*laughs* Thanks for the prompt. I had fun with it, if you couldn't tell!
-----
Leon burst through the door to Merlin's house with a typically Leon grim expression, gunblade in hand. It would have been impressive, if the effect wasn't ruined by the furiously squeaking and squirming mass of black leather and white fur he held in his other hand.
"Wow," Yuffie remarked, swivelling around from where she'd been messing with Cid's computer. (He now had a desktop wallpaper of fluffy kittens to greet him the next time he logged in.) "Did one of your jackets come alive?"
"Very funny. No, it's a--"
"Kupopopopo! Putmedownputmedownputmedown!"
Aerith walked over and peered into its face. "A moogle? Leon, you shouldn't manhandle -- ah, mooglehandle it like that."
"Take a good look at it," Leon deadpanned, holding it up by the hood of its coat. The little creature gave up struggling, and dangled from his hand forlornly. Even its pompom drooped like a wilted flower. "Does what it's wearing ring any bells with either of you?"
You could almost see the lightbulb ding above Yuffie's head. "Oh! Org-- Organiz--" she spluttered, giggled, tried again, "Organization XIII is recruiting moogles now? How desperate are they?!" She burst out laughing, almost falling off her chair. "Whatcha gonna do, kill us with cute?!"
Aerith frowned at the moogle, which by now was looking thoroughly sorry for itself. "Are you a Nobody?"
"No, kupo!"
Leon held it up to face height. "Then why are you wearing this?"
"I-It was a disguise!" the moogle squeaked, recoiling under the force of Leon's scarred glare. "My best customer was a member!"
Yuffie, while still stifling giggles, had sufficiently regained her composure enough to ask, "S-So-- Hehe-- So, what are you doing in Hollow Bastion?"
"Looking for new customers! The last was a real sucker -- uh, devoted customer, kupo -- but now he's gone."
Leon looked unconvinced, and Yuffie looked just about ready to dissolve into another laughing fit, but Aerith looked thoughtful. "You know, the Duck triplets and their great-uncle were looking for someone to help them set up their business here..."
"You're going to trust a moogle associated with Organization XIII?" Leon scowled at the moogle -- or, the empty moogle-sized coat he was still holding. He blinked at it in surprise.
The moogle, having wriggled its way out of its prison, peered out from behind Aerith timidly. "I'm a free moogle, kupo! I'm turning over a new leaf! I'll help whoever needs it!"
"See, Leon?" Aerith smiled. "He says he'll help. You wouldn't be a very good Restoration Committee leader if you said no."
Leon sighed and put his face in his hand. "...Fine. Whatever."
no subject
-----
Leon burst through the door to Merlin's house with a typically Leon grim expression, gunblade in hand. It would have been impressive, if the effect wasn't ruined by the furiously squeaking and squirming mass of black leather and white fur he held in his other hand.
"Wow," Yuffie remarked, swivelling around from where she'd been messing with Cid's computer. (He now had a desktop wallpaper of fluffy kittens to greet him the next time he logged in.) "Did one of your jackets come alive?"
"Very funny. No, it's a--"
"Kupopopopo! Putmedownputmedownputmedown!"
Aerith walked over and peered into its face. "A moogle? Leon, you shouldn't manhandle -- ah, mooglehandle it like that."
"Take a good look at it," Leon deadpanned, holding it up by the hood of its coat. The little creature gave up struggling, and dangled from his hand forlornly. Even its pompom drooped like a wilted flower. "Does what it's wearing ring any bells with either of you?"
You could almost see the lightbulb ding above Yuffie's head. "Oh! Org-- Organiz--" she spluttered, giggled, tried again, "Organization XIII is recruiting moogles now? How desperate are they?!" She burst out laughing, almost falling off her chair. "Whatcha gonna do, kill us with cute?!"
Aerith frowned at the moogle, which by now was looking thoroughly sorry for itself. "Are you a Nobody?"
"No, kupo!"
Leon held it up to face height. "Then why are you wearing this?"
"I-It was a disguise!" the moogle squeaked, recoiling under the force of Leon's scarred glare. "My best customer was a member!"
Yuffie, while still stifling giggles, had sufficiently regained her composure enough to ask, "S-So-- Hehe-- So, what are you doing in Hollow Bastion?"
"Looking for new customers! The last was a real sucker -- uh, devoted customer, kupo -- but now he's gone."
Leon looked unconvinced, and Yuffie looked just about ready to dissolve into another laughing fit, but Aerith looked thoughtful. "You know, the Duck triplets and their great-uncle were looking for someone to help them set up their business here..."
"You're going to trust a moogle associated with Organization XIII?" Leon scowled at the moogle -- or, the empty moogle-sized coat he was still holding. He blinked at it in surprise.
The moogle, having wriggled its way out of its prison, peered out from behind Aerith timidly. "I'm a free moogle, kupo! I'm turning over a new leaf! I'll help whoever needs it!"
"See, Leon?" Aerith smiled. "He says he'll help. You wouldn't be a very good Restoration Committee leader if you said no."
Leon sighed and put his face in his hand. "...Fine. Whatever."