I'll Be Waiting<br/>A Final Fantasy 8 Roleplay<br/>Adheres (mostly) to Canon<br/>By Gin & Elle<br/><br/>Chapter 1: Married To Your Job<br/><br/>Squall Leonhart stood before a large mirror in his appropriately spartan living quarters as he fiddled with his formal SeeD mess uniform. Never one to obsess over his appearance, however, the five year anniversary celebration of the Second Sorceress War, appropriately held in Dollet where the conflict all began, required the presence of Commander Leonhart in full dress uniform. Inwardly the lion of Balamb cringed as he knew duty mandated that he hobnob with politicians, tycoons, fat cats, world leaders, and the ultra elite of post war society. He and Quistis would be there as representatives of Garden while the rest of the rank A SeeD’s, his inner circle, his friends, would have to be incognito to coordinate with all the various security details for the world leaders and ultra elites who could afford such things. He fiddled with a meddlesome button on his jacket as he recalled his fath… Laguna Loire, chief klutz himself and amazingly still president of the most technologically advanced country on the planet, would be there as well. As would parliament to the Dollet Dukedom, and regional politicians from Balamb, Timber, Trabia, the Shumi Federation of Tribes, and perhaps even the pacifists of FH.<br/><br/><br/>Silently Squall wondered if Timber would send a delegation. He doubted it as blood between Timber and the rest of the world ran cold. Animosity with Galbadia had always been there after the invasion, but now with Timber freed and absolutely toiling away in poverty the people of Timber blamed not just Galbadia for their blight but the rest of the world for not intervening sooner and rendering aid afterward. The militaristic empire of Galbadia had with much annoyance and procrastination given Timber their independence but what they refused to do is allow them the benefits of the massive Galbadian network of infrastructure and tax revenues. Things like funding for hospitals and roadwork, clean drinking water, and power from Galbadia’s seemingly endless source of cold fusion power plants were in essence turned off overnight. It was a nasty situation Squall surmised that Garden was not equipped to deal with. Ultimately Timber became one giant ghetto rampant with crime and local mob bosses who hoarded resources and black balled the local government into turning the other cheek. Perhaps granting independence to a region whose sole economic resource was trees was not such a good idea without a plan of reconstruction Squall had gravely concluded. It still didn't alleviate the SeeD commander's sense of feeling entirely useless.<br/><br/><br/>‘What would Rinoa think’, Squall internally chastised himself suddenly as his thoughts turned to his old flame, his ex girlfriend, his first love, the love of his life, and the most powerful Sorceress currently in existence. A moment of regret formed in his mind as his usual stoic countenance turned sour in remembering perhaps the biggest mistake of his life. They were happy. Ecstatic, really. A whirlwind romance that he thought would never end… until it did. The world's growing discomfort with a being of cosmic like power being housed at the world's largest private military force, his own job as commander of SeeD becoming like a marital obligation once former Headmaster Cid retired and he and Quistis scrambled to divvy up responsibilities and create a new power structure that the two of them could coexist under and work effectively to take care of Garden's military and education curriculum, and finally Rinoa’s own stated desire to do more with her life than be sheltered inside of a floating fortress as Squall worked near endless hours all came to ahead one afternoon. The fights between them sure didn't help and neither did his considerable absence with those long hours he kept. When she announced that she was leaving in order to attend college and keep a low profile, he simply said ‘Ok’. A relationship that survived the destruction of time itself ended with an utterance of one word and her svelte form walking out of Garden to board a train.<br/><br/><br/>For a while he kept tabs on her through a non Garden affiliated rogue source. It really chafed at Squall to have to pay, of all people, fucking Almasly to keep her safe. However, the alternative of her falling into the hands of one of the world's truly evil men who would use her as Vinzer Deling had tried to do with Edea was not an outcome he would consider. That Rinoa could potentially be corrupted by the insane powers within her, as Edea had, was also a terrifying thought. So, Squall would grant Seifer immunity for his crimes that he'd never admit to, farm him out some jobs SeeD couldn't be bothered with, and stash a little Gil in an account for the wayward ex Knight in exchange for his word that Seifer would never try to return to Garden and that he'd keep low key tabs on Rinoa. Quite simply there was no price he wasn't willing to pay and no line Squall Leonhart wouldn't cross to keep her safe. Hyne help the man who got in his way. ‘But of course you fucked that up Almasly. Like you do all things.’ Squall bit his lip in frustration as he suppressed an urge to strangle Seifer Almasly. Seifer’s last report was six months ago and about as vague as Zell’s attention span on hotdog night in the cafeteria. ‘She graduated, moved out of her apartment, left no forwarding address. I don't know, Pubes. Guess you're shit out of luck. ‘ Squall had saved the text message from Seifer and ground his teeth as he recalled each word.<br/><br/><br/>Suddenly the SeeD commander was shaken from his brooding as a cold chill ran down his spine, and a chilly breeze nipped at his ears.’ Who messed with the ac again? I swear if Irvine…  No. That could only be… ‘<br/><br/><br/>‘That is quite enough, mon coeur de lion. Your friends are waiting FOR you. The world is waiting ON you, Squall. Over thinking this will not bring her back, and you know this. Besides you trained her to survive. YOU taught her how to rely on herself as much as she showed you to look to others.’<br/><br/><br/>‘Shiva…’<br/><br/><br/>‘But of course. No other Guardian Force resides with you any longer, nor has conversations with you in your favorite place. Your own head. Not after we figured out how to stop the memory loss from junctions. That is unless you have been seeing other Guardians behind my back, Squall.’<br/><br/><br/>Suddenly Squall was sent a rather buxom mental image of the icy Goddess in all of her glory. All. Of. Her. Glory. His eyes went a little wide as he sent a stammering retort to his longtime Guardian.<br/><br/><br/>‘Enough, Shiva. What is the meaning of this? You know how important tonight is. Be serious.’<br/><br/><br/>‘Precisely, my brave lion. Tonight IS important. By the way, I got you to stop brooding didn't I?’<br/><br/><br/>‘Gah. You are insuf… Alright, fine. There is no point in arguing. Goodbye Shiva. Stay on alert tonight. I need you ready.’<br/><br/><br/>‘Of course my charge. You know I am always ready to support you, Squall.’<br/><br/><br/>‘Thank you, Shi…’ But the connection was gone. Like Squall, and perhaps why they got along so famously, usually anyhow, Shiva had a level she could go to with emotional attachment and then after that nothing. It helped she also knew exactly how far the lion of Balamb could be pushed. Squall found it a mutually beneficial partnership in the end.<br/><br/><br/>Seeing to the last of his preparations, Squall sheathed a gunblade to his hip. Unfortunately, he would be unable to carry Lion heart tonight. His trademark weapon, hand fashioned and absolutely priceless. However, tonight called for something a little more subdued. He had forged this particular gunblade, a much slimmer and more concealed blade equipped with a silencer on the barrel, for missions involving stealth and reconnaissance and not brute force. He called it Gladius.<br/><br/><br/>His preparations complete, the SeeD commander walked the halls of his Garden towards the parking lot where Quistis and a private car was waiting to take them to the Dollet Grand Hotel. The entire hotel, all of its rooms, and of course its grand ballroom had been set up in preparation for the dignitaries and the celebration which was to go well into the night. The ride could best be described as tense. Quistis of course attempted to break the ice and make small talk though in true Squall like fashion he said very little, offering mostly one word responses. It was not as though Squall disliked Quistis by any means. In fact he admired her greatly and wished more SeeD’s would aspire to be as good as she was. No, the problem completely revolved around them both being single, working day after day in close proximity, and the lingering air of unresolved sexual tension from their teenage years. Squall was adamant about keeping it that way, but he somehow doubted Quistis Trepe had the same resolve. It certainly didn't help that their driver, one Irvine Kinneas disguised as a local limousine driver from Galbadia, was intent on making every sexual innuendo that could possibly be made in a fifteen minute car ride.<br/><br/><br/>Mercifully the car stopped in front of the hotel and Squall exited the car to step foot on the curb. He began to survey the lay of the land, noting the impressive, but easily avoidable, security checkpoint at the front door, the very blatant undercover security officers with earpieces in that walked around in way too obvious patterns to be anything but on patrol, and the sniper across an adjacent rooftop who was currently smoking and completely visible. As he heard the heeled footsteps of Quistis reach his side he commented to his two longtime friends. “Sloppy. We need to be prepared tonight. I don't like the look of what they're calling security. Fifteen minute check ins. Get the word to Zell, Selphie, and the other SeeD teams. Let's go.”<br/><br/><br/>Squall had slipped into ‘business mode’ as the trademark stoic scowl appeared on his visage. After proceeding through security he stopped pace just outside the ballroom and whispered to the stunning blonde SeeD fully made up in a ravishing dark maroon evening gown and bright red lipstick that he'd catch up with her shortly. In truth Squall had eyed a bumbling Laguna going on and on with his entourage, that included Ellone, heading straight for him. He ducked around a corner as he felt suddenly remiss about cutting out on his sis like that but he honestly didn't have the patience to deal with Laguna right now. Perhaps after a drink… or seven.<br/><br/><br/>The lion's arms folded across his chest as he adopted a trademark Squall pose, his steel grey eyes sweeping the room as he hugged the intimate confines of the dark room. For now he'd simply stand here and observe. Let Quistis deal with the schmoozing for now. Squall tapped his nearly nude earpiece as he called for a status check. While everyone else began to mingle and catch up, stories being told, and champagne flowing liberally, Squall watched in silence. Perhaps Rinoa was right after all. Maybe he really was married to his job.<br/><br/><a class="username" data-user-id="48" data-username="@Elle" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/48/">@Elle</a>