"POSSE. ...Forever. Ya know?!"

By: Koudelka.


~Chapter one. Told by Fujin.

I stared out towards the golden sunset, and sighed. I loved to watch the golden mass of heat set... What have I become? Sighing, I leaned forward on the railing, thinking of us. The posse. The posse who was kicked out of Garden. The posse who now lived in an apartment above a bar in Deling. The apartment had no heating. The apartment had one bed... Or rather "cot." I worked at the bar below us, and Seifer... Seifer worked around the city as a guard for General Caraway's mansion. He worked from 4AM until 4PM, and Raijin... Hm, Raijin just stayed home like a house wife. Which why I was severely pissed off when he told me to come inside and eat dinner. Dinner? Dinner, my ass. "Dinner" usually consisted of a piece of steak and bread. Which was all fine and dandy... If you weren't a vegaterian. And, don't get me wrong, I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals. As I matter of fact I'm not fond of animals at all... I just hate plants. But, I kept my mouth shut, and walked inside and sat at our table, in front of a piece of steak, and bread. You'd figure Raijin would catch on. But instead, he'll just ask me if I'm going to eat it. I say "no," and he'll eat it. That's just the way things work. Seifer... Seifer remained silent most of the time. I think it has something to do with not completing his dream. Sighing, I stared ahead at the two of them as they ate, occasionally putting a peice of my peice of bread into my mouth.

"Hey, Fujin, are you gonna eat that steak, ya know?!"

"NEGATIVE."

"Can I have it?"

"AFFIRMATIVE." I handed him my plate, and he started on my peice of steak. You'd figure such a posse would live a better life than we did. But, don't get me wrong... Things aren't *that* bad. I finished my bread and stood up, walking into our bedroom. I fumbled around in my bag for the package that I spend my "extra" money on. Cigarettes. Pulling that out, and my lighter, I shoved them in my pocket, then walked back out to the "balcony." Lighting up, I sighed, and put the small burning item in between my lips. I had to leave for work soon. I worked the night shift at a bar... in Deling. God dammit, I don't think things can get worse... I take the cigarette out of my mouth, and exhale a bit...

"Fujin."

"Fuck..." I mutter, as I drop the cigarette unintentionally onto the street below. There's no way that I can afford to use another one today... until I get home, or I'll run out. Damn whoever just startled me. I turn. Seifer. Yes? What do you want?

"Thanks for the great greeting."

"APOLOGY." You should be the one who apologizes. My fucking cigarette is gone because of you. Why does everyone always have to ruin the half-hour I come out here to watch the sunset and smoke a cigarette, hmm?!

"Mhm. What are you doing out here?" He stands next to me, leaning on the railing.

"WHAT ALWAYS. DO." ...Where the hell have you been? I do this every evening.

"And that is?"

"WATCH SUNSET. SMOKE CIGARETTE. DROPPED THOUGH."

"You smoke?" ...You are fucking kidding me... I started smoking when you went off to fufill your dream... And, damn, Seifer, you smoke too... At least I pick up on things.

"YES."

"Oh. Gimme one." Sure, whatever you say, I do. Right? Handing him one, and the lighter, I sigh. Hmm, I'm definetly going places.

~~~

Its eight pm, and I yawn, climbing onto the cot next to Seifer. Raijin has to sleep on the floor. Poor old guy. But I have to sleep next to Seifer, who changes position over two-hundred times a night. Go ahead, think whatever you want about me sleeping with Seifer... But, nothing EVER happens, got that? I can't sleep, so I walk outside and smoke. I just won't sleep tonight. Like other nights. I sit on the ground, staring at the stars which are faded due to the city lights of Deling. Cigarettes. They are bad for you. You can die from them... Maybe that's why I smoke.

"Fujin, what the hell are you doing up?" Seifer. You're heading to the bathroom or something. Keep doing so. I don't feel like talking.

"NOT. SLEEP."

"Why?"

"COULD NOT."

"Oh..."

"YOU LEAVE? WORK?" I ask, knowing his answer is "soon," or something like that.

"Well, not for a long while..." He left, and I continued to glare up at the sky. I had to leave for work, so, I went into our bedroom, and made sure Raijin was asleep, then I got undressed, and pulled on my usual attire... I didn't want to go to work... Sighing, I left, and went downstairs to the bar.

"Give me the strongest ya got!" Is what I am greeted with.

"SPECIFIC ORDER NEEDED."

"Ack, fine, screwdriver." I gave it to him, and two hours away from the end of my shift, he asks for his fifteenth screwdriver.

"BILL. MUCH. RUNNING OUT. SCREWDRIVER."

"Whatever. I can make it free."

"OH? HOW?" I say, my mind elsewhere.

"You could come to my place."

"NEGATIVE. ARE DRUNK."

"But, we could have fun..." Someone get him out of here...

"LEAVE. WILL CALL. SECURITY." This bar doesn't have security, mind you.

"Oh please... You're single, right?" Am I? Yes, of course. Though I live with two men... and one is extremely atractive... (then again I don't get out much...) and strong... And the other is over-protective and scared of me... Yet, I can take care of myself.

"POSITIVE. YOU. LEAVE. OR WILL KILL."

"Oh, sure... you're just a little... touchy." He smiled in a drunken seductive manner.

"Come on. Lets go to your place."

"NO! BESIDE. LIVE WITH TWO MEN. WOULD BE UNHAPPY. SEE ME NEAR, BASTARD LIKE YOU."

"Oh, so you're a whore to the two men you live wit'?!" ...Before I knew what I was doing, I had clenched my hand into a fist, and had punched the man hard in the face. Everything went silent. And, the second I seen blood run down his face, I regretted having done it. Especially because in came the manager, and out went my job.

I walked home sadly, and sat outside, on the ground, smoking the rest of my cigarettes, until Seifer appeared. Dammit...

"You're home early..."

"..."

"Hello?! Why are you home so early?!" Go away. I continued to stare at the burning embers at the end of my cigarette. I remained silent, until his two barefeet were in front of me.

"WAS. FIRED." I say, taking the little bit of self-consolation I call a cigarette out from between my lips.

"What?!"

"WHAT SAID. YOU HEARD."

"Fujin! How!? What'd you do now!?" You say "now" as if I've done something before. Well, you know what? Fuck you, Seifer, you got us into this mess of a life. Automatically feeling ashamed for my thoughts, I stand up, putting the cigarette out by holding the end with the tips of my fingers, I toss it over the side of the railing. I don't care about burning or scarring the end of my fingertips, its not like anyone is ever gonna care. I leaned against the weak railing of the balcony, and looked at Seifer, who had his gaze fixed on me.

"DEFEND SELF." I say finally. He crosses his arms. I'm so sick of you scolding me! I'm not a child...

"Defend from what?"

"HAVE EVER BEEN... IN BAR? THAT BAR?"

"Not really. I go to the one by Caraway's mansion to get drunk..." His voice trails off, realizing what he just said. "Anyway...?"

"DRUNK MAN. CALLED WHORE. WANTED TO... GET PICTURE?"

"Yeah, so how the fuck did you get fired?"

"PUNCH. HARD. MADE BLEED. FIRED." I say.

"Fu-jin!" Stop taking these childish tantrums, Seifer. I did what I thought was best. Whether it got me fired or not.

"WILL FIND. OTHER JOB."

"Yeah, right, very few places accept an eyesore such as yourself."

"BASTARD." I say, flipping him off. Nice relationship, we have.

"Mm, thanks."

"NEXT TIME. WILL GO. WITH DRUNK MAN. IS BETTER TO BE WHORE- THAN DESPONDANT EYESORE." I manage. "Mm, thanks" that, Seifer Almasy.

"Be my guest, its just one less mouth to feed." ...Seifer, that hurts... I turn away, glaring down at the lights of Deling city. I followed you to the end of the world... for this...? I hear him walk away. If I just "fall..." I hear him leave, out the front door, and I sigh. I should go try and get another job. I leave, and head out to that bar by General Caraway's mansion. I glance over and see Seifer at the front door, talking to another solider. I sigh, and walk across the street to the bar. I got the job easier than I thought. I start work tommarow. I work the same hours as Seifer, I notice, except one hour later. Dammit, I hope he stops coming here to "get drunk." I picked up a pack of cigarettes on my way home. Just another mouth to feed... I considered leaving the posse, but that wouldn't be right. Seifer was just upset at me, he'd get over it. I hope. Hm... hope; that was a new concept.