Back to Barracks

"Abel! Katzroy! Move it! I've seen alraune move faster than you!"

The two military recruits in question were presently panting, practically breathless, scrambling their way through their fourth and final run of the obstacle course.

Dajh Katzroy let out a puffing laugh half way up the 20-foot rope-net, "Y'know I think I'm impressed…" The 19-year-old Neo Oerban panted, "…that he even knows…" Another pant as he lugged himself up another 2 feet, "…what an alraune is."

To his left, his fellow trainee Denzel Abel let out a strained scoff in response as he pulled himself up onto the platform before reaching down and helping Dajh up.

"Memories of his past life?" The two of them laughed again before grasping at the overhead bars that spanned a gap of about 15 feet.

"Y'know, I thought I saw a flower spring outta his head a couple times while he's been pissed." Dajh continued to jest as they swung themselves to the other end of the bars.

"He IS a flower!" Denzel added, "Seriously, the colors his face turns…" With a last gasping laugh, the two recruits swung off the bars and landed on the finishing platform, completing their run. They slapped each other a high-five before climbing down the ladder back towards the ground.

Dajh had become fast friends with Denzel on the very first day of training. You wouldn't have thought so with the way they looked and carried themselves. Dajh, who had significantly grown in the last 10 years, was still slightly shorter than average but made up for it with a rather brawny built. He had decided to shave the thick hair that seemed to run in his family after entering the military training program.

Denzel was pretty much the total opposite. The Crystallinus native stood about half a foot taller than Dajh with a much leaner, almost-but-not-quite scrawny frame. He did not sport a buzz-cut like his fellow recruit; his auburn hair remained relatively long, falling in waves towards the back of his head. But his navy blue eyes sparkled with a child-like liveliness that reflected the one in Dajh's hazel ones.

That's what it was. Though different in every other way, the both of them were both jokers. They knew how to have fun and didn't let anything stop them from doing so—temporary supervising Lance-Corporal or not.

"If you two spent half the time concentrating on your training as you did yapping, you'd probably cut your times in half." Said military official barked, making his way over to the two of them. They straightened up but did not hide the broad smiles on their faces, "Wipe those grins of your faces, do you two ever take anything seriously?"

"Sir, or course we do, sir!" Dajh responded, forcing the smile from his lips.

"Sir, permission to speak freely sir." Denzel asked, also suppressing his smirk. Their superior's eyes narrowed at the taller boy.

"What is it Abel?"

"Have you actually ran alraune through the course? You'd think they'd have a little trouble with the overhead bars."

"Maybe they actually have control of the flowers on the top of their heads?" Dajh spoke up, voice completely serious, "I mean, they're as big as their bodies—who knows what they hide in there!"

"What, like arms and hands? Little, tiny arms and hands?" Denzel gasped, a shocked expression crossing his features. All the while, an expression of something short of pure rage cross the face of the Lance-Corporal in front of them.

"I think tentacles are more likely—they've got the whole slimy slug thing going on-"

"THAT'S IT!" Their superior boomed, jabbing a finger at Denzel, "20 laps around the obstacle course! NOW!" The boys broke out into stifled laugher as they moved away from the fuming Lance-Corporal, "Oh no you don't Katzroy." Dajh was halted by the a clipboard against his chest, "You drop and give me 50." Accusing finger now aimed at the ground. Sharing both a tired yet amused look, the boys separated; Denzel jogging off while Dajh lowered himself into his punishment of 50 pushups.

As he got to his 20th pushup or so, he noticed someone approaching the officer from the side of the training grounds. From his view so close to the ground he could only see that they wore the same trainee uniform as he did. A new recruit? His superior, apparently also noticing the new arrival, turned away giving him the opportunity to pause mid-pushup to get a better look.

"Are you lost?" The Lance-Corporal—unable to hide his frustration—asked the young woman standing in front of him with a duffel slung over her shoulder. Dajh continued to observe as she handed the officer some papers. After a moment of scanning it's contents, he folded it and handed it back to her, "DeFluo, huh? There any particular reason for such a late transfer?" The woman didn't answer, "Quiet type huh?" He shot a look at Dajh who quickly busied himself, returning to his pushups, "Can't say I'm not thankful for that. Feel like running the course?" The military official motioned over his shoulder, "4 rounds, timed."

Finishing his punishment, Dajh rolled into a sitting position, leaning back on his arms while he watched the woman make her way to the start of the course. Unfortunately for her, another member of his class—the top of the class to be more specific—Lozieg Kadaj was also preparing for his run through. And to say that Lozieg was a competitive ass would be an understatement.

Placing his chin on his hand he watched with increasing interest as the Lace-Corporal moved to start the timer. Dajh didn't need to be within hearing range to see the man already taunting the new addition to the class. It didn't help any that this… DeFluo… was female either.

Dajh felt a strange amusement in the situation. It was like almost like a bad cliché: Ace of the class (usually an alpha-male type) taunts the new kid (either a smaller male or an attractive female). Dajh had only seen her up close for a moment but from what he could see from his view presently, he decided she couldn't be entirely bad-looking. He could see the ending now as he completed the formula in his head. In most outcomes, the Ace usually—for lack of a better phrase—has their asses handed to them by the new kid.

But while Dajh had somewhat of an expectation of this in terms of Loz and DeFluo, he had to admit Lozieg wasn't completely all talk. Not only was he well-built for strength training, he was fast. He held the time closest to the current record for fastest completion of that particular obstacle course—a mere 4 seconds off to be precise.

As the starting mark went off Lozieg wasted no time and dashed ahead. DeFluo followed, keeping a decent speed but most definitely falling behind as she started through the low-crawl netting. Dajh found himself surprised at her lack of speed as Lozieg continued to increase the gap between them. He'd almost finished his first round while the new arrival was barely two thirds the way through hers. Correction, Lozieg was pretty much caught up to her. By the time DeFluo finished her first round, completing the overhead bars, he had over passed her.

"Don't hurt yourself newbie." Lozieg taunted but received no response. Rolling his eyes, Dajh observed DeFluo with even more curiosity. She didn't seem to be struggling—nor did she seem particularly concentrated. Was she trying? With a small sigh, Dajh resigned to the disappointment he felt. That was no fun, she hadn't even put up a fight.

"Gonna pick it up anytime soon, DeFluo?" The Lance-Corporal barked half-heartedly. Dajh could have sworn he heard pity in the man's voice. Ouch.

"Y'know contrary to popular belief, yelling at someone isn't always the most effective way to get them to do what you want."

"Shut it, Katzroy," Came a snappish response, "If I wanted your opinion-"

"Yeah, yeah," Dajh picked himself up off the ground, dusting off his pants, "You'd have me drop and give you another 50 before asking for it, then disregard it anyway." He mumbled as he searched the field for Denzel. He laughed as he noticed him plodding away on the far side. His laughter faded quickly however, as he noticed Denzel come to a full stop. He hadn't finished his laps yet, so why…?

Following his friends gaze, his eye landed back on the two still tackling the obstacle course. One of his eyebrows shot up as he saw that Defluo had regained the lap she had lost to Lozieg and the both of them were neck and neck on their final round. What caused the corner of his mouth to mimic the action of his eyebrow was that Lozieg was clearly not happy. He most definitely was not taking well to the fact that his competition had retaken an entire lap without breaking a sweat. In fact, DeFluo looked as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Other than shortened, shallower breaths, her unconcerned, nonchalant look had not changed.

As the two of them were coming up on the overhead bars, the smaller of the two had pulled ahead. As the both of them began swinging towards the finishing mark, Dajh watched—with admittedly very little surprise—as Lozieg launched himself towards DeFluo. No doubt with every intention to prevent anyone from touching his precious position as fastest in class. Wincing, expecting her to fall—or at least voice a pained reaction to the contact—Dajh was surprised when the woman deftly swung backwards, evading the attempt to impede her course completion.

Between the initial incredulity of what had just happened and the irritated rants of the instruction officer aimed at the cheap and ultimately useless maneuver, Dajh almost missed the supposed victim's reaction. Hesitating for only a split second over Lozieg as he hit the ground hard, DeFluo spoke for the first time since she'd arrived, "Don't hurt yourself, tough guy."

At that point, Dajh had decided he liked DeFluo—of course, anyone who could ruffle Lozieg's feathers was okay in his book; but he found himself wandering over to officially greet her. Or at least to get in a poke at Lozieg's most-definitely bruised ego. He picked up his pace as he noticed the sore loser advancing on the woman. He just didn't know when to quit. Dajh reached the two of them just as Lozieg had grabbed her arm.

"Hey, Loz… that was a pretty wild display of acrobatics on the bars just now, I dare say that was a circus-grade performance."

"Piss off Katzroy." Lozieg must have been pretty furious to have ignored a remark with that particular caliber of snark. This could not end well.

"C'mon you literally throw yourself at the girl and now you wanna hold hands?" Dajh continued to jest, attempting to divert his attention away from DeFluo who had turned to eye his hand wrapped around her arm, "C'mon man, let's just-" He was interrupted when he felt the taller recruit's fist make contact with his jaw. He had jerked away on reflex but not fast enough to completely avoid the blow. He stumbled to the side, a hand instinctively cradling the side his face.

"I said piss off!"

"HEY! ENOUGH!" The Lance-Corporal stopped everyone's movements. He pushed past DeFluo and waved his clipboard dangerously close to Lozieg's face, "You, barracks, now." Lozieg didn't move right away but he didn't wait long enough to be told twice. Muttering a string of expletives under his breath he trudged away. Dajh watched as his superior gave DeFluo a quick look before turning to him, "And you…" He waited for a number of push ups to be given to him, "Go find some ice to put on your face." With that, the Lance-Corporal turned and moved away, repeating a similar set of expletives voiced by the previously departed.

Dajh, recovering from the blow to the face, turned to find himself looking into blue-green eyes. One blue, one green—to be more specific. Heterochromia? He opened his mouth to say something but the owner of said eyes interrupted him.

"You shouldn't have interfered." DeFluo's voice had a finality that prevented Dajh from responding. Her tone clearly implied that she hadn't been interested in one anyway. Dajh only watched as she turned and started off towards her bag. He hadn't noticed Denzel jogging over to him.

"What was that all about?" Dajh looked over at his friend.

"Huh?"

"Okay… how about you start with how you suddenly enjoy hurting people's fists with your face?" Denzel teased with a raised eyebrow, "Or how you've randomly taken to saving damsels in not-so-distress?" Denzel's mocking descriptions of the recent events ironically helped Dajh recover from the bewilderment he suddenly found himself feeling.

"What the hell are you talking about, man!" He playfully punched the taller recruit's shoulder and was returned the favor as he looked back over in the direction DeFluo had left in. He wasn't entirely sure how to answer his friend's questions. How could he explain how someone he'd barely met for two seconds reminded him intensely of someone he couldn't quite place?

A/N:

I own nothing from FFXIII. I just like to play with the characters.

Ohmigod! Dajh!
Ohmigod! OCs!
Hey, hey, you were warned okay? Bear with them for now, yeh?

Ah Dajh... such a snarky little bugger X3
So fun to write him speak ^^