Three Final Fantasy characters walk into a bar

[silentnarration]

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.

Comments

[firacrux]

Sure it hurt, but earning it was pretty fun. No one else could hope to keep up the way they did. No one else got how much the kind of rivalry they had meant to them. That's much better, Seifer takes the tea with a grateful nod. A few stray leaves he can deal with, just not the whole thing filled with them. Thanks Squall. Maybe he'll go try to find somewhere to curl up with his tea now.

"Who the hell am I gonna ask?"

[silentnarration]

Squall agrees with that much. An unintentional proof of their rivalry. A mark of things before it changed.

"The network? Like you did when I got hurt." Which he still hasn't given Seifer enough sass for. Existing brain damage, really?

[firacrux]

Exactly. Now where did the living area go? Oh good, it's not far. Sluggishly, cradling his mug in two hands, Seifer aims to make his way toward a couch or cushy chair where he can curl up and be miserable sitting down.

"Ain't exactly the same as a concussion." Plenty of people knew how to deal with concussions. He doubted anyone knew how to deal with persistent illness and hallucinations. The existing brain damage was a hilarious joke. He insists.

[silentnarration]

Ugh. Still sucks to see Seifer like this. He's tagging alongside, not quite hovering but not leaving him alone either. He sits next to him after, eyeing him.

"That's why we should ask." Some things are beyond them, even if they want to handle it themselves. "What happens when you're like this?"

Digging for info, don't mind him.

[firacrux]

Squall is definitely hovering. Seifer can tell because he's been hovering a lot since Squall got his head cracked. Once he's settled in very carefully so as not to spill his tea he regards Squall sitting right next to him warily. Squall has been rather affectionate of late, maybe he won't mind...

It's almost surly the way he tucks himself in against Squall, relaxing slowly against his side and burying his face in his mug so he doesn't have to admit that he's doing this on purpose. Don't judge him, he feels like shit he wants to take what tiny comforts he can get.

He huffs. Squall just doesn't get it, it's not something you can just "fix" damn it. "Get sick," Obviously. "...Don't always know where I am. Or when." At least for a while. It wears off eventually.

[silentnarration]

Squall is about ready to dig himself a hole for how clingy he's been around Seifer since he was injured. Reaching for him, grabbing his arm when he turns away, twisting his hand into his shirt. It's like he's five years old at the orphanage again, chasing after sis. He's supposed to have grown out of it, become independent, and yet.

He stills when Seifer leans in, curls against his side like an oversized dog. This really is Seifer, right?

He's careful not to move, just reaches over with his other hand to rest it on Seifer's upper arm, like an awkward pat that he doesn't remove. Seifer's sick. It's fine if it's just a little while. The guy's been taking care of Squall the past few weeks. He's just returning the favor.

So he slowly relaxes and tries not to think about how much he enjoys the closeness.

"... was it like that when you were with her?" Not the most pleasant question but he has to know. He has vague ideas from Seifer's memory but it's not clear enough.

[firacrux]

It's been a little surprising to see Squall like this, as Seifer's still accustomed to the distant icy teenager that Squall had been at Garden. He can't blame him for wanting the comfort though, especially with a head injury like that, and even more with the memories resurfacing for him and all the bombshells he's learned in the meantime. In a way Seifer's envious that he remembers. What was the orphanage like? How were they as kids? Probably not that different from Garden. He'd be surprised to realize that he'd suddenly taken up the role Sis once played.

This is really Seifer. If Squall can be a little clingy when he feels like shit then so can Seifer. He'll never admit it out loud, but he's affectionate. Nida can confirm. Feeling some small part of acceptance from Squall's end he slumps more, curling into Squall's side around his coffee cup until he looks properly like he's wilted into it.

Sometimes it's nice to be able to let go of the tough guy act. Accept that he just feels like absolute shit and that maybe it's okay to wallow in it a little while. Even if he's not quite sure he's at the acceptance stage yet.

Slowly he shakes his head. "No. Well... at least I don't think so. I don't remember a lot very clearly from then." Maybe it did? Maybe this is just what's left over? Parts are familiar, others not so much. Honestly he just wished it would stop.

[silentnarration]

The war has thawed out some of that ice. Love, friendship, all the corny things he scoffed (and still scoffs) at become the very thing he's learned to latch on to. Even if he does find it bothersome and annoying still. Still afraid he'd lose them too.

As Seifer continues to talk, Squall shifts and slips his arm under Seifer's so he can loosely hook them together. It's fine. No one's here to look. It's just a moment while Seifer's feeling terrible.

"We'll find a way to fix it," he affirms. There has to be a way. They can travel through time to fight a sorceress, they can fix whatever magic she left in Seifer's head. He frowns. "She doesn't get to have you anymore."

[firacrux]

The war hard done more harm than good on Seifer's end, granted that's to be expected all things considered. His lot wasn't one that lent well to personal growth. Not in a positive capacity anyway. Still, it's strange, but kind of nice, to see this side of Squall. See that ice wall of his melting even just a little bit.

Maybe there's hope for them both after all.

There's no one here, it's safe and early and dark. In the sunlight they have to pretend, but for now... for now they can get away with it. They'll go back to normal later once Seifer's less miserable and dying. "Hn," He rumbles, clearly uncertain. Truth is he doesn't know how much of this is just his brain being messed up, or if it's Sorceress damage or not. He doesn't know, can't tell. All he does know is that slowly sipping peppermint tea curled up against Squall's side is helping to put things back into place. And for that he's appreciative. "If only." That last part was grumbled quietly. He's not completely convinced she's all gone. He'd like her to be, though.

[silentnarration]

Squall's frown deepens. He hugs Seifer's arm tighter.

"It's not like you to give up so easily," he grumbles. His tone is quiet but steady as he adds, "you're not alone this time."

He refuses to let Ultimecia have her claws in any more of his friends.

[firacrux]

Squall is very huggy. Seifer might complain if he weren't eating up the comfort right now. Make fun of Squall to reaffirm that they're Totally Just Rivals and he's not Weak Ass Shit.

Except he is, and that weight on his arm was doing wonders acting as an anchor keeping him grounded in reality. Not that he'll say it. He'll just lean into it and sip his tea, waiting for the fog and nausea to leave him.

He huffs. Yeah. Well. You punch a guy down enough times maybe eventually he will give up. How do you fight something inside your head anyway? "What, you sayin' you're sticking around? Don't you have better things to do?"

Than waste time on him.

[silentnarration]

He'll blame the head injury for how huggy he is right now, even though some part of him knows this is him too. A... side he's not sure he's ready to openly accept because wow that is antithetical to his image. It's fine though. No one's looking right now.

... No one's going to see him jab Seifer in the ribs with his elbow either. Or the side of it anyway. With how he's holding Seifer's arm, it's not as painful a hit as it could have been.

"Stop holding that against me," he grumbles. Honest, for once. "I'm here. Right now." He can promise that much, right?

[firacrux]

What happens when the head injury is no longer a valid excuse? For now Seifer will accept it, lets them both save face. If they were back home they'd never allow this to happen. Too much posturing to keep up with. They're supposed to be too tough for these kinds of things.

The jab earns a grunt and a sideways glare. Hey, not his ribs, he feels enough like shit right now he doesn't need your elbow in his scars thanks. "Watch the stitches." He hisses.

Although... alright. He does look away, scowling at the wall in an expression that is as much irritation as it is guilt. Of course he's jealous about it. How important Squall is. How needed. How wanted. "You won't stay." Squall can't. There are so much bigger and more important tasks for him to do he can't waste time on the trash. What's the point in trying? He'll just be disappointed and left behind again.

[silentnarration]

If they were in private back home, Squall might have. Though his options of people he likes enough to do this with are very limited.

He actually looks guilty and reluctantly settles with a huff after the hiss. He's not as reactive as the day he got bumped in the noggin. Have enough of his faculties back that he logically knows Seifer is not about to drop dead. They're both still suffering from the effects of the war, but they're alive. As long as Squall doesn't get lucky and stab him again.

"Maybe not all the time," he frowns, staring at his shoes. Not the boots he usually wears because it's too early for that. "I'd be waiting for you back home, even if I forget everything here."

[firacrux]

Seifer's pride makes this kind of vulnerability difficult. Even if he would like very much to be able to let go, even for a little while. It's hard to keep up the fight at all times. It's astonishing he's not gone to drinking.

No near death, just some stitches that are sore when elbows are dug into them. He'll be fine, as will Squall. Healing slowly is just a pain in the ass. Doesn't help that Seifer hasn't stopped working even if he should have. Because he's an idiot. Just no stabbing, thank you.

The frown deepens, echoed with an uncertain sound. "Why?" It just didn't make sense to him. "Why wait for me. I've never amounted to anything. Only ever been a pain in your ass. Why the hell would you wait?" Realistically he knows that it'd be better for him to just not be there.

[silentnarration]

Drinking is a very logical path for them. Unfortunately.

Squall looks even more perturbed. Seifer shouldn't sound like this. How did the war push them this far in opposite directions? He wants Seifer to not be miserable and he doesn't know how.

"I told you. You're family." He looks aggressively embarrassed as he says it. Besides, everyone in his life has been a pain in the ass. Seifer fits right in.

[firacrux]

Perhaps the only reason he hasn't taken the leap himself has been because he watched it happen with Nida. That doesn't take it entirely off the table.

It wasn't just the war. It had been building for years. The war finally just added on that last little bit of hammering home his failures where he's been forced to face the truth: He's useless, a failure, and worthless. That is all he'll ever amount to. It's pathetic. At no time is it more apparent than now, when he can't even manage to work a kettle on his own.

That earns a raised eyebrow. Unfortunately Seifer has very few memories to back this up. Certainly not enough to justify Squall's attachment. "Black sheep, maybe." At best.

[silentnarration]

"A bully," Squall corrects. "You were like that in the orphanage too. You picked on Zell back then."

[firacrux]

"Tch," It's true though. Always has been. "He makes it easy." That's it, that's his defense. He'd rather talk about Zell being a loser than his own problems. Perfect.

[silentnarration]

"He was always yelling and crying." Then again, so was he. He just cried a lot more. He sinks back into the cushion. "Do you remember anything from back then? We never talked about it growing up, so we figured you forgot too, like the rest of us. We only remembered because Irvine did."

[firacrux]

Always. What a funny term to use... yet it didn't ring untrue. "Didn't change much." Seifer rumbled. He still didn't really remember, but it felt familiar. Something about it incredibly familiar.

"...Crybaby Zell." Before he was Chicken-Wuss, he was crybaby. He shook his head slowly. "Not really. So you're really sayin' we grew up together?" Because it seems crazy. Too convenient, yet he'd heard it from Rinoa and Nida too. But to hear it from Squall made it so much more certain.

[silentnarration]

He nods. "That's what you called him back then." So Seifer really doesn't remember.

"I was sent there... after my mom died giving birth to me. Sis took care of me until she left one day. I remember a few moments from when I was 4. You were all there by then. You— we set off fireworks at the beach and got in trouble." Well, they did. Squall is pretty sure he only watched from the sidelines and got off scot-free.

"I was... weak. Always crying and looking for her, but I never left the orphanage until we were both sent to Garden."

Hyne, this is so surreal talking to Seifer about this.

[firacrux]

There are fragments from when he was with Ultimecia. Just enough to keep him more hooked in. Protecting Matron from the swarm of enemies. It was an effective tool. But the details are lost, and honestly the memories he might have are suspect. How much was conjured up to make him more malleable?

He nods slowly, soaking it in. So they were all there. Little Squall crying, it seemed like it fit, sorry to say Leonhart. The fireworks... that sparks something. "..." His brows furrow deeply as he concentrates. Something... "Chicken-Wuss tattled." He glanced at Squall for confirmation. Was that right, was that what happened?

More frowning, as if he could frown any deeper. "We never were adopted." Never good enough.

Why did that keep happening?

[silentnarration]

They could figure it out together. Seifer brought up matron during their G-Garden fight, but whatever he was told is probably suspect. And hey, he's not a crybaby anymore, dammit.

The question gets Squall's attention. His own eyes lighting up.

"He did." Maybe there's hope for Seifer to remember the same way they did. They lose their memories to the GF but if there's someone to remind them, or a diary...

"No one... wanted someone like us." Different as they were. He sighs. "The Dinchtes adopted Zell. Quistis didn't fit in with her foster family so she came to Garden years later. Selphie ended up in Trabia and Irvine in Galbadia." A pause. "It was just us."

[firacrux]

It's very suspect. Faint, foggy memories wrapped up in the violet haze of the Sorceress' influence. Garden beat the crybaby out of everyone. Didn't beat the chicken out of Chicken-Wuss, though.

He looked equal parts thoughtful and confused at the realization. It was like he knew but didn't. Almost as if the implication of memories came from someone else entirely, not himself. Surely these weren't his memories?

That earned a gradual nod, coupled with a dark scowl. Of course no one wanted them. Too damaged, too much effort, to be worth anyone's time. Never good enough. Strange to imagine that Golden Boy Leonhart wasn't good enough, though. "Just us," He echoed. "The whole time. Funny how that works." In a way their rivalry made even more sense. They would have been most familiar with each other.