Mission Possible
Chapter Eleven- Building The First Campfire and Laughter
"Not you." She hissed again. Seifer lay motionless as Quistis gave a small kick to the side. He gave no response.
He wasn't dead, probably just tired from lack of water. And sitting flat in the middle of the heat would without a doubt add to it. However long he'd been in his current position, she didn't care. Quistis wiped her temples that were bordered with sweat. She gripped Seifer's arms and dragged him.
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No side of the dune was shadowed much at this time of day. Seifer was pinned against the dune where he did get some darkness.
Quistis sat feet away from him cutting open a Cactaur. She wasn't in any particular hurry; Seifer could wait. As soon as she noticed the trickling water coming from her hole she carried it to Seifer. She poured a few drops on his lips and then held it back.
Seifer licked the water off and opened his eyes. "What…" He muttered squinting to the sunlight. Quistis ignored him as she cut the hole larger and threw it at him. The watered splattered all over him. Seifer coughed as he observed the water on him. He quickly turned to Quistis.
"Where the hell are we?" He snapped. Quistis turned her head fiercely,
"You're asking me?" She hissed with venom in her voice. Seifer pushed against the sand dune he was leaning on. He held the Cactaur confused.
"What did you expect? Golden goblets my liege?" Quistis continued with bitter sarcasm. Seifer held the Cactaur to avoid needles and slowly drank the water inside.
Neither said anything, simply watched the bellowing winds push sand and tumbleweeds across the intense desert.
What am I supposed to do? Quistis held a hand on her cheek as she observed the leather glove that decked both of her hands. While handling Cactaurs, it only seemed logical to keep them on. Her long boots that met passed her knees were fitting but were filled with sand. Her shoulders felt singed with sunburn and her sweater like top was slightly damp.
Tears flooded her vision as she walked. Without a doubt Seifer would be watching her mocking her, she didn't care. She paused letting the tears soak back into her eyes.
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Quistis remained in her position for what seemed like hours. In reality it had been a mere few minutes but soon she wiped what were forming tears. When she spun around to face Seifer again, she noticed… he wasn't mocking her.
His face was straight, weary, and weak.
It felt as though time had halted as they two looked eye to eye. How long it truly had been since she saw integrity in Seifer's eyes. It must've been when she was still a child if anytime. Seifer slowly advanced towards her. Quistis stood rigid only feeling his presence sweep past her.
"Where are you going?" Quistis called hoarsely. Seifer made no reply. As the two seemed off for different paths Quistis felt her stomach surge in pain with hunger. She grasped her abdomen and pinched it. Seifer took no notice as he continued off in the distance.
Quistis lunged her arm out for an empty Cactaur she used her whip's end to shear off the needles as she bit into the acrid detestable monster. Her eyelids feeling heavy lowly fell midway, as she comprehended what it was she was eating. Technically it was a plant with a brain. The Cactaur was in fact the most despicable thing her lips had ever allowed entry for.
She chewed and swallowed. As the sickening thing passed through her esophagus she could feel her body begging to retch it back out. She forced to stay as is as she felt a familiar shadow cast upon her.
"That's sick." It said in a voice full of more disgust than the Cactaur Quistis was eating. The heavy eyelids shut and held closed while Quistis restrained herself from throttling the arrogant man.
"You child," She whispered. She took another bite and forced a sly smirk. "This is rather tasty." She licked her lips making sure Seifer could see. With that she sat by her pile of Cactaurs and began peeling each one of its countless amount of needles.
Seifer looked at her resentfully, his eyes full of malice and venom. Normally a stare as hateful as this would melt Quistis on the spot but right now it only brought pleasure to her. She smiled evilly almost forgetting the garbage tasting monster leg she was nibbling upon.
Too angry to control himself Seifer spun on his heels and walked away. Quistis watched him began leaving again.
"But Seifer,"
"He's a baaaaad man. Forget about him and stay with us! You'll be happier here."
The flowers from her dream weren't here to comfort her loneliness, there was only one human in this desert other than her. Insanity would find her before death would. She broke her current Cactaur in half. "Won't you join me Seifer?" She called quietly.
Seifer stopped in his tracks. His head turned, "What?" He gasped in complete awe. Quistis shook her hand that held the Cactaur in it.
"I said, won't you join me?"
The feeling of trickery couldn't be helped. Seifer squinted, the rest of his body faced Quistis as he noticed for the first time his coat was there. She'd kept it! He dragged his feet and knelt down.
"Thanks," He said hinting he really didn't want to mean it. Quistis understood but commented nothing. She took another bite but watched carefully from the corner of her eye to see Seifer's first reaction to the Cactaur.
Seifer didn't take a bite, just stared at the thing. "This is going to make good firewood." He whistled. Quistis raised an eyebrow.
"It's not wood." She said blandly. The blonde before her didn't listen as he reached for the pile of needle full Cactaurs. "What are you doing?" She snapped slapping his hand. "There's water in these, touch them and I'll make fire out of you."
Seifer looked at her, his hardened face stared hard until a thing smile spread across his face as he laughed. Quistis' eyes grew as she watched him chuckle. Had she ever seen this genuine laughter? Sure they had been the evil snickers… but this happiness, this sincere joyful laughter?
"Fine, I'll find something else." He concluded his giggles and made way. Quistis was still in shock. She opened her mouth but words failed her entirely.
She tried again and bluntly it fell out, "You laughed…" She exhaled. Seifer slowed down,
"Oh, yeah that's not new." He said back in his bitter-like tone. Even with his nonchalant 'I-don't-care-about-you' tone Quistis was actually glad to hear the words she did.
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After peeling all the Cactaurs, Quistis had to find a place to put them. The Cactaurs would rot and go bad, the water inside needed to be extracted before then.
In a desert, there wasn't much to be done to preserve much of anything. Miserably she looked at the dead monsters that faces had been scratched off along with all the needles. The needles were in a messy pile waiting for some use.
As the time went by Quistis was unsure whether she should expect Seifer to return. He had came back, only slouching with nothing in his arms to prove he'd done anything resourceful.
Seifer halted in front of Quistis who was sitting a small pit dug from the dune. The pit only fits Quistis while she was in a sitting position but nonetheless the sand within the dune walls were far cooler than the burning sand on the surface. Quistis eyed Seifer for a moment debating whether she should speak or not.
Before she could say anything however, Seifer lifted a hand over the pile of needles that had been scraped from the Cactaurs. "Fire." He uttered. The needles burst into flames.
Quistis jumped to her feet hastily. "What on ear-"
"Cool it, do you really intend on using it ever?" Seifer snapped peevishly. Quistis scowled then turned to him,
"In fact I was planning on-" Quistis began.
"Okay forget I asked, it's burning well so drop it!" he interrupted once again. He plopped on the ground and pulled out his blade from his sheath that blended to the color on his pants, which made it almost unnoticeable it was even there.
The shining metal reflected the indescribable sunset. He stared at the Cactaur he had intended to eat earlier sitting by the pit. He reached forward as he heard his stomach growl ferociously.
Quistis returned to her position in the pit as she watched with great interest. Seifer's eye darted toward her, "What are you looking at?" He hissed.
"Oh, a thousand apologies." Quistis said slyly squinting her eyes to mock slumber.
Seifer scrunched his nose and carefully placed the plant into his mouth. His teeth broke through with an unsatisfying crunch as the numb bland taste entered his mouth. Seifer's eyes widened as the taste became that of a spice's aftertaste pinching his mouth and then leaving behind the taste of dirt. Almost choking on the stop he thrust the Cactaur away from him.
"Oh Hyne! That's disgusting!" He spat constantly spitting what had just gone through his throat. Surely even the words written couldn't have described the disgusting taste of the Cactaur.
Seifer heard laughter, and it wasn't his. He looked back at the pit where Quistis who was wide-awake was covering her mouth and bending forward slowly with her soft chuckles.
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My next update will be January 1st if a get at least three reviews! Happy holidays everyone! I hope you had a great Christmas, Hanukah, and or Kwanza!
