~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - One month later - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Rufus couldn't bring himself to concentrate on anything for the past few weeks. He grew to ignore the piles of paper on his desk. Before, he slaved himself away, consuming the endless paperwork like a lawnmower. However, he now stopped caring, even though his desk now scarcely had room his computer.
He had dispatched a group of SOLDIERS who he commanded to find her. He also sent Turks whenever they had free time. He also went out himself, wandering around the sector where her home was.
However, the slums was a labyrinth, the more you try to search the more complex and jumbled it appeared to be.
The image of her burned inside of him like a candle that lit his soul. He searched for her with a passion, with a firm belief that she was somewhere, and would return to him.
A part of him wondered if she was hiding from him on purpose, but he quickly dismissed that thought.
Rufus closed his eyes as a certain image flooded his head. Aeris, on her knees and half nude, crying and begging in front of a group of rough- looking men. Hell no. That couldn't happen. He tried not to torture himself with the image. How could such a thing happen to a person who resembled an angel?
Now that he felt responsible for her, his feelings for her grew daily. He only had a picture of Aeris. But his feelings were now chaste, imagining and remembering her as a perfect angel. He was filled with longing for her, an urge to see her and touch her. As the search went on the anticipation grew, the fervent passion and craving only becoming stronger. A part of him screamed at him, reminding him that he knew her for less than a month, and that there was no reason for him to be so captivated about her. But, for the first time, he didn't care how irrational it seemed.
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Rufus was sitting in a meeting, listening to his father discuss something with his employees. Anyone could tell that he hadn't slept for a long time, since his eyes were bloodshot and his usual sharp eyes lost their intense glow.
Aeris. . .
He was trying to recall the feel of her hands on his when the president's voice cut through his head.
"So everybody agrees to increase the levy by fifteen percent?"
Reeve spoke out uneasily. "Sir, the condition of the people in the slums had declined severely these two years, ever since we raised the it the last time. Almost ten percent of the people below the plates are now homeless. Perhaps. . ."
Yes, the slums was dangerous. Those people just couldn't get their lives back together. Shinra wasn't helping.
Reeve was cut off by a shrill voice. "But we NEED the funding for the Sister Ray Project. Those idiots will find a way to survive, they have been so far." It was Scarlet.
Rufus let out a quiet growl, feeling the furious hatred toward the blond few seats behind him. If it wasn't for that slut. . . When he became the president, she would be the first one to get fired.
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All the while, President Shinra was eyeing his son suspiciously. He was aware of the rumor that circulated through the company that the vice president had fallen for a slum girl. He supposedly was searching for her day and night the past month. It seemed dangerously close to the truth as the youth closed his eyes, sighing, off to his own world.
The President remembered the girl in the green dress. He could tell that she was one of those naïve, innocent girls who knew nothing. That must have been what attracted him, the radiating purity. It had been evident that the feelings had been mutual, sincere. It was probably the first time that boy had felt anything so real, he mused. Ever since his mother's "accidental" death, he had grown up isolated. The search for the girl was fruitless, he could tell. The youth was clinging to the only person who he ever felt tender toward to.
Rather, he was clinging to the concept itself, that there was someone who. . .
It was unacceptable.
Rufus reminded the president of his wife. The golden-haired woman with blue eyes. She had been one of those rare women who were beautiful inside and out. It had sickened him to see her become attached to her son, that the bitch couldn't realize that she was a just tool for Shinra to become an empire. It irritated him to see that the woman so firmly believed that "love" existed.
What is love? Love was a fool's language, the same word used when one says "I love this car!" Or, a vague word, extremely overused, to get people in bed. Love was not everlasting, it faded overnight. Instantly, when you saw someone more attractive, with more money. Especially in Midgar, love didn't exist.
He often thought that Rufus had the physical features of his mother, but he never suspected that he had her heart too. One of the reasons that he had killed her, to prevent the heir of Shinra from becoming just another helpless lunatic, lured in the promise of "love".
Rufus didn't realize, just like his mother, that his life was to be dedicated to Shinra, and Shinra only.
That's probably one of the reason that his "son" despised his own father.
To get rid of the obsession burning in his head - to get him back on track - there was only one way.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
President Shinra didn't bother to search for the girl. If Rufus, with all his effort, couldn't, then what's the point of spending all that time? She was probably dead anyway.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Rufus opened up a newspaper about three days. The newspaper was distributed to the people above the plate. There was a rebel act, some group called "Avalanche". He had heard of the name a few times. He kept on reading. They had blown up a Shinra tax office. Figures, after the raised levy. There was seven casualties, four being Shinra officials. He read their names. No one he knew. Other three were civilians. His heart stopped when he glanced at the list.
"Aeris Gainsborough".
He choked, his mind a blank.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
It took about 5400 gils to "create" Aeris Gainsborough's death. Her teeth configuration match, her DNA match, and her fingerprint. Just those simple things. Money was all it took to "prove" that Aeris Gainsborough didn't exist anymore.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Aeris and Cloud were sitting in front of the fire, with mugs of hot chocolate in their hands. Cloud was staring at Aeris intently as she slowly dozed off, while Tifa, on the other side of the room, looked at the scene with troubled eyes.
Author's note:
I skipped the part where Aeris and Cloud and Tifa meet even though I had written like two pages for it. It seemed rather lame to me to write "hi I'm cloud, hello I'm Aeris" stuff. Well, I think I'll do this more often - the skipping things - cuz it is like the only way that will get the story moving. Ahh. I really do dwell on a simple topic for pages and pages, don't I?
Ehehe. . . here's author's attempt at an angst fic. I tried to make this chapter. .. err. . . deep. ^ ^ ; If you read it you'll start to see the development of Prez Shinra's personality as well as Rufus' seemingly unreasonable feelings for Aeris. Also, a bit of ClEris is shown here. Sorry if this chapter sucked, but this is just the intro of what's gonna happen.
Anyone, does anyone know how to like describe the inner corruption of Shinra stuff? I'm having so much trouble trying to think of a way. Any suggestions? Please, please, R+R!!
Rufus couldn't bring himself to concentrate on anything for the past few weeks. He grew to ignore the piles of paper on his desk. Before, he slaved himself away, consuming the endless paperwork like a lawnmower. However, he now stopped caring, even though his desk now scarcely had room his computer.
He had dispatched a group of SOLDIERS who he commanded to find her. He also sent Turks whenever they had free time. He also went out himself, wandering around the sector where her home was.
However, the slums was a labyrinth, the more you try to search the more complex and jumbled it appeared to be.
The image of her burned inside of him like a candle that lit his soul. He searched for her with a passion, with a firm belief that she was somewhere, and would return to him.
A part of him wondered if she was hiding from him on purpose, but he quickly dismissed that thought.
Rufus closed his eyes as a certain image flooded his head. Aeris, on her knees and half nude, crying and begging in front of a group of rough- looking men. Hell no. That couldn't happen. He tried not to torture himself with the image. How could such a thing happen to a person who resembled an angel?
Now that he felt responsible for her, his feelings for her grew daily. He only had a picture of Aeris. But his feelings were now chaste, imagining and remembering her as a perfect angel. He was filled with longing for her, an urge to see her and touch her. As the search went on the anticipation grew, the fervent passion and craving only becoming stronger. A part of him screamed at him, reminding him that he knew her for less than a month, and that there was no reason for him to be so captivated about her. But, for the first time, he didn't care how irrational it seemed.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Rufus was sitting in a meeting, listening to his father discuss something with his employees. Anyone could tell that he hadn't slept for a long time, since his eyes were bloodshot and his usual sharp eyes lost their intense glow.
Aeris. . .
He was trying to recall the feel of her hands on his when the president's voice cut through his head.
"So everybody agrees to increase the levy by fifteen percent?"
Reeve spoke out uneasily. "Sir, the condition of the people in the slums had declined severely these two years, ever since we raised the it the last time. Almost ten percent of the people below the plates are now homeless. Perhaps. . ."
Yes, the slums was dangerous. Those people just couldn't get their lives back together. Shinra wasn't helping.
Reeve was cut off by a shrill voice. "But we NEED the funding for the Sister Ray Project. Those idiots will find a way to survive, they have been so far." It was Scarlet.
Rufus let out a quiet growl, feeling the furious hatred toward the blond few seats behind him. If it wasn't for that slut. . . When he became the president, she would be the first one to get fired.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
All the while, President Shinra was eyeing his son suspiciously. He was aware of the rumor that circulated through the company that the vice president had fallen for a slum girl. He supposedly was searching for her day and night the past month. It seemed dangerously close to the truth as the youth closed his eyes, sighing, off to his own world.
The President remembered the girl in the green dress. He could tell that she was one of those naïve, innocent girls who knew nothing. That must have been what attracted him, the radiating purity. It had been evident that the feelings had been mutual, sincere. It was probably the first time that boy had felt anything so real, he mused. Ever since his mother's "accidental" death, he had grown up isolated. The search for the girl was fruitless, he could tell. The youth was clinging to the only person who he ever felt tender toward to.
Rather, he was clinging to the concept itself, that there was someone who. . .
It was unacceptable.
Rufus reminded the president of his wife. The golden-haired woman with blue eyes. She had been one of those rare women who were beautiful inside and out. It had sickened him to see her become attached to her son, that the bitch couldn't realize that she was a just tool for Shinra to become an empire. It irritated him to see that the woman so firmly believed that "love" existed.
What is love? Love was a fool's language, the same word used when one says "I love this car!" Or, a vague word, extremely overused, to get people in bed. Love was not everlasting, it faded overnight. Instantly, when you saw someone more attractive, with more money. Especially in Midgar, love didn't exist.
He often thought that Rufus had the physical features of his mother, but he never suspected that he had her heart too. One of the reasons that he had killed her, to prevent the heir of Shinra from becoming just another helpless lunatic, lured in the promise of "love".
Rufus didn't realize, just like his mother, that his life was to be dedicated to Shinra, and Shinra only.
That's probably one of the reason that his "son" despised his own father.
To get rid of the obsession burning in his head - to get him back on track - there was only one way.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
President Shinra didn't bother to search for the girl. If Rufus, with all his effort, couldn't, then what's the point of spending all that time? She was probably dead anyway.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Rufus opened up a newspaper about three days. The newspaper was distributed to the people above the plate. There was a rebel act, some group called "Avalanche". He had heard of the name a few times. He kept on reading. They had blown up a Shinra tax office. Figures, after the raised levy. There was seven casualties, four being Shinra officials. He read their names. No one he knew. Other three were civilians. His heart stopped when he glanced at the list.
"Aeris Gainsborough".
He choked, his mind a blank.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
It took about 5400 gils to "create" Aeris Gainsborough's death. Her teeth configuration match, her DNA match, and her fingerprint. Just those simple things. Money was all it took to "prove" that Aeris Gainsborough didn't exist anymore.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Aeris and Cloud were sitting in front of the fire, with mugs of hot chocolate in their hands. Cloud was staring at Aeris intently as she slowly dozed off, while Tifa, on the other side of the room, looked at the scene with troubled eyes.
Author's note:
I skipped the part where Aeris and Cloud and Tifa meet even though I had written like two pages for it. It seemed rather lame to me to write "hi I'm cloud, hello I'm Aeris" stuff. Well, I think I'll do this more often - the skipping things - cuz it is like the only way that will get the story moving. Ahh. I really do dwell on a simple topic for pages and pages, don't I?
Ehehe. . . here's author's attempt at an angst fic. I tried to make this chapter. .. err. . . deep. ^ ^ ; If you read it you'll start to see the development of Prez Shinra's personality as well as Rufus' seemingly unreasonable feelings for Aeris. Also, a bit of ClEris is shown here. Sorry if this chapter sucked, but this is just the intro of what's gonna happen.
Anyone, does anyone know how to like describe the inner corruption of Shinra stuff? I'm having so much trouble trying to think of a way. Any suggestions? Please, please, R+R!!
