"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Spira's First National Warrior Tournament!" Fireworks lit up the night sky as Stree walked quietly through the packed streets. Vendors hoping to sell their wares yelled out to him, but he ignored them and continued on his chosen path. He reached the sign in desk and wrote his name down. The woman at the desk watched him intently, trying to catch a glimpse of his face.
"Planning on entering the tournament?" she asked, trying to get him to show his face.
"Would I put my name down if I wasn't?" replied Stree. The woman, apparently put off by Stree's attitude, hmphed. Stree finished the form and started to turn away, but stopped when the woman called out to him.
"Hey! You have to hand in your weapon!" Stree turned around.
"I have to what? I'm not going to hand my Hammer to anyone until every fiend on the planet is wiped out. Even Luca's not safe until then."
"Sorry, guy, but rules are rules." Stree turned back around. "If you don't surrender your weapon, you can't compete." Scowling, Stree took off his sword and jammed it into the ground, the walked off. As he walked, he bumped into a big man with some sort of armour on his shoulder.
"Hey!" said the man. "What's with you, man?" Stree turned around to face the man. He was dressed in the uniform of the Besaid Aurochs.
"Who are you?" asked Stree, trying figure out where he knew the guys face.
"That's Wakka, one of the people who helped defeat Sin," came Kan's voice from behind Stree.
"Really?" Kan grabbed Stree and turned him around, and forced him to start walking away.
"Wait until the tournament." Stree glared at her as the two of them walked away from the Auroch.
"What'd you do that for?" he demanded as they turned the corner.
"Because I know what you would've done," replied Kam easily. Stree glanced sidelong at her, then turned around and started walking back in the direction he had just come. "Stree! No!" cried Kam, giving chase. Ignoring her, he continued on his path and walked right up to the hulking man, who was now talking animatedly to a young-looking girl with long braided blonde hair.
"... I said no, Rikku!" The girl – Rikku – crossed her arms and humphed.
"Why not? Vidina's as safe with me as with anyone else!" Wakka shook his head and rubbed his temples.
"Rikku, around you, nobody's safe!" Rikku glared daggers at him, then turned and walked off. Wakka turned around and found Stree standing there, a faint ghost of a smile playing across his face for a second. "What d'you want?" asked Wakka angrily.
"I just wanted to meet you properly. My sister sort of dragged me away before." Wakka turned and stared at Kam for a second, then turned back to Stree.
"Yeah well, some people are strange," he said, with a bit of a smile on his face.
"Hey!" said Kam.
"Friends of yours, Wakka?" asked a soft voice from behind Stree. Stree jumped and spun around, his hand slipping to the now empty sheath on his back.
"Lu, meet...uh, what is your name, eh?"
"Stree Kry'tal. Pleased to meet you, Lulu," said Stree with more happiness than he actually felt.
"So, Wakka. You entering the tournament?" asked Kam. Wakka shook his head.
"No? But you defeated Sin!" said Stree, before he caught himseld.
"Yeah, but then he went and got fat!" cried the bubbly girl from before. A young man with an eyepatch over one eye and a roguish look all over him came up behind her and slipped his arm around her waist.
"Eh! Who you callin' fat?" yelled Wakka, reaching out to smack her upside the head. With a squeak, she ducked, then bolted, Wakka starting after her. Stree smiled, then stepped back from the growing group.
"Hey, do I know you?" asked the one-eyed man, staring closely at Stree.
"I don't think so, I'd probably remember you."
"Oh. Well, the name's Gippal."
"Stree. Well, it has been fun meeting you all, but I have to fight in the morning, so I should probably get some sleep. Everyone, I bid you farewell." With a chorus of goodbyes, Stree bowed and left, with Kam following close behind. Once they were almost at the hotel, Kam grabbed him by the arm, and spun him around.
"What in Yevon's name did you do that for?" she cried. Stree stared coldly at her for a second, then smiled.
"My father had a saying. 'Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted'. I thought I might get to know my enemies."
"And did you learn anything?" Kam said coldly.
"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you," Said Stree, turning around and walking inside.