Hoi! XD Another horrid work by yours truly. Just bare with me.. Maybe I'll manage to get this off the ground. Sorry if there are continuity errors.. I don't even know if there *are* any schools in the Midgar area..

By the way, this is a Vinnie fic.. 'bout his origin. _ So if I mess anything up, lo siento. The first chapter's short, I know.. mainly looking for reactions.

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These Nightmares To Be

".. My name is Vincent Valentine. I just moved here from Gongaga." There was a beat of silence. He shifted dark eyes around the class room, giving a soft sigh before raking pale fingers through a shock of painfully contrasting ebony hair. Most of the kids seemed, at best, vaguely interested. The rest just looked bored.

"My dad came here to work with ShinRa." The youth paused again, unsure of what to do next. His eyes traveled from the dusty, ill-funded center of the classroom to the small, clattered desk, sitting in the corner. A wrinkled, frog of a man sat there. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Vincent thought the teacher looked too old to be consuming solid food, yet alone heading a classroom full of students.

".. You may take a seat." The old man (what was his name again?) looked up at Vincent, finally forming the sentence with a painful-sounding wheeze. "Sit somewhere. Anywhere. Doesn't matter. I don't care."

Knitting his brows, Vince opened his mouth, perhaps to shape another inquiry, though was abruptly cut off by sharp, huffing snores. 'Is he narcoleptic? Or just really old?' He shook his head, beginning toward one of the numerous, scattered empty seats in the room. 'It doesn't seem like attendance would really be an enforced policy.'

With a sigh that held the knowledge of a long era of suffering ahead, he slipped into a chair facing a desk, smacking his bookbag against the leg rather unceremoniously. This quickly caught the attentions of the young woman next to him, rather absorbed in her book, her head jerking up to face him. 'Our Planet and Life Within It. She likes science.' He tucked this knowledge away.

"Hi." She gave him a brief smile, interrupting his absent thoughs, before offering him a slender hand. "I'm Lucrecia. You're.. Vincent, right?" With her free hand, she closed the book, taking the liberty to tuck an auburn spilling of hair behind her ear.

Vincent's own hand felt thick, almost awkward as he gripped her pale one. "Yeah.."

She released his hand with a smile. "So your dad's the new assistant scientist! Valentine's pretty good, from what I hear.. Gast's old professor went nuts."

"Glad to know you've placed so much confidence into my father's ability." His hand tingled.

Lucrecia flushed lightly, cheeks brushed a soft rose under the flurescent hue of the school lighting, leaning one bare elbow onto her desk. "I'm sorry, it's just.. "

Vince gave a soft, gracious smile. The kindhearted look seemed almost out of place, even goofy when matched up to his features. "I know."

The bell rang, giving a loud, high pitched wail, signaling students to begin toward their second period. The teacher woke with a start.

"Read pages 103 through.." And with that, he was asleep again. Vincent took the time to give a startled glance to his new - and only, so far - friend.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she cut in, first.

"I guess you will, at that."

They parted.