Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Few Words ❯ Chapter 2

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
A Few Words: Dictionary II

Word 101: View

"What are you looking at?" Raijin curiously asked Fujin.

"View," she replied simply.

There was a large ship parked next to the dock where Seifer stood. Raijin couldn't see the sunset at all from their position.

Word 102: Waffles

Raijin's complains and cries towards the toaster announced the demise of the last pair of waffles. There were no more waffles left and while Raijin grabbed a piece of bread, glared defiantly at the toaster and walked away, Seifer remained in the kitchen with Fujin, he wanted waffles.

Fujin had waffles, which she successfully prepared before Raijin's failed attempted that ended with unrecognizable charred things. Pouting in frustration, Seifer sunk into a chair at the kitchen table.

"Eat," Fujin offered her waffle.

"No, that's your breakfast; I'll live without waffles for a day."

"Eat," Fujin insisted.

"Okay, thanks" he accepted the waffle, the last one, which Fujin had already bitten.

She went to see if there was anything she could do to fix the toaster and while Fujin was distracted, Seifer turned the waffle over and bit over Fujin's bite mark, with thoughts of an indirect kiss. It was nothing but a silly superstition, yet he was oddly amused by it.

Then he felt Fujin's cool hand on his forehead as she asked, "fever?" He didn't realize his thoughts had ran away with him and his warm face was far too obvious.

Word 103: Xu

It had been a long time since they had seen Xu and she reminisced about their time in Garden in the past and how people had changed over the course of the passing year, "so when did he tell you?"

"What?" Fujin inquired.

"That Seifer was in love with you, when did he finally tell you?" Xu insisted.

Fujin shook her head, "imagination."

"Oh, you're saying I'm wrong?" Judging by Seifer's embarrassed glare, Xu was certain she was right, except he had not spoken to Fujin about it and Xu wisely decided to drop the subject.

Word 104: Yoyo

Fujin exited the house to the sound of Seifer's scolding, "Raijin!"

While Raijin apologized, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Be more careful, I have a headache! Am I bleeding?"

"I'm sorry! You're not bleeding, there are no cuts, I'm so sorry!"

Even a yoyo could be dangerous if anyone lowered their guard while Raijin was playing with it. In an attempt to do a yoyo trick, Raijin let it fly, but the string snapped and the yoyo crashed into Seifer's already aching head.

Fujin calmly made her way towards them, took Seifer's face in her hands, looked into his eyes and ordered, "quiet," so close he could feel her warm breath on his lips.

The two boys fell into an absolute silence after that and Fujin returned inside the house. The next day, Seifer bought Raijin a shiny new yoyo.

Word 105: Zipper

Anyone who walked by saw a loving couple, even Raijin was amused, but he made an inhuman effort not to show it, because angering Fujin would be deadly.

No one realized that Fujin had bent forward to pick up the book she had left on the park bench, while Seifer was distracted looking up at the sky as he stood up. Her head collided with his chest, sending him back into a sitting position, then Fujin's hair was pulled, causing her to be caught off guard and land on his lap. Her hair was stuck on his jacket's zipper and she couldn't get free.

"Scissors," Fujin demanded, but they didn't have any on hand. Thus they had to walk home in a tight embrace, concluding it was a little less mortifying to let people think it was on purpose.

Word 106: Antidisestablishmentarianism

It was a motion started by Zell back in their days in Garden to disestablish the Disciplinary Committee's authoritarian status. When Zell finished his speech about the reasons why people should join the motion, Fujin stepped forward and called people to the opposing cause, "antidisestablishmentarianism." They all stared at her, they were all confused by her and they all followed her.

Word 107: Brush

He needed a haircut, but decided to put it off. Instead he ran his fingers through his hair and walked out of his room. He saw Fujin in the hall and she shook her head, returning to her own room. Seifer curiously followed, wishing to know the reason for her look of disapproval. "Sit," Seifer sat on a chair without question and Fujin brushed his hair.

Word 108: Care

Everything was in order in their home, though Seifer and Raijin were certain it would fall apart without Fujin's care.

Word 109: Disposition

Her words were few but powerful, she was quiet but imposing, she was strong and to most unapproachable, but to them she was always an available and a comforting presence. Her disposition was that of a silent genius, perceptive and precise.

Word 110: Endless

The line was long, it was huge, it was endless. But they stood firm and were rewarded by the roller coaster.

Word 111: Fight

"May I have your attention!" No one turned to look at the leader of the Disciplinary Committee and for that they would pay if he lost his temper. "Attention!" Seifer was just about ready to force them to pay attention when Fujin interfered.

She loudly called, "fight!" and soon they were surrounded by an eager audience.

Word 112: Games

They didn't need to say what they planned or how they intended to move. They just knew, they were perfectly synchronized and they knew they would win all the games.

Word 113: Heater

Seifer shivered, he couldn't believe this. He couldn't believe the heater would break during a snow storm, he couldn't believe Raijin couldn't sleep despite the cold, he couldn't believe that they would be snowed in and unable to get a new heater for days, he couldn't believe how early winter had come that year, and most of all, he couldn't believe he was sharing a blanket with Fujin. Sometimes, it was unbelievable how good his life could be.

Word 114: Ice

The heat was so strong it was ridiculous. Fujin searched for ice in the freezer but found none, yet she was sure she saw ice that morning and it was only mid afternoon, how could they consume all that ice so fast? Then she stepped outside and saw Raijin in a small pool full of ice and Seifer having discovered this and getting ready to jump in.

Word 115: Journal

"Searching?"

"Not at all, what makes you say that?" It could have been his expression that told he was obviously hiding something. It could have been the fact that his voice sounded different. Most of all, it could be that he was turning the house upside down, empting boxes, crawling in closets and searching under every piece of furniture.

Fujin knew that Seifer was searching for something, she knew what he was searching for and she knew why he refused to admit it. She humored him and walked away, after all, she was the culprit who took the journal he carelessly left in the living room, and she wasn't ready to give it back, it was far too interesting.

Word 116: Keys

Fujin heard the soft sound of a pebble colliding with her window and saw a young man standing below. She felt as if she had seen or read this scene somewhere before. Maybe it was deja vu, Seifer forgot his keys again.

Word 117: Lucky

They didn't believe in luck, they made their own luck, but sometimes they felt infinitely lucky to have met each other.

Word 118: Music

Seifer loved the song, though he had no idea who the singer was. There was no music in the background, but the voice was so majestic it didn't matter. One day he went to ask Fujin about the song while it was playing in her room and found that it wasn't a recording at all. It felt strange that someone who saved up her words would let them flow in song, it was amazing. At the same time it made sense, her voice was too good to be given away to strangers.

Word 119: Numb

It was funny how one could hate a certain feeling one second and crave for it the next. Raijin's tongue was frozen numb because he just had to lick that pole, he couldn't resist the curiosity to see if his tongue would really get stuck, then it did.

Fujin handed him something, "free," and believing her words, Raijin pressed the unknown object against his tongue to free himself. His tongue became so hot, it was no longer stuck. Wishing for the disappearance of all the chilly peppers in the world, as his tongue burned, Raijin longed for the cold numb sensation to return.

Word 120: Outlaw

When he was declared a traitor to Garden and supporter of the Sorceress, Fujin and Raijin still remained by his side, thus Seifer concluded that being an outlaw wasn't so bad.

Word 121: Purse

Fujin didn't carry a purse; she found it impractical and unnecessary. However, that one day, she had a purse when they were heading out to gather wood for a bonfire they decided to improvise. "Carry," Fujin answered the unspoken question; apparently she had things to carry that would be more conveniently kept inside something, such as a purse.

Seifer and Raijin would never get over the shock when Fujin pulled a large axe out of the tiny purse and began chopping wood, which she also stuffed into the purse.

Word 122: Quit

She didn't quit, it just didn't happen. Fujin wasn't one to give up.

Word 123: Rubber Duck

She found it in the bathroom and asked her companions who it belonged to, but neither claimed it, so she took it to her room and placed it in an easy to see spot on her desk. As expected, while Fujin pretended to be sleeping that night, Seifer snuck in to recover his rubber duck.

Word 124: Spam

The spam mysteriously stopped coming and the news anchor cheerfully announced the peril of several companies having their systems invaded by a virus that constantly threw pop-ups with the word "SPAM" on them, overloading their systems and preventing them from advertising their products via their own spam. Fujin smiled at the TV.

Word 125: Trepies

The Trepies were sometimes loud and annoying in Seifer's opinion, always obsessing over Quistis Trepe. However, if he was going to fear a group, he would fear the mysterious group called SeiFu. He had been embarrassed by them in front of Fujin on several occasions, though they claimed to be helping them both accomplish some secret mysterious goal they refused to revealed, claiming it was clear and obvious.

Seifer didn't understand what they were trying to accomplish, maybe SeiFu stood for 'Seifer vs Fujin' but he would not turn against her and she would not turn against him. Seifer never understood that the SeiFu were just inept matchmakers.

Word 126: Umbrella

They had to stay close to each other to share the small umbrella and shield themselves from the rain. They didn't mind at all.

Word 127: Venom

When Fujin spoke normally, it came out clear, firm and indisputable. When she spoke in calm and friendship, her few and short words came out sweet. This was something that only the experienced ear could catch under the guise of a melodious monotone. However, everyone could feel the deadly venom when she spoke in anger.

Word 128: We

We are friends, it never ends,
We know our loyalty transcends.

We are strong, moving along,
We will find a place to belong.

We face our fate, whatever waits,
We open those victorious gates.

We hold our goal, secret cipher,
Together Raijin, Fujin and Seifer.

Word 129: Xerography

When it came to art class, their xerography was always the best. They were a great team, each member contributing with something vital. Seifer thought of what the image would be and directed them, Raijin took care of the electricity and Fujin blew everything into place. Seifer always felt victorious when they completed a xerography assignment, he liked being the best and Fujin and Raijin liked to watch him glow with pride, knowing that it was for them.

Word 130: You

Seifer didn't understand how it happened and Raijin understood it even less. Fujin was used to their antics by now. "What does it want?" Seifer was stressed, panicked, annoyed, worried and very frustrated.

"I don't know!" Raijin held the crying child the neighbors had dropped off on the trio, bribing them with cookies and the promise of a gil reward if they took care of her for the day. Try as he may to gently rock the little girl to sleep, the baby remained wide awake and quite upset. The child refused to eat any more, having been already fed enough, thus leaving her with a free mouth to employ in yelling.

Seifer and Raijin had gone through the ordeal of attempting to change her diaper not too long ago, only to make a mess of baby powder that nearly choked them all to death, until Fujin rescued the baby, properly changed her and with a hint of remorse, returned her to the two inept babysitters. Raijin, who was on the verge of tears himself, handed the baby to Fujin, though her crying didn't cease.

"Fujin, what does it want?" Seifer pleaded.

"You," Fujin gave the baby girl to Seifer and she immediately calmed down, which meant Seifer would be stuck with her.

Word 131: Zero

Raijin didn't get any candy from the teacher that day, he seldom did. But it didn't matter, because Seifer and Fujin shared their candy with him, even if he almost always got a zero on his written tests.

Word 132: Again

He contemplated the item and put it away like he did every year. Seifer decided that he didn't want to hang any mistletoe anywhere after all, despite his hidden yet undeniable desire to catch Fujin under it. Thus he missed another chance, again.

Word 133: Brain

The scan came up blank and the doctor didn't know how to say it. In theory, Raijin's electrical affinity affected the machine, making it unable to scan his brain. At least that's what the doctor concluded when Fujin gave him a hint by saying "electricity." Seifer would forever wonder if the theory was correct, or if Fujin was simply helping Raijin hide the fact that he didn't have a brain.

Word 134: Cable

Raijin entered the living room, then promptly retreated to his room again, his face covered by a tint of red. Fujin didn't have anything to say and Seifer didn't know what to say. It wasn't his fault he tripped over his video game console's cable and knocked Fujin down, throwing her on the couch and landing on top of her. Seifer tried to get up, but the cable was still tangled around his feet. Fujin was only trying to help him get up, if only he would stop struggling in his embarrassed panic. From a certain angle, it looked like they were making out.

Word 135: Devastation

"Are you sure you don't like him?" Rinoa was hanging around their house again, much to Squall's aggravation and perhaps more so for Fujin, since she didn't stop asking the same thing over and over, refusing to believe the answer.

"I. Do. Not. Like. Him." Fujin paused after each word, as if saying such a mouthful, at least for her, cost her a great deal of effort.

They were talking about an actor, but Seifer didn't know that. They say that those who eavesdrop, especially if they miss the start of the conversation, shall hear their own devastation; yet somehow, Seifer was still full of determination.

Word 136: Elbow

The posse was out camping, their sleeping bags out on the soft grass, having decided not to cover the view of the stars with the tent they packed, so as to have a refuge in case of an unexpected weather related emergency. They formed the ends of a perfectly symmetrical triangle around the unlit campfire, unlike before, when they were roasting marshmallow sitting so close, their shoulders touched every few minutes.

Seifer couldn't sleep and regardless of what Raijin may say and what Fujin may think in silence, he moved his sleeping bag next to hers and laid down again, capturing a perfect view of her face as she slept peacefully on her side. He drifted off to sleep, only to be woken up harshly about an hour later, by the pain caused by Fujin's elbow, which harshly connected with his stomach and knocked the air out of his lungs.

Fujin shifted in her sleep and continued her peaceful journey through dreamland, no doubt well immersed in the middle of a REM cycle. She was a violet sleeper.

Word 137: Fujin

Fujin, a mythological creature, master of the wind. None of the varied portraits Seifer had seen looked anything like the Fujin he knew. Nonetheless, watching her hand there, with the breeze making the fallen leaves of autumn dance around her, he could truly believe she was a wind goddess.

Word 138: Gallant

There was a time when he had wanted to be a knight, though now those times were apparently in the past. Yet even so, Fujin could still catch that side of Seifer occasionally. Though he didn't openly admit it, she was smart and observant enough to know that perhaps deep down, he wanted to be her gallant knight.

Word 139: Home

The definition of home could vary from person to person, but many would agree that home is where the heart is. If that was so, Seifer's home was currently out buying groceries.

Word 140: Inside

The battle between Seifer and Squall had become rather repetitive. Seifer drank a shot, Squall drank a shot, and it continued like that over and over. Neither of them seemed to be drunk enough to quit and soon Rinoa decided that it would be more interesting to outside and talk, while the two men settled their differences over the bottle.

Fujin would have said it would be best if the invaders, Rinoa, Squall, Selphie, Zell and Irvine, left; but she was a woman of few words who kept her thoughts to herself. Rinoa was all the opposite, broadcasting her opinions as loudly as she could and expressing her desire for everyone to be friends, hence why she dragged the others along to visit as often as possible since she learned of the posse's place of residence.

While Zell attempted to tell jokes, determined to make Fujin laugh and prove that it was possible, Rinoa chatted with Selphie, the topic shifting at random, and Irvine attempted to flirt with Selphie to no avail. Raijin was amused by Zell's jokes and soon the two were laughing together and telling jokes to each other, instead of pestering Fujin, a fact for which she was thankful.

Then it happened, Squall and Seifer emerged from the house, the first holding an empty bottle staggering over to Rinoa, placing his arms around her shoulders and passing out into a loud snoring coma. Rinoa was nearly knocked down by the weight of her snoring drunken boyfriend and proceeded to poke him along with Selphie in a strange attempt to revive him.

Seifer made his way over to Fujin, who stood to the side away from the rest of the group; he smiled, wrapped his arms around her and planted a kiss of her lips, followed by a loudly voiced marriage proposal, which left everyone wide eyes and open mouthed, save for Squall who was still snoring, and drew their unwelcome attention towards Fujin.

She glared at the drunken Seifer and commanded, "inside," causing him to obediently scurry towards the house and sit in his room to wait for his beloved, who did not go visit him until the following morning, when his splitting headache had already erased his memories of the unanswered proposal. Fujin made sure to sternly request the silence of the rest of the witnesses and frightened out of their minds, they immediately agreed.

Word 141: Jealousy

When it came to gluttony, Raijin had them both beat, possessing the biggest appetite out of the trio. If it was a question of pride, though they all had their fair share, Fujin and Seifer especially, it was Seifer who would have the most, because he was the most stubborn when it came to holding on to it.

Sloth was nearly absent from the posse, except on those days when they felt a collective laziness that prevented them from getting out of bed until well into the afternoon, only to find out the others had felt the same way. Then the three would sit on the living room couch, watching movies and eating unhealthy snacks, indulging in their relaxation to their hearts' content.

Greed may have been interpreted as being present by some, though they merely wanted what was best for their little posse and held no greed towards each other, sharing among their precious group with sincere satisfaction. Wrath, people would say, presented quite a danger if awakened in Seifer, though it was actually Fujin who was the deadliest of the three. The only reason so few recognized this fact, was because those who had been unfortunate enough to witness her wrath were either six feet under or too traumatized to speak of it.

Lust was a forbidden topic among the posse, they were friends and that was it, though Raijin was certain that Seifer was only in denial and would eventually have no choice but to confess his feelings to Fujin, or spontaneously combust. When the day came, and Raijin was sure it would come, he knew Fujin would accept him, or put out the fire, and Raijin would be happy for them, or relieved if Seifer survived combustion.

Envy came and went, most of all with the rivalries that Seifer had developed in the past, and though his rivalry with Squall still remained, the jealousy was gone. Yet the feeling of envy was not absent from Seifer's life, far from it, it came mixed with wrath and greed whenever someone laid eyes on Fujin as they made their way through town.

Of course, Seifer would say it was the crowds getting on his nerves and he would assure, in all honesty, that he was not jealous and truthfully recognize there was no reason for such an emotion. Then he would unconscious send deadly glares at all the other males in the surrounding area, save for his trusted friend Raijin, and continue walking along next to Fujin, matching her pace to perfection.

Word 142: King

Seifer sat back on the recliner in the living room, feeling like a king upon his throne. The thought occurred to him when he looked at the playing cards that Fujin and Raijin were entertaining themselves with by making card castles. Seifer himself had tried, failed and in an attempt to prevent himself from throwing the tantrum he felt building up, he decided to take a break.

Raijin continued trying to build a castle to no avail, the cards falling over and over, before he could complete the first floor. Fujin's castle was five floors tall, perfectly balanced. If they were to personify the characters in the cards, then Fujin would be the queen, Raijin was to be the jester and he would fill that position well, which left Seifer with the part of the king.

Cards aside, even if his queen was, according to Seifer, oblivious to his feelings, albeit in reality she was well aware, and even if their little house could never pass for a castle, it was during those relaxing times when they could sit back and play that Seifer truly felt like a king.

Word 143: Life

All was quiet and the three friends watched the stars. It was a time of peace and philosophical musings that contemplated the meaning of life. "What is the meaning of life?" Seifer wondered.

"Cookies?" Raijin suggested, speaking the first thing that came to his mind.

Seifer decided to pretend he didn't hear and looked to Fujin who shook her head. "I wonder..." Seifer whispered, if anyone knew how to properly answer that, he thought it would be Fujin, but she refused to say it or did not know, Seifer wasn't sure what her gesture meant.

Fujin remained silent with her deep thoughts, life was many things and most of all, life was something that could only be experienced and not explained in simple words.

Word 144: Mimic

In perfect unison they walked their steps in harmony, as if precisely calculated. One stopped without indication and so did the others, no indication needed. One looked to the left, to the right, to the sky, anywhere without warning and the others did the same, their senses attuned, their minds working as one. They looked back and saw three small children, two boys and a girl, a classic group, they were no where near as precise as the posse, but they were playing shadow, trying to do when they did.

Then in perfect unison, the three children looked up at the trio of taller figures, smiled innocently and pretended not to know why the older three were looking at them. Two boys and a girl, a classic group, a common form of posse, one that would exist through the generations.

Word 145: Nightly

Seifer was always the last one to go to sleep, as if an unspoken instinct kept him awake to watch over the others. The sound of Raijin's loud snoring filtered through the half open door to his room, which Seifer quietly closed to block out the sound. He then went to Fujin's room for his nightly visit as he always did. He opened the door gently and watched her sleep for a few seconds, a few seconds longer each night, then gently closed the door and retreated to his own room.

Fujin was always the first to wake up. She got up with the sun, no alarm clocks needed. She opened the house windows and half opened the door to Raijin's room, allowing the soft breeze that invaded the hall to filter in so he wouldn't wake up to a stuffy room. She went to Seifer's room, opening the door noiselessly and watched him sleep for a few seconds, a few seconds longer each day. Then she went to make breakfast, knowing that the scent would wake Raijin and his noise would wake Seifer.

Word 146: Oxymoron

Silver hair glittering in the sunlight,
The shining figure fades to a void,
To darkness with contradictory ease,
Her stride, firm and strong, yet light,
If all the gazes she wished to avoid,
Somehow, someway, she did.

But when she wished to be seen,
All heads turned in her direction,
Towards her loud silent scene,
And her wordless communication.

They knew, even if she made,
No action of indication,
That she was a unique creation.

Word 147: Pale

He gritted his teeth in agony, his eyes irritated by the effort to hold back all the sounds caught in his throat. He felt like crying as one inevitably did when pealing onions or faced with a bad cold, but not because of the pain, he could withstand it and in a strange way, he thought it was well worth it.

Fujin sighed softly and applied more cream to Seifer's bare back. He got it in his head that he was too pale and needed to tan, assuming that it could be accomplished faster without sun-block.

Word 148: Quickly

It all happened so quickly that they weren't sure how it happened. Rinoa was at it again, pleading for the posse to join the little party that she and Selphie would host. In the end, Raijin caved into the offer of food and Seifer and Fujin went along.

Raijin walked to the snack table, tasked with delivering a tray of freshly baked cookies. He wanted to eat them but Rinoa watched him from the corner of her eyes to make sure he didn't start on the snacks too early and make them run out.

Distracted, Raijin tripped over the amplifier's cord while Selphie battled with the cables for the instruments, the tray of cookies went flying and in a split second, Fujin reacted quickly, seizing the tray in mid air and moving with amazing speed to catch all the cookies on it in a gust of wind.

Word 149: Robust

"Seifer said no," Raijin reminded Fujin, who was having a personal battle with the common cold, but she insisted she was well enough to carry on with her life, despite Seifer trying to baby her.

"Move," Fujin warned.

Raijin gulped but stood firm, vigorous, strong and robust. Then a gust of wind blew him away, sending him to crash into Seifer who was approaching not far behind. They crashed into the wall and watched as Fujin walked past them, vigorous, strong and robust, despite her common cold-infested slender frame.

Word 150: Smile

Fujin stood in the middle this time, the two boys left and right looking at her, instead of the camera. They were surprised by the change in her often expressionless face, though still beautiful Seifer would add. She was smiling, she never smiled for the camera but for some reason that time she did, and much to Selphie's frustration, Seifer and Raijin had to ruin it by looking away from the camera. Even so, despite Selphie's complaints, it was worth it to see Fujin's radiant smile.

Word 151: Triple

Three, always three, whenever they were at the ice-cream shop the order was triple; buying tickets at the movies the purchase was triple. Going here or there, doing this or that, it was always triple. It was triple because there were three of them, and the three were always together for triple the fun.

Word 152: Underneath

He tossed the coin to the air and caught it again; the action was repeated until sudden loud voices made him cringe and the coin slipped away from him, rolling into Fujin's private territory of the house, she had left the door to her room open. If it had been just some gil, Seifer would have abandoned it, but it was a collectible coin that he had a hard time tracking down, he regretted foolishly tossing it up and down in his joy, if not for that, it would be on its way to the safety of his album. He could ask Fujin to retrieve it from its place having rolled under her bed, but that felt silly, he would just get it himself, he wouldn't touch anything so Fujin shouldn't mind.

Seifer looked under the bed, spotting the familiar shine of the coin on the other side, the bed being pressed against the corner, allowed only so many angles of approach. Seifer crawled under Fujin bed, thankful that there was no accumulation of dust as there would be under his bed, Fujin's room was always spotless. His entire body was hidden underneath the bed when he finally reached his priced collectible coin, but crawling out of the confined space would not be so easy, especially with the arrival of the owners of the loud voices to Fujin's room, along with the unwilling Fujin who did not want to 'hang out and discuss crushes' with Rinoa and Selphie.

From underneath the bed, Seifer felt three bodies sit on top of it, underneath it all, he felt claustrophobic, trapped and he didn't want to admit it, afraid. Underneath it all, he didn't care to listen to the confessions of Rinoa and Selphie about who they liked, he already knew anyway and didn't care either way. Most of all, underneath it all Seifer was terribly disappointed that Fujin kicked the other girls out of her room and their house before they could get her to admit who she liked. Then, when Fujin returned after showing them the exit and looked under her bed, as if having been aware of his presence there from the start, underneath it all, Seifer knew he was doomed.

Word 153: Vengeance

In other to avoid Fujin's wrath when Seifer was caught apparently eavesdropping on her unwilling conversation with Rinoa and Selphie, though Fujin was not really saying anything anyway, he offered to take her to a movie and buy her whatever snacks she wanted as an apology, because he knew he could never truly explain his situation. "Agreed," with that one word their fate was sealed and later that night they ventured to the movie theater, for once going as a pair instead of a trio of friends.

Luck was not on their side as Seifer and Fujin found Squall and Rinoa at the theatre being all lovey-dovey as they waited to get their tickets and then while they waited for the movie to start because there was only one worth-while movie playing anyway. It seemed that Rinoa and Squall didn't even have the decency to wait until the lights were off to start wasting their tickets and kissing while ignoring the movie.

Squall and Rinoa were a little too close that day, though seeing them walking around hand in hand was not rare, especially since the Garden vessel just loved to come by near the town were the posse's little house was located. Maybe it was their anniversary or something because it was as if they wanted to make the world jealous of their love.

Seifer pouted and Fujin glared lightly, she was annoyed, though she wasn't as obvious in showing it as Seifer. Then she turned to him and called his attention away from the couple a few seats away and to her, "Seifer," the lights were turned off and the usual pre-movie trailers started playing. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, then opened his eyes again as he was pulled along by the hand down the row of seats and up the hall to the stairs leading to the balcony above.

From the second floor, Fujin threw their bucket of popcorn watching, despite the relative darkness with the only source of light being the movie screen, as it landed perfectly on Rinoa's head. Fujin smiled in satisfaction and she and Seifer fled the scene before they were caught. Walking home, Fujin's mood had taken a turn for the better since she had the opportunity to exact some form of vengeance, though she did wonder if it might have been better not to interrupt Seifer that time...

Word 154: Watching

He was watching, always watching, watching from a distance, so close yet so far. They lived in the same house, they saw each other every day and Raijin was well aware of the situation giving them one opportunity after another to say what needed to be said. Fujin, being a woman of few words, didn't look like she was going to say anything. However, she was also a woman of deep thoughts and perception, she was well aware of the situation better than Raijin, who had the benefit of the extra awareness of a neutral spectator, and she was certainly better informed than Seifer who seemed to be caught in the confusion of being one half of the dilemma. Maybe that was why she did not speak of it; instead pretending she didn't know he was watching.

Once again Raijin went fishing on his own saying this was a battle between him and the fish and that he had to face the challenge alone. Surely he would get bored without anyone to talk to and start singing, which would inevitably scare off the fish much more than what the noise of a conversation would have, and cause the clumsy fisherman to come back empty handed. But that wasn't the point, the point was that Seifer was determined to speak up and tell Fujin how he felt. There she was outside their house, the rays of the sun making her silver hair shine, her expression was serene but alert, she knew she was being watched. In the end that was all he did that day like every other day, he continued watching from afar. It was alright for the time being, there was no need to rush, he told himself. For now, he would be satisfied just watching and she would be pleased just being watched.

Word 155: X-treme

Seifer watched as Raijin dashed out of Icicle Inn with his snow board in hand for another day of extreme, or as the holiday package brochure had said 'x-treme' snowboarding. He was angry and frustrated because he took a bad fall and twisted his ankle so painfully that he would be confined to his room for the rest of their snowy holiday, to put it simply, it sucked. Then Fujin came in with a couple of cups of cocoa having decided to keep him company for the day, talk about a blessing in disguise.

Word 156: Yarly

Even if no one really invited them, Rinoa and Selphie liked to hang out with Fujin, they were probably persuaded to do so by the inhabitants of Garden when they grew tired of their antics.

Seifer had already forgotten what the conversation was about, maybe Rinoa was telling a story about Squall doing or saying something or other and Selphie was expressing her surprise. It was something like that, but Seifer couldn't and didn't want to remember the specifics. The point was that for the past hour or so the exchange between the two invaders remained the same.

"Oh really?" Selphie would express her surprise.

"Yeah, really!" Rinoa would insist over and over.

The repetition was driving Seifer insane until Fujin put a stop to it with a loud, "Stafu!" and sweet silence reigned supreme, at least for another two minutes.

Word 157: Zorro

The sword scribbles were not only Zs they were every letter of the alphabet and some that didn't even exist. Catastrophe stroke when Squall and Seifer showed up at the same costume party wearing identical costumers. They thus proceeded to attempt to prove who the best Zorro was by slicing a Z on the other's costume. One Z led to another until the entire alphabet, along with some illegible scribbles, was displayed on the ragged outfits of the Zorros.

All the girls present, save for Fujin who was naturally quiet, cheered loudly, breaking Seifer and Squall out of their battle focus and making them realize the state their costumes were in. They ran mortified, hoping their masks, the only part of the costumes that remained unharmed, would hide their identities well enough.

Word 158: Raven

"It's looking at me," and it was unnerving, the big ebony raven kept staring at Seifer screeching loudly every now and then when he least expected it.

"I think it's cute," Raijin approached the big black bird and petted it softly, receiving no complaints from the animal.

Fujin then returned to the living room where the raven's perch was with some food, which the raven happily ate. Throughout the course of all of this the raven's eyes remained focused on Seifer instead of on the one petting or feeding it.

"Why does it keep staring at me?" It was agonizing, Seifer could feel the raven's cold coal eyes burning into him, it was indeed so terrible it deserved a bad metaphor.

Fujin should have known the simple task of caring for the pet raven of the couple down the street while they were away would somehow be made complicated. She took the raven in her arm and walked over to Seifer who began to back away but froze upon Fujin's firm, "stay!"

She placed the raven on his shoulder and the bird joyfully cuddled him. Raijin looked infinitely amused by this, "aw, Lenore likes you."

"Share," it was the last word Fujin spoke for the rest f the day.

Seifer would forever wonder if Fujin was telling him and Raijin to share the raven or if she was telling the love-stuck Lenore she was willing to share him.

Word 159: Throat

Raijin shifted uncomfortably and bit his lip, he wanted to finish watching the horror movie with Seifer, Squall, Zell and Irvine to officially complete the guys' movie night forced upon the group by the last two, but that cut throat assassin was just too creepy.

Then when they least expected it, Fujin returned to the house, having lost the patience to continue the girl's night out with Rinoa, Selphie and Quistis. The TV screen had been the only light and the sudden scream of the assassin's victim came out just as Fujin came in.

The five men echoed the scream, absolutely certain for a fleeting yet eternal moment that the assassin from the movie had invaded the house and they would inevitably die with big cuts in their throats. Desperately, Zell leapt for the lights and in the added illumination it was easy to see that the intruder was actually an angry Fujin. Suddenly, the throat cutter assassin from the movie didn't look so scary.

Word 160: Makeup

Her hair was brushed out of her face and held back with clips, her face was painted perfectly and she looked like someone else. She infiltrated the party said to be filled with terrorists pretending to be high society and when they revealed themselves, she revealed herself as well and they were out cold before they knew what hit them. Other than for that one mission in her days at Garden, Fujin had never used such an amount of makeup, she didn't need it.

Word 161: Change

Changed was inevitable in some aspects. From their days in Garden to their days fighting against other SeeDs, to the present time, living together, there were many things that had changed, though their friendship changed only if it was to become stronger.

"Ow!" The basket ball was retrieved from under the table at the cost of a bump on Raijin's head. Never let Raijin attempt to pick something up from under a table, that much never changed.

Word 162: Parasol

Seifer threw his head back in laugher as Rinoa indignantly declared, "it's a parasol," and hit Squall on the head with the aforementioned item, after he asked for the seventh time why she needed an umbrella if it was bright and sunny out in front of the posse's house.

It didn't make any more sense to Seifer if it was an umbrella or a parasol; though he had a feeling Fujin might know the difference, simply because she knew a lot of things. Either way, at least Seifer came to realize that maybe Rinoa occasionally dragging Squall over to visit wasn't so bad if he could get a laugh out of it.

Word 163: Outcasted

They walked by pretending, or rather trying to pretend, that she was invisible, but their cautious sideway glances were more obvious than a direct stare to her. This was Fujin, part of the disciplinary committee, the mysterious and intimidating quiet woman. She was an outcasted by everyone but her personal posse... and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Word 164: Cuisine

The smell was exotic to say the least, but in a good way. As for the color, let's just say neither Seifer nor Raijin had even seen anything like it. They looked at each other with a mixture of excitement and caution across the table, then finally they dove into the adventure as comrades. This was Fujin's cuisine... and it was delicious.

Word 165: Maiden

He smiled and she glared, he tried his best to keep a serious face, but ended up smiling again. She'd get him for that, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't the one who handed out the roles of the play, but he was certainly amused. Seifer was in fact so amused by Fujin in a lovely maiden's dress that he didn't mind that his own costume of olden days was just as ridiculous. Then she would link arms with him as part of the scene and they would walk a few steps across the stage. Her eyes were now looking forward, so she didn't see that hint of something else in his, something other than amusement, something hidden and deep, something that pertained to his character well enough, but was in truth all his.

Word 166: Blackout

The small flame flickered and almost gave out. Raijin was fascinated by the storm's light, sitting by the window in awe. Fujin seemed to hear something in the howling of the wind that only she could understand and that left Seifer as the only companion of that lonely small candle. Then just invisible as the wind and with movements just as swift albeit as gentle as a mid summer breeze, unlike the storm that raged on, Fujin joined him next to the flickering light as they waited out the blackout.

Word 167: Forgiveness

He wasn't sure what had upset her, but he could easily perceive the imperceptibly small change in her behavior, the way her quiet and precise movements seemed a little faster as if done with just the tiniest bit of spite. He couldn't think of what it was that bothered her, but he offered her a seasalt popsicle and hoped for forgiveness. She took it with the slight hint of a surprised expression overcoming her features. Everyone had an off day now and then and Fujin was no exception. That was no reason for Seifer to seek her forgiveness, as there was nothing to forgive... but she gave it anyway and accepted the piece offering with the slightest hint of a smile that she knew he could easily perceive.

Word 168: Book

He passed by in silence and glanced at her book. The cover was so worn he couldn't read the title. Without a second thought, he continued on his way, yet the nagging curiosity wouldn't leave him. He passed by again and examined her book without disturbing her reading. He still could not decipher what it was about. Finally, Fujin, who was all too aware of Seifer's curiosity, patted the space on the couch next to her, offering him a place to sit. From that angle he could clearly see what was written in the old pages of the worn text. He didn't know she liked poetry.

Word 169: Lotion

Seifer's nose first picked up the scent when he woke up in the morning. He searched for it in the common areas of the house he shared with Fujin and Raijin but could not find the source. Though it was all pleasant and somewhat similar, he knew the scent didn't originate from the flowers in the vase in the living room's coffee table or the fresh muffins that were kept in the kitchen. The whole day he felt compelled to smell every pleasant thing in the house, but the scent was always just slightly different. Then finally, with the casual motion of Fujin handing him the TV's remote as it was his turn to pick what to watch next, he found the source of the pleasant scent to be her. Rather than just taking the remote, he held her hand for a curious moment, bringing it close to his face and took a deep breath, deciding that he really liked the scent of her lotion.

Word 170: Mad

The glow in her eyes was ominous and threatening, her expression incredibly fierce, her aura was beyond words to express, it was a disaster, it was a catastrophe, Fujin was mad.

Word 171: Parody

The sword was far larger than what Seifer was used to, but at least Raijin was enjoying this as he had discovered a trigger happy side of him he didn't even know he had. As for Fujin, she grumbled and readjusted her skirt, her boots had metal plated soles, but how was she supposed to kick in that skirt? She would have to blow off some steam by punching everything in sight just as hard as Tifa would.

Word 172: Abuse

Raijin tried to help her garden by pulling out the weeds... along with the flowers. Seifer tried to help her garden by watering it... until the ground turned to liquid mud. They might have good intentions, and she appreciated it, but far from being gardening, this was plant abuse.

Word 173: Plastic

He pulled at it and pulled at it, but far from releasing the prize it held confined, it only stretched stubbornly and refused to break... until she came over with a pair of scissors and another enemy fell defeated, the latest victim: plastic.

Word 174: Misunderstood

His past ambition was frowned upon by many, but she saw the truth of his wish to be as a knight, and even if he was misunderstood by the whole world, in the end, one way or another, she would always understand him.

Word 175: Trainwreck

It was a disaster and she looked like she had been in it, because she had. Yet she was alive and miraculously without a broken bone. At that moment, even if Fujin looked like the trainwreck she just walked out of, to Seifer's great relief upon seeing her without serious injuries, even covered in dirt, dust, and scratches, she was the most beautiful he'd ever seen.

End of Dictionary II

Disclaimer, I don't own Final Fantasy VIII.

Many of the words in this part came from the song Word Disassociation.

There's a reference to Kingdom Hearts in Word 144.

There's a reference to Final Fantasy VII on Word 171.

Word 129: Xerography, is based on the definition and process involved in it. Though it takes place in art class so we can assume it's different but with similar principals to actual xerography. I have seen a few different techniques called or nicknamed xerography used in art. Let's call it artistic lincense.

Word 125, 159 was requested by sissyHIYAH.

Words 163, 167, 172 and 174 were requested by YinYangWhiteTiger.

Words 108, 139, 143, 144, 165, 169 were requested by PhinalPhantasy.

Words 109, 113, 114, 119, 133, 153, 154, 158 were requested by TamaChanMyu.

Words 107, 110, 112, 118, 124, 134, 141, 150, 160, 164, 168, 170, 171 were requested by Romantic Jester.

Words 102, 106, 123, 135, 140, 142, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 151, 152, 161, 162, 166, 173, 175 were requested by Xeno the Hedgehog.