"The Headless Aftermath and Other Rats in the Sun."
A piece of prose by
The SeRiOuSlY self-proclaimed dEmEnTeD, and loving of long, long titles for
Herself,
Author of both, "An Autobiography of Vincent Valentine,"
And, "Phantom Wall Devils: An Interview with Sephiroth,"
Phoenix Down.
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing- to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. Not a select party." (John Keats 1795-1821. British poet.)
"We once followed Sephiroth like lemmings, or rats, running into the sun... but now we are independent! - Able to think on our own- and it is your CHOICE to vote for me! It would be an honor, to carry out the traditions of human nature, and bring peace, beauty, art, high society, and most importantly of all, money and culture to our people! Education, redistribution of the wealth... We are not a monarchy! Shin-Ra is not your king, you... YOU people are your own kings!"
As Dante Julius spoke, the crowd never once came to a low null. It was a constant, deep, thundering roar.
Soon, his name blew into a chant. Thousands, perhaps a million of speckled faces stood before the plat-form stage that held a 14 foot, black-and-white photo of Julius' face. The man himself stood in front of that before a microphone.
Natasha stood near him with her own photograph plastered largely behind her. Only, she was choking. She couldn't hear her own voice bellow out on the black speakers. The crowd chanting "Julius! Julius!" drowned her out.
She knew it was over before it began.
"WE are the people! WE are the people that will lead into our future! Our children, and our children's children, will carry out what is destined to become for our planet. Our... our planet is diseased, my friends..."
Then, he paused theatrically.
The crowed hushed.
"Yes, yes, it's true..." His voice bounced and echoed. "Our planet... has a DESEASE..." He hesitated, and brought his arm up to wipe against his sweating forehead as he spoke and stared out into the billion seas of eyes.
"And the decease is pollution. The people of Midgar are suffering. WE are suffering. Our children are suffering. And yes, it is because of Shin-Ra..."
The people seemed to gasp. A politician was admitting to the problem!
"But we will FIX it!"
The crowed cheered again. Natasha Kwame-Kaja barely had a moment of speaking time.
She glared at Julius every time his well-formed lips parted to open and speak.
She didn't cover the microphone as she began to storm off the stage, uttering curses.
~
"DID you SEE THAT! THAT WAS SO $%%#$$%#@^%^%#$%^#^%$^%^&#$&@#~$!$#^%&&*(*)$*&^)*&%#$%$@#%^$&^%*^*()*&%*^#^%@^$#@%#!@$@!^#$&*^!!!!!!!!!!"
"Cid, dear, calm down."
"NO, That bastard KID! He didn't even let the lady TALK for chrissakes!"
"It isn't your problem, sweetie. It will work itself out in the end."
"No, no, it won't and you know it, Sheila. Your so damn $%%^#@ blind, that you don't even KNOW that he's gunna win."
"I ... know he's going to win. I never said that he wasn't..."
"Huh?"
"I said, I know he's going to win. I was... just being idealistic."
"Oh. Uh. Huh... sorry. Sorry for callin' you blind, Sheila."
"I know. I know you didn't mean it."
~
Reeve tensed. He knew that Dante was going to win. He had to tell someone... SOMEONE had to stop Julius from winning...
But there was no way.
He had a lead in the vote by a 75% margin. Everything was legal, fair and square- Dante was winning.
But... if he won... he would tare down the mansion, and have access to the secret passageway there.
Someone had to know about it!
But, whom could he trust...? Who already knew about it...?
~
"Yuffie, stop it."
"SEE, SEE!" Yuffie leapt up and down pointing to the television screen.
"Yes, I see, Yuffie. Stop making a spectacle of yourself." Vincent muttered.
Yuffie and Vincent sat together at the bar inside of the INN of Nibleheim. Darkness and dusk was hovering over the red rooftops and jagged skyline of the small town. People, (for the most part, nearly everyone besides Yuffie, that is,) spoke in hushed tones and drank red wines and bourbon to slow themselves down to sleep.
Vincent nursed his Merlot.
Yuffie drank brown, fizzy, soda pop.
"But, SEE, that's Dante Julius. HE'S the one who wants to tare down the Shin-Ra mansion."
"YES, I SEE, Yuffie. That's ENOUGH."
"We can make it to Rocket Town if we hurry."
"We are not leaving tonight, for the last time, Yuffie. What has gotton into you? Why are you so hyper?!" Vincent turned and glared at the young woman.
She smiled, and held up her caffinated, heavily sugared, drink.
He shook his head, sighed, and felt like a moron for ordering it for her.
~
Tifa paused, and stared at the phone.
'Just do it.' She said to herself. 'Just call him, before the thing with Barret gets too far. It... it will eat you alive if you don't... Just TELL him.'
Tifa picked up the phone, and dialed Cloud.
It rang once.
Twice.
Damnit, pickup.
"Yeah?"
"Cloud...?"
There was a long pause, and no one breathed.
"Tifa? Hey, what's up?" He asked in a deadpan voice.
"Nothing. I... I just... needed to tell you something."
A piece of prose by
The SeRiOuSlY self-proclaimed dEmEnTeD, and loving of long, long titles for
Herself,
Author of both, "An Autobiography of Vincent Valentine,"
And, "Phantom Wall Devils: An Interview with Sephiroth,"
Phoenix Down.
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing- to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. Not a select party." (John Keats 1795-1821. British poet.)
"We once followed Sephiroth like lemmings, or rats, running into the sun... but now we are independent! - Able to think on our own- and it is your CHOICE to vote for me! It would be an honor, to carry out the traditions of human nature, and bring peace, beauty, art, high society, and most importantly of all, money and culture to our people! Education, redistribution of the wealth... We are not a monarchy! Shin-Ra is not your king, you... YOU people are your own kings!"
As Dante Julius spoke, the crowd never once came to a low null. It was a constant, deep, thundering roar.
Soon, his name blew into a chant. Thousands, perhaps a million of speckled faces stood before the plat-form stage that held a 14 foot, black-and-white photo of Julius' face. The man himself stood in front of that before a microphone.
Natasha stood near him with her own photograph plastered largely behind her. Only, she was choking. She couldn't hear her own voice bellow out on the black speakers. The crowd chanting "Julius! Julius!" drowned her out.
She knew it was over before it began.
"WE are the people! WE are the people that will lead into our future! Our children, and our children's children, will carry out what is destined to become for our planet. Our... our planet is diseased, my friends..."
Then, he paused theatrically.
The crowed hushed.
"Yes, yes, it's true..." His voice bounced and echoed. "Our planet... has a DESEASE..." He hesitated, and brought his arm up to wipe against his sweating forehead as he spoke and stared out into the billion seas of eyes.
"And the decease is pollution. The people of Midgar are suffering. WE are suffering. Our children are suffering. And yes, it is because of Shin-Ra..."
The people seemed to gasp. A politician was admitting to the problem!
"But we will FIX it!"
The crowed cheered again. Natasha Kwame-Kaja barely had a moment of speaking time.
She glared at Julius every time his well-formed lips parted to open and speak.
She didn't cover the microphone as she began to storm off the stage, uttering curses.
~
"DID you SEE THAT! THAT WAS SO $%%#$$%#@^%^%#$%^#^%$^%^&#$&@#~$!$#^%&&*(*)$*&^)*&%#$%$@#%^$&^%*^*()*&%*^#^%@^$#@%#!@$@!^#$&*^!!!!!!!!!!"
"Cid, dear, calm down."
"NO, That bastard KID! He didn't even let the lady TALK for chrissakes!"
"It isn't your problem, sweetie. It will work itself out in the end."
"No, no, it won't and you know it, Sheila. Your so damn $%%^#@ blind, that you don't even KNOW that he's gunna win."
"I ... know he's going to win. I never said that he wasn't..."
"Huh?"
"I said, I know he's going to win. I was... just being idealistic."
"Oh. Uh. Huh... sorry. Sorry for callin' you blind, Sheila."
"I know. I know you didn't mean it."
~
Reeve tensed. He knew that Dante was going to win. He had to tell someone... SOMEONE had to stop Julius from winning...
But there was no way.
He had a lead in the vote by a 75% margin. Everything was legal, fair and square- Dante was winning.
But... if he won... he would tare down the mansion, and have access to the secret passageway there.
Someone had to know about it!
But, whom could he trust...? Who already knew about it...?
~
"Yuffie, stop it."
"SEE, SEE!" Yuffie leapt up and down pointing to the television screen.
"Yes, I see, Yuffie. Stop making a spectacle of yourself." Vincent muttered.
Yuffie and Vincent sat together at the bar inside of the INN of Nibleheim. Darkness and dusk was hovering over the red rooftops and jagged skyline of the small town. People, (for the most part, nearly everyone besides Yuffie, that is,) spoke in hushed tones and drank red wines and bourbon to slow themselves down to sleep.
Vincent nursed his Merlot.
Yuffie drank brown, fizzy, soda pop.
"But, SEE, that's Dante Julius. HE'S the one who wants to tare down the Shin-Ra mansion."
"YES, I SEE, Yuffie. That's ENOUGH."
"We can make it to Rocket Town if we hurry."
"We are not leaving tonight, for the last time, Yuffie. What has gotton into you? Why are you so hyper?!" Vincent turned and glared at the young woman.
She smiled, and held up her caffinated, heavily sugared, drink.
He shook his head, sighed, and felt like a moron for ordering it for her.
~
Tifa paused, and stared at the phone.
'Just do it.' She said to herself. 'Just call him, before the thing with Barret gets too far. It... it will eat you alive if you don't... Just TELL him.'
Tifa picked up the phone, and dialed Cloud.
It rang once.
Twice.
Damnit, pickup.
"Yeah?"
"Cloud...?"
There was a long pause, and no one breathed.
"Tifa? Hey, what's up?" He asked in a deadpan voice.
"Nothing. I... I just... needed to tell you something."