Who: Irvine Kinneas, Terra Branford, Seifer Almasy
Where:  Garden Cafeteria, Garden Dormitory Area
Why:  Twice Irvine gets knocked for a loop.  TWICE!
Date of Log:  Sept 1st, 2000





Feeling a hellovalot better then he had after the 'rescue' from the Northern Continent, Irvine's already reported to Dr. Kadowaki for the day, and after napping the afternoon away, finally realized he's actually hungry. So, into the cafeteria he wanders, not really planning to stay long. But, plans often change.

Well, the party indirectly responsible for that entire adventure in survival tactics is here! That's right, a certain emerald-tressed young woman is seated at a table by herself, with her crutches propped against the nearby planter and her leg kind of skewed to the side -- she's certainly healing faster than normal, especially with the paramagical therapy available, but she also isn't exactly recieving a miraculous healing. She's also drinking what looks suspiciously like a big glass of chocolate milk, and eating her semi-traditional chicken salad.

Irvine spots Terra rather quickly, it's the green hair you see, and changes his direction from the counter to her table. Having not seen her since the rescue, he's been kinda wondering about her condition since then. The crutches tell him more then enough and he winces as he realizes it may be awhile before she's walking on her own two feet, poor thing. "Hey," he says, not quite sitting down yet, which he won't unless invited. He looks all right at first glance, though a little paler then normal. His voice is kinda thick too, still hoarse.

Terra looks up, startled slightly, and then smiles feebly - yes, she's still rather guilty about what she put poor Irvine through, and she also has... vague thoughts about what she said while doped-up - with a lifting of one hand in a little semi-wave. "Hello," she says quietly, before taking a bite of chicken. She's got extra meat in this salad, along with extra sliced-cheese - Kadowaki made a special order for her. Sigh. Well, it's a little nice to be mothered.

"How're things going? Hadn't seen you in a day or so... well, since you know," he kinda lets that go, deciding maybe it's better not to talk about it after all. Terra gave him that somewhat embarassed/guilty look and he's not sure why. He doesn't consider it her fault. Sometimes bad things just happen. Though he's not really invited, he does sit down across from her finally. Not enough energy yet to just keep standing and that sucks. He's not used to feeling this way.

Terra nods a little, and then there's some awkward silence while she has a forkful or two of rabbit food. Chew chew chew chew, swallow. Mm. "I, um, I'm really sorry about all of that," she says finally, looking down at the salad and blushing faintly, her voice just barely loud enough to be easily intelligible. "I... I should've been watching where I went," she adds, just a little more faintly.

Irvine props an elbow on the table, resting his cheek against his palm. He glances away for a moment, then flicks blue eyes back at Terra as she apologizes, "Sorry for wh-- oh come on, Terra. It was a blizzard out at the time, I couldn't see that far even, could easily have been me. Stop beating yourself up for it, isn't the broken leg enough?" He grins then, that regular irritating little smiles of his.

Terra slumps a little, and makes a non-committal sound - Irvine DOES have a point, after all. She then takes another forkful of rabbit_food and munches it, before saying, weakly, "It's probably good that it was me, I mean, because I was in front...." Trail off. Sip her chocolate milk (mmmm!) "Because if it'd been you, I mean, I might not have even KNOWN until I was back at the inn..." Although maybe some people wouldn't mind Irvine vanishing down a glacier, Terra would - and so would Selphie, that's for sure.

Irvine chuckles then, knowing he'd probably have actually died down there if he'd been the one to take the fall. Now, how many of his former trysts would have whooped for joy over that one? Most. "I wish it hadn't happened to either of us, but shit happens." Indeed, that pretty much sums up his thoughts on the entire fiasco. Rising to his feet again, he shrugs, "Just let it go, Terra. It's not like I'm mad at you, or even have a right to be."
      
Terra looks up again, blinking and saying, with faint surprise, "Are you leaving?" She'd been hoping he'd stay for a little while... She's never been the most sociable of people, admittedly, but she's gotten used to the idea of having the ability to at least do something diverting when she didn't have someone to talk with - and she doesn't want to go get beaten at Triple Triad by Dr. Kadowaki - and, well.. she doesn't want to be a pariah! Her leg isn't contagious, darn it! Besides, she might get found and ripped into by Cathy, which would be a Bad Thing.

Reaching up to tug at his ponytail, Irvine shrugs and sits again. "Guess not, if you want me to stay or something." Seeing as Terra usually likes to have her space, the cowboy was just gonna give it back to her. He likes her well enough, and knows more about her then he did before the fiasco, but isn't silly enough to think she feels any differently about him then before. Which is to say, he really didn't think she liked him at all.

Terra would probably go chat with Quistis, if she was around - in fact, she's a little surprised she didn't wake up to find Quistis clucking over her. This seems to be a tradition, at least for those who are somehow Special (her, Squall the Super-Saiyajin) but, well, she wasn't hurt by it or anything. "If you're not busy," she says, abashedly, before taking another bite of the salad. She may not have that much interesting to say, but it's nice to have someone there who's not trying to get her to do something or anything like that -- plus, of course, she's a touch paranoid about Her Royal Cathyness.

Irvine shrugs his shoulders, resting arms on the table again. He's not eating anything so it's not rude... right? "Not really. Doc wants me in bed, actually. But I've been sleeping for so long now I feel out of sorts. Didn't think it was possible to sleep that much and that long." Cathy isn't even on his mind at the moment, the wench has been busy with other gossip avenues lately and hasn't bothered with him.

Terra says, a little more cheerfully, "Why don't you get something to eat? That ought to help." She's Ms. Nanny, isn't she? Put her in a long dress and call her 'matron'. (Or then again, don't.) Besides, she'd normally get up and flit over to the counter to get him something herself, but then, she can't.

Irvine really should, except that he's suddenly not hungry. It comes and goes. His meds are wearing off again. Well, the cold medicine is, the other thing Kadowaki has him taking is entirely different and he guesses it's working since he can breathe again. "I should... I can't stay long though, if Doc finds me up around here she'll make me stay in the infirmary. I got a special deal to stay in my room."
      
Terra ohs quietly, and nods. She then says, awkwardly, "Can I, um, ask you something?" She's turning red all of a sudden, oddly, and she's turning her attention down to the food and picking at it with her fork. Then she takes a long gulp of chocomilk. (That sounds like it has chocobos, doesn't it?) "I mean, if you don't want to answer, it... um... it's okay...."

Irvine lifts a reddish colored eyebrow at that one. Seeing Terra stammering and blushing is kinda unusual. Well, unless she's caught him kissing Selphie or something, then it seems fairly standard. "Sure.... what's up?" Seeing as most of his life is well known via the Rumor machine, there's not much he won't answer honestly anyway.
      
Terra says, lowering her voice and leaning over a little, "Um, are you-" She swallows quickly, and laughs in a nervous sort of way, before saying again, a little shakily, "Are you and, um, I mean, do you and Selphie know if there's any sort of regulations about, ehn, children?" Is she talking about underclassmen? (Hint: no.) After that, she slips back in her seat and smiles feebly, before turning attention to salad quite firmly. ._.

That has to be the oddest thing he's ever been asked. Of course, Irvine doesn't understand the context she's talking about. Is she pregnant or something? Er, the way she reacts to sexual things makes the gunman think, no, definately -not-. Kids, kids, er, what's she getting at? Wait, maybe she's got a candidate in mind, hey that at least sounds somewhat logical. "Children? Most of the candidates who come in here start as children, Terra, why?" She should know that anyway, wasn't she a counseler or something? Clueless, the man is utterly clueless.

Terra makes a vague gesture, and says in a nervous little trill, "I mean about you and Suh-Selphie, um, eeh heh.." She shoves some salad in her mouth. Shut up, brain, and chew. After the four-second break in which she eats, she says, meekly, "I meant for when you two, um, I mean, it'll happen eventually, won't it?" Let's see how in-denial Irvine will be! Maybe she can really mess him up.

Irvine is stunned into silence. Literally. He gapes at Terra, wondering where the hell this came from. After a moment, the gears in his head start churning forward yet again, and he absorbs the question for a really long moment as he tries to form a response. Children? Him and Selphie? To be honest he hadn't much thought about it. Sure, someday they'd have kids, but marriage would have to come before that, and sex for that matter. "Terra... where did this come from?" It's not every day that someone outright asks him if he and Selphie are expecting, after all.

Terra says, more quietly - at least she's being QUIET about her slanders and misunderstandings - "I.. um, I kn-knew two people, and, um, they were about the same age as you.." I.E., Selphie-Irvy age. "And, w-well, they... um... I mean, she was pre.." Okay, suck it up, spit it out. "Pregnant, and I had to h-help with the birth, um, I had just been worrying about you both..." Now she's blushing practically up to her ears, the poor girl, this hasn't been a very fun occurence for her.

Eh, he gets it finally. Irvine listens with that same perplexed expression as he realizes Terra's making the same assumption everyone else is, namely he and Selphie are doing the horizontal bop. Chewing at the underside of his lip for a moment, he can't quite look at Terra as she finishes her explanation. "Well, I wouldn't worry about that, Terra. We're not having sex. Therefore, I really highly doubt Selphie is pregnant. But, I appreciate the concern." Glancing back at her finally, he does look kinda serious as he adds, "If the time comes that we ever do, we'll both be using protection, s'okay?"

Terra hasn't made that assumption -as such-. She has, however, observed that when a man and a woman are in close personal contact on a regular basis, some agent or reaction can take place, which results in a new_person. "Oh," she says meekly; she does also gather having sex is involved, although the mechanism by which this takes place is... not mysterious, but still kind of enigmatic to her. "...protection?" She looks up, and blinks, before saying with perfect innocence, "You mean the Protect spell?"

Irvine bites at his lip again, but this time it's to keep himself from laughing. He never realized just how naive Terra was about this sort of thing. He opts to be vague about it too, just to save her anymore undue embarassment. "No, Terra, there's lots of forms of protection other then spells. Just take my word for it, Selphie and I won't be having kids till we're good and ready to." Famous last words.

It's a very to the sixth power good thing that Cathy isn't around, because she could and would mock Terra mercilessly over this particular little bit of information. "All right," she says, nodding - assuming the reaction Irvine is having is one of embarrasment, after all, Duane was very protective of Katarin - and smiling faintly. "I just, you know, it was kind of something I'd worried about.... at least I wouldn't have to help with it, here," she finishes, meaning something completely different from what it will likely sound like.

Rising to his feet again, Irvine can't help but chuckle this time, "Don't worry, Terra. But hey, I appreciate the concern." However, there's a reason why there are no mini-Irvines running around at Galbadia. The gunman is nothing if he's not excessively careful. He had one girl try to claim a false pregnancy just once and that was enough for him to be utterly obsessive with protection from that point on. He's not ready to be a daddy just yet. Reaching up to tip his hat, he bids farewell, "Well, I'll let you get back to your dinner. Take care."

Terra says, in a sort of low-level nag, "You ought to get something to take back to your room with you, even if you're not hungry now, you might be later." Tsk tsk. (Oh, she's in her Garden uniform again, in case 'twas not clear. The parka and earmuffs would be odd in the cafeteria, to say the least.) "And say hello to Selphie for me."

Muttering something under his breath, Irvine concedes without any real argument, "All right, all right. And I'll tell Sefie hi for you too." Heading away from the table, Terra can see him actually stop at the counter and get something before heading out the door with the little paper take out bag.

Striding down the corridor, heading back to his dorm room, Irvine is mulling something over. Something he hadn't really considered before Terra brought it up. I mean, how often does someone start grilling you about your bedroom antics? Quite frankly it wasn't any of her business, though he's not really irritated with her for asking. She seemed embarassed enough about the topic... just not embarassed enough to like, not ask. Luckily, the illness allowed him to feign an out, so he could get back to his room and avoid further discussion on the subject.
He's alone, which is noteworthy since he and Selphie are practically glued at the hip as of late, and looks a little paler then usual. Otherwise, he seems to be his typical self.

And there's a damn weird sight. Seifer. Sitting... before his door... in the middle of the hall? The proper response is: What the hell? o/O; Yup. Just sitting there. He's even... dressed as he used to be. Sleeveless zipper-top, dark blue slacks, belt, long coat at his side. But there he is. There's no effort to get inside, no noise mae. Just.. Seifer sitting outside the door. Cue the Twilight Zone music.

Indeed. The cowboy has to actually stop for a second and do a double take. Oh look there's Seifer sitting in front of the door to his room doo bee doo hey.... WHAT? *blinkblink* Lifting a reddish eyebrow, Irvine walks past the door to his own room, hands being shoved into the pockets of his duster as he approaches the blonde. "Er, Seifer, you're not locked out are you?" Images of Fuujin with a rolling pin come to mind, but not this.

Jade eyes crack open, and Seifer blinks once, twice, and then looks up. Oh. Someone's here. He looks up, pushing from the door to lean forward a bit, and then shakes his head. "Nope." ... Must be Fuujin with the rolling pin, right? Seifer just scratches his hair slightly. "Would you believe I'm trying to figure out how to tell my wife something?" He asks after a moment. Yup. Marital troubles. Right? Right! Just thinki of what you're looking forward too!

Marriage isn't on the top of Irvine's 'to think about in the near future' list. (Especially with all the damn rumors going around thanks to that damn picture in the newsletter.) So, at the thought of Seifer having marital troubles, the cowboy has to supress the immediate desire to flee. However, this is all about Seifer and Fuujin and has nothing to do with the redhead's girlfriend. This is good. This he can handle. "Oh? Anything serious?"

Seifer cants his head and looks thoughtful for a time, and then nods. "You could say that." He pauses. "IF being made second in command of garden is 'serious'. Which I'm pretty sure it is... and why I'm hestitant to tell my wife... who will probably flip /right/ out and attempt to beat me 'round the head and shoulders." And he says it so casually. Mostly becaues the shock has set in and yet to wera off. He was fine, last night. Went to bed after Squall left, woke up... and then just sort of hit his mental snooze button and staggered about all day. HE has to tell Fuujin. He's second in comand of Garden. Squall is a super-powered mako-charged killing machine and Seifer is his training partner. ... Sigh.

What is this? See how many loops the day can throw at the cowboy and knock him off his feet? He starts to nod, half listening to Seifer in that sympathetic, empathetic, oh I feel your pain kinda way, and then what the blonde wonder said really -hits- him. For the second time in the last half an hour he's stunned into silence. He's almost expecting Selphie to suddenly enter the picture and announce the impossible pregnancy now. After a moment of awkward silence, he says, "Well, I take it Fuujin wouldn't approve of that at all." It's not really a question. And he doesn't even wanna ask how this 'Second in Command' thing came about.
      
Hell, Seifer isn't very sure how it happened, or why, or what this 'old plan' Squall was talking about for months was.. but... Well, here it is, in his lap. Messy. "Probably not. Means ... lots of shit. Lots and LOTS of shit. And that I can be more convienently nailed to a cross as a scapegoat." Baa. But he shrugs once, before saying, "Squall told me I ought to talk to you, too. As a fellow," A smirk and a bob of his shouler in a silent laugh, "non-SeeD."

And probably a going to never -be- a SeeD. "Lotta responsibility," he quips offhandedly, as if they were discussing something ordinary and mundane at the moment. Irvine feels a bit of a cold child down his spine as Seifer mentions Squall's insistence the two 'bond' or something as the non-SeeD. He's still technically a Cadet, though he felt it was almost a career in and of itself. Of course, that could just be the illness reminding him that it's still there, lurking around in his system, but he doubts it. As much shit as he's done for Squall et al, they damn well better not expect much more from him if all he's here for is to be used. "He called me that, did he." Whoa, lookout, dark seed's been planted in the mind of Garden's Hitman.

"Ayup. But then I told him that you could hardly be placed in the same catergory as a former megalomaniac ex-Knight, eh?" Mighty jaunty about it, but who knew? He grunts, pushing away from the door as he rises. Might as well get up and converse then sit there like a lump on a log. But then he says, "I wouldn't put to much stock in it at the moment. Squall was.. not himself last night. And may not be for a while." But he shrugs slightly. "But he'll be putting out the memo on that, and his ... problems with the ShinRa."

"S'long as he isn't expecting me to go sniping again," Irvine replies quietly. It's no secret in Garden that he's the resident sharpshooter, as well as the would-be assassin of the infamous Kefka. That aside, he shrugs, at the Ex-Knight, "I hardly knew you then anyway, Seifer, not gonna judge you for that." It's nice to be a transfer student at times. He's heard about a few things from Selphie occasionally, but that was about the extent of it. Otherwise, he just remembered the bully Seifer was during the orphanage days. He ponders for a moment, cornflower blue eyes distant. Then, adds, "What's wrong with Squall? I talked to him briefly on the commlink. They... didn't do anything nasty to him, did they?"
      
"Yes. They did. A number of things. But that's for him to tell you." Seifer's voice is grave--and the young man is a /far/ from the bully once-upon-a-time. If only someone would REALIZE this. But then, the young man sighs slightly--and looks at you oddly as you mention sniping. He's... not going to say it. Not at all. c/c; But there's something there on the tip of his tongue, battering at his teeth to be spat out. Instead, he just shrugs a little, and then says, "Anyawy... I don't really want to talk about this."

Luckily, Irvine doesn't notice the evasive look from Seifer. Nor does he press for any further details about what was done to Squall. He'll worry for a bit, but talk to the Commander in private later. As for bullying, Irvine was always on the fringe of things even back then, and kinda went with the flow. Everyone else saw him as a bully, so Irvine the kid did so too. Reaching up to idly tug at his ponytail, Irvine half smiles, kinda in an apologetic way, "Sorry, I'll drop it. Good luck with it, anyway." Fuujin seems a lot harder to convince then say... Selphie.

"Thanks. I'll need it." He grins as he says it, and then slides his hands through his hair again. "So, fellow 'Non-SeeD'," and he says that in the most /joking/ way possible--as if to suggest that it does not factor into what he's about to say, "Why to you look like death warmed over, anyway? You're kinda pale."

"Been sick," Irvine replies easily enough. His voice is kinda hoarse too, come to think of it. "Terra took a spill while we were on a supply run, had us trapped out in the middle of snow country under blizzard and freezing conditions." He does neglect to mention that he was sick to begin with and had no business being ordered to tag along with her. It's a minor detail to him. "She broke her leg."

Seifer mmms, and nods once. "I see," he says simply. Not a whole lot to say about that... Hell, Seifer's not that great at socialization, so when he finds his problems have run thier course, and they're now talking about yours, well then. He blinks quietly, and then... shrugs. He doesn't know Terra froma hill of beans. "Too bad." He frowns slightly, as he thinks on, and then sighs. "Sorry if I'm not the greatest conversattionalist, but I've had a shitty day."

Though most people wouldn't consider being made 'Second in Command' a 'shitty day' sort of thing, Irvine actually kinda understands, seeing as he'd probably twitch and fall over dead if something similiar happened to him. Bleh, that kinda responsibility is for the birds. Or for Squalls and Seifers. Heh. "Notta problem. Sure you don't want my pity either, really. If it makes any difference, though, I think Squall chose the right person." Maybe Quistis would have been better, but she's... well, let's not go there, the cowboy's a wee bit sexist in these matters.

Seifer does! But then, that's because he's got a whole sort of different view on things. Life. Garden. Authority. Him, in a position of authority, especially. He's scared shitleess, in all honesty, but ahs no one to admit that too just yet. But he... blinks dimly. You think... . Squall chose well? o/O; Seifer sort of pauses and /stares/ at you, and then says, mildly, "Thanks for the vote of confidence." And he relaly does mean it. You can hear it in the tone of his voice. He really is thankfuly someone believes that he won't run Garden into the ground, or take over the world.

Shrugging his shoulders, Irvine doesn't act like his vote of confidence is any big deal. He's just the Garden Hitman, after all, let the masters of war point him in the right direction and he'll point the gun. Otherwise, his role in this place seems rather minimal, and growing steadily less the more time goes by. The more he ponders it, the broodier he's gonna get too, which isn't helped by the cold bug. Besides, he really doesn't know what an egomanical bastard Seifer was even before the Ultimecia conflict. By the cowboy's own logic, what more humbling experience could someone go through then to be puppeted by that witch? "I'd follow you." He taps his temple then, smiling a little again, "I've got no prejudices to overcome up here though." Yeah, he knows the role Seifer's been forced to play around here, baa baa indeed.
      
There's a slight narrowing of jade eyes, and the ex-Knight sighs. "Don't remind me. I took Squall out drinking, and he got wasted... and the next morning, we call from the hotel, and I get accused of taking him away and murdering him." A brief raise of brows, and a smirk. "Mind you, he wished he was dead, curled around the base of the toilet..."

A reddish eyebrow lifts again, the gesture half lost to the brim of his hat. Squall drunk is something Irvine has a hard time picturing. And he voices this aloud too, "Squall actually let loose long enough to get drunk?"

That gets a vigorous nod. "He sipped whisky, and proclaimed, with a gasp, that it was paint thinner. Four more shots and he was wasted. I was on six or so... but we had to stop cause otherwise he wasn't going to walk from the bar to the hotel." Not only did he get drunk, Seifer took him to a bar! n/n b Rinoa dn Fuujin probably did not approve. But he grins at the memory. "He was... rather talkative. Social drunk." We won't get into what kinda drunk Seifer is. Loud and boisterous and ... very 'manly'. c/c;

Irvine has been drunk before himself, but isn't about to tell Seifer about that. Well, if he could remember half of it even. He steps back a bit to lean against the wall. "Paint thinner, and he kept drinking it anyway." He shakes his head, but he's grinning. "Should take him out again, I'd love to see that." Uh oh... getting an idea or two...

"Well, he did! And then learned how to 'toss backs shorts and not taste them'." Seifer was his proud instructor, and one can tell from the grin that's blossomed over his face. "But it was pretty damn fun, in all honesty. I want to haul him out again, and socialize him a bit but..." Yes! Look! Same wavelength! */*; Scary thought, ne? Seifer reaches up to scratch his chin, and then says, "WEll, he /does/ want to have some sort of party. Raise morale and all that, try and get folks a little less wound up..."

"I know he was wanting Sefie to do final stuff on the Garden Festival," Irvine says with a shrug. Of course, that means the gunman's been roped into helping her out with whatever she's got left to do. "But that's a Garden thing. We should grab him and a bunch of the guys and drag him off for a more private thing." No women. Just a bunch of testosterone laden men with alcohol. Sounds both frightening and fun. Besides, women always find a way of ruining the fun eventually. Feh.