============================================================
Riverwood - intense, yes. thanks! Yeah, I decided to OOC them for a bit, hopefully, though I'll get them back to their canon characters in the long run. Hey, draw Fanart, I'll feature it on my site, eh?
Perfect Soldier 01 - yes, I tend to update really fast. I don't think you'll have to wait too long for more.
Platinum Angel - Seifer/Fujin is my favourite pairing in FF8 other than Irvine/Selphie. Hope you had fun in Costa Rica, I'd honour your reviews when you make them. Thanks!
============================================================
''The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the shadow of death a light has dawned' (Isaiah 9:2) and there will be sorrow no more. There is hope left, even for people like these. The Beggar and the Lover, both broken and wanting still have a string not broken, something to hold on to beyond the experiences of this bitterly broken world. Although only puppets in the grand tapestry of time, they will be everlasting testaments to the dances of time, willing all who do gaze upon them to review themselves. No one is unsalvageable, there is always a way to save every man, every woman. There has to be, otherwise there would be no hope for anyone so I will keep fighting, I will do what I can to get the Beggar to look down with his sun soaked face and carry me to him, hold me to him. Maybe we can save each other's souls.'
-Nobus Ordo Saeclorum
Running down the halls, Seifer called the order to retreat as whatever troops were left scattered around sealed themselves in defensive groups around the Centre of Galbadia Garden. Fujin followed, before darting past Seifer and down a decrepit hall, its walls bare and electrical wire bared freely spurting their dangerous contents.
"FUJIN!!" Seifer yelled, trying to grab the silver haired woman before breaking his route and following her through the insanely dangerous route. Fujin held her hand in front, weaving yet another aero spell to tunnel through the wreckage as the sound of twisting metal made Seifer jump forward as the way they had come closed up from the pressure. Seifer lunged at Fujin, grabbing her waist and flinging her into a corner, flinging his body over her, the protect spell of Edea's lingering enough before fading with the impact of another cave in. Together they coughed, hacking through the air to breathe, Seifer put his head on Fujin's forehead, before she broke free again, tearing through the wreckage like a madwoman, screaming angrily as a random piece of metal sliced her arm but she kept going, ducking finally into Seifer's room.
"Hyne!" Seifer spat, trailing her, bursting into the room in time to see Fujin pushing away some roofing and grabbing the Journal from its place on the floor. Seifer caught her, grabbing her shoulders in both hands and shaking her forcefully to face him.
"Freaking hell, what are you thinking?"
"JOURNAL"
"You risked your life for a book?"
"AFFIRMATIVE"
"You could have been killed!" Seifer shouted, shaking her shoulders again as she gasped in pain over the blood soaking her arm. Seifer coiled his fingers around the gash, shaking her body in absolute panicked rage.
"What are you insane!?"
"MEMORY!"
"To hell with memory! I don't want to bury you! You're all I got, Fu"
"RAJIN" Fujin choked back, hugging the book closer to her before the room croaked, metal imploding, crashing through the doorway, blocking them inside.
"Rajin doesn't matter! I almost lost you because of some stupid..."
"I did this for you!!" Fujin screamed, tearing herself away from his infuriated eyes, stumbling backwards into what was Seifer's bed.
"But Fujin, it's not worth risking your life for"
"ARE YOU?" Fujin reproached, Seifer cringed stepping backward,
"I can't SAVE you here!"
"LOVE!"
"I love you too much to lose you like this" Seifer said quieter, stepping closer, letting her fall into him as she flinched in pain. Not knowing what else to do, Seifer stumbled onto the floor, Fujin in his arms, before the light above his head caught his eye, flickered, as he gripped her head back, invading her mouth with his and stealing a kiss. Fujin's eye opened wide, fear sending a shiver down her back as she remembered the pain of her father and struggled away, crying out in pain as her arm spasmed and fresh blood began seeping through the cloth. Shocked, Seifer knelt forward only to have Fujin slink further into the fetal position mingling her body with the wreckage.
"Fujin?" he asked, not realising the gravity of his action. It didn't take more than a whimper from her lips for him to understand. Sneering at himself he yelled,
"Damn! I try to do something good and fail! No matter what it is, there is always something evil in me!" he barked, raising his arms in frustrated defeat. Another screech of tortured metal, and Fujin scrambled into him, slamming her body against his chest, winding him briefly, but he recovered fast and latched onto her, covering her body with his own as more debris came trickling down, cutting into Seifer's back. Through the hushed silence after the tremor, Fujin could hear Seifer mutter something into her hair.
"What do I do? Hyne! What do I do!" Fujin shifted, rising onto her knees facing the distraught man, taking Seifer's hand and placing it on top of hers on her hurt arm, taking the other and entwining her fingers in his.
"I never meant to hurt you" he whispered darkly, his voice husky with dust, pain and ebbing rage. Fujin raised his hand up to her lips, kissing it softly,
"MEDITATE"
"What good will that do?"
"WIND" she said, as Seifer trailed his forehead down to touch hers,
"This is why I love you"
============================================================
Rajin booked it past the posts of guards and soldiers who scrambled to get Galbadia Garden running at top speed before slamming into the Lieutenant. Slamming the smaller man onto the wall by his uniform collar, Rajin barked furiously at him,
"Where are they, ya know?!"
"I ... they disapeared!"
"So help me if you've!"
"Cool it, Captain! I didn't do anything! All I know is Sorceress Edea collapsed, the SeeD's have been parading in victory and Commander has been scattering through the halls screaming Retreat!! with that tasty little morsel... probably went to have a little one on one" the Lieutenant gasped in pain as Rajin slammed his body at the wall again, cutting off the air supply and pounding his fist into the man's stomach.
"WHERE?!?"
"The Dorms" Rajin dropped the Lieutenant who coughed up blood and spat at Rajin's feet.
"Can I go now? Someone's got to get Garden back up and running" the Lieutenant sneered, wiping the blood off the corner of his mouth with a raggedly uniformed arm. He didn't wait for an answer. Rajin slugged him in the stomach again before calling a medic and saying if the Lieutenant did anything funny to throw him in the Training Center.
There came a time with Rajin that if he was pushed too far, too hard he would lose the happy, clueless exterior and start slugging things. Don't figure him wrong, he was still clueless, but he just wouldn't take anyone's bull anymore. After sweeping the west wing of Galbadia Garden and ordering the retreat to the troops pummelling Balamb's SeeDs, he wanted to stand behind Seifer or someone with more authority, but Edea was out, and Seifer had dissapeared with Fujin which basically meant he was the highest ranking officer present, alive or not seriously wounded. Rajin wasn't much for leadership, he'd rather be told what to do and now that Seifer and Fujin had gone missing... he didn't want to think about the consequences. Point being: Rajin was the muscle, the hired hand, the one who did things under the table and he was good at it. Of course he was also good at keeping things light and taking whatever Fujin dished at him, but that was irrelevant at this point. He needed them, end of story. So there he was, running at hurtling speeds towards the Dorms, and Seifer's room before pulling a Fujin and blasting away the debris in his path with magic.
By the time he reached the hallway to Seifer's room, he had exausted his supply of thunder spells, and was panting raggedly before pushing a huge pile of metal and roofing with his back, legs braced into the floor. His voice gurgled a shout of pain, rage and desperation as every muscle in his body shoved the debris to the side, revealing Fujin and Seifer in a small hurricane of wind.
"Hey, ya know! Let's go!" Rajin said, stumbling forward before noticing that as the lovers disconnected, and the meditation was broken, the walls of Seifer's room imploded. Fujin was thrust in Rajin's direction and he caught her before leaning in to grab Seifer's forearm, pulling him free as he screamed with rage. Landing on Fujin protectively, Rajin noticed the blood seeping through the gashes on Seifer's greatcoat, and the way he favoured his ankle getting up and moving. Fujin stabilized him as Rajin came alongside and practically carried his buddy out of the tunnel of wreckage and into the safer pathways to the center of Galbadia Garden.
Once they got to Command Central, Seifer took command, barking orders, getting crews up and running as Galbadia Garden croaked up to life and Seifer had the earge to check the Throne Room for anything with Edea surrounding it.
--------------------------------------- one month later...
Seifer stood outside Lunatic Pandora, his new boss, Adel... or rather Ultimecia giving orders from the Throne, literally. He found her a much crueler master than Edea, and cursed himself for not running when he had the chance. What am I thinking? he thought, leaning against a pillar, hearing the unmistakable footsteps of Fujin honing in on him. I never run. he finished the thought before turning at her touch on his arm, she had been sleeping with him almost every night sex or not, but with the strain of commanding troops and serving Ultimecia, the sex became more of a release of tension than love, and Fujin knew it. But she still stayed, no matter how much it hurt. She loved him, and he knew it. Turning to look at her one good eye, his attempt at being a stoic gargoyle faded slightly as she smiled concernedly up at him.
"EAT" she said, offering him food on a plate.
"You first"
"STRENGTH" she pleaded again, raising the ration up to him.
"I'm not hungry"
"BREAKFAST"
"I SAID I'm not friggin' hungry!" he yelled, sounding harder than he meant to. Darn, now she'll be all upset again, he thought, as Fujin threw her gaze to the floor, before turning quickly, running back into their room and throwing the food on a small table. It was morning, and the Estharian landscape held the most brilliant display of crimson and vermillion dawns speckled with blues and golds along the mountains. Having little time to contemplate the landscape further, he jogged inside, hearing a faint heaving in the bathroom. Frowning slightly, he entered the small sterile space to find Fujin throwing up in the toilet. Calmly, he knelt beside her and lifted her hair out of the way, rubbing her back in slow motions as she heaved again and coughed slightly. After flushing, Seifer washed Fujin's face, forcing some water into her, watching her spit it out and look up at his secure form holding her up in fragile thanks. Gripping the side of the sinkboard, Fujin pulled herself fully up, Seifer walking her back to the table, sitting her down beside him before stroking her hair back behind her ear.
"That's the second time this week." he said, passing her a glass of milk from the tray.
"THIRD" Fujin corrected, guzzling down the milk, putting down the empty glass and wiping her mouth with the other sleeve. Seifer's frowning forehead creased more, as he saw Fujin's back shiver. Picking her minute form up and nestling her into his lap, Seifer felt her forehead, clicking his tongue slightly at the heat on her head. Fujin nestled her head further into his neck, draping one of her arms around his chest and another around his back.
"I know you havn't been sleeping well either. I don't want to have to worry about your health Fujin, I have enough on my mind" Fujin stirred, she loved his warmth, even though he had been growing distant, she relished their nights, always knowing she could gaze at his strong face sleeping beside her when she woke from another memory. They didn't often come, just since he'd been acting more indifferent towards her. She would prove her strength, she was no weakling.
"EAT" she said, taking a slice of toast from the meager meal, biting a piece before offering to to Seifer. He refused it, so she swung her leg around to straddle him,
"FEED" she continued, thrusting the bread to his lips. Seifer chuckled darkly, Fujin was no weakling.
"Alright, you'll spoon feed me if I don't eat. Only if you eat, too"
"DEAL"
The meal ended with the two lovers falling in bed, clothes strewn along the floor, Fujin in total control. Satiated, they dressed, kissing the exposed bits of flesh as they covered them, Fujin and Seifer both vying for superiority as they kissed, until the Lieutenant came into view. Ripping himself away from her, Seifer reased his eyes and barked,
"How long have you been there?"
"Orders, General Almasy. Should you choose to give them lip service" the Lieutenant huffed, holding out the document. Fujin shifted her jacket over her shirt and spat,
"INSIGNIFICANT" before slapping him and taking her place one step behind Seifer.
Reading the orders over, Seifer smiled,
"We attack Esthar today. Get the troops prepared. And, Lieutenant? come in here unnoticed, or without permission again and I will kill you."
"Yessir" the Lieutenant saluted, turning to go, smirking slightly before winking at Fujin evily and exiting the room. Fuming, Fujin ran for her pinwheel, but Seifer caught her, swung her into his embrace roughly,
"Lay off Fujin, he's mine"
"TIME?"
"After this is all over, concider it an engagement present" he spoke darkly, his eyes burning into her absolutely truthful. Taken slightly aback, Fujin nodded, reaching up and kissing Seifer passionately, wrenching him down to her height. After several moments of making-out,
"RING?" Fujin asked, holding out her palm as if expecting him to pay up.
"This'll have to do" he answered, pulling her up to his level and capturing her lips possessively, devoid of specified romance, but laced with it instead. Gasping for air, Seifer let go, and Fujin slid her feet to the ground, reaching for one last kiss before what was to be their last battle.
Riverwood - intense, yes. thanks! Yeah, I decided to OOC them for a bit, hopefully, though I'll get them back to their canon characters in the long run. Hey, draw Fanart, I'll feature it on my site, eh?
Perfect Soldier 01 - yes, I tend to update really fast. I don't think you'll have to wait too long for more.
Platinum Angel - Seifer/Fujin is my favourite pairing in FF8 other than Irvine/Selphie. Hope you had fun in Costa Rica, I'd honour your reviews when you make them. Thanks!
============================================================
''The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the shadow of death a light has dawned' (Isaiah 9:2) and there will be sorrow no more. There is hope left, even for people like these. The Beggar and the Lover, both broken and wanting still have a string not broken, something to hold on to beyond the experiences of this bitterly broken world. Although only puppets in the grand tapestry of time, they will be everlasting testaments to the dances of time, willing all who do gaze upon them to review themselves. No one is unsalvageable, there is always a way to save every man, every woman. There has to be, otherwise there would be no hope for anyone so I will keep fighting, I will do what I can to get the Beggar to look down with his sun soaked face and carry me to him, hold me to him. Maybe we can save each other's souls.'
-Nobus Ordo Saeclorum
Running down the halls, Seifer called the order to retreat as whatever troops were left scattered around sealed themselves in defensive groups around the Centre of Galbadia Garden. Fujin followed, before darting past Seifer and down a decrepit hall, its walls bare and electrical wire bared freely spurting their dangerous contents.
"FUJIN!!" Seifer yelled, trying to grab the silver haired woman before breaking his route and following her through the insanely dangerous route. Fujin held her hand in front, weaving yet another aero spell to tunnel through the wreckage as the sound of twisting metal made Seifer jump forward as the way they had come closed up from the pressure. Seifer lunged at Fujin, grabbing her waist and flinging her into a corner, flinging his body over her, the protect spell of Edea's lingering enough before fading with the impact of another cave in. Together they coughed, hacking through the air to breathe, Seifer put his head on Fujin's forehead, before she broke free again, tearing through the wreckage like a madwoman, screaming angrily as a random piece of metal sliced her arm but she kept going, ducking finally into Seifer's room.
"Hyne!" Seifer spat, trailing her, bursting into the room in time to see Fujin pushing away some roofing and grabbing the Journal from its place on the floor. Seifer caught her, grabbing her shoulders in both hands and shaking her forcefully to face him.
"Freaking hell, what are you thinking?"
"JOURNAL"
"You risked your life for a book?"
"AFFIRMATIVE"
"You could have been killed!" Seifer shouted, shaking her shoulders again as she gasped in pain over the blood soaking her arm. Seifer coiled his fingers around the gash, shaking her body in absolute panicked rage.
"What are you insane!?"
"MEMORY!"
"To hell with memory! I don't want to bury you! You're all I got, Fu"
"RAJIN" Fujin choked back, hugging the book closer to her before the room croaked, metal imploding, crashing through the doorway, blocking them inside.
"Rajin doesn't matter! I almost lost you because of some stupid..."
"I did this for you!!" Fujin screamed, tearing herself away from his infuriated eyes, stumbling backwards into what was Seifer's bed.
"But Fujin, it's not worth risking your life for"
"ARE YOU?" Fujin reproached, Seifer cringed stepping backward,
"I can't SAVE you here!"
"LOVE!"
"I love you too much to lose you like this" Seifer said quieter, stepping closer, letting her fall into him as she flinched in pain. Not knowing what else to do, Seifer stumbled onto the floor, Fujin in his arms, before the light above his head caught his eye, flickered, as he gripped her head back, invading her mouth with his and stealing a kiss. Fujin's eye opened wide, fear sending a shiver down her back as she remembered the pain of her father and struggled away, crying out in pain as her arm spasmed and fresh blood began seeping through the cloth. Shocked, Seifer knelt forward only to have Fujin slink further into the fetal position mingling her body with the wreckage.
"Fujin?" he asked, not realising the gravity of his action. It didn't take more than a whimper from her lips for him to understand. Sneering at himself he yelled,
"Damn! I try to do something good and fail! No matter what it is, there is always something evil in me!" he barked, raising his arms in frustrated defeat. Another screech of tortured metal, and Fujin scrambled into him, slamming her body against his chest, winding him briefly, but he recovered fast and latched onto her, covering her body with his own as more debris came trickling down, cutting into Seifer's back. Through the hushed silence after the tremor, Fujin could hear Seifer mutter something into her hair.
"What do I do? Hyne! What do I do!" Fujin shifted, rising onto her knees facing the distraught man, taking Seifer's hand and placing it on top of hers on her hurt arm, taking the other and entwining her fingers in his.
"I never meant to hurt you" he whispered darkly, his voice husky with dust, pain and ebbing rage. Fujin raised his hand up to her lips, kissing it softly,
"MEDITATE"
"What good will that do?"
"WIND" she said, as Seifer trailed his forehead down to touch hers,
"This is why I love you"
============================================================
Rajin booked it past the posts of guards and soldiers who scrambled to get Galbadia Garden running at top speed before slamming into the Lieutenant. Slamming the smaller man onto the wall by his uniform collar, Rajin barked furiously at him,
"Where are they, ya know?!"
"I ... they disapeared!"
"So help me if you've!"
"Cool it, Captain! I didn't do anything! All I know is Sorceress Edea collapsed, the SeeD's have been parading in victory and Commander has been scattering through the halls screaming Retreat!! with that tasty little morsel... probably went to have a little one on one" the Lieutenant gasped in pain as Rajin slammed his body at the wall again, cutting off the air supply and pounding his fist into the man's stomach.
"WHERE?!?"
"The Dorms" Rajin dropped the Lieutenant who coughed up blood and spat at Rajin's feet.
"Can I go now? Someone's got to get Garden back up and running" the Lieutenant sneered, wiping the blood off the corner of his mouth with a raggedly uniformed arm. He didn't wait for an answer. Rajin slugged him in the stomach again before calling a medic and saying if the Lieutenant did anything funny to throw him in the Training Center.
There came a time with Rajin that if he was pushed too far, too hard he would lose the happy, clueless exterior and start slugging things. Don't figure him wrong, he was still clueless, but he just wouldn't take anyone's bull anymore. After sweeping the west wing of Galbadia Garden and ordering the retreat to the troops pummelling Balamb's SeeDs, he wanted to stand behind Seifer or someone with more authority, but Edea was out, and Seifer had dissapeared with Fujin which basically meant he was the highest ranking officer present, alive or not seriously wounded. Rajin wasn't much for leadership, he'd rather be told what to do and now that Seifer and Fujin had gone missing... he didn't want to think about the consequences. Point being: Rajin was the muscle, the hired hand, the one who did things under the table and he was good at it. Of course he was also good at keeping things light and taking whatever Fujin dished at him, but that was irrelevant at this point. He needed them, end of story. So there he was, running at hurtling speeds towards the Dorms, and Seifer's room before pulling a Fujin and blasting away the debris in his path with magic.
By the time he reached the hallway to Seifer's room, he had exausted his supply of thunder spells, and was panting raggedly before pushing a huge pile of metal and roofing with his back, legs braced into the floor. His voice gurgled a shout of pain, rage and desperation as every muscle in his body shoved the debris to the side, revealing Fujin and Seifer in a small hurricane of wind.
"Hey, ya know! Let's go!" Rajin said, stumbling forward before noticing that as the lovers disconnected, and the meditation was broken, the walls of Seifer's room imploded. Fujin was thrust in Rajin's direction and he caught her before leaning in to grab Seifer's forearm, pulling him free as he screamed with rage. Landing on Fujin protectively, Rajin noticed the blood seeping through the gashes on Seifer's greatcoat, and the way he favoured his ankle getting up and moving. Fujin stabilized him as Rajin came alongside and practically carried his buddy out of the tunnel of wreckage and into the safer pathways to the center of Galbadia Garden.
Once they got to Command Central, Seifer took command, barking orders, getting crews up and running as Galbadia Garden croaked up to life and Seifer had the earge to check the Throne Room for anything with Edea surrounding it.
--------------------------------------- one month later...
Seifer stood outside Lunatic Pandora, his new boss, Adel... or rather Ultimecia giving orders from the Throne, literally. He found her a much crueler master than Edea, and cursed himself for not running when he had the chance. What am I thinking? he thought, leaning against a pillar, hearing the unmistakable footsteps of Fujin honing in on him. I never run. he finished the thought before turning at her touch on his arm, she had been sleeping with him almost every night sex or not, but with the strain of commanding troops and serving Ultimecia, the sex became more of a release of tension than love, and Fujin knew it. But she still stayed, no matter how much it hurt. She loved him, and he knew it. Turning to look at her one good eye, his attempt at being a stoic gargoyle faded slightly as she smiled concernedly up at him.
"EAT" she said, offering him food on a plate.
"You first"
"STRENGTH" she pleaded again, raising the ration up to him.
"I'm not hungry"
"BREAKFAST"
"I SAID I'm not friggin' hungry!" he yelled, sounding harder than he meant to. Darn, now she'll be all upset again, he thought, as Fujin threw her gaze to the floor, before turning quickly, running back into their room and throwing the food on a small table. It was morning, and the Estharian landscape held the most brilliant display of crimson and vermillion dawns speckled with blues and golds along the mountains. Having little time to contemplate the landscape further, he jogged inside, hearing a faint heaving in the bathroom. Frowning slightly, he entered the small sterile space to find Fujin throwing up in the toilet. Calmly, he knelt beside her and lifted her hair out of the way, rubbing her back in slow motions as she heaved again and coughed slightly. After flushing, Seifer washed Fujin's face, forcing some water into her, watching her spit it out and look up at his secure form holding her up in fragile thanks. Gripping the side of the sinkboard, Fujin pulled herself fully up, Seifer walking her back to the table, sitting her down beside him before stroking her hair back behind her ear.
"That's the second time this week." he said, passing her a glass of milk from the tray.
"THIRD" Fujin corrected, guzzling down the milk, putting down the empty glass and wiping her mouth with the other sleeve. Seifer's frowning forehead creased more, as he saw Fujin's back shiver. Picking her minute form up and nestling her into his lap, Seifer felt her forehead, clicking his tongue slightly at the heat on her head. Fujin nestled her head further into his neck, draping one of her arms around his chest and another around his back.
"I know you havn't been sleeping well either. I don't want to have to worry about your health Fujin, I have enough on my mind" Fujin stirred, she loved his warmth, even though he had been growing distant, she relished their nights, always knowing she could gaze at his strong face sleeping beside her when she woke from another memory. They didn't often come, just since he'd been acting more indifferent towards her. She would prove her strength, she was no weakling.
"EAT" she said, taking a slice of toast from the meager meal, biting a piece before offering to to Seifer. He refused it, so she swung her leg around to straddle him,
"FEED" she continued, thrusting the bread to his lips. Seifer chuckled darkly, Fujin was no weakling.
"Alright, you'll spoon feed me if I don't eat. Only if you eat, too"
"DEAL"
The meal ended with the two lovers falling in bed, clothes strewn along the floor, Fujin in total control. Satiated, they dressed, kissing the exposed bits of flesh as they covered them, Fujin and Seifer both vying for superiority as they kissed, until the Lieutenant came into view. Ripping himself away from her, Seifer reased his eyes and barked,
"How long have you been there?"
"Orders, General Almasy. Should you choose to give them lip service" the Lieutenant huffed, holding out the document. Fujin shifted her jacket over her shirt and spat,
"INSIGNIFICANT" before slapping him and taking her place one step behind Seifer.
Reading the orders over, Seifer smiled,
"We attack Esthar today. Get the troops prepared. And, Lieutenant? come in here unnoticed, or without permission again and I will kill you."
"Yessir" the Lieutenant saluted, turning to go, smirking slightly before winking at Fujin evily and exiting the room. Fuming, Fujin ran for her pinwheel, but Seifer caught her, swung her into his embrace roughly,
"Lay off Fujin, he's mine"
"TIME?"
"After this is all over, concider it an engagement present" he spoke darkly, his eyes burning into her absolutely truthful. Taken slightly aback, Fujin nodded, reaching up and kissing Seifer passionately, wrenching him down to her height. After several moments of making-out,
"RING?" Fujin asked, holding out her palm as if expecting him to pay up.
"This'll have to do" he answered, pulling her up to his level and capturing her lips possessively, devoid of specified romance, but laced with it instead. Gasping for air, Seifer let go, and Fujin slid her feet to the ground, reaching for one last kiss before what was to be their last battle.