witchesreign | [001] ; [ACTION; cafeteria]

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[001] ; [ACTION; cafeteria]

[Well. A lot certainly had changed, that's for sure. It almost seems like luck that Leon would get back in time for a some prep before quarter started, wouldn't it? Not as much time as he would have liked, but... delays happen. Leon feels almost a bit disconnected upon returning to Garden; it feels different, realizing what he's going to need to do. It's kind of good to be back, too.

Oh, well.

No use crying over spilled milk.

First thing was first: Leon needed something to eat. Badly, considering that tedious little habit of forgetting. Might as well as multi-task while he was at it. He's quiet, picking at a plate of food in the far corn, plans and notes sprawled across the table in front of him. The sooner it's done, the sooner Leon can decompress.]

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[Marco grabs a seat nearby because well, it's open. And reads his book in silence, nibbling some fruits and biscuit/pastry looking things.]

[Well-- at least he's spared a glance. Leon isn't... sure what to say to people, generally speaking. Marco isn't bothering him, so he can keep to his work.

Still, the new obligations feel strange.

Leon disregards Marco after a moment of careful regard, dismissing him as someone merely being there.]

New instructor? [Glances up.]

...Yeah.

[A returned glance.]

Welcome back to the Garden then, eh. I'm Marco. [Offers a handshake.]

[He takes his hand in a firm shake, making an attempt to be polite.]

Leon.

Nice to meet you Instructor Leon. What classes will you be teaching, if I may ask?

Just 'Leon'. ['Instructor just sounds... strange.] Tactical Strategy and Philosophy.

[Which, coming from him, may or may not be surprising.]

[Oh good, he hates when the teachers get stickler-y about it.]

Hey Tactical Strategy, not bad, eh. [Though he is thinking you're well... really young for that.]

I guess...

[He may be twenty-seven, but he has some good experience under his belt-- or at least a willingness to do what he can to help others protect themselves.]

You a student, or...?

Yes, student. [Oh well, Quistis is 18 so there's that. Heh. Marco just tends to think everyone is young unless they're ancient.]

[It's a safe assumption to make, really. And Leon nods.

It's not that he's at a loss, just that he's-- okay, no, he's as a loss for words. He's never been a teacher before. It makes it all feel strange.]

You fall into it, eh.

...'fall into it'?

Time Compression and everything else.

People adapt...

That they do.

Aaah-!

[ Speaking of spilled milk, Vanille had settled into a seat not far from where he was sitting, and had reached across her table to pick something up when, of course, she'd accidentally knocked her drink over. Even if her reflexes had been faster and she'd been able to grab it before it hit the ground, there was no way to keep the liquid from sloshing out and onto the floor. It was, in the most literal sense, spilled milk, and the substance was racing across the floor to pool at his boots. ]

Sorry! Um— here, let me— ah..!

[ At the very least, she'd always grabbed more than enough napkins, and had plenty to use when she hopped out of her chair and walked over, bending down to try protecting his shoes from her spill. ]

[--oh, well, would you look at that. Accidents happen though; sometimes even with milk. Leon frowns, shifting out of the way.]

No-- it's fine.

[Its not like she meant it, right? It's not like he can be irritated at her for it. Leon's also not going to take away some of her napkins as he tries to help clean up the mess, snagging a few of his own. It was thoughtful for her. Milk wasn't going to do much to his boots, anyways.]

Just be more careful, ne-- ow...

['Next time' would have been at the end of that, if leaning up to push the chair he'd been at hadn't meant bonking his head on the edge of the table.]

[ That would have been the end of it, but of course... ]

Ah! [ Oh man that sounded painful... ]

[ She hisses, drawing her hands up to her face. ]

Aaaaahhh... You okay?

--yeah... [Well, on the one hand, her concern is kind of... familiar. Vanille reminds him almost a little bit of Yuffie.

Sans the lecture to be more careful, he supposed.] Let's get this cleaned up.

[He's referring to the wet mess of napkins. Eesh, it was going to be a mess trying to get it to a trash can.

Not that the problem isn't solved when he goes to go fetch one. He'll put it back!] If you want-- go get another drink.

Ah, right! [ She picks up one of the napkins between to fingers, and some of the milk drips back onto the floor. She makes a face, but scoops them all up anyway to turn and dispose of everything. ]

There we go! All cleaned up! [ Except her hands, but... She walks back over to her table and picks up another napkin to clean those, walking over and depositing that in the wastebin as well. ]

[ At his suggestion, she nods. ] I will!

Mm... I'm still really sorry, though! [ Because of her, he hit his head and everything. ]

Anything I can do? For... Aaah... [ Your head... ]

My...? [Oh! That! A shake of the head. It was just a minor bump. If anything he felt kind of sorry about the whole thing.

He supposed because Vanille just seemed the concerned sort.] No.

It's fine.

[Pushing the waste bin back where it was.] Accident happen, so don't apologize.

[ Accidents happen, but most people wouldn't have spilled something that was sitting nearly in the middle of the table... She was just a klutz. ]

[ Either way, she nodded. ] Mm, if you say so..!

Um... I'm Vanille! [ She holds out a hand to shake his. ]

[He does say so, thanks. Still, Leon finds himself... uncertain.

About a lot of things, sure, but mostly, it's the bright and sunny ones you had to look out for.]

...Leon. [He takes her hand and shakes it. Boy, talk about strange...]

Nice to meet you! [ She shakes back, and then retracts her hand. ]

So, ah... You're new here?

[The cafeteria wasn't an odd place to find Zell... unfortunately they had ran out of hot dogs by the time he got there. Of course. That wasn't anything new either. A little grumpy, he settled for less and glanced around the cafeteria.

He had almost missed it, really. The table in a corner, papers strewn about on top of it and a familiar brunette sitting there alone. Rinoa was right, he was far too into paperwork.

Smiling brightly, as if some of that brightness could carry on to his friend, he made his way there and plopped the tray down on a small bare spot of the table.]

Yo, Squall!

[He sat down in his chosen seat and looked over the papers covering up the whole table.]

Man, Rin was right, you spend too much time on papers! Can't even eat lunch without 'em?

[It wasn't until he took a bite of his... somewhat disappointing food that he looked up and... made sure he swallowed what was in his mouth before he squinted his eyes at his friend.]

Hey, man, you alright? You look... different or somethin'!

[He couldn't place it, but the scar was still there, so it had to be Squall... if he didn't know better, he'd think he looked a little older. Maybe he was just working too much.]

[In all honesty, he supposed he should have been somewhat used to it; the whole situation was a complicated one. It didn't make it any easier to deal with-- there were some... memories attached to that name.

But to Leon's credit, when Zell came around to sit next to him, there was no immediate snapping. He could have. But he didn't.

Instead, he spent a long moment considering the value of new responsibilities. On the one hand, it'd be a simple matter to tell Zell to go talk to someone else.

On the other, it wasn't the moral thing to do.]

I think you're talking about someone else.

[That seems safe enough, Leon decides, finally eyeing Zell almost critically when he sat back in his chair, food forgotten.]

Yeah, like that scar's gonna be on anyone else...

[He looked closer and... nope, not a disguise or anything...]

You tryin' to mess with me or something? It's gotta be you!

[He frowned... the GF's couldn't have messed with Squall that much since he'd last talked to him.]

[Leon's scowl deepens, eyes Zell with a likely critical familiarity; a severe sort of expression that spoke of a cold irritation just behind the flat, compressed line of his lips.

He sets his pen down, hands flat against the table. Tried to recall where he even remembered this kid from.

Nothing comes to mind. So it's time for a more direct approach:]

Look-- [He swallows the 'kid' that wants to crop up.] It's not polite to joke with people you don't know.

[Quistis had just finished going through the line to pick out her own lunch when her eyes scan the cafeteria briefly, looking for a familiar face before finding a place to sit. Her eyes quickly settle on a familiar brunette but, though there was something... different about him. Had Squall's hair magically grown longer since the last time she'd seen him? His build also seemed a little larger-- had he been working out?

Not to mention that fur-lined coat was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe this was some make-over scheme Rinoa had cooked up. Nonetheless, Quistis approaches 'Squall', figuring she should at least say 'hello' to him.]

Did Rinoa make you change your wardrobe? [As always, it was a friendly sort of teasing she had always slipped into when addressing her friends.]

[On the other hand, the young woman approaching wasn't familiar to Leon in the slightest. He'd been half lost in thought, and hadn't really noticed Quistis right off the bat-- but looking at her, it wasn't someone he recognized.

He frowned as he looked up at her. Ran the name through his mind, and nothing exactly turned up.]

No. [Well. Blunt as always. But it was the truth! No one named 'Rinoa' had made Leon do anything.]

[It's pure curiosity that brings the Heartless to the cafeteria on this day. He doesn't eat like humans do, but perhaps there's some tasty morsel of negative emotion that he hasn't been able to sample before in this location. What he finds, however, isn't what he's looking for.

After he scans the tables, his eyes quickly fall on Leon. Leon. Or at least he thinks it's Leon. It could be Squall Leonhart, the "Leon" of this world. Only one way to find out, and it hopefully won't end with a gunblade to his throat--or through some other part of his body.

It's a cautious approach "Sora" makes, trying not to gain too much attention until he's sure of himself--that is, that he can dodge if he needs to.]

Leon?

[...And yes. That is Sora's voice.]

...?

[Well, if looking up at the familiar sound of someone's voice, a voice Leon knew well enough, was any indication? It wasn't that Squall. (And what a weird concept that would be.) At first, Leon had thought he'd just lost himself in thought far enough that he'd imagined it. A year was a long time to have to think it all over.

But the relief (or maybe dismay) that should have been there when Leon had (subconsciously hoped) looked up into gold (not blue) eyes wasn't there.

The fork in Leon's hand dropped to the table with clatter, and something wound up inside him-- instinct. The only thing that stopped him was both the way surprise struck him, leaving him almost wide-eyed, and the strange disappointment at the immediate confusion.

There was a Heartless, that looked-- sounded like Sora, while everyone else around them seemed to not even notice the danger that could-- but the thought stops short.]

...S... Sora?

[...Well. This isn't what he'd hoped for. If he had an actual heart, this would be where it falls in his chest. He almost panics, except Leon doesn't draw a weapon. No, he's confused. That's good. Quietly, he sits across from him. Act. Casual.]

...In a way, I guess. I'm simply a data copy of his Heartless. Except... Could you call me data anymore?

[Sitting here won't raise alarms amongst anyone else. It'll seem like a meeting of sorts between people who haven't seen each other for awhile. ...Maybe.]

Though I am currently going by the name Sora.

This is a change. [Rinoa slides into a nearby chair, still holding her tray as she eyes all that paperwork curiously.] I don't think I've ever seen you doing paperwork outside of your office.

[Turning to give him a curious look Rinoa stops still, eyes widening in surprise. That's not Squall, well not the Squall she knows anyway.]

Sorry. I thought you were someone else. Or.. maybe you're still him? I've heard time compression can mix up even the future, but I'd never expected it'd work like this!

[She leans in, tray shifting awkwardly as she does so.] You look just like him, you have to be Squall! Well, a Squall. Right? You are, aren't you?

[This is way too confusing.]

[Leon had almost, almost said, without looking up, that he didn't have an office. Not one that he knew of, anyways. It was probably a bit fortunate that it didn't exactly pan out that way when he glanced at her-- she seemed.

Familiar. In a way. Not one that Leon could place, just that there was something about it. It had more to do with-- that strange question. Who in the world asked if you were 'a Squall'? That was just... weird.]

It's Leon. [Deadpan, and serious. Leon's eyes narrow at Rinoa, a critical sort of scowl as he puts his pen down on the table.] Am I supposed to know you or something?

Leon? [She almost doubts herself for a second there, but then that scowl really confirms it. She's been the cause and target of those scowls more times than she can count after all.

The fact that he doesn't seem to know her is a little worrisome though.]

I don't really know. You're from another world, but you look just like someone from here. [She's still leaning in to look at him closely.]

That's funny. Well, my name's Rinoa. Sorry for confusing you with Squall earlier, it's just that you look pretty similar. [She smiles, leaning back to give him a little space for now.] Though now that I think about it your hair is longer. You scowl the same though and you've even got matching scars!

Look pre-- [Leon stops. Almost starts again, almost. What was that even supposed to mean?

The scowl deepens, almost imperceptably. A fine between scar and brows furrowing; he's watching her with that same sort of clinical examination one might give a mission, trying to figure her out.]

Right. I'm not sure what you're talking about. [His arms are folding. Defensiveness.]

You do! You'll know what I mean when you meet him.

[Leon facial expressions are awfully similar to Squall expressions. She can roll with this.]

It's not so complicated really. I have a friend who looks like you. [She thinks for a minute, tilting her head curiously.] Okay, maybe like a slightly younger you? His name is Squall, Squall Leohart. He's the Commander here.

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[001] ; [ACTION; cafeteria]

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Sorry for being so late!

np, np I'm always late :3

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Sorry for being so late!

It's cool-!

/worst RPer ever

no.

fine, fine... :-P

lkjdfgkjh /late ;;

mine too

We can be late forever together, then.

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This is going to end badly.

Oh, goodness. Also: Sorry for being so late!

Pffft, it's okay. also, still Soraform despite icon

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I am the worst RPer in existence, don't mind me...

No way, that's my title. You can't have it. >_<;;;