DISCLAIMER: Squaresoft owns the characters and everything else related to Final Fantasy VIII. While I don't use the actual name in the story, the Super Bowl is a registered trademark of the National Football League.
Ok everybody, I'm REALLY sorry for taking so long to update the story. I created this story on a whim of inspiration while home for Spring Break, but it quickly disappeared once I got back to school. I've honestly had enough work to do since then to keep me from writing much of anything. But classes are over, and Finals will be done in just nine days. Expect more frequent updates.
"I need to get some air," Squall sighed irritably.
"Go on then, these papers will be here when you get back," Rinoa replied cheekily.
"Don't I know it."
She chuckled and hopped up off the couch in Squall's office. "Selphie wanted to go T-Rexaur hunting in the Training Center today, I'd better go see what she's up to."
"Be careful."
She walked over and gave him a light kiss. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." She grinned at him widely after he shook his head, before turning around and leaving the room.
Now alone, Squall decided to escape the confines of his office. He waited for the elevator to come back up after Rinoa's departure and took it down to the second floor. He walked past the classrooms, hearing one of the instructors lecturing on the history of Cactuars. It hadn't been Squall's idea to expand the curriculum.
He opened the door to the second floor balcony and was immediately greeted by a blast of cool spring air. He shut the door behind him, but only took one step before stopping in his tracks.
"...Matron?" Squall asked warily.
Edea was sprawled out on a lawn chair wearing nothing but baggy shorts and a bikini top. The back of the chair was propped up to allow her to see over the railing and a large bottle from Cid's personal wine collection sat next to a glass on a small nearby table.
She pulled her sunglasses down upon hearing Squall's voice. "Oh! Hello, Squall!"
"Matron...what are you doing out here?"
She smiled thinly. "What, I'm not allowed to sit outside in the sun?"
"Well, no...er, I mean...why?"
Edea laughed, and then hiccupped loudly. She took another long swig from her wine glass. Squall noticed that the bottle itself was already more than half empty.
"I'm actually watching the football team practice. Care to join me?" She smirked at him again.
"...Have you had too much to drink?"
"Of course not!" She followed that with another long swig, before refilling the glass.
Squall just shook his head and walked over to the railing. He leaned against it with his arms folded underneath, and watched as Quistis scurried around the field, shouting orders and blowing her whistle repeatedly.
It looked like controlled chaos. Squall shook his head disgustedly.
Edea noticed his look. "Hey, at least they're already fun to watch. The tickets will sell in no time!" She burped loudly and covered her mouth. "Oops, excuse me!"
Squall looked over at her, more than a bit shocked. "Matron?"
"Hmm?"
"Never mind."
She began laughing hysterically like it was the funniest thing in the world.
Squall thought hard, and realized that the only thing that could shut out the noise would be to call a Guardian Force. He settled on Shiva, and called the ice queen into junction.
"Shiva? I need you to plug my ears or something. Edea's drunken antics are starting to annoy me."
"What's that, Commander? *Hic* Slug your rears? I'd be happy to! *Hic*"
Squall snarled and released the junction. "The damn Guardians get drunk now too?! I think I'm in a zoo," he muttered to himself.
One of the players on the field tripped over his own feet, prompting Edea to laugh shrilly again.
Squall put his put head on his arms and closed his eyes.
"Hold it!!!!"
Quistis blew her whistle at least three times before Zell stopped running downfield with the ball. He turned quickly and high-stepped back to the offense's huddle.
"Have you gone deaf, Zell? Stop when I blow this thing alright?"
Zell mock-saluted her with a silly grin on his face. "Yes, ma'am!"
Quistis growled. This was a much harder job that she had anticipated. And it was only the first real practice.
"Just show me some respect please."
"Sorry."
"Now get back in there."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Let's run that play again!" she shouted to the offense.
Milo Sanabria, a local Balamb teen who was close to graduating from SeeD, had been designated as the starting quarterback of the team.
"Alright, guys. Wing-32, X-Dive left on two, ready, break!" Milo directed.
"Wait a second," piped up one of the linemen.
"What?" asked Milo irritably.
"What's Wing-32 again?"
"Great Hyne, Hartnell, haven't you read the playbook?!"
"Umm...no. Not the whole thing."
"Just block the guy in front of you, they don't know what they're doing either."
"...Ok."
Milo broke the huddle and the offense took their positions. Zell licked his lips eagerly. Because of his speed, Quistis had made him the running back, and he relished the fact that so many of the plays seemed to be designed for him.
"Blue 42, Red 28, hut, hut, hike!"
Milo turned and handed the ball off to Zell, who was immediately knocked to the ground by a defensive player who weighed at least three hundred pounds.
"Oooooof!" Zell felt the wind essentially crushed out of him.
"You ok?" the big man asked.
"Umm...sure," Zell wheezed.
"Somebody missed a block there!" Quistis yelled, approaching the group.
Milo glared at the lineman Hartnell. "Hartnell hasn't read the playbook," he snapped.
"What?!" Quistis fought off the urge to uncoil her whip. "Three laps around the field, and don't be lazy next time!"
Hartnell scurried away, and Quistis tiredly put a hand on her forehead.
"Ok, guys, let's break for the day." The players either nodded or cheered, while Zell was still trying to get himself to stand upright.
"And if anyone else forgets to read the playbook, you'll be hauling rocks in the Fire Cavern!" she shouted at the retreating players.
She ignored the groans of protest and turned to Zell. "You sure you're alright?"
"Now I know what a crushed hot dog feels like."
"Do I need to get Dr. Kadowaki out here?"
"I've had worse."
"Ok, get some rest then."
"Will do." Zell walked over to the bench, grabbed a cup of water, and then headed back inside Garden.
"They should make this part of the SeeD exam," Quistis muttered to herself before following him inside.
"Hurry up Rinny!" Selphie stood at the entrance to the Training Center, as usual, ready to bounce off the walls.
Rinoa laughed as she approached. Both were in their usual battle attire, and both were looking forward to an afternoon of random monster slaying.
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Selphie prodded again, bounding ahead down the hallway.
Rinoa started jogging to keep pace, but stopped to stretch a bit when they reached the forested area of the Training Center.
"I'll be right back," Selphie said, before taking off inside the facility.
Rinoa shrugged, and then laughed to herself again, when she heard Selphie's shouts from the other end of the complex. Just seconds later, half a dozen frightened cadets came running towards the entrance, as if a T-Rexaur was chasing them, as opposed to Selphie Tilmitt.
"Was that necessary?" Rinoa asked with a laugh when Selphie returned.
"Hey, I just reserved the entire Training Center for ourselves. Nobody else can kill my monsters!" Selphie replied.
"Alright, ready when you are."
"Let's paaaaaaaaaah-tay!"
The two women readied their weapons headed straight for the deepest part of the Center, where the faint rumblings of T-Rexaurs could be heard.
But three Grats flung themselves out of the foliage just as Rinoa and Selphie were passing the Secret Area.
"Get 'em!!" Selphie screamed.
She launched herself towards the nearest Grat, twirling her nunchaku like a madwoman. She junctioned Ifrit and some fire magic into her weapon in little more than an instant, and with one swing of her weapon, the Grat was writhing on the ground, covered in flames.
"Ha, was that all?" Rinoa taunted.
Rinoa's eyes flashed white, as she reached deep inside herself, calling forth her Sorceress power. She raised her left arm across and over her head, and brought it down sharply, as if swinging a sword. A line of fire streaked diagonally through the second Grat, which splattered to the ground instantly.
"That's nothing!" Selphie called back.
She shut her eyes and charged forward blindly toward the last remaining Grat. The creature shot its Gastric Juice at her, but she instinctively rolled right under it and brought her nunchaku up in an arc, slicing right through the Grat with the enhanced fire magic.
However, Selphie was too close when she hit it, and the Grat's innards poured out all over her, drenching her no-longer-yellow outfit.
"Ewwwww! Yuck! I think I'm gonna be sick!" Selphie spat.
Rinoa released her power and fell to the ground laughing. "You look great, Selph! Green really suits you!"
Selphie stuck her tongue out, but more Gastric Juice dripped off of her hair and into her mouth. She immediately spat it out and tried to shake herself dry.
"Is that a new dance?" Rinoa giggled, as she watched Selphie twist and shake herself around.
Selphie reached down, picked up a puddle of Grat innards, and hurled it in Rinoa's direction. It hit the young Sorceress square on the left shoulder.
"Hey!"
Now it was Selphie's turn to laugh hysterically. But Rinoa had another trick up her sleeve.
"Water!" Rinoa yelled. She didn't put a lot of power behind the spell, but it still knocked Selphie back on her rear end. Selphie coughed up water for a few seconds, and pried her sopping wet hair off of her face. The remains of the Grat were completely washed away.
"You could at least give me some warning when you're about to do that!"
A loud roar silenced both of them.
"Alright, finally, what we came for!" Selphie shouted.
She charged straight for the big dinosaur, leaving a long water trail behind her. "Hey, leave some for me!" Rinoa shouted after her.
Selphie stopped, stuck her tongue out at the dinosaur, and quickly hurled a Firaga spell right at the creature's belly. The monster roared and took a thunderous step forward, attempting to crush its diminutive adversary.
Selphie back-flipped away from the massive foot, which was immediately burnt terribly by one of Rinoa's Flare spells.
Enraged, the big dinosaur swung its tail around, nearly sideswiping both women off their feet.
Selphie got up and quickly rummaged around in her head for more spells. "Yes! TORNADO!" she shouted.
The monster was blown towards the far wall, where Rinoa had positioned herself. She spun on her heel, and with her back turned, launched another Flare spell in the dinosaur's direction.
"Behind-the-back spells now, huh? You're such a show-off!" Selphie cried.
Rinoa cartwheeled away from another tail-lashing, junctioned a Firaga spell to her Shooting Star, aimed quickly, and fired the projectile at the monster's head.
It struck the T-Rexaur right between the eyes, and the massive beast was knocked down for the count with the added magical kick.
Rinoa wiped her hands in the clean-up gesture and walked back towards her friend.
"Not fair! I wanted the killing shot!" Selphie fumed, still dripping wet.
"Sorry Selph, you looked a bit...weighed down," Rinoa smirked.
"Very funny, but sorry Rinny, I wasn't gonna get naked for you."
Rinoa mock-pouted, and both girls burst out laughing.
"Well, looks like you need to dry out and I need to clean up," Rinoa said, referring to the Grat stain on her shoulder.
"Aww, we're done already?!"
"I'm sorry, but I have to catch a train tomorrow. I'm heading to Timber to check out my new football team."
"Fine, be that way." Selphie stuck her tongue out again.
Rinoa smiled wickedly, and called a very weak Thunder spell into her right hand.
"Rinny..."
She casually placed her hand on Selphie's shoulder...and in Selphie's currently wet state, it gave her quite a jolt.
Selphie shrieked, and Rinoa took off running, laughing her way out of the Training Center.
"Get back here, Rinoa! Come and get what's coming to you!" Selphie shouted as she ran out after her.
Irvine sat sprawled on a couch inside an office in the newly-built complex for the Galbadia Wendigos' football team. Over a hundred people had shown up that morning just to watch the team's first practice. Most of them being young women of course.
Irvine opened his eyes when he heard the door open, and they widened involuntarily when two attractive young ladies, both no older than college age, walked into the room.
"Irvine Kinneas?" one of the women asked.
He smiled his trademark smile. "That would be me."
She regarded him coolly. "I'm Niki Westlund, and she's Chandra Epsteyn, we're both from the Deling City Times."
Chandra pushed her glasses up and gave Irvine a small smile, trying to flush the heat out of her cheeks.
Irvine slowly lifted himself off the couch and kissed both of them on the left hand. "How may I be of service?"
"We'd just like to talk to you for a bit," Niki replied, stopping just short of glaring at him frostily. She obviously knew of his reputation.
"Gladly. Stay as long as you like."
He sat back down on the couch and the two girls took seats on either side. He puts his arms around them both, and while Niki shrugged him off, Chandra did not, and Irvine pulled her closer to him, smiling at her warmly.
Niki cleared her throat. "Mr. Kinneas..."
"Please, call me Irvine."
"Right, Irvine, tell us a bit about your first impressions of the team."
"I think we're off to a good start. There's a lot of kids from Galbadia Garden on the team. We've got some tough guys out there...including myself, of course."
Chandra giggled, but Niki ignored him and continued on. "What about yourself, Irvine, why did you choose to play, and why for the Wendigos?"
"Well that's easy. There are lots of perks to saving the world and all, but women drool over athletes. That was my main motivation. I picked the Wendigos because Deling City is so much bigger than Balamb. There are lots more women here."
"So you're just in it to increase your own fame and popularity?" Niki snapped.
Irvine laughed. "I was just joking...sort of. I like the game. Getting out there in practice and playing Quarterback was the most fun I've had in a long time. And I'm getting paid a Sorceress' ransom to do it."
Chandra burst out laughing while Niki shook her head and wrote down what Irvine had just said.
"And what about you, young lady, anything you'd like to know about the mysterious Irvine Kinneas?" He looked down at Chandra and winked at her. "I'm free for dinner tonight."
She blushed crimson and looked away. Niki coughed loudly.
"Irvine, if the Wendigos win the Eden Bowl, what are you going to do to celebrate?"
He smiled broadly. "That's obvious. Throw a huge party, invite lots of pretty women, and drink beer all night."
Niki scribbled that down on her pad again and abruptly stood up. "Come on Chandra, we've got enough, time to go."
Chandra shrugged herself free from under Irvine's arm and smiled at him as she got up. "That dinner date is still open," Irvine said cheekily.
"Come on," Niki grated, grabbing Chandra's arm and pulling her partner out the door.
Irvine grinned to himself, laid himself down again, pulled his hat over his eyes, and fell asleep.
The next afternoon, Rinoa found herself walking the streets of Timber with her trusted companion Angelo. They had attended the first practice of the new Timber Forest Owls team, and Angelo had already taken a liking to retrieving the kicking tees from the middle of the field.
She had been shown around the construction site for the new stadium by team representatives, and heard a report from an old man named Seymour Grady, one of her father's old friends, whom she had given the job of managing the team's finances. All in all, she had little to complain about, and she had even enjoyed watching the team practice for the first time.
She was heading back to her hotel room to pick up some papers that she had forgotten to bring with her that morning, but stopped short when Angelo started barking at the top of his lungs.
"What it is, boy?" she asked, petting him on the head.
But Angelo did not stop barking, and his lips threatened to curl into a snarl. He was looking straight at an alleyway between the Timber Maniacs building and the next-door residence.
She cautiously made her way across the street, with Angelo following slowly at her side. She peered inside the shadows and gasped.
"Well, well, well. Fancy running into you here," a familiar voice said softly.
Rinoa involuntarily took two steps back, and Angelo snarled louder.
The unmistakable form of Seifer Almasy stepped out into the afternoon light.
"Seifer? What...what are you doing here?"
Ultimecia's former knight shrugged. "Doing all sorts of odd jobs. Traveling from one place to the next. Basically doing whatever I can to stay out of trouble."
"Easy boy, easy," she whispered to her dog, and Angelo calmed down a bit. Even though this man had turned her over to the Sorceress Adel, she couldn't help but feel a wave a pity for him. His face looked scarred and unclean, and there were rips in trademark gray jacket.
"Are you...alright?" she asked.
"I'm getting by, thank you," he replied, without any edge at all in his voice.
"What are you doing now?"
"Well, I just got fired as a bouncer down at the Pub, mostly because I drank too much while I was on duty. I think I have enough money left to scrounge for a train ticket to get to either Dollet or Deling."
"Oh..."
"It's alright. Forget you ever saw me, I don't want any pity," he said evenly, before walking past her down the street.
"Seifer...wait!" she called.
He stopped and slowly turned around.
"I can...I can help you."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that so?"
"Yeah. Have you heard? I own the Timber football team."
"I know. But what does that have to do with me?"
"I can give you a job," she replied softly.
He looked at her incredulously. "After all I did to you, you'd give me a job on your team?"
She bit her lip and pondered this for a moment. She knew what Squall would say when he found out, but for some reason, she couldn't just leave him there.
"I can...and I will."
"I'm shocked."
"Just show up to practice tomorrow before I change my mind."
He grinned widely. "Yes ma'am." He turned and walked off down the street.
What am I doing? Did I really just put Seifer on my team?
Angelo looked up at her expectantly. All his earlier anger had left when Seifer did.
"Come on Angelo, let's go. I'll get you some treats back at the hotel."
The dog barked happily and nuzzled her leg before following her up the opposite end of the street.
I will probably only write one or two more intro chapters before the "season" starts. I've already created a schedule (Yeah, I got that bored this afternoon), and the road to the Eden Bowl will get started shortly. There will definitely be updates sooner than last time.