dualislogs | [Closed] Catch-all

[It's early. The sun hasn't even risen but there's a far too anxious and aggressive banging on the door to Loki's room. Squall doesn't really sleep much and when he does he wakes far too early. And something is deeply off about today. He feels empty. Cut off. A quiet where he never noticed there was sound. There's an edge of panic in his voice.]

Rinoa! Rinoa!? Open the door!

[He just needs to see her to reassure himself. Know that he's worried over nothing.]

[Will it kill Seifer to answer the damn phone? He's been calling. Again and again after the dreadful discovery. Even left him messages as he packs up and grabs a bike rental to head out to the forge.

Where are you?
Pick up
Dammit Seifer

He's not about to immediately do something stupid and reckless anymore but it's hard to think. Hard to breathe. He feels empty, angry, upset... He wants to do everything and nothing all at once. It's probably a miracle that he didn't crash into anyone heading out of the city. He doesn't even park or kill the engine of the bike properly when he arrives, just gets off and lets the bike fall on its side - the safety mechanism thankfully kicking in.]

SEIFER!

[He yells once he gets inside, slamming a hand against the metal door they repaired so many months ago. His voice cracking and his desperation obvious in his tone. Even knowing the forge is usually too loud for Seifer to hear him, he doesn't care. He strides forward and there's relief and anger both as he reaches out for him.

It shows on his face. Something is clearly very wrong.]

God dammit, answer your damn phone!

Edited 2020-02-10 13:35 (UTC)

[This is it! An exciting day of showing Boko the forest in the midst of the feelings of doom rampant around the city. Because really even Squall is tired of feeling hopeless and helpless all the time.

It's not quite a saddle but Squall has managed to fashion some belts together with a tiny carabiner around a belt loop on either side of Boko. A small canvas bag hangs from each of it with some leafy treats inside one and a few balls from the ball pit in the other. He doesn't know why he did this. It just feels right to prepare for the little outing and it gives him something to do, okay?

The forest meets the edge of the city so it's just a matter of them taking a bus there - bird and all. Gunblade resting by Squall's waist in a sheathe. He doesn't expect anything out there but he doesn't want to be unprepared either.

He sighs and heads towards the place they agreed to meet (if they didn't all go together), excited chocobo in tow. Boko's been kweh-ing non-stop since they got off the bus.]

[Times like these are when having a phone on hand would be ideal, wouldn't it? He hadn't even considered it when he left early for the forge. The thing was listened in on anyway, it wasn't safe.

Nothing was, and today was really about to drive that home.

Predictably he didn't hear the banging, not above the noise of likewise banging machines and his own hammer, giving pause when he thinks hears his name.

Weird.

He'd been about to get back to work when Squall made his appearance. Shouting at him about the stupid phone. Pulling off his goggles he looked about to say something nasty back but paused.

There was something wrong, the look on Squall's face said it all.]

What happened?

[He wouldn't have said anything right then. Squall was lucky Seifer turned into a forge-head.

He reached out to grab Seifer by the shirt near his shoulders, almost reminiscent of that time he saw himself kill Seifer. He looks lost and guilty all at once and he doesn't know what to do.]

Rinoa's gone.

[It hurts. He looks away after he says that, hands trembling, trying for some maddening reason not to cry.

He tried to protect her and he failed. Just like that.]

[Loki's sleep has never been something one could call restful, his mind was always active and he'd always found it difficult to quiet it, but he'd found sleep last night.

He didn't rouse from his bed immediately, only realizing no one was responding to the pounding on their door after a moment. He sat up, running a hand back through his hair to smooth it and frowning at the empty bed across the room, untouched. He'd assumed when he'd gone to bed last night she'd been spending time with the man currently pounding their door in.

It was with a sinking feeling he proceeded to open it, clad in loose-fitting muted green pants and a deep-gray, wrap-around top.]

Come in, but stop shouting.

[Squall has the same problem, kind of. Though his mind tends to go in circles worrying about things that are going on.

His heart sinks when it's Loki who answers. He scowls and tries to push past him, walking right in and freezing at the empty bed.

She's not here.

Why isn't she here?

He clasps a hand over his chest and tries to focus inward. They still don't know how the bond works yet but they already know it's there. He tries desperately to reach out.

Rinoa. Rinoa!

Nothing. He never felt anything unique from the bond before but now that it's gone...

He clenches his fist and there's a crackle of electricity ready to be let loose in the room.]

NO!!

[ Tidus didn't come with them, since he had a few things to do beforehand, but he's there before Squall and Boko's arrival, bouncing an object against the paving that's more likely to draw attention to him before anything else. ]

Boko!

[ Well, until he calls that.

Should the chocobo's dads know anything about sports, they'll know the ball being bounced is a basketball -- otherwise, it's just an incredibly bouncy ball. More so once Tidus turns to face Boko's direction, slamming the ball beside him and making it go high, goading the bird with another sly call.

And Boko takes the bait, running on other and giving the ball a bop with its beak to send it bouncing elsewhere. Tidus laughs, already turning to go and get it, to wherever it rolls off to.

(squall and cloud who) ]

[There's a moment where Seifer was about to shove Squall off of him, he doesn't get the grabbing thing the guy does and he very much dislikes it. But again he's too paralyzed by the words that come next.]

What?

[He snaps, far harsher than necessary while his mind reels to catch up to the implications of that. Rinoa's gone, again, Squall's the one left here alone this time... Squall, the Knight, without his Sorceress.

Surely she went... no. Oh no.

The irritation drained out of him immediately and for a moment he stood there, just watching Squall, brows furrowed while it all began to sink in. Squall's demeanor, how poorly he was holding himself together, and just the full weight of this. Oh Hyne. They'd all failed her.

Since he'd not bothered to move away instead of pushing Squall off of him Seifer just reached out to wordlessly wrap him in a bear hug instead. Somehow that seemed a better response than telling him off for crying.]

[Grabbing is for stressful situations, okay? And considering what he knows of people who disappear from the dorms. Or those who've been turned into robots... He failed her. It doesn't feel like there's a way to come back from this.

He opens his eyes wide from surprise when he's suddenly drawn into a hug. He expected... yelling, cursing, more disparaging remarks, 'I told you so's. He doesn't look up from where his head is turned against Seifer's shoulder. His own arms go around Seifer's back instead, clutching at his shirt as he breaks down into broken sobs. He shouts, wordless but sometimes it's her name that cracks through his voice.

He's never felt this shattered.]

[This would make the third time for Seifer, losing Rinoa, but he wasn't going to harp on that. No, by now he's accustomed to loss, and to failure. But for Squall this must be new. Even growing up in a military academy he'd been fairly sheltered.

They both failed her, but Squall as her Knight would be feeling the bitter sting the greatest.

So, rather than give him accusations or grief he'll let him cry it out instead. Thankfully away from Garden Seifer has had some time to reflect and learn a few social graces. Nida's helped, as had Rinoa in the past.

He'd like to stop making the same mistakes of his past. Here presents an opportunity to try something different.]

We'll make it right.

[Is all he mutters. How he's not sure yet, but damn it they can't fail her again.]

[A bus? Not for him. Shortly afterward Cloud should arrive, (of course) on the motorcycle that had arrived in Dualis some months ago. He's between jobs, actually- and honestly? Given everything, he'd been eager to keep his head down and pour himself into work as much as he possibly could. This was different, though.

He's not exactly thrilled about Squall's idea to dump Boko in a forest, but it's not his call. The least he can do is be here for it. Regardless, he's off his boke soon enough, locking it up and approaching the pair (and bird), which looking at his phone.

...And yeah, he's brisk.

...Even as the ball bounces past him, and someone vaguely familiar goes after it. ]

We going?

[Squall couldn't get hurt if he never let anyone close. This was the exact thing he feared but there's no way back from it now.

It's ugly and embarrassing, this crying but he eventually runs out of steam, nodding vaguely to Seifer's words. They'll find a way. Didn't he say the same to Tidus? To Nida? Without knowing what it actually feels like.

He loosens his grip slowly, tries to pull back, stand on his own two feet again when the wave of dizziness hits and he staggers back against the other man. What is...]

Seifer...? I don't... feel...

[The rest of the words don't make it out as he slumps over, unconscious.]

[It never works out the way you expect. Hell most of the time it doesn't even turn out how you want. Seifer knows these truths all too well.

He releases Squall, not turning to move away because... Well exactly what he expected happened, so at least he was ready to catch Squall before he goes and hits the floor.]

Yeah, I figured.

[He says to his unconscious rival. Good thing he brought a camping cot down. He'll just get Squall tucked in and drag it into the work area so je can keep an eye on him while he gets coffee ready. Guy's going to need it.]

[Squall feels like he should get a car or something at this point. But it's not vital with the public transportation available. And it's a little cheaper to rent a motorcycle... for now.

And it's not dumping, it's setting him loose and then bringing him back!! There's a difference.

What is this dichotomy between his two companions here?]

Yeah... if they don't break anything.

[Squall sighs as he watches Boko try to play keep away with the basketball, bapping it dangerously against the side of a building where a shop window sits pretty. He eyes the ball suspiciously before looking at Cloud.]

Have you met Tidus?

[And instantly gets beaned in the side of his head by the basketball, followed by a triumphant KWEH.

He staggers and doubles over, holding the side of his head.

Ow.]

[ And side by side stand Boko and Tidus. The latter who cringes when he sees that ball hit (those things aren't soft!), then starts to gesture towards the chocobo in a 'he did it!' manner if either of the pair should look over. ]

He's got good aim!

[ In Boko's defence?? ]

[Listen, if nothing else, Nida knows how to properly not invade a private and intimate moment between people. And, you know, how to let himself grieve in silence away from other people because, well, there was enough need for it these days and he didn't want to be a pain in the eyes of either of his brothers. Which was why, after learning that Jason didn't remember him, Nida had come to the warehouse in a rush. Had left his bike around the back and come in as quietly as he could. Because he needed to be up high to clear his head, and the liked the security of the warehouse, the familiar heat, the tightness of the air high up.

Unlike Seifer, he'd noticed Squall coming in, had watched the man approach and had almost jumped down to interact with the others, but even from his height he'd read tightness in Squall's posture. Strange tightness. Not the usual. Emotions, he realized later. Something he should have recognized from the time Squall had seen his memories and been trying to hide it some. So he'd stayed high. This was their moment. And when he heard the words... Well, that was a new pain.

It wasn't until Squall passed out that Nida rose to his feet on the particular girder he'd been on, and on quick, quick feet he moved over it to a support and then started his way down. So it was Nida dropped with a bit of noise, not much but some so that Seifer wasn't completely shocked, behind his brother.]

Want me to make coffee? Or something else? Something to help?

[Let him work the nauseous energy out of his gut. Because last time the two of them lost Rinoa, well... they had known it was to their home and not to... not to what they've lost her to now.]

[Seifer really needed to learn to look up in the warehouse, as Nida nearly startled the hell out of him. Shadow tendrils flared to life, angling threateningly in Nida's direction. A few beats and Seifer sighed.]

Hyne, you can't be creepin' up on me like that. Yeah, he'll need it. Get the sugar.

[That will keep Nida busy for a few while Seifer goes to drag the cot over. Multiple arms come in handy at times like this.]

If I gotta leave make sure his dumb ass doesn't go trying to walk for a while.

[Focusing on the effects of a broken bond is easier than thinking about what probably happened to Rinoa. He's not ready to address it.

Eos is ready to curl up with Squall though.]

[ Tidus finds out about Rinoa by the bulletin board.

He doesn't rush over to offer his sympathies, to give words of comfort or support. He knows what it's like, and sympathies, solutions or words about revenge, moving forward; he couldn't do anything with them. They helped later, but in that initial loss, for him -- it had been anger. Nothing but rage. Either that or a mind numbed to the point of being blank, hurting too deeply to want any kind of future.

He's sure there's an anger in everyone when they experience a loss like this, but can Tidus say he knows what Squall needs? They're two different kind of guys who don't really know each other, but...

...but even so, there's maybe one thing Tidus can offer. He leaves it in a note slipped under Squall and Nida's door, folded with Squall's name written on the front. A single knock in case Squall's in there and willing to go to it, but with no one waiting outside.

It reads: ]

If you need to blow some steam, reach me
Swords or fists
I know a place nearby we can go
Tidus

I don't know, Seif. I think I keep proving that I not only can, but will sneak up on you like that.

[Be careful of your grammar choices, because Nida definitely will work with what he's given. And be amused by it too. But he isn't smiling when he says that. Isn't laughing, isn't playful. It's knee jerk, not actual teasing. He ignores the angry arms and reaches out to lay a gentle hand on Seifer's arm, just for a second, and then he's moving away to the coffee maker. He absolutely knows how the Commander takes it. Years of studying the man, after all.]

Today just doesn't want to stop being terrible. I'm definitely not loving that. Seifer, do me a favor and don't let the Head take you. I don't have much more to lose.

[Seifer and Squall. They're all he has left.]

Ha ha, you're funny. Fuck you.

[He doesn't care if it's knee jerk or not. Doesn't care if Nida thinks he's being funny. Not in the mood for his bullshit.

It isn't about how Squall takes it, it's about how he's going to be feeling with a freshly broken bond. Who better among them to understand than the person who's lived it already?]

Ain't exactly plannin' on it.

[He mutters as he's working to get Squall situated on the cot. Should be fine there for now. There's still a lot of work to be done. Now, more than ever, they can't afford to slow down.]

[Yeah, Nida isn't in the mood for it either. Which is a good thing, because he might have asked if that was a strange sort of incest they should avoid. But, well, Nida was the one in the room that had never been connected with a Sorceress. His witch hadn't exactly had the same sort of magical bond forged with his boyfriends that Sorceresses maintained with their Knights. He didn't know. He couldn't know, and never would. On some level Nida understands that he can't even remotely understand what Squall is going through. That's why he bites his lip and goes to start preparing coffee.]

We'll... we'll find a way to fix this. So that we get our people back. So they remember us.

[After all, there had to be SOME memory issues, right? Because why else wouldn't the Head replace them with robots and then just have the robots work amid the other new arrivals? Why wouldn't the others be interacting with them, keeping up the pretty little fiction that everything was okay and the year cut off really was true? He sighs as he measures out the coffee.]

Does... it hurt? When the bond is broken? Is there something I can do for him? Run out for pain medication or see if I can find Cloud or Zack with one of their healing orb thingies? Or... If it's something that needs numbed, I could... talk to Tifa about a delivery here. From where she works.

[Alcohol. He means alcohol. He'd risk carrying it back here to make sure it was there for Squall if he needed it to deal with the immediate issues of the bond breaking. Provided nobody cared so much if Nida just, you know, lived up in the rafters for a while to stay away from it but also make sure Squall didn't abuse too much.]

[Which really would have just annoyed Seifer more. Best to let the jokes die for now. Later maybe, when they're in better spirits. Seifer just nods, and once Squall's tucked in with Eos hopping up to curl up against him he moves to go perch on his workbench.

Nothing else to do but wait.]

Mine did, [He nods over at Squall.] He was up and around, dunno if his hit as hard.

[Rinoa was kinder than Ultimecia at least.]

Cure won't do much, and I don't think we should be encouraging him to try to fill the void with booze, do you? Best just to let him rest for now. Think I've got some aspirin in the med kit. Gotta see how he's managing once he wakes.

Edited 2020-02-12 19:25 (UTC)

[Still hit hard enough for Squall to pass out. Which of course left Nida wondering how bad it had been for Seifer. Not that he intended to ask.]

I don't know how to help with this. I don't... I don't know how to handle much of anything today. I wasn't ready to lose my little sister too.

[Yeah, he'd gone to full on adoption of the Sorceress. He had a pretty big family now. Or used to have. Losing two 'siblings' in one day was definitely too much.]

Any clue how long he might sleep? I guess I can dig out some cards or something for us to do while we wait.

[He has to assume that Seifer isn't going to do more smithing while Squall is out. Too noisy. And Nida would love to fight out some tension, but he wasn't sure Seifer would be up to anything other than hovering.]

[Closed] Catch-all

Loki - Feb 8 ish?

Seifer - Feb 8 - after Loki thread

Cloud and Tidus - forestventures - early Feb

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continues to make my own starters

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