dualislogs | Three Final Fantasy characters walk into a bar

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Three Final Fantasy characters walk into a bar

WHO: Squall, Seifer, Cloud, ??
WHAT: Trying out weapons
WHERE: Workshop outside the city
WHEN: Sep 3
WARNINGS: Fight! Potentially blood and injury

Holding a gunblade in his hand again, even if it's just blade without the gun, is exhilarating. Doesn't matter what else Squall doubts about his own future, he won't give this up anytime soon. Plus, it's great stress relief from the hellish invasion of memories just weeks ago.

There's a lot of things making this fun. One, he's never fought alongside Seifer before. Two, Cloud is... remarkably powerful, way beyond what his stature and figure would indicate. Three, the prototype gunblade is a great teaser to what Seifer is going to eventually make.

He falls back to stay out of range of Cloud's buster sword (how is he even wielding that so easily?), eyes flicking over to Seifer to see what he's doing. It's strange having to flip his thoughts from how to counter Seifer's attacks to how to complement it, but all those years of fighting each other is working in their favor now.

He runs in to swipe at an opening from the other side. He's precision and skill even without the trigger component. It's clear he's treating the sparring session like a real battle. Seifer's taught him that much.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's a few days after Brain Injury. Squall has legitimate reason to call out of work, however long that lasts, but he doesn't like staying in his room. At all. So when he's not being watched, he slips out of his room... and wanders over to Cloud's. He hasn't seen Boko in a while okay.

He knocks and when the door opens he just stares at Cloud. His usual cool and detached expression marred by the somewhat dazed look in his eyes.]

I'm here for the bird.

[David hadn't seemed to mind the fact that Boko was around more often while Squall was laid up. Cloud hadn't minded either. On the way back from a particular job, he'd spied a shopfront and made a particular purchase, one of which had been unpacked and set up in short order, and one which Boko ...seemed to be enjoying.

Especially apparent due to the fact that the chicobo hadn't actually emerged from it yet. As Cloud had taken advantage of an unoccupied dorm room (David was out getting groceries or something) to actually rest, while the chicobo occasionally lobbed a ball at him from his place in the pit at the centre of the room, between the two beds. Each ball was caught in the air and gently tossed back, which seemed to evoke a happy noise from Boko, each time.

That was, until the door was knocked on. He gets up, making his way to the visitor - his eyes widening when he sees Squall. And a bandage that might still be on his head. He leaves the door open, taking a few steps into the room.]

You shouldn't be out of bed. You know that, right?

[Definitely still has the bandage.]

No. [Wait.] Yes. [Better.]

[Squall takes a few steps into the room and blinks slowly, trying to process the odd addition to the room. Something he's fairly sure shouldn't be there. A ball flies out of the pit, followed a few seconds later by a disappointed kweh when said ball doesn't return.]

Boko?

[The kweh grows excited. A chicobo emerging from the pit with a louder kweh when he finally sees his dad.

Please catch him before he tackles Squall.]

[He's really messed up, huh. Cloud's reduced to staring at the other man in silence as he answers and then catches himself, only his wide eyes really betraying his concern. And yes- a brightly coloured ball soon whizzes past his head, making a quiet sound as it hits the wall of the confined area- and then rolling away harmlessly.

Except wait- the sound of balls crunching against each other makes him move his gaze to the pit. Boko's emerged fully now, scrambling up the back of it to the basketball hoop, his weight forcing it downward. He flaps his wings and-

Oh no.

The chicobo jumps, the hoop functioning as a springboard to boost its jump right toward the brunette. ]

Boko-!

[He intercepts, but the slippery little chocobo scrambles around his arms and launches itself off his shoulder- right at Dad.]

[The question tripped him up that's all. Except he definitely doesn't manage to avoid Boko even with the additional seconds given to him by Cloud's interruption. Everything seems to go in slow motion. He's only just started to shift to the left when he gets a chestful of bird.]

Hrk!

[He staggers. The half a step backwards doesn't keep him from toppling over. His hands flailing out in front of him.

He can see it now. The people who'd be mad at him for hitting his head again.]

[Some birds just want to watch the world burn.

He takes a step after Boko- outstretching an arm to catch him by the foot as he springs toward Squall. But he's too fast. That, and Squall's stepped forward and bumped his head against his, and he's taking a step back, right on the ball Boko had flung out of his pit earlier and-

And he slips. Squall's weight makes him fall backwards, both fortunately and embarrassingly, right on top of his bed. With Squall and Boko right on top of him.

He takes a moment before he realizes- eyes looking upto him and then away. Quickly, away. If he was well, he'd have been shoved off- bird and all. So a sharp, flustered, quiet statement is all he gets.]

...Get off me.

[This is mortifying.]

[Squall is just a rag doll in the entire scheme of things. The bump against his noggin' only disorienting him more. By the time it's over, he's sprawled on his side on top of Cloud, Boko awkwardly held in one arm. The chicobo is perfectly unharmed and happy to get to snuggle with his parents.]

Ow.

[He hisses softly, touching a hand to his head and grimacing. The headache is a little worse. Not terrible but he could do without it. He processes Cloud's request a few second later and unwittingly digs his elbow against Cloud's ribs in an effort to roll off him and on his feet. Boko warks as it risks getting slightly squished in Squall's sluggish attempt to not faceplant onto the floor.]

Next time I'll let Seifer scar my forehead again.

[He grumbles under his breath. At least he was back on his feet after passing out that one time.]

[Damn it squall, why the elbow. His discomfort is voiced with a small sound behind gritted teeth, and an eyenarrow. But that's all. He lifts his lower body up and swings his legs around the bed in order to allow his feet to touch the floor- eyeing Squall wobble.

...Not good. He looked like he was going to fall at any moment. If Boko's wark is anything to go by, even he's worried. So. He reaches out, taking Squall's spare hand by the wrist.]

Sit down. Get your balance back.

[He's doing his best, okay? The hand on his wrist stops him from doing anything else so it does stabilize him in a way. He frowns down at their hands though, offended.]

You just told me to get off you.

[Make up your mind.]

[He takes note of the frown, and he returns it. And then, he inclines his head to the side. There's a space beside him.]

Not on me. I mean here.

[A pat to the area next to him, just to indicate it beyond all shadow of any doubt.]

[Frown wars!! But oh, okay. The crease between his brows eases up and he grudgingly sits next to Cloud...

And slowly leans until he's resting against Cloud, head against his shoulder. Muttering:]

... I hate confuse.

[Frown wars! Except Squall wins this round, because his own quickly dissipates into a small look of concern. He allows the larger man to lean against him, moving an arm to unbuckle the shoulder pauldron presently occupying his shoulder, allowing it to fall onto the bed.

...At least this way, if Squall decides his shoulder is prime real estate, he won't lose an eye. That'd be all anyone needed. And, in response:]

Sorry. About the knock on the head. I don't think I said that.

[Squall would appreciate this more if he can think clearly. He's just glad the pokey obstacle is gone cause he's taking advantage of Cloud's smaller shoulder. He waves his hand.]

It was a fight. [He lets his hand fall, landing on Cloud's leg.] ... I froze.

What if I can't fight again?

You froze because of Seifer, right?

[Well, looked like his shoulder was Squall's until he decides otherwise. He lifts his legs up onto the bed and shifts himself just until he's comfortable, absently leaning to the side and opening the drawer next to his bed, procuring for himself a brightly coloured bag full of artificially flavoured, synthetic "food", then turning his eyes to Squall.

...And yeah, he gets a bag, too.

He opens both, and then he puts Squall's on his lap. And starts to crunch at his own... food-like substance.

And.]

You can. You just need to train with him until the part of you that freezes up is over it. He's alright, and so're you.

[Squall only stops long enough to read the label on the package before he dips in. He's not picky. And Seifer's probably been making sure he eats right so junk food is welcome.

He nods glumly.]

I never freeze... [He sighs, crinkling the bag when the memory of Seifer bleeding makes him tense again.]

I'm... scared I'll kill him again. It's all I think about now when I face him.

I get it.

[He doesn't need further explanation. Of course, Squall's memories of actually doing it are still fresh in his head. He crunches thoughtfully on another artificially coloured and flavoured cube of... who knew what, really and nods slightly, his gaze moving downward to the chocobo chick in Squall's arms.

...That was currently cleaning the fur on Squall's jacket between his beak, blissfully avoiding all of this.]

You won't.

[A small pause. It's kind of a flippant thing to say, and something that makes his eyes move to Squall's once more- staring into bright blue with brighter. This close, he can feel him tense.]

I was technically there. He was desperate. He made mistakes because he was desperate. He's a tough bastard, and you got lucky.

[It's a decent observation and actually makes him feel better. Tough doesn't even begin to describe Seifer. They had to go three-on-one to take him down.

He strokes Boko's feathers gently, rests the open bag in his lap and takes out a star-shaped piece and chews on it. It's almost disgustingly sweet.]

You're right. This is stupid. I just... have to fight through it.

[They've been rivals their whole lives. There's no reason he can't get back on it. It's important that he continues to have the ability to fight Seifer.]

He killed Odin in one hit, you know.

[It was weird, really. The pair of them seemed almost the same. They fought differently, sure. Squall was precision and brute strength combined, and Seifer seemed to have been a kind of uncanny agility, with the same brute strength. They'd trained together- he's pretty sure of that, mostly through his inability to turn either against the other.

Neither of them is a pushover. Together, he'd been challenged. Truly so. Offence had been impossible, he'd been forced to do nothing but defend.

His tone stays even, casual- gentle enough to indicate the fact he cared, when his words themselves are as ever, plain.]

Keep swinging at him until the feeling goes away. It will.

[And. He dips his hand into his bag again to pull out something vaguely triangular. The entire substance they're eating is a weird, sweet foam. That crunches. It's weird. But it's vaguely addictive.]

If it makes you feel better, I'll sit in on your session. If anyone slips, they'll get healed. Then there's no danger.

[Crunch. And...]

Huh? The summon?

[It's funny how that went. It was the first time Seifer and Squall ever fought together instead of against one another. Maybe Cloud presenting as a challenge kept them focused. Who knows.]

... I'm good at that.

[Use his gunblade to solve every problem? It's a solution he's happy to accept. He's frowning again, easily visualizing a bloodied Seifer once more and hating it. They're soldiers. This shouldn't have become a problem.]

No healing. Unless it's a serious injury.

[He has to face the reality of it, after all.]

Yeah. The summon.

[It's a bitter loss of a great GF but... even Squall has to admit it was cool to see. He's removed a round piece from the bag as he speaks but forgets to eat it quick enough. Boko, attention drawn from the fur of Squall's jacket, spots it and closes its beak around it. He's only holding it for now and the piece is still in Squall's hand but.]

Ah...

Never heard of anyone being able to do that. A summon's just magic, isn't it?

[The memories of the Ancients, manifested. Or something like that. Or... whatever it meant where Squall was from. Regardless, it's magic. No physical form.

...Yeah, he's going to follow this up when Squall's better. His gaze moves to Boko's stealth move, and then away. That? Yeah, that's his version of a smile. He leans, lightly, to pick up the one loose ball from the pit, and tosses it back in, before turning his gaze to Squall.]

So that's settled. If you want to lie down with Boko for a while in here, just say. I'll make sure no-one bothers you.

[Squall shrugs.]

Maybe? No one really knows. They exist... somewhere. We let them live in our brains when we find them. They give us strength and eat our memories. Odin never came back after that fight.

[The mini tug-of-war with Boko results in a frustrated-looking Squall and a rather quick win for the bird who swallows the junk food in one gulp.]

... that's not good for you. [He grumbles under his breath and tries to clench the bag shut while Boko nips for it again. Boko gets it with a second try because Cloud is talking again.]

I'd like that. [Tug. Tug. Boko is not letting go still.] It's okay if Seifer does... or Rinoa. [Blink.] Have you met Rinoa?

[The brain? That's... weird. Really weird. He looks at Squall as he says that, some sort of faint concern in his eyes- but shakes his head- focusing on the other statement.]

Nope. Only met her in your head.

[The tug-of-war though. That's... rude, Boko. They've taught you better than that. He exhales a faintly disapproving note before reaching into his bag, and holding a star-shaped foamblock between his fingers toward him. Mid-tug, Boko releases Squall's bag and settles on what's being offered (animal logic. Less is acceptable, when minimal effort is involved) - and Cloud takes the opportunity to run his fingers underneath Boko's small tufts of ears.

...He can't discipline his child, clearly.

But. He rises- carefully taking the bag from Squall and laying him down on his side on his bed. Then he takes a few paces away, leaning against the wall- one leg raising to press his sole against it. His arms move around himself.]

I remember what she looks like, though. If anyone like that comes by, I'll let 'em in. Go to sleep.

[How else would they eat memories? It makes sense!

Squall looks like he's trying to come up with a good scolding when Boko gets distracted and he redirects his attention to give Cloud a disapproving look too. Before he can say anything, he's being re-positioned and it's... comfier actually. He settles in, curling his arms under him... and continues his disapproval while he reaches out to poke Boko in his feathery stomach.]

No.

[He tries to sound stern but it's a little unfocused. Then his finger drifts to point at Cloud while Boko warks indignantly.]

Don't feed him that.

[They have to raise their child right, okay. He drops his hand after and shifts from grumpy to petulant.]

I don't wanna sleep. That's all I've been doing.

[Person lying down on the bed? Boko abandons being scolded and hops off it almost instantly, giving a happy kweh as he rummages under the bed. He shortly returns, hopping back up on it with a certain printed blanket.

That's what he thinks of your scolding, Squall.

He drags it to where Squall's arms are folded up, forcing himself into them, and against his chest. And the blanket goes on top.

Cloud eyes the scene, not that surprised.]

Fine. So tell me more about things from your world.

[Respect his authority, dammit. He looks miffed, torn between trying to scold and... soft. He sighs and raises his arm for Boko to squeeze under and lightly cuddles him in turn. Discipline later. When he's feeling better.

Instead he shifts his focus to thinking about what there is to tell.]

I grew up in Garden. That's where I learned to be a mercenary. All I did was train... I never left the school until the day I became SeeD.

[He sighs, turning his head into Boko's soft feathers as the bird bumps against his cheek.]

A lot happened after. Some good. Some bad... [He stares blankly ahead, cheeks coloring.] I fell in love. [Then he shuts his eyes sadly.] And I didn't help Seifer.

Three Final Fantasy characters walk into a bar

For Cloud

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