maybe i'm a lion. (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} leonhart) wrote in ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} balamb,@ 2008-03-16 22:06:00 |
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| Entry tags: | squall leonhart |
character info » squall leonhart (final fantasy viii)
| basics. FULL NAME » Squall Leonhart. NICKNAMES » None that he approves of. NAME MEANING » The origin of SQUALL comes from the late 1600s English word to describe a "brief and violent storm," while LEONHART is roughly translated as "heart of a lion." Both of these names are significant for Squall's character — his conflicting emotions and his bravery. GENDER » Male. HOMETOWN » Winhill. CURRENT LOCATION » Balamb Garden, Balamb. ETHNICITY » Caucasian. HAIR COLOUR » Brown. EYE COLOUR » Blue. HEIGHT » 5'8'' (172cm). BLOOD TYPE » AB. DISTINGUISHING MARKS » A thin scar that runs from his forehead over the bridge of his nose. A single piercing in his left ear lobe. BIRTHDAY » August 23. AGE » Seventeen. ASTROLOGICAL » Leo/Virgo cusp. familial. FATHER » Laguna Loire. Former Deling City resident. Former Galbadian Soldier and journalist for Timber Maniacs. President of Esthar. MOTHER » Raine Leonhart. Deceased. Winhill resident and florist. SIBLING(S) » Ellone Loire. Adopted older sister. Squall Leonhart was orphaned shortly after he was born, Raine having died due to complications during labour. His father had been on a journey to rescue and retrieve Ellone, who had been kidnapped by Estharian soldiers by order of the Sorceress Adel. Because Laguna had sent Ellone back to Winhill alone, both children, who had no living relatives to speak of in Winhill, were sent to Edea's Orphanage where they were raised. When Ellone was taken away from the Orphanage for reasons unbeknownst to the then-five year old Squall, he became reclusive and it was this personality flaw that had prevented anyone from adopting him. He was sent to Balamb Garden after its establishment by the age of ten, where he has lived ever since. social. SEXUAL PREFERENCE » Heterosexual. STATUS » In a relationship. PAST RELATIONSHIPS » None. SIGNIFICANT OTHER » Rinoa Heartilly. FRIENDS » Zell Dincht, Irvine Kinneas, Selphie Tilmitt, Quistis Trepe. ENEMIES » Seifer Almasy, Sorceress Ultimecia. personality. LIKES » Organization, Rinoa, his friends, alone-time, training. DISLIKES » Messes, Seifer, being put on the spot, making speeches. SKILLS » — Rough Divide • He runs, dragging his gunblade across the ground, and jumps into the air while using his gunblade to slash his opponent, the earth exploding beneath them as a finishing touch. IN-DEPTH » As an orphan growing up with no knowledge of his real parents or of what a family truly is, Squall Leonhart's past experiences with those he loved contributed to the aloof person he is today. The one being that had ever been closest to him had been pulled out of his life without even so much as a 'goodbye,' thus leading Squall feeling as if the sudden disappearance of the one he called "Sis" to be his fault. For years he would feel this torment, relive the times he was alone without her in his dreams. Childhood had flown by quickly, his childish attitude dispersing as he entered adolescence. While other children in the orphanage were adopted, Squall and Seifer Almasy were suddenly left as the only two left without parents. Squall held no particular like for the older blond, who had taken a liking to tormenting every day of his life with taunts and jeers that would continue even as they grew older. Upon entering Balamb Garden's doors, and being among the first students to step in, he only seemed to become less and less reclusive while Seifer only became more and more of a bully for him. Squall was never the type to back down from a fight, even if he would walk away defeated and left with tears stinging his eyes. Many people might consider Squall to be a work-a-holic, which would be true in the general sense of the term. Squall does indeed prefer to get down to business rather than be too preoccupied with things of lesser importance. A very organized and tidy person, he also displays some semblance of having a minor obsessive compulsive tendancies. His bed is always made, his books neatly stacked and placed where they belong, and his Revolver is always cleaned and replaced into its case and set near his bed so as to save space for the rest of his room. His attitude and outlook on life suggests that Squall, like most people, is fairly self-absorbed, though not in the vain sense. As someone who doesn't want to waste his time listening to other people's problems, or bother helping them with something he doesn't care about, it's not unlikely that he is selfish in his own right. In his mind, as long as it wasn't happening to him or directly affecting him as a person, he had no reason to be burdened by anything that was happening around him. Squall doesn't like being hopeful of things, especially if they seem too unrealistic, although that thought doesn't stop him from wishing for the best, even if his mind tells him otherwise. And while he can be very selfish, closed off, and even callous to others around him, Squall has his own measure of valiancy. He is not above rushing to save someone he cares for with the temerity of a child, and yet he doesn't allow himself to make big decisions without thinking it over carefully. He is cautious, preferring to wait for the best opportunity to present itself as opposed to running straight on to the unknown. But the idea of losing someone he cares for is enough to make Squall set aside his caution, even if only temporarily. When it comes to Squall's values in other people, he admires bravery and determination about all else. If someone is brave and determined enough to pursue something that might seem impossible, Squall can't help but to respect their drive. In his mind, the purest representation of this bravery is a lion, and thus he has great admiration for the animal. While others may disagree with him, Squall does not believe he harbours a large amount of bravery, nor does he believe himself to be even remotely comparable to a lion's heart. Yet still, he holds those values high above all, and strives to become that which he admires. Despite being known as a lone-wolf who prefer solitude to crowds, Squall's greatest fear is complete and utter loneliness. Perhaps it's a remnant of his childhood, a part of his memory that has embedded itself into his emotions from being abandoned by the only person he ever dared to call "family." Squall is not exceptionally smart, and he doesn't claim to be, though he is indeed a much deeper thinker than most of his peers. He follows almost every rule to a fault, which makes him admirable to both his superiors, and a desirable asset to SeeD. Since meeting Rinoa Heartilly, Squall has slowly become less introverted, and is less reluctant to say what he feels he needs to to his friends. Although there's still the deeply rooted seed of fear that he'll someday lose them, or that they'll forget him, Squall nevertheless has confidence in his friends, and would do whatever it takes to protect them — even if it meant giving up his own life. history. BASIC HISTORY » Squall Leonhart didn't have what the other kids had. He didn't have a mother to comfort him and hold him at night when he was afraid. He didn't have a father to tell him to be strong and brave, or teach him how to play catch. No, Squall was raised in an orphanage since about the time of his birth, and he doesn't fully understand what a "real family" is... in truth, he doesn't really care. He's mildly content with being an orphan, something that most people might find to be a lonely existence. When he was old enough, he, along with a few other children from his same orphanage, was sent from the orphanage to Balamb Garden. As a student at Balamb, Squall learned magic, military strategics, and how to fight. He became a gunblade specialist at a relatively young age and was recognized for it by most of the staff. He was the ideal student: hard-working, attentive, and never deviating from the rules. Still, he was well-liked among his peers, even though he dismissed any attempts at friendship with impatience and apathy. Although reluctant, Squall possessed many of the qualities that made him well suited to a position of leadership. He passed his SeeD exams with relative ease, his instructor — Quistis Trepe — commenting on how she knew he could do it. The night of the SeeD ball, Squall danced with a mysterious young woman that would later be revealed as Rinoa Heartilly. Rinoa was the leader of an anti-government organization hellbent on freeing Timber from Galbadian rule. Squall was the squad leader of the three SeeDs sent to help her carry out her mission — the team consisted of himself and two classmates: Selphie Tilmitt and Zell Dincht. Although they disagreed and argued many times at first, they slowly reached a level of understandment that grew into love. Despite his anti-hero attitude, Squall was chosen to be the one to carry out the assassination of Sorceress Edea by Galbadia Garden. After a great deal of strife thereafter, Sorceress Edea was revealed to have been their matron from the orphanage. But Squall wouldn't back down from his duties, and recognized her as a major threat to the world. After Edea was released from their true villain, a sorceress named Ultimecia who had sent her consciousness to the past, her sorceress powers unwittingly passed onto Rinoa, who fell into a comatose state. Driven by blind love and determination to save Rinoa, Squall took her to Esthar in an attempt to heal her. Unbeknownst to even him, Rinoa had been possessed by Ultimecia already and released the ruthless Sorceress Adel — former leader of Esthar — then left drifting in space. Squall risked his life to save her, once again proving his love for her. When they made it back home, Rinoa was to be sealed away in the Sorceress's Memorial, but Squall wouldn't have it. He rescued her once more, and the group continued their battle against Sorceress Ultimecia and her knight, Seifer Almasy. The first stages of the final battle proved to be a difficult one for them all, but they prevailed... or so they thought. Sorceress Ultimecia's ultimate goal was Time Compression, in which she would travel through time and steal other sorceress's powers to create her own world to rule over. She was defeated, and everything restored to normal, but Squall was lost in time. Alone in a desolate and unnamed place, Squall had abandoned hope of seeing his friends. His memories distorted, he was unable to recall the place in which he promised to meet Rinoa. This time, though, it was Rinoa's turn to save him. And, uh. They lived happily ever after. DETAILED HISTORY » Squall Leonhart was born to Raine and Laguna Loire in the small village of Winhill some seventeen years ago. However, for seventeen years of his life, he has never retained this knowledge for himself. Shortly after the death of his mother, Squall was whisked away with his older sister, Ellone, and sent to live in Edea's Orphanage. The Orphanage was a peaceful, quaint home by the seaside that belonged to Edea Kramer, a kind and caring young woman who treated every orphan she took in as her own children. This place was called "home" to the children that resided there, and Edea was known only as "Matron." Although Matron was indeed a loving woman, it was with Ellone that Squall found solace. "Sis" was her nickname, as she was the oldest of the orphans at the Orphanage, but Squall seemed content in hogging her all for himself. There was hardly ever a moment in time where one would find Squall and Ellone seperate from one another, as the young boy rarely ever left her side. Perhaps it was out of jealousy that some of the other kids took to teasing Squall about his attachment to Ellone, but the fact remained that he wouldn't leave her side for more than a few moments. It can then be said that Ellone, too, felt the need to protect what she knew was her younger brother, born to her surrogate mother and her dear "uncle Laguna." But fate was as cruel as it was kind, and it was only a matter of time before Squall found himself alone without Sis. He would never understand it, the day that Ellone simply vanished from thin air without a word. Without even so much as a goodbye, Ellone had left. "Sis will come back for me!" He insisted over and over, firmly set in the childish belief that Sis would return and things would go back to the way it was. Days passed. Weeks, even, without a word. Squall searched for her, leaving the Orphanage's grounds in his wavering hope that he would find Ellone sitting by the shore or picking flowers from the small field. But the cold hard truth was that she wasn't coming back, and Squall accepted this as fact one evening while rain poured down on the small building. Standing alone outside, ignoring the rain and distant sounds of children from inside, Squall stared blankly down at the ground. Questions floated through his mind idly; empty explanations meant nothing to him anymore. Hopes and dreams that his Sis would come back had slowly faded from his mind and, even as a young child, he slowly began to believe that loneliness was a part of growing up. "I'm all alone." It was a fact of life, he had concluded at that tender age. "But... I'll be okay with you," he had said to the air, somehow hoping that Ellone would hear him. Even while the rain pattered down on the stone, Squall continued to stare silently, a silent vow that would someday become one with his subconscious. He would be alone forever. The words etched in his mind throughout the rest of his childhood, he became less inclined to convey his emotions, instead choosing to remain recluse. Entering Balamb Garden hadn't proved to be of any help, as he refused to even so much as socialize. People were pushed away, held out at arm's length while things like friendship and security were a distant memory. With his anti-social behaviour, Squall was widely seen as a lone-wolf, one that would never open his heart to anyone. Quistis Trepe, who had grown up with Squall at the Orphanage and become his instructor at the Garden, has been one of the few that understands his viewpoint, and, though she tried and failed multiple times, she had never given up in trying to help him ease out of his shell and talk to someone about his feelings. A smart woman with the tendancy to treat Squall like a little brother, even she could not get past his tough skin and reach into his heart. As long as you're alone, you can take anything. You feel less pain. Despite all of that, it was an undeniable fact that Squall was an excellent student. Being someone who respected his superior officers, whose grades were fairly high, and who complied to every assignment without fail, he was highly respected by both his peers and his teachers. As one of two students in the Garden who held an exceptionally honed ability to wield a gunblade, Squall was well on his way to becoming a member of SeeD, Balamb's special mercenary force and main source of income. He spent much of his time in the Training Facility, improving his skill with his gunblade -- "Revolver" -- with every passing day. Seifer Almasy, however, was his competition. The two were near-equals, seperated only by their fighting techniques and the fact that Seifer didn't believe in "a fair fight." Both of the young men never passed up a challenge against the other, always finding time to clash swords, even though these "training sessions" usually ended in minor injuries and a victorious Seifer. During a particularly dreary day, with light rain splattering against the grounds of the Training Facility and the thunder clashing in the background dramatically, the two would mark one another as rivals -- literally. As usual, their training began with the heavy blows, the newly learned techniques and the ocassional low blow. As usual, it seemed as if Seifer would be the victor. Knocking Squall back onto the ground with a single Fire spell, a move that Squall would call "dirty," Seifer took the opportunity to finish the fight. Hyperion was raised high, above the blond's head, his green eyes gleaming with malcontent as he lowered the blade down upon Squall. Steel blue eyes would widen in bewilderment at the action, perhaps mingled with slight fear as the realization that he could very well be killed in the hit. He moved instinctively, although he was too slow to prevent any flesh wounds -- a thin slash from the top of his brow across the bridge of his nose was made, blood dripping from it and onto the ground. A moment was all it took; a single blank stare at the blood while his next movements played out on their own. Acting upon emotion, upon the one many would call a blind rage, Squall moved quickly, just as Seifer regained his posture from the attack. His arms heavy from the amount of work they had been put through, the tip of the Revolver scathed the rocky ground, small sparks shooting up as he, too, raised his blade against Seifer. In a nearly perfect strike, Squall had given to Seifer the mirror image of his own cut -- a clean thin line running up across the bridge of Seifer's nose. The exhaustion of the day, of the sudden emotions that overtaken his actions, mixed together with the shock of an injury had landed the two in the Infirmary, although Squall had taken much longer to wake up. "How do you feel?" Dr. Kadowaki's voice pierced through his thoughts. Moments passed, perhaps a bit too fast before the doctor decided that he would be okay and that the gash would only leave a scar. She would leave his side only to call Quistis and tell her his condition, allowing him another few moments of rest. As he lay there, a hand resting over his eyes to block out the harsh sunlight, another voice would meet his ears and cause him to glance over for only a moment. "Long time no see, Squall." The woman he saw wasn't anyone he recognized immediately, although it would be easy to assume he felt a small tinge of familiarity. Before he could ask her any questions as to her identity, she had walked away, Quistis arriving shortly after the mysterious woman left. With a small sigh and a few comments Squall sincerely did not appreciate, the blonde instructor led him back to their classroom where she would announce the next requirements for SeeD candidates. Because Squall had been preoccupied with training, he had missed his own SeeD test -- a field test, one that would test his abilities and acquire him a Guardian Force. The Guardian Forces, otherwise known as GFs, were something Squall wasn't new to. Having recently been assigned to Quezacotl and Shiva, it was suffice it to say that Squall would pass this field test with ease, allowing him to move forward to the next test that would determine whether or not he was SeeD material. The exam was unlike any other -- it was an actual field exam, one that was a life-or-death situation. Seperated into squad teams, Squall was placed with Zell Dincht, a young man he seemed to show a particular distaste for, and Seifer Almasy, with Seifer as the captain. Though displeased with the arrangement (and even going so far as to request a squad switch), he never the less complied with his superior's orders and followed along. Having learned that Galbadian forces were infiltrating Balamb's sister harbouring city of Dollet, their mission was simple enough: secure the city's center while defeating any Galbadian soldiers along the way. They were faced with a couple of challenges here and there along the way, but they made it alive and seemed to complete their mission without any drawbacks. Then, it was standby. The silence was deafening; Zell paced back and forth while Seifer tapped his foot and stared at the ground as if he were trying to burn a hole through it. Squall merely waited... waited... for anything, really. It was quiet, he had noted, having already defeated the last of the soldiers in the area. With the town's center secured, there was little else for "Squad B" to do except wait. But even the best of them had little patience, and Seifer was the first of the three to finally lose it. His aimless swipes through the air with Hyperion startled the dog that had been following him, and it let out a long howl, as if it were giving a sign. Its howls were followed by a line of Galbadian soldiers running toward the Communications Tower. Moments after they passed, Seifer made the suggestion that, as the Squad B captain, they follow the group of soldiers and secure the Tower. It was immediately met with a negative reaction from Zell, although Squall's response was a shock for both of them. "I stand by the captain's decision." The words left Squall's mouth, though he didn't bother to face either of them after they were said. Seifer seemed happy with Squall's willingness to follow through, and after a brief and weak argument from Zell, the three set off toward the Tower. It didn't take them long to catch up with the soldiers, although they had to face a rather nasty monster to get there. After watching the Galbadians enter the building and disappear from view, both Squall and Seifer took a moment to reflect on the battle they would surely face soon. Words of honesty were exchanged between the two, with Seifer vaguely telling Squall of his dream to become a knight. Interrupted by Zell before Squall could ask questions, Seifer took that opprtunity to take off and head straight into battle before the other two. Another interruption would appear, though, its name being Selphie Tilmitt. She had made quite the entrance, what with stumbling over rocks and summersaulting before she landed in front of Zell and Squall with a tiny wink as if it had all been planned. Having explained that she was sent as a messenger from another squad and that she had to speak to Squad B's captain, Selphie was all but early enough to catch him. "One day I'll tell you about my ROMANTIC DREAM!" Seifer called back to Squall before disappearing into the building, leaving the three confused for a moment. But Selphie seemed to be insistent on delivering the message and, promptly after jumping off of the small ledge Squall and Zell had been standing on, chased after Seifer into the Tower, leaving the two young men with little choice but to follow her. They reached the top of the tower only to find it activated, and then forced into a battle between two Galbadian soldiers -- Biggs and Wedge. The battle was short lived, however, as the two were swept away and replaced with a rather powerful monster that seemed to have made the top of the tower its home. They came out victorious, Selphie soon after sharing the message with Seifer that all squads were to convene and meet at the seashore in 16:00 hours -- less than thirty minutes if they ran fast. It was then that he once again took off without his team, leaving them behind to run for their lives when Wedge activated a Galbadian-model military robot that locked on and destroyed its targets. The three had reached the shore after a few short battles with the machine that would only leave it temporarily damaged, though Squall didn't seem to be fast enough to outrun it. It crashed through a wall just as they had made it to the shore, making Squall stumble and fall for a moment before once again running to the vessel. Only when Quistis Trepe unloaded a barrage of bullets from the small ship's gun was Squall able to barely make it out of the mission alive. They returned home victorious and tired, although the announcements of who would be accepted as members of SeeD were made not long after they're arrival. And Seifer wasn't one of them. Squall, Selphie, Zell, and a boy named Nida had been accepted while Seifer took all responsibility for the endangerment of his comrades and the abandoning of his given orders. As captain, it was explained, it was necessary for him to make the best decision -- not only for himself, but also for his teammates. Squall thought very briefly of the entire ordeal, instead opting to return to his room. While he thought he would finally be allowed some peace and quiet of his own, he was met with Selphie standing in his dormitory, excitedly showing off her official SeeD uniform and informing him of the SeeD ball that was being held to celebrate their acceptance. Although he had little patience for such events, Squall knew that it was mandatory as a member of SeeD to set an example and comply... even if, when he arrived, he simply stood by a wall and watched the night sky through the glass ceiling. A shooting star fell across the black veil, his eyes following them until they rested on something he hadn't seen before. Or rather, someone. A young woman with black hair stood not far from him, her gaze apparently fixed on the same shooting star. She turned to face him before he could look away, face softening and lips turning to form a small smile. He watched quietly, not quite sure of what to do when she raised her finger up at the sky; his head nodded automatically, a gesture that invited her to him it seemed. She was bold in her movements, her stride was confident and it clearly showed. "Wanna dance?" she asked, her voice unwavering. It was clear after only a couple of seconds that she wouldn't take "no" for an answer -- or "I can't dance," as Squall would soon discover. Despite his obvious hesitance and reluctance to move from his precious corner, she dragged him (literally) onto the dance floor and (literally) forced him to dance. It was a poor attempt at trying to avoid looking like a fool, the two of them stumbled over one another and bumped into another couple at some point. Not very simple and clean... But even that didn't seem to stop the girl, and she offered a smile that radiated of confidence. The music struck a more paced beat, Squall allowing himself to fall into the dance that he had learned some time ago. The two had made a marvelous couple, both of them coming into step in synch with the other, stopping when the time was right and the lights dimmed. He had pulled her close, as part of the dance, but the two of them seemed to take a moment to pause, gazing at eachother with a certain something. Fireworks exploded, taking their attention swiftly, and in that moment, one could very well say Squall felt some sort of peace. That, too, however, would only last a moment... the girl's attention seemed to be drawn elsewhere while he had been looking away. With an expression and gesture suggesting she would return, she walked away from him to confront someone else. Though he hadn't been bothered to wait around for her long, he left for the balconey -- perhaps to sort out his own thoughts on the events prior to that dance. But his solitude would be interrupted, by a one Quistis Trepe. She had asked him to meet her at the "secret place" in the Training Facility... a place that students would sneak off to after hours to meet up. Most would've taken Quistis' request to mean that they were going to tell those students they were violating curfew -- which is what Squall had done, and promptly told her to leave it to the Disciplinary Committee. She had laughed his words off, simply leaving him with the single request to get changed and meet her at the Training Facility. What she wanted -- what she meant by all of it, was unknown to him. Moments later, he would find about what she wanted. Standing by the fence, where they would see the outside of Balamb Garden with its lights contrasting to the night sky, Quistis told him what was on her mind. Her troubles of being a young instructor, her want to become a SeeD member so that she could work alongside him... And he didn't really care. "Go talk to a wall." Squall's words had come across callous, lacking any sort of interest for what she had to say before he walked away from her. She was hurt, probably even a little appalled by what he had said to her then... did he really mean that? Despite her hopes to reach out to him, she had failed -- but even she didn't have time to worry much over it. As she followed him out of the Training Facility once more, they came across the same mysterious woman that had greeted Squall in the Infirmary, being attacked by a monster. What she was doing there in the first place wasn't of any importance -- she was prompt in asking the two for help, referring to Quistis, a woman who she had presumably never met, as "Quisty." They weren't given any time to ask the girl questions, for she had been escorted away by two young men wearing white. Who they were... how she knew them... it was hard to say; it left both Quistis and Squall at a standstill, unspeaking and barely able to really comprehend what had just happened. The two left in silence, parting ways once they reached the doors of the Infirmary, Quistis merely leaving Squall with words he would return with a cold reply. It wasn't his problem; her issues weren't his burden to carry. She was an adult... she could do it herself, he had decided, heading back to his dorm with low spirits. The next day would only prove to be even less of an exciting experience for him. Assigned to their first official SeeD mission, Squall, Selphie, and Zell were expected to meet with a small Timber resistance group called the "Forest Owls." Headmaster Cid had explained that they accepted the job for a low amount of pay, hence the reason for only sending three SeeDs to assist -- he chose Squall to be the squad leader. Though neither of the three questioned this decision, they didn't exactly embrace the job with enthusiasm. The train ride was less than exhilirating, although the other two seemed to meet the idea of having their own private SeeD cabin as a joyful and meaningful experience. An unexpected wave of sleepiness suddenly overtook them as they stood in the cabin, though, and the three SeeD members fell into a deep slumber... only to find themselves in what seemed to be a seperate reality where jen is a whore. There, they met three Galbadian soldiers only known to them as Kiros, Ward, and one very energetic Laguna. The events that took place inside of this "dream world" led them to Galbadia Hotel in Deling City, where Laguna met with a young woman named Julia... The train announcement was the first thing they were greeted to when they reawoken. Having finally arrived in Timber, Selphie and Zell nervously came to the realization that they had all had the same dream -- or at least, a variety of the same dream. "We'll report it to the Headmaster later." Squall had said, deciding that some stupid dream, no matter how weird it was, would be as important as their first official SeeD mission. Shoving aside the the thoughts of the matter, they set out to meet their employers. Upon meeting with the Forest Owls two founding members, Zone and Watts, it was immediately realized that Cid had sent them into a mission in which no one ... including their employers ... knew what was going on. The two members even went so far as to ask Squall to go and get their "princess," which prompted quite the sarcastic reply from Squall. They weren't errandboys... this whole thing was enough to leave Squall exasperated. Setting that aside, Squall did as was requested "this one time" and made his way to go get their so-called princess. It seemed as if she was the leader of the group, or she was incredibly spoiled, if they were calling her "princess." Already he was beginning to feel as if he wasn't going to enjoy this assignment. "Hey... aren't you..? You know... from the dance?" Her voice, her face, her hair -- all of it was familiar when Squall entered the room and watched as the young woman sit up from her bed. She was the girl he had danced with at the SeeD ball... so, she was looking for the Headmaster? He figured it made sense; he had never seen her around the Garden before and she didn't exactly blend in all that great. Calmly he explained that he was a SeeD sent by Cid to assist her resistance faction and before he knew it... a sudden yell of excitement and she had suddenly jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck and nearly making him fall down. He regained his balance, luckily enough, yet was met with a sudden question -- she had inquired about Seifer, his own rival. What she was doing asking about him, Squall didn't know, but somehow the notion made him feel less inclined to make the best of this ordeal. So, in the smallest amount of time possible, he explained that Seifer hadn't become a SeeD... A few minutes and meeting a "very smart dog" later, the three SeeDs were explained the reason for their employment. And the fact that they weren't allowed to return to the Garden without having completed their mission. The Forest Owls were going to kidnap life-long President Vinzer Deling and force him to cooperate with them to free Timber from Galbadian rule. Their means of forcing cooperation with Deling had been explained -- they were going to use the SeeDs they had hired to help them switch off train cars and use their own made replica to keep the guards busy for a while. It seemed simple enough -- perhaps too simple, and perhaps it wasn't thoroughly thought out. As it turned out, the president was actually a body replica -- a trained creature so as to make sure that the real president wasn't harmed. Obviously, it was trained to kill all those who attempted to harm it or the president, though it wasn't on par with the SeeDs and was easily defeated. Defeated in her mission, Rinoa opted to return to Timber to find out what Deling's reasons were for going there in the first place. Their return was met with immediate hostility, Galbadian soldiers having swarmed all of Timber in their search of the "terrorists." It took quite a bit of fighting to get through the barrage of enemies, but they nevertheless learned of the President's motives. He was going to the television station... but why? It was obvious that Rinoa was set on discovering the reasons, while Squall, Selphie, and Zell merely followed along as she led the way to the TV station. As they climbed the stairs to the floor where Deling was, Rinoa opted to come up with another plan. Would they use the TV center to broadcast Timber's independance around the world? Or could they possibly crash it and ruin Deling's? Her powers of deduction were poor in Squall's mind... it led to a small snap from him, telling her off for being childish and unprofessional. Although he apologized, Rinoa left haughtily, informing him how serious she was about Timber's independance before she did so. No one went after her; they were stopped for a moment to witness a live broadcast. At first it seemed that it would be a peace proclamation, but as it continued, it was revealed that the President had appointed a new ambassador... someone by the name of Sorceress-- But the broadcast was interrupted, and by someone entirely unexpected. Before their very eyes, Seifer Almasy lunged forward and grabbed Deling, holding him hostage with Hyperion to his throat. Soon after, Quistis appeared on the screen, turning to the knocked-over camera and giving them permission to come and assist her in holding Seifer back. The three SeeDs rushed to help, all of them finding themselves in a precarious situation soon after. Seifer asked what they wanted done with the President, but none of them had answers -- Zell was outraged by the ordeal, and after Seifer called him his official "pet name" (Chicken-wuss), he snapped. Excitedly, he asked if Quistis was going to take Seifer back to the Garden for punishment. Had he not forgotten about the cameras... well, needless to say the President made it clear his government would see to the destruction of Balamb should he be killed. In frustration, Seifer dragged him to the back room, pulling him away from the cameras. The others lingered behind for only a moment -- perhaps that moment was too long... By the time they had followed after Seifer, they had barely seen him disappear with a sorceress... they had no explanation to offer Rinoa when she came running, asking about Seifer and what had happened. All they could really tell right now was obvious: they needed to get out of Timber before bec's ffvii obsession consumed them all. Quistis left it up to Squall to remember what the standard code for SeeDs to do when they were in a tough situation... they were to go to the nearest Garden and request assistance. That nearest Garden was Galbadia; they would need to get train tickets in order to get their. Luckily, Zone had thought ahead and purchased tickets for the three SeeD members and himself... though when realizing that Quistis didn't have a ticket, he offered it to her, and the five of them set out to Galbadia Garden. Arrival had been as expected -- they were met with no hostility, sent to a conference room to await Headmaster Martine's arrival and the Galbadian government's decision. Seifer had attempted to assassinate the president... then he disappeared with a sorceress. The only conclusion left for them was that he had been executed for his attempts on the President's life. Thus Quistis delivered the inevitable news... the news they all knew before she had even said it. Seifer had been tried in Galbadia and the sentence had been carried out. "He wasn't such a bad guy." "I didn't like him, but he didn't deserve..." "He was such a troubled child." "He died for us, for the Forest Owls..." Is that how they'll think of me when I'm gone? Squall was this and that. Using past tense, saying whatever they want. It was the only thought Squall could focus on. It didn't matter that Seifer was gone -- they were enemies, after all... but what about him? The two... they weren't so different. Even if they were enemies, they understood one another in such a way that no one else probably could. They weren't unalike... they weren't that different... would everyone be saying the same things about him when he died? If he died, would they be talking about what kind of person he was? So that was what death was like? No... he didn't want that. He didn't want that at all. Squall had tuned out everything else they were saying -- whatever it was, he couldn't pay attention. His name had been said, his attention was pulled away. An outburst followed -- he didn't want to be forgotten just like that. He wouldn't have it. Squall left the room, with every intention of leaving for a while to just clear his head, to get his thoughts straight again. What he got was Raijin and Fujin delivering a message from Cid to Martine and inquiring Seifer's location. When Squall half-heartedly answered their inquiries with the information he had received about Seifer's execution, it was clear neither of them would accept it. It'd be a while before they would see one another again. An announcement was made for the group, informing them to meet with eachother at Galbadia Garden's gate so that Martine may speak to them directly about the orders regarding the orders from Balamb. Details were left inside of a folder and handed to Squall after a speech Martine made; once he had gone, Squall read the orders aloud... they were to assassinate Sorceress Edea. These were orders from Balamb, too? Something about it didn't feel right, but Squall was in no position to argue about it -- or even question. Their station was to be in Deling City, the capitol of Galbadia and the home of General Caraway, the man that would provide the resources to get rid of the sorceress. It could've been a cohert mission, a way to overthrow the Galbadian government... but why would they try and do that? Their mission began at the Garden, introduced to their sharpshooter -- Irvine Kinneas -- before they set out to fulfill their assignment. An obvious lady's man, it was clear that Irvine would want to take charge as far as what girls went with him when the group split up. Despite his behaviour, they knew they needed him and they made no complaint... well, except Zell. In any case, they travelled to Deling City, where Rinoa stated that she knew her way around -- that she had been here before. They didn't dwell on details... at least, not until they arrived at Caraway's mansion and she boldly opted to complain about the time he was making them wait. "And don't worry," Rinoa had said as she left, "this is my house." So the daughter was an anti-government organization leader and the father was a general in said government's army... The irony of the situation stung. But they weren't there to get involved and, after Caraway explained he didn't want Rinoa in on the operation itself, they set out for their briefing of the assignment. There was to be a parade in commemoration of Sorceress Edea's status as ambassador for Galbadia. It was like the people were happy for the event; banners were being strung up, special decorations placed in certain parts of the city, and even the infamous clocktower that held the most extravagent of lights and balloon animals was to be prepared... and that was their sniper post. From the clocktower, they'd be directly in line of the draw bridge, where Edea's float would pass under. Once it was in position, the drawbridge team would drop the drawbridge and trap her inside, while the sniper team would wait atop the clock tower and shoot her from afar. The decided teams had been easy to figure out. Squall would be with Irvine, as he was the leader of the group, while Quistis, Selphie, and Zell would be the drawbridge team. It was a difficult job, and it was extremely dangerous... every bit of their skill depended on the completion of this mission, something that they knew was crucial to their lives and the reputations of both Balamb and Galbadia Garden. This order had been carried out by two headmasters and was being supported by a government official... it only showed them just how much of a threat the sorceress posed to them, Squall supposed. Though he had his own questions about the matter, he didn't dwell on them. Completing the mission without being caught or killed was most important anyway. They had returned to Caraway's mansion shortly before they were expected to begin, Caraway explaining that he would lead the sniper team to their correct position. They would wait there... for who knew how long. Irvine had asked Squall what he thought about following orders without question -- something Squall hadn't really even thought of until he was asked. Did he have a problem with killing enemies if they were pure evil? ... But what was evil? What was good? It was just different viewpoints, he concluded, though to himself... viewpoints that were neither right nor wrong. He had no reason to make his own decision on either -- he simply followed orders without bothering or even wondering about the consequences of such actions. His superiors knew best, after all, didn't they? He was a SeeD... SeeDs don't ask questions. His thoughts were interrupted when they were suddenly met with the cries and jeers from the crowd. President Deling had made his place on the podium, announcing the arrival of their new ambassador. Sorceress Edea stepped forward, met with the admiration of her audience and the awe from the masses... but with her was someone neither Squall or Irvine expected to see. Standing behind the sorceress, her body swaying slightly as if she were in a trance, was Rinoa -- the girl they were hired to protect. Edea's speech was barely heard by the two, both of them more fixated on trying to know why Rinoa was there with her. But the danger didn't end there -- after singlehandedly murdering the president, Edea walked away and two creatures attacked Rinoa. Despite Irvine's urges that they save her immediately, Squall had to look at the situation logically. The gates weren't open -- they were helpless to save Rinoa... she'd have to fight for herself for now. The parade began. The gates to the presidential palace opened -- the same building the clocktower was. Music mingled with the noises from the crowd. The float came out slowly, brilliant in all its marvelous decorations and the sorceress adding onto its beauty with her own stunning appearance. The dancers led the way, their bodies moving with the sound of the music.. everyone was too awed by the spectacular show to notice the two young men sneaking past the crowd and through the gates. They hadn't gotten in before Squall noticed a very familiar face standing once again at Edea's side... only this time, they didn't appear to be controlled, or in a trance. In fact, Seifer Almasy seemed gluttonous and prideful of all the attention he was receiving... and very much alive. Contemplating the matter, what it meant, and why it was happening wasn't their concern at the moment, though. Squall discarded the thought as he rushed past the guards with Irvine and they made their way up the building and to Rinoa. A small battle ensued, the two young men winning fairly easily against the monsters that threatened Rinoa's life. She seemed scared; petrified, even, as they finished off the creatures and helped her back onto her feet. "I was scared... I was really, really scared..." It was clear from her words that she wasn't ready for everything they would have to face if they kept her with them, but who was Squall to say that sort of thing? "Stay close to me." He has said instead. She was his responsibility, after all... they had a contract that stated he'd take care of her and stay at her side until Timber achieved independance. Things had calmed down for the time being. They weren't done with their mission just yet -- they still had to wait for the cue from Quistis' team. Making it to the clocktower's top had been easy enough, as it would provide them with enough cover so that they wouldn't be seen. Everything was going according to plan, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the whole plan. A sniper rifle had been waiting for them upon their arrival, Squall handing the gun over to Irvine and watching as he quietly strode to his position. Maybe he was just getting ready... it was true what he said... sniper's had so much to put into their work. In the meantime, Squall sat against one of the small light stands -- across from Rinoa. The thought of Seifer once again crossed his mind... she had said that she was in love with him, after all. She deserved to know what would happen... One of them would probably die. And Squall didn't plan on being that one. After settling this with Rinoa, Squall's attention had been diverted to Irvine. Even though he had a cool air about him beforehand, it seemed as though he was... terrified now. He was shaking, jittery -- something Squall had a bad feeling about. But he probably would've preffered not to hear the reason behind Irvine's sudden nervousness. Their sharpshooter, their smooth-talking, womanizing, cool-as-ever sharpshooter... was nervous. The whole idea had made Squall slap a hand to his face, both out of frustration and utter disbelief. Why now? Why didn't he say something about this before? This wasn't any time to be nervous, to have second thoughts. While Irvine insisted he couldn't do it, Squall knew they had to think fast. It seemed as if their time had come -- quickly, he told Irvine that his shot was only a 'signal.' Even if he missed, they would take care of it. Just a sign, he said, and they would be able to finish it. It worked, but not as well as they would've hoped. Although Irvine's aim was dead-on, it seemed as if the sorceress knew it was coming. How she knew didn't matter; they had a mission to complete. "Take care of Rinoa," Squall had said, ignoring Irvine's apology. other. RANDOM FACTS » • Squall has read all of Timber Maniacs' battle series books, and has a subscription to Weapons Monthly. AIM SNs » the qriever, the hero trial, de la mer morte, a grieving heart PLAYED BY(S) » Yuu Shirota, Ash, River Phoenix (Last resort only. Respect the dead and all that.) THEME SONG(S) » Maybe I'm a Lion by The Black Mages, Karasu by Tsukiko Amano, Liberi Fatali by Nobuo Uematsu. |
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