Disclaimer: The story, plot, and some minor characters are mine. The rest are Square Enix's.
Chapter 02: Like the Sky
Note: The next chapter might take a while before it comes out, cause I figure it will be quite long. I'd like to thank the great Mog for QC-ing this story, and Steve, who doesn't understand English but nonetheless keeps trying to read the horrible draft, which's otherwise written in the most beautiful hand--my hand.
What's the use of trying to look all dignified, especially while wearing all too big clothes on an all too lithe form in front of students who cannot help but talk about it among themselves? Although each piece was considered comfortable and supporting for his martial art's maneuvers, never since he started his career as an instructor two hours ago had Zell managed to feel comfortable. Yet what an opportunity.
"We'll meet again tomorrow at the same hour and place. Dismissed."
And so of course, 21 out of 22 of Zell's students left the classroom immediately; and there was only Seifer left in the classroom. Zell did not hesitate to exhale a great amount of his tension while packing all his books and other stationeries in his backpack. Done with packing his belongings, he sighed and pouted at Seifer.
"Turning sulky now, chickie?" asked Seifer, walking towards the door. "I wasn't any better either, if that makes you feel better."
"If they know how losing, or almost losing someone important to them feels like as much as they claim to do, logically I figure they should refrain from even thinking of harming you," Zell could not help but fret over Seifer as many of his classmates still showed hostility towards him. To be precise, Zell could not help but fret over so many things today. He learnt just today that all too big clothes were not very credible for an instructor to wear—either that or the students merely envied what it took Zell to wear what he liked in classes yet managed to act all dignified.
"I suggest you just wear your SeeD uniform temporarily until you get replacement for your instructor uniforms. A—and, that backpack; can I get you a briefcase later? I'm considering spending this nice day shopping in Balamb—need to restock some groceries," said Seifer, aware of how serious Zell was with his instruction career.
"Uh, sure, thanks a lot... though I can't go with you—gotta attend a boring meeting the Garden faculties have arranged in an hour. And I think I'll go get my clothes changed to my SeeD uniform now—wouldn't want it to be part of the meeting's discussion. I'll see you later." With that, Zell left Seifer in front of the fountain to the dormitories. On the way to the dormitories, he spent the time thinking if he really needed to wear things the way other accomplished instructors do, to behave like them, and to teach like them. 'I'm not comfortable with all that. Isn't there a way so I could wear my -Zell- instructor uniforms and be just myself and yet retain the fervent notion of teaching?' thought him.
The faculty's office was located on the second story, east from the classrooms. There were vases and pots holding different flowers and plants in the office; they looked to Zell responding to every word spoken in the meeting—they undulated. The meeting was finished only four hours after Zell had parted with Seifer. 'What a bore it was!' thought Zell aloud, yawning.
"Instructor Dincht," called Quistis, approaching him from her side of the office.
"Hey, 'sup, Instructor Trepe?"
"You see, I have trouble finding people of my caliber," said Quistis blatantly.
"You mean, to be your boyfriend?" asked Zell, surprised.
"Yes. In my life I have declined an array of men based on factors such as a missing required knowledge in dining out, a fashion sense unfitting for men, an inability to appreciate classical music, an addiction to video games, a different view from mine on lying to your partner, and a linguistic misstep."
"Are you ridiculing me?" asked Zell, now completely confused and feeling slightly shy.
"And there you are, contemplating your teaching performance based on factors just as reductive as aforementioned factors. Just relax and teach the way you think suits you best." With that, Quistis left Zell to catch Xu.
Zell secretly wished his lover were as tactful as Quistis was. 'I wonder if Seifer's still in Balamb town. It's already past school hours—maybe I should call—'
A troubled-looking cadet bumped up against him.
"Oh, uh, I'm so sorry. I-I'm in a hurry," stuttered the cadet. He stood up and ran along quickly to the men's room.
Frowning, Zell pulled his backpack upon his shoulder and found a navy woolen shawl. 'Must've fallen when he bumped into me.' Zell lifted the shawl and brought it with him to the men's room, which the cadet had entered.
It was then inside the lime-painted room that Zell felt a strange kind of power radiating from inside one of the stalls, although it was only for an instant. Zell put the shawl over his shoulders and took the chance to urinate against one of the urinals while waiting for the aforementioned cadet to finish his business and get out of his stall. To his surprise, he heard the rush of water from said stall soon after he had just started urinating. 'That's fast,' thought Zell.
The cadet came out and quickly recognized his shawl and the wearer as someone he had just bumped into.
"I would have liked my shawl to be returned to me."
"Yes, would you come here and take it off me?" Zell wondered how the toilet had made someone who seemed so cute only several minutes ago into an extremely acute one now.
The cadet hesitantly approached Zell, took the shawl off his shoulders, and wore it over his own neck.
"I haven't seen you around before. Are you new?" asked Zell, now zipping his pants and afterwards flushed the urinal.
"I just came here as a transfer from Trabia Garden today," he answered, still standing nervously behind Zell.
"I'm sorry about what happened to Trabia Garden," he paused for a bit before continuing. "Why are you fidgeting? I might be an instructor, but I'm no monster. I'm Zell," he said, offering his hand only to pull it back quickly. "Sorry, I should've washed it first, eh."
"You're really that Zell?" asked him in awe. He only recognized the famous tattoo on Zell's left cheek after a second. "One of the six great SeeDs who defeated Ultimecia and saved the world!"
"Um, yeah. Though Rinoa and Irvine aren't SeeDs—Irvine's from Galbadia Garden. What's your name?"
"My name's Blake, Blake Fairton."