Disclaimer: Okay…wohoo! My 1st disclaimer! Umm don't own, so don't sue… I have to get better at this!
Authors note: I've kept some characters in…well character, but I've changed some. Im not quite sure what happened to Seifer, but I've decided he was on our heroes' side in the sorceress' war…man, even I'm getting confused. This is my 1st fic so go easy, k, guys?
Balamb's Finest
She'd had them all practising for weeks, and finally after a fair few rehearsals, Selphie Tilmitt had Balamb's finest ready for performance. She had spent the last couple of months auditioning people, rehearsing them, decorating the Quad, amongst other countless things, but finally they were ready (well almost…)
-Click- the sound of a megaphone being turned on, followed by slight feedback…
"Okay people. Here's the running order…again…and after I'm finished, im gonna tape it to this here door, k?" Various heads nodded following the petite, but hyper brunette's speech, and followed her finger as she pointed to the door nearest the dressing rooms. "Okay, good" (at least something's going to plan) –sigh-
Looking around the large spacious…space that was the Quad, Selphie's eyes spotted Zell Dincht practically inhaling a plate of his favourite food-hotdogs and eyeing the rest of them on the plate lovingly, obviously not listening to Selphie.
"Zell" no reply "Zell…-click- ZELL!" At the sound of his name being boomed round the Quad via Selphie's megaphone, Zell came out of his trance-like inhaling and began choking on the very hotdog he had been enjoying.
"Would someone help him please?" Someone shuffled over to Zell and started to pat him on the back, then slapping him, then thumping, finally opting for the Heimlich maneuver.
"Thanks bud… man that was a waste of a hotdog." Zell looked crestfallen, then remembered Selphie had called his name.
"Selph, what do ya want?"
Selphie looked at him in slight annoyance, then her expression changed to a grin
"Oh, nothing, just wanted to make sure you know you're up first, right after I've welcomed everyone and introduced you, okay? Sorry 'bout the hotdog, Zell, I'll buy ya some more at lunch, k?" Zell's eyes lit up at this, and he jumped up wrapping Selphie in a bear hug. Slowly turning blue Selphie choked out to make Zell let her go
"Zell…need…air…ack…" Hearing her choke made him come to his senses.
"Sorry Sephie, you ok?" Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his neck sub-consciously, and shifted his weight from foot to foot. Selphie looked up at him, returning to her normal healthy complexion, with a grin on her face.
"Yeh, im okay, I just need some coffee, that's all."
A random performer, who had been studying the running order that Selphie had dropped on the floor during the Zell episode, walked over to where Selphie and Zell were standing.
"Uh, Selphie?…I think you've missed someone off the list" He pushed it in front of her face so she could see it. "See? You've left the last performers off the end here."
She turned to him. "No mistake, Trayden, it's a surprise that's all!…Okay people, lets get back to work. Lets get some more streamers up…"
~~~~~~~~~
Quistis Trepe had just finished her last class of the day, which was surprising for her, as it was still before lunch. After losing her instructor's license before she had battled against Ultimecia, the Sorceress from the future, she had been upset, but looking back on it, she found she had more time to spend with her friends, and was now enjoying her newfound freedom. (Well kinda)
She was just packing up her work into her bag, when one of her follower-turned friends, an exTrepe named Taja- sidled up to her.
" You gonna be at the concert tonight Instr…Sorry…Quistis?" Quistis turned to Taja with a sad sort of look on her face when she heard the word instructor almost mentioned, then lightened up with a smile.
"I may pop in, Taja. Should be fun! Are you going?"
"Im not sure, but I might if a certain someone is going to be there…" Taja blushed, and quickly changed the subject. "Well I might see you there, enjoy the rest of your day Quistis."
"A certain someone?…hmmmm…Yeah, I'll see you later Taja, you too." Quistis waved at Taja's retreating form. She finished packing her things away, and began to walk out of the classroom to her dorm, when she heard a distinct, male voice bellowing at some young students. Walking quickly she strode over to the familiar form of the loud male.
"Seifer. Can't you leave them alone for a second? I realize you're the head of the disciplinary committee, but still, its…mean
(Uh oh, Rinoa's rubbing off on me)-cough- they're only young." She pinkened with slight embarrassment.
Seifer Almasy simply turned round to stand face to face with Quistis. "Would you rather I yell at you Quisty? Or would that be mean too?" He had an amused look on his face, along with a raised eyebrow. Standing at 5'6" compared to his 6'2", Quistis had to almost crane her neck to look him in the eyes.
"Well actually I'd rather you not do either, but that's not gonna happen is it." Quistis grinned at Seifer, whose face cracked into its own grin.
"Not likely, Blondie." Quistis, still grinning looked slightly confused at this comment.
"Blondie? You can hardly talk, straw-head." Seifer's eyebrow shot up in humor, again.
"Barbie." Now Quistis' eyebrow tried to join her hairline.
"I think you'll find that my hair is actually strawberry blond. At least it's not so blonde that it's yellow!" Seifer opened his mouth, but couldn't think of a decent comeback so he shut it again. Quistis smiled then took that opportunity to start a decent conversation with Seifer.
"You hungry?" She looked at the big clock hanging on the wall in the corridor. "Actually, scrap that, it's not even lunch. Wanna go to the Training Center with me?"
Seifer cocked his head to the side, and looked at Quistis, then at her bag, and her attire. Finally he gave an answer.
"I think you may want to change first. And put your bag in your dorm." He thought for a second.
"Actually, you can put them in mine, its closer. I'm sure I've got some of Fujin's stuff lying around you could borrow, she wouldn't mind…well?"
Quistis thought about it, and then answered. "Sure. I've got Save the Queen in my bag. And there's actually something I wanted to ask you anyways."
"'Kay…" He strode off towards his dorm, leaving Quistis a few steps behind.
~~~~~~~~~
Rinoa Heartilly found Selphie still in the Quad, surrounded by multi-colored streamers, napping. Selphie's hair had straightened out, without her being filled with caffeine. She gently shook the sleeping girl, in an attempt to wake her up. Then shook her a bit harder…and again. Rinoa stood up and scowled at the prone form on the floor. Squall Leonhart came up behind Rinoa, and put one of his arms around her waist.
"You might want to try waving this underneath her nose." In his free hand, he held a mug of very strong coffee. Rinoa took it from him, and bending down next to Selphie on the floor, she put the mug on the ground, and wafted some of the fumes towards the sleeping girl. Selphie inhaled sharply, and sat up quickly, almost knocking over poor Rinoa.
"Is that coffee? Is it mine?" Not waiting for a reply, Selphie grabbed the mug, and downed the contents in one, her hair magically flicking back out after doing so.
"Ouch. Hot." She waved her hands in front of her mouth for a few seconds.
"But thanks!" She looked around her. "Oh Hyne, I've got so much to do, I haven't finished dec…Hey! The decorating's finished…. but how?" She looked at Rinoa. "Did you do this?"
"No, but I think I know who did." Selphie looked confused.
Squall interrupted her before she could say anything.
"Zell came to us saying he felt you could do with some help, and that he felt a bit sorry for not listening earlier, so I sent him, Nida and Fujin to get some more supplies and help to finish for you." He looked around the Quad's specially built stage. Rinoa looked at Selphie.
"Well? What do you think?!" Selphie jumped up and down on the spot.
"I love it! I don't think I could have done it better myself. I think Fujin had more to do with the colors though, Zell's a bit uncoordinated when it comes to color!!" All three laughed at this.
Rinoa spoke up then.
"Actually I think it was Nida. He's got quite an eye for that sort of thing, you know, decorating, color coordination, painting, you name it!"
"Really? Hmmmm, I'll have to talk him into being on the festival committee."
Squall looked at Rinoa who smiled.
"Well, shall we go for lunch?"
"It's that time already?" Selphie looked at the clock in the Quad. "Woah. Okay, I'll meet you in the cafeteria; I need to find Zell first. See you guys in a bit."
Selphie ran off to find Zell, while Rinoa and Squall, holding hands wandered off in the direction of the cafeteria.
~~~~~~~~~
"Gross, im covered in grat guts. Yuk." Quistis attempted to wipe her hands in her borrowed clothes, but they too were covered, so she settled for Seifer's clothes instead, while Seifer was attempting to attach his Hyperion at his side.
"Hey! What are ya doin'? Ugh, that's just nasty. What did ya do that for?" Seifer had a look on his face that was what looked to be a grimace crossed with a scowl.
Quistis stood in front of Seifer, her hands on her hips, Save the Queen securely attached to her belt.
"What? Oh come on, you're just as covered as I am!"
"Exactly, I don't want more on me, thank you very much." Both burst out laughing, clutching onto each other for support. Quistis managed to get her laughter under control just before Seifer.
"Come on, let's get out of here, you need a shower, and if I look half as bad as you, so do I."
The pair of them managed their way back through the Training Center without too many fights to add to their already dirty appearance. Stopping outside Seifer's dorm, Quistis turned to Seifer.
"I'll come by later to pick up my things. I'd take them now, but I really need a shower. I'll meet you back here in about 30 minutes, k?" Seifer nodded and opened the door to his dorm with his keycard. Waving goodbye, she jogged the distance to her own dorm, where a shower and clean clothes were waiting for her.
~~~~~~~~~
Selphie caught up with Zell as he was just entering his dorm to change into his civilian clothes.
"Zell! There…you are…" Out of breath, she leant up against the doorjamb. "I just wanted to thank you for helping out with the decorating, it was sweet of you to do it." Zell blushed faintly, and scratched the nape of his neck.
"It was nothin' much. Nida did most of it, he's quite good at it." Selphie stood up in front of Zell and gave him a hug.
"Well nothin' or not, I still owe ya a hotdog or two! You hungry?" She knew it was a silly question, but she didn't care.
"When am I not?! Lead on Shorty!" Selphie winked while Zell chuckled to himself.
Upon entering the Cafeteria, Zell spotted Squall and Rinoa at a table in a corner of the room. "Hey Selph, You get the food, I'll get us a seat, k?" The bouncy brunette nodded and ran in the direction of the queue, which was steadily rising with students wanting their lunch.
"Hey guys." Zell's cheerful greeting roused Rinoa and Squall from their conversation.
"Hey Zell." replied Rinoa. "Where's Selphie?"
"Here I am! Selphie expertly placed the full tray on the table and pulled a familiar male with her to the table. Zell grabbed a couple of hotdogs off the plate, and again began with the inhaling of hotdogs.
"And look who I found, skulking around outside." Irvine Kinneas stepped forwards into the group's eyesight. Zell almost began choking…again.
"Irvine?!! Wow, you look good! How's Esther? How's Laguna?" Rinoa fired questions at Irvine like she was at a shooting range.
"Howdy, li'l lady! Squall, Zell, How y'all doin'?" Irvine had taken a position as Laguna's bodyguard in Esther, after passing his SeeD exam. He still had the long hair, tied in a ponytail, the long duster and cowboy hat, but he looked happier than he had when they had last seen him. Rinoa got up to hug him, while Zell and Squall offered their hands to be shaken, but ended up being hugged too.
"Do you want something to eat?" Selphie looked at Irvine.
"Sure, that'd be great." Irvine nodded. "I'll have anything, I'm not fussy." Pointedly looking at Zell and his hotdogs.
"K, I'll be right back." Selphie left the remainder of the group to catch-up with Irvine while she got him some food.
~~~~~~~~
Quistis swiped her keycard into the lock, and opened her dorm's door, closing it behind her as she stepped into the room. Taking of her whip and flinging it on her bed, she walked over to her stereo system. Flicking open a CD case, she inserted the CD into the stereo. The soft, breathy voice of Mandy Moore entered the room.
"I try but I can't seem to get myself to think of anything, but you,
Your breath on my face, your gentle kiss,
I taste the truth, I taste the truth,
You know what I came here for, so I won't ask for more…"Picking up the familiar song, Quistis made her way into the bathroom, where by a clever device, she was able to listen to the music, without a cumbersome CD player taking up room. Singing along, she turned on the shower and began to undress.
"So I'll hold you tonight, like I would if you were mine,To hold forever more
And I'll savor each touch that I wanted so much to feel before
How beautiful it is, just to be like this.I wanna be with you, if only for one night,
To be the one who's in your arms,
Who holds you tight,
I wanna be with you, there's nothing more to say
There's nothing I want more than to feel this way,
I wanna be with you…"
Stepping into the warm spray, she quickly washed her body and hair of the grime she had accumulated as she and Seifer had battled their way through the Training Center.
"Oh Baby,
I can't fight this feeling anymore,
It drives me crazy when I try to,
So call my name, take my hand, and make my wish,
Baby, Your command…"
Taking care to rinse all of the raspberry scented shampoo out of her hair, Quistis shut off the shower, and grabbed a big fluffy white towel to dry herself with. The CD finished and clicked onto another. Quistis smiled when she heard the beginning notes of the song. It was a CD that Selphie had left the last time she had stayed over.
"You give me that special feeling, boy,
I've been awake all night,
And there's a beat inside my heart again,
It's working overtime,
No one's moved me in this way before,
It's all so brand new,
You got me so I don't know where I am,
Or what im gonna do…"
(S Club Juniors) she thought. Hyne, those kids were so happy sounding, their vibes began rubbing off on her. Which in turn led to her dancing to S Club while she dressed, and did her hair. She decided it was too much trouble to do anything with, she left it down, she was, after all only going to Seifer's…
"Seifer…oh crap!" She looked at her alarm clock, and decided she was going to be late for once in her life.
~~~~~~~~~