Trading Up... Or Is It Down?

[ersatzknight]

Who: Seifer and OPEN
What: Meeting people and exploring
Where: Edge
When: Sometime shortly after his arrival
Warnings: Language likely

7th Heaven Hotel

Seifer admittedly hadn't had either the energy or much of anything else to pay attention to half of what was going on. He'd found the hotel that was set up for people showing up out of nowhere, grumbled his way through getting a room, and promptly face planted in to the bed once the door was locked behind him.

The young man who'd emerged nearly a day later looked... better than the one who'd walked in. There was a certain magic to sleeping and a hot shower. Better wasn't great though, and there was only so much that could be done short term to get himself not looking like he'd been dragged backwards through a nightmare.

A nightmare he'd... deal with later.

The basics of survival mattered more; he had shelter and water, at least for the moment, but no idea about the food situation in this place and no money on him to buy any in the city beyond.

Seifer stepped from the elevator to what seemed to be some kind of lobby-ish-thing and looked around for someone to ask questions of. He'd left his (currently tattered) coat up in the room, though Hyperion hung on him still. Coats were replaceable, gunblades might not be if he got chased out of here.

"Hey, uh... anyone here?" he called out, not spotting anyone immediately.

Around The City

Seifer eventually gets away from the hotel, keen to explore Edge and get a sense of what this place had going on.

There was a few things he was looking for as he strode through streets like he knew what he was doing, some sort of public library, somewhere willing to hire him, and a weaponsmith. Not necessarily in that order, but those where the top three priorities of what he wanted to find.

The biggest thing he hadn't wanted to find was, apparently, sitting on the edge of town like the flying fortress belonged there.

The sight of Balamb Garden had a vicious sort of clawing guilt rise in his throat. He knew who'd likely be there, though wasn't sure if it would be worse if the place was abandoned instead.

More things to watch out for, but to avoid rather than seek, at least for the moment.

Seifer had found a wall to lean against, rubbing his hands over his face and letting out a heaving sigh. He hadn't noticed that he'd sunk down in to a squat, though he did crack his fingers apart at the sound of someone approaching and glare out.

"What?"

Comments

7th Heaven Hotel

[maternalheart]

[They were having a steady influx of people coming in these past few days, it was becoming a common occurrence. She was writing out the menus for the week, those that the kitchen staff should follow and on the phone with supply while she paced the hallway. Cloud and Zack were doing everything they could to gather funds to keep everyone happy.

She was doing the labor part, which was fine, but she missed Cloud and Zack sometimes too. It just wasn't the same without them around. She checked the list one more time to ensure they had money for every single supply on the list and couldn't forget about the spices! Those were sorely needed.

As she round a corner, she heard him before she felt herself bumping into the young man that showed up earlier yesterday. She stopped talking into the phone and spoke quickly.] Yes, that sounds wonderful, Jasper. Please get on it right away, I'll email over the copy of ingredients we need for next week.

[She hung up the phone, placing it in her pocket and turned to Seifer with a small smile.] Hey. I hope you find the amenities to your liking and you slept well I take it?

Around the City

[silverwinds]

[Fujin was scouting the area, it was an everyday thing now that she and Raijin did this, just to make sure no one went unnoticed. She was stealthy, quick on her feet. Rinoa had taken to calling her a raptor. She wanted to smack Rinoa upside the head for it, or at least kick her in the shins.

As she made her way around, she came across what looked like a young man standing not too far from the Garden. Okay, it was more like a leap, a hop and a bound away from garden but still, he was standing there. Something about his stance, even leaned over told her she knew this person but she couldn't place it.] EXCUSE ME?

[her voice was loud, yet a bit soft and all over firm. It carried when it needed to.]

[ersatzknight]

I slept, sure.

[There's a shrug, it hasn't been good sleep but certainly better than it had been lately.]

I uh... Didn't catch a lot earlier... Tina Wasit? What'll I owe you for putting me up?

Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

Squall had taken to patrolling lately. It was something to do, he needed something to do, and it gave him time to think. And think.

He wasn't thrilled at all to see Seifer on the street, but he couldn't say he was surprised either.

"That figures that even you'd show up here," he grunted.

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

[That voice was familiar, one he'd heard probably a million times.]

Fu? You're... here?

[Of course she was, she'd been on the Lunatic Pandora and thus near the epicenter of whatever he'd done. Whatever he'd helped her do.]

I-

[Didn't know what to say, what to do other than stay where he's crouched and... let whatever she decides to do happen.]

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

Just the guy that Seifer had been hoping to not run in to.

"Yeah, well... we know how hard to get rid of I am." he shrugged, "So what's it gonna be? Drag me to Garden since it's here and find a room to lock me up in or... round five?" He asked, a calculating expression on his face as a hand drifts towards Hyperion in readiness.

"Rather go down fighting, if I get a choice about it."

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

Squall just watched him warily. "Depends on what you're doing here," he said. "Are you planning on helping any other overpowered sorceresses wipe out the world?"

He still didn't understand why Seifer had done that. Why anyone would do that. Ultimecia had intended that only she would live. Seifer had been signing his own death certificate to help her.

And yet, he had survived like the rest of them. Was he from that time point or another? Squall wasn't sure. For now he kept watching, thinking.

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

"Depends. You gonna get sent on half baked missions to destabilize entire nations? If you think there was some.... Grand plan of mine there, I got a tropical vacation package for you in northern Esthar."

There's a defensiveness to his tone, but more one of deeply ingrained habit than actual threat. Seifer's gaze flicks around, assessing escape routes.

"Why, there a Sorceress around that's not your girlfriend?"

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

“Maybe you didn’t actually set out to do it, but it still happened,” Squall replied. He stayed on guard, watching, not sure if Seifer was a threat right now or not. He was inclined to say No, but he didn’t want to let down his guard.

He grunted at that comment. “There’s some pretty powerful people here, like the guy who got us into this mess.”

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

"And I'm the face of all of it, with Edea cleared of blame by being possessed at the time."

Seifer wasn't stupid, he knew what probably would be called for back home.

"Guy? You mean this isn't..." He waved a hand. "Her fallout?"

Ultimecia. Time Compression. All of time and space twisting in on itself to a singularity for... Whatever reasons she'd had.

"Also, power had jack-all to do with it."

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

“Ultimecia’s the one who really gets the blame,” Squall said. “But you’re in it too.”

He nodded. “Some guy named Sephiroth did this. I’ve met him before. Claims this was an accident when he tried to use some Orb to heal his mind. Not that it matters to him that it was an accident; he’s blaming himself up and down.”

He quirked an eyebrow at that comment. “Yeah? What’d it have to do with?”

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

"Yeah, well. I'm the one without a magical alibi." Seifer stood, unfolding himself from his crouch slowly. There's a stiffness to his movement, and he knows it. He's sore and slow, if anyone was going to have a chance of taking him out in a fight it would be now.

There's an expression on his face, mostly tired but there's a war of something else underneath that as well. Anger, a twinge sympathy for whoever this Sephiroth guy is, his own guilt... vague annoyance and then sharply closed off to just tired and annoyed.

"...Who's the one who wanted power, and who's the one who could get it and use it for them Squall? Pretty sure you lost braincells hanging around Zell too much if you can't figure that bit out yourself."

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

Squall continued to watch him, wary, but he was pretty sure Seifer wasn’t going to attempt an attack right now. And Squall didn’t feel like doing it either. Taking him out in the state he looked to be in wouldn’t be anything noble. Rinoa would be upset about it too, even after everything that happened.

“You know, this is stupid,” he said. “We’ve got bigger problems going on than whatever beef we’ve still got going with each other. If you’re not going to cause trouble, I’m going to go back to what I was doing.”

Although he’d probably still keep an eye on Seifer anyway.

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

That gets a bark of a laugh, "Who's version of 'trouble' are we using here, Squall? I'm not gonna just sit around being useless just because you want me to behave."

He tilts his head though, expression sharpening. "But... you need someone competent, find me. I... owe you a few favors."

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

“Yeah?” Squall paused. “What are you thinking about doing?”

They could always use more people to investigate the portals, but given everything, he wasn’t at all sure he’d trust Seifer to do that. But there were other things he might consider. Maybe.

Could he really trust Seifer on anything, especially when he still didn’t get what happened about Ultimecia? On the other hand, it’d be better to know what he was up to instead of risking the possibility of him hooking up with whatever bad guys were here. If he wanted work, he might fall in with them. Squall didn’t need that kind of trouble either.

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

"Research, maybe dealing with whatever monsters are coming in with us. Dunno about you, but I'm pretty sure none of these people are prepared for malboros let alone tonberries."

Not that Seifer should probably be going up against a tonberry anytime probably ever, the number of lives on his hands alone meant they'd probably turn him in to a fine paste.

"Don't worry, I won't take jobs Garden should be handling."

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

“We can always use more people to do that stuff,” Squall said. “The locals know about Malboros and Tonberries. Not sure if any of the visitors other than us do.”

And he nodded in response to the last comment. “Thanks.” Whether he was being sarcastic or not, it was hard to say.

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

"Yeah, well. Probably all I'm good for." He shrugged, "And don't thank me yet, Commander, if there's something I gotta step in on that should be Garden I'm gonna kick your ass about it afterwards. Deal?"

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

"If I can't handle something Garden should be able to deal with, I'd deserve it," Squall grunted.

A pause. "You got a place to stay yet?"

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

Seifer's expression closes off, sharp and cold and distant.

"I'm not SeeD. I can't go ho- to Balamb Garden. If I'm allowed to have things back I'll take 'em, but it's all technically Garden property. I've got... something for as long as it lasts, and I'll figure it out."

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

"I meant the hotel," Squall said. He wasn't ready to try inviting Seifer to the Garden. Not yet, anyway.

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

"You don't need to know where I sleep." Seifer replied tersely, "I've got the phone-thing for getting ahold of me. Call if it's an emergency, send a message if it's not. Plenty of... neutral ground in the city to meet on if it needs to happen."

Re: Around the City

[maybe_im_a_lion]

"Fine. Whatever." Squall stepped back. "I'm going back to what I was doing."

Around the City

[imjustaman]

A tall man with long silver hair was looking at him. “I apologize for intruding,” he said. “I was just walking past.” He wondered if Seifer was a newcomer but didn’t like to randomly ask.

Re: Around the City

[ersatzknight]

There's absolutely no recognition in Seifer's face as he raises an eyebrow at the tall silver haired man. "It's a public street, hard to intrude." he pointed out, standing from his crouch and rolling a shoulder.

"...you a local?"