Irvine Kinneas

"Guns and Women, of course."

[corleonis45]

Life update

x.x

Life has not been the kindest as of late, and both this blog and my Irvine one have been neglected. I still plan on keeping them, but anything in regards to RPing probably won’t happen *on here* for quite a while. 

Discord is a much easier and faster way for me to talk with people, and reply, if you’d still like to interact. 

<3

[data-hex]

For Hearth and Home Discord

Glaives Assemble! 

Did you know there’s a Kingsglaive centric Discord server that’s open to all who love the movie (and the game) to come and discuss all things KG/FFXV related? There are also various discussions for other fandoms (be it FF related or not), game evenings, role plays for those interested and everything in between!

We welcome all to come and visit, kick your feet up at Yamachang’s, and enjoy some good company through the link below.

For Hearth and Home

[irvinexxkinneas]

@hyperionswrath

It was up to Seifer to roll his eyes now, the notion he liked the Cowboy to his feet being an obvious taunt he was not going to indulge. Honestly, commanding the obnoxious man to do as he deemed right was kind of a power rush, but far was he from actually voicing that out loud. If the guy wanted to be cocky with him, he’d put him in his place, end of story.

Aside from that, he was, in fact, curious to see what the Marshal thought was useful for them in the long run. Could Kinneas really handle their training? And how would he react to a sparring partner that could warp - if poorly?

Feigning disinterest, however, Seifer made a point of not looking too obviously into the general direction of both men going at each other then. He was paying utter attention, his gaze slipping over the important motions when Solus took his fighting stance, analyzing Irvine’s as well, all the while seemingly being more interested in the structures of the Training Grounds.

Admittedly, both did quite the good job, all things considered. Solus was still sloppy in his approaches - he knew that much. The young Glaive had only joined their ranks a couple of weeks ago and thus was still mostly occupied with getting the ropes of how to warp and command the King’s magic in general. It took time. Kinneas, on the other hand, was mainly accustomed to guns and it showed, although he managed to not make a fool of himself in the way he handled the training sword, as well as the attacks directed at him by the Glaive.

Maybe it wouldn’t be too much of a pain to teach him. Naturally, he’d prefer to kick the brunet out right away, but seeing how low their numbers had become he knew better than to actually approach the Marshal with such thoughts. Even the worst trained Glaives were still better than none, as macabre as it might be to consider them nothing but better cannon fodder.

When Solus finally turned his back on Kinneas and darted away, Seifer quirked a brow, taking mental note of the situation to address it later. He knew what was coming now. Irvine, however, didn’t - and was knocked over when the young Glaive warped directly at him, bringing the tall man down on his back, sword pointing at him.

Huffing through his nose, Seifer pushed off the boulder he had been leaning on then, steering his steps back to the both of them when Solus helped the Sharpshooter back to his feet.

Ignoring Irvine, he turned to the younger man and shook his head. “Never turn your back on your opponent. Not even to get some distance so you can warp,” he admonished, eyes narrowing as he shot a sideglance towards Kinneas, nodding briefly in his general direction. “Kinneas is a sharpshooter, kid. He could have killed you then and there had he the means to. You wanna create distance?” - and without any preamble he flicked his right wrist, summoning Hyperion from his amiger, flipping her at Irvine and pushing her flat side against the other man, supporting the blade from the other side with his free hand and giving a firm shove in an attempt to force the Cowboy a couple of steps back, or send him back into the sand if he was able to surprise him enough.

“Push. Shove. Use what you have and force the distance. In a real spar, you might wanna consider using magic too. And if it’s not enough?”, he took a step backwards then, letting Hyperion vanish again, “...warp away before attacking again.”

Clicking his tongue, he shot the young Glaive an inquiring look, which earned him a quick nod from the man. “Y-yes Sir, sorry Sir!” Seifer snorted at that, giving a dismissive gesture with his right hand. “Cut the Sir, we have no ranks below the Captain and the Marshal. Now back to practise with you.”

Only when Solus scampered away did the tall blond turn back to Irvine, crossing his arms in front of his chest once more to size the man up once more, a sigh heaving from his lips. “Shit dude, you can’t even defend yourself against a new recruit… what did’ya do all those years?”

One hand went to his neck then, scratching while he grimaced, not liking what he had to do next. “We’ll see what you can do in the upcomin’ weeks.”

It was no surprise to Irvine that Seifer came over and began dissecting their spar, telling the young man everything he had done wrong. He stood, arms folded and listened. The blond haired man was correct; had this been a real fight, and Irvine had his gun, the kid would be dead with the stunt he pulled.

As such, while the materialization of the weapon was a minor distraction, it wasn’t enough for Seifer to lay him on his back and Irvine merely stumbled back a few steps by the force of the push in the demonstration of the proper way to put distance between yourself and foe. He shook his head at just how much Seifer intimidated Solus as the young man nearly ran off, before turning his attention back to the man.

“Maybe don’t put me up against a rookie who’s nervous next time? While he did well enough, I could tell he was jittery. Or perhaps warn me when something I’ve never seen before will be used against me. Yeah, I get we’re supposed to be ready for anything, but that.. Warping? That’s a new thing.” 

Irvine rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his stance. “I did my job. I’m a sniper first, remember? I take my targets out from a distance. Dave and other hunters taught me the basics of hand to hand combat and the use of some daggers, knives and short swords, but how they handle blades is different from how you lot handle them. I was taught to fight against beasts and daemons, not other soldiers. The tactics are a bit different, not by a whole lot, but enough.”

A soft sigh slipped out of the man. He would be useless if he couldn’t pick things up, and there was a small blossom of worry that began to bloom in his stomach. “Look, just give me a chance, Almasy. I know I run my mouth, I’m not your favorite person to be around. But I think I’m worth an attempt at least. Teach me what you can, and I’ll push myself to get the hang of it. Or I won’t, and ya can go back to the Marshal and tell him he made a mistake by bringing me on the Glaives.”

What Irvine wouldn’t admit was he was tired of living alone. He wasn’t hard wired to be a lone merc, he craved working in a team, having others to rely on and be with. He missed it. So he would do whatever he needed to ensure he could have it again, especially with people from his past.

[irvinexxkinneas]

🥤- Bring my muse a drink (for VIII or XV! Your pick)

(XV) There was definitely something to be said on the days where the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard trained together. Tension between the two groups always rode high, and nine times out of ten, a fight would break out. Usually between Ulric and Fortis. (which had happened, to no one’s surprise)

Had Irvine not been magically inclined as he was, he would have been placed within the Crownsguard, which he felt he would have felt right at home with his gun. As such, it didn’t stop him from making friends with a few of them, Squall being one such friend.

Tired, sore, and bruised up, Irvine took the liberty of slipping away from the group once the Marshal concluded training was done, to one of the more quiet corners of the training grounds to rest. Most people would head off to the showers, which meant the locker room would be loud, and today, Irvine found he just wanted a moment of peace before heading in there.

As he sat, head leaned back against the pillar, the last thing he expected to hear were footsteps coming towards him. Lifting his head up, he saw the familiar brown haired man walking towards him.

“I saw you sneak away after everything was done, thought you could use a water, even if you didn’t want the company.” Squall stopped in front of him, holding out one of two bottles, head cocked to the side. Irvine chuckled lightly, reaching up to grab one and gesture to the space in front of him.

“I always appreciate your company when you’re free to give it, Leonhart. Thanks, for the water too.”

Squall looked between Irvine and the space before shrugging and sitting down with his own water. “Yeah, don’t mention it.”

Shaking his head, Irvine rested against the pillar again as they fell into a comfortable silence, neither man needing to fill it with unnecessary chatter, just enjoying the other’s presence. 

[irvinexxkinneas]

Hands in pockets, Irvine stood off to the side of the crowd, watching the others enjoying themselves in the moment. While the war had ended, the darkness was gone, there was a bitter taste left in his mouth. 

What was the cost for this result? How many lives had been lost before the chosen king ended Izunia’s reign of terror? 

The remaining Glaives had joined together. Libertus, Tredd, Seifer, Squall, Vesper, along with a few others who had joined their ranks during the ten years of darkness. They looked tired. Aged beyond their actual years as they watched the crowd rejoice, and mourn. A part of him wanted to join them, and yet he felt more at peace watching them than being with them. 

Irvine felt that he played such a small role in the grand scheme of things, that when it came down to it, he’d rather they get the glory and stand in their shadow. 

Was it all worth it? 

Irvine ran a hang through his hair as he looked up at the light blue sky, a sight he never thought he’d see again.

“Yeah... It was worth it.”

[victorian-mlm]

wild west mlm

— for anon

[irvinexxkinneas]

🍙 - Bring my muse something to eat

Irvine had been thrown into the deep end real quick after the Marshal had agreed to put him into the Kingsglaive. Seifer working him over, hard, and often enough that it felt like he couldn’t get a moment to take a breath. 

He understood why, but it didn’t mean he had to like it. 

Squall had been watching from the sidelines when he could, never really saying much, nor would his expression give him away. It frustrated him to no end when the brunette would walk off after Irvine would inevitably get his ass handed too him. While the times that it happened were slowly decreasing, it wasn’t fast enough for the impatient cowboy. 

After a very particularly long and hard session, Irvine left in a huff after some colorful words were thrown back and forth between he and Seifer. 

“Arrogant lil’ asshole... ‘Oh I’m Seifer, I’ve been in the Kingsglaive longer than you so I know best. Meh meh meh meh meh.’ Suck my dick Almasy...” 

“Catch you at a bad time?” 

Irvine froze, and turned to see Squall standing there with two containers, eyebrow raised. Irvine sighed and rubbed the back of his head as Squall motioned him to follow to one of the corners of the training grounds that few used. Squall handed him one of the containers and a fork while he situated himself on the ground, with Irvine following suit, groaning lightly. Everything hurt, and it would hurt worse in the morning.

Not bothering to ask what he had been given, Irvine dug in, starving from the days work. It became a comfortable silence between the two men.

“He’s not like this all the time, just so you know.”

“Hmm?” Irvine looked up to find Squall poking at his food, looking anywhere but at him.

“Seifer.”

“Yeah, I know who ya were talkin’ about... Whadya mean?”

Squall shrugged, taking a bit of his food, leaving Irvine to grumble a bit. “He just isn’t. Give it time. He’ll come around. The Marshal believe you should be here, so you should be here, that’s enough for me.”

Irvine blinked a few times. “Huh... Well... Thanks for that vote of confidence, and the food.”

Shrugging again, Squall went back to poking his food, perfectly content to ignore what was said to him, causing Irvine to snort and shake his head. 

“Some things never change, do they?”

[irvinexxkinneas]

[ooc] Oof. I’m sorry I fell off the face of the planet on Tumblr this week. It was very emotionally charged, and I kept mostly to Discord (which, if you also use Discord and wouldn’t mind connecting there, let me know! I can definitely be found there more often than Tumblr)

I will get to my asks from last week <3. I have a few started, I just need to sit down and finish them.

[moretrashyrpmemes]

Soft Intimacy Meme

Send one to…

😴  - Curl up next to my sleeping muse

🤐 - Come to my muse with a secret

🧥 - Wrap a coat around my muse

💉 - Help my muse take a shot

✂️ - Cut my muse’s hair

🎈 - Bring my muse something to cheer them up

🤗 - Sneak up behind my muse and hug them

🎸 - Teach my muse how to play the guitar

🍙 - Bring my muse something to eat

🥤 - Bring my muse a drink

🍻 - Bring my muse an alcoholic drink

🌺 - Put a flower in my muse’s hair

🛁 - Take a bath with my muse

🚿 - Take a shower with my muse

🎮 - Show my muse video game cheats

⚽️ - Teach my muse a sport

🌱 - Plant seedlings with my muse

🤛🏼 - Show my muse how to throw a proper punch

📕 - Read to my muse

🧢 - Put a hat on my muse

[viii-masterlist]

Calling all FFVIII roleplayers!

Wanted to have one place to see who is currently out there in the fandom, or find some more people to write with? Look no further! Currently, this masterlist will contain RP blogs for any FFVIII characters, as well as OCs based in this universe.

To be added to this list, please reblog this post, and add tags with the following information:

The name(s) of the character(s) on your blog

Whether the character is Canon, Canon-Divergent, or OC

Any other information you want to be noted down by your URL (i.e. Private, Dash Only, Multimuse, etc)

Alternatively, all of this information can be sent in via ask as well!

[irvinexxkinneas]

@hyperionswrath

Naturally Seifer heard the guy and noticed him walking over. Behind Kinneas’ back, the tall blond smirked smugly, eyes darting over to the obnoxious man as he walked over and brushed the dust off his precious fedora. There was a brief shake of his head before he turned his attention back to the young man before him (what was his name again?), filling him in.

Of course the tall brunet felt the need to comment on his decision as well, like he seemed to have something to say to each and everything he did. So a wolfish grin plastered his face when Seifer turned to face him, fully ignoring the younger Glaive that hurried away to fetch himself a training weapon.

“Shut your trap, Kinneas. I’ve been here a couple’years longer than you and am pretty sure I know what my responsibilities are. Entertaining you not bein’ one of ‘em. Training you, however? Very much so.” And with a tilt of his head and a sickly-sweet smile, he gestured in the direction Irvine had done his pushups before. “Another thirty of those once you’ve shown me you’re not all talk.”

Seifer gave an exasperated sigh as he shrugged, crossing his arms again and sizing the other man up who seemed pretty quick to run his mouth, given he had been here for what, the better part of two hours? “Listen, Kinneas. I know this is hard to grasp with that thick head of yours, blood-circulation cut off all the time by this atrocious piece of clothing and all, but the Marshal tasked me to train ya. Show you the ropes. Because it’s what I’m good at. I ain’t here to coddle the shit out of people bein’ sent to what might be their last battle just so someone like you can feel better ‘bout themselves.” He snorted then, turning away to take a couple of steps. If Kinneas wanted to rile him up to the point he’d snap and spar him himself, he was about to learn a lesson or two.

Keeping the reason for why he did what he did private, Seifer leaned against one of the boulders, watching as the younger Glaive came back with a thoroughly bored expression. Rolling his eyes at the wink he received, he made a shooing motion with one hand to give a half-hearted signal that the both of them could begin. “Oh and boy!”, he shouted, making Solus spin around at him immediately, “...don’t hold back on that sorry bit of warping you can manage. I wanna see what Kinne-poo can do.”

Blinking, the young man gave a slow, insecure nod before jogging into a reasonable distance and taking a fighting stance. He held the wooden sword with both hands, slightly to the side, and took a deep breath as he waited for Irvine to ready up as well, before he started dashing at the man, raising the weapon in a wide swing to attack.

Irvine rolled his eyes at the notion of doing thirsty more pushups after the spar. If it kept the man off his back, he supposed he would do it, though he had little choice in the matter in the end.

“So, I’m to spar, then do more pushups? I think you just like seeing me on the ground. I’d say on my hands and knees but....” he cocked a brow letting the comment die on his tongue, and turned away to face Solus while turning out most of Seifer’s orders to the other man. Irvine twisted his arm around and rolled his shoulders as he waited. If he was being honest, there was a small part of him that wondered if this kid would beat him. He recalled some of his basic training, and moves he had done to protect himself out on jobs when Exeter wasn’t going to cut it, but the kid was told to use stuff against him that was new. Warping? What was that?

With a nod, Solus came at him, weapon raised. It was swung too wide, and easy to block, but Irvine knew better than to take that as a sign he would be able to win. Feign skills from the beginning to come out with a better attack at the end, he’d seen it before. Pushing off from Solus, he grinned, and brought his sword up from the ground towards his side, which was easily missed. 

Thus, began their spar.

They danced back and forth in the dirt, each getting a few taps and jabs in. Solus was definitely more skilled than Irvine was, but the man knew how to hold his own, and managed to smack Solus a few times that would definitely bruise. He knew better than to get too cocky, especially with Seifer watching nearby. 

After a few more well placed hits by both men, Solus had turned and ran off away from Irvine, leaving him confused. Why was the man running away? “Oi!” Irvine yelled as the man flipped around with a determined look on his face. The last thing he saw was the wooden sword being flung in his direction and a dazzling flash of blue, before the wind was knocked out of his chest and he was flat on his back.  

Irvine blinked a few times, realizing what had happened, before he brought his gaze to Solus, who had a smug look on his face, but was holding out his hand for Irv to grab.

“So that’s warping…”

Grateful for the hand, Irvine got up with a groan. “That was unexpected kid, but good. I can definitely see why y’all train as much as ya do. I’ve got a lot to learn.” he chuckled lightly as they made their way back to Seifer. 

“So, ya gonna run off to Cor, tell him that I’m no good, or are ya gonna teach me a thing or two? I can’t be that bad. Kid’s here got a few well placed marks on him.” Irvine smirked, placing his free hand on his hip, twisting the sword in the other. “What say you, Almasy? You gonna put me on my back next?”

[irvinexxkinneas]

What is your seduction style?

Your Seduction Style: Siren / Rake

You possess an unbridled sensuality that appeals to many. The minute you meet anyone, you can make the crave you almost immediately. You give others the chance to lose control with you... spiraling into carnal bliss. A dangerous lover, you both fascinate and scare those you attract.

[irvinexxkinneas]

@hyperionalmasy

If there was a way to stare someone down and have them drop dead, Seifer would have perfected it by now. Sadly, this wasn’t how it worked, was it. So he gave an impatient eyeroll instead, clicking his tongue in the process. “Did I fuckin’ stutter, Kinneas?” he shot back when the cowboy whined about having to get his hands dirty. Six above, if it already started out like this it would be child’s play to get the annoying guy kicked right out of the Glaive’s midst again.

Tapping his booted foot while the brunet took his sweet time making a show of removing coat and hat and stretching himself on top of it, Seifer quirked a brow when he saw the deliberate way the other man made sure his shirt wandered up a little. Fuckin’ showoff. He didn’t even warrant that bit with a comment, only narrowing his eyes and quirking his mouth in displeasure for the way the guy was stalling time. If he didn’t hurry up, he’d plant his fucking boot on his ass and get him down there.

When Kinneas finally obliged and started counting, Seifer strode over to where the other had placed his hat, picking it up in a swift motion and looking it over with a thoroughly bored expression. He’d kind of love to see the fuzz the guy would make when this thing went flying first thing at a warp - if that wouldn’t mean he would have to be fully admitted to the Kingsglaive, that were. Snorting, he flung the ugly thing down again, not caring if it landed back in its initial place or on the dusty ground instead. Not paying much attention to how the Sharpshooter was faring, Seifer’s gaze wandered over the Training Grounds instead. He really would need to have a word with Squall about this whole situation, albeit not looking forward to it. Getting a decent reply out of his former rival was as fun as pulling teeth, if not less. “Don’t waste so much time when you can be more efficient,” he spoke lowly without looking at the brunet when the one finally got up after having made a show of his pushups. If there were any ladies around, he had certainly made sure to get their attention. Barely suppressing a shake of his head, the tall blond turned back to the other slowly again, arms once more crossing over his broad chest.

“You have nothin’ on me yet, Kinneas, especially no advantage,” he quipped, sending the other man a meaningful look. He didn’t much care for the other’s skill set, but given that he himself was able to warp, and Kinneas wasn’t, already gave him an edge that no warming up could even out - at least in his book, of course. However, he seemed to have finally hit the mark in getting under the brunet menace’s skin as the one kept on complaining about his course of action, which had a grin spring onto his face, arrogant as ever. “Who said you’d be going against me?”

Whistling then, he made a beckoning motion towards one of the newer recruits, a young guy that looked rather boney and had not shown much talent in his warping attempts the whole time Seifer had been carefully observing him. “You’ll go against… what’s yer name again, pal?”

The sandy-haired young man slowly approached, unsure what to think of the situation apparently as he looked back and forth between the two older men. “Solus…. Sir?” Ah, perfect - someone who couldn’t even tell that there were no ranks among the Kingsglaive and there was no need to ‘Sir’ him since he wasn’t the Captain. Or the Marshal, for that matter.

Grin widening, he gestured widely towards Irvine then. “Today’s your lucky day then,” he announced, not bothering to actually remember the other’s name.

“You’ll be havin’ a little sparring with good ol’ Kinneas here, how’s that sound?”

As Irvine stood watching the scene unfold between Seifer and the younger Glaive, he rolled his eyes, which brought his gaze back to his jacket and hat. His hat, which had been moved, and tossed carelessly onto the ground. 

“Oi! At least put someone’s property back where it was, ya ass.” Irvine grumbled, just loud enough that if Seifer was paying attention, he would hear the man. He walked back to his things, picking up the hat and gently brushing it off before setting it back on his jacket. “Such disrespect. Tch…” he clicked his tongue and turned back to the two men. 

He only caught the tail end of the conversation, which was ultimately all he needed. Seifer was worming his way out of actually sparring with him, forcing this younger Glaive who looked scared to all get out to even be talking to Seifer. What does he actually do around here to cause this kind of fear in the ranks? 

Strolling over to the two men, Irvine looked the man up at down. The poor kid looked younger than him, and if he was allowed to, would possibly bolt given the chance. He wouldn’t blame him either. Seifer could be completely insufferable.

“Really, blondie? Pushing your responsibilities off onto another person? Well, no matter. We’ll have fun together, won’t we?” He grinned, before gesturing off to the training weapons. “Pick yer poison. I’ll wait.”

Solus nodded slowly, making his way over to pick his own practice weapon, and while he was gone, Irvine shifted his stance to look at Seifer. “Soooo…. What exactly do you do ‘round here? He looks like he’s ‘bout to shit himself.” he gestured his head towards the other man. “I guess some things just never change. Always havin’ a commanding air about you, huh? If people aren’t scared, you aren’t doin’ your job correctly.”

Again with the prodding, though it was mild this go around. Irvine was going to say something else before there was a shuffle of feet heard off to the side of him. “Uhm… I’ve picked out a weapon, Sir. I- um.. I’m ready.” Solus stood at the ready with his sword of choice, wooden just like Irvines. 

With a smirk and a wink in Seifer’s direction, Irvine rolled his shoulders and motioned for the other man to follow a few feet away from the racks of weapons, his belongings and Seifer. Falling into the correct stance, Irvine gestured to the man.

“Ready when you are.”

[hyperionswrath--archived]

“Seems like today is spot the idiot day. Found him.”

[irvinexxkinneas]

“OI! You’re just jealous that I get all the ladies and gents, and you’re stuck all alone, with your hand.”

[tikkety-tok]

This is what Rasputin would’ve wanted.

[scarcrossed-deactivated20230609]

“Oh. Yeah. I know this guy….his name is Irvine Kinneas.”

[irvinexxkinneas]

( GRIP ) holding mine by the back of the neck.

Seduction Starters

To say Irvine may have pressed one too many buttons that evening wouldn’t have been an over exaggeration. He was learning exactly what to say and do to get under Seifer’s skin, and enjoyed every moment of it. 

Why, though, he wasn’t sure. He did want to try and befriend the man again, and yet, watching him get upset, swearing at him, was almost better than warming up to him. He reasoned with himself though that this could be how they became better friends. Get the shit out of the way to see the real men underneath.

So, when he had the opportunity to spar with Seifer again, he took it, knowing full well that it likely wasn’t going to end on a positive note for him.

How right he was.

As they sparred, the verbal jabs flew almost as fast as the physical ones. Each man trying to purposefully get under the others skin. Digging up dirt from their past, jabbing at their appearance, and their fighting style. The words didn’t hurt quite as much as the swords did, however, but they still did their job.

Still, Seifer was still better at close combat, and somehow, Irvine had been flipped around, his sword knocked from his hand, and was now pushed up against the pillar. Seifer’s hand was on the back of his neck holding him there as the man got right next to his ear. “Next time, Kinneas, I won’t go so easy on you, and that pretty face of yours will get fucked up instead of your feelings.” 

It was said as a low growl, and that did things to Irvine, but it wasn’t quite enough to stop him from continuously pressing those buttons.

“I think you like my pretty face too much to ruin it, Almasy.” Irvine chuckled lightly as he smirked, turning his head just enough so the man could see. It garnered the exact reaction he was hoping for as Seifer’s grip tightened and pressed him against the pillars a little harder. There was no hiding the soft whine that slipped from his lips then.

Seifer snorted in Irvines ear and shook his head. “Keep dreamin’, Cowboy. You may be pretty, but your mouth runs too much for my liking.”

Another chuckle, and Irvine couldn’t help himself. “You know, there are ways of shuttin’ me up, blondie.”

“And what makes you think I actually want you?”

"The fact that you’re still holdin’ me up against the pillar tells me otherwise, but now you can’t say I never offered.”

[irvinexxkinneas]

@vespersilvanus

It was evening and the training grounds were finally deserted. The open area holding nothing aside from a large sand ring and a towering structure; the tall pillar appeared to be made of several chunks of different types of buildings haphazardly stacked together. It was meant to give the Glaive experience with warping at different heights and driving their weapons into a range of materials.

The surrounding sand had yet to be raked and still had the imprints of the new recruits who had failed to warp and landed hard on the ground; humiliation and bruises were pretty much expected- not to mention the motion sickness and hurling that usually followed achieving their first successful warp.

Vesper entered the ring- hooded muscle shirt and black shorts, their usual workout attire, paired with black foot-wraps instead of shoes this time; the leather bracers holding their hidden blades standing out on bare arms. Sure they knew how to warp and were pretty competent with getting their weapons to stick securely at whatever it got thrown at. But that wasn’t what they were practicing tonight, tonight was about getting around without the Kings magic- it was important to them, to be able to reach anyplace possible without having to warp. Without the flash of ethereal blue and crystalline tones breaking the shroud of darkness the team was expected to work under. Vesper was the only one able to get to the most places and was constantly sent ahead- alone and without back up to secure entries or remove the initial obstacles.

So they practiced; climbing nearly sheer walls, balancing on thin wires, leaping across wide gaps and maneuvering through free-falls. Enjoying the absence of the others and being able to just focus on their movements.

The training grounds were honestly the last place Irvine had wanted to end up at that evening, especially after the treatment he had been given from Seifer the past week. Irvine was beginning to wonder what exactly the Marshal saw in him to be placed in the Kingsglaive and not the Crownsguard, he was struggling to get the hang of the combat style. 

He was a gunslinger, not a sword swinger. 

Sighing inwardly to himself, Irvine made his way to the training grounds. He knew by now that they were typically empty at this time of night. Most folks doing their rounds, out drinking, or sleeping. He figured he could practice by himself without the worry of snarky comments being thrown his way. For as nonchalant as he appears, hearing that shit over and over can really drag a man down. 

He made his way to training weapons, opting to start light and move his way up when he noticed out of the corner of his eye, a figure darting around above him. Climbing the towers with ease, jumping from place to place. It was beautiful in a sense, Irvine couldn’t remember the last time he saw someone be able to maneuver themselves like that. 

Soon, he stopped what he was doing all together, and just watched.