Finally another chapter. I had a difficult time starting this one. For some reason I've always imagined them interacting this way. Suggestions, criticisms, comments; bring 'em on. Salvete.
He slept in considerably the next day, having little else to do. After waking and having an uneventful breakfast, he trained for some time, appreciating the new tiered system of monsters. There was finally a reason for higher-level students to go there to find some real action with the more powerful creatures added. A reason other than whatever 'action' the so-called 'secret area' might afford on a given night, that is. With his training completed for the time being, Seifer returned to his dorm to make himself more presentable before lunch.
By now all of the students were aware of his appointment as chief of security and discipline. Needless to say, the majority were none to pleased to receive such sobering news. Many a cadet still remembered his previous tenure when he had held the entire Garden in a rigid mold of regulation. Unfortunately, younger folk consider such structure and severity as a chokehold on their very lives. It was to a certain extent. A chokehold that allowed them the ability to breathe when endangered. It was an asphyxiation to improve them for what they were to become, to keep them sharp and prepared. He never meant for the sole purpose of a cadet's life to uphold Garden policy, rather he wanted no one to ever break a policy in their life.
And Seifer Almasy had never broken a Garden rule, despite prevalent rumor to the contrary. Not once.
Oh, by 'not once' it is meant that such things did occur a certain amount. More than he'd be willing to admit. Regardless, with the amount of control he held over the principles, he could honestly say that 'technically' no infraction ever took place. To hear of it would be a rather long, complicated, and sordid story, so forget about it for the time being.
Anyway, as he was walking back to his dormitory he noticed a scuffle taking place outside of the parking lot. I hope these aren't more Trepies. Then again, if they kill each other there would be fewer around. He approached almost close enough to tough the two sparing boys.
"Right! What's all this then?" Seifer yelled loud enough to startle them out of their fight and they both started to face him. He folded his arms across his chest, declined and shook his head, and plastered a face of mild disappointment. Oh, he was very good at that! Making even many amoralists feel ashamed for their actions. Immediately the two started to point fingers at each other and blathered incoherently. Seifer held up his had to stop them and pointed to one.
"Spill it."
The young man replied "Well, Udwin and I were just having a frank exchange of ideas."
"Really?" He lifted an eyebrow. "Concerning what?"
The other spoke up now; "He was trying to get my girlfriend to cheat on me with him!"
"Cheat?! She left you for the curb a week ago."
"You bastard!" They started to get into it again.
"SHUT UP!" Seifer made them stop again and physically ripped them away from each other, looking sternly to each of them. Then he smiled unexpectedly. "I have an idea. Maybe my friend can give his opinion on the matter." He shouldered Hyperion and tilted his head toward it. "My friend here is an eloquent speaker. Bound to make some profound statements if you ask for them. But if I were you I'd drop the topic permanently before either of us starts to get philosophical." They stood silent. "Detention duty for both of you. One week. Whoever started the argument or fight; speak up and get your additional punishment, otherwise I'll make even worse for both of you. Now get the hell out of here."
Udwin stepped forward to indicate his guilt and they were both sent to the doctor. Now Seifer could finally shower and ready himself for his day with his instructor. He was just now getting used to wearing his former outfit, not that anyone else was or would be, but that was how he wanted it. That would be what he would wear today: a little fearful reminder from days past.
Quistis' suite was a fair distance from his own dorm room and he managed to garner a few double takes due to the familiar and infamous trench coat. His steel plated boots clicked heavily on the tile floors, scattering miscreant students like the vermin that they were, sending them quickly to a place they could be more productive and safe. The crowds of cadets thinned to nothingness as he reached the upper-level SeeD corridor. Well, there was one last student.
He was utterly absorbed with an object he held against a door. It was long and thin and apparently flexible. Upon further review Seifer concluded that the object was a fiber-optic door camera and that the door was Quistis'. Continuing to walk toward the fellow, he was noticed and the student fumbled to put the camera behind his back and look up, masking a nervous expression.
"So what are you doing over here? You don't look like a higher level SeeD." Seifer asked. The slightly younger man shifted agitatedly. He changed the topic. "Interesting device you have there. Anal probe?"
The youth visibly paled. "No-o sir… I was just sent to check on this door's locking mechanism. By the janitorial staff." He thought he was pulling off a fantastic save and looked a bit happier for it. Holding out the object in front of him now, "And this is just a camera to see where the problem is."
"Well, I'm quite certain that if you're lying to me that it shall be used in that manner which I suggested shortly."
Seifer pulled out his communicator. All security and some other higher-level personnel had one. "Poppa Bear?" After a short time Raijin's voice filtered through.
"What's up Rubber Ducky?" The student fought incredibly hard to stop from snickering, and thusly save himself from harm.
"Any janitorial scheduling made for suite SD417 in the past week?" He looked down at the student who had started to pale again.
A few seconds later, "Nope."
"I didn't think so. I have a voyeur here for you to pick up. Be sure to give him the VIP treatment while I'm gone. And record it." Seifer could see the cadet starting to make small falls of sweat down his brow and he smirked.
"Be there in two Rubber Ducky." After a short silence, "Who's it? Kinneas? Another Trepie?"
"Just another Trepie."
Seifer waited for Raijin to collect the offered before he politely knocked on his instructor's door. "I'm coming." She said. He quickly genuflected and bowed his head as she opened the door, sweeping his right arm out majestically.
"Would it please your grace to come with me and commit the oldest sins?" Her look was, without a doubt, priceless. He wished he had a camera at the time. "I mean: Would it please your grace to join me for lunch this fine day?"
"Is there any difference? I mean dining with the enemy has to be a pretty old sin, right?" They started to walk down the hallways.
"Har, har, Trepe." He looked at her once again wearing that peach, orange, and strawberry colored get-up. Very fruity. Much like her personality, sometimes. He thought. "You don't still think of me as the enemy do you?" Seifer asked with all seriousness.
"Well, no, I suppose I don't. Beyond that though, I have no idea what to think of you."
He nodded contemplatively and then smiled. "Well, I do hate being predictable. But I'll try to help you form some better and more concrete opinions of me today." She looked to him circumspectly and nodded as well. Quistis than started to walk toward the cafeteria after leaving the dormitory section, but Seifer stopped her.
"Where are you going?"
"To eat. Where else?"
"Not here, you're not. We're not eating this shit on a day off. No way." She smiled a little. He certainly didn't have anything to worry about in terms of being labeled predictable by her, and probably by anyone else. Opening the door of one of Garden's cars for her, he entered after and took them into Balamb Town.
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"So, what's the real reason you asked me to come out here with you?" Quistis asked him while they walked along the streets of Balamb, taking in the salty sea breeze of spring. He shot an annoyed look to her, as if he hated the inferences that he was being purposefully misleading in intension. And he did.
"I told you already instructor," he always reverted to using her title when he was less than pleased with her, or in the mood to joke, "I want to get reacquainted. To talk about some of your students and to show you the grandiosity of my Weltanschauung."
"I'm sure it isn't that big." She was attempting to send a witty and blistering euphemism his way for once. It had happened to her many times that could be recalled.
"What?" He was genuinely puzzled. "What the hell are you talking about instructor?" She blushed the slightest bit. After a few seconds, realization came upon him like Zell to a barbeque. "Oh... Ooohhhhh…" Then he burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. Rich, belly-seated chortling continued from his person for some time. He would look up to her from time to time and renew it with vigor. Eventually it became so bad that he literally fell, clutching his stomach with one hand and her shoulder with the other.
She shrugged him off and he finally ended his scene of unbridled mirth by wiping joyous tears from his eyes. "Thanks Trepe. I needed that." She just folded her arms and looked off to the side. "Can't say I ever would have figured you for the prurient type."
He started to shake again but successfully stopped other signs of his amusement. "Are you quite done?" She inquired with obvious annoyance. Already Quistis was walking ahead toward a small café.
"Quite." He came into step behind her, shaking his head. She turned to glare at him.
"What?" Seifer held up his hands. "All I did was make one little gagging noise. Besides, weren't you the one always bitching at me to build my vocabulary anyway? 'Weltanschauung' means 'a person's philosophical world view' so to speak."
"Well it's nice to know that you've finally started to listen to that advice."
"Finally? I've always been a pedant for building vocabulary."
"Building a reserve of curses and insults doesn't count!"
He scoffed at such a notion. "Scoff, scoff." Then continued, "Maybe not by your reckoning. Start with what you know they say." She rolled her eyes as they entered the restaurant.
"Wait, did you just say 'scoff, scoff'?" He nodded. "Didn't think scoffing was so onomatopoeic."
"That was always my understanding."
"Huh."
They sat themselves in a fairly secluded corner of the fairly empty café. A waitress came by to give them some menus and leave them in relative peace. Seifer studied his companion whilst she studied her menu. "So, how've you been Quistis?"
She looked up. "Since when did you come to care?"
"I've always cared about the well-being of my older pseudo-sister." Seifer was unable to keep out a sardonic lilt to his comment. Her constant belittling of his honor and honesty was really starting to piss him off. Quistis was beginning to see the futility of her hostility; he wasn't going to desist from his plans, whatever they were, so she just decided to act as though he was being honest. After she asked one more offensive question, that is.
"Even when you were trying to kill me?"
What is she trying to pull? Is she trying to get me angry? "Hey now Trepe, you and your buds attacked me and our mother first. Every time. But, I don't want to talk about that, and to answer your question; yes. I did care. The deranged monstrosity that I had become didn't, but I always did." Even to a lesser degree I was concerned about all of you after you had shunned and failed to remember me in Garden.
It seemed that she softened after hearing these words, if only marginally. "Forgive me if I can't seem to take you too seriously even if everyone says you were possessed. It's not like you were particularly chummy beforehand."
"No, maybe I wasn't, but some of us didn't care to reciprocate what little was offered. Anyway: You're forgiven, drop it, and answer my fucking question." He was glad he wasn't bound to Garden's hierarchy and rules when outside its premises.
"Well I'm fine. I've just been quite busy as you already know." She answered normally. The waitress returned and they ordered.
"How about your classes? They going alright?"
"Yes. They are…" She sighed and stirred her coffee. "Look, I might as well be honest. My classes are going very poorly. Most of my students are poised to fail. And seemingly not for any interesting reasons like you used to." She grinned over her cup.
"Any ideas why?"
She gulped down more coffee and shook her head. "No. They just don't seem to have the intelligence, will, and creativity that my old classes used to. It was much easier back then. I'm having a hard time appreciating the job nowadays." A sad look passed over her as she realized her passion only brought a fraction of the joy that it used to.
"It'll get better. I'm working on getting rid of some of your problem students out as we speak." He didn't yet reveal what exactly those problems were. Their meal came and they ate and discussed his more interesting failures, the Trepies, and life at Garden while he was gone. It was much more pleasant than most of their previous banter. When the check came he paid it and they left, she thanked him.
"Well, I'm not finished with you yet Trepe." Questioningly, she looked up to him. "I'm going to teach you to appreciate life."
"Oh really?" Quistis raised a beautifully arched brow. He looked smug again. "And what does that mean? Are you taking me to a bar? Clubbing?" Seifer rolled his eyes.
"I said that I was going to teach you to appreciate life, not escaping from it; although it has its own merits. No, Trepe. We're going golfing." She was rather shocked with that development. It was coming to be that nothing he did or said was surprising, but would never fail to surprise her.
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At first she was awed by the splendor of the course. "It's beautiful." She commented.
"Yeah, yeah. Pretty soon you won't be thinking any such thoughts."
He was right. It was a very frustrating sport. By the fifteenth hole her frustration had mounted to such an extent as a first time golfer, that she threw her rental clubs about and made Seifer proud with her cursing. Seifer, a moderately skilled golfer, had his share of problems as well, but never resorted to making the equipment other than balls projectiles (when anyone was looking).
At the end of the day she was smiling though. Perhaps she had come to understand her most problematic student a little better. "I think I understand the moral."
"Oh?"
"Yes: To make life more enjoyable, partake in leisure even more miserable than your job." Quistis posed the speculation proudly.
"That's right. Just don't develop it to be too much a habit; it's unhealthy. And be careful. You wouldn't want to learn anything from me; you could become tainted."
Somehow she felt that such a contamination might not be so bad.
I thought it would be very difficult to write their dialogue, but it almost wrote itself, as they say. Let me know what you thought. No fluff, I know. Sorry.
Next chapter features a BBC (Balamb Broadcasting Corporation) documentary on the Posse. Stay tuned. Valete.