plushie
Plushies!
Zack liked playing with the plushies. They were soft, fun, full of lots of good stories and memories, and they made Cloud and everyone smile. The plushies were an absolute wonderful idea.
There was just one that never came out to play. It was a small one, smaller than most of the others, and whenever someone, (usually Naruto or Zack the plushie) managed to drag it out of it’s corner it would scowl and crawl back to some dusty place and hide.
“He never got finished. I thought I’d have more time… I don’t know, I don’t think he wanted to be kept this way…” Cloud had mumbled more to himself when asked. The blond didn’t have much to do with the little doll either, letting it get ragged and worn worse than any of the other plushies.
Of course, Zack was never one to let these things lie. Eventually he cornered the small doll in an old library room, picking it up and sitting down in the dust like the friendly and stubborn guy he was, determined to get some answers from the glaring doll.
“Hi. I’m Zack.”
“I know.”
“You look like you could use a spin in the washing machine.”
Two gray eyes narrowed at him. Fluffy brown fuzz hair was smoothed down over the pale felt, long ears twitching at being held captive. “What do you want?”
“What’s your name?” Zack was willing to lay good odds that whoever this guy had been before, he’d never smiled.
“Haud Nomen.”
Zack nodded and pressed on. “How come you don’t like anyone?”
The doll rubbed his face as though dealing with a headache. “I want to be left alone.”
“Why?”
It wasn’t that Zack wanted to torture the little guy but really, of all the plushies Cloud had made, they were all friendly, outgoing, smart, funny or at least nice. They were based off of people Cloud had liked or even loved. All but this one.
“Because I’m not done yet. I won’t be done for a long long time and I don’t want to deal with you. We’re supposed to make him happy, but I don’t and I can’t yet, so leave me alone.”
The doll jerked a little from the hold he had on it’s scruff. Before it could literally tear itself free he let it go, watching bemusedly as it scampered away to another dusty hidy hole.
Later, at dinner, he asked Cloud about it again. “So who was Haude Nomen? Someone important or something?”
The pack all gave him looks, Chaos and Vincent puzzled, Cloud and Sephiroth asking silently where his mind had fled to.
“Zack, are you making a joke?” The silver haired mage sounded like he was trying to wrap his mind around something that didn’t quite want to fit.
“Um, no? Why? What’d I say?”
Cloud shook his head and started reaching for plates to clear the table. “It’s an old language Zack. It means ‘no name’. You shouldn’t believe all the stories Gojyo tells you, most of them are make believe.”
Zack liked playing with the plushies. They were soft, fun, full of lots of good stories and memories, and they made Cloud and everyone smile. The plushies were an absolute wonderful idea.
There was just one that never came out to play. It was a small one, smaller than most of the others, and whenever someone, (usually Naruto or Zack the plushie) managed to drag it out of it’s corner it would scowl and crawl back to some dusty place and hide.
“He never got finished. I thought I’d have more time… I don’t know, I don’t think he wanted to be kept this way…” Cloud had mumbled more to himself when asked. The blond didn’t have much to do with the little doll either, letting it get ragged and worn worse than any of the other plushies.
Of course, Zack was never one to let these things lie. Eventually he cornered the small doll in an old library room, picking it up and sitting down in the dust like the friendly and stubborn guy he was, determined to get some answers from the glaring doll.
“Hi. I’m Zack.”
“I know.”
“You look like you could use a spin in the washing machine.”
Two gray eyes narrowed at him. Fluffy brown fuzz hair was smoothed down over the pale felt, long ears twitching at being held captive. “What do you want?”
“What’s your name?” Zack was willing to lay good odds that whoever this guy had been before, he’d never smiled.
“Haud Nomen.”
Zack nodded and pressed on. “How come you don’t like anyone?”
The doll rubbed his face as though dealing with a headache. “I want to be left alone.”
“Why?”
It wasn’t that Zack wanted to torture the little guy but really, of all the plushies Cloud had made, they were all friendly, outgoing, smart, funny or at least nice. They were based off of people Cloud had liked or even loved. All but this one.
“Because I’m not done yet. I won’t be done for a long long time and I don’t want to deal with you. We’re supposed to make him happy, but I don’t and I can’t yet, so leave me alone.”
The doll jerked a little from the hold he had on it’s scruff. Before it could literally tear itself free he let it go, watching bemusedly as it scampered away to another dusty hidy hole.
Later, at dinner, he asked Cloud about it again. “So who was Haude Nomen? Someone important or something?”
The pack all gave him looks, Chaos and Vincent puzzled, Cloud and Sephiroth asking silently where his mind had fled to.
“Zack, are you making a joke?” The silver haired mage sounded like he was trying to wrap his mind around something that didn’t quite want to fit.
“Um, no? Why? What’d I say?”
Cloud shook his head and started reaching for plates to clear the table. “It’s an old language Zack. It means ‘no name’. You shouldn’t believe all the stories Gojyo tells you, most of them are make believe.”