Jail, Jowl and Jaws Fujin sat quietly atop one of the walls that lined the main path leading into Balamb's courtyard. She'd spent many a lonely night upon this lofty perch, watching the stars and clouds above. "It seems so long ago." She mused inwardly as she breathed in the fresh air, the scent of cherry blossoms tickled her nose as the sun beat down upon her. The trees had been planted in the courtyard after the war to memorialize the dead. A time best left buried she thought. "I'm not the same person I used to be. I've changed." She examined the notion and realized, it had really happened without her noticing. "Is it a good thing though?" She wondered. "I think so..." "You could be hurt still, anything could happen." A twinge of doubt tugged at her sub-consciousness with annoying fervor. She shook her head, banishing the nagging thoughts. "I should be ashamed of myself to even think of giving up now." She cursed herself. Besides things where getting interesting, she'd come to enjoy the new feelings that burned inside her. "I've been out in the cold to long." She admitted to herself with a faint smile. She thought about Quistis, nothing new there, she'd come to notice she was on her mind quite often. Their flirty antics in the hall early had affected them both. She was certain it would not take much to send their relationship to the next plateau. It was obvious how passionate she could be, Fujin didn't know how deep her own passions could run, but recently she was growing comfortable enough to try and find out. "How though?" She wondered. She'd nearly given herself a fit just going as far as she had. "It was nice though." She remembered the night at the resort, the sharing of gentle caresses and innocent exploration. Her stomach tightened and she shivered at warm memory. Taking a deep breath to clear her head she leapt off the wall. Celest, who was returning from town screamed in fright as she landed. Fujin jumped back equally startled nearly punching her. Last time she was surprised out here it was Luccian trying to get cheap thrills. "Watch where you're going you scared the living hell out of me!" Celest snapped. Fujin blinked in surprise and nearly laughed, she had not seen the woman. "APOLOGY." She said with a slight bow. "Yeah whatever, it's cool." Celest waved the apology aside. She cocked her hip and pointed at Fujin thoughtfully. "Let me guess....." She tapped her newly repaired teeth as she tried to recall a name given with Irvine's description. "Fuji isn't it." Celest said with an askew expression. Fujin clucked her tongue in annoyance, apparently her reputation preceded her once again. "FUJIN." She corrected her. "Right, got it. Nice to finally meet you my brother mentioned you." Fujin said nothing and nodded. "Well, gotta get going, have to hit the books and all that." She waved and hurried on inside. "Brother?" Fujin wondered briefly but filed it under things unimportant. "HOLD!" A man shouted at her, causing her turn. She groaned as a Cadet from of the disciplinary committee crew ran up to her. "I heard a scream what's going on over here?" The boy was barely seventeen, and by the look on his face felt this was the most important job in the world. Fujin smiled and shook her head. "Yes, things have changed." She thought. "NOTHING." "What do you mean nothing, was it you who yelled?" "NEGATIVE." "Don't take that tone with me lady." Fujin soured, it was going to get ugly she already knew it. "You have an ID?" The cadet stepped back cautiously and put a hand on his stun staff. "OVERZEALOUS." "That’s enough from you, do you have an ID or not." "Damn it." Fujin cursed inwardly, she gave up her ID when she left. She wasn't an actual student any longer. "GO AWAY." She snapped in frustration and turned to walk away, but she knew he wouldn't. "HOLD IT!" He fumbled nervously and drew his weapon. "LIVE HERE." Fujin snapped again, she heard the buzz of the stun staff activate. "I think you need to come with me lady." The youth was nervous and Fujin could envision him shocking himself silly with his stupid toy. "HARASSMENT." Fujin said indignantly. "Alright I warned you about raising your voice with me lady!" He shouted and moved at her. ******************* Quistis speed walked down the hall towards the Disciplinary Office. She got a message on her answering machine to come down. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon and evening looking for Fujin and this was just taking up more time. She stormed into the Office like a wrathful queen. "So help me if it's Luccian again, I'll kill him myself." She grumbled as she marched to the front desk. "Grant! This better be important, who is it this time." She said wearily. "I just got here Miss Trepe, check confinement." He thumbed at the doorway near his desk. "I'll beat him stupid." She hissed as she strode through the door and into the holding area. "Luccian this is the last stra....." She started but ended up standing slack jawed. "Fu?" She said in weary confusion. Fujin sat on a bench in the middle of a small cell. Her expression was not the most pleasant. "Why..?" Quistis stammered and looked back towards the front desk. "How?" She babbled again then returned her gaze to the increasingly annoyed woman in the cell. "TRESSPASSING." Fujin sneered. "Oh dear." Quistis said as she choked back a giggle. Fujin arched a brow as if daring her to laugh. A guard walked in and smiled proudly, it was the same guard who brought her in and Fujin stood up with a snarl at his approach. "She claims to be one of your students." He chuckled. "Let her out." Quistis said with a twitch. "She a student then?" "Yes she's my student, let her out." Quistis chattered irritably. "Tell her to keep her card on her then or she spends the night next time." The guard said as he slipped a security card from his pocket. He swiped the card in the lock and the cell door opened with a whoosh. Fujin's played with notion of beating him senseless but settled for growling at him as she passed. "Be nice." Quistis elbowed her lightly. The man shut the door, keeping a wary eye on the silver-haired fiend glaring at him. "There is some paperwork you'll need to sign, you know the drill." "Thanks, I'll be right out." Quistis waved him away as she turned her attention to Fujin. "You okay, who long have you been down here?" "THREE HOURS." Quistis laughed brightly, Fujin shoved her half heartily. "NOT FUNNY." "Sorry." Quistis snickered. "LEAVING NOW." Fujin said icily as she headed for the door. "Oh come on now, you have to admit it's funny." Quistis said as she hurried after her. The paperwork alone took another thirty minutes and Fujin was scheduled for a meeting with Xu to get her enrollment status cleared up. By time all was said and done it was well past sunset. "Your still mad aren't you." Quistis asked cautiously as they walked up the hall to her apartment. "NEGATIVE." Fujin said blandly. "Oh don't start that." Quistis said and bumped her playfully with her hip. "ANNOYANCE." Fujin said as she grumpily elbowed her in return. "Brat!" Quistis laughed shoving her in retaliation. "ROYCE." Fujin said pointing up the hall as she staggered to keep her footing. "What?" Quistis said in mid attack and followed her hand. Royce stood at Quistis's door talking to Irvine. "Royce?" Quistis called, getting his attention. Royce nodded at Irvine then jogged over to meet her. "Hi Ma'am have you seen Aeka?" He asked with a faint look of concern. "Nope sure haven't." Quistis said apologetically. "Hmm, well if you do, tell her to find me, I bought her something while I was in town." "I sure will. Oh hey, how's Edea been treating you guys?" "She's okay, she summoned the Siren to explain to us about the Umbra." "Scary huh." Quistis smirked. "I don't think it's worth the risk." "Well that’s why they are used sparingly." "Yeah I suppose. How did things go, will you be in class next week?" "I sure will." Quistis smiled broadly. It was new news to Fujin who looked at her proudly. "TOLD YOU." She said knowingly. "Great to hear it Ma'am, we missed you." "I missed you guys too." Quistis smiled warmly. "Well I better go see if I can find her before it gets to late." "Alright Royce, see you in class." "Bye Miss Trepe, Miss Fujin." He said politely then headed off. "MISS FUJIN?" Fujin said dryly. "What?" Quistis asked with a curious glance. "NOT OLD LADY." Fujin sulked. "HEY." Quistis looked at her insulted. "What are you saying about me then?" "NOTHING MA'AM" Fujin smirked as they walked to Quistis's apartment. "You..." Irvine stood waiting for them "Ladies." He nodded. "How'd yer day go?" "Hey Irvine." Quistis greeted him as they went inside. "Pretty good, got to keep my job, and Fujin got arrested." She said tossing a sly smiled at Fujin, who simply glared at the comment as she leaded against the wall. "Now why doesn't that surprise me." Irvine guffawed, approaching Fujin. "Arrested eh, for what?" He looked down at her with his trademark heart-breaker grin. "ASS." She said thinly. "Ouch." He spun away holding his chest as if shot. "The lady doesn't play." He said with a hurt look. "Leave her alone Kinneas." Quistis said as she let her hair down and kicked off her shoes. "Yes Ma'am." Irvine said sassily, holding up his arms. "What on earth is that smell?" Quistis said almost fearfully as she looked around. Fujin sniffed the air and promptly made a face. "I cooked." Irvine said proudly. "HYNE HELP US." Fujin said simply. "That’s why I didn't make any for you." Irvine said with a smart-ass smile. "Your new pal always like this?" He asked, thumbing towards Fujin. "Just with people she doesn't like." Quistis sighed in annoyance. "What do you mean you cooked, cooked what?" "Jowls, beans, chitterlings and potatoes!" Irvine said with obnoxious pride as he rushed to the kitchen. "How very...." Quistis said uncomprehending. "HAYSEED." Fujin finished. "What are Jowls and Chitermacallits?" Quistis asked Fujin in a whisper. "PIG FACE AND GUTS." Fujin said with typical bluntness as Irvine walked into the living room with a heaping plate of steaming entrails and held it up to Quistis. "Oh Irvine..." Quistis said with a grim smile. "LOOKS GOOD." Fujin grinned. "Hey now, none for you." Irvine sat the plate on the living table. "Oh don't be mean Irvine." Quistis said wagging here finger at him, she threw an arm around Fujin and smiled. "She's a guest, it would be rude to eat in front of her. She can have some of mine." Quistis smiled broadly. Fujin started to complain prompting Quistis to secretly pinched her. "Ah heck I guess so." He said reluctantly. "Well you ladies enjoy the meal I'm running to the boys room." Quistis smiled a half smile as he disappeared into the restroom. "Well." Quistis said as she looked grimly at the plate and sat down. "INDEED." Fujin nodded and knelt at her side examining the heap. "What do we do?" "SUICIDE?" "That’s not funny." "NOT JOKE." "I'm serious." "EAT THEN." "It's entrails." "IT'S COOKED." "It's guts." "THEN TELL HIM." "I can't do that it'd break his little heart." "I WILL THEN." "Don't you dare!" Fujin grabbed a fork and knife and sliced a sliver of the peculiar flesh. She skewered the piece and held it up to Quistis. "THEN EAT." "Eww do I have to." "OR TELL HIM." "Damn it." Quistis looked at the quivering chunk with disgust. Fujin rolled her eye and ate the piece without flinching. "EDIBLE." "ACK!" Quistis turned green as Fujin cut another slice. "I can't believe you ate that." "AS WILL YOU." Fujin offered the fork to Quistis's lips. "This is hardly the romantic dinner I hoped we'd be sharing like this." Quistis said as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth fearfully. "BABY." Fujin said sarcastically as she feed her the morsel. Quistis chewed slowly, her eyes tearing up as she did. "Well what do you think?" Irvine asked as he walked back into the living room. Fujin looked at her blurry-eyed companion. It was all Quistis could do to chew the vile mess much less try to answer. "SHE"S SPEECHLESS." Fujin said with startling sincerity. Quistis nodded and forced a smile. "Great, I'm glad you like it. I never touch the stuff myself." He said with a shrug. "But I learned the recipe from a old friend in Galbania and wanted to try it out." Quistis's eyes bugged and she made a squeaking noise, Fujin griped her by the shoulders and regarded him thoughtfully. "WONDERFUL." Fujin looked at Quistis. "RIGHT?" She asked with a downright sinister smile. Quistis glanced at Irvine and saw the hope in his eyes. She finally swallowed the troublesome thing and gave him weary thumbs up. "Great!" He sighed with relief and sat down heavily. "Well eat up then, they say it puts hair on your chest." Fujin and Quistis looked at each other then back at Irvine. "It's just an expression." Irvine added. There was a knock on the door and all heads turned. "I'll get it you enjoy your meal." Irvine said hopping up to answer it. "I can't." Quistis said in a mousy voice. "I'm going to die." Fujin sighed and leaned against her companionably a moment. "I'll ASSIST." She said as she went to get some silverware. "Hey Rinoa, Squall, what brings you guys here?" Irvine said as the couple entered the room. Squall as always seemed as though he wished he were elsewhere. "Hi how are you two holding up, we just came to say congratulations to Quistis." Rinoa said cheerily. "Ah she'll be glad to hear it I'm sure." Irvine said as he shut the door. "Ew what's that smell." Rinoa said wrinkling her nose. "Chitterlings." Squall answered, as he looked around with a bored expression. Fujin walked out of the kitchen and paused long enough to notice Rinoa giving her a foul look. "I see you guys have a guest." Rinoa said sourly as Fujin walked back to the living room. "Yeah well, Quistis apparently made friends with her." Kinneas pointed out. "I know, I know." Rinoa sighed and walked towards where Quistis was sitting. "Hey girl." She said with a smile. "Squall told me to the good news, congratulations." Quistis looked up and grinned. "Thanks hon, I'm just glad it's all over with." Fujin set about fixing herself a plate as they chatted, she did her best to ignore the accusing glances Rinoa kept giving her. "Well I hope you're ready, the Treppies are chewing at the bit to have you back." "You included?" Quistis laughed. "Oh but of course." Rinoa smirked as Squall and Irvine joined them. Fujin was becoming increasingly uncomfortable and quietly carried her plate to the other side of the room. Quistis started to protest but Rinoa, oblivious to Fujin's departure intercepted her with more idly chatter about class. "You're doing." Squall asked Irvine, nodding to the plate Quistis was absently picking at. "Yup." "Is it supposed to smell like that?" "Dunno, my first time." "She like it?" "She said she did, hey ask her perhaps she'll let you try some?" "I've ate." Squall said without missing a beat. The doorbell sounded. "Got it." Squall said, using the opportunity to get away from anymore boring chatter about pig intestines. He walked past Fujin who looked up at him with haunted eyes. He met her gaze and frowned, something was troubling her but he deemed it none of his business and opened the door. "SQUALL MAN!!" Zell shouted and grabbed him in a hug. Squall staggered back under the assault as Nicole followed him inside laughing brightly. "Hey Squall." He whispered to him as Squall struggled to remove him. "You said you'd fly out with me to the Island of Heaven to get Nikki a Pseudo Dragon. Don't forget man you promised." "Don't torment him Zell." She grabbed Zell by the ear and pulled him off the besieged swordsman. Zell gave Squall the thumbs up as Nicole led him away, Squall sighed and nodded at him as he fixed his jacket. He looked at the growing crowd and rolled his eyes. "Nikki, Hey!" Rinoa called waving Nicole and Zell over. Fujin's gaze followed them as she sat silent and nearly forgotten. She saw Quistis give her an apologetic smile as Nicole and Rinoa chattered madly. "Whoa hey Jowls and Chitterlings, Like mom used to make!" Zell shouted and looked longingly at Quistis. "Oh by all means help yourself!" Quistis said eagerly all but throwing the plate at him. Fujin smirked faintly at the exchange and went back to her meal. Squall had just started to close the front door when Celest poked her head in startling him. "Boo!" She grinned. "What're you doing here tiger?" She asked with a wink and slipped inside. Squall looked at her with an almost fearful expression. "Where's my knucklehead brother at?" She cooed. Squall took a deep breath and pointed to where Irvine and Zell were laughing and shouting about some movie Zell had just seen. "Thanks sweet cheeks." She smiled wickedly at him, then bounced over to join the growing festivities. He started to shut the door again and paused to see if anyone else was coming. Everything looked clear and he shut the door, he stood awkwardly a moment not really knowing where go. He had no desire to join the dreadfully unimportant conversations going on. He glanced at Fujin just who gave him a sympathetic shrug, she understood what he was feeling. Squall had almost decided to sit by her knowing she would not trouble him with conversation when the door knocked again. "Damn it." He cursed, causing Fujin to chuckled quietly. He pulled the door open and looked down at the tiny woman in the hall. "Does everyone still hate me?" Selphie asked meekly. Fujin opened her mouth to answer but kept it to herself. "I don't know." Squall said simply, then realized he probably should have said something a bit more reassuring. "Gee thanks." Selphie whimpered, her eyes tearing up. "Is he here?" She asked weakly. Squall set his jaw firmly and pointed to the crowd surrounding Quistis. "Thanks." Selphie said softly as she tiptoed inside. She noticed Fujin and frowned a moment before walking over to everyone. Squall shut the door and quickly went to the kitchen to get something to drink and get away from the crowd. Fujin meanwhile was about sick and tired of all the dirty looks she'd received in the last few minutes and set the plate aside in a growing huff. She joined Squall in the kitchen as he poured a glass of soda. She grabbed a glass and waited patiently for him to move. He glanced at her impassively and held up the soda to see if she wanted any. Fujin stuck out her glass and he filled it without a word. They both drank quietly and waited for the fireworks to begin as Selphie made her presence known. ************************ Aeka crouched quietly in the bushes, she felt stupid for coming here by herself. She fingered the small throwing knifes in her hand nervously, gifts from her childhood. Before coming to Balamb she spent her younger years as part of a traveling carnival. They were like a family to her she'd been an entertainer for the most part singing and dancing. She even got to be part of Ornolio's knife throwing show. That was until the group went broke and had to disband a few years ago. "That’s in the past now." Aeka whispered and focused. She had come to the training area with some foolish notion to make herself learn to be stronger and more ready for combat. Instead all she got was a grievous bite on her thigh from the Raptor that now stalked her. She managed to stun the reptile enough to get away, but with her leg bleeding she knew it would soon find her scent. "Then what." She mumbled in anger, she was more upset at her failings than she was frightened. The sound of crunching leaves made her tense, something was coming. She now wished she had decided to start practicing with summoned creatures. She thought about spells and frowned upon realizing that very few would be useful against the thing. "Could be worse I suppose." She sighed and readied to surprise it before it surprised her. She sensed movement to her right and leaped to attack, sadly the beast had the same intention and they slammed into each other headfirst. Aeka bounced off the man-sized beast and fell on her back. The monster screeched and shook it head to clear its vision. Aeka sat up dizzily and held her now busted nose. The thing leapt at her suddenly with a screech, the talons on its arms flexing in anticipation. Aeka yelped and blindly tossed the blades she held in her hand. Most missed their mark but some sank into the creatures' underbelly as it pinned her to the ground. It's serrated teeth gnashing at her face wildly. She brought her arm up to take the attack and screamed in pain as she felt bone and muscle crunch under it jaws. "I'm going to die." She thought sadly. With a screech the beast tried to rake her with its wicked hind claws but her small size combined with her struggling hindered it from getting a good hit on her abdomen, instead it sliced her thigh open with frightening ease. Her vision went white with pain and she screamed. She fumbled madly in her pocket for another knife as the Raptor shook her arm like a chew toy. Her eyes rolled back in her head, as her mind wanted desperately to shut down and rid her of the pain. She found and slid the blade from her pocket and gripped it tightly. She swung her arm up meaning to stab it in the eyes. The creature snapped at the incoming hand and promptly impaled the blade into the roof of its mouth, breaking several of Aeka's fingers in the process. The raptor fell back making grotesque hacking sounds as it tried to dislodge the knife. Aeka struggled to her feet and nearly fell over, her right leg was ruined and drug behind her as she loped away. She tried desperately to focus enough to call forth her one healing spell. The creature gave a roar that sounded more like a loud gurgle. The ferocity of the noise broke Aeka concentration and she began to cry in terror. She stumbled and fell as she cleared the bushes and landed on the dirt trail near the exit. "So close." She realized, but deep down she knew it was to late she could hear the beast approaching and she was spent. "Stupid, weak and stupid, what where you thinking?" She hated herself for her foolishness, she had thought it would be easy. The others made it almost a game and now she was going to die, die from her naivete'. She heard the ragged gurgle of the creature and the heavy plodding of its footsteps behind her. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. "At least die like a SEED." She cursed herself. "Try to fight." Sniffling pitifully as tears streamed down her cheeks she rolled over on her back and tried to sit up to face the beast. She opened her eyes; it was close, far closer than she feared. It towered over her, its head lolling crazily as it hissed a spray of blood issued from its wounded mouth splattering her face. She kicked at it weakly with her good leg. Crazily she almost laughed at the feebleness of the attack. The thing simply stepped back to avoid it and hissed again, Aeka could see the blade still sticking in the roof of it's mouth. The creature staggered a step and tossed back its head then gave a loud, low hooting call. "Great it's calling for its friends to eat." She thought bitterly. Her muscles gave out and she fell to the ground. She craned her head up as the creature took careful steps towards her then without a sound it fell atop her knocking the breath out of her. She screamed thinking it was attacking her but slowly calmed as she realized it was no longer moving. She blinked back tears and looked in fear at the fanged muzzled scant inches from her face, then she saw it, just between the creatures eyes she saw the very tip of her blade protruding from it's skull. "I killed it..." She wheezed weakly. There was a loud eerily similar hooting somewhere in the distance that made her nearly soil herself. She grunted and wiggled madly to try and get out from under the carcass. Finally she pulled free and dragged herself towards the exit. She heard twigs snap and leaves crunch causing her to look back towards the trees. A trio of raptors exited the underbrush and stepped into the clearing sniffing the air. Aeka's eyes went wide as saucers and she started crawling madly. The lead raptor moved to inspect it fallen comrade and sniffed it lightly, it was soon joined by the others. Aeka didn't look back, she didn't dare, she knew if she did those terrible teeth would be the last thing she saw. She heard a terrible screech and she fell to the ground covering her head waiting for the end. It didn't come instead the sound of ravenous feasting and the ripping of flesh greeted her ears. She looked back over her shoulder and nearly vomited at the sight as the raptors savagely tore into and began devouring their former companion. She closed her eyes to the sickening sight and pulled herself up to hit exit latch to open the door. She crawled into the waiting area leaving wide carpet of blood in her wake, the door shutting with a hiss behind her. Tears came again as she finally realized the mangled state she was in. Her lips quivered weakly as she closed her eyes to concentrate again on the healing spell. After a horrible and painfully long moment her mind settled enough to draw forth the magic. Dull tendrils of white light spread across her, pulling the gaping wound on her leg closed and forcing her ruined arm into more natural configuration. She lay sprawled on her back breathing heavily and finally her mind forced her into joyful oblivion.
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