Road of Memories

Road of Memories
Date of Scene:	17 December 2012
Location:	Darkness - The Crossroad
Synopsis:	Rinoa takes a wrong turn and ends up lost. She runs into Seifer, who leads her back to safety. Along the way she reminisces about their past..
Cast of Characters:	Rinoa Heartilly, Seifer Almasy

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Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
The fight with Garland and his minion back at Cornelia had left Rinoa plenty shaken and tired. Knowing that there was nothing more she could do for the unresponsive prince, she was determined to get in some more training with Tifa. In her current exhausted state, she just wanted to go 'home', even if home meant a foreign country and city, in a foreign bar that had become her new home..

She had promised to meet up with Tifa back at Goug, but after missing the last airship of the night, Rinoa had decided to take a short cut through one of the portals. Hadn't both Kaydin and Reynold said they were not that dangerous? Surely this was the one on the map that would lead back to Goug..

Unfortunately it ended up that the map was badly drawn, and she found herself anywhere but Goug! Stumbling out of the portal, she rubs her arms as she glances down the scary looking path. "Phew, it sure is lonely here..Angelo..Which way do we go? I cant believe that mapmaker sold us such a bad map!" At any rate, there's nothing to be done about it but proceed down the path. Surely it leads somewhere helpful?

Angelo Whines as she follows after her mistress, seeming just as lost as she is..

Seifer Almasy has posed:
Vague word of the rampage of Garland had reached Seifer, he having overheard it in one tavern or another on his meanderings through the shattered world. That Rinoa was present for the incidents was a fact that the gossips had left out. Would it have made any difference to him if he had known?

Here and now, Seifer found himself on this very same path. Ironic, maybe just coincidental. Either way, the sound of a voice... and a whine brings his attention away from his phone, fingers snapping the cell closed before slipping it away into his coat as he rose to his feet. Stepping past the fcorner of the cornfield that had obscured him from her view and she from his, Seifer froze. Rinoa... the voice struck a familier chord just a moment to late. He considered leaving for almost a second... but his... his ego, his heart, his stubborness refused to let him run away from even something like a awkward encounter. So, tugging at his coat to straighten it, Seifer steeled himself.

"I always told you that you're too trusting." his voice range out over the solitude as he strode into the center of the road With one hand poised at his hip, he used the other to make some vague, sweeping gesture. "'Probably saw you for a sucker the moment he saw you."

Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
Rinoa hears a soft sound behind her somewhere, but in the near darkness, she doesnt immediately make out the figure. Still, she's about to take chances and she freezes on the spot, adjusting her blaster edge as she spins around to face what she presumes is a heartless. Angelo however, seems to already know who it is, and she barks lightly at the familiar figure in grey, running towards him and nuzzling against his hand.

It's only when he comes into the moonlight that Rinoa realizes who he is, and slowly she lowers her weapon. Well, this is worse than running into heartless..Almost. Talk about awkward!

"Oh...Seifer. What are you doing out here?" is he just as lost as she is? And why does Angelo always run towards him? After all the pain he caused..Grr...She whistles, summoning Angelo back to her side, although she seems hesitant to leave..

"What? You mean this map?" she chuckles, tossing it away with a shrug, "Well, you gotta trust some people afterall, otherwise you don't get anywhere in the end. And what about you? I suppose you know exactly where you are and where you're going?" Rinoa folds her arms, glaring back at him a bit stubbornly, although there is a softness underneath that gaze rather than any real emnity. Quistis' words about Seifer were a bit harsh, but as for Rinoa, she almost felt..Sorry for him. Almost.

Seifer Almasy has posed:
Seifer rarely smiles, his features seemingly defaulting to a scowl or the look of someone sucking on a lemon. When he isn't smiling, he's smirking. Cocky, arrogant, demeaning... It's rare to see anything from the positive spectrum of emotions play across his face, save of course when Angelo is around... Seifer always has a bit of a smile for Angelo. It plays across his face like a figure in a fog. The vague outline is there but nothing definite. He greets her with a quiet, "Hey, Girl." and a few pets upon her head. With the whistle it is gone, he exchanges glances with the dog and cocks his head towards Rinoa, a silent gesture of concession.

"More or less." he answers her questions, in as unclear a method as possible, pausing to frown disapprovingly when she discards the map.

He closes the distance between them, his stride even and slow. "Trust too many people and you get taken advantage of." he chides her, failing to voice the hazerds of trusting too few. He found her discarded map and stooped down, one hand resting on his knee as he bent down to collect it, paper rustling in his gloved hand as he straightened. "You shouldn't litter, Rinoa." he reminds her with a dry reproach.

Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
"Here girl.." And she pats the dog's head, giving Seifer a silent glare. It irritates her to no end that he treats her dog more kindly than he treats her! But then again, Angelo only followed her mistress's orders, whereas Rinoa freely chose to oppose the sorcerss and by extension, Seifer himself. Why had fate forced them against each other like this? Was it really so hopeless?

Still, she was too stubborn to give up.

"Well, good for you! But I didn't even need a map anyway! I'm sure I can find my way around just fine without one.." she smirks, "No need to worry about me trusting too easily. I can take good care of myself, Seifer. After all, I've been practicing pretty hard, been fighting lots of heartless. But thanks for the concern.." She tilts her head, "Maybe there's hope for you yet.

It's a light tease, or perhaps she is testing him? Either way, she's rather surprised when he tells her off for littering. "Ohh? So, what are you going to do, arrest me?"

Seifer Almasy has posed:
It wasn't Angelo's fault that a line had been drawn between the two of them.

Rinoa puts on airs and Seifer's gaze wanders, drifting in what might be a vigilant sweep or just a distencing glance. It'd her last line that digs a barb into his side, Hope? Why would he need hope?! He scowls bitterly, peering at her once more.

Whatever heat is in his gaze dies away quickly, a suggestion of a smile slipping along his lips, eyes falling closed, head giving a rueful shake. "As if I would. Do I look like a police officer to you?" he wonders aloud, arms lifting up at his sides as if in presentation. Behold, Seifer Almasy; Not a Cop.

"Besides," he tosses the idea, but not the map, aside with a gesture of his hand, "Not like I have anywhere I could keep you. I know well enough that you're slippery enough to wiggle out of a pair of handcuffs if you wanted to." A ribald statement from Seifer Almasy?! Just what manner of salacious things did these to get upto during their memorable summer? Or maybe he's just talking about escaping a pair of handcuffs without attaching any perverse meaning to it.

More than likely the second bit.

"You'd be too much trouble to try and pin down." he continues. "Still, don't litter. It's against the rules."

Who's rules? His rules!

Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
Rinoa arches a brow, when he scowls some more and then seems to scoff at the very idea of himself being a cop. She smirks a little, the corner of her lips twitching, and then..She just bursts out laughing. "Oh...Do you look like a cop? Seriously? That's...Ehehehh..."

She can't help it, covering her mouth as she turns away. "Well, I dunno, Seifer, I mean. You'd make a pretty good cop, what with sticking to the rules and all. And you do it with such gusto too! Imagine that, a cop with such a wry, sarcastic sense of humour.." A casual shrug as she imagines how he would police the people of Deling City. Well at the very least, he had some sort of honor, even if it may have been twisted by the sorceress..

Then he starts talking about..Questionable things and she arches a brow. "I guess you learn a few tricks when your dad's an army general. I learned to become VERY resourceful. Both in matters of combat, and in charming people.." A sly wink. "I even thought we were gonna win in liberating Timber..." Rinoa trails off then, suddenly seeming sad for some reason. It made her sad to think of Deling, Timber...Was her father still alive? What of Watts and Zone? Had the heartless eaten their world by now too?

When he speaks of littering, she regards him a bit more seriously now, her heart heavy as she nods. "Yeah, alright. I'll keep that in mind, next time." You know, assuming there would be random garbage cans on the side of a random road like this! A sudden chill air ruffles her hair and she rubs her cold arms again. "Well. I should head back. It's getting late.."

Not only that, but little gold eyes and shadowy figures start to emerge from the edge of the pathway. The heartless are coming, and they wont wait..But, If only she had a proper map! She might be wandering around here forever..

Seifer Almasy has posed:
Seifer's teeth peek out from behind his lips as they spread into a idle sneer, his features tilting forward once more as he cinches his eyes shut, a hand lifting up to pinch forefinger and thumb against the scarred, bridge of his nose. He looses a almost hissed breath before fixing her with a indignate glare, "I am not a cop!" he proclaims as he straightens, a finger driving the point home by jabbing towards her in the sopace between.

He's a Knight!

If he were a cop, they wouldn't be in /this/ situation.

The mention of Timber sobers things. Timber... where it all changed. Where would he be now, were it not for Timber? Where would he be if he had simply remained in his cell when he heard that his... that they needed him? His expression becomes distant as he glances away, "It wasn't a... bad idea." he remarks.

His mind wanders, wanders back. With his blade at Vinzler's neck, he was backed into a corner, nowhere else to go... He offers only a grunt as she promises not to litter.

The cold air brings him back, kissing his cheeks with it's frigid lips, his attention falls to her once more... She's not getting his coat. Instead, "Winter's coming around to almost everywhere. You should start wearing something with sleeves..." his gaze drops, "and pant legs."

His gaze darts, the heartless are growing bold or hungry. He flips his coat away, Hyperion revealed, resting at his hip. "Hold on!" he asks, a stalling hand lifted before it darts into his coat, retrieving his phone once more, fliping it open with a nudge of his thumb. "You still have your cell on you?" he asks, attention divided between navigating his phone's menu and keeping a eye on the milling beasts, free hand resting along Hyperion's slide.

Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
Angelo growls as he peers into the shadows, warily eyeing the heartless that gather. They're growing more numerous by the minute.. No, this is definitely not a good place to stop and chat. They need to keep moving. Rinoa starts to walk slowly away from the heartless in the shadows, still shivering. Damn, she's not getting that coat this time, is she.

Ahh yes, Timber, where is all started, and all ended. In that one fateful moment, when she'd got mad at Squall and left him and the other SeeDs, rather than join them to stop Seifer..If she had been there would things have been different?

She nods, making a face. "Well, it's different climate wherever I go. But..I guess I'll start looking for a nice long coat to keep me warm." She pauses when he asks about her phone and nods. "Yeah, why?"

Seifer Almasy has posed:
Get your own coat, y'bum!

With her positive reply, Seifer thumbed another button or two, this set off Rinoa's phone. A incoming image prompt waiting for her. He trots after her in time, lifting his head to survey their predicament.

"I've found a few more reliable maps." he explains, glossing over his reason for collecting them. "I don't have everything yet... but this might help you get to major cities without wandering into nests." he wagers, flipping his phone closed but still keeping it at hand.

Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
"Hmm, what's this?" She peers at the map that loads on her phone, and breaks out into a smile. "Wow, that's so much better, why didn't I think of that?" she chuckles and nods. "Umm, thanks. I guess the nearest portal, which leads into Travese Town is..That way.." She points into the distance, a good 300 meters away..Unfortunately the heartless are closing in quickly, surrounding them..

Angelo barks, already rushing towards the nearest ones that lash out at them, and Rinoa readies a bolt. "I guess..We just have to blast our way through!" Usually quite shy and anxious about fighting at all, she somehow feels safer next to Seifer..

~Like I could take on the world..~ Rinoa thinks, eyes narrowed as she looses her sawblade at a heartless that leaps at her, tearing it to shreds. It arches through the air, slashing into another heartless before returning to her.

But there are still more monsters, attracted by their hearts, leaping at them with their nasty claws and teeth.

Seifer Almasy has posed:
Protect. With confrontation now inevitable, the word rings in his mind, in his heart. With each throb of the wretched muscle, it rings out inside of him. Protect, Protect, Protect.

The hand that had laid across Hyperion now steadies the weapon in it's sheath, his phone vanishes into his coat once more, freeing his right hand. It flies to Hyperion's handle and disengages the safety before drawing the blade free in a grnad flourish, the metal singing as it is born into the cold night, moonlight gleaming along it's polished edge.

Protect, Protect, Protect.

Her blade sling can handle those milling farther away, he handles those that dare to close in. He is on them, among them, sweeping through them like a dancer, twisting and turning on the balls of his feet, Hyperion lashing out at everything around him, whistling through the air and finding purchase in the horrid, shadowey stuff that makes up the dredges of the heartless army. Parry, riposte, thrust, slash, all well practiced against a foe that could nearly match him step for step. The Heartless, although great in number, are a poor replacement for someone with the heart of a lion.

Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
Rinoa adjusts her position, stepping into the back row to take on the heartless that stand further away, while Seifer takes on the ones that come in close. The wind whips around her ears, although it no longer matters as she's so focused on the battle. Angelo barks, rushing to her side as a group of heartless gather before her, blasting the party with lightning and fire from afar.

"Angelo!" She whistles and he leaps on her hand, shooting out towards them atop her blaster edge, unleashing an explosion of magic. Momentarily distracted, she is nearly struck from a heartless behind before Seifer slices through it with a finesse that is somehow familiar.."Just like him.." She murmurs, remembering how Squall brandished a gunblade of his own - a rarity in their world. And yet so different as well. What was it that drew her to these two people, who shared so many similarities and yet couldn't be more different..?

"Heh, just like old times.." She quips, remembering the time they'd gone on a picnic date, only to be interrupted by a raging and hungry Grendel. They'd formed quite a good team back then too..

It's not long before almost all the heartless are dispatched, leaving only a few stragglers here and there..She'll let mister not-a-cop deal with 'em..Rinoa lowers her blaster edge, breathing lightly, no longer cold as the blood has rushed to her legs and arms. "Phew..I guess you're never really rid of them..But at least we beat them.." This time, at least..

Angelo barks, rushing to her side, also a little winded, a bit bruised but alive. At least they didn't have to run away like at the fiends' temple..

Seifer Almasy has posed:
 %R Protect her, protect her, protect her, destroy them, destroy them, destroy them.

As it wore to the close, Seifer's viciousness manifested, coming to a head when the last of them went scrambling into a full retreat, only to find itself to slow, it's short, spindly legs unable to out-pace the long, hungry strides of the Sorceress' Knight.

Hyperion dove into it's back, Seifer pulled the trigger, it was no more.

He turned away from what was the last of them, Hyperion finding rest once more as he slid it away into it's scabbard, the weapon seeming to disappear just as soon as his coat folded around it. It didn't actually vanish... There just wasn't a model of Seifer with Hyperion sheathed on the disc.

"Not until we wipe them all out at the source." he agreed. dusting his hands off as he approached her once more, arms crossing over his middle once he was satisfied. "Been more ever since Manhatten... Even Deling is getting more of their attention. I've had to double patrols ever since the refugees started pouring in."

Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
Rinoa nods grimly. "I suppose so. I wish I could have done more back in Manhattan, but they were too many, too powerful.." She pauses, considering. What was the sorceress' stance on all of this? With all her power and might, was even she not able to repel the heartless?

She glances curiously at Seifer as he finishes the rest off with a kind of cold precision. No, maybe not quite like *him*, afterall, Squall was so very passionless, fighting more out of necessity and duty than out of passion as Seifer seemed to battle. Rinoa smirks a little, and even chuckles softly to herself.

Why was she comparing them like that? They were nothing alike. Even so, she's glad that she could still count on Seifer, even if he WAS protecting someone that SeeD were ordered to kill. Fortunately, the heartless seemed a priority at the moment.

"Hmm...So I guess even Deling has their hands full then?" She frowns, "I'm..Worried. I hope General Caraway's alright..I haven't seen him, ever since..Then.." Rinoa peers into the distance, sighing softly. "I..Need to return to Deling. Even if it'd be dangerous, still I need to help out. And..I'm worried about my dad.."

No, it's not a word she'd use often..'Dad'. But, in this day and age, she was willing to put her differences aside to make sure he was still alive and well. Rinoa pets Angelo, scritching her behind the ears and it gives her some comfort, although she misses being able to hug..Him..She glances over at Seifer, quickenning her pace towards the looming portal. "We should get out of here before more come.."

Seifer Almasy has posed:
If he knew anything about Caraway, Seifer didn't seem to be volunteering the information. Did Edea know of his part in her attempted assassination... did she care?

"Do what you have to do..." he answered simply, humor, mirth, warmth, it drained from him with that statement... "I know better than to try and stand in your way." he continued, attention turning from her to Angelo... She's watching out for her now, even if Squall's flounced off to who knows where. "Just watch yourself."

He comes to a halt, letting her trail away from him, "I'm headed somewhere else." he confesses, tarrying just a moment longer before turning away. "Don't worry, most Heartless know better than to mess with me." he claims. Fear, he thinks... unwilling to dare imagine any other reason.

Rinoa Heartilly has posed:
Rinoa turns away, frowning softly when he doesn't volunteer any information. Seems she'll have to see for herself, what happened. It seems he's returned to his cool self again, and she just nods slowly, fists clenched slightly.

"Yes, alright..The same to you." She smiles a little at his statement, nodding. "It was...Good to see you again, to fight at your side.." Just like old times, she thinks. Even if the past can never be reclaimed, at least she can still fight at his side..At least she feels safe with him near. If only...But how silly to think things can be like that again!

And as for Squall, where was Squall? He was supposed to help her. To be her 'hero'. After he'd rescued her from Edea at least, she had thought so briefly. And then Seifer heads off, and Rinoa turns around quickly.

"Seifer...Take care of yourself too.." She murmurs before rushing into the portal..To her next adventure, whatever that may be!