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[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Characters: Quistis, Seifer
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Quistis decides she needs some alcohol to cope with Memoria.
Location: Inn somewhere in Wutai
Date: February 1804, Sometime after Memoria
Warnings: Seifer and alcohol does not sound like a good mix.



Several days had passed since the events of Memoria, and Quistis felt the need to find some outlet for her stress. While normally she would have taken to the Training Area for a thorough workout session, a certain memory she had experienced lead her to steer clear of that particular part of Garden. Growing increasingly restless, she decided some time away from the school could do some good, to give her a chance to sort out her thoughts-- or rather, attempt to bury them.

Quistis found herself inside the local inn of Wutai, tucked away in the corner of the bar with a mug of ale in her hands. Not usually one to take to the bottle under emotional stress, she felt as though her situation could count as an exception-- so against her better judgement, she decided some alcohol would help her unwind. It was unlikely she would bump into anyone she knew here anyways, and she hoped the change of atmosphere would help take her mind off of things.

Feeling no particular need to uphold her usual poise, Quistis rested her elbow against the wooden counter, her chin propped up by her palm as a finger lazily traced the rim of her glass. She had only taken several sips of the bitter liquid, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar taste; it wasn't her usual choice of drink, but the options in the foreign world were slim. She let out a small sigh as her eyes cast downwards, waiting for the alcohol to seep into her veins.

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[bastard.livejournal.com]

Apparently Quistis wasn't the only one looking to drown her sorrows. Seifer had also opted against putting in an intense workout in the training facility for whatever reason. The idea of being alone in there was somewhat unsettling, though he wasn't sure why. He figured it had something to do with Squall and the others being back. The last thing he needed was for Selphie to cross paths with him in the setting of a combat simulation. Either that, or being reminded that he was still a temporary resident of Garden, and that the training limit was off-limits unless he had an escort.

Either way, he'd found himself in the same bar as his former instructor--who he soon spotted sitting alone, and staring down into her glass. Unable to keep from smirking at the newfound opportunity, Seifer quickly crossed the bar, stopping beside the table where Quistis was sitting and pulling out the chair directly across from her. Hey, it was better than his first instinct--to just plop down and invite himself to her little pity party.

"This seat taken?"

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis heard the scraping of wood as someone pulled back the chair across from her, the noise causing her to lift her eyes. She had to stop herself from letting out an audible groan as she noticed it was Seifer of all people; at the moment, he was possibly the last person in all of Gaia she wanted to occupy a bar with.

She weighed her options. It was unlikely that he would actually leave her alone if she told him to go away, so Quistis gave a small shake of her head, a halfhearted answer to his question.

"It isn't, as long as you're civil..." She muttered under her breath, her eyes dropping down towards her mug once again.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

"When am I anything but?" He hadn't meant for her to answer that, of course. Slipping into the seat, Seifer waved over whatever waitress was employed in this place to bring him a round of whatever Quistis was having, before shifting his focus to the shell of a woman sitting before him. Clearly, something was bothering his former instructor--and it wasn't just his presence, either. Whatever it was had her sulking before he'd ever reached the table.

"Something on your mind?" He asked her, as if he were merely attempting to make conversation. Quistis should have been smart enough to know that is was a little bit more than that, though. If anyone knew Seifer within their little group, it was the woman who had instructed him over the last year.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis was visibly surprised by Seifer's inquiry. She had half expected him to begin taunting her presence in such an establishment the moment he sat down, a far cry from the sudden interest he took in her moping. In the brief year that she had been his instructor combined with the time they had been actual peers together in class, she had rarely ever heard him ask a seemingly sincere question. Gazing over at him from across the table, she took a moment to sift thought her thoughts, trying to figure out exactly how much she wanted to tell him, if she wanted to tell him anything at all. It was an all too rare chance for her to actually vocalize her feelings though, and she decided to take it for all it was worth. Maybe it'd help.

"It's just Memoria." A sigh as she sat up slightly, her hands wrapping around the mug of ale. "It wasn't a very pleasant experience."

She paused then, almost as if testing Seifer to see if he was actually serious about wanting to hear about her problems. The last time she had tried to talk to someone about her feelings, she had been told to talk to a wall; she certainly didn't want a repeat of that.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

"I don't think anyone's experience was particularly pleasant," Seifer responded, but gave no sign of wanting to divulge that information any time soon. He went quiet when the waitress returned with his drink, only to watch her move away before he lifted the fresh mug, and turned his attention back toward the blond sitting across from him.

"I think that was the whole point, actually."

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

"I know. Whoever, or whatever caused the episode really wanted to shake us all up." She paused to take a sip of her drink, the liquid beginning to warm her chest slightly. She was nowhere near the state of a hazy mind though, and now with Seifer's added company, she was far more conscious of the amount of alcohol she consumed; it would probably be smart for her to have a somewhat clear mind.

"What did you see?" The words seemed to slip past her lips before Quistis knew exactly what she had asked. She knew she was treading a fine line now, but didn't retract the question-- she figured it wouldn't hurt to try and see if he would open up slightly.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

Seifer smirked again, this time around his glass, at the revelation that Quistis seemed just as curious about his experience as he currently was in regard to hers.

"Do I really look that easy?" He asked, purposely phrasing the question to sound as if she were just coming on to him. His mug of ale was set back onto the table as he leaned back in his chair, regarding her another moment before he delivered his answer.

"I'll tell if you will."

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

His question earned him a roll of her eyes. "Please, don't insult my tastes."

A heavy silence hung between the two as Quistis took a moment to consider his offer. It seemed fair enough-- an eye for an eye, but would Seifer actually keep up his end of the bargain? She brought her mug to her lips, taking another sip of ale as she made up her mind.

"I had to re-experience the day I lost my license." Her words were steady as she spoke over the rim of her glass. Setting the drink back onto the tabletop, she idly drummed her fingers against the wood for a moment before elaborating. "It was just as unexpected as the first time. I had to stand before the Board as they evaluated me... they told me that I lacked leadership qualities, that I wasn't fit to remain as an instructor. All my years of hard work, thrown away in an instant."

She sighed, her eyes drifting down once again.

"It was humiliating, to say the least."

[bastard.livejournal.com]

Predictable.

Seifer listened without interruption, surprisingly enough. The loss of her instructor's license was a frequent means of his to get under Quistis' skin. For whatever reason, he thought better of capitalizing on as much right now, opting instead to kick one of his feet up onto the table with a heavy thud.

"That's it?" He shouldn't have expected her to spill everything in one go. After all, she still had no guarantee that he would own up to his end of the bargain.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis rolled her eyes at his rather bored response. She shouldn't have expected anything less-- it wasn't as though he was going to sit there and pat her back about the matter. Why did she even bother?

She crossed her arms though, shifting to lean back against the chair as she gave him her trademark stern look, one that he often received back when he was her student. "That's it until you share a little bit of your own experience. That was the deal, after all."

That, and she wasn't exactly sure how to tell him about the other memory she had to suffer through for a second time.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

He should have seen that coming. A deal was a deal, though. Throwing back the remainder of his drink (he'd need it if he was going to answer her honestly), Seifer set the now empty glass onto the table and waited for some sort of buzz to kick in. Unfortunately, even if it did come from one drink, it wouldn't come fast enough.

"I saw Squall and the others being promoted to SeeD without me," he said, that grin of his having vanished altogether--replaced with a slightly sour expression at the memory.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis sat in silence as she listened intently. She didn't know whether she was more shocked or pleased that Seifer was actually divulging her in a bit of his memory, and a rather personal one at that. All of Garden knew of Seifer and Squall's rivalry, and she also knew how much it had hurt the blond's pride when he hadn't been promoted to SeeD, especially when the rest of his squad had. Taking a dainty sip of her drink and finishing off what was left of the mug, she paused for a moment, sorting out a reply in her mind before finally speaking.

"You have all the potential to be a SeeD, Seifer." She wasn't sure if her words would comfort him at all, and it barely mattered now that they were in a world where their rankings were virtually unknown. Perhaps it was because she still felt some sort of lingering responsibility over him as she had been his former instructor, or maybe it was the alcohol, but she felt compelled to let him know her stance on the Board's decision to decline his promotion. "You just lack the discipline."

[bastard.livejournal.com]

This conversation was getting a little too real for Seifer's liking. Swinging his legs off from the table so his feet landed back onto the floor with an audible thud, the scarred blond proceeded to wave over the nearest beer wench to fetch him another glass.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Oh yeah, there was sarcasm in there somewhere. It was a little late to start thinking about what could have been, and any recommendation Quistis could have made no longer really mattered. It did occur to him that he was a big part of the reason she'd been fired, but he wasn't about to apologize or anything. This was still Seifer we're talking about.

"Nice try," he said simply. "I believe it was your turn again."

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

A sigh escaped her lips at Seifer's response. Apparently it was useless to try and give Seifer any semblance of a compliment-- he had the ability to turn even the kindest words sour. Shaking her head slightly, she chose to refrain from making a comment at his sarcasm, and instead waited patiently until the bar maiden returned with another round of drinks for the pair. She definitely needed some more alcohol to coax the next memory from her mind, especially since it concerned a certain someone who was seated directly across from her.

After a few generous drinks of the newly refilled mug of ale, Quistis cleared her throat, her eyes averted downwards as her index finger idly traced the patterns of wood grains on the table. She was obviously attempting to stall the conversation-- but after several moments of uncomfortable silence, she finally gave in, her hands folding on her lap as her words came out softly.

"My next memory... was of Timber. Watching you and Edea while I was under her 'Stop' spell."

Her eyes remained locked on her drink as she waited for Seifer's reaction-- she wouldn't go into details about the memory just yet, as she felt vulnerable enough as it was.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

Well, that seemed to catch his interest. The first memory that Quistis had shared was more or less a given--predictably boring, in other words. He hadn't really expected much more than that from her though. The fact that she had relived a memory starring none other than him only caused the arrogant blond to smirk all over again.

"Dreaming about me now?" Not that he could blame her. No doubt Quistis would already regret having confided in Seifer to begin with.

[herownhero.livejournal.com]

Quistis should have seen Seifer's response coming from a mile away, but he somehow managed to catch her off guard, more than likely a result of her lowered defenses due to the amount of ale she'd consumed. She didn't bother to hide her expression as she rolled her eyes in an exasperated manner-- really, his cockiness knew no bounds.

"Dream? More like a nightmare, really." Quistis muttered as she took another drink from her mug. She had meant for the remark to be an insult towards him, but there was an underlying truth to her words-- it really had been a nightmare to have to relive the moment. Perhaps it wasn't wise of her to divulge Seifer in on her experience with Memoria, and she briefly considered leaving right then and there-- but something inside made her stay. She was one up on the number of memories shared, after all, and admittedly was curious to see what else the male had gone through.

"Alright, your turn. What's your next memory?"