A/N: For anyone who's ever played the game, and actually taken the time to try and collect cards for Triple Triad, you may understand this parody better than those that never played the addicting yet annoying card game.

Disclaimer: No, the characters of FF8 are not mine, but I've nearly collected all their cards.

-When the World is in Peril…Squall wants to play cards.-

Date: August

Location: Esthar Lunar Base, Control Room

Time: Unknown

It had completely blown Quistis away how huge the moon was, of course the base wasn't called Lunar for nothing. She looked to the monitor one of the controllers had directed her to and glanced back to Squall. The young commander didn't seem the slightest bit interested in the surface of the moon, though she was sure Dr. Piet had in fact told the brunette to go look. Instead, Squall was challenging the man to a game of Triple Triad.

"Squall," she said in her instructor tone. The teen in question glanced to her, apparently annoyed, and turned back to his card game. "Honestly, we're here to help Rinoa and all he wants to do is play cards," she said to no one in particular. She heard Ellone sigh not far from her. Her former surrogate sister had a smile on her face as she watched the dueling pair.

"Has he been like this the whole journey?" Ellone asked as Squall had turned to one of the other technicians and asked for a game. Quistis shook her head. It seemed Squall's desire to play Triple Triad only turned up when they had something particularly important to be doing, like escaping a prison for example.

She still easily remembered how Irvine had gone on a Triple Triad spree-somehow with Squall's cards-and she and Zell had waited at least fifteen minutes for him to finally be satisfied with the deck. How they still managed to avoid most of the guards was beyond her.

She'd half expected the commander to challenge Seifer once they'd knocked him down and Edea had melted to the auditorium of Galbadia Garden. Squall's response when she mentioned the idea, "Why? He doesn't have any good cards." Though apparently Edea did as immediately after receiving a letter for the White SeeD ship Squall promptly challenged their former Matron. Edea was obviously surprised, but relented.

"Look, if you'll just play Alexander I will leave you alone," Squall deadpanned to Dr. Piet. The scientist looked almost fearful of the teen before him and nodded. After what must have been their tenth card game, Squall finally walked away, quietly telling the man, "thank you." When he finally stood beside her, Quistis couldn't help but glare at him as she crossed her arms. "What?" he asked, glancing to Ellone for help. The other brunette simply smiled and turned away.

"You, are unbelievable," Quistis replied after a minute. Confused, Squall just mimicked her stance crossing his own arms. "Even in the middle of space, your main priority is Triple Triad. Care to explain Squall?"

"Well, he's the only one that has Alexander. I wanted that card…and now I have it," Squall told her as he held up the GF's card. "Now, what's the deal with the moon?" Quistis shook her head at him. If her predictions were right, he'd probably challenge the CC members when something else that involved the world ending came up.

"When the world is in peril, all you want to do is play cards," Quistis said with a sigh. Squall glanced at her before finally looking to the monitor, confusion and the question of "What do you mean by that?" obvious in his blue-grey eyes.

A/N: So, as for the D-District reference, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis were my one of parties and yes, I did have Irvine challenge a guy for the length of about ten or fifteen minutes while he gave me free stuff.