Title: Spirit Whispers (Part 4)
Author: The Letter D (aka BlackCypress, The Bebop Cow or Eman Modnar)
Rating: G, frighteningly enough, for this chapter.
Disclaimer: FF8 and all its entrappings belong to Square-Enix. The made up stuff is all made up to fit the world. Eh, whatever. ITs a G RATED CHAPTER, so theres nothing special in it :p
Warning: Crap, I added more plot. I really need to stop doing that.
Writing time: 55 minutes. I ran out of witty banter.
-----
The soft tapping in the halls of steel toed boots, the rumpling sound of clothing. Low mumbled greetings as studdentpassed student. The firm nod of SeeD to everyone. And pats on the back to the one who'd suffered most of all. Ghostly whisps and trails spreading through the Garden's otherwise silent halls.
Soft green eyes caressed the scenery out of every window, ripe with fruits and flowers, rolling hills and the mountians of the island in the distance. It was home, the home he'd always known, the home he longed for in his greatest times of need. Seeing as he couldnt remember his parents or much of anything else thanks to the GFs used to many times.
His livelyhood had been spent in these halls. Though many had hated him for it, things had clearly changed without his presance. So much seemed to be muted in the Garden now. Not that he blamed them. Remembering all of them who had died, trying to call them home for the year.
Seifer had been a bit surprised, sitting in the netherworld plains all alone, when soft songs and words reached his ears. That first time, it was like a brillian light had just turned on, surrounding him with love and warmth. Now he knew the calls as the prayers of his friennds. Now and then, when the wall between the world of the living and the dead was stong, he'd still catch a word or a phrase or two. He was dead, but they were still talking to him. Zell and Squall.
Now he was in the garden, the Ether al barriers allowing him a single day in the year to communicate back to the ones who'd opened up to him after he was dead. Though he wasnt quite solid enough to be touched by anyone other than the other dead spirits from the war around him, he was intensly happy to be here.
He continued to wander the halls, waiting for Zell and Squall to wake. He'd feel it when they did. They had always given his little alter, his little personal prayer shrine, a hello and greeting in the morning, and usually a parting word in the night. Quiet things, every day routines that had kept them together.
He remembered, now and then, in the beginning. When Zell and Squall were first fostering their relationship. The droning voice of Squall would sometimes ripple across his skies and tell him things. Squall and he had shared a bond of understanding through rivalry and combat that few understood. True, Squall only really opened to Seifer after he died, but he had no complaints with this. It wasnt so bad when someone cared you were gone.
Of course, Zell had his moments too. He had always sounded husky and out of breath, or babbling exitedly about something. Tboards, videogames, their first kiss. He wasnt completely sure when they had combined their alter and prayer space to him, but he'd found it to be a beutiful thing. Their twin songs, words frequently lost in the plane of death, weaving together aimed just for his ears.
He smiled soft, pauising outside the Quad. A few early risers sitting under the trees with their lost spiritly friends, chatting about the events of the daybefore and around the year. The dead not speaking much of the netherworld. Each had their own personal torment to live through once they had died. Some judgement had been passed who knows how long ago that those who had killed others, either for lust of kill or colld blood of pay were to be sent into private hells.
His was a plain white, rackled desert with dark menacing clouds always hovoring. Threatening to rain and let things crow, sending cold, harsh winds into his soul now and then. He was forced to wander, forced to thirst and hunger, forced to 'live' through such a cold and lonely place. But when the prayers came, he was rewarded with food and warmth. When they werent sending him things, the chills and the lonileness werent so bad, knowing they had long lives ahead of them.
"Hey Seifer!"
He turned and blinked at a young woman running up to him. She was alive, so he wasnt particularly surprised when she skidded to a halt and nearly passed through him. "Selphie? Shouldnt you be back at Trabia?"
"Oh they can do without me for one measly little year. I'm going back next year though, and the year after that to Galbadia. Everyone wants me to do their ceremonies now. So much so they're trying to give me an offical title. Pretty funny huh?" She bounced up and down a little, having shosen to wear a long sundress for the occassionr ather than her usual covoralls. Still a bright orangy yellow, her favorite color.
"Funny? I dont know Selphie. You seemed to enjoy the job more than anyone else ever did when I was around. I'd say go for it. And take that flirtations cowboy along with you. He's bad news around here."
Selphie's eyes rounded. "How do you know about that?"
Seifer grins slightly. "I got in last night and caught the end of the Ball. Do you realize just how many times he accidentally palmed a nice girl's behind?"
Selphie slapped her hand to her forehead with a delightful smacking sound and groaned deeply.
"I swear one of these days Im going to kill him."
"Ohh, dont do that. When he dies he'll probably end up in a netherworld full of men." Seifer grinned immensly at the little partying teenybopper.
"Dont even say that!" Voiced a male strangled cry. Turning, Seifer found himself laughing as Irvine was staggering down the hall twords them, clutching his head from the sound of his own voice. Hangovers ere a bitch.
Selphie crossed her arms and smirked. "I told you to leave the Grat shots alone."
"Whu..? What are Grat shots?" The Cowboy whispered as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.
"The green things with candy tentacles sticking out of them. They were nintey five percent alchahol, dont you remember?"
"Urrrgh. I think I'm going to puke." Tirvine whimpered, underlining the need with holding a hand to his mouth and his cheeks bulging out under his bloodshot eyes.
"Not in the hall your not, Mister! Come here, right now!" Selphie grabbed Irvine by an elbow and started hustling him off to the closest bathroom. "Bye Seifer! I hope you see the boys today!"
Still grinning, Seifer continued on. Poking his head in here and there through thr doors or walls, looking at happy reunions as people had started to wake, a few of the dead waving to him then shooing him off so they could greet their still living loved ones in privacy and peace.
"Ahh, this is the life, eh?"
Looking around, Seifer didnt see anything at first, so he looked lower, and found the spirit of a younger student wandering beside him. Yeton closer inspection, the suit didnt seem to be from Balamb garden at all, or anything else he could recognize.
"Ehm, what do you mean by that, kid?"
"Whoa, hey, watch who your calling kid here, I'm older than you are, Seifer."
The spirit smiled up at him wwith remarkable gold eyes. He stopped and crouched, giving this person closer inspection. Those mysterious eyes seeming to hold some sort of styalized spiraling markings and The uniform seeming to shimmer a moment. Now it did look like Balamb's uniform. He frowned, sure it wassomething else before. And he nknew all of Balamb's students since the war. Who the hell was this?
"Im sure you're wondering whats going on. But, I dont feel lite telling you right now. Its not particularly important." The spirit patted his shoulder and wandered down the hall twords the Infirmary. "Just keep enjoying what you've got, Seifer. You never know when its all going to end!"
Condfused, the youth stood there a long moment, then shook his head. It must've been a ghost from some other past generation that had visited these halls. It wasnt completely unknown to happen. He'd seen the Guardian Forces meandering through now and then as well, usually off on some errand or another.
He started to think about it though, as he moved along, waiting for the familliar pull. He could already feel the two of them starting tow ake, their life forces delicatly tied to his so strongly now that he was out here in their world. But he did wonder. What errands the dead could possibly running.
But GFs werent precicly dead, no were they. They were more powers of the planet, moon and stars, werent they? And surely there were a few gods around, like Hyne, and who knows how many demi-gods and forces doing her bidding. His bidding. Whatever. But none of them had actually stopped to talk to him before. Still young and new to death. He hadnt really been even gone all that long from the living world.
If he still had hair on the back of his neck, it'd probably be prickling up and warning him of something or another. He just suddenly felt uneasy. Not knowing about something, especially after the child's comments to him just seemed strange. Perhaps some higher planning was going on to end their souls existance. Or, as he repirmanded himself, he was just being paranoid and should go back to the dorms as his friends were shuffling about on their daily routine.
-
"Good morning Seifer!" Zell spoke to the alter, smiling as he could already hear laughter and conversations from the halls, names of people lost already echoing through the halls and outer areas of the Garden. But no Seifer graced their room. He crouched beside the alter and stared intently at one of their few pictures of him. He was snarlign at the cameraman that day, But thats how Zell remembered him best. Angry and standing up for himself. Even if he was a pain in the ass.
Squall's hand found its place on Zell's shoulder, nestling up against his neck as he crouched beside him. He touched an onyx stone that absorbed their desires and sent them onwards to the one they directed them twords. "Good morning Seifer." Spoken in a quieter, softer tone than Zell.
Behind them, seifer slipped through the wall in all his ghostly flamboyance and smiled, seeing the two of them crouch together. It was sweet how they subconcisouly kept close, lightly rubbing or touching, even whent hey werent doing anything particularly raunchy at the time. Oh yes he was aware of that too.
"You two are so... Cute."
As one, the two young men turned and brightened on seeing the ghost sttanding in their room, moving to crouch and settle down on their bed. The delacatly calculated smile on Squall's features and the wide giddy leering smile on Zell's features. Neother of them really seemed to completely master the innosence of a smile, from being soldiers too long, Seifer supposed.
"You're here!" Zell sprang from Squall's grasp, danccind aroudn a bit, before trying to tackle the ghost on the bed, ultimatly passing through him and falling to thump against the wall. "Oof!"
Seifer gasped and straightened as Zell had passed through him. Feeling like he'd been slammed and filled up with an enors ball of energy. Similar to beng stuck dead on with a Thundaga but without the pain. More filling than harmful. "Whoa. Zell, calm down, your overflowing."
Squall chuckled, sanding slowly and moving to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling on Zell's arm and helping the kid to right himself. Neither had really bothered to put on anything more than shorts, so they were fairly bare and exposed to the ghostly form.
"I see you've still been working out." Seifer said as he eyedSquall's form, nodding approvingly. He'd have to come back from the dead and kick his ass if he went all flabby on him.
"Zell keeps me pretty occupied with that." Squall's smile widened into a slight grin.
"You better belive it!" Zell chirped happily, wrapping his arms around his lover and perching his chin on Squall's shoulder. Side by side, two pairs of eyes watched the now laughing ghost.
"You two..Hyne Above, its a wonder you two werent cralwing all over eachother sooner. Look at you now. How long didit really take you to figure out all this?" Seifer laughingly joked along with them, forgetting his worries, woes and fears, just feeling like he was part of something again.
"Oh, uh, lets see here, probably when Rinoa started feeling up Squall in the transports." Zell mused and poked Squall in the ribs. "She said she got nothing out of him until I hopped in the car, and suddenly he was all horny and stuff."
Squall blushed rather deep and sudden, swatting at Zell a bit. "It was only one time, for hynes sake." Muttered as an excuse of some sort.
"Oh dont you deny it, you know you wanted me ever since Rinoa started getting all clingy on you."
"I didnt say I denied it, did I?" Squall set about a little mind game with the youth, raising a chocolate brow at the little ball of hyperactive strength.
"Hey, dont mess with my head, meanie!" Zell pouted, then scaled his eyes acrossto Seifer, changing the subject. "Did you get the food we sent?"
Seifer just smiled, watching the two banter amongst themselves like real people instead of the constantly stressed soldiers they all had once been. War had that weird way of bringing people together, especially after it was all over. "Yeah. The fruits were really great, though I'd like to know who left me the half eaten ham sandiwch and partial Rex steak. Or was that an apology for the prunes?"
Zell's turn to blush, though it wasn nearly as heavily as his lover's in the topic before. "Uh, er, yeah, my fualt. I.. Erm.. Yeah." Zell dramatically covored his eyes with one hand and moaned a little, as he'd beenc aught in some act or another.
The rest of the day was spent laughing and conversing happily between the three. At length, the boys got their clotheson and gave seifer another tour of the place, pointing out new students and discussing work they were still doing. Mostly clearing up border skirmishes and trying to re-set the Galbadian empire as another player in the ruling countries, rather than be looked down upon as traitors. It was hard work, but they were making some headway.
Seifer passed on to them the stories he'd from other spirts in the halls, just a few, not all that much. He did not yet mention the strange spirit however, as more likely than not, it was just some freak occurance. It left his mind about as soon as he thought about it, then they went off and hit the town for a little shopping and sharing of food and its essances.
Author: The Letter D (aka BlackCypress, The Bebop Cow or Eman Modnar)
Rating: G, frighteningly enough, for this chapter.
Disclaimer: FF8 and all its entrappings belong to Square-Enix. The made up stuff is all made up to fit the world. Eh, whatever. ITs a G RATED CHAPTER, so theres nothing special in it :p
Warning: Crap, I added more plot. I really need to stop doing that.
Writing time: 55 minutes. I ran out of witty banter.
-----
The soft tapping in the halls of steel toed boots, the rumpling sound of clothing. Low mumbled greetings as studdentpassed student. The firm nod of SeeD to everyone. And pats on the back to the one who'd suffered most of all. Ghostly whisps and trails spreading through the Garden's otherwise silent halls.
Soft green eyes caressed the scenery out of every window, ripe with fruits and flowers, rolling hills and the mountians of the island in the distance. It was home, the home he'd always known, the home he longed for in his greatest times of need. Seeing as he couldnt remember his parents or much of anything else thanks to the GFs used to many times.
His livelyhood had been spent in these halls. Though many had hated him for it, things had clearly changed without his presance. So much seemed to be muted in the Garden now. Not that he blamed them. Remembering all of them who had died, trying to call them home for the year.
Seifer had been a bit surprised, sitting in the netherworld plains all alone, when soft songs and words reached his ears. That first time, it was like a brillian light had just turned on, surrounding him with love and warmth. Now he knew the calls as the prayers of his friennds. Now and then, when the wall between the world of the living and the dead was stong, he'd still catch a word or a phrase or two. He was dead, but they were still talking to him. Zell and Squall.
Now he was in the garden, the Ether al barriers allowing him a single day in the year to communicate back to the ones who'd opened up to him after he was dead. Though he wasnt quite solid enough to be touched by anyone other than the other dead spirits from the war around him, he was intensly happy to be here.
He continued to wander the halls, waiting for Zell and Squall to wake. He'd feel it when they did. They had always given his little alter, his little personal prayer shrine, a hello and greeting in the morning, and usually a parting word in the night. Quiet things, every day routines that had kept them together.
He remembered, now and then, in the beginning. When Zell and Squall were first fostering their relationship. The droning voice of Squall would sometimes ripple across his skies and tell him things. Squall and he had shared a bond of understanding through rivalry and combat that few understood. True, Squall only really opened to Seifer after he died, but he had no complaints with this. It wasnt so bad when someone cared you were gone.
Of course, Zell had his moments too. He had always sounded husky and out of breath, or babbling exitedly about something. Tboards, videogames, their first kiss. He wasnt completely sure when they had combined their alter and prayer space to him, but he'd found it to be a beutiful thing. Their twin songs, words frequently lost in the plane of death, weaving together aimed just for his ears.
He smiled soft, pauising outside the Quad. A few early risers sitting under the trees with their lost spiritly friends, chatting about the events of the daybefore and around the year. The dead not speaking much of the netherworld. Each had their own personal torment to live through once they had died. Some judgement had been passed who knows how long ago that those who had killed others, either for lust of kill or colld blood of pay were to be sent into private hells.
His was a plain white, rackled desert with dark menacing clouds always hovoring. Threatening to rain and let things crow, sending cold, harsh winds into his soul now and then. He was forced to wander, forced to thirst and hunger, forced to 'live' through such a cold and lonely place. But when the prayers came, he was rewarded with food and warmth. When they werent sending him things, the chills and the lonileness werent so bad, knowing they had long lives ahead of them.
"Hey Seifer!"
He turned and blinked at a young woman running up to him. She was alive, so he wasnt particularly surprised when she skidded to a halt and nearly passed through him. "Selphie? Shouldnt you be back at Trabia?"
"Oh they can do without me for one measly little year. I'm going back next year though, and the year after that to Galbadia. Everyone wants me to do their ceremonies now. So much so they're trying to give me an offical title. Pretty funny huh?" She bounced up and down a little, having shosen to wear a long sundress for the occassionr ather than her usual covoralls. Still a bright orangy yellow, her favorite color.
"Funny? I dont know Selphie. You seemed to enjoy the job more than anyone else ever did when I was around. I'd say go for it. And take that flirtations cowboy along with you. He's bad news around here."
Selphie's eyes rounded. "How do you know about that?"
Seifer grins slightly. "I got in last night and caught the end of the Ball. Do you realize just how many times he accidentally palmed a nice girl's behind?"
Selphie slapped her hand to her forehead with a delightful smacking sound and groaned deeply.
"I swear one of these days Im going to kill him."
"Ohh, dont do that. When he dies he'll probably end up in a netherworld full of men." Seifer grinned immensly at the little partying teenybopper.
"Dont even say that!" Voiced a male strangled cry. Turning, Seifer found himself laughing as Irvine was staggering down the hall twords them, clutching his head from the sound of his own voice. Hangovers ere a bitch.
Selphie crossed her arms and smirked. "I told you to leave the Grat shots alone."
"Whu..? What are Grat shots?" The Cowboy whispered as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.
"The green things with candy tentacles sticking out of them. They were nintey five percent alchahol, dont you remember?"
"Urrrgh. I think I'm going to puke." Tirvine whimpered, underlining the need with holding a hand to his mouth and his cheeks bulging out under his bloodshot eyes.
"Not in the hall your not, Mister! Come here, right now!" Selphie grabbed Irvine by an elbow and started hustling him off to the closest bathroom. "Bye Seifer! I hope you see the boys today!"
Still grinning, Seifer continued on. Poking his head in here and there through thr doors or walls, looking at happy reunions as people had started to wake, a few of the dead waving to him then shooing him off so they could greet their still living loved ones in privacy and peace.
"Ahh, this is the life, eh?"
Looking around, Seifer didnt see anything at first, so he looked lower, and found the spirit of a younger student wandering beside him. Yeton closer inspection, the suit didnt seem to be from Balamb garden at all, or anything else he could recognize.
"Ehm, what do you mean by that, kid?"
"Whoa, hey, watch who your calling kid here, I'm older than you are, Seifer."
The spirit smiled up at him wwith remarkable gold eyes. He stopped and crouched, giving this person closer inspection. Those mysterious eyes seeming to hold some sort of styalized spiraling markings and The uniform seeming to shimmer a moment. Now it did look like Balamb's uniform. He frowned, sure it wassomething else before. And he nknew all of Balamb's students since the war. Who the hell was this?
"Im sure you're wondering whats going on. But, I dont feel lite telling you right now. Its not particularly important." The spirit patted his shoulder and wandered down the hall twords the Infirmary. "Just keep enjoying what you've got, Seifer. You never know when its all going to end!"
Condfused, the youth stood there a long moment, then shook his head. It must've been a ghost from some other past generation that had visited these halls. It wasnt completely unknown to happen. He'd seen the Guardian Forces meandering through now and then as well, usually off on some errand or another.
He started to think about it though, as he moved along, waiting for the familliar pull. He could already feel the two of them starting tow ake, their life forces delicatly tied to his so strongly now that he was out here in their world. But he did wonder. What errands the dead could possibly running.
But GFs werent precicly dead, no were they. They were more powers of the planet, moon and stars, werent they? And surely there were a few gods around, like Hyne, and who knows how many demi-gods and forces doing her bidding. His bidding. Whatever. But none of them had actually stopped to talk to him before. Still young and new to death. He hadnt really been even gone all that long from the living world.
If he still had hair on the back of his neck, it'd probably be prickling up and warning him of something or another. He just suddenly felt uneasy. Not knowing about something, especially after the child's comments to him just seemed strange. Perhaps some higher planning was going on to end their souls existance. Or, as he repirmanded himself, he was just being paranoid and should go back to the dorms as his friends were shuffling about on their daily routine.
-
"Good morning Seifer!" Zell spoke to the alter, smiling as he could already hear laughter and conversations from the halls, names of people lost already echoing through the halls and outer areas of the Garden. But no Seifer graced their room. He crouched beside the alter and stared intently at one of their few pictures of him. He was snarlign at the cameraman that day, But thats how Zell remembered him best. Angry and standing up for himself. Even if he was a pain in the ass.
Squall's hand found its place on Zell's shoulder, nestling up against his neck as he crouched beside him. He touched an onyx stone that absorbed their desires and sent them onwards to the one they directed them twords. "Good morning Seifer." Spoken in a quieter, softer tone than Zell.
Behind them, seifer slipped through the wall in all his ghostly flamboyance and smiled, seeing the two of them crouch together. It was sweet how they subconcisouly kept close, lightly rubbing or touching, even whent hey werent doing anything particularly raunchy at the time. Oh yes he was aware of that too.
"You two are so... Cute."
As one, the two young men turned and brightened on seeing the ghost sttanding in their room, moving to crouch and settle down on their bed. The delacatly calculated smile on Squall's features and the wide giddy leering smile on Zell's features. Neother of them really seemed to completely master the innosence of a smile, from being soldiers too long, Seifer supposed.
"You're here!" Zell sprang from Squall's grasp, danccind aroudn a bit, before trying to tackle the ghost on the bed, ultimatly passing through him and falling to thump against the wall. "Oof!"
Seifer gasped and straightened as Zell had passed through him. Feeling like he'd been slammed and filled up with an enors ball of energy. Similar to beng stuck dead on with a Thundaga but without the pain. More filling than harmful. "Whoa. Zell, calm down, your overflowing."
Squall chuckled, sanding slowly and moving to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling on Zell's arm and helping the kid to right himself. Neither had really bothered to put on anything more than shorts, so they were fairly bare and exposed to the ghostly form.
"I see you've still been working out." Seifer said as he eyedSquall's form, nodding approvingly. He'd have to come back from the dead and kick his ass if he went all flabby on him.
"Zell keeps me pretty occupied with that." Squall's smile widened into a slight grin.
"You better belive it!" Zell chirped happily, wrapping his arms around his lover and perching his chin on Squall's shoulder. Side by side, two pairs of eyes watched the now laughing ghost.
"You two..Hyne Above, its a wonder you two werent cralwing all over eachother sooner. Look at you now. How long didit really take you to figure out all this?" Seifer laughingly joked along with them, forgetting his worries, woes and fears, just feeling like he was part of something again.
"Oh, uh, lets see here, probably when Rinoa started feeling up Squall in the transports." Zell mused and poked Squall in the ribs. "She said she got nothing out of him until I hopped in the car, and suddenly he was all horny and stuff."
Squall blushed rather deep and sudden, swatting at Zell a bit. "It was only one time, for hynes sake." Muttered as an excuse of some sort.
"Oh dont you deny it, you know you wanted me ever since Rinoa started getting all clingy on you."
"I didnt say I denied it, did I?" Squall set about a little mind game with the youth, raising a chocolate brow at the little ball of hyperactive strength.
"Hey, dont mess with my head, meanie!" Zell pouted, then scaled his eyes acrossto Seifer, changing the subject. "Did you get the food we sent?"
Seifer just smiled, watching the two banter amongst themselves like real people instead of the constantly stressed soldiers they all had once been. War had that weird way of bringing people together, especially after it was all over. "Yeah. The fruits were really great, though I'd like to know who left me the half eaten ham sandiwch and partial Rex steak. Or was that an apology for the prunes?"
Zell's turn to blush, though it wasn nearly as heavily as his lover's in the topic before. "Uh, er, yeah, my fualt. I.. Erm.. Yeah." Zell dramatically covored his eyes with one hand and moaned a little, as he'd beenc aught in some act or another.
The rest of the day was spent laughing and conversing happily between the three. At length, the boys got their clotheson and gave seifer another tour of the place, pointing out new students and discussing work they were still doing. Mostly clearing up border skirmishes and trying to re-set the Galbadian empire as another player in the ruling countries, rather than be looked down upon as traitors. It was hard work, but they were making some headway.
Seifer passed on to them the stories he'd from other spirts in the halls, just a few, not all that much. He did not yet mention the strange spirit however, as more likely than not, it was just some freak occurance. It left his mind about as soon as he thought about it, then they went off and hit the town for a little shopping and sharing of food and its essances.
