Saying goodbye had never been his thing, but on this particular occasion, it had not been at all complicated. A recent spat between himself and Selphie Tilmitt made saying goodbye light years easier. It wasn't that he was mad at her, for they had indeed exchanged apologies and kisses, but he felt that he simply needed a break…A few days to rediscover the essence of Irvine Kinneas. As the train raced away from the Balamb Station, Selphie and her mission partners, Zell Dincht and Quistis Trepe, waved a hearty (or in Quistis's case, elegant) goodbye as they disappeared down the tracks towards Dollet. Turning his broad shoulders he smirked to himself, the locomotive's wind teasing his lengthy tail of auburn hair.
Balamb lay like a banquet before him. Skimming the view with expert eyes, he pinpointed the location of a restaurant and bar, knowing in his mind that it would be the perfect location to initiate his free days…a good meal, a few drinks, and perhaps some young females to flirt with. 'I need to brush up on my flirting skills, anyway,' the sniper thought to himself, 'It's been almost a year since I've had the chance to.'
But Irvine didn't quite make it to the bar before a loud crash drew his attention. Letting his gaze follow the racket, he discovered a small apartment that had been rumored to be the current residence of the former Disciplinary Committee. Merely amused, he pocketed his hands and inched closer to listen in on the feud.
It happened instantaneously, and Fujin shot from the building like a jagged bolt of lightning. It was pure chance that allowed Irvine to catch the tear shimmering on her cheek like a raindrop. At the stoop Seifer Almasy swung Hyperion over his head drunkenly, and even from his place across the street Irvine thought he could smell the wreaking stench of vodka. "Go ahead an' kill yourself, you stupid bitch," the man's voice was slurred, "Jus' don't come back!"
Now worry crept into the cowboy's hear, for he knew two things that were most certainly true. First: Fujin. Never. Cried. She just didn't. Second: the platinum haired girl had a high tendency to do exactly as the former knight commanded.
Suddenly, Irvine found himself just barely inches away from the Seifer, who growled, "Get outta here Kinneas, or I'll hafta kill you."
"You ass!" was the only words he got before a black-gloved fist connected with his chin. Irvine didn't see him fall, already jetting down the road to find the girl.