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.

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They're prototypes, not sharpened, but good enough for a practice run. He hasn't completely finished the work on honing Cloud's blade either, there's still some fine polishing and sharpening to do there as well. But with it built they might as well see if it's weighted correctly for his combat style, right? Such a large sword is so out of his realm of expertise it's going to take some time to get it right.

Astonishing the guy can even lift the damned thing. It took all of Seifer's arms to maneuver it from the heat into the specially made quenching trough, and even then he was so worried it'd break in the bath. Thankfully it held up, and now it was time to see how it performed. He kept a faint eye on what Squall was doing out of his peripheral, but much of his attention was focused on Cloud. These gunbladers took sparring seriously, Seifer in particular.

As Squall closed in on one side, Seifer closed in on the other, surprisingly light on his feet for someone so large, his combat style more a spinning dance of whirling blades than the heavier more focused punch of Squall's strikes.

Getting a sword that heavy to the head? Not the best of times. A rational person would have stopped fighting Seifer by now considering the number of times Squall has ended up laid out on the floor.

He thinks he blacked out for a bit but he's really not sure. He's just staring up at the really tall ceiling of the warehouse, trying in vain to count the individual rafters. Wait, why is he even doing that?

He frowns in confusion and looks at... Cloud. Right. That's his name. He doesn't know much about him, does he? Except... he makes a disgusted face at the memory.

"Please tell me you killed the gross fat man."

[Both Seifer and Squall had looked surprised when he'd taken the slab of steel from the workbench with a single hand, turning it in the air slowly as he'd examined it. Of course, the cursory examination of the thing Seifer had made wasn't enough to really get a feel for it- so the suggestion to take things a little more physically was a good one.

Youth's something that smiles on all of them- but Seifer and Squall especially so. Especially because they seem to shrug off the stagger from every deflection he can offer and come right back at him. That's what makes this fun. Their energy, for the moment, seems to be just as limitless as his- and while the sword he's using is unfamiliar, the only issue he's having is not wrecking the place, to be honest.

That, and forcing back the pincer-like attacks of two talented soldiers with a similar style, similar training, and enough coordination to actually be a threat without actually hurting them.

As they both near, seemingly combining their efforts, He finds a small breath of amusement leaving him. Honestly, this is probably the most fun he's had for a long time. He charges toward them- his sword raised slightly, but behind him. And as they near, the glint of their prototype blades turning blinding, he throws himself onto his knees- skidding past the both of them, turning his sword in his wrist to level the flat side at knee height.

...Think fast, SeeD and should have been SeeD.]

Edited 2019-09-02 17:34 (UTC)

[Cloud'd been surprised to learn that Squall's skull could make the kind of noise it did as the flat of his sword had made an impact with it.

It was a mistake. An accident.

He'd honestly, truly expected Squall to move- the action of whirling his sword around his body as he'd dodged Squall's slash to his back more for show, for warning than for anything else- but the velocity attached to it making it impossible to stop, even when he'd discovered that Squall hadn't moved.

And... yeah. Squall's skull really hadn't made the best of noises. It was kind of wet, the noise. Like kicking a melon, kind of. And he'd crumpled. Cloud almost swore he'd heard a quiet grunt shortly before his sword dropped to the concrete floor.

And now he was leaned over him, looking down at him with no small amount of concern, turning his head this way and that, to check for bleeding.]

...Huh?

[The mention of Don Corneo is...
...Odd. And something he doesn't quite understand, present circumstances, and all.]

[At early afternoon, Cloud had received a message. He wasn't that accustomed to getting them- at least not directly- and it'd been surprising, to say the least. But saying that, the day itself had been surprising.

From receiving a letter with some keys, and directions to walk outside the apartment block, the discovery of a very familiar Shinra-manufactured motorbike (the Malakye family? Maybe? But how?) had made today extremely surprising. And to top it all off, Seifer sent him a message, to meet him.

Weird. Especially since normally he dropped by much later on in the day.
Still, may as well take the bike.

As he travels through the city, even the changing streets isn't that much of a problem. Not when he can correct his course himself, not when he can backtrack when needed, and cut traffic in order to take time off the trip. Even stopping for food is made considerably easier without having to wait for another bus.

He gets there in good time, the heavy, deep hum of the thing's engine sounding that much louder in the abandoned district that housed the forge.

Well. It's loud. The lack of anything around them makes it that way. But what's coming from the building that housed the forge is just as loud. The doors are open, so Seifer's probably at work. So. He takes the packaged offerings- (This time something warm- since he saved so much time) lstands up the bike somewhere not-so-obvious, pockets the keys, and walks inside.

It's so loud, it's probably useless to shout. So he takes his nailbat- rapping it against a steel support post in order to get Seifer's attention.

And yes, Crocdog lumbers toward him, fins slapping against the floor of the forge, tongue lolling out.]

[How did Seifer get there so early? He probably stayed over night. Guy has a bad habit of working himself through ridiculous hours, especially once he's nearing completion of a project. And boy, was he ever. This was the biggest, and the culmination of his paying Cloud for the effort thus far.

Deeper within the warehouse he was putting on some of the finishing touches, beginning to put the edge on Cloud's blade with a battery powered grinder. It made a lot of noise, and came with a shower of bright sparks. Near the trough he'd built specifically for dousing the ridiculously large blade the floor was scorched black, apparently he'd finished that part up not terribly long ago.

He'd already affixed and wrapped the handle, now it was just putting an edge, polish and sharpening left to do. Eventually he does notice the motion of Cloud and Eos approaching.]

"Huh, you got here quick."

[He didn't have time to polish! Ah well, still worth showing the nearly finished product. ]

Yeah. I got something that's probably gonna help with getting here and back.

[His tone's pretty nonchalant, and as he approaches, he finds his gaze drawn to all of the sparks flying off the slab that Seifer's working on. It's... really coming along. It even looks usable now.

He keeps his distance as he lingers, leaning down to give Eos a quick headscritch with a spare hand. ...Which is met with Eos promptly flopping onto his back for a belly rub. Shamelessly.

He watches a few moments longer, and raises his voice over the sound of the grinder.]

Hey, cut that out for a while. I brought you food.

Oh yeah? You got some wheels?

[Very nice. Seifer's envious, the bus is a long ride. Maybe he should look into picking up some kind of small vehicle that actually runs. Could use it to haul things around. Like water, boy does he need more water down here.

It's definitely usable, just needs sharpened. And polished if he's into the shiny look. Eos is a good boy and stays well away from the sparks and flames, still close enough to get belly rubs from Cloud, though.

Again the grinder pauses and Seifer pulls back to wipe his brow. Yeah... yeah that's probably enough for now. He could use some food.]

Did you? Great, I'm starving. Have a look, what d'you think?

Yeah. Something from home. No idea why, or how. But it's good to have it.

[He'll pass on polishing. It's not exactly a decorative piece. As the grinder stops, he waits for Seifer to unburden himself before he approaches, looking at the thing lying down on the benches.

...And yeah, he's going to pass Seifer one of the sandwiches. It's a breakfast variety. Full of fried breakfast meat, and even an egg. And they're not that bad. Disgusting cold, but not so terrible warm. Oh, and there's also a bottle of water.]

... The shape's kind of different.

[Hey, he has to be honest. But then his eyes move to Seifer, and he looks at his face a while.]

I like it. Thanks- really.

[Understated? Yes. But that's just his way. There may not be very many words, but he means them. And that's a million times better than some grand gesture he doesn't really mean. ....Or at least he hopes.

He walks slowly around the table- tilting his head as he unwraps his own food. Crocdog follows. Only because scraps are far more likely from him.]

You should name it. It's your first piece, right?

Hey, this one wasn't Seifer's fault. Squall froze up at the worst time and took a blow to the head, one he was almost sure permanently rattled his brain. While Cloud took over laying him down and making sure he wasn't immediately dead Seifer had gone to fetch a first aid kit he'd fortunately brought down to the shop for just such an occasion.

Upon returning he was glad to see Squall conscious.

"You ain't supposed to block it with your head, dipshit. I thought the first scar would've taught you that," He remarked, holding the kit over Cloud's shoulder. "You know how to run one of these?" This is code for he's concerned, and might try to bring in a medic if it looks any worse.

Must be nice, lucky bastard.

[The insults are entirely out of envy. No polish? That's fine by him, gives him less work in the long run. Damned thing is taking long enough as it is.

Mm, sandwich. He doesn't even think about worrying about dirty hands, the sandwich has a wrapper he's fine. Too hungry to care, also too thirsty, save him from himself, Cloud. This guy will work himself to death if there's no one to occasionally remind him bodies need sustenance.]

You didn't exactly give me specifics.

[He reminds him, pointing in accusation with his sandwich. He worked with what he had. He's worked very hard with what he had, thank you.]

[He seems pacified by the gratitude, understated as it might be. They're both military, he understands the value of simple sincerity. Actions speaking louder than words anyway. He understands.]

Huh. [The request comes as a surprise.] I guess it is. First real piece anyway.

[He gestures vaguely at the pile of practice pieces. All kinds of knives, a few hatchets, tools are all hung up on his board where they belong. He's been busy.]

What about... Atlas?

[Yeah, he thinks that's a suitable name for something this hefty.]

Maybe it smacked all his internal monologues out of his head. There was no blood and hopefully nothing internal. He was about to answer Cloud and complain about having his head moved around when Seifer's voice filtered in.

He froze but his eyes still tracked the source of it to Seifer's face and down to... Blood.

That spike of anxiety is something he's only ever experienced because of Rinoa. The fear of losing her because of his own failures. There was a look of panic before he covered his face with his hands. It didn't stop the hitch in his breath or the high-pitched groan that escaped.

His mind was running a mile a minute. Why did he freeze? He never froze. He should have been better about maybe not stabbing Seifer. How were they supposed to spar from now on? It's not like this is the first time he's killed. Why did he stab Seifer? What if Seifer dropped dead? What if--

"I'm sorry... Don't die. I'm sorry-" His words were coming out in quick breathless strings. His usual filters momentarily out of service courtesy of the huge chunk of metal to the head.

I guess I am.

[Being called a bastard is totally fine. But the statement? He sounds distant about it. Not even half as happy as he should have been. If anything, because he's still trying to work out why the hell it suddenly appeared.

No answers are forthcoming on that, so. Moving on.

As the sandwich is waved at him, and then the tool rack (which damn, is actually looking populated now) he raises his eyebrows, vaguely impressed- as he peels some crust from his own to sneak to Eos, when Seifer's not looking. And.]

Atlas, then. You mind if I lift it?

[Of course, he wouldn't mind. The thing's being sharpened, so structurally, it should be done. He leans over the bench, taking the thing with one hand. And he lifts it, seemingly easily, his eyes move to the wrap on the handle.

...It's a nice job. It really is. Much better than anything from the slums. And the quality seems decent from what he can see, too. Only way to find out'd for sure'd be to bash something with it though.

Still. It's nice.

He holds it where it is, putting his sandwich down.]

...You need to know something. I wasn't gonna tell you, but it doesn't feel right to take this without you knowing.

Not really. He's not bleeding like you, though. Use the kit on yourself- you'll be more use patched up.

[Being so close to Squall and Seifer at once makes the part of him that gave a damn for personal space want to scream, but he'll weather it. This is important, after all, and making sure Squall doesn't have some kind of seizure and slowly becoming aware of the fact the taller of the three is bleeding overrides that.

Squall's okay. He's babbling, but he's okay. That is, until he freezes again- seemingly at the sight of the man over his shoulder. Was that... why he stopped? Cloud's eyes widen, and he swallows, tightening his hold on his head.]

Hey. Don't do that. It's fine- everyone's okay. Breathe, okay?

[He loosens his hold and shifts to the side, out of the space between Squall and Seifer. But he stays close.]

Look, see? [He turns his head to Seifer.] Tell him.

[It's a surprise move. Squall's eyes widen and he has just enough time to leap forward and over it, turning his landing into a roll before he rights himself in a crouch. He sprints forward to get at Cloud's back. Both hands clutching the prototype and swinging it in an upward backhand slash.

He doesn't remember to use the flat side despite Cloud having just done so.]

Oh, shit. Seifer froze as well once he saw that look on Squall's face again, followed by his babbling, almost frantic apologies. He pulled the kit away, nodding and looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"Woah, woah, hey! Chill out, I'm not dyin'," He murmured, giving Cloud some space. Yeah, alright, probably better he went and tended to himself for now. He shot a wary glance down at Cloud, pulling away. "Good call. I'm gonna go over there and deal with this, maybe see about calling in some backup since I don't know what to do about his skull. Keep an eye on him for me would you?"

Seifer's going to leave Cloud to it and go do his own thing. He might meander back at one point to steal a belt from Squall but that's about it. Better he stay out of line of sight right now, he thinks. Still, at the prompting he pauses, shooting a cocky grin he didn't quite have the energy for. He sure could fake it though. "Yeah, see? I'm perfectly fine. You just worry about you right now, alright?"

[Sure, Seifer had known Cloud was ridiculously strong. He still couldn't anticipate the ease with which Cloud would lift that damned hunk of metal. As if it were light as a feather after he himself struggled to move the damned thing around! Guess he won't have to worry about the weight for future designs.

The maneuver seemed strange as Cloud turned to run at them with his sword behind, and Seifer was right. Like the low sweep of a T-Rexaur's tail, aiming to take them out at the knees. Squall took the first portion of the swing, and Seifer followed suit mere moments behind, landing deftly and spinning with a surprising amount of grace for someone his size. Agility and constant motion were more his area of expertise than Squall, who was typically far more calculating.

His slash came more quickly, as he'd hit the ground and turned upon his opponent in one fluid motion, aiming a spinning slash, flat side out, as he moved.

He's been practicing being more careful with Nida. Evidently Squall forgot his memo.]

[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?

Their words pierce through the mess in his head eventually. Panic, a pounding headache, and dulled senses don't make for a very good combination. By the time he calms down enough to look around again, it's to see Seifer walking away. It sends another pang through him. Don't leave him.

But Cloud's still there so he clings to his shirt with one hand. Calm down. He just needs to calm down. It'll be fine. Things are never fine. Bad things always happen. He flinches and tightens his grip, stares at the threads in Cloud's shirt instead. Nice color, soft(?). Was the dress soft?

When Seifer comes back for the belt to reassure him again, he doesn't look over and doesn't panic this time. It sounds like Seifer's usual cockiness. He'll accept that as Seifer being okay.

"Cloud looked pretty in the dress."

Looks like the filter is still broken though.

[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.]

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Three Final Fantasy characters walk into a bar

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An aftermath

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1v1 (Seifer)

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For Cloud

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