[FIC] VIII: Remember Me (Family and Friends)
Username: virago_queen
Class: Black Mage
Title: Remember Me: Family
Summary: Selphie and Seifer have a little chat after the events of FFVIII. Written for zerrat for a drabble meme.
Characters/Pairings: Selphie Tilmitt, Seifer Almasy
Word count: 488
Rating/warnings: G
Selphie settled down next to Seifer on the pier. “We were family, once. I don't know if you remember that - I didn't, until recently.”
The blond man shot her a look and cast his line back into the ocean. “Just because we grew up in an orphanage together, doesn't make us family.”
“I think it does. We were all each other had, for a long time - me, you, Squall, Irvine, Quistis, Zell, Ellone... We should have stuck together, looked out for each other. But we didn't.” Selphie pulled up a knee and tucked it under her chin, the other leg danging out above the water.
“Hyne, messenger girl, what do you want?”
“You were my favorite, you know that? Squall and Zell cried too much, and Quisty was too bossy, and Irvine just followed me around like a puppy. But you were always making up new games, getting us into trouble, and then getting us out. You were fun. I used to pretend that you were my big brother - and I remembered you, long after I'd forgotten all the others. I didn't remember your name or your face, but I remembered you. And then, by the time I remembered who you were, you had already tried to blow up my home.”
Seifer just stared, long and hard, as if Selphie had grown a second head or something. She huffed a little. Everyone else got to be serious sometimes - or ALL the time, in Squall's case. Why was it so weird when she did it?
“What do you want me to do about it? Tell you I'm sorry, throw myself at your feet and beg for your forgiveness? It's not going to change anything.” There was a note of disgust in his voice, underneath the irritation. Selphie wasn't entirely sure, but she thought it was disgust with himself, not her.
“No, you're right. That won't change anything. I just wanted to know...was it your idea, to launch missiles at Trabia? Or was it Ultimecia's?”
Seifer physically flinched at the name, then scowled and looked away, the scar across his nose bunching exactly like Squall's did. “I don't know.”
Selphie sighed. She hadn't expected any better, but she had hoped. “Well, at least you're honest.” She stared out at the ocean for a bit before speaking again. “The other reason I came was to tell you that there's a boat leaving for Trabia tomorrow. We're going to try to rebuild the Garden. You should come with us.”
“Why? So I can try to atone for what I did, or some shit?”
“No. Because we're family, and we don't have to like each other to help each other. And you need something to do just as badly as Trabia needs volunteers.” Selphie stood, and brushed the dust off her boots. “I'll see you tomorrow.”
Title: Remember Me: Friends
Summary: Seifer attempts to cheer up Selphie after finding out what happened to Trabia. A deleted scene set during chapter 9 of my AU fic, Hyperion Rising. Also written for Z for the same meme.
Characters/Pairings: Selphie Tilmitt, Seifer Almasy
Word count: 689
Rating/warnings: Very minor swearing (quite clean for Seifer, actually!)
Seifer found Selphie on the beach, staring out at the ocean. With a grunt, he lowered himself down next to her and shoved her shoulder, hard. “Hey, Tilmitt. You keep looking that serious, and I'm going to mistake you for Leonhart over there.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder towards the orphanage, where Quistis and Irvine were still telling stories to the half of the group that had never called this place home.
Selphie caught herself before she fell over, and leveled a glare at the offending man next to her. “I was just thinking.”
“Quit worrying about Trabia. Once this whole mess is taken care of, you'll go back and rebuild the place, better than before.”
His concern only earned him a scrunched nose and weak shoulder-shove. “I wasn't worrying about Trabia. Well, much, anyway. I was thinking about the past. Zell grew up here, too. I just feel like he should be here with us. Matron, too.”
“Did you forget the part where they tried to blow up two Gardens? Forget about them.”
She sighed and leaned back on her hands. “Yeah, I know. But the Zell and Matron I remember wouldn't have done that. I just don't get it. Up until Zell took off in Timber, we were all pretty much exactly the same as we were back then...you're still a total jerk, and Quistis tries to boss us all around, and Irvine's just as clingy as he used to be. What changed, I wonder?”
Seifer shrugged. “No use just sitting here thinking about it. We'll face them eventually, and there we'll find our answers.”
“I guess.” She didn't look convinced, so Seifer decided to change the subject. Like I said - one morose bastard on the team is more than enough.
“And what's this about me being a jerk? I remember us having shitloads of fun out here, thank you.”
Selphie flashed him a quick, brilliant grin. “Just because we had fun doesn't mean you're not a jerk, Sei-sei.”
“Messenger girl, do NOT call me that. Ever. We are not doing cutsie little kid nicknames.”
“Awww, but why not? I could tell Rinoa, I'm sure she'd be thrilled.” The grin had consumed half of her face, her eyes lit up in damn near unholy glee.
She's not depressed anymore, but I'm not sure this is any better. Insane demon-possessed crazy woman. “Do it and I'll tell Irvine that you want in his pants.”
“You wouldn't!” Her entire face crinkled up in absolute horror.
He grinned back, not denying the truth of her statement.
Selphie just punched him in the shoulder, harder than he expected, and bounced up to her feet. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Seifer. Good to know I'm still your favorite. And that you've grown some semblance of a soul.”
“'Still' my favorite? Who says you've ever been my favorite?”
She tilted her head and tapped her finger against her chin. “We-ell, considering that you used to make Zell cry, pull Quisty's hair, shove Irvine down hills, but I distinctly remember you taking the blame for me a time or two, I think it's safe to say I was your favorite when we lived here. And I don't think there's any question about now. Rinoa and Quistis are my only real competition, and Rinoa won't give you the time of day anymore.” Selphie shrugged, grinning.
Alright, so maybe she has a point. Not that I'm going to tell her that.
“You know, boys usually only pull the hair of girls that they like...”
“Can it, Tilmitt.”
Class: Black Mage
Title: Remember Me: Family
Summary: Selphie and Seifer have a little chat after the events of FFVIII. Written for zerrat for a drabble meme.
Characters/Pairings: Selphie Tilmitt, Seifer Almasy
Word count: 488
Rating/warnings: G
Selphie settled down next to Seifer on the pier. “We were family, once. I don't know if you remember that - I didn't, until recently.”
The blond man shot her a look and cast his line back into the ocean. “Just because we grew up in an orphanage together, doesn't make us family.”
“I think it does. We were all each other had, for a long time - me, you, Squall, Irvine, Quistis, Zell, Ellone... We should have stuck together, looked out for each other. But we didn't.” Selphie pulled up a knee and tucked it under her chin, the other leg danging out above the water.
“Hyne, messenger girl, what do you want?”
“You were my favorite, you know that? Squall and Zell cried too much, and Quisty was too bossy, and Irvine just followed me around like a puppy. But you were always making up new games, getting us into trouble, and then getting us out. You were fun. I used to pretend that you were my big brother - and I remembered you, long after I'd forgotten all the others. I didn't remember your name or your face, but I remembered you. And then, by the time I remembered who you were, you had already tried to blow up my home.”
Seifer just stared, long and hard, as if Selphie had grown a second head or something. She huffed a little. Everyone else got to be serious sometimes - or ALL the time, in Squall's case. Why was it so weird when she did it?
“What do you want me to do about it? Tell you I'm sorry, throw myself at your feet and beg for your forgiveness? It's not going to change anything.” There was a note of disgust in his voice, underneath the irritation. Selphie wasn't entirely sure, but she thought it was disgust with himself, not her.
“No, you're right. That won't change anything. I just wanted to know...was it your idea, to launch missiles at Trabia? Or was it Ultimecia's?”
Seifer physically flinched at the name, then scowled and looked away, the scar across his nose bunching exactly like Squall's did. “I don't know.”
Selphie sighed. She hadn't expected any better, but she had hoped. “Well, at least you're honest.” She stared out at the ocean for a bit before speaking again. “The other reason I came was to tell you that there's a boat leaving for Trabia tomorrow. We're going to try to rebuild the Garden. You should come with us.”
“Why? So I can try to atone for what I did, or some shit?”
“No. Because we're family, and we don't have to like each other to help each other. And you need something to do just as badly as Trabia needs volunteers.” Selphie stood, and brushed the dust off her boots. “I'll see you tomorrow.”
Title: Remember Me: Friends
Summary: Seifer attempts to cheer up Selphie after finding out what happened to Trabia. A deleted scene set during chapter 9 of my AU fic, Hyperion Rising. Also written for Z for the same meme.
Characters/Pairings: Selphie Tilmitt, Seifer Almasy
Word count: 689
Rating/warnings: Very minor swearing (quite clean for Seifer, actually!)
Seifer found Selphie on the beach, staring out at the ocean. With a grunt, he lowered himself down next to her and shoved her shoulder, hard. “Hey, Tilmitt. You keep looking that serious, and I'm going to mistake you for Leonhart over there.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder towards the orphanage, where Quistis and Irvine were still telling stories to the half of the group that had never called this place home.
Selphie caught herself before she fell over, and leveled a glare at the offending man next to her. “I was just thinking.”
“Quit worrying about Trabia. Once this whole mess is taken care of, you'll go back and rebuild the place, better than before.”
His concern only earned him a scrunched nose and weak shoulder-shove. “I wasn't worrying about Trabia. Well, much, anyway. I was thinking about the past. Zell grew up here, too. I just feel like he should be here with us. Matron, too.”
“Did you forget the part where they tried to blow up two Gardens? Forget about them.”
She sighed and leaned back on her hands. “Yeah, I know. But the Zell and Matron I remember wouldn't have done that. I just don't get it. Up until Zell took off in Timber, we were all pretty much exactly the same as we were back then...you're still a total jerk, and Quistis tries to boss us all around, and Irvine's just as clingy as he used to be. What changed, I wonder?”
Seifer shrugged. “No use just sitting here thinking about it. We'll face them eventually, and there we'll find our answers.”
“I guess.” She didn't look convinced, so Seifer decided to change the subject. Like I said - one morose bastard on the team is more than enough.
“And what's this about me being a jerk? I remember us having shitloads of fun out here, thank you.”
Selphie flashed him a quick, brilliant grin. “Just because we had fun doesn't mean you're not a jerk, Sei-sei.”
“Messenger girl, do NOT call me that. Ever. We are not doing cutsie little kid nicknames.”
“Awww, but why not? I could tell Rinoa, I'm sure she'd be thrilled.” The grin had consumed half of her face, her eyes lit up in damn near unholy glee.
She's not depressed anymore, but I'm not sure this is any better. Insane demon-possessed crazy woman. “Do it and I'll tell Irvine that you want in his pants.”
“You wouldn't!” Her entire face crinkled up in absolute horror.
He grinned back, not denying the truth of her statement.
Selphie just punched him in the shoulder, harder than he expected, and bounced up to her feet. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Seifer. Good to know I'm still your favorite. And that you've grown some semblance of a soul.”
“'Still' my favorite? Who says you've ever been my favorite?”
She tilted her head and tapped her finger against her chin. “We-ell, considering that you used to make Zell cry, pull Quisty's hair, shove Irvine down hills, but I distinctly remember you taking the blame for me a time or two, I think it's safe to say I was your favorite when we lived here. And I don't think there's any question about now. Rinoa and Quistis are my only real competition, and Rinoa won't give you the time of day anymore.” Selphie shrugged, grinning.
Alright, so maybe she has a point. Not that I'm going to tell her that.
“You know, boys usually only pull the hair of girls that they like...”
“Can it, Tilmitt.”