Categories > Games > Final Fantasy 8
Bedtime Story
0 ReviewsThis describes the incident with the jam in Laguna's shoes.
“Okay, once upon a time there was a brave and handsome man. . .”
“Yoo’re not brave, Uncle Laguna. ‘Member the mouse that snuck into the house and how you stood on the chair and screamed?”
Laguna scratched his head sheepishly. “Listen, mice are different. I mean, I’m not scared of big tough monsters, am I?”
Ellone ignored the question. “And Raine says yoo only might be handsome if your hair didn’t make you look sort of skeevy.”
Laguna’s eyes popped open wide and he leaned over Ellone’s little bed. “Raine really said that?” he asked. Ellone’s little pink lips drew up in a sneaky grin. “Now, just hang on a minute here, Ms. Ellone.” Laguna placed his hands on his hips. “Who’s telling this story anyway?”
“Me?” Ellone asked innocently.
“No way!” Laguna shook his finger at her. “This is my story, now do you want to hear it or not?”
“Okay,” Ellone said casually and waved her hand like a miniature Queen giving him permission to continue.
“Now,” Laguna frowned sternly and tried to settle himself more comfortably on the tiny blue chair, which when he sat down on it caused his knees to rise up nearly to his chin. “Where was I?” he asked, scratching his nose. “Oh yeah, so there was this man and he lived with a little Princess with shiny dark hair and big brown eyes.”
“That’s me.” Ellone beamed.
“And that day Raine had to go shopping in town so the Princess and the brave soldier had to go along to keep her safe from all the dreaded Buchubuchus and awful Bunbuns loose in the kingdom . . .”
XxXxX
Kiros stayed behind to mind the bar. He liked to drink hot cinnamon whiskey, neat, but Raine made him promise not to drink too much while they were away. Kiros bowed gracefully and fluidly so that his dark braids swung forward over his shoulder.
“Sorry, Kiros, I do trust you,” Raine said. “It’s just all these soldiers in town make me nervous.”
“No problem, Raine,” Laguna said, hovering nearby just short of touching her shoulder. “Kiros will take good care of the place. And the soldiers aren't gonna bug you when I'm around. Come on now, let’s get moving.”
“Don’t be so impatient,” Raine said, hands on her hips.
“Yeah, don’t forget to be polite,” Ellone admonished. It was something she had been told many times by Raine so she remembered it pretty well.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Laguna saluted Ellone sharply. Raine shook her head and took her time fluffing her glossy hair as she looked in the mirror behind the bar.
“All right Commander and Assistant Commander, ready now?”
“Yes, Laguna.” Raine sighed.
“Fall in,” Laguna announced. Ellone ran up and clutched his hand. The two of them marched out the door, Rain followed behind walking normally.
XxXxX
It was a pretty nice day. The sun shone on the cobble-stoned streets of the town. A soldier in the square whistled at Raine in her pretty flowered skirt and white blouse. Laguna clenched the fist that wasn’t clasped gently around Ellone’s little hand. He wanted to really pulverize those stupid jerks. Didn’t they know how to treat a lady? Raine walked more quickly, sidling up beside Laguna and clutching her purse to her chest.
There weren’t many monsters out and about enjoying the mild weather, but Laguna had finished his patrol just before the girls headed out on their shopping trip. Raine wasn’t even scared of monsters, anyway. She kept a small revolver in her purse and she was a pretty good shot too.
Laguna enjoyed walking his girls into the commercial part of town. He liked to imagine that he was someone else watching the three of them walk together. Wouldn’t it be easy to mistake them for a happy family? Well, not in Winhill it wouldn’t. Everyone here knew everyone else and everyone seemed to hate Laguna and to love Ellone and Raine.
Raine walked off to the general store to get some groceries and Laguna and Ellone agreed to meet up with her in half an hour to help her bring everything home. In the meantime though, they went to look at flowers.
“Which flowers should we get for Raine?” Laguna asked Ellone, examining the profusion of different coloured blooms.
“I like these,” Ellone pointed to some bright orange ones.
“How much for two of those?” Laguna asked the old woman who ran the store.
“Five gil,” she replied. Laguna slid the coins across the counter and plucked two flowers from the vase. One he snapped short on its stem and tucked behind Ellone’s ear. He knelt down and pressed the other one into Ellone’s hand and she giggled.
“There you are, light of my life,” he teased her. Then he turned back to his confused perusal of the flowers on display. Should he get the blue ones to go with Raine’s beautiful eyes? Maybe red roses for love? He wanted to get her something to show her that he cared. Kiros’ comments about leaving Winhill had shaken him up a lot. He did want to travel and see the whole wide world, but at the same time he also wanted to be able to always come home to Winhill. What sort of flowers would help him to express that? He’d never be able to tell Raine in words. He always tripped over his own tongue and babbled like a maniac.
Red roses, Laguna decided, for romance. He had to let Raine know how he felt. He fingered the ring in his pocket, nervously.
“I’ll take a dozen roses too,” Laguna said, leaning down to sniff them.
“For Raine?” the old lady asked. “If they’re for her I won’t sell them to you.”
“What? Why?” Laguna asked, feeling his leg cramp up.
“You’re going to break that girl’s heart, that’s why.” The lady banged her cane on the floor.
“I am not!” Laguna protested.
“Are too,” the lady said. “You’ll go off gallivanting all over the place and leave that girl crying.”
“Well, if that’s the way you feel about it, I’ll have to take my business elsewhere,” Laguna huffed. He picked Ellone up on his shoulders and slammed his way out of the shop.
“Damn,” he said. Ellone giggled because she knew it was a bad word. “That’s the only flower shop in town,” Laguna realized. He sat down on the doorstep and set Ellone down beside him.
“Now what?” he asked glumly, holding his chin in both hands. “No one in this town likes me.”
“I like yoo,” Ellone said, patting his shoulder. “Raine likes yoo too. Are you and her gonna get married?”
“Raine doesn’t like me,” Laguna sighed. “Who am I kidding? She thinks I’m a bum just like everyone else around here.”
“She does too like you. She likes you lots,” Ellone said.
“You’re just a kid, Elle,” Laguna said, “What do you know?”
Ellone frowned and pouted but Laguna was too sad to register her tiny rage.
They went to the general store and carried paper bags full of groceries for Raine. Ellone took the bag with her favourite cereal in it, something which normally made her immensely happy, but today it didn’t cheer her up at all.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Raine observed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nuffing,” Ellone said sulkily.
“But what a pretty flower,” Raine said, touching it wistfully. Laguna scowled at the bags he was carrying, stupid flower lady and her stupid opinions. He wished he could have just got any sort of flowers to brighten Raine's day. They all walked home together quietly.
XxXxX
“I think I should leave,” Laguna said to Raine the next day.
“Fine,” she replied, her shoulders tight and tense. She wasn’t going to miss him at all, Laguna realized. Lucky for him he hadn’t made a fool of himself with flowers and stumbling speeches and stupid stuff like that.
“Kiros says he’s got a job for me,” Laguna said. “I’m pretty useless around here, you know. You and Ellone will probably be better off without me.”
“Sure,” Raine said, her back to him. “We were fine before, right?” Laguna felt his heart breaking into a million little pieces, like the vase he’d smashed accidentally his first week here.
“Well, okay then,” Laguna said, feeling numb. “Where’s the little Princess? I’ve got to tell her the news too.” Neither of them noticed Ellone scampering down the stairs quick as a bitebug.
XxXxX
Laguna packed the rest of his bags slowly, hoping the whole time that one of his girls would stop him, but they both stood there, silently watching him. Kiros smiled, refusing to let the atmosphere in the room dampen his spirits.
Laguna sat down on a bar stool and tugged one of his shoes onto his foot. The expression on his face was comical. First his eyes widened hugely, then his eyebrows went way up and his mouth twisted. He withdrew his foot quickly from the shoe to watch it drip sticky gloppy goo onto the floor.
“What the heck is this?” Laguna asked, tipping his shoe upside down so that more stuff oozed out. His eyes filled up with tears that he refused to shed. This was . . . this was the last straw. Everything was going wrong.
Kiros bent down and sniffed Laguna’s other shoe. “It smells like fruit jam,” he said mildly.
“Ellone,” Raine’s voice rose warningly.
“Didn’t do it,” Ellone said, far too quickly, hiding behind the bar.
“Young Lady,” Raine picked her up and set her down on a stool. “Don’t you lie to me.”
“Uncle Laguna said I was a dumb little kid,” she sobbed.
“What, Laguna?” Raine raised an eyebrow. “Did you say that?”
Laguna frowned and scratched his head, considering this accusation. He sighed. “Not in so many words,” he said, “but I did imply it.” He bent down and ruffled Ellone’s hair. “I’m sorry, Sweetie,” he said. “You’re pretty pointy; you’re not dumb at all.”
“Don’t you mean sharp?” Kiros asked.
Laguna shrugged.
Ellone sobbed harder.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Raine asked. “Laguna apologized to you nicely.”
“I don’t want yoo to go,” Ellone scampered off the stool and gripped Laguna’s leg hard.
Raine’s face softened, but she shook her head. “I don’t want him to go either, honey,” she said, making Laguna’s heart leap into his throat. “But that’s no way to get him to stay. Apologize please, Miss.”
“I’m sowwy,” Ellone said, still clutching Laguna’s knee.
“It’s okay,” Laguna ruffled her hair again. “You can help me clean out my shoes, right?”
“Okay,” Ellone said.
XxXxX
Laguna’s shoes were hung out to dry in the back yard.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Kiros asked. He leaned against the fence, watching Laguna hang out the rest of Raine’s laundry for her.
“Wait for my shoes to dry,” Laguna replied.
“Ha ha, I mean, what are you going to do after that?”
“I’m gonna do something I should have done a long time ago,” Laguna said firmly. He pulled the ring out of his pocket and held it up to the sunlight.
“Whoa,” Kiros' whole body jerked with surprise and he almost slid to the ground. He grabbed the ring and looked at it carefully. “You sure about this, Laguna?”
“As sure as I’ve ever been about anything,” Laguna said, taking the ring back gently.
“So, what should I tell that contact of mine in Timber?” Kiros asked, tilting his head.
“You go ahead to Timber and tell him I’ll be there in a few days,” Laguna said. “I’ve got to start saving up for a wedding. Well, I hope so anyway.”
“All right, man. I’ll see you in a few days then. And hey,” Kiros shot over his shoulder as he opened the gate and headed out onto the street, “good luck,” he added and sauntered away.
XxXxX
“That night Raine went out for a walk by herself, but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Laguna smiled at her and slid the ring onto her finger. He knew everything was going to be okay when a tear glistened on her cheek and she hugged him tightly. And when she got home, the whole entire house was filled with flowers . . .” Laguna finished, smiling at the memory. Ellone was already asleep so he kissed her forehead and tucked her into bed. Now, Laguna thought to himself, as he tiptoed out of the room to go find Raine, all they had to do was work on living happily ever after.
“Yoo’re not brave, Uncle Laguna. ‘Member the mouse that snuck into the house and how you stood on the chair and screamed?”
Laguna scratched his head sheepishly. “Listen, mice are different. I mean, I’m not scared of big tough monsters, am I?”
Ellone ignored the question. “And Raine says yoo only might be handsome if your hair didn’t make you look sort of skeevy.”
Laguna’s eyes popped open wide and he leaned over Ellone’s little bed. “Raine really said that?” he asked. Ellone’s little pink lips drew up in a sneaky grin. “Now, just hang on a minute here, Ms. Ellone.” Laguna placed his hands on his hips. “Who’s telling this story anyway?”
“Me?” Ellone asked innocently.
“No way!” Laguna shook his finger at her. “This is my story, now do you want to hear it or not?”
“Okay,” Ellone said casually and waved her hand like a miniature Queen giving him permission to continue.
“Now,” Laguna frowned sternly and tried to settle himself more comfortably on the tiny blue chair, which when he sat down on it caused his knees to rise up nearly to his chin. “Where was I?” he asked, scratching his nose. “Oh yeah, so there was this man and he lived with a little Princess with shiny dark hair and big brown eyes.”
“That’s me.” Ellone beamed.
“And that day Raine had to go shopping in town so the Princess and the brave soldier had to go along to keep her safe from all the dreaded Buchubuchus and awful Bunbuns loose in the kingdom . . .”
XxXxX
Kiros stayed behind to mind the bar. He liked to drink hot cinnamon whiskey, neat, but Raine made him promise not to drink too much while they were away. Kiros bowed gracefully and fluidly so that his dark braids swung forward over his shoulder.
“Sorry, Kiros, I do trust you,” Raine said. “It’s just all these soldiers in town make me nervous.”
“No problem, Raine,” Laguna said, hovering nearby just short of touching her shoulder. “Kiros will take good care of the place. And the soldiers aren't gonna bug you when I'm around. Come on now, let’s get moving.”
“Don’t be so impatient,” Raine said, hands on her hips.
“Yeah, don’t forget to be polite,” Ellone admonished. It was something she had been told many times by Raine so she remembered it pretty well.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Laguna saluted Ellone sharply. Raine shook her head and took her time fluffing her glossy hair as she looked in the mirror behind the bar.
“All right Commander and Assistant Commander, ready now?”
“Yes, Laguna.” Raine sighed.
“Fall in,” Laguna announced. Ellone ran up and clutched his hand. The two of them marched out the door, Rain followed behind walking normally.
XxXxX
It was a pretty nice day. The sun shone on the cobble-stoned streets of the town. A soldier in the square whistled at Raine in her pretty flowered skirt and white blouse. Laguna clenched the fist that wasn’t clasped gently around Ellone’s little hand. He wanted to really pulverize those stupid jerks. Didn’t they know how to treat a lady? Raine walked more quickly, sidling up beside Laguna and clutching her purse to her chest.
There weren’t many monsters out and about enjoying the mild weather, but Laguna had finished his patrol just before the girls headed out on their shopping trip. Raine wasn’t even scared of monsters, anyway. She kept a small revolver in her purse and she was a pretty good shot too.
Laguna enjoyed walking his girls into the commercial part of town. He liked to imagine that he was someone else watching the three of them walk together. Wouldn’t it be easy to mistake them for a happy family? Well, not in Winhill it wouldn’t. Everyone here knew everyone else and everyone seemed to hate Laguna and to love Ellone and Raine.
Raine walked off to the general store to get some groceries and Laguna and Ellone agreed to meet up with her in half an hour to help her bring everything home. In the meantime though, they went to look at flowers.
“Which flowers should we get for Raine?” Laguna asked Ellone, examining the profusion of different coloured blooms.
“I like these,” Ellone pointed to some bright orange ones.
“How much for two of those?” Laguna asked the old woman who ran the store.
“Five gil,” she replied. Laguna slid the coins across the counter and plucked two flowers from the vase. One he snapped short on its stem and tucked behind Ellone’s ear. He knelt down and pressed the other one into Ellone’s hand and she giggled.
“There you are, light of my life,” he teased her. Then he turned back to his confused perusal of the flowers on display. Should he get the blue ones to go with Raine’s beautiful eyes? Maybe red roses for love? He wanted to get her something to show her that he cared. Kiros’ comments about leaving Winhill had shaken him up a lot. He did want to travel and see the whole wide world, but at the same time he also wanted to be able to always come home to Winhill. What sort of flowers would help him to express that? He’d never be able to tell Raine in words. He always tripped over his own tongue and babbled like a maniac.
Red roses, Laguna decided, for romance. He had to let Raine know how he felt. He fingered the ring in his pocket, nervously.
“I’ll take a dozen roses too,” Laguna said, leaning down to sniff them.
“For Raine?” the old lady asked. “If they’re for her I won’t sell them to you.”
“What? Why?” Laguna asked, feeling his leg cramp up.
“You’re going to break that girl’s heart, that’s why.” The lady banged her cane on the floor.
“I am not!” Laguna protested.
“Are too,” the lady said. “You’ll go off gallivanting all over the place and leave that girl crying.”
“Well, if that’s the way you feel about it, I’ll have to take my business elsewhere,” Laguna huffed. He picked Ellone up on his shoulders and slammed his way out of the shop.
“Damn,” he said. Ellone giggled because she knew it was a bad word. “That’s the only flower shop in town,” Laguna realized. He sat down on the doorstep and set Ellone down beside him.
“Now what?” he asked glumly, holding his chin in both hands. “No one in this town likes me.”
“I like yoo,” Ellone said, patting his shoulder. “Raine likes yoo too. Are you and her gonna get married?”
“Raine doesn’t like me,” Laguna sighed. “Who am I kidding? She thinks I’m a bum just like everyone else around here.”
“She does too like you. She likes you lots,” Ellone said.
“You’re just a kid, Elle,” Laguna said, “What do you know?”
Ellone frowned and pouted but Laguna was too sad to register her tiny rage.
They went to the general store and carried paper bags full of groceries for Raine. Ellone took the bag with her favourite cereal in it, something which normally made her immensely happy, but today it didn’t cheer her up at all.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Raine observed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nuffing,” Ellone said sulkily.
“But what a pretty flower,” Raine said, touching it wistfully. Laguna scowled at the bags he was carrying, stupid flower lady and her stupid opinions. He wished he could have just got any sort of flowers to brighten Raine's day. They all walked home together quietly.
XxXxX
“I think I should leave,” Laguna said to Raine the next day.
“Fine,” she replied, her shoulders tight and tense. She wasn’t going to miss him at all, Laguna realized. Lucky for him he hadn’t made a fool of himself with flowers and stumbling speeches and stupid stuff like that.
“Kiros says he’s got a job for me,” Laguna said. “I’m pretty useless around here, you know. You and Ellone will probably be better off without me.”
“Sure,” Raine said, her back to him. “We were fine before, right?” Laguna felt his heart breaking into a million little pieces, like the vase he’d smashed accidentally his first week here.
“Well, okay then,” Laguna said, feeling numb. “Where’s the little Princess? I’ve got to tell her the news too.” Neither of them noticed Ellone scampering down the stairs quick as a bitebug.
XxXxX
Laguna packed the rest of his bags slowly, hoping the whole time that one of his girls would stop him, but they both stood there, silently watching him. Kiros smiled, refusing to let the atmosphere in the room dampen his spirits.
Laguna sat down on a bar stool and tugged one of his shoes onto his foot. The expression on his face was comical. First his eyes widened hugely, then his eyebrows went way up and his mouth twisted. He withdrew his foot quickly from the shoe to watch it drip sticky gloppy goo onto the floor.
“What the heck is this?” Laguna asked, tipping his shoe upside down so that more stuff oozed out. His eyes filled up with tears that he refused to shed. This was . . . this was the last straw. Everything was going wrong.
Kiros bent down and sniffed Laguna’s other shoe. “It smells like fruit jam,” he said mildly.
“Ellone,” Raine’s voice rose warningly.
“Didn’t do it,” Ellone said, far too quickly, hiding behind the bar.
“Young Lady,” Raine picked her up and set her down on a stool. “Don’t you lie to me.”
“Uncle Laguna said I was a dumb little kid,” she sobbed.
“What, Laguna?” Raine raised an eyebrow. “Did you say that?”
Laguna frowned and scratched his head, considering this accusation. He sighed. “Not in so many words,” he said, “but I did imply it.” He bent down and ruffled Ellone’s hair. “I’m sorry, Sweetie,” he said. “You’re pretty pointy; you’re not dumb at all.”
“Don’t you mean sharp?” Kiros asked.
Laguna shrugged.
Ellone sobbed harder.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Raine asked. “Laguna apologized to you nicely.”
“I don’t want yoo to go,” Ellone scampered off the stool and gripped Laguna’s leg hard.
Raine’s face softened, but she shook her head. “I don’t want him to go either, honey,” she said, making Laguna’s heart leap into his throat. “But that’s no way to get him to stay. Apologize please, Miss.”
“I’m sowwy,” Ellone said, still clutching Laguna’s knee.
“It’s okay,” Laguna ruffled her hair again. “You can help me clean out my shoes, right?”
“Okay,” Ellone said.
XxXxX
Laguna’s shoes were hung out to dry in the back yard.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Kiros asked. He leaned against the fence, watching Laguna hang out the rest of Raine’s laundry for her.
“Wait for my shoes to dry,” Laguna replied.
“Ha ha, I mean, what are you going to do after that?”
“I’m gonna do something I should have done a long time ago,” Laguna said firmly. He pulled the ring out of his pocket and held it up to the sunlight.
“Whoa,” Kiros' whole body jerked with surprise and he almost slid to the ground. He grabbed the ring and looked at it carefully. “You sure about this, Laguna?”
“As sure as I’ve ever been about anything,” Laguna said, taking the ring back gently.
“So, what should I tell that contact of mine in Timber?” Kiros asked, tilting his head.
“You go ahead to Timber and tell him I’ll be there in a few days,” Laguna said. “I’ve got to start saving up for a wedding. Well, I hope so anyway.”
“All right, man. I’ll see you in a few days then. And hey,” Kiros shot over his shoulder as he opened the gate and headed out onto the street, “good luck,” he added and sauntered away.
XxXxX
“That night Raine went out for a walk by herself, but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Laguna smiled at her and slid the ring onto her finger. He knew everything was going to be okay when a tear glistened on her cheek and she hugged him tightly. And when she got home, the whole entire house was filled with flowers . . .” Laguna finished, smiling at the memory. Ellone was already asleep so he kissed her forehead and tucked her into bed. Now, Laguna thought to himself, as he tiptoed out of the room to go find Raine, all they had to do was work on living happily ever after.
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