Who: Selphie Tilmitt, Irvine Kinneas, Farrell Tennan, Vincent Valentine.
Where: Garden Atrium --> Outside in the Snow --> Garden Cafeteria.
Why: Selphie wants Irvine to learn how to... bleh, ballroom dance. Then, the RP just meanders everywhere.
Date of Log: August 7, 2000.
Irvine's demise has been predicted to be in many, many forms. Selphie, for one, is by far the largest guess -- however, that is -far- too general to do Irvine any good. So let's narrow it down, shall we? The prospect of marriage is certainly a high taker -- though they're both too young for that to be a serious threat. Any one of Selphie's many bird-brained ideas -- while this is also very general -- isn't too far from the truth. In fact, to keep up with each said bird-brained idea, one would have to keep a constant watch over the flippy-hair`ed girl, and no one has ever cared to devote enough of their time to do so. (Also, one's mental health is also put in the balance in such a circumstance.)
And if anyone -were- to moniter these ideas, they would find that the most recent one rather deals with dancing. Not of the 'lap' variety, unfortuantely, but of the 'ballroom' variety. And so! It is with this in mind that Selphie comes trotting from the direction of the dormitories, seeking out Tha' Woild Irvine. He's around here -somewhere-.
Indeed, the Woild Irvine is skulking about in his natural habitat, that being somewhere in Garden. In fact, he's just exited the parking area after being outside for a bit. He actually kinda likes the cool air outside, and since he's wearing it again, the duster has been cleaned and repaired of the previous char marks and freed from that smokey scent after the Kefka Mission. It felt nice to be out there in the snow, too bad he had no one to throw snowballs at. *le sigh* Though the poor boy loves Selphie to death, he has no idea what's going through her mind right now, leaving him ripely open for her terrorizing attack.
Tch! Not fair! If Selphie had known Irvine was out-side-, she'd have gone out there and pummeled him with snowballs. She's an expert, you know. But as it is, the girl stops just outside the dorms, and looks left, then right, then left, then right once more, and -- "Oh!" There he is! Irvine-dar works again. "Irvy~!" Waving largely, the smallish girl trots over towards him, beaming. Blissfully unawares, hmm Irvine? "I -know- you didn't go outside without me...!" Hee.
Glancing over in Selphie's direction the moment he hears that chiming voice, Irvine looks a little sheepish suddenly. Um, see, yes, he did. "Well... I was only out there for a few minutes, Darlin'." Uh oh, leaving himself -totally- open for a guilt trip attack. One of these days, cowboy, you'll learn. Still, he heads in her direction, the Woild Irvine unaware that before him is the ultimate yellow-clad trap.
Well, see, that's okay. Because Selphie was dancing with Kail last night. So! She queitly figures that perhaps they cancel each other out, and might explain why she, in fact, -doesn't- gives a guilt trip! She does give a -teeny- pout, though, stopping somewhere relatively near to the cowboy. "Dang! Totally uncool." And here comes a possible -reason- for a lack of said guilt trip. "--Guess what *I* did last night!" Poor Kail. He was such a nice friend, too.
Lifting an eyebrow, though as usual the gesture is half lost to the brim of his hat, Irvine can only imagine what Selphie was up to the night previous. He looks at her in askance, wordlessly picturing a number of different things. 'Hey, Irvine, I was running around nude in the snow last night, shoulda seen it.' or 'Remember Vincent? I decided to have him do a duet with you for the festival.' or, even worse, 'Do you mind if Lucrecia and I dress you and Vincent up as girls for a picture?' Soooooo, he just kinda stands there and mentally braces himself for the worst.
Selphie beams, standing there, waiting for Irvine to guess. ...Crickets chirp, or some equivalent. "..." Wrinkling her nose after a few moments, she uh!s. "Fine! I'll -tell- you, then!" Hee. Smiling once more, she hophops from foot to foot, happily. "Kail taught me how to da~ance! Isn't that soo~ cool?!" Yeah, real cool. It was, most likely, a slow dance. And besides the fact that Selphie was 'slow dancing' with Kail, this most definately means that Selphie will want -Irvine- to learn, too. Waha.
Well, Irvine being the quiet jealous type, he has to stand there a moment to absorb that information. Kail's a friend, so really he -shouldn't- be jealous, it's not like Logan, who he really didn't know from adam. Still... teaching someone how to dance requires a certain -closeness- to one's partner. And that's what's making the marksman's blood start to boil. Selphie thinks she's got a jealous streak, eh? She at least just takes it out on him when she's upset, Irvine usually refuses to see Selphie as anything but innocent. That means, he blames the other guy. All totaled, Kail's probably gonna get a visit from Irvine in the near future. Of course, it hasn't dawned on him immediately that Selphie now expects him to learn -too-. Then, out of the blue, he suddenly wonders, glancing down at Selphie dubiously, "What kind of 'dance'?"
True enough -- Selphie never takes any of her jealousy out on the girls that fall prey to the Irvine. Mainly because she's sure that they're just mindless, pretty faces... And besides, Irvine -is- the flirt in the relationship. Either way, Selphie really sees no reason for the cowboy to be jealous, or get angry in the least! Afterall, she -asked- Kail to teach her, so that she could teach Irvine, and so they could go out dancing sometime and not look silly. Rather, so that -Irvine- wouldn't look silly, much like poor Squall did that fateful night...
Smiling widely, she rocks up onto the balls over her feet, then back onto her heels. "Baa~aaallroom!", she drawls. Hoahboy.
Well, that changes everything. Ballroom dancing? Irvine wrinkles his nose at the idea of it. That stuff's for pansies and wusses. Why would Selphie want to learn how to ballroom dan-- heeeeey, whoa wait a minute. She doesn't expect -him- to learn, does she? He glances down at the little wonder in yellow again, squinting an eye at her dubiously. "Why?" Hey, at least he's forgotten to be jealous of Kail.
Pansies? Wussies?! No way! Ballroom dancing is -romantic-, and it's totally, mega, SUPER booyaka. And all that jazz. That -beam- Selphie's wearing... Well, it's fairly obvious -why- she wants to learn. She doesn't even have to -say- it, the look does it for her. "Well~, y'know, I thouuught..." Uhoh. Selphie's learning, you know, how to distract Irvine from not liking things she wants to do. Moooving in closer, she moves to drape an arm around the cowboy's waist, and draw a little circle on his vest with her index finger. Around and around and around. "...Maaaybe..." Ack! Coy_smile! Where'd she -learn- that? "...We could learn it together..." Fear.
Uh... distraction indeed. Irvine watches her move in for the kill with a sort of helpless, doe in headlights kinda look. He sees his doom approaching and yet, he does nothing... nor really wants to do anything, to stop it. Still, "Um... I'm not really into ballroom dancing...?" Just a feeble protest, he even sounds unsure of it as he says it. Ballroom dancing -is- for pansies, dang it! It is... it is? Um, now he's not quite so sure. Selphie's learning well.
Jutting her lower lip out just enough to make herself look horridly pitiful with barely even trying (an expression practiced in front of the mirror, actually), Selphie cocks her head to the side a bit. "I bet you've never even -tried- it," she pouts. Awwww. Cocking her head now in the other direction, she idly kicks one leg back, foot slowly circling in sync with that index finger. "Ple~ease? For -me-?" Criminy... Poor Irvine.
Indeed, poor Irvine. How in the world could he say no to -that- look? Sighing resignedly, he waves the proverbial white flag of surrender, "For you, Darlin'. All right." He really does -not- want to learn anything about ballroom dancing, but already starts rationalizing learning. It's for Selphie, first off, and it couldn't hurt to know how or something. Could it? One of these days, however, he's gonna have to extract revenge in some manner. Thing is, he has no idea what or how.
Oh, come on! It involves being in close proximity to Selphie -- how could that be bad? Beam!ing, and pulling away from the cowboy, she clapclaps her hands. "Whoohoo!" Bouncing up and down already, she mentally strikes another point up on her side. She's got... noticably more than Irvine, though he's had his moments. "This is gonna be sooo~ cool!" Now, had Irvine said 'no,' that picture and article would -so- be in the paper before the day was over. Hee. "I knew you'd see the light!"
The picture has been relatively forgotten, though Irvine has no idea that she's holding it as a secret sort of blackmail. However, he does looks somewhat perplexed, trying to figure out how exactly he got himself into this now. Ballroom dancing? Tch, whatever. Well, it's got his perks... yeah, he'll be close to Selphie but then again, he's close to her when he drags her to his room too... heh. Shrugging helplessly he just says, "Well, I guess, it'll be something."
Selphie giggles. She'll have to figure out a way to get Irvine to take her to a nice restuarant with a -dance- floor sometime! Yeah! And she can buy a new dress, and he'd -better- dress up, and new shoes, and she can do her -hair-... See, Garden doesn't really -have- a prom, or a homecoming, just festivals. And they're not exactly formal, you understand -- so a girl's innate desire to dress and primp isn't always filled in a place like this! But that's for later. -Now- is for hopping up and down. Jeez, lay off the sodas! (5 isn't too many for one day, right?) "Yeah! Totally something!" Bouncebounce.
Dress up? You mean, get out of his cowboy gear? Hell no! Ugh, formal events really aren't Irvine's strong point. It's bad enough when he has to actually wear his Cadet uniform for the official SeeD functions. He doesn't mind there not being a prom, the Garden Festival is nice and fun and relaxing enough, why dress up and get all prissy? Though... seeing Selphie all decked out would be nice. Anyway, the cowboy just kinda watches Selphie bounce around happily, vicariously smiling by her infectious positivity.
Gasp! How could anyone -not- like to dress up? ...Selphie could go shopping with him! Pick out some looovely clothes. A crisp, purple dress-shirt... No tie! No tie, no, Irvine's not that kind of a guy. The top button undone. ...Or two. Or three. Or -- Er. Black suspenders! Yes! And black slacks. And, well, no duster. None! Boots are okay. Siiigh! Selphie's already daydreaming about it. But it's not -obvious- that she's daydreaming, what with the way she's bouncing and all. "--Hee!" And... suddenly...! She's reminded of the unfinished game of Tag that was started, and never finished. Tch! "--Oooh! Irvy, Irvy!" Calming down a moment, she stands there, hands clasped in front of her. Smiling. This could be good or bad.
Now what? Irvine looks back down at Selphie somewhat pitifully. He's already been conned into learning how to -ick- ballroom dance. What next punishment is she going to extract from him? Good thing he knows nothing about what she's daydreaming. Suspenders? Bleh. And -no- duster? Sacriledge! Good thing there's not much of an audience here or he'd probably have tried to get away by now. (As if there were really possible.) "Er... what's that, Darlin'?" He's expecting the worst, mind you.
Selphie merely points an index finger at the cowboy, still smiiiiling. See, the last time the game was put on 'pause,' Irvine was it. And while he may have touched Selphie since then, he didn't announce that she was, in fact, it, in his stead. So! This might explain why she bubbles, "You're it." It might take a second for it to sink in, since Selphie doesn't really elaborate much more on that subject. Of course, she'll wait until she sees that Irvine comprehends until she runs. For now, she stands there, -smiling-, and pointing. Didn't Matron teach her taht was rude?
It? Huh? Yeah, Irvine has to take a moment to absorb what she means. Ah, another game of tag, is it. They hadn't actually gotten to finish their last game, thanks to Squall basically ruining his mood over it. He grins, folding his arms over his chest at the challenge. "You better start runnin' then, Darlin'." Now this is something he can deal with, especially since he knows he's got longer legs.
Yay! He remembers! --Not that Irvine's the one with the memory problems, that's -her-. Either way, at that -grin- of his, Selphie muffles a little giggle, taking a step backwads. "--Headstart?" Yeah, she -needs- one. And indeed, an image of Pepe Le Pew chasing Penelope comes to mind, as Selphie finally laugh!s and turns, running away from the cowboy. Hee!
Head start? Sure, but not much of one. Irvine starts out walking at first, and as she begins to round the bend, he starts jogging, trying not to lose track of her, but give her a decent lead at the same time. He grins the entire time, already thinking of a number of devious things to do to her when he finally gets ahold of her. Better keep running, Selphie!
Indeed! Selphie -runs-! And it's a girly run, to boot. Speaking of boots! They're pretty faithful to the brunette, if not really, really loud when she runs. It'll be -hard- to lose track of her. Giggles finally dying down, even as she dodges random Cadets and such, Selphie spares a glance over her shoulder every few seconds. Hee!
Most of the people that see her running just take it with a grain of salt. It's -selphie-.
Seeing Irvine trailing after her, however, brings on a few grins from the Cadets he passes. He's outright laughing now, and still dashing forward with a loose jog. There's no way she's gonna get away from him unless he lets her, since he's already started closing the distance. Muuuhahahahaha. This is fun, and it's running off some of that sugar she's obviously consumed today. Good.
Yes! Yes it -is- running off some of that sugar. Which actually may or may not be a good thing, but we'll soon see. Almost stumbling at one point, she eep!s -- but that's okay, 'cause she regains her footing. Runrunrun. Clompclompclomp. Sparing a few wave!s, and some "hibye!"s to some of the people she knows along the way, another glance over her shoulder calls for yet another "eep!", and a quickened pace. Not that she can -go- much faster, of course. Waaah! He's catching up!
Starting into a decent sprint, Irvine hasn't even started really breathing hard yet. It doesn't take as much out of him to keep up with, and even start gaining on the shorter legg'ed Selphie. He concentrates mostly on her, not the Cadets and others that are passed. Actually, it's probably a good thing the Discipline Committee isn't around either, or they'd both be so busted. Well, Irvine would, anyway. Selphie'd be frowned at for encouraging a Cadet and that's probably about it. Anyway, better run faster Selphie, he's getting clooooooser.
Now, Irvine may not be breathing hard yet, but Selphie's starting to. She's basically sprinting, for all it's worth! And while she may very well be in shape, sprinting is sprinting. --Though, yes! It's a very good thing the Disciplinary Comittee is nowhere to be seen. Okay! Think, Selphie! Pushing past another group of Cadets, she -- oh!'s, even as she runs. And actually turns around enough to point! in the opposite direction. "--Look, Irvy! A distraction!" Of -course- it won't work, but she tried! ...And lost some speed, in the process.
Oh she could have said something like, 'Look, it's Seifer', or 'Look, a Guardian Force!' if she really wanted to distract him. Unfortunately, Irvine catches onto the ploy immediately and outright bolts forward as she slows long enough to attempt tricking him. The Cadets she wove through dart out of Irvine's way, he's a bit bigger, after all and could so plow right through. "Ha!" he calls, "And double haha! Come to me, my chickadee!" How silly he can be. Thing is, he is closing in fast, almost within reaching distance.
Yes, she -could- have. But she didn't! Sigh! Most of the Cadets that -heard- that are laughing right now -- if they're not too busy getting out of the cowboy's way. --Gah! She can hear him -so- close! Not even sparing a glance over her shoulder, Selphie presses on... Though doesn't really go much faster. Sneefle. She does, however, spare a comment. "--Chickadee?!" That's so cute! She'll laugh later, though. Eeeeeek!
Reaching out, fingers just barely able to reach Selphie's shoulder, Irvine makes a grab for her, still closing the gap with long strides. The Cadets left in their wake have mostly paused and turned to watch the strange spectical. It's kinda like passing a car wreck, you have to slow down and peer. If he catches her, "Tag. You're it."
Crap! Just as Selphie feels his touch on her shoulder, she instinctively tries to pull away, though the touch doesn't last any longer than needed. Nose wrinkling up as she skid!s to a halt, and.. Well, breathing heavy, the girl takes a few seconds (and a few feet) to stop at the point that she's sure she won't fall on her rear. Then! is when she turns, eyeing the cowboy. "..." And she wastes no time in lunging after him, hand outstretched. "--Rrrg!" Surely, she'll miss. But on the off chance that she doesn't... 'Tag-you're-it-no-tagbacks!' will -so- be said.
What?!? No tag backs! Well, who the heck is Irvine supposed to tag. He does try to zip back, but unfortunately he's not quite fast enough and she tags the duster. "Ooooh, no you don't, Chickadee." Well, if he can't tag her, he'll just grab her, and that's what he tries, reaching out to snatch her up and toss her over his shoulder again. Now -that'll- get everyone's attention. They're already staring as it is.
Well, okay... -That- cute little plan didn't work very well. -Selphie- had thought it was a really, really good idea! ...Until she finds herself being hefted over Irvine's shoulder. "--Eeeek!" Squirming, though not kicking very much for Irvine's sake, the girl plays the part of the unwilling 'kidnapee.' ...Not that she minds, really. Hee. "--Irviii~iiine!"
An eruption of laughter ensues in the Atrium as several students giggle and titter and snicker at the sight of Selphie being hefted over Irvine's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He smiles at them smugly, "I win," as he reaches up to tip his hat. Partially he's just holding onto it too, knowing Selphie's got a penchant for stealing it while in this position.
Indeed she does! Blushing at the giggles and such -- dangit, Irvine! -- she reaches to snag it... But it's held onto! Noooo~! Squirming some more, Selphie... well, gives up, save for that squirming. "--Totally not fair! Anti-booyaka!" Wrinkling her nose as one of her friends waves to her, giggling, she blushes more! Man. This sucks! (...Though she's not really mad!)
Feeling the tug on his hat, Irvine laughs and tightens his grip on the brim. Foiled again, Selphie! However, he does -one- nice thing for Selphie while she's in this awkward position, even if she may not appreciate it unless she realizes what he's attempting. He smooths the back of her dress down so no one in the Atrium gets a panty shot. That dress really -is- too short on her. Sheesh.
Uhmmmm.
When there's a hand suddenly on your rear, do you -really- stop to think why it's there? Selphie sure doesn't. But being that she can't really do much about it in the first place, she settles for -blushing- even further than she was before. Eeep! And, well -- sure, the dress -is- really short on her, but she doesn't count on getting hefted over someone's shoulder! ...Though she should, as often as it's happened as of late. "--Irvi~ine," she whines. ...In retrospect, she toys with the idea that perhaps he -was- just smoothing her dress down, but... Naaah.
Well, heck, he was trying to be nice. *sigh* Oh well. Smacking Selphie's bottom once, lightly, Irvine chuckles. "I don't think you want anyone seeing you have white cotton underwear on, do you?" He's seen it, of course, but he'll be damned if he's gonna let everyone have a free peek. Hmm, well, now that he has her, where shall he take her? Could take her back to his room again, but nah. The poor girl's embarassed enough, no need to add more rumors on top of it. Instead, he asks, "So... where shall we go?"
Selphie -is- overly embarassed, now! Tch! Meanie! Letting out a quiet little 'eep' for the umpteenth time today, Selphie shakes her head, though the gesture isn't seen by the cowboy. "--No," she grudges. At least she's not wearing -patterned- underwear today, right? ...but at least he's giving her a choice of where to go! And her first choice, it so happens, is, "...Outsiiide!" Hee. Might as well make the best of a bad situation.
"Outside? You don't have a jacket on, silly girl," Irvine chides as he laughs. However, he does start walking somewhere off in that general direction. Maybe he's gonna go out after all? Yes, indeed, that's exactly where he's headed. He'll just give his duster to Selphie, that's his solution. He can stand the cold for a little bit. He hums something to himself, feeling all happy and smug and content at once.
Selphie kicks her feet lightly, just as an idle gesture, and pout!s lightly. "Soooo? I'm used to it!" See, she really doesn't -know- he's heading in that direction. He could just be... uhm... Well, okay -- things look different when you pass them backwards. After a few moments, however, she realizes that the direction -is- towards -snow-! Whoohoo! Beaming happily, she really doesn't mind this setup anymore. Rear-slapping or no, she wouldn't put up with this if it were -anyone- else.
And if anyone else tried doing this to Selphie, they'd find themselves on the receiving end of a shotgun enema. Irvine continues on his way to the parking lot, figuring a little time outside sounds good. Maybe even a snowball fight or something! Heh, they never got to do that sort of thing when they were little, Matron's orphanage was usually fairly warm and winters were light, snow a rarity that didn't stick past a half an inch. Or even a snowman! That'd be fun too.
Snow is a wonderful, wonderful thing, that Selphie grew to love in her time at Trabia. Sometimes, though... Just sometimes, she'd wish it were sunny, or warm, or some such. But she had the distinct feeling that she had felt sun and warmth before, in largish amounts, and decided that thaat feeling was enough to tide her over. And indeed, it did! The girl really does kind of miss that climate, though -- the snow, the cold. "--I love the cold!", Selphie bubbles. "'Cause you can fix cold! You can get under the covers, and drink hot cocoa, and have warm soup, and... --And cuddle!" Hey! Yeah! Cuddling! That was never on her list before now. Cool! She will, though, worry about Irvine once he delivers his jacket to her. It's cold out here!
Irvine is a big boy, and can live without his duster for a little while. Galbadia had regular seasons, after all. Winters and summers and falls. He got used to it. Snow was fun, indeed, and he remembers snuggling during the really cold months. Oh, good good memories. *cough* Soon as he breaths in the first bit of cold air, he sets Selphie on the ground and starts peeling the duster off to hand it to her. And he won't take no for an answer either.
Hey! She can use her legs, now. Isn't that handy! Glancing around immediately as she's set down, she almost misses Irvine taking said duster off. But she sees it!, and makes a protesting little noise. "Nuh-uh! I'm okay, I'm a big girl -- can tie my own shoes, n'everything! C'moo~ooon... You'll be cold!" However, Irvine's pants aren't dangerously short. Plus, he's got more meat on him than the teeny little brunette does. Still, she doesn't think of such things. ...Of course, her protests are all in vain; but then, it -is- kinda chilly. And she didn't -wear- this dress at Trabia. ...But she won't admit that she's cold, dangit!
"Just take it, Darlin', that dress is way too short," Irvine says, holding it out to her. If she doesn't take it, she's risking getting tackled into the snow and having it forcefully wrapped around her. The cowboy is kinda defensive when it comes to his girlfriend, and that includes making sure she stays warm in a rather cold climate. Yeah, he notices that it's chilly, but he pushes the thought away, he'll be fine.
Selphie pouts for a short moment, then -- hey! She gets to wear Irvine'ss duster! Beaming now, she happily takes it. "M'kee!" Cooool! Wonder how big it'll be! She only has a little problem with it, sliding her much shorter-than-Irvine's arms into the coat. Once it's on, she looks down, then examines how -big- the coat is on her. And it is. Though it doesn't quite reach her feet, it stops just a little ways above her ankles... Sheesh! "...Teehee! How do I look?" She pose!s, the sleeves of the duster past her hands. How adorable! Like a little girl playing dressup with big-people clothes.
Irvine chuckles at Selphie, realizing that now she's not only stolen his hat now she'll be stealing his duster. What's next, his chaps? Vest? Jeans? Um... let's stop there. He does find her adorable in the duster, however, and he's relieved. The duster is heavily lined and bound to keep her warm even in that little dress of hers. Glancing around at the snow, it's obvious there've been a number of people out there already, a few forts erected here and there, footprints marred in the frosty white stuff and even a snowman left near the parking lot hangar.
Squatting down immediately after her fashion show, Selphie wastes no time in gathering a largish handful of snow. Patpatpat. Hrm. What -could- she be doing? Patpatpat. --Ergh! These sleeves keep falling past her hands and getting in her way. But she deals with it, happily packing a little snow ball. "Brrrr!" It's chilly, but she likes saying that. "I love this cold air! It -totally- makes you feel soo... soooo..." Patpatpat. "Alive!"
Snowball. Yep, Irvine knows what she's up to. So, he reaches down and gathers a handful of snow himself, starting to back up through the drifts to reach one of the already erected forts. Seeing as there are few targets out here, he's assuming -he's- about to become one. Unfair, however, he's got bigger hands. That means bigger snowballs. Patpatpat indeed.
Selphie could be making a little mini snowman! She could be! But she's not. Patpatpat. Beaming down at her perfect little snowball, she sets it aside, then starts on another one. --And pauses for a moment, to rubrub her hands together, and blooow on them. Cold! That's what happens when you handle snow. At least Irvine's got gloves on, be them fingerless or not. She keeps talking, as if Irvine weren't moving to hide behind a fort. Maybe she doesn't notice. "When you -live- with snow, no one wants to play in it! They say it gets -boring-, and it -so- doesn't. Snow is totally incapable of being boring!"
"I always liked the winters in Galbadia," Irvine admits from a little bit of a distance. Funny, he never talks about Galbadia or the Galbadian Garden much, touchy subject with him. Settling behind the fort, he starts in on his own ammunition pile. Peeking over the top of the fort occasionally, he sees what Selphie's doing and just how many she's making and grins. Snowman indeed. Yeah, he's got gloves on, but they're meant mostly to absorb the sweat of his palms and keep his fingers slickfree. Better for handling guns that way. They're not really meant for keeping his hands warm.
Glancing up, she blinks -- hey, Irvine's gone. Blinkblink. ...Hey! There he is! Wrinkling her nose, she huff!s. Behind a fort? What a cheater. Fine, then! She pushes her smallish little pile of snowballs -- only about 3, or so, off behind her, and starts on another one. Patpatpatpat. "--Oh? Didja' get lotsa snow?" Once that snowball is done, she places it on the ground. And starts on another. Patpatpat. Then places that one on top. ...She -is- making a little mini snowman, it seems. Heh. Heh. Heh.
Irvine isn't fooled. And who knows how many snowballs he's got behind that fort by now either. He only peeks up every once in awhile, when he hears Selphie moving in a certain way and wants to make sure she's not about to start chucking snowballs at him yet. Continuing with the casual talk, he replies, "Yeah, when we got into the heavy winter months we got large drifts of it. It was fun. We used to throw snowballs at Headmaster Martine when he'd come looking for us." And he got into -lots- of trouble when he did that too. Cid would have taken it good-naturedly, Martine was a lot more straight laced. Irvine hated him.
...This snowman thing is really fun. Humming a quiet little tune, Selphie plops the head on the little man, giving up on her ammo. "Irvine!", she chides. "I bet you were -always- in trouble!" Selphie's a goody-two-shoes, of course. Except when it comes to Irvine -- she's been breaking alot of rules, lately. Tch! Bad influence. Anyway, back to her little snowman. Smiling down at it, she decides it needs eyes. And arms. Hrm~. Looking around, she tries to spy some twigs or something.
Bad influence indeed, Irvine's got -quite- a record with Galbadia Garden. It's a wonder Cid didn't faint to see it and send him back. Still, he was a part of the original crew at his wife's orphanage, which might have held some sway over him to let the marksman stay. "Indeed, Darlin', I sure was." He doesn't elaborate though, little hellraiser Irvine's gone at this point. Still... he does occasionally break the rules. Glancing up over the edge of the fort again, he hmms. What is she up to? No snowballs? Tch. He's got quite a pile. Heeheehee. Hate to waste them...
Selphie rather forgets that Irvine is probably making his own ammo, as she reaches for a little twig sticking out of the snow. "Yoink!" Snapping it in half, she sticks both ends on either side of the 'body.' Arms! Yay! It has arms! But no face. How sad! ...Hrm~. Maybe... Selphie sticks both hands into the pocket of Irvine's duster. Maybe there's something s
In the pockets she'd probably find a few pellets to use, and a whole bunch of other stuff, including a few silver bullets that he'll never use, a small pocket notebook with nothing written in it, a packet of kleenex from the night they rode those chocobos, his Garden ID card and... condoms. Don't ask why they're in there, but there's two of them. Irvine is ducked behind the fort again and has no idea that she's digging through his pockets.
Selphie hrm~s, tongue sticking out a bit as she rummages. ...Pellets! Yay! Placing those for the eyes, and one for the nose, all she needs now is a mouth for the thing. Rummagerummage. Silver bullets? Eep, hope they don't explode! Those could be ears, though! Yah! She plops two of them on top of the 'man,' to act as semi-cat ears. Or rabbit ears. Rummage, rumamge... Kleenex -- Nah, Notebook, nah... Aww, lookit Irvine's picture on the ID card! Hee. He looks so much younger! And... Blinkityblink. Looking down at the little packets in her hand, she purses her lips, face blank. "..." Well, they -could-, in theory, be used as eyes, if they were taken from the package... But let's not think on that. Instead!, let's blush, and places them -back- where she founds them. Eek.
Irvine peeks over the top of the fort again, blinking at the sight of the 'snowman' or um... snow cat? Snow bunny? He recognizes the silver bullets, however and his eyes go wide, coming out from behind the fort now to approach Selphie. "Darlin'... I wouldn't use those..." they don't explode, no, but they do have a special significance to him that she might not be aware of. Of course, this leads him to wonder what -else- she located in his pockets, but decides not to think about it. Surely she would have given him hell if he found certain... other items. Still, he grins at her as he plucks the silver bullets from the snowman's head. "You digging through my pockets?" He's noticed the pellets too.
Blinking at Irvine's sudden approach, Selphie looks up. "--Huh?" Watching him remove the poor Snowman's ears, she looks back up to him, confused. "--Why noo~oot? They won't explode'r anything, will they?" ...Hell will not be given for certain 'other items,' however, as she understands that condoms are good_things. Despite the fact that they mean that Irvine is pretty sure he'll be needing them at one point or another, they -don't mean that he's sleeping around on her-! Right? ...yeah... besides, it's embarassing. The subject, anyway. 'Sex.' Scary!
Lips pursing once more at the question of her rummaging, she... smile!s. "--Uhmmm~... No?" Yeah, busted.
Uh huh, sure. That's the kind of look Irvine gives Selphie before he flicks his gaze toward the pellets making up the eyes and nose of the snowman. Yeah. He knows. Crouching down, he opens the flap on the side pocket to deposit the bullets again. "No, sweetie, they don't explode, but I don't want to lose them, ok? They were my father's." Not 'foster-father's', but father's, insinuating his real father before being orphaned.
Selphie wrinkles her nose. Okay, fine -- no ears for Mr. Snowman. She watches him replaces the bullets back in their rightful place, then back up at the cowboy's face. She speaks her immediate thought, actually looking more than a bit surprised. "--Your father's?" Surely, Irvine isn't the kind to refer to his foster-father as 'father.' She calls -her- foster-father 'Daddy' in all references, but that's -her-. Her face asks the millions of questions for her. -She- doesn't know a -thing- about her biological parents, nor does she remember -anything- of them. How can Irvine manage to own something that his -father- owned...?
Rising back to his feet, Irvine shrugs. He taps at the necklace around his throat too, "This belonged to my real parents too... don't really know how they came with me. Well, Matron told me the necklace was on me when I came to her... she gave me the bullets later, told me they had been my father's." This had been before she said her final good-bye to him too, sending him off with strangers wanting to be his new parents. He smiles slightly, remembering something far away by the distant look in his eyes. This is another reason why Irvine refuses patently to junction. He's a memory packrat, and has things he's afraid of losing. He shoves his hands into his pockets, shivering involuntarily though too. It's -chilly- out here, and he's been without his duster for awhile now.
Selphie stays on the ground, craning her neck up as Irvine rises. Eyes wide, in almost... Well, what can really only be described as 'awe,' she quietly listens to Irvine's little tale. ...-Wow-. Irvine not only has bullets, but a -necklace-? Selphie has... nothing. One might think that blue ribbon around her wrist might mean something, but she doesn't say one way or the other. Even as she rises up to her feet, forgetting about her snowman, the girl asks, quietly, "...Do you remember them...?" She's gonna feel -pre-tty- sad if she finds out that he does, indeed, remember them. Either way, she notices the shiver, and moves to take off the duster -- since she plans on heading back inside, and all.
Irvine squints down at Selphie and shakes his head. He's not about to let her sit out here in that little dress. He's at least got the rest of his clothing to protect him. As for his real parents, he shrugs again, this isn't something he's really ever told anyone else before, but hey, he's talking to Selphie. "A little, sensations, sounds mostly. Not much else. I think I remember my mother singing, but sometimes I think I confuse that with Matron. As I get older it gets harder to hold onto it." His brows furrow, this bothers him.
Selphie squints right back at Irvine and shakes her head, too. Two can play at this game! She continues to remove the coat, now pulling one of her arms from the sleeves. The more Selphie thinks about it, the less she knows about her cowboy... Sure, she -knows- him, but doesn't know who he -is-. She enver thought about that before. ...Anyway. "...Yeah?" Selphie's really sober about this, that's easy enough to notice. "Well," she begins, slowly, "at least you have something to try and hold onto." She hates to sound depressing, but it's the truth! "I mean, what if you didn't have -anything- to confuse with Matron?" Aw, we're getting all dramatic.
Wincing as Selphie sounds so depressive, Irvine regrets bringing up the subject suddenly. Just cause he's got a long memory doesn't mean Selphie does, especially since she's been junctioning far more then he ever has. He kneels down again, helping her take off the duster since she seems so determined anyway. "Well, Darlin'. It just means maybe you were younger when you were orphaned or something." Heck, Squall's got em both beat, he actually knows who his father and mother are. Folding the duster over his arm, he looks up at her and smiles, "Besides, your parents did leave something with you whether you know it or not. I bet you have your mother's eyes. Pretty eyes like that are special." Aw, he's trying to cheer her up.
Accepting the help happily, Selphie pulls her other arm out of the sleeve, watching Irvine as he talks. "Yeah, I thought that," she agrees, quietly. Of course, having junctioned before she was ever supposed to, on -top- of the fact that she had no qualms about constantly having a GF junctioned, she may never know. ...Well, whatever the case, Selphie blinks down at the kneeling Irvine, as he does, indeed, cheer her up. Smiling broadly a few seconds after he's finished, she moves to -hug- him around the neck. ...Though she most likely is a bit too energetic about it, and may very well end up bowling him to the ground. Hee! "--You're so sweeeet!"
*Gack* and then *oof* Irvine is indeed bowled over to the ground at the enthusiasm behind Selphie's sudden embrace around his neck. He feels almost like one of the Tiny Toons in the embrace of Elmyra for a moment. Chuckling, he wraps his arms around her, not minding the fact that the snow is really really *cold*. He has his Sefie cheered up and in his arms again. That's all that matters. "I speak the truth, Darlin'."
Selphie is -not- Elmyra! ...Basically. So what is it's snowing outside? And if it's really, really, -really- cold, especially in a whore_dress? She's being held by Irvine! So it's nice and warm, really. ...Well, mostly. Giggling quietly, she squeezes; then pulls her face up, to beam down at the cowboy. "And I totally love you for it!" Insert a peck on the cheek here. Awww.
Aw, indeed, that -is- terribly endearing. But, unfortunately these moments never last. Irvine notices the little dress is all that Selphie's got on and frowns. "Maybe we oughtta go inside... hmm, I heard the cafeteria has been stocking hot cocoa lately since we're in a cold climate." Oooh, tempt and distract Selphie, good ploy Cowboy. Still holding onto her, he rolls slightly to pull himself to his feet. Good thing, Selphie's light, eh? But, he sets her down again as soon as he's standing.
Gasp! Cocoa?! Selphie -perks-, looking back towards the Parking Lot entrance with shining eyes. "--Reeeeally?" Fortunately, Selphie doesn't have to do anything! She could really get used to not having to do such simple things as stand up, and walk. Hardly reacting to being picked up and set down again, the girl -grins-. "Let's go! C'mon!" Both hands reach to wrap around the arm not holding the duster, and tugtug! Brr. "What're you -waiting- for?!" Hee!
Selphie stopped dragging the poor boy a little ways ago, and so jogs into the cafeteria happily, just now realizing -how cold- it is outside. Wow! Rubrubbing her arms idly, she skids to a halt in front of the counter, looking upwards. Erm -- is it on the menu? ...She'll wait for Irvine, in any case. Turning to look back, she wonders how far ahead she got. Cocoa... Mmm...
Shrugging the duster over his shoulders again, Irvine follows Selphie at a lazy pace compared to her hyper trotting. Seeing her rub her arms as he stops behind her, he starts rubbing them for her to help warm her up quicker. There's a sign on the counter announcing the addition of hot cocoa to the menu and one of the ladies behind it smiles at Selphie, then at Irvine, "What can I get for you two?" She can kinda guess, though.
Selphie blinkblinks, then realizes it's Irvine rubbing her arms. Okay, she can deal with that. Happy siiigh! Holding up her index and middle fingers, she chirps, "Two hot cocoas, ple~ease!" ...This is most definately the life. Being with Irvine, getting -hot cocoa-... Today is a very, very good day! To Irvine, she notes, "This is soooo cool! I can't believe I didn't know about it!"
"I just saw the sign at lunch, thought you'd be interested," Irvine says with a shrug, definately enjoying spending the time with Selphie just as much. The lady behind the counter nods and leaves for a moment, arriving soon after with two cups full of rich hot cocoa. They steam, and smell really really good too. "Have a good day," she chirps.
Selphie giggles, waiting for the lady's return. "--You know me -too- well!" Which is a good thing, honest. Bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet, she glances up and back to the cowboy, beaming. No words, just a smile! Yay! Looking back to the counter, her eyes widen in delight. Cocoaaaa... Taking one of the cups carefully, she moves to offer it up to Irvine -- her other hand taking the other cup. "Thankee!", she bubbles at the Lunch Lady. Life... is good.
Irvine takes the proffered cup of cocoa, watching Selphie's delight with a contentedness all his own. This is something he could definately get used to. He blows the steam away, not daring to take a sip just yet, it's really hot, especially on the snow numbed fingers he has wrapped around the cup. He sighs, but it's a happy sigh, no broodiness. "Thanks," is said to the lunch lady and also to Selphie.
Now holding said cup with both hands, caaarefully, she moves her gaze across the lunchroom. So boring, and empty! Looking back up to Irvine, Selphie cocks her head to the side. "Wanna have 'em here?" There's a number of other places to take the cocoa, of course. And whatever the choice, Selphie's -way- too happy for her own good. That means something bad will happen in the near future. Poo.
Shrugging his shoulders, Irvine gestures to one of the empty tables, "Sure. Doesn't bother me. Hey, wanna go to the Quad later? I love looking at the landscape out those huge windows. We can see the snow without numbing ourselves out in the cold." He does not see Farrell, if indeed Farrell is here.
Farrell isn't here yet.. but he's on his way. Yep, your privacy is nearing it's end if that's what you're concerned about. But if you wanted privacy, that'd be done better if you were somewhere else as this is a public place. Anyway, to get to the point, his footsteps can be heard as they echo into the relatively empty cafeteria.. but no sign of him yet.
Footsteps, schmootsteps! Selphie just trots -- er, on second thought, caaarefully heads to the gestured table, breathing in the looovely cocoa-fumes from that cup. Mmmmmm. Setting the cup down, she slips into one of the seats before retrieving her cocoa. She doesn't wanna -spill- it. That'd not only suck, but -hurt-. As she settles in her seat, she responds, "Yeah! Sure! I'd lo~ove to!" C'mon, Selphie -loves- the Quad.
Irvine figured as much and he joins Selphie at the aforementioned table, sitting next to her so he can wrap an arm around her waist while leaving the cup of cocoa on the table to cool down a little. The two of them appear to be quite content together, a cute, picturesque sight almost. And here comes Farrell.
Hark! For he has arrived! Farrell Tennan! A whiz with the ladies; a smooth, fun loving guy who spends his time in Balamb's beautiful Garden. He's single, ladies, but how could anyone turn down such a suave man? *shudder* Don't ask why he's here, or what his intentions are.. just know that he's here and he's in a GREAT mood. Beware, gentlemen.. set your phasers to stun.
Selphie, though Farrell may very well be here and in a -good- mood, doesn't immediately notice him. Nope -- she's too busy being adorable with Irvine. Sheesh. Beaming up to Irvine, she quietly laughs for one reason or another. "Poor little snowman's all alone, now! Without a mouth! I can't believe we just -left- him out there, like that...!" As if she could've brought him inside.
Irvine chuckles softly, "And without ears too." Since he'd reclaimed the little silver bullets Selphie'd stolen from his pocket, along with the pellets. He kisses the top of her head as he turns in toward her briefly. And that's when he notices Farrell from the corner of his eye and just kinda stares, seeing where he's going. After all, the last time he saw them... he wasn't exactly nice.
[CCOM 4500] COMMAND: Irvine? Come in, Irvine.
[CCOM 4500] IRVINE: Hmm? Yes, Squall?
Farrell stops beyond the doorway and scans the room quickly, not even sure of his own presence here. Grinning to himself, he spots the two sitting there and points an accusing finger at them. However, for once, he doesn't say a thing. And he doesn't even remember what had happened the last time he had seen Irvine. Either that or he's doing a great job hiding it. Besides, he's in too good of a mood to ruin it.
Mock pout!ing, she huff!s. "That's not very nice of us!" Nodding sagely, Selphie adds, "Playing God is a bad, bad thing. I'll never do it again." -Weirdo-. Smiling! again, though, she finally takes a little sip of her cocoa. Mmmm. Still oblivious to Farrell, she just sits there, happy! Everyone's happy today. How odd! "...I wonder if they have marshmellows up there.."
Uh... the accusing finger seems, well, accusing. Irvine blinks at him, wondering if he's still upset about their last meeting. Really, the cowboy does feel bad about it and should make apologies... but is Farrell going to accept it? Well, he -seems- to be in a good mood. He glances down to alert Selphie to Farrell's presence when *static* *squawk* 'Irvine? Come in, Irvine?' echos from the comlink he's wearing all the time these days. He sighs, donning the head peice now to murmur into the mic, "Hmmm? Yes, Squall?"
Farrell hmms from his spot on the walkway, watching with curiousity yet still keeping to himself as he does best. Why interfere when nobody will probably acknowledge you? It's a waste of time and energy. So! What he -does- do, however, is find a seat across the way from where he can stare.. just to spite them
Selphie blinks. --Erg! That stupid comlink! Wrinkling her nose for only a moment, she whispers, "--Tell him I said hi!" And then, for one reason or another, she glances Farrell-wards. Blink. Hey! Farrell's here! Where'd he come from...? She wavewaves silently, beaming. She's totally forgotten what happened the last time the boys got together, and it's questionable whether she'd care even if she did remember.
Irvine glances down at Selphie apologetically, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. He waits for whatever Squall's reply will be, somewhat curious as to why the Commander would be calling him suddenly over the comlink. Not a peep out of it for days now. Nodding to Farrell in greeting, he lifts an eyebrow at where he chose to sit. Oh well, his decision.
Farrell smiles a tooth-filled smile Selphie's way and waves in return, creating a mirror image of her and barely keeping from laughing at her. Well, not -at- her, but.. well.. Yeah, at her. And why does it matter where he sits? He's just doing this for his own amusement. It'll change eventually, but until then he still wants to see what a reaction will be.
Selphie really doesn't notice that Farrell is basically mocking her. She's just convinced that he's in a very, very good mood, is all. So -she's- in a better mood, if that was possible, because she's sure that -Farrell- is. Meanie Farrell. Either way, she doesn't really seem to question the fact that he's seated a totally different table than she and Irvine are. Pish, posh. Looking curiously to Irvine, she wants to know what's going on!
Irvine shakes his head at Selphie, not having heard everything yet. Squall must be busy or something, or something came along to attract his attention. Back to looking at Farrell, Irvine finally just shrugs and reaches for his cocoa, which has finally cooled enough to drink. *sigh* Things were so nice for a moment. First Farrell, now the comlink, what will be the next disruption? Of course, he hasn't seen Vincent yet.
Why don't you cry about it, Irvine? Let out a long, tear filled bawl that echoes through the whole Garden. At least then Farrell would know that he's considered to be a distraction. Standing again, he sliiiiides up next to their table from his and crosses his arms, looking down on them judgingly. "Am I interrupting?" he asks in a low, trying-to-sound-demonic voice.
[CCOM 4500] COMMAND: Irvine? *crackle*-- there?
[CCOM 4500] IRVINE: Hmm? Yep. What's up?
[CCOM 4500] COMMAND: Kail's going to be bringing someone in, a dragon he says is... nice. Would like someone to meet him and see if it's a threat or not.
Irvy doesn't cry! Silly Farrell. As apparently Squall hasn't responded yet, Selphie frowns lightly -- she's -curious-. And anyway, she -knew- stuff would start to happen, since they were having a 'moment.' Hee, she's good like that. --Er. Blinking up to The Farrell, the girl stares for a moment. ...Then beam!s, and shakeshakes her head. "Mmn-nnh! Wanna sit?" Pausing, she cocks her head to the side. "Do you have a cold? Your voice is kind... Yucky."
Irvine considers anything that takes his time away from Selphie to be a distraction, get over it, Farrell. Anyway, the cowboy only has a moment to smirk at Farrell before his eyes grow distant suddenly, listening to something over the comlink. He blinks, saying "A dragon?" into the mic. This sounds... interesting. What the heck is Kail doing with a -dragon-?
[CCOM 4500] IRVINE: A dragon?
[CCOM 4500] COMMAND: Yeah.
[CCOM 4500] IRVINE: Um, ok. I'll head over...
[CCOM 4500] COMMAND: Thanks. I don't know what he means either.
[CCOM 4500] IRVINE: Sure. A friendly dragon. Hey, happens every day. I'll let you know.
Farrell grins, taking a seat as offered to him by Selphie. Responding to her question, he laughs a bit and replies in his normal voice. "Nah, I'm fine.. to some extent. I just feel a little.. happy today. Feel like making a fool of myself, you know?" Of course she knows.. she's the definition of foolish. Just don't quote him at that. Blinking at Irvine, he doesn't inquire about what he just heard, just.. listens in.
Selphie echoes Irvine, looking away from Farrell. "--A dragon?" She, of course, mentally pictures Kail running, SDly, from a big ol' mean dragon. "--Get Sir Laguna and Sir Cyan to save him!" Sigh! Knights! How dreamy. To Farrell, she blinks -- shaking her head. "--No, I don't know... Why the heck would you want to make a fool of yourself? That's totally silly!" See, she doesn't -know- she does. Pause. Beam. "But I'm glad you're happy!"
Irvine blinks at the response he hears, saying, "Um, ok. I'll head over..." And, after a brief pause, "Sure. A friendly dragon. Hey, happens every day. I'll let you know." Rising to his feet, he gives Selphie the sheepish-apologetic look again, leaning over to kiss her softly before saying, "I gotta check something out for Squall, be right back, ok?"
Farrell rolls his eyes. "I won't say a thing.. for both our sakes." Looking to Irvine, he frowns for once.. his leaving will end his fun. Ah well.. there's always time for torture later. Sitting back, he stares off into space for a moment to think about something else that'd be totally rediculous to do.
Blink. Friendly dragon...? Like DC? Looking up at Irvine as he stands, she's kind of lost here... But that's okay, because she gets a kiss! Which makes everything better. Beaming, she nodnods. "--Okay! I'm -telling- you, though, Sir Cyan and Sir Laguna could -totally- help, if you have trouble...!" Sigh, well. Okay, back to Farrell. Blink. "...Are you sure you're okay? You're bein' all weird n'stuff."
Vincent enters the cafeteria, moving for the counter at first. Hey, even strange creepy guys would get hungry at times. Or thirsty, as it seems he's here for something to drink. Coffee as a matter of fact. No sugar, no cream. He turns around and moves toward the seats thereafter. There's nothing in hand either. Can he be... taking a break?! In public even? Woah. Dragon? He heard nothing of the conversation, yet.
Chuckling at Selphie, Irvine turns to leave, gotta stop at his room first and grab a shotgun, not about to head out to meet any dragon, friendly or no, without being properly armed. Passing Vincent on his way out, the marksman tips his hat to the creepy guy in greeting. At least since the mission he's stopped turning six shades of white around the man, and even acts semi-cordial toward him.
Farrell hmms as he snaps back into reality. "Sounds like he's gonna have a lot of fun," he says to nobody in particular. And knowing Selphie, she won't even realize that he's said anything. Knowing this, he shrugs to himself as he lets his eyes wander again until they fall on Vincent. Well, he can't really say that the guy has ever 'creeped' him out, but he does have something about him that just isn't right.. but never gives it any thought.
There's an improvement. Vincent nods in return to Irvine, before finally finding his table. The nearest one that's empty in general. Vincent's attention idly scans his surroundings. Farrell gets a nod, as does Selphie, but otherwise, there's no attempt at contact. Just a quiet little break in the cafeteria. Right?