Title: Il Sogno Galleggiante
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Sephiroth/Cloud, Zack/Cloud
Genre: Historical/Romance
Warning: Badly abused Italian, OCs, graphic sex and all that good stuff.
Chapter: 1/1
Comments: Conte Sephiroth holds extravagant parties in the floating world of Venice, however, this attracts all kinds of scoundrels, including a group of thieves led by Cloud Strife. Can Cloud resist the decadent nature of the Conte's lifestyle and remember his goal?

For those of you reading on , I would like to point you to my FictionPress: username Medico Della Peste (link in profile). I am uploading The Revenant Republic over there, which is a vampire story about what would happen if the United Kingdom was taken over by Vampires. Please check it out!

Il Sogno Galleggiante

Part IV

A woman came over to Cloud, clearly a servant from her dress, startling him from his remembrance of the past. In her hands was a box made from walnut, it's sides intricately carved with a carnival scene. She bobbed a curtsey and opened the lid.

"From the Conte, to help you fit in upon the barge, Signore," she said. Cloud looked down at the mask and tried to suppress a shiver. The Medico Della Peste stared up at him with dead eyes. The mask didn't have the plain white of a true Plague Doctor's mask, but was instead painted with a burnished gold. In a lighter colour, circular glasses had been painted around the eyes.

"Do I have to wear this?" Cloud asked, trying to calm himself. "I do not wish to seem impolite, but this mask makes fun of that which should not be made fun of."

The servant didn't seem to know what to reply to that. "The Conte requested this mask specifically," she said finally. Cloud sighed and reached out to remove the mask from the box. The papier-mache face stared up at him and he slowly turned it around, raising it to his face and tying it with a ribbon.

"It suits you, Signore," the servant said. Cloud was glad the mask could hide his wince as he stepped around her. He made his way to the barge, ignoring the other revellers. He climbed onto the boat and glanced around.

He was startled when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned with a yell, his heel slipping on the deck and his arms wind milling as he tried to prevent the fall into the water. He was grateful when a strong hand caught him and pulled him back on balance.

"My apologies. I did not mean to startle you."

Cloud blinked and realised that he recognised the voice. It was the Conte, although he had changed his mask from earlier and no longer wore the decorative wig. In fact, Cloud was tempted to believe that the long silver tresses the Conte now sported was his actual hair colour. He had not realised the Conte was so old.

"It's quite alright, Conte," Cloud said, offering a small bow. The man's eyes glinted through the mask.

"Please, I changed into a new mask and outfit so that I might escape people knowing my identity. If you must refer to me at all, Signore, it must be as Sephiroth," he said smoothly. Cloud had an inkling then what this was about. It seemed that this old man had a penchant for younger ones. He was more than willing to play along however, if it got him below deck to where Cloud knew there were treasures waiting.

"Then I must insist you call me Cloud in turn," he replied, all false charm.

The Conte nodded and were it not for the mask, Cloud would have been sure he was smiling. He moved closer, ignoring the usual rules of personal space.

"Tell me, Sephiroth, are you a religious man?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. The Conte shook his head.

"If I were, I would condemn parties like this," he said, gesturing to the antics of others on the barge and back on the shore. A woman was vomiting into the canal, her breasts had fallen out of her corset as she heaved. Nearby a man was quite happily pushing up the skirt of a woman that was almost certainly a prostitute.

"I suppose so. I come from a religious family, so it's quite the sight for me," he said, lying through his teeth. Sephiroth's eyes looked fairly interested in that. Oh yes, Conte, I know your game. The more innocent the better in your eyes...

"I see. I had no idea Florence was so conservative," Sephiroth said, stepping forward to steer Cloud towards the bow of the barge, away from the majority of the other members of the party.

"My parents are very strict Catholics," Cloud said, pretending innocence as Sephiroth's hand moved from his elbow to the small of his back. "This is the first time I've been allowed to travel alone without a chaperone."

He could almost see the shiver of anticipation in the Conte and fought the urge to smile. He leaned against the railing of the barge. Sephiroth placed a hand on either side of Cloud's body, and when he was this close, Cloud was suddenly struck with how big he truly was.

"Conte-" Cloud began, not having to feign being slightly breathless.

"Fire! Fire on the ship!" Someone screamed. Cloud blinked and his gaze was torn away from Sephiroth's masked face to see that some of the decorations had caught fire. Sephiroth stepped back immediately.

"I believe that will be the end of the party for tonight, but I am holding... a more private affair at my estate in a fortnight. Perhaps you would wish to attend?" he asked, glancing at Cloud and keeping an eye on the fire at the same time.

Cloud smirked beneath the mask. "Of course, Conte. It will be an honour to see you again."

"Indeed," Sephiroth replied and bowed. Cloud did so in return, feeling his mask slip a little. He held onto it.

"Good night Conte," he said, watching as Sephiroth walked away to deal with the fire. He watched the flames for a moment before slipping off the barge and into the backstreets of Venice.

Oh, he and Zack would make sure it was a party that Sephiroth would never forget...