The Perk, Saturday Noon-ish

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall sat and stared into the foam on his latte as if it would divulge some great secrets if he kept at it long enough. It was either that or start fidgeting, and he was NOT nervous. At all.

Raine -- his mother -- put her hand on his back soothingly. "You know, that coffee's not going anywhere," she told him. "You might as well watch the door -- especially since I'm not going to recognize them."

She was right. Squall HATED it when other people were right. "I'm fine," he insisted. He gave Raine a forced smile and watched the door, waiting for their guests.


[OOC: For the other half of the gathering, but open for all your Perk-ly needs.]

Comments

[angelo_wings]

There were nervous flutters in her stomach. Squall's mother. What if Squall's mom didn't like her? What if Squall said something rude to her mom and then she didn't like him?

Julia had reminded her to calm herself and that everything would go just fine, and that she was silly for stressing herself out about it. So Rinoa was going to march in and ... and be nervous. So what? She was allowed to if she wanted.

She peeked her head into the Perk and had to stifle a giggle. Squall was glaring, and looking like he'd rather be anywhere else, and the woman next to him looked sweet. She could do this.

"Hey," she said, approaching their table and offering a hand to the woman. "Rinoa Heartilly. And Squall, this is my mother, Julia."

Julia Caraway, who would probably be upset that her daughter was no longer using that name ...

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

"Raine Loire," Raine said, taking Rinoa's hand gently and shaking it. Dark-haired, vivacious, a stark counterpoint to how sullen Squall seemed. It would be interesting, seeing what balance they struck.

She glanced at Julia, curious. "Julia Heartilly?" she asked. "The singer? My husband was quite a fan of yours."

Kiros had teased him about it, and Laguna had blushed. Adorably.

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

"It's Caraway, now," Julia corrected with a smile. "And I haven't sung in ages. But yes, that's me." She paused, considering. "I knew a Loire once, but that was even longer ago. He... died in the war."

It was odd, how the subject of death was still awkward even for those who were dead themselves.

"But that's a topic for another time, I suppose. I'm very pleased to meet you both!" This Squall fellow didn't give the best first impression, true, but neither did her husband. She had to assume Rinoa knew what she was doing.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"The same one," Squall told them. "Laguna." He took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. Look! He contributed to the conversation! He was talking! This was a big step, okay?

[angelo_wings]

"He's your father?" Rinoa asked. "Do you know him?"

He sounded strangely blase about the matter. Hadn't he said he was an orphan?

She cleared her throat. "The coffee here is really good. So how are you liking the island so far?"

Anything to discuss that would not lead her to believe that Squall's dad and her mom had -- .......... that was kind of gross. New topic? Anyone?

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

"Squall grew up without us," Raine interjected softly. It was the easiest way to explain "no, Laguna never got around to coming home because he was too busy doing important things". She patted Squall's hand gently. "I do love this island of yours. It seems like a very nice place."

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

Julia looked over the boy again. The bits of his features that weren't Raine's ... she could see Laguna in them.

How very interesting. This Squall might seem sullen and cold, at first meeting, but she couldn't believe any son of Laguna's wouldn't have his big, open heart.

How strange and bittersweet, that her daughter had found his son.

"Everyone we've met has been very nice," Julia offered. "Though I've heard the class schedule is eccentric, to say the least."

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall nodded. "'Insane' would be a better word. The whole island is." He shrugged. "At least it's not boring, I guess."

[angelo_wings]

"Since when are SeeDs bored?" Rinoa teased. "You were helping us overthrow the Galbadian occupation of Timber. Then we were hunting down a Sorceress. None of the past several months have been boring."

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

"I'd hate to think that those things outrank us coming to visit," Raine added with a smile. If I'm not being interesting enough, I can leave."

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

"If they think we aren't interesting enough," Julia laughed, "then I suggest you and I amuse our selves away from our ungrateful children."

This was very gentle teasing, and Rinoa would know it to be such.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"Stay!" Squall ordered. If they left, he... Well, he wasn't going to think about them leaving just yet.

"...Please," he added, as an afterthought.

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa reached across the table to pat Squall's hand. "She was teasing," she said reassuringly. "No one's taking off just yet."

It was adorable when Squall actually cared about people, and accidentally let it show.

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

"Not just yet," Raine agreed. "We came to see you, and we're going to stay as long as we can. She took Squall's other hand. "You do understand we were only joking, right?"

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

He wasn't sullen; he was scared. Her daughter's involvement with this boy was making more sense by the moment.

"I was only teasing," she promised. "I'm very excited to meet you. Rinoa's told me a lot about you."

She had. Constantly. Most of it accompanied with blushes.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"She has?" Squall asked, worriedly. What had she been saying about him? "She's a biased source," he pointed out. "She could easily be wrong about it all."

[angelo_wings]

"I am biased," Rinoa smiled. "I could be very wrong on how cute his eyes are. Or how adorable it is when he's grumpy. Judge for yourself."

So they weren't technically going out. Details.

[leonheartilly.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you are wrong," Raine told her with a giggle. Squall looked at his mother with pleading in his eyes, but she wasn't about to let the conversation stop here. "He's much cuter and more adorable than you're thinking."