DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything related to FFVIII. I don't own any of Frank Sinatra's music, or Elvis's.
[INTERIOR: A dive in Fisherman's Horizon]
[PAN AROUND. The bar is filled with various seedy types, sitting at the bar, playing pool, playing cards, laughing, whispering. There is a song playing on the jukebox, one which is familiar but not memorable.]
[CLOSE UP on jukebox. A drunk couple is dancing clumsily in front of it, laughing- drinks in their hands- and nearly falling down. The woman trips, and accidentally spills her drink.]
[PAN LEFT. A man with blonde hair and a dirty gray trenchcoat stiffens at the feel of something wet on his neck. He turns around slowly, his hands on the table. It is SEIFER ALMASY. He's quite miffed!]
[CUT TO the couple. The man is standing behind the woman, his hand on her hip. The woman's expression is amusedly apologetic, and she touches Seifer's shoulder.]
WOMAN [slurry]
I'm soooo sorry, mister… Lemme get youanapkinorsomething…
[CUT TO Seifer. He stares at the woman stonily, grabbing a napkin off the table and wiping the back of his neck with it.]
SEIFER [coldly]
No thanks. [shrugs away from the woman's touch.] I'm fine.
[CUT TO drunk man. He takes a swig of his drink and tilts his head. He is a bit more sober than his companion.]
MAN
You sure, man? Let us buy you a drink or something…
SEIFER
No. It's fine.
MAN
You sure?
SEIFER [turning back around in his seat and tossing the napkin in the floor]
Yeah.
MAN
No, really… Are you-
[Seifer quickly lifts his arm without turning around. In his hand is his gunblade, Hyperion.]
SEIFER [monotone]
Leave me alone.
[Both the man and woman nod nervously, scooting away from the jukebox with their eyes on Seifer.]
[CLOSE UP of Seifer's face as he returns his gunblade to its place in the corner. He shakes his head, annoyed, and takes a swig of his beer. He has a very light shadow of beard on his jaws and chin, and his eyes are tired.]
SEIFER
But as I was saying... [clears throat] ...I'm gonna get out of this shithole. Like, this week. How do you stand it here?
[PAN OUT. There is an older guy sitting at the table across from him, sound asleep. His head is back, and he is faintly snoring.]
SEIFER cont.
The smell is foul, you eat the same fucking thing every day, there's nowhere to go but junky bars, and the women are ugly as hell.
[There is a short silence, during which Seifer rubs his chin and picks at the label on his bottle of beer.]
SEIFER cont.
You think they would have me back?
[Seifer leans back in his chair and scans the bar. He looks sad, pensive.]
SEIFER cont.
I hurt a lotta people, Toomey.
[Toomey lets out a loud snort, smacks his lips. Seifer nods.]
SEIFER cont.
Yeah. I know... But they forgave Matron, didn't they? Someone's got to give me the benefit of the doubt... Sure, they'll put me through hell, but that's my penance. I have to get back there, Tooms.
[Seifer looks off into space, taking another swig.]
SEIFER cont.
That was my life, man... Cid, Puberty Boy, Chicken Wuss, Trepe... [grins] And the rest of the little buggers from the orphanage... Hated 'em all. Loved 'em. [sighs loudly] Even Raj and Fuj went back, left me... Fuckers.
[He sits there a moment in silence, staring at his beer bottle. His grin slowly fades, and he shakes his head.]
SEIFER cont.
Ssh...
[He chuckles, and places the bottle to his lips. Closes his eyes.]
SEIFER cont.
Ssh...
[He opens his eyes and takes a drink, then turns the bottle in his hand.]
SEIFER cont.
Maybe I didn't treat you
quite as good as I should have...
Maybe I didn't love you
quite as often as I could have...
[He lets out a short, perversely amused laugh, sitting the bottle down on the table.]
SEIFER cont.
Little things I should've said and done
I just never took the tiiiiime...
[His smile disappears, and his expression becomes sincere, soulful.]
SEIFER cont.
You were always on my miiiiind...
You were always on my mind...
[He leans forward on the table, his fingers tracing circles in the condensation puddles from the bottle.]
SEIFER cont.
Maybe I didn't hold you
all those lonely, lonely times...
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine...
If I made you feel second best
I'm so sorry, I was bliiiiind...
[He closes his eyes, tilts his head upward, and begins to belt out, drawing the attention of just about everyone in the bar, except Toomey.]
SEIFER cont.
You were always on my miiiind!
You were always on my mind!
Teeeell me!
Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died!
Giiiive me!
Give me one more chance to keep you satisfiiiiied... satisfiiiied!
[He opens his mouth to continue.]
O.S. VOICE [deep and masculine]
Little things I shoulda said and done...
[Seifer's eyes snap open, and he sees a big, beefy guy with a long beard standing at the bar. The beefy guy raises his beer and nods at Seifer.]
BEEFY GUY cont.
Oh, I just never took the tiiiime...
But you was always on my mind, girl! Yeah!
You was always on my miiiiiind!
[CLOSE UP of Seifer's face. He is grinning good-naturedly.]
[ZOOM OUT. The bar patrons are laughing, clapping, and encouraging Seifer to continue as well.]
SEIFER [standing]
Watch my blade, Tooms.
[He makes his way over to the bar, receiving pats, thumbs up, and cheers on the way. Beefy Guy slaps him sternly on the back, then throws his arm across his shoulders. They both look at each other, chuckling, and nod.]
BEEFY GUY and SEIFER [in perfect harmony]
You WAS always on my... miiiiind...
[They end with a flourish, and the crowd applauds feverishly, hooting and whistling. Seifer and Beefy Guy take a few bows, and they shake hands, nodding.]
[CUT TO Toomey. He jerks awake with a loud snort, but his eyes don't open.]
TOOMEY [dropping his head forward on his chest]
Yeah, man... It's a bitch...
[INTERIOR: A dive in Fisherman's Horizon]
[PAN AROUND. The bar is filled with various seedy types, sitting at the bar, playing pool, playing cards, laughing, whispering. There is a song playing on the jukebox, one which is familiar but not memorable.]
[CLOSE UP on jukebox. A drunk couple is dancing clumsily in front of it, laughing- drinks in their hands- and nearly falling down. The woman trips, and accidentally spills her drink.]
[PAN LEFT. A man with blonde hair and a dirty gray trenchcoat stiffens at the feel of something wet on his neck. He turns around slowly, his hands on the table. It is SEIFER ALMASY. He's quite miffed!]
[CUT TO the couple. The man is standing behind the woman, his hand on her hip. The woman's expression is amusedly apologetic, and she touches Seifer's shoulder.]
WOMAN [slurry]
I'm soooo sorry, mister… Lemme get youanapkinorsomething…
[CUT TO Seifer. He stares at the woman stonily, grabbing a napkin off the table and wiping the back of his neck with it.]
SEIFER [coldly]
No thanks. [shrugs away from the woman's touch.] I'm fine.
[CUT TO drunk man. He takes a swig of his drink and tilts his head. He is a bit more sober than his companion.]
MAN
You sure, man? Let us buy you a drink or something…
SEIFER
No. It's fine.
MAN
You sure?
SEIFER [turning back around in his seat and tossing the napkin in the floor]
Yeah.
MAN
No, really… Are you-
[Seifer quickly lifts his arm without turning around. In his hand is his gunblade, Hyperion.]
SEIFER [monotone]
Leave me alone.
[Both the man and woman nod nervously, scooting away from the jukebox with their eyes on Seifer.]
[CLOSE UP of Seifer's face as he returns his gunblade to its place in the corner. He shakes his head, annoyed, and takes a swig of his beer. He has a very light shadow of beard on his jaws and chin, and his eyes are tired.]
SEIFER
But as I was saying... [clears throat] ...I'm gonna get out of this shithole. Like, this week. How do you stand it here?
[PAN OUT. There is an older guy sitting at the table across from him, sound asleep. His head is back, and he is faintly snoring.]
SEIFER cont.
The smell is foul, you eat the same fucking thing every day, there's nowhere to go but junky bars, and the women are ugly as hell.
[There is a short silence, during which Seifer rubs his chin and picks at the label on his bottle of beer.]
SEIFER cont.
You think they would have me back?
[Seifer leans back in his chair and scans the bar. He looks sad, pensive.]
SEIFER cont.
I hurt a lotta people, Toomey.
[Toomey lets out a loud snort, smacks his lips. Seifer nods.]
SEIFER cont.
Yeah. I know... But they forgave Matron, didn't they? Someone's got to give me the benefit of the doubt... Sure, they'll put me through hell, but that's my penance. I have to get back there, Tooms.
[Seifer looks off into space, taking another swig.]
SEIFER cont.
That was my life, man... Cid, Puberty Boy, Chicken Wuss, Trepe... [grins] And the rest of the little buggers from the orphanage... Hated 'em all. Loved 'em. [sighs loudly] Even Raj and Fuj went back, left me... Fuckers.
[He sits there a moment in silence, staring at his beer bottle. His grin slowly fades, and he shakes his head.]
SEIFER cont.
Ssh...
[He chuckles, and places the bottle to his lips. Closes his eyes.]
SEIFER cont.
Ssh...
[He opens his eyes and takes a drink, then turns the bottle in his hand.]
SEIFER cont.
Maybe I didn't treat you
quite as good as I should have...
Maybe I didn't love you
quite as often as I could have...
[He lets out a short, perversely amused laugh, sitting the bottle down on the table.]
SEIFER cont.
Little things I should've said and done
I just never took the tiiiiime...
[His smile disappears, and his expression becomes sincere, soulful.]
SEIFER cont.
You were always on my miiiiind...
You were always on my mind...
[He leans forward on the table, his fingers tracing circles in the condensation puddles from the bottle.]
SEIFER cont.
Maybe I didn't hold you
all those lonely, lonely times...
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine...
If I made you feel second best
I'm so sorry, I was bliiiiind...
[He closes his eyes, tilts his head upward, and begins to belt out, drawing the attention of just about everyone in the bar, except Toomey.]
SEIFER cont.
You were always on my miiiind!
You were always on my mind!
Teeeell me!
Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died!
Giiiive me!
Give me one more chance to keep you satisfiiiiied... satisfiiiied!
[He opens his mouth to continue.]
O.S. VOICE [deep and masculine]
Little things I shoulda said and done...
[Seifer's eyes snap open, and he sees a big, beefy guy with a long beard standing at the bar. The beefy guy raises his beer and nods at Seifer.]
BEEFY GUY cont.
Oh, I just never took the tiiiime...
But you was always on my mind, girl! Yeah!
You was always on my miiiiiind!
[CLOSE UP of Seifer's face. He is grinning good-naturedly.]
[ZOOM OUT. The bar patrons are laughing, clapping, and encouraging Seifer to continue as well.]
SEIFER [standing]
Watch my blade, Tooms.
[He makes his way over to the bar, receiving pats, thumbs up, and cheers on the way. Beefy Guy slaps him sternly on the back, then throws his arm across his shoulders. They both look at each other, chuckling, and nod.]
BEEFY GUY and SEIFER [in perfect harmony]
You WAS always on my... miiiiind...
[They end with a flourish, and the crowd applauds feverishly, hooting and whistling. Seifer and Beefy Guy take a few bows, and they shake hands, nodding.]
[CUT TO Toomey. He jerks awake with a loud snort, but his eyes don't open.]
TOOMEY [dropping his head forward on his chest]
Yeah, man... It's a bitch...