(no subject)

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

Character(s): Quistis and ANYONE
Location: Training Center
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Open/Closed/Finished: Open
Summary: In an attempt to clear her mind, Quistis heads to the Training Center to beat down some monsters.



While Quistis had told many of the new cadets that she was sure their transition to the world would take some time to properly adjust to, she hadn't expected to encounter the same problem herself. She wasn't new to the world, after all-- even if she had been pulled from the past, she was still a native and had become especially familiar with nearly every corner of the world considering the amount of traveling she had done over the course of the mission. While the time which passed over the rift in the Time Compression hadn't changed the world much, the mere fact that she had skipped over two decades in an instant still perturbed her slightly. It was unsettling, knowing one being could harness such an extreme power.

And now after the grueling journey, she was allowed to resume her life as a SeeD. It seemed simple enough, and perhaps the most natural reaction should have been for Quistis to accept the regression with open arms and jump back into the life she was so familiar with without any problems-- but things were never that easy. With the discoveries that she had made along the quest regarding her forgotten past, the fact that she had to face her own maternal figure in battle with no room for hesitation coupled with the constant paranoia of monster and military personnel ambushes during all hours of the day, it was understandable that the transition back to "normal" SeeD life would take some time. No matter how hard she tried to push herself, in the end even Quistis had to acknowledge she was only human.

So with her restless state, Quistis turned to the most obvious means to settle her mind, an outlet to momentarily distract herself: Training.

It wasn't quite yet curfew when Quistis made her way down to the Training Center, but by the steady stream of students heading towards the dormitories, she had no doubts that the Disciplinary Committee would begin to make their rounds soon. While it wasn't against Garden rules to occupy the Training Area after curfew, the thought of another possible encounter with a certain arrogant blond when they began their patrolling around the lobby quickened Quistis' steps just a touch as she walked over the bridge connecting to the Center entrance. She was in no mood to deal with Seifer.

Her usual battle attire still in the process of being mended after the countless tears and beatings it took while the party chased after Ultimecia, Quistis was donned in a simple gym shirt and a pair of thick pants, though her usual leather boots and gloves were still present. With Save the Queen grasped firmly in one hand, Quistis made sure to keep her steps light as she padded her way through the jungle environment, eyes alert for any signs of monsters. If she was lucky, she might stumble across an unsuspecting T-Rex.

Comments

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

After the incidents earlier that morning, Squall had taken to returning to his dorm room to change all thanks to a particular student by the ID of nine-six-one-two-four. He'd made a brief appearance in the cafeteria during lunch to grab something to go - which he could have easily just sent Quistis to do for him, but all that sitting and pouring over documents and paperwork had pushed him to leave the office and stretch his legs; he'd been grateful that the students he'd encountered before classes hadn't been around to add to the day and to his grief.

Overall throughout the day, Squall had kept to his office including for the evening and dinner rush. If anyone had needed him, they knew where he was located on the third floor. Or could easily have contacted him through one of the Garden Faculty.

Now dressed in a fresh white t-shirt and gym pants, the Commander had waited until after curfew to begin making his way to the Training Center. The poor guy had a bit of frustration to get out, especially after that morning. Hitting up a T-Rex was one of the better ways to releasing it.

Squall rested Lion Heart against his shoulder as he followed the corridor, his steps quiet against the flooring. If tomorrow's anything like today...

He frowned to himself, not wanting to think about it, and entered the Training Center, the door making a soft whirring sound as it opened to admit him and again as it closed behind him. The smell of wet soil was the first thing to hit him as he stepped through the threshold. The foliage had been freshly watered, the sprinklers overhead set on a timer; he could make out the scent, it was almost like that of a fresh rain shower on the air.

Wonder what I'll bump into here tonight.

Branches rustled off to his right, through the protective fencing and gate. Squall narrowed his eyes. It's after curfew... Who else could be here at this time? And he tightened his grip on his gunblade, quietly advancing and following after whoever else was there.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

To her delight, it didn't take long for Quistis to come across a T-Rex, the massive monster's back turned towards her as it's tail thumped absentmindedly against the soft earth. Taking a brief moment to ensure that she had her Blind spells junctioned properly to her weapon, Quistis then took her offensive stance, body rolled onto the balls of her feet. Centering her balance, she bobbed her weight as her knees bent, the posture allowing her the proper chance to react quickly should the T-Rex make any sudden move to attack.

While ambushing the monster could have been one approach to initiate battle, Quistis was in the mood for a more direct means of facing the T-Rex tonight. So instead of striking the monster outright with the first lashing of her whip, Quistis lifted her arm only to bring the barbed leather down against the patch of hardened soil in a quick snap. The crack that resonated against the ground alerted the T-Rex, and the monster made an aggressive move to turn around to face its assailant, tail thrashing haphazardly as a roar tore through the Training Center.

Taking a small step back to avoid getting hit by the appendage, Quistis narrowed her eyes in concentration, though a small smile curled her lips. She was in her element, and by slipping into battle mode her mind focused on the task at hand, pushing away the thoughts which previously plagued her mind.

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

Squall had listened to the movements, his eyes fastened on the branches and bushes that continued to rustle a head of him. The sounds of the wildlife in the jungle area of the center were a bit of a distraction to anyone, but they weren't enough to deter him. He lengthened his strides upon hearing the snap of a whip, the ground trembling faintly beneath his feet at the charge of the large beast. He finally came upon the prey he had been stalking the entire time. Quistis Trepe. Accompanied by a rather enraged T-Rex.

...I should have known.

He ducked down near the bushes and watched, waiting to see what would happen. He wasn't going to just hop on in and help her, he was more than sure of her skills and knew what she was capable of since they had traveled together throughout the journey to defeat Ultimecia. Squall knew Quistis could handle her own, especially a bloody T-Rex. It might give them a run for their money at times but they were able enough. With Pandemonia and Siren both junctioned to Lionheart, Squall had an advantage of the sleep spell and an initiative attack. It shouldn't be that bad of a fight after all.

As the T-Rex reared its head and roared once more, Squall only rose then and stepped out from the trees, Lionheart held at the ready. "Long day for you too?" he tossed the question out there, coming to her side a few feet away.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

Quistis' own junctions of Leviathan and Cactuar provided her similar abilities, though she had a potent amount of Blind spells laced into her weapon instead. The effect of her junction was evident in her next strike, the bladed tip of her whip catching the T-Rex's stomach; the beast let out a cry of surprise as a haze of darkness clouded its vision, rendering it sightless.

While the blinded monster now couldn't land an accurate hit, it also resulted in increased erratic behavior. Leaping back just in time to avoid a rather aggressive swipe of its claws, Quistis' attention was diverted from the over sized reptile when Squall emerged from the foliage, her eyes widening at his unexpected presence.

"Long and slow." Quistis answered after giving the Commander a small nod to acknowledge his presence. Her eyes flickered back to the T-Rex that had now fortunately turned the wrong way, the monster throwing futile strikes at a group of trees. "What about you? Can't imagine why you'd want to be here-- I was under the impression that you were having a wonderful day."

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

The tail lashed out abruptly and Squall had to roll off to the side to avoid it. "--it was perfect," he answered dryly, hopping up to his feet again.

The Commander then charged the beast from behind, his blade cutting deep into its lower back and one of its hind legs. The T-Rex spun on an ear-splitting sound of anger and pain and suddenly buckled beneath the Sleep spell, a tremor passing beneath their feet.

Squall slowly stepped back to where he had stood earlier, not glancing at the dark blood dripping off the tip. "I've been in my office all day. Had to get out." Better here after curfew anyways since none of the new cadets can bother me.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

Now that the beast had fallen into a slumber as a result of Squall's blade, Quistis switched to rely on her para-magic so that it wouldn't reawaken. Arms crossed as she focused on one of the many magics coursing through her veins, her blue eyed glazed over and she outstretched her hands. Immediately a light blue cloud began to form around the T-Rexular before it became encapsulated in a pillar of ice, which shattered moments later-- a result of her Blizzaga spell.

As there was no risk of the monster waking up any time soon, Quistis relaxed her battle stance a touch and glanced over at Squall. "Cabin fever, Commander?"

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

Squall watched the T-Rex in silence before responding. "Better than having to deal with the new cadets." He glanced over at her then. "On a daily basis anyways."

Which was a lie because the moment he took the elevator down tomorrow morning and the morning after that, Squall had a gut feeling he'd be dealing with them nonstop. At least until mid-quarter when they were better settled into Garden life.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure they're all not so bad-- the few that I've conversed with have been pretty pleasant." Quistis replied with a small shrug.

While the T-Rex was fast asleep providing the perfect opportunity to flee from the scene, Quistis wasn't planning on leaving the monster abandoned; she had come to the Training Center for a thorough workout, and defeating all monsters she came across was part of the picture. Quistis cast another Blizzaga spell, and after she lifted her dominant arm, bringing the whip down diagonally. Her wrist flicked at the last moment for maximum impact and the tip of Save the Queen sliced right at the monster's forehead, earning a roar as the fiend woke up.

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

The Commander straightened at the sight of the T-Rex coming back to its full height. He broke into a run, moving straight for it as it began to charge him, and pushed off the ground, Lionheart above his head. The tip tore through the side of the beast's neck, spilling blood along the soil and splattering red over his shirt and shoulder. Squall nearly missed having his head taken out as the T-Rex then retaliated by ducking its head and snapping his jaws right at him.

He hopped back, flicking the blood off his blade, walking backwards a few more paces. The T-Rex dropped to the ground in another fit of the Sleep spell.

"Not all," came his response, finally. And he absently wiped at the blood on his cheek, scowling faintly.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

No matter how many times she's seen Squall in action, watching him fight was always interesting. He had a sort of finesse to his movements, one that was so different from her own style of fighting due to his weapon of choice. Having been his instructor for a brief year, Quistis knew what he was capable of, and had recognized his potential early on during her instructorship. As they traveled the expanse of the world and fought side by side in their journey to defeat Ultimecia, it became more and more evident that Squall had all the makings of a leader, hence his current position as Commander. While one would expect Quistis to be jealous of his high ranking due to her ambitious nature, she was far from envious-- in fact, she was even a bit proud. Though her teachings may not have played a part in shaping Squall to be the leader he now was, once upon a time he had been her student, and it had been a privilege to have taught him despite his stoic nature.

Quistis wasn't going to let Squall have all the fun, though, and she certainly wasn't going to let him outdo her. As he moved to step back, Quistis was already in the process of casting a Meteor spell-- the setting around them melted away to a void filled with stars, and soon a barrage of meteors began to rain down on the slumbering T-Rex. Hit after hit came, until the effects of the spell finally wore off and they were back in the Training Center environment.

She wasn't done, though. Taking several steps forward, she raised her arm overhead and gave Save the Queen several twirls to build up momentum before snapping the weapon down, the barbed leather and bladed tip catching the scaly back of the T-Rex and inflicting a rather large cut through the tough skin, drawing blood. The attack forced the T-Rex awake again, and forward it lunged, though the Blind spell was still in place. Quistis managed to make a quick jump to the side, narrowly avoiding it's barred teeth.

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

Since it seemed like they were taking turns, Squall went next. It was good for him that the T-Rex was sightless and blinded by the spell, as the Commander stepped to the side and came around from behind the beast. It gave him ample opportunity for his next strategy. His steps were light as he ran forward and crouched just behind the T-Rex. He vaulted off the ground and missed the blood flowing freely down its back to place himself on the beast's neck, a leg on either side.

Fluidly, Squall impaled the T-Rex from above, tightening his legs before he could be thrown off just as it threw its head back, jaws snapping. He jerked the gunblade swiftly to the side, the weapon embedded to the hilt, and felt the large body beneath him stiffen before going lax and falling forward on a strained growled which tapered into silence. He pushed himself up and then off before the T-Rex hit the ground, absently rotating his shoulder to ease the slight ache.

"...Been a while since I tried that." Next time... don't twist so hard.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

Quistis watched in a sort of awed amusement as Squall performed his complicated stunt. Show off. As the T=Rex fell defeated onto the ground, she took a step back to avoid being flattened beneath the weight of the beast. After the monster faded away from existence, she smiled at her male companion and even lifted her hands to give him a small round of applause.

"Impressive-- I don't think I've ever seen you do that."

[fleeorflight.livejournal.com]

The moment of calm was short lived. Right as the last of the T-Rex flickered out of view, an echo of a shout came from their right, and then the blast of some sort of explosion following shortly after.

Hope fell back against the ground as a similar beast knocked him over with its tail, towering over the boy with a feral roar. He had thought he should at least try to see what the monsters were like here in comparison to Gran Pulse (for such a slight build, any advantage was a necessary one), but the area was unfamiliar and confusing. Curfew had sounded right as this monster had charged at his back, giving him neither the opportunity nor time to flee.

A burst of magic shot down his wrist and into his fingers, leaving the tips with a bright, explosive burst. The spell knocked the monster on its haunches. It was a small blessing that he hadn't lost the l'cie abilities here, because he hadn't even learned how to use the local magic system, but still, fighting alone was hardly a good idea. Unfortunately, holding the T-rex off until he got to an exit was looking less and less likely.

Quickly, he got to his feet and retreated a few steps, breathing hard. Hope only watched the reptile stir for a second before turning to run, dashing in and out of the dense fauna to bump into a familiar-looking (but butter-less) shirt for the second time that day. "Ah!"

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

Squall had heard the shout and explosion of magic off to their side, his attention briefly drawn to it with the thought that they were going to be busting some fresh cadet ass for being out past curfew. He'd kept his eyes trained on the rustling foliage, half-expecting a fiend to charge them rather than what really did end up rushing blindly in their direction. And really, there was no mistaking that head of silver hair. Ever.

The Commander stepped back a step just as he had that morning from the impact of the collision. The chain at the end of Lionheart jingled faintly. Squall's attention jerked downwards. What am I...? Invisible? There seemed to be only one person capable of bumping into his stomach twice in one day. "What the hell--" but the dangerous roars coming closer and trees snapping beneath the force charging their way quickly had Squall changing his tune.

"Shit.."

He grabbed Hope roughly by the back of his clothes and pulled him to stand behind him, shoving him back out of the way (and danger), Lionheart held out and ready for round two.

"Quistis."

Squall didn't even have to look at her. Or tell her what to do for that matter.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

It was hard not to hear the commotion stirring up behind the foliage to their right. Quistis' head immediately snapped in the direction of the roar, her eyes narrowing once she heard a rather frightened cry follow. What was going on? She had begun to make a move towards the source of the sound, but the sudden appearance of a young male bursting through the dense leaves caught her off guard-- and her eyes widened when the boy collided with Squall.

But there was no time for gawking. Even before Squall spoke her name, Quistis was already on the move, brushing past the plants to face the T-Rex head on. The appearance of a new human startled the T-Rex for a moment, but the confusion didn't last-- the beast let out another roar, it's jaws chomping aggressively towards her an arm moved forward for a strike. Instinct kicked in and Quistis dropped low to the ground, rolling to the side to avoid the blow-- the maneuver succeeded in causing the T-Rex to sink its' claws into the earth, trapping him for a moment. Taking advantage of the situation, Quistis quickly rolled onto her feet before snapping her whip at the T-Rexular's back, the effects of the junctioned blind spells immediately set into motion once the bladed end slashed open the reptilian skin. With the flick of her wrist the end of her whip was immediately drawn back to her awaiting free hand, the speed of the motion causing the blood drawn to splatter over her front.

[fleeorflight.livejournal.com]

If Hope weren't so awfully used to being dragged around like that, he might have tripped. As it was, he had enough experience with Lightning and Snow to not lose his footing, and instead, he turned around as soon as he regained his balance, watching as the two older fighters made their move. It was obvious that they were well-practiced in this sort of thing. There was a certain sense of fluidity in their movements, a grace in their attacks. Though it wasn't something he had known from the start, Hope had learned to distinguish between the less experienced and more skilled opponents throughout the course of their 'anti-PSICOM operations.' It made fights go faster, and time hadn't been something they were in high supply of.

His eyes caught on the weapon in Squall's hand, recognizing it. Though the build and shape was slightly different, it was definitely a gunblade of some sort. Like Lightning, he thought, before a pained animal whine snapped his attention back to the opponent at hand. The T-rex was slowing in its movements, obviously weakening, but from its ferocity, it was clearly far from beaten. Hope himself was a little exhausted already, and if the Commander's earlier tone was any indication, he had managed to get himself in trouble yet again. This had to be a record of some sort.

Ironically, back in Cocoon, he had always been praised as a good student, too.

Rather than engage himself in battle again (rather than getting in their way), Hope stood back and threw a quick Haste in their direction instead. If he couldn't help directly, he could at least offer some indirect aid for the people saving him. In the heat of the moment, he forgot all the heeding about being wary when using magic while unjunctioned, but hopefully, the other two were too preoccupied to note it anyway.

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

Looks like Squall wasn't the only one getting dirty with this training.

Thanks to the Haste, his movements and actions were faster; Squall rushed forward, only to duck low to the ground as the T-Rex came close to snapping his jaws once again on top of his head. He swore under his breath and arced Lionheart upwards, slashing just along its neck. He ignored the blood splattering over his cheek and soaking the same half of his already damp and bloodied shirt, and hopped back as the T-Rex fell into a heavy sleep.

The Commander turned on the young cadet then, ready to snap. Ready to knock some proper sense into him. "You could have been killed-- what are you doing out past curfew?" he demanded quietly and calmly, despite how he really wanted to knock the kid in the back of the head with the flat of his gunblade.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

Quistis let out a breath that she had been holding once the T-Rex fell under Squall's sleep spell, the beast falling to the ground in a sleepy heap that caused for the surrounding area to tremble beneath the impact. Though they seemed to be in the clear for the time being, Quistis kept her whip uncoiled and it's grip held firm in her hand, at the ready should the spell wear off anytime soon. The effect's of Hope's haste magic lingered over her own body, though, her movements as well as her breathing a bit faster than normal-- it was evident in the way she whipped around to face the cadet, the maneuver a bit jerkier compared to her usual grace.

"He's right-- trying to take on a T-Rex without having learned the proper junctions is extremely dangerous. And to face the beast alone?" Unlike Squall, though, Quistis' expression was one of genuine concern, her brows knit as she took a step forward to the younger male. "Are you alright?"

[fleeorflight.livejournal.com]

Hope nodded, lowering his head withe very progressive word. He had been expecting a lecture like this, but that didn't make the reality of it any less unpleasant. It was like the beginning of their journey, traveling with Lightning and being a liability again. He didn't, however, shrink from the reprimand, even though the look on Squall's face might have made him want to. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," he said, because at the very least, he'd been keeping up with healing himself (otherwise, he was almost the first to go down every time, and that rendered him useless).

"I wasn't...um, trying to. It caught me while I was trying to head back. I'm sorry. I heard the bell but I couldn't find the exit. It won't happen again."

[renzokukens.livejournal.com]

Sighing irritably, Squall said nothing as he dropped a hand onto the top of Hope's bowed head. These kids will never learn. Not unless it's the hard way. He pressed down lightly and then stepped away, turning to face the slumbering T-Rex. Or at least it had been slumbering, it was only now reawakening.

"Perfect..."

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

Thankful that the haste spell stilled coursed through her veins, Quistis jumped back into action in no time when the noticed the reawakening T-Rex. Quick on her feet, the blond took several steps towards the dinosaur as it made a move to stand back up, still slightly disoriented from its previously sleepy status. Swiping her arm in an upwards motion, Quistis continued the onslaught of her whip against the exposed stomach of the beast, the consecutive hits burying the bladed end deeper and deeper in the opening wound.

Her adrenaline at its height, Quistis took a moment to stop from her physical attacks, arms crossing once again to focus on another spell. Her enhanced speed allowed her to cast her magic with no hesitation, though, and as she thrust her palms forward her Flare spell set into motion; rays of light shot out from within the T-Rex until it burst completely, the immediate area surrounding the beast bathed in an orange light. It wasn't enough to completely eliminate the T-Rex, but the damage was considerable-- the monster staggered backwards, before buckling down onto one leg, a distressed roar tearing through it's throat.

[fleeorflight.livejournal.com]

Standing behind the both of them, Hope watched with wide eyes as Quistis carried out her magic. Wow, he thought, awe showing on his face. It was a spell that he had never seen in Cocoon before, and definitely not one in his repertoire. It was like an explosion of fire and a Ruin all in one (he had always envied their front-flank attackers for that particular ability). Though he was naturally tense from the heat of battle, he didn't make a move to help, figuring that he'd just get scolded again.

[fierybluebird]

Marco was already in there, barely keeping an eye on the hour. After finishing up some book studies, too many questions were plaguing him without any means of obtaining ready answers. He was still trying to keep most of his fighting ability under wraps and generally didn't do much other than focus on the areas he wasn't as strong in (boxing instead of kicking was certainly a first.) To his surprise though, many of the monsters were stronger than he expected, occasionally making him rely on his martial arts or cheat slightly adding in the power of his blue devil fruit flames.

At the sound of someone approaching, Marco eased up from his position and gave a casual wave.

[whiplashings.livejournal.com]

Upon hearing the rustle of foliage followed by the cries of a monster, Quistis headed in the direction of the sound, curious to see what was going on. It was getting rather late, and barely anyone remained in the Training Area after curfew unless they were making an excursion out to the Secret Area.

Catching sight of the male performing his melee attacks, she waited until he had finished off the fiend before approaching him. She responded to the friendly wave with a small smile, and she tilted her head over in the direction of where the monster previously sat, the space now vacant as it had faded out of existence.

"Impressive work." She complimented. Quistis had always admired the brute strength that melees fighters possessed, their movements exceptionally refined to rely solely on hand-to-hand combat.

[fierybluebird]

"Oh, it's not much," Marco replied evasively. He'd put off taking most of the melee courses until the second semester when people were more likely to realize his history anyway. "I'm sure you can do the same, already graduated and all," he smiled easily.