Final Fantasy VIII: Warmth
Warmth
Penelo’s body had been involuntarily possessed by shivers for the better part of the day. The path to Mt. Bur Omisace was like a sprawling desert of snow. If there was a sun it didn’t exist here. The clouds were like heavy blankets that Penelo swore only conspired to slow them down. They might have been in the same place for days, or even weeks. Penelo was past the point of being able to discern time. How could she when one area looked so much like the next.
She was huddled against Vaan in a small recess on the side of one of the mountains lining the Paranima Rift. At least being concealed in the small space they had some relief from the howling wind. The others had wanted to press on, as if even the tiniest break would danger their purpose. Finally she had gotten Basch to let them all take a break. Rather, she had pestered Vaan about it, who had no doubt annoyed Balthier, who of course had been able to convince Basch.
The only action Penelo seemed to incite was through a long chain of others.
“Stop shaking,” Vaan whined. He was clearly annoyed, but Penelo didn’t much care. She was too cold to care what Vaan thought. If she could stop the chills surging through her body; she would.
“It’s cold,” she answered him, with just as much annoyance. Sometimes she thought Vaan was so dense that she had to state the obvious to him.
“It’s not that cold,” Vaan countered, but the chattering of his teeth gave him away. Still, Penelo didn't tell him to stop his clacking.
“Stop trying to look tough for Balthier. He can’t even see you.”
“I’m not.” Vaan insisted, his face showing the slightest bit of hurt.
Yeah right, Penelo thought. Vaan had been trying to impress Balthier more or less since they all met. Maybe he thought Balthier would smuggle him an airship or something. If she felt like dealing with Vaan she would have laughed out loud at the thought of that. But then, she would have to explain to him what was so funny.
Her eyes searched the white landscape; instinctively seeking out the sky pirate. They brightened when she spotted him, sauntering off alone to sit on a large boulder. Penelo smiled as she watched Balthier reach down with a gloved hand and brush some of the snow off before sitting. He glanced around, and then as if knowing she was watching, their eyes met. A flush crept up Penolo’s face. For once she was thankful for the cold. Her cheeks, having already been bitten by the wind were splotched with red.
Balthier gave a gesture with his head; motioning her over.
She quickly rose. “Hey, where are you going?” Vaan asked.
“None of your business.”
“But it was warm,” he said as he wrapped his arms around his body.
Penelo unwrapped the blanket that had been around her shoulders and threw it on Vaan’s head. “There. You said you weren’t that cold anyway,” she snapped and left before Vaan had a chance to reply.
Immediately she wished she had kept the blanket. She didn’t realize just how much the nook in the mountain had shielded her from the harsher reality of the cold. She crossed over to where Balthier sat quickly, before her boots had a chance to sink into undisturbed layer of snow.
A half smile rose on Balthier's lips as he patted for Penelo to take a seat next to him.
Balthier proved not to be the best of company, and after several moments of sitting in silence, Penelo wondered exactly why he had called her over. She almost wished she was sitting back with Vaan where it was warmer and not as quiet.
Then he spoke, although he didn’t turn to look at her. “How are you holding up?”
Balthier kept his voice low, as if he didn’t want the others to hear. Penelo couldn’t imagine why, they were far enough from everyone else, but she let her volume match his, “I’m fine,” she answered. She had hoped Balthier wouldn’t noticed the forced cheerfulness in her voice.
He gave a slight chuckle and leaned against her. Her body warmed where his shoulder made contact with hers. “Let’s have a bit of honesty shall we?”
There was a playfulness in his eyes that reassured her. “Well, it is a bit cold…”
He laughed louder this time. “A bit yes.”
“Well Basch doesn’t seem to be cold,” she said defensively.
Balthier leaned closer to Penelo as if he was sharing a secret with her. Another chill racked her body, but this one wasn’t caused by the cold. “Basch is made of stone,” the sky pirate whispered.
Penelo laughed a little louder than necessary. She promptly cut off her chuckle halfway through after realizing, and looked around self-consciously.
Balthier raised an eyebrow, his face a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
“Ashe doesn’t seem cold either,” she said.
Ashe was sitting with Basch across from them, her face stern and thoughtful. At one point, Penelo had hoped that she and Ashe might become friends, but the princess didn’t seem entirely open to that. And why would she? Penelo thought, knowing that she did not have much to offer. She didn’t have Fran’s wisdom, Bashch’s strength, or even Balthier’s slight unsavory talents that had got them out of so many mishaps.
“Ashe is special…” he replied, then shrugged as if to toss off his comment.
Of course he would think so.
Penelo pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. She couldn’t see Vaan from where she sat, but imagined that he was sulking. I shouldn’t have left him. No matter how annoyed she got with Vaan, she could never entirely lose sight of the fact that they had been all they each had for a long time.
Balthier's voice cut into her thoughts, “You’re quite special as well.”
Penelo rolled her eyes, “You’re just saying that,” she replied softly, looking down at the ground.
“Hardly.”
Balthier rose, and for a moment Penelo thought she had offended him. Before turning to walk away he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I never just say anything,” he said.
Penelo watched for a moment before burying her hands in her face. She was convinced that she had just embarrassed herself and behaved as young as she felt. Glumly she slid off the rock and began walking back toward Vaan.
Her shoulder was still warm where his touch had been.
Penelo’s body had been involuntarily possessed by shivers for the better part of the day. The path to Mt. Bur Omisace was like a sprawling desert of snow. If there was a sun it didn’t exist here. The clouds were like heavy blankets that Penelo swore only conspired to slow them down. They might have been in the same place for days, or even weeks. Penelo was past the point of being able to discern time. How could she when one area looked so much like the next.
She was huddled against Vaan in a small recess on the side of one of the mountains lining the Paranima Rift. At least being concealed in the small space they had some relief from the howling wind. The others had wanted to press on, as if even the tiniest break would danger their purpose. Finally she had gotten Basch to let them all take a break. Rather, she had pestered Vaan about it, who had no doubt annoyed Balthier, who of course had been able to convince Basch.
The only action Penelo seemed to incite was through a long chain of others.
“Stop shaking,” Vaan whined. He was clearly annoyed, but Penelo didn’t much care. She was too cold to care what Vaan thought. If she could stop the chills surging through her body; she would.
“It’s cold,” she answered him, with just as much annoyance. Sometimes she thought Vaan was so dense that she had to state the obvious to him.
“It’s not that cold,” Vaan countered, but the chattering of his teeth gave him away. Still, Penelo didn't tell him to stop his clacking.
“Stop trying to look tough for Balthier. He can’t even see you.”
“I’m not.” Vaan insisted, his face showing the slightest bit of hurt.
Yeah right, Penelo thought. Vaan had been trying to impress Balthier more or less since they all met. Maybe he thought Balthier would smuggle him an airship or something. If she felt like dealing with Vaan she would have laughed out loud at the thought of that. But then, she would have to explain to him what was so funny.
Her eyes searched the white landscape; instinctively seeking out the sky pirate. They brightened when she spotted him, sauntering off alone to sit on a large boulder. Penelo smiled as she watched Balthier reach down with a gloved hand and brush some of the snow off before sitting. He glanced around, and then as if knowing she was watching, their eyes met. A flush crept up Penolo’s face. For once she was thankful for the cold. Her cheeks, having already been bitten by the wind were splotched with red.
Balthier gave a gesture with his head; motioning her over.
She quickly rose. “Hey, where are you going?” Vaan asked.
“None of your business.”
“But it was warm,” he said as he wrapped his arms around his body.
Penelo unwrapped the blanket that had been around her shoulders and threw it on Vaan’s head. “There. You said you weren’t that cold anyway,” she snapped and left before Vaan had a chance to reply.
Immediately she wished she had kept the blanket. She didn’t realize just how much the nook in the mountain had shielded her from the harsher reality of the cold. She crossed over to where Balthier sat quickly, before her boots had a chance to sink into undisturbed layer of snow.
A half smile rose on Balthier's lips as he patted for Penelo to take a seat next to him.
Balthier proved not to be the best of company, and after several moments of sitting in silence, Penelo wondered exactly why he had called her over. She almost wished she was sitting back with Vaan where it was warmer and not as quiet.
Then he spoke, although he didn’t turn to look at her. “How are you holding up?”
Balthier kept his voice low, as if he didn’t want the others to hear. Penelo couldn’t imagine why, they were far enough from everyone else, but she let her volume match his, “I’m fine,” she answered. She had hoped Balthier wouldn’t noticed the forced cheerfulness in her voice.
He gave a slight chuckle and leaned against her. Her body warmed where his shoulder made contact with hers. “Let’s have a bit of honesty shall we?”
There was a playfulness in his eyes that reassured her. “Well, it is a bit cold…”
He laughed louder this time. “A bit yes.”
“Well Basch doesn’t seem to be cold,” she said defensively.
Balthier leaned closer to Penelo as if he was sharing a secret with her. Another chill racked her body, but this one wasn’t caused by the cold. “Basch is made of stone,” the sky pirate whispered.
Penelo laughed a little louder than necessary. She promptly cut off her chuckle halfway through after realizing, and looked around self-consciously.
Balthier raised an eyebrow, his face a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
“Ashe doesn’t seem cold either,” she said.
Ashe was sitting with Basch across from them, her face stern and thoughtful. At one point, Penelo had hoped that she and Ashe might become friends, but the princess didn’t seem entirely open to that. And why would she? Penelo thought, knowing that she did not have much to offer. She didn’t have Fran’s wisdom, Bashch’s strength, or even Balthier’s slight unsavory talents that had got them out of so many mishaps.
“Ashe is special…” he replied, then shrugged as if to toss off his comment.
Of course he would think so.
Penelo pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. She couldn’t see Vaan from where she sat, but imagined that he was sulking. I shouldn’t have left him. No matter how annoyed she got with Vaan, she could never entirely lose sight of the fact that they had been all they each had for a long time.
Balthier's voice cut into her thoughts, “You’re quite special as well.”
Penelo rolled her eyes, “You’re just saying that,” she replied softly, looking down at the ground.
“Hardly.”
Balthier rose, and for a moment Penelo thought she had offended him. Before turning to walk away he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I never just say anything,” he said.
Penelo watched for a moment before burying her hands in her face. She was convinced that she had just embarrassed herself and behaved as young as she felt. Glumly she slid off the rock and began walking back toward Vaan.
Her shoulder was still warm where his touch had been.