squall...

[Oh man, what would he say? He would probably drop kick her on her rearend.]

[bufudine]

[Serph nods; he's sure. If there's one thing he's learnt in the Junkyard and in Vatheon, it's how people don't need to be from the same backgrounds to still be family.]

It will be fine.

[SQUALL CAN JUST DEAL WITH IT B| ]

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Something Rinoa will learn in time in Disc 3, pretty much]

...If you're sure.

[And with a tentative smile, she places her hand in his outstretched one, accepting his offer, because truly, how could she not?

EASY FOR YOU TO SAY YOU WON'T FACE HIS WRATH but okay ;; ]

[bufudine]

[Serph gives her an encouraging nod. He can give Squall a good talking to if he objects to Rinoa's presence, though he doubts Squall would.

If Rinoa will allow it, Serph will pull her into a hug. It's a firm, but not smothering one. A reassurance that he cares. Leader gives the best hugs.]

[sorcery_fledgling]

[She would appreciate it, because even as well as she's getting to know Squall, she really can't predict his reaction to this.

lfjalskjaldjada hugs!

Rinoa's surprised again - not quite as much as the offer but still enough - that she's stiff for a moment, before she quietly tears up and returns the gesture.]