Chapter Fifteen: Home Sweet Home
What is it?
Jade eyes watched how the sun reflected off the silver pendant that dangled freely from a thin chain. The object spun in small fast circles, pausing only when the chain twisted too tightly around itself only to send the silver spinning in the opposite direction. The sunlight glinted off the recently polished silver and danced over the lightly tanned, handsome face that stared in a state of curiosity.
It has to mean something.
Seifer sat on the sill of his room window. He had been there for at least an hour. The silver necklace before him held all his attention. The jewelry felt important; there was something that made Seifer not want to let it go. A mysterious energy emitted from the cross; it captured the blonde's mind and pulled him into a timeless daze.
It came into his possession the previous night. Seifer remembered all too well that he had been fighting with Squall. The brunet made him angry, but it was more of a hollow rage that pained him. Seifer had tried to explain his feelings to Squall, but he couldn't find the right words to clarify because he was confused about the new emotions in the first place. It just was not possible to make someone understand something that he himself could no comprehend, so it had turned into an awkward argument.
The week before the encounter, Seifer had just wandered the desert for the first two days. During that time his mind continued to play out the scene of the quarry guard lying at the bottom of the gorge in a pool of his own dark blood. Seifer eventually took refuge in a nearby town. He went so far as to trade off one of his gold amulets to get a heavy cloak that he could wear to hide himself from being recognized.
As the days stretched on, Seifer's thoughts had faded away from the guard's death. Instead they dwelled on the sound of Squall's voice when the other had spoken his name; the soft low tone laced with genuine concern. The brunet was the only happiness Seifer had to hold onto while beyond the walls of Zamir. Soon his thoughts not only heard Squall's voice, it saw his porcelain skin, his dark brown locks of hair that fell haphazardly over his mesmerizing orbs of blue and gray.
Seifer had thought of Squall so much during his self-exile that he could even feel the touch of the other's warm, smooth skin. One day it had just become too much to bear and Seifer had accepted his indescribable feelings for Squall. The same day the prince decided he had to see the brunet again.
Things had not gone well upon his return. Even though the gods were on Seifer's side by bringing Squall to him; it seemed they had only done that to make a fool of the prince. Seifer couldn't find one right thing to say to Squall. In the end, Seifer had lost his temper at being rejected by the object of his affection. It was like the man was not even willing to give Seifer a chance—that had hurt the most; more than the punches Squall had thrown.
The prince wasn't use to the feeling of having his feelings hurt, so he had turned to an emotion he knew all to well: Anger. His easily provoked temper had caused them to fight beyond what sparring with words could do. Seifer had effortlessly knocked the lightweight to the ground—sending a metallic object to fly out of Squall's grip. It had skittered across the ground then laid out in the open—practically glowing with power under the moonlight. Seifer wanted to snatch the object up at once, but his attention had shifted back to Squall when he heard the brunet's respiratory distress.
I didn't mean to hurt him. I never wanted to hurt him.
Seifer curled his hand around the jagged cross as he remembered it all for the twentieth time that morning. He tightly closed his eyes to try and block out the memory. It was no use. The scenes played out in his mind as vividly as before. Seifer even visibly winced when he recalled the guard punching Squall in the stomach.
It was my fault. No wonder Squall won't give me a chance. I just end up hurting him in the end.
Sighing heavily, Seifer eyes lifted open to spy at the silver visible between his fingers. A fleeting sense of hope rose in his heart at the mere sight of the necklace. Perhaps if he knew more about Squall, then he could avoid doing things that would hurt the brunet. Just maybe that would work; and that road of understanding would start with the mysterious pendant in his hand.
Seifer moved his fingers to examine the beast that was engraved in the metal. It was unfamiliar, but the animalistic appearance made Seifer believe it was associated with a god. Which one was the question. The prince did not know all the gods well; he only truly got to know Bahamut.
There is one way to find out.
Seifer smiled to himself and stood from the windowsill, wincing slightly as he shifted his weight to balance more on his good leg. There was a nice scar above his right knee from where the quarry guard had landed a blow with his sword. It still hurt, but it was nothing that Seifer couldn't ignore.
Leaving the room, he headed for the main hallway of the palace. It was there on the walls that the stories of all the gods were on display for every man and woman to read. There had to be something there that would help Seifer understand, to know a little more about Squall.
As the prince stroll into the hall, the early morning light that was flooding in through the tall entrance blinded him. The front of the palace had been built to face the rising sun so that every day the pharaoh would be reminded of the world Bahamut had created. The prince didn't care much about the dragon god and muttered a silent curse as he raised an arm to cover his eyes.
He took refuge in the shadow of a vast pillar. Seifer looked upon the great wall that was covered top to bottom with the ancient history of the world. His eyes roamed over the stories he loved to hear as a child. In fact, he could almost hear the voice of the woman who had told him the stories. A kind woman that he remembered calling "Matron"—the lady who had raised him because his parents did not have the time. She had been eager to tell him the stories again and again
Seifer smiled nostalgically at the thoughts. He shook his mind free and stared at the hieroglyphs portrayed around the image of a stone castle. It was called Alexander as Seifer recalled. He use to think it was absurd that a god would take the form of a building until his matron had explained that Alexander had indeed been a man. He was a brave guard of the northern kingdoms. Alexander had been one of the elite guards that were responsible for protecting the nobility. He had fallen in love with the queen that dwelled in the stone castle in the heart of the city of Lamin. Unfortunately, society forbid his love and so Alexander had devoted his life to protecting the queen instead.
One day, strangers from across the seas landed on the northern shores and attacked Lamin. The people fell easily as they were unprepared for war. The invaders set the town on fire as they ravaged the city streets. The castle was the only place that remained untouched, no matter how many times the foreigners tried to tear down the stonewalls. It was said that at every entryway the men ran into a single guard—a man whose armor and sword shone like the sun. They said he fought with the strength of twenty men and with the speed greater than any feline.
The story went on to say that the guard Alexander was the one to single-handedly fight off every man that came. He killed them mercilessly, yet never let a drop of blood touch him—letting him remain pure and holy. Although he was holding off the enemy well, the number of attackers was many and slowly they pushed into the castle. The king was slain, the servants, the children—all that remained was the queen and her devoted guard. The final fight was in her very room where Alexander stood between her and the last man. The stranger made to impale the queen, but Alexander had stepped into harm's way—taking the man's sword through the chest. With his dying strength, Alexander had sheathed his own sword in the other man's neck.
The queen cried over her fallen guard who now was soaked in his own blood, and then her tears of regret. The gods that had been watching had seen Alexander's sacrifice made out of pure love. They did not revive his body, instead they put his soul into the stonewalls of the castle, so he could continue protecting what he loved. It was said that the castle still remains standing, never crumpling throughout time. They also said that any enemy that dared to step through the castle's arches would fall dead.
Alexander had been a man, but as a god he is seen as a castle that stood against evil.
Seifer moved away from the wall. Alexander was a lesser god that received praise from soldiers and guards that asked for courage and strength against the enemy. The priests also prayed to Alexander, asking for him to provide protection to the palace, to never to let it be over taken by evil.
Jade eyes glanced down at the silver necklace. This was not Alexander. The beast on the pendant looked more like Cerberus, both images were roaring with defiance. Although, the creature engraved in silver was more like a feline with its sleek, fine lines that outlined its body. Seifer didn't know any gods that were portrayed as felines; perhaps he could ask someone. But who could he trust to not tell everyone that the necklace belonged to Squall?
A named was on the tip of his tongue before Seifer could finish asking the question. He turned away from the hall and headed into the more inner chambers of the palace. His walk went unaccompanied for a few turns until a female servant came into sight. Seifer stopped the girl with a small upraising of his hand. The girl bowed, turning her eyes to the floor in respect. "Do you need something, Prince Almasy?"
"Yes. I need you to find Fujin for me and have her sent to my room," Seifer ordered. The crimson-eyed woman would help him and keep his affairs private. In truth he couldn't wait to see his good friend and learn about what had gone on during his absence.
Regrettably, the girl shook her head and bowed further to the floor, "I'm sorry, my prince, but your servant Fujin no longer works in the palace."
"What?" Seifer stared disbelieving at the top of the girl's head.
The servant glanced uncertainly at the prince to see if he was angry. It was a brief look of fear before she bowed her head once again. "It is as I say. I'm sorry if this news angers you, my prince."
Seifer mentally grimaced, "Where is she?"
"I do not know. It was none of my business," the girl humbly stated.
Fujin would have made something like that her business, Seifer bitterly thought while frowning at the girl before him. He waved her away just as another servant rounded the corner.
"Prince Seifer."
Raising his gaze to the new female, Seifer narrowed his eyes at the sight. He should have known what he would find. The woman's voice had been drained of respect, and the title 'prince' had sounded forced. It was one of Rinoa's servants; a woman with dark braided hair that was pulled back in a bun. A tiara of gold leaves encircled her head to signify that she was from Aldazir.
Seifer graced her presence with a sneer, "What is it?"
"Miss Rinoa requests your company," the woman responded with an expression carved out of ice.
"Does she," Seifer's words dripped with sarcasms as a smirk took the place of the previous sneer. "She must be overjoyed that I have made it home safely and wishes to hear of my travels none the less. I must say that I would love nothing more than to spend good quality time with my dear cousin, but I must decline. I am still tired from my journey and wish nothing more than to feel the soft touch of my bed sheets to my skin, or to enjoy the company that only a lovely lady such as yourself could provide."
The suggestive reply caught the servant off guard. She stared thoughtfully at the prince before remembering her place. Her eyes narrowed in a scowl that remarkably resembled that of the sorceress. "Miss Rinoa insists that you meet with her at once. She has a gift for you."
Seifer just smiled at the girl. His green eyes held her darker eyes with a playful expression. He wasn't being serious about his evocative comments. Though, it would hurt to bed the wench just to see the look on Rinoa's face when she found out; maybe some other day. Right now Seifer was intrigued at the girl's talk of a gift. "I believe this is the first time Rinoa has come back bearing gifts. I must see this with my own eyes."
The servant nodded, and then bowed—which was only a slight incline of her head. She was disrespectful and defiant towards Seifer. He liked to deal with that type but lately it just hasn't been fun anymore. Every time he riled up a servant enough to get a glare, it only reminded him of Squall's stormy gray eyes that were as cold as ice.
It made him miss Squall.
Rinoa's servant began to walk past Seifer. The prince reached out and brushed his fingers over her arm. The woman stopped to examine his deceiving smile. "Is there something you wish for me to tell Miss Rinoa?"
To rot in hell, along with many of the other usual curses.
Seifer briefly scanned the hallway and decided against his sarcastic remark, "Where is Fujin?"
A second of hesitation passed before the woman adverted her gaze and responded, "I do not know."
Seifer slid his fingers under her chin and slowly turned her dark eyes to meet back with his. "I am not the one you serve, but you should still not lie to me. My temper is much shorter and a lot more violent than your master's."
A flicker of fear danced in the woman's eyes before she could turn her eyes away. Seifer pulled his hand away, making sure to softly caress his fingers down her jaw line. He was toying with the servant on purpose. The prince wanted to remind himself that nobody refused him. But as he broke down others, again it only went to remind Seifer of how unique and mysterious Squall was in comparison.
"I am forbidden to tell you," The woman responded in a state of discomfort. All the defiance from before had vanished, leaving a young servant who stood nervously as if fearing her death.
"I understand. However, if you do not tell me I shall show you the courtesy of the dungeon guards. I can promise you that they would not be gentle like I would," Seifer smiled with yet another threat hanging in the air. His words were mixed with promising death and sexual innuendo that threw the poor girl into chaos.
"Please, I wish not to cause trouble.." the girl mumbled while wrapping her arms around herself.
Seifer picked up on the weakness and moved in to finish off his prey. He stood beside her so closely that his chest nearly brushed her shoulder. Seifer touched her back and the contact was enough to bring the servant turning and coming easily into his awaiting arms. If she was crying, Seifer did not care. He enjoyed the power he had over other people. The girl meant nothing to him, yet he was able to pull at her strings to make her surrender into the arms of her death, yet her only safety at the same time.
"Tell me. I will not let her know," Seifer softly cooed at the woman who was nestled against his chest.
"My master, she sent your Fujin away because of her disobedience," the reply came flooding out in relief.
Disobedience towards Rinoa.. I shall have to reward Fujin for that.
Now that Seifer had the desired information, he was done with their little skit. He detached the woman from his chest and began to walk away. The servant stared disbelieving at his retreating back. Seifer left before she could mutter a curse about being tricked. He was going to keep true enough to his word by not telling Rinoa that he knew the reason behind Fujin's absence. The sorceress would love to share that information herself.
The whole reason behind manipulating the woman was to prove to himself that even the unlikely people could not turn him down. Rinoa's servants were trained to hate his guts, yet the woman had given in so easily. There was no challenge in it. Squall was the only one that had refused him repeatedly. The brunet would break. Squall would become one of Seifer's greatest triumphs.
The prince's conscious chimed in that Squall was a living person, not a trophy; that Seifer shouldn't treat Squall like an object if he wished to have the brunet return his feelings.
That is never going to happen though.
Seifer tuned out his conscious. Last night had made it clear to the prince that Squall wanted nothing to do with him. The man wouldn't even accept his apology!
Yet..
Seifer glanced at the silver cross in his hand. There was that fleeting sense of hope that Squall would understand. It was just so confusing. Seifer had accepted his feelings towards Squall—but somewhere along the way Seifer got himself mixed up. He didn't know if he truly liked Squall or just felt the need to obtain dominance over the other.
No one turned away from Seifer. No one.
The prince came to an abrupt halt before the silk curtained entrance of Rinoa's room. During his internal musing he had walked there without realizing it. Habitually Seifer glanced down the hall to where a tall guard should have been standing. Instead the prince saw a vacant wall that was missing Raijin's silhouette. It was a bit nerving to see the man absent. Seifer had personally assigned Raijin to that post so he could keep watch over Rinoa.
Had the man not returned from the desert yet? Or maybe Rinoa had kicked the guard out like she had done to Fujin. It seemed the witch had been busy during his absence.
Before entering, Seifer hid the silver pendant in a pocket sewn on the inside of his tunic shirt. He didn't want to risk letting the sorceress get her devious hands on the necklace. Pushing through the drapes, Seifer strolled as smoothly into the room as he injured leg would allow. There was a cold chill in the air that he couldn't quite place. He quickly spotted Rinoa lounging on her couch. She hadn't bothered to acknowledge his presence. Seifer smirked as he felt the arising need to throw the first insult.
"It's so nice to see you alive and well after your trip. How is your father?" Seifer cocked his head to the side with the arrogant smirk upon his lips.
Rinoa slowly glanced over her shoulder at Seifer, but gave him a brief gaze before returning here eyes to the parchment in her hands. "I honestly don't know. I didn't make it to Aldazir. My party was attacked by a group of bandits during the first night."
"How awful. I hope everyone is all right, any casualties?" Seifer asked with a little too much eagerness in his voice.
"Not of my party," Rinoa set the parchment down on the table while swinging her legs off the couch. She pressed a smile onto her lips and tilted her head at the prince.
Seifer easily picked up on the meaning. They both knew what had happened out in the desert that night. It was no secret, yet they continued to play this game with one another. It was like they were incapable of saying the truth to each other. It had always been like that. Some things would never change.
"Everyone of you is safe. Anything stolen?" Seifer mused while walked up to the couch. He tipped his head forward to try and read the parchment, but Rinoa quickly folded it away.
"They almost got away with my gift for you," Rinoa smiled and stood up from the couch. She planted herself in front of the prince and tilted her head up to him, sending waves of coal black hair over her shoulder.
"I was told about this gift, what is the occasion?" Seifer's voiced slipped and echoed his suspicion of the sorceress. She was being too kind, and her smiles were misleading.
Rinoa stepped aside and headed for the far side of her room. She gestured for Seifer to follow before folding her arms behind her back. "I know we haven't been too good to one another, so I wanted to make things right. I brought back a.. peace offering."
Seifer narrowed his eyes, but continued to follow the woman. She finally stopped, then moved aside to reveal a table with a box sitting on top. Seifer dared no approached. Instead he examined the eerie black exterior with strange marks scratched into the wood. "A gift, for me? I cannot accept such a thoughtful present when I have nothing to give in return."
The prince tried to look aside, but the haunting aura the box had pulled his attention back. In the back of his mind, Seifer could hear the sound of a raven quorking. Death. That is what the box reminded him off. The sleek black feathers of the messenger of death. He didn't want to open it.
"I insist," Rinoa touched the box with one of her hands and leveled a smile on the blonde.
That's funny. Your servant said the same thing.
Seifer swallowed down his nervousness. He glanced a few times between the woman and her box of death. 'Not of my party' the sorceress had stated with a mysterious flicker in her dark eyes. Raijin was missing from his post, and he was one of the so-called 'bandits'—there was a connection there; he knew and felt it.
"I cannot refuse a lady," Seifer mocked with one last look to the woman; hoping to find some forewarning to what he would find inside. He stepped up and tentatively touched the lid. Instantly his arm rose with goose bumps from the ice-cold contact.
I don't fear your magic.
Seifer narrowed his eyes and seized the lid with both hands. The lid slid off with a single pull. A cloud of frost was exhaled from the box. It coated over Seifer, frostbiting his skin so he sparkled crystalline. A thin layer of ice coated over Seifer's skin—like the fire of the evening desert being transformed into the moonlit sands of the night. Suddenly it all shattered into dozen of tiny shards and dissipated into the air leaving only a cold chill to run up the prince's spine. Seifer stared horrified; but not at the sensation of being half-frozen, but what he could see lurking within the box.
Rinoa had a look of horror etched on her features at well. She backed away from Seifer while shaking her head with eyes dark with confusion.
Seifer leaned forward. Now that the ice spell had been broken, a foul stench poor from the box. It reeked of aged blood and rotting flesh that caused Seifer's stomach to curl in on itself. He glanced sparingly at the matted black hair that appeared to be animal fur. Slowly he reached out his hand while the back of his mind replayed the sound of the raven crying outside his bedroom window. What had he amused him at that time? 'Cerberus will take away someone close to him'?
That's just superstition.
His fingers touched the black hair; it was rough, coarse and stiff under his fingers. Seifer pushed away the hair to glimpse at a patch of dark colored flesh. Immediately he jerked back and snapped his eyes to the sorceress. "You didn't."
Rinoa seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Her head lifted to the prince. Dark brown eyes shifted to the box. Remembrance flashed over her face, "What makes you think I haven't?"
"Witch.." The name was the ghost of a whispered curse that ran through Seifer's mind. How could she kill.. No, she couldn't have done something that extreme. Of course Seifer had sent knives during the night to slay the sorceress, but he always knew that they would never succeed. How dare she present him with this 'gift'.
"I'm not the one repelling ice spells," Rinoa narrowed her eyes.
Seifer saw her confusion, which in turn made him confused. What in the name of Bahamut was she talking about? There was a head of a man in that box! Yet she was talking about magic? Why was this turning onto him? She was the one that had brought part of a dead man back from the desert!
Seifer head swan with the chaos and the churning odor of decaying flesh. Rinoa seemed immune to the rotten stench and continued to stare at the prince as if he was the one who had brought the box into the room. "What did you do out in the desert?"
"You've gone crazy Rinoa," Seifer stated in comment towards her irrelevant question. He backed away from her wild glare. It was a known fact that channelers of the gods' powers eventually lost their minds. They never mentioned who one would not want to be in the warpath of a crazed sorceress; that was just common sense.
"Did you pick up anything while you were in the desert!?" Rinoa all but screamed the question.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Seifer narrowed his eyes.
The sorceress stretched her hand towards the blonde. Seifer could feel the energy gathering around her fingertips. It was strange, but he could see the energy before it became visible as riveting white lines that crawled over her hand. He had never been able to feel the power; he had only seen it in the past.
What the hell is happening?
Seifer didn't have much time to think about the situation. The energy around Rinoa's fingers intensified. Without warning, the magic sprung off of the sorceress' hand, snapped through the air and struck Seifer dead on in the chest..
..yet he didn't feel a thing. Bewildered, Seifer watched the white lines snake their way over his body, not once touching his skin. Slowly they faded to nothing. Seifer had taken no damage. It was like what had happened was an illusion, a dream—that or something was protecting him from harm.
Rinoa had, for once, a look of pure shock. If Seifer had not been so damn confused, he might have enjoyed the expression on her face. For once she didn't have power over him. She didn't have control over the situation because she had not planned for Seifer to become immune to her magic. Rinoa was at a complete loss for words and actions.
"I thought that.." She lowered her hand to hand uselessly at her side. Her brown eyes grew dim and distant with internal thoughts. "..that only Squall.."
"What? What about Squall?" Seifer snapped out of his confusion at the mentioned of the brunet's name. All thoughts of magic and the black box were shoved aside even though the smell of death still lingered in the air. "He only what?"
Rinoa's eyes slowly focused and lifted to meet Seifer's burning jade. She remained silent as she examined his expression and tried to piece together the puzzle present before her. The sorceress picked up on the prince's concern for the brown-haired slave. "You've.. been around him, haven't you?"
"What does it matter?" Rinoa's inquiry was more of an accusation than a question, so Seifer responded defensively. Neither of them was going to let themselves give in and answer each other's question. There was nothing to be learned, just everything to be seconded guessed between the two. Seifer was doing his good share of making up scenarios about the sorceress' peculiar question.
"Of course you have. He must have given something to you—or you took something away from him. What do you have of Squall's?" Rinoa answered herself then began to advance on the prince. She looked him up and down, trying to spot something out of the ordinary.
It was with those words that Seifer remembered the cross hidden in his pocket. He was right to not let Rinoa see the necklace; she was showing a dark interest in the object she had never known to exist. But how had she known that he had it in the first place—and also known it was Squall's? Gods, just what was the damn thing!?
I'm in way over my head. Seifer glanced off to the side in momentary defeat. Although, it's a nice challenge to try and figure all this out.
An impish grin played on Seifer's lips. He turned his mischievous green eyes to focus back on the sorceress. "I bet you are dying to know."
"What do you have?" Rinoa repeated with more venom in her words.
Seifer smirked arrogantly when Rinoa answered his question without meaning to. It was easy to pick up on her urgency to know what the object was. Her words were biting, but Seifer didn't flinch; long ago he had built up immunity to her poison. Right then he loved nothing more than the feeling of power he had over the woman. He wanted nothing more than to hold his knowledge above her head and watch her jump to try and grasp at it. "I'm sorry, that is strictly confidential between prince and slave."
"You have no idea what you have. Whatever he gave you—" Rinoa cut herself off when she realized that by the words that she had spoken it was like telling Seifer he had possession of a God's power—which wasn't far from the truth.
Seifer smiled and began to back away towards the doorway. "Whatever he gave me has turned you into a harmless child."
At least to me, Seifer retorted as he caught the sight of the black box out of the corner of his eyes. He didn't let his expression change, except for the darkening of his jade eyes. They now reflected with black, like the death inside the box. But he'd be damned if he let Rinoa find a weakness now that he was in control.
"You don't even know how to use it," Rinoa spat, trying to point out his idiocy.
Use it? It's just a necklace, some talisman. What do you mean 'use it'?
Seifer gave a light shrug in response. He wasn't going to be a fool and try to deny her words. "I'm a quick learner."
Rinoa didn't have a come back to the prince. She crossed her arms and watched him disappear through the curtains. Once out a view, Seifer let the smile fade into a frown. He glanced down the hall at the empty guard post. "Thank you for the gift cousin. I'll be sure to find one just as stunning for you."
The prince let out a sigh and ran a hand through his golden hair. A tingling sensation numbed his fingers and Seifer pulled his hand away. Faint lines of electricity danced around his fingertips before disappearing. It seemed the effects of the thunder magic still clung to him. The foreign energy brought on a flood of mental questions. Seifer needed answers, and there was only one person who would be able to provide the right answers: Squall.
End Chapter
______________________________________________
Author's Notes: Okay yes. What is in the box is suppose to be misleading. I decided I want to respond the reviewers. I think you'd like feedback too? Chii?
Insane Keyblader: It's implied that Rinoa stabbed Fujin's eye. (I hope?) I don't think Fu would have stuck around long enough for her to actually cut out her eye. *shudders* I don't update that often, do I? X.x
Love Witch: Favorite story? I feel honored! xD I'm glad you like my Seifer. I think I'm having a difficult time keeping him some-what in character. He'd be more evil if I could go all out villain mode on him. But he likes Squall, so I had to give him some sort of a heart. By doing that I made Seifer extremely paranoid for some reason. *whispers* I bet he doesn't sleep at night. That's why he's so irritable.
Faery-of-fiction: Oh dear lord. I read over that last chapter and saw all my mistakes. I tried to correct as many as I could. If I ever put up a chapter with that much carelessness, I give you the right to smack me. Sorry to say, there isn't much insight to the prince's time in the desert. We'll just assume he moped around. He needs to be smacked sometimes too..
Legowen: LoL. Scarred by a loaf of stale bread. Tempting… xD
Redrum: You're right about Seifer about not being strict about the laws against Griever. Heck! He didn't even recognized griever's symbol. I say that because Seifer grew up knowing nothing about Griever, so it only makes sense to me that he wouldn't know.
Kitian: I'm taking the whole desert stuff to heart. I've been trying to lay down the symbolism as strongly as I could. Such as Seifer is the evening desert (the dark golden color, the fire-like appearance, pride, anger, passion, determination) And then Squall would be the desert at night (The cold ice like appearance, the colors of blue and gray, the silence and sadness it portrays) I also pointed out that the evening and night are close to together, they follow after one another perfectly, but are completely different. Just like two certain characters.. who are slowly getting closer.. /swt