[voice] un: lionheart

[silentnarration]

I'm looking for someone who's familiar with magic involving mind control. I know someone who needs help. He's free from her control now but something must have been left behind. He still gets sick and disoriented in the morning.

Let me know if you can help. He may not think there's a cure but I do.

[Sorry Seifer. He knows this is going to piss him off but this is important. Never mind that he's put it off for a little too long himself.]

Comments

[firacrux]

[When it rains it pours. Seifer was stubbornly sulking when the knocks came, so of course he mussed the delivery person.

He did not, however, miss the label. So any notion of brief, hopeful curiosity was immediately dahed. Of course it was for Squall. Of course it would be sent to Seifer to rub salt in the wound.

Yet another reminder that, no matter what world, ultimately the cards were all for Squall, and Seifer might as well not exist.

Furious he grabbed the stupid toy and stormed his way up to Squall's room, pounding on the door with an angry fist.]

[silentnarration]

[Squall is still making the last few arrangements from his post... He's pissed off Rinoa too and that's making him think about other options. Not that he's backing down from this post or removing it. It's out there now. Might as well use it.

He frowns at the pounding on his door and has a feeling he knows who it is. He makes his last response, sets his phone aside and goes to open the door.

Yep, that's Seifer all right. He looks the other man over and pauses when he catches sight of what's in his hand, eyes widening.]

Where did you--

[firacrux]

[There's a moment, a flash of pure rage, of a clenched fist, where it looks a hell of a lot like Seifer's about to throw a punch. It only lasts a moment before it's washed away by a paling complexion and a brief, but certainly there, look of horror and queasiness.

He looks away, jaw clenched and swallowing hard as he throws the stuffed animal as hard as he can at Squall to cover the loss of composure. The rage washed away too quickly by stark memories of Squall pinned to a wall, writhing in agony as electricity courses through him...

He can't do it.]

Take your stupid fuckin' bear.

[He snarls, turning away to leave. He's not going to explain where it came from.]

[silentnarration]

[What the hell was that?]

Seifer!

[He catches the plush, out of instinct more than anything, staring down at the part of his life he's mostly forgotten about. A link to a childhood that he could never throw away but hid it away all the same. Why did it turn up at Seifer's place?

He drops it, steps over it and reaches out to grab Seifer's arm.]

. . . I'm sorry.

[He twitches, a held back grimace. Even he knows how hollow that sounds.]

[firacrux]

[It's nothing. Squall saw nothing. Definitely nothing important.

Really Squall should be more concerned that Seifer can't tell the difference between a lion and a bear.

Simple, it turned up to add insult to injury of course.

He's quick to jerk his arm away from Squall, shooting him a deadly glare as he moves further away. Not at all interested in standing around listening to weak apologies.]

Fuck you.

[Apparently he's not in the mood to accept it right now. It did sound hollow. Incredibly hollow. If Squall was really sorry he'd have asked first.]

[silentnarration]

[Squall pulls his hand back as if burned, closing his fist and lowering it. Okay, yeah, he deserved that. He's not backing down from his plan still. He hasn't earned the right.

So he lowers his gaze, stares steadily somewhere at Seifer's middle.]

It's a lion.

[firacrux]

[Backing down, or at least off, would probably do a world of good right now. Unfortunately stubbornness is a trait they both share in droves. Along with the inability to back down once they've discovered their plans are stupid.

This isn't going to end well.

Seifer just glares at him all the more.]

What.

[Flatly. Is that really what's important right now?]

I don't give a shit what your stupid toy is!

[He's just jealous he doesn't get any piece of his past.]

[silentnarration]

[It's not but ironically he feels like saying something and he has nothing to contribute, so being a little shit it is. And he's sour that Rinoa has given him an ultimatum on making things right with Seifer and won't talk to him until then.]

I know you don't, but it's a lion.

[Hyne, he doesn't even care that much about that thing. He does... a little.]

[firacrux]

Who cares!?

[He snaps again. Just for that, he's never ever going to call it a lion. And with that he's wheeled around on a heel and storming away. Done with Squall and not even a little interested in listening to his bullshit excuses.

Squall 'I'm never wrong' Leonhart can go fuck himself.]