For Whom the Bell Tolls - Carpe Diem, Baby
Title: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Carpe Diem, Baby
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Characters/pairings: CidxVincent, SephirothxCloud, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cid's in for a lot more than he expects when he finds a man sleeping in the Waterways below Hollow Bastion.
Warnings: slash, language
Notes: Old writing, from way back in the day, in it's mostly original format (very minor corrections may have been made) A self challenge, to write Vincent Valentine into Kingdom Hearts. Written well before the second game. Song-fic-ish, with only Metallica songs, but hearing the songs are not necessary for reading.
o o o
Hit dirt, Shake tree
Split sky, Part sea
Strip smile, Lose cool
Bleed the day and break the rule
o o o
The first thought Cid had was that two large cats had found their way onto the balcony. While this wasn't correct, it wasn't too far off. Sephiroth had led them up to a balcony where Ansem was facing two frightened creatures that appeared to be half feline and half human. They appeared young, ten or twelve years old. Both had human builds, one a bit bigger than the other; large feline ears; a long tail; green-gold eyes and paw- like hands and feet. The larger of the two had red-brown hair and a thin scar that ran across his left eye. The smaller had black hair with a shock of white in front. Both were wide-eyed, their tails bottle-brushing as they backed against the wall. Ansem stood before them, his empty hands held up in supplication.
"They just appeared." Sephiroth said quietly. "Cloud came and told us. I came for you two, and Ansem came up here."
Ansem ignored the three of them, his eyes staying on the two creatures. "We do not want to hurt you." He said softly. "We wish to help you."
"Who are you?" The larger creature hissed suddenly. "Where are we?"
"You are in the castle of Hollow Bastion." Ansem replied slowly, softly. "And you are among friends. Please calm down. We mean you no harm. My name is Ansem. Who are you?"
The felines glanced at each other, mistrust clear in their eyes. "Why should we trust you?" the smaller one asked. His voice had a higher pitch and he seemed to be a year younger than the other.
"Why should you not?" Ansem replied.
The younger let out a short, humorless laugh. "You must not have met many felines, human." He said contemptuously. "Or you would not ask such dumb questions."
"Hush." The older muttered. He looked back at the human. "Men call me Nanaki, and this one is called Reeve." He said. His eyes shifted to the other three. "Who are they?"
"My brother, Sephiroth, Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine." Ansem replied. "I will personally vouch for them."
"Always the diplomat." Cid muttered to Vincent behind Sephiroth's back.
Nanaki raised a slender brow. "You are in charge here?" he asked. Ansem nodded. "Then is there a place we can sit and talk? It is too uncomfortable out here."
"Of course." Ansem replied. "If you will follow me."
o o o
Stoke fire, Break neck
Suffer through this cheat on death
Hug the curve, Lose the time
Tear the map and shoot the sign
Then make me miss you...
o o o
Cid shook his head in slight amazement. It seemed cats were cats, even if they were half human. The two feline creatures lounged in the chairs before Ansem's desk, giving the appearance of being great nobility just from their posture. Sephiroth, Cid and Vincent all stood near Sephiroth's desk.
"A few months ago," Nanaki said. "Our home was attacked by these...creatures. They were black as night and they stole the heart from a person, and kept it as their own. The person they stole from disappeared. They spread across the globe, stealing hearts, causing destruction, until the world was black with them." He sighed, shaking his unruly head of hair. Two braids woven with beads tinked against his shoulders. "The last thing I remember was my grandfather telling me that they had reached the 'Keyhole' and the 'Heart of the World'. Then we were waking up on that balcony."
Ansem frowned, his palms pressed together before his lips. "The Heart of the World." He said softly. His ruddy-gold eyes studied the two intently. "Another world, perhaps?"
"You still believe there are other worlds?" Sephiroth asked. "I do not."
"Believe what you wish." Ansem replied. "But as far as I know, there has been no plague of black, heart-stealing creatures across our world. These two are not lying."
"Then they are hallucinating." Sephiroth said, crossing his arms.
Ansem raised a brow. "Have you ever heard of feline-people such as these?" He asked softly. "You have traversed the globe several times, brother. Surely you would have seen these beings before?"
Sephiroth frowned. "That does not prove a thing." He said. "Until I have proof, I will not believe in other worlds." He walked out, pulling the heavy doors shut behind him.
"Forgive my brother." Ansem said apologetically. "He is set in his beliefs."
"That's okay." Reeve said brightly. "We don't mind. But what are we going to do now that we're here?"
"This certainly is the week for finding new people." Cid muttered. "A dead- man in a box one day, and two days’ later cat-boys from another world."
"Hush, Highwind." Vincent said.
"Don't hush me, young man."
"I'm older than you are."
"And?"
"Enough, you two." Ansem said. "You are no better than the children that follow you about." He sighed.
"Speaking of children." Vincent said quietly. "I can hear several of them coming up here now."
Cid opened his mouth to say something and was interrupted by the door opening. Zell, Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie all ran in, giggling. Close behind them was a tall, ebony-skinned teen with broad shoulders and a quick grin. He shoved the door shut behind him and leaned against it. "Hello, m'Lord Ansem." He said, slightly breathless.
Ansem raised a brow. "Do I even want to know, Barrett?" he asked. "No, I suppose I do not. But I suspect that whatever it is, Shera is not happy right now."
Cloud shook his head. "Nope, she ain't." He said with a grin. "And I don't think Cid will be when he sees his workroo-crap, uh, hi Cid, hi Mr. Vincent, I didn't see you guys over there!"
Cid folded his arms across his chest. "What about my workroom?" He asked, his voice dangerously calm.
"Um, ah..." Cloud scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well...hey, who are you two?"
Nanaki and Reeve had turned around in their chairs to watch the commotion over the chair backs. They blinked at the human children, who stared in reply.
"Hi!" Yuffie said brightly after a moment. "Want to come play?"
"Sure!" Reeve replied, scrambling out of his chair. Nanaki shrugged and followed. Barrett, pulled open the door, looked around, then motioned them all into the hallway. The two feline-boys joined the human children and they all left.
Cid shook his head. "T' tell the truth, m'Lord," he said. "Half the time I wonder why you let those kids up here at all."
Ansem shrugged. "Because otherwise this castle would be far too empty, and the cooks would only have to cook for the three of us, Shera and Sephiroth."
"Whatever. I'm going to see what the hell they did to my workroom. Good day to y' both." With a short bow, Cid left.
"Other worlds?" Vincent asked.
"I believe they exist, even if Sephiroth does not." Ansem replied, standing from his desk. "And I believe that those boys are telling the truth. Why they are here is a mystery, but it is one I hope to solve someday."
"Will you allow them to live in the castle?" Vincent asked. "I think they would cause some commotion down in the city."
"Perhaps."
o o o
So wash your face away with dirt
It don't feel good until it hurts
So take this world and shake it
Come squeeze and suck the day
Come carpe diem, baby
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Characters/pairings: CidxVincent, SephirothxCloud, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cid's in for a lot more than he expects when he finds a man sleeping in the Waterways below Hollow Bastion.
Warnings: slash, language
Notes: Old writing, from way back in the day, in it's mostly original format (very minor corrections may have been made) A self challenge, to write Vincent Valentine into Kingdom Hearts. Written well before the second game. Song-fic-ish, with only Metallica songs, but hearing the songs are not necessary for reading.
o o o
Hit dirt, Shake tree
Split sky, Part sea
Strip smile, Lose cool
Bleed the day and break the rule
o o o
The first thought Cid had was that two large cats had found their way onto the balcony. While this wasn't correct, it wasn't too far off. Sephiroth had led them up to a balcony where Ansem was facing two frightened creatures that appeared to be half feline and half human. They appeared young, ten or twelve years old. Both had human builds, one a bit bigger than the other; large feline ears; a long tail; green-gold eyes and paw- like hands and feet. The larger of the two had red-brown hair and a thin scar that ran across his left eye. The smaller had black hair with a shock of white in front. Both were wide-eyed, their tails bottle-brushing as they backed against the wall. Ansem stood before them, his empty hands held up in supplication.
"They just appeared." Sephiroth said quietly. "Cloud came and told us. I came for you two, and Ansem came up here."
Ansem ignored the three of them, his eyes staying on the two creatures. "We do not want to hurt you." He said softly. "We wish to help you."
"Who are you?" The larger creature hissed suddenly. "Where are we?"
"You are in the castle of Hollow Bastion." Ansem replied slowly, softly. "And you are among friends. Please calm down. We mean you no harm. My name is Ansem. Who are you?"
The felines glanced at each other, mistrust clear in their eyes. "Why should we trust you?" the smaller one asked. His voice had a higher pitch and he seemed to be a year younger than the other.
"Why should you not?" Ansem replied.
The younger let out a short, humorless laugh. "You must not have met many felines, human." He said contemptuously. "Or you would not ask such dumb questions."
"Hush." The older muttered. He looked back at the human. "Men call me Nanaki, and this one is called Reeve." He said. His eyes shifted to the other three. "Who are they?"
"My brother, Sephiroth, Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine." Ansem replied. "I will personally vouch for them."
"Always the diplomat." Cid muttered to Vincent behind Sephiroth's back.
Nanaki raised a slender brow. "You are in charge here?" he asked. Ansem nodded. "Then is there a place we can sit and talk? It is too uncomfortable out here."
"Of course." Ansem replied. "If you will follow me."
o o o
Stoke fire, Break neck
Suffer through this cheat on death
Hug the curve, Lose the time
Tear the map and shoot the sign
Then make me miss you...
o o o
Cid shook his head in slight amazement. It seemed cats were cats, even if they were half human. The two feline creatures lounged in the chairs before Ansem's desk, giving the appearance of being great nobility just from their posture. Sephiroth, Cid and Vincent all stood near Sephiroth's desk.
"A few months ago," Nanaki said. "Our home was attacked by these...creatures. They were black as night and they stole the heart from a person, and kept it as their own. The person they stole from disappeared. They spread across the globe, stealing hearts, causing destruction, until the world was black with them." He sighed, shaking his unruly head of hair. Two braids woven with beads tinked against his shoulders. "The last thing I remember was my grandfather telling me that they had reached the 'Keyhole' and the 'Heart of the World'. Then we were waking up on that balcony."
Ansem frowned, his palms pressed together before his lips. "The Heart of the World." He said softly. His ruddy-gold eyes studied the two intently. "Another world, perhaps?"
"You still believe there are other worlds?" Sephiroth asked. "I do not."
"Believe what you wish." Ansem replied. "But as far as I know, there has been no plague of black, heart-stealing creatures across our world. These two are not lying."
"Then they are hallucinating." Sephiroth said, crossing his arms.
Ansem raised a brow. "Have you ever heard of feline-people such as these?" He asked softly. "You have traversed the globe several times, brother. Surely you would have seen these beings before?"
Sephiroth frowned. "That does not prove a thing." He said. "Until I have proof, I will not believe in other worlds." He walked out, pulling the heavy doors shut behind him.
"Forgive my brother." Ansem said apologetically. "He is set in his beliefs."
"That's okay." Reeve said brightly. "We don't mind. But what are we going to do now that we're here?"
"This certainly is the week for finding new people." Cid muttered. "A dead- man in a box one day, and two days’ later cat-boys from another world."
"Hush, Highwind." Vincent said.
"Don't hush me, young man."
"I'm older than you are."
"And?"
"Enough, you two." Ansem said. "You are no better than the children that follow you about." He sighed.
"Speaking of children." Vincent said quietly. "I can hear several of them coming up here now."
Cid opened his mouth to say something and was interrupted by the door opening. Zell, Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie all ran in, giggling. Close behind them was a tall, ebony-skinned teen with broad shoulders and a quick grin. He shoved the door shut behind him and leaned against it. "Hello, m'Lord Ansem." He said, slightly breathless.
Ansem raised a brow. "Do I even want to know, Barrett?" he asked. "No, I suppose I do not. But I suspect that whatever it is, Shera is not happy right now."
Cloud shook his head. "Nope, she ain't." He said with a grin. "And I don't think Cid will be when he sees his workroo-crap, uh, hi Cid, hi Mr. Vincent, I didn't see you guys over there!"
Cid folded his arms across his chest. "What about my workroom?" He asked, his voice dangerously calm.
"Um, ah..." Cloud scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well...hey, who are you two?"
Nanaki and Reeve had turned around in their chairs to watch the commotion over the chair backs. They blinked at the human children, who stared in reply.
"Hi!" Yuffie said brightly after a moment. "Want to come play?"
"Sure!" Reeve replied, scrambling out of his chair. Nanaki shrugged and followed. Barrett, pulled open the door, looked around, then motioned them all into the hallway. The two feline-boys joined the human children and they all left.
Cid shook his head. "T' tell the truth, m'Lord," he said. "Half the time I wonder why you let those kids up here at all."
Ansem shrugged. "Because otherwise this castle would be far too empty, and the cooks would only have to cook for the three of us, Shera and Sephiroth."
"Whatever. I'm going to see what the hell they did to my workroom. Good day to y' both." With a short bow, Cid left.
"Other worlds?" Vincent asked.
"I believe they exist, even if Sephiroth does not." Ansem replied, standing from his desk. "And I believe that those boys are telling the truth. Why they are here is a mystery, but it is one I hope to solve someday."
"Will you allow them to live in the castle?" Vincent asked. "I think they would cause some commotion down in the city."
"Perhaps."
o o o
So wash your face away with dirt
It don't feel good until it hurts
So take this world and shake it
Come squeeze and suck the day
Come carpe diem, baby