1 Like Cold Rain against Roses
By: Tasumi Ashiru
Poem: "The Trapped Bird"
~
I have often dreamed of the special place
That place where light become dark
And skin feels like silk
That secret place where freedom is not a deluded illusion
And silver is preferred over gold
A secret garden where I am loved
I have been so empty
So alone
Lost in this daze
Trapped in this place too long
With those who can even speak
I feel like a bird trapped in a rusted cage
Unable to break free
1.1 Unable to escape
Dear gods someone set me free,
Set me free before I die!!
~
Chapter 1: The Old Book in the Library
Kuja laid back against the linen sheets of the old rickety bed and closed his eyes. It was a cool day outside, the bright blue light was steaming though the shades, causing Kuja to cover his eyes with his arm.
It was always like this in the soulless village of Geonomes. Everyday the village seemed to close tighter and tighter around him till it was almost unbearable. The other Geonomes were different from him, they never talked freely, and they only starred at the glowing blue light.
Kuja personally could not stand the blue light; it only infuriated him further and further. It was like a mind numbing light that made him feel even more hopeless. He had nothing, his "father" Garland deemed him a reject, and his "brothers and sisters" were all mindless drones that wandered around the small cramping village. Turning to the only thing he could, he began to read plays and old books, he read everything he could get his hands on.
Dreams endless dreams of the world outside of Terra began to fill his mind. The beautiful street markets, and the stunning balls, of ladies in their gowns and lords dressed in ruffles of satin and long coats that reached far beyond their knees. Silently Kuja thought of one of the lords in the book, "Like Cold Rain against Roses" he had long pitch back hair and crimson eyes that were said to be able to pierce the soul. He was dressed very richly, in ruffled shirts and a long black embroidered coat that swept gently against his booted calves. Everything about him was dark and foreboding that only served to draw him closer to the character in the book.
Closing his eyes he traced the black and white drawing of the Prince of Tenmaeshii, his long black hair fell softly into his face, sweeping lightly against his jaw and soft shoulders. In deep contrast to his pale face, his eyes nearly glowed off of the page as they were colored red by Garland at a younger age.
Kuja traced each delicately drawn curve with a frail fingertip, as if the more he touched it the more possible he would become real and not just a drawing. Just as he continued to move this fingertips against the page Garland walked in after hunting for him for about two hours.
"So finally found you…reading again?" Garland ripped the book from Kuja's hands and hurled into the still waters bellow. "Do you seriously think you could ever gain the love of a princess, or even a peasant for that matter?"
"Who ever said I wanted a Princess?" Kuja stood up off his bed and placed his hands against his hips.
Garland narrowed his eyes. "No wonder you were the defect. A dreamer like you is only a waste of my time, dreamers shouldn't waste their time on such frivolities and work harder on what they should be doing. Perhaps then the terra synthesis project would get finished."
"Do you really think I care about your project" Kuja starred at him angrily.
Garland stepped forward, his graying hair bristling slightly as he glared at the defiant Geonomes. "Perhaps if you cared more about, the project and less on stories and fantasy... maybe then you would be a Genome worthy of being the angel of death."
Kuja hugged himself tightly and walked past Garland dressed in the same bland attire as the rest of the Geonomes. Diving into the still waters of the lake he grabbed the book, that had been all but now destroyed by the water. The pages now clung together and the leather binding was falling apart. Holding the book tightly in his hands he walked back into his room. He was sopping wet and his shoulder length hair was wet and clung to his neck and forehead.
Placing the book reverently on the windowsill Kuja closed his eyes, inside he scorned everything about Garland, especially how he was treated by him. Kuja wished and prayed for an escape, a way away from these empty vessels and bastard creator. Standing there his tail swished back and forth angrily, mentally Kuja cursed at the thing. The only good thing that damn tail was knocking things over.
2 He hated himself, especially his silver hair. The other Geonomes had golden hair and no feathers, of course Kuja was an outcast, a strange being even in the midst of his own brothers and sisters. Tears began to fall from those crystal blue depths, it was almost shattering to see him standing there sobbing lightly over a book.
Chapter 2: The Foreboding Prince of Tenmaeshii
Poem: "The Desire of Fools"
~
Tenmaeshii... I love you
Could you come, could you be real
Just one night is all I ask
Bring me out from this hell born place
Dank with misty air
Bring me to your side
And carry me on your black steed
Faraway from this horror I have lived for all to long
This horror I wish to leave behind
The pain of not belonging
Of being unwanted, discarded
Tossed with a heap of rotting flesh
To sit and stagnate for all eternity
In this glowing city of failures
Where I am and will forever be nothing
Tenmaeshii... I need you
I need you my dark prince
I need you to save me
~
Kuja laid back against the squeaking bed. His eyes closed softly blocking out Garland's yelling and screaming. "Garland you say this like I care." Kuja stood up and placed his hands on his hips.
Garland was seething mad as he pulled his hand back and balled it into a fist. "Let me make it crystal clear Kuja." Garland's fist flew into Kuja's rib cage, breaking one and bruising a few others. "You are nothing to me."
Kuja doubled over in pain, his knees giving out underneath him, he feel against Garland. "You are nothing to me either." Kuja hissed out between clenched teeth.
Garland shoved Kuja away and walked out of the room, his long black cape trailing behind him.
After Garland left Kuja pulled himself up to the bed and began to nurse the already forming bruises on his chest. Casting a healing spell, the rib and bruises began to mend themselves slowly.
The book, was placed on the windowsill, it's pages drying slowly wrinkling, as their already brittle pages became more and brittle. Opening the book Kuja turned to where he picture of Tenmaeshii was, the ink was ran and the once red eyes, were now streaks of pale reds and pinks against the page.
Kuja cursed Garland inwardly. Destroying his book like that, just because he did not care about the Terra Synthesis Project like he should have. Taking the battered book, he placed it on the shelf, knowing that it would not be salvaged. After all nothing Garland ever destroyed could be salvaged, even his play things as a child were destroyed and left in a heap on the other side of the room, like as if they would vanish.
Kuja walked back to the bed and flopped himself back down, his wounds were now healed. He began to think of a way to escape from this place of soulless workers and their stupid master, of whom Kuja refused to refer to him as their master.
Everything has been spiraling down for the past few days. With the flurry of activity in the lab Kuja only assumed Garland had begun to build another Genome with a soul. Garland always has had a problem with free will and controlling it the way he wished too. Garlands brand of free will was never ever free.
Kuja hated everything about the new Genome design from its petite structure, to its bland dress. Even it's said personality was something to be desired. Kuja could not stand anything about his new baby brother Zidane as Garland was affectionately calling him.
"Zidane, more like a thorn in my side than anything. I wonder if Garland will treat him like he has me all my life. Oh ho ho, would that be a riot." Kuja ran his fingers through his growing silver hair, and looked down at his bland silver and lavender attire.
Kuja feel asleep shortly after that, his sheets pulled up protectively over himself and his tail wrapped affectionately around his leg.
The next morning Kuja got up and threw on his half top and tight lavender pants and ran down the steps. For hours there was a commotion going on down stairs, two Geonomes found a man floating in the waters of bran bal. He looked nothing like a Genome, he was tall and had long rich black hair that swept about his shoulders in soft ripples.
Kuja smiled and walked beside Garland and peered at the man laid out on the soft soil. In his throat formed a light gasp. 'Tenmaeshii...' Kuja turned away, and looked up at one of the rooms. "How about we carry him to one of the empty rooms?"
Garland cocked his head to the side and looked at Kuja. "Do you think I would let an outsider interfere with the project? I think not Kuja."
"So what will we do with him?" Kuja closed his eyes.
"I was thinking of killing him. We can not have outsiders in Terra like this interfering with our plans." Garland swept his fingers through his graying hair and looked at Kuja. "What do you infer?"
Kuja looked up slightly. "At least let me escort him outside of Terra. I hardly think it is fair to kill someone who has done nothing."
Garland cocked his head up and frowned slightly. "If you really want to Kuja... while you are there perhaps get lost and forget your way back."
"I was thinking the same thing Master Garland. After all I could be of more use to you in Gaia. Where I could perhaps disrupt the flow of souls or something else?"
"As if I would let you Kuja?"
"Ooo come on Garland, you know this is a prime time to get rid of your defect."
Garland smiled and looked up at Kuja. "As you wish my Defect." Garland patted his head and shoved him away slightly. "Take the invincible and disrupt the flow of souls while there and while your at it remember to fall off somewhere and never return."
Kuja smiled. "As if I would miss the chance to be out of this godless city."
Garland walked to the other side of the other smaller Genome. "Better get going before I change my mind and make you Zidane's new servant."
Kuja got down on his knees and took a long hard look at Zidane. "So I take it you are the thorn in my side. Don't worry little brother. I will be back soon, so I can be sure to feed you to some monsters."
Kuja got up from the soil and motioned for two Geonomes to carry the stranger to the airship. "Farewell my lovable morons. Don't miss me I sure will not miss you." Kuja flicked his hair back and walked over to the airship. "Bye now little brother."
Kuja closed the door on the airship and began to take off out of Terra. "Freedom KEHEHEHEHHEHEEHHEH!" Kuja sat down next to the lovely stranger and ran his fingertips against the damp locks of hair.
The stranger opened his eyes and looked up at the silver haired mage. "Where am I?"
Kuja moved his hand away and sat up slightly. "On the Invincible. My name is Kuja and you are?"
"Vincent." He lowered his head slightly.
"Ahh. You remind me of a character from a novel I used to read."
"......." Vincent sat up and pulled the wet clothes closer to his body.
"You don't talk much do you?" Kuja turned his head away.
Vincent shook his head and sighed softly. "So where are we headed?"
Kuja shook his head and stopped starring at him, looking up at the ceiling Kuja pressed his hands down the sides of his half top. "Anywhere... anywhere far away from Terra."
"I take it that is where you are from."
Kuja huffed out his chest and sighed. "Of course the godless city of Bran Bal, is my 'home' of sorts."
Vincent frowned slightly. "I take it is no where near Midgar?"
Kuja raised his eyebrows. "Midgar?"
"The floating city."
Kuja shook his head. "Never heard of it. May I infer you are not anywhere from around here on Gaia or Terra?"
"Gaia ... Terra?" Vincent shook his head slightly his ink black hair falling into his face. "I was supposed to meet the rest of the Turks. DAMN IT! "
Kuja shook his head. "Ummn Turks?"
"A Shinra organization."
"Shinra?" Kuja gave him a skeptical smirk and patted his head. "Perhaps you his your head in that pool."
"I DID NOT HIT MY HEAD!" Vincent slammed his fist against the floor.
"Okay.. Let me get this straight you are a person from a place called Midgar. You were supposed to meet with a Shinra organization called the Turks, but I have never heard of anything you are talking about." Kuja shook his head and looked at him. "Ahh you must have really been under the water for a long time then."
"I am not going insane." Vincent ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Just take me to Hunny Bee inn."
"The what?" Kuja raised his eyebrows and stood up.
"You should know where it is you look like a lady who could work there."
"I am not a LADY!" Kuja spun around flicked his hair from his face.
"You're a guy?" Vincent looked up at him skeptically. "Right."
Kuja narrowed his eyes and faced Vincent again. "Would you like me to prove it?"
Vincent shook his head. "Uuuuuummmmmmnnnnnnnn I think I will pass on that." Vincent gave a sly wink.
Kuja rolled his eyes and sat back down on the ground. "It's standard Genome garments. You act like I choose to dress this way. I would be much more stylish than this."
"Really?"
"Yes I would be. Maybe bell sleeves, shoulder armor and a tight codpiece so people don't think I am a girl." Kuja gave Vincent an accusing glance. "Hey when you got a nice lithe body like this why hide it."
Vincent shook his head trying not to get the image of the silver haired mage dressed in his perfect garb in his mind. "You are so gay."
"Your point is?" Kuja closed his eyes and smiled softly.
"Nothing at all. I just have not met a male so certain of it. Where I am from it is like a mortal sin."
"Ahhh. Mortals are fools." Kuja cocked his head to the side.
"So mortals desiring to explore such would be what?"
Kuja smiled, his full pale lips curving upward. "I take it then you are curious?"
Vincent sat back against the wall. "I admit you raise some questions."
Kuja's head tilted to the side so that his bangs fell into his face. "Would you like me to raise something else?" Kuja gave a flirting wink and leaned forward so that his elbows were practically resting on Vincent's knees.
By: Tasumi Ashiru
Poem: "The Trapped Bird"
~
I have often dreamed of the special place
That place where light become dark
And skin feels like silk
That secret place where freedom is not a deluded illusion
And silver is preferred over gold
A secret garden where I am loved
I have been so empty
So alone
Lost in this daze
Trapped in this place too long
With those who can even speak
I feel like a bird trapped in a rusted cage
Unable to break free
1.1 Unable to escape
Dear gods someone set me free,
Set me free before I die!!
~
Chapter 1: The Old Book in the Library
Kuja laid back against the linen sheets of the old rickety bed and closed his eyes. It was a cool day outside, the bright blue light was steaming though the shades, causing Kuja to cover his eyes with his arm.
It was always like this in the soulless village of Geonomes. Everyday the village seemed to close tighter and tighter around him till it was almost unbearable. The other Geonomes were different from him, they never talked freely, and they only starred at the glowing blue light.
Kuja personally could not stand the blue light; it only infuriated him further and further. It was like a mind numbing light that made him feel even more hopeless. He had nothing, his "father" Garland deemed him a reject, and his "brothers and sisters" were all mindless drones that wandered around the small cramping village. Turning to the only thing he could, he began to read plays and old books, he read everything he could get his hands on.
Dreams endless dreams of the world outside of Terra began to fill his mind. The beautiful street markets, and the stunning balls, of ladies in their gowns and lords dressed in ruffles of satin and long coats that reached far beyond their knees. Silently Kuja thought of one of the lords in the book, "Like Cold Rain against Roses" he had long pitch back hair and crimson eyes that were said to be able to pierce the soul. He was dressed very richly, in ruffled shirts and a long black embroidered coat that swept gently against his booted calves. Everything about him was dark and foreboding that only served to draw him closer to the character in the book.
Closing his eyes he traced the black and white drawing of the Prince of Tenmaeshii, his long black hair fell softly into his face, sweeping lightly against his jaw and soft shoulders. In deep contrast to his pale face, his eyes nearly glowed off of the page as they were colored red by Garland at a younger age.
Kuja traced each delicately drawn curve with a frail fingertip, as if the more he touched it the more possible he would become real and not just a drawing. Just as he continued to move this fingertips against the page Garland walked in after hunting for him for about two hours.
"So finally found you…reading again?" Garland ripped the book from Kuja's hands and hurled into the still waters bellow. "Do you seriously think you could ever gain the love of a princess, or even a peasant for that matter?"
"Who ever said I wanted a Princess?" Kuja stood up off his bed and placed his hands against his hips.
Garland narrowed his eyes. "No wonder you were the defect. A dreamer like you is only a waste of my time, dreamers shouldn't waste their time on such frivolities and work harder on what they should be doing. Perhaps then the terra synthesis project would get finished."
"Do you really think I care about your project" Kuja starred at him angrily.
Garland stepped forward, his graying hair bristling slightly as he glared at the defiant Geonomes. "Perhaps if you cared more about, the project and less on stories and fantasy... maybe then you would be a Genome worthy of being the angel of death."
Kuja hugged himself tightly and walked past Garland dressed in the same bland attire as the rest of the Geonomes. Diving into the still waters of the lake he grabbed the book, that had been all but now destroyed by the water. The pages now clung together and the leather binding was falling apart. Holding the book tightly in his hands he walked back into his room. He was sopping wet and his shoulder length hair was wet and clung to his neck and forehead.
Placing the book reverently on the windowsill Kuja closed his eyes, inside he scorned everything about Garland, especially how he was treated by him. Kuja wished and prayed for an escape, a way away from these empty vessels and bastard creator. Standing there his tail swished back and forth angrily, mentally Kuja cursed at the thing. The only good thing that damn tail was knocking things over.
2 He hated himself, especially his silver hair. The other Geonomes had golden hair and no feathers, of course Kuja was an outcast, a strange being even in the midst of his own brothers and sisters. Tears began to fall from those crystal blue depths, it was almost shattering to see him standing there sobbing lightly over a book.
Chapter 2: The Foreboding Prince of Tenmaeshii
Poem: "The Desire of Fools"
~
Tenmaeshii... I love you
Could you come, could you be real
Just one night is all I ask
Bring me out from this hell born place
Dank with misty air
Bring me to your side
And carry me on your black steed
Faraway from this horror I have lived for all to long
This horror I wish to leave behind
The pain of not belonging
Of being unwanted, discarded
Tossed with a heap of rotting flesh
To sit and stagnate for all eternity
In this glowing city of failures
Where I am and will forever be nothing
Tenmaeshii... I need you
I need you my dark prince
I need you to save me
~
Kuja laid back against the squeaking bed. His eyes closed softly blocking out Garland's yelling and screaming. "Garland you say this like I care." Kuja stood up and placed his hands on his hips.
Garland was seething mad as he pulled his hand back and balled it into a fist. "Let me make it crystal clear Kuja." Garland's fist flew into Kuja's rib cage, breaking one and bruising a few others. "You are nothing to me."
Kuja doubled over in pain, his knees giving out underneath him, he feel against Garland. "You are nothing to me either." Kuja hissed out between clenched teeth.
Garland shoved Kuja away and walked out of the room, his long black cape trailing behind him.
After Garland left Kuja pulled himself up to the bed and began to nurse the already forming bruises on his chest. Casting a healing spell, the rib and bruises began to mend themselves slowly.
The book, was placed on the windowsill, it's pages drying slowly wrinkling, as their already brittle pages became more and brittle. Opening the book Kuja turned to where he picture of Tenmaeshii was, the ink was ran and the once red eyes, were now streaks of pale reds and pinks against the page.
Kuja cursed Garland inwardly. Destroying his book like that, just because he did not care about the Terra Synthesis Project like he should have. Taking the battered book, he placed it on the shelf, knowing that it would not be salvaged. After all nothing Garland ever destroyed could be salvaged, even his play things as a child were destroyed and left in a heap on the other side of the room, like as if they would vanish.
Kuja walked back to the bed and flopped himself back down, his wounds were now healed. He began to think of a way to escape from this place of soulless workers and their stupid master, of whom Kuja refused to refer to him as their master.
Everything has been spiraling down for the past few days. With the flurry of activity in the lab Kuja only assumed Garland had begun to build another Genome with a soul. Garland always has had a problem with free will and controlling it the way he wished too. Garlands brand of free will was never ever free.
Kuja hated everything about the new Genome design from its petite structure, to its bland dress. Even it's said personality was something to be desired. Kuja could not stand anything about his new baby brother Zidane as Garland was affectionately calling him.
"Zidane, more like a thorn in my side than anything. I wonder if Garland will treat him like he has me all my life. Oh ho ho, would that be a riot." Kuja ran his fingers through his growing silver hair, and looked down at his bland silver and lavender attire.
Kuja feel asleep shortly after that, his sheets pulled up protectively over himself and his tail wrapped affectionately around his leg.
The next morning Kuja got up and threw on his half top and tight lavender pants and ran down the steps. For hours there was a commotion going on down stairs, two Geonomes found a man floating in the waters of bran bal. He looked nothing like a Genome, he was tall and had long rich black hair that swept about his shoulders in soft ripples.
Kuja smiled and walked beside Garland and peered at the man laid out on the soft soil. In his throat formed a light gasp. 'Tenmaeshii...' Kuja turned away, and looked up at one of the rooms. "How about we carry him to one of the empty rooms?"
Garland cocked his head to the side and looked at Kuja. "Do you think I would let an outsider interfere with the project? I think not Kuja."
"So what will we do with him?" Kuja closed his eyes.
"I was thinking of killing him. We can not have outsiders in Terra like this interfering with our plans." Garland swept his fingers through his graying hair and looked at Kuja. "What do you infer?"
Kuja looked up slightly. "At least let me escort him outside of Terra. I hardly think it is fair to kill someone who has done nothing."
Garland cocked his head up and frowned slightly. "If you really want to Kuja... while you are there perhaps get lost and forget your way back."
"I was thinking the same thing Master Garland. After all I could be of more use to you in Gaia. Where I could perhaps disrupt the flow of souls or something else?"
"As if I would let you Kuja?"
"Ooo come on Garland, you know this is a prime time to get rid of your defect."
Garland smiled and looked up at Kuja. "As you wish my Defect." Garland patted his head and shoved him away slightly. "Take the invincible and disrupt the flow of souls while there and while your at it remember to fall off somewhere and never return."
Kuja smiled. "As if I would miss the chance to be out of this godless city."
Garland walked to the other side of the other smaller Genome. "Better get going before I change my mind and make you Zidane's new servant."
Kuja got down on his knees and took a long hard look at Zidane. "So I take it you are the thorn in my side. Don't worry little brother. I will be back soon, so I can be sure to feed you to some monsters."
Kuja got up from the soil and motioned for two Geonomes to carry the stranger to the airship. "Farewell my lovable morons. Don't miss me I sure will not miss you." Kuja flicked his hair back and walked over to the airship. "Bye now little brother."
Kuja closed the door on the airship and began to take off out of Terra. "Freedom KEHEHEHEHHEHEEHHEH!" Kuja sat down next to the lovely stranger and ran his fingertips against the damp locks of hair.
The stranger opened his eyes and looked up at the silver haired mage. "Where am I?"
Kuja moved his hand away and sat up slightly. "On the Invincible. My name is Kuja and you are?"
"Vincent." He lowered his head slightly.
"Ahh. You remind me of a character from a novel I used to read."
"......." Vincent sat up and pulled the wet clothes closer to his body.
"You don't talk much do you?" Kuja turned his head away.
Vincent shook his head and sighed softly. "So where are we headed?"
Kuja shook his head and stopped starring at him, looking up at the ceiling Kuja pressed his hands down the sides of his half top. "Anywhere... anywhere far away from Terra."
"I take it that is where you are from."
Kuja huffed out his chest and sighed. "Of course the godless city of Bran Bal, is my 'home' of sorts."
Vincent frowned slightly. "I take it is no where near Midgar?"
Kuja raised his eyebrows. "Midgar?"
"The floating city."
Kuja shook his head. "Never heard of it. May I infer you are not anywhere from around here on Gaia or Terra?"
"Gaia ... Terra?" Vincent shook his head slightly his ink black hair falling into his face. "I was supposed to meet the rest of the Turks. DAMN IT! "
Kuja shook his head. "Ummn Turks?"
"A Shinra organization."
"Shinra?" Kuja gave him a skeptical smirk and patted his head. "Perhaps you his your head in that pool."
"I DID NOT HIT MY HEAD!" Vincent slammed his fist against the floor.
"Okay.. Let me get this straight you are a person from a place called Midgar. You were supposed to meet with a Shinra organization called the Turks, but I have never heard of anything you are talking about." Kuja shook his head and looked at him. "Ahh you must have really been under the water for a long time then."
"I am not going insane." Vincent ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Just take me to Hunny Bee inn."
"The what?" Kuja raised his eyebrows and stood up.
"You should know where it is you look like a lady who could work there."
"I am not a LADY!" Kuja spun around flicked his hair from his face.
"You're a guy?" Vincent looked up at him skeptically. "Right."
Kuja narrowed his eyes and faced Vincent again. "Would you like me to prove it?"
Vincent shook his head. "Uuuuuummmmmmnnnnnnnn I think I will pass on that." Vincent gave a sly wink.
Kuja rolled his eyes and sat back down on the ground. "It's standard Genome garments. You act like I choose to dress this way. I would be much more stylish than this."
"Really?"
"Yes I would be. Maybe bell sleeves, shoulder armor and a tight codpiece so people don't think I am a girl." Kuja gave Vincent an accusing glance. "Hey when you got a nice lithe body like this why hide it."
Vincent shook his head trying not to get the image of the silver haired mage dressed in his perfect garb in his mind. "You are so gay."
"Your point is?" Kuja closed his eyes and smiled softly.
"Nothing at all. I just have not met a male so certain of it. Where I am from it is like a mortal sin."
"Ahhh. Mortals are fools." Kuja cocked his head to the side.
"So mortals desiring to explore such would be what?"
Kuja smiled, his full pale lips curving upward. "I take it then you are curious?"
Vincent sat back against the wall. "I admit you raise some questions."
Kuja's head tilted to the side so that his bangs fell into his face. "Would you like me to raise something else?" Kuja gave a flirting wink and leaned forward so that his elbows were practically resting on Vincent's knees.