The Headless Aftermath and Other Rats in the Sun
From the author of, "An Autobiography of Vincent Valentine,"
And, "Phantom Wall Devils: An Interview with Sephiroth."
By: Da CrAzY F-e-N-i-C-k-S-d-O-w-N
"Earth angel, Earth angel, will you be mine? My darling dear, love you all the time, I am just a fool, a fool in love with you... Earth angel, Earth angel, the one I adore, love you forever, and ever more. I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you. I fell for you, and then I knew, the vision of love's loveliness, I hope and I prey, that someday I am the vision of your happiness." ('Earth Angel'
The Penguins)
"Why, that is positively horrible. Does he have any family? Uh huh."
Dante Julius tapped his pen upon his desk. "No, it's just strange. I swear I saw him, alive and healthy, at his desk this morning. Maybe I saw his look-alike. Uh huh. Do they have any suspects to the crime? Uh huh." Dante turned his chair, and looked out the window. His secretary continued on about the details of Reeve's apparent murder. "That's odd. No, I would think that it wouldn't take that much kindling to burn a body. Huh. Weird. Well, send his wife, and daughter, or whatever, a fruit basket. Uh huh. OK, Jenny, thanks, bye. Oh-OH- Jenny, wait, sweetie, how is that demolition going on in Niblehiem? Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. I see. Are you... free on Friday? Working? Well, your off. Your welcome. Why? Because, we are now having dinner together on Friday night. Yeah. All right, no, it's fine. Uh huh. See you at eight. Bye."
Dante smiled at his beautiful reflection in the window as he hung up the phone.
"You handsome devil, you. No, you are gorgeous!" He flecked a piece of spinach he found in his teeth away.
~
Cloud wandered past the bathroom. Steam was billowing out like a sauna as Tifa showered. He glanced into the bathroom, but saw nothing but gray steam.
He sighed, and went into the kitchen to fix a few sandwiches and milk.
He accidentally dropped the carton of milk onto the floor as he was pouring a glass for Tifa.
Milk chugged out quickly all over his kitchen floor.
He cursed, and picked up the red carton that had a picture of a lost child beside a picture of a smiling yellow cow.
He grabbed a towel, and dropped it onto the white puddle- letting it soak up.
"Don't cry over spilt milk, eh?" Tifa smiled as she walked in. Cloud glanced up. She was tying up her bathrobe and supporting a huge green towel upon her wet brown hair.
"Yeah, something like that. I made you a sandwich." Cloud uttered followed by a slight sigh as he picked up the damp towel and threw it into the kitchen sink.
"Oh, how sweet!" She forced a grin and took her plate. "What kind is it?"
"Turkey." Cloud answered as he followed her into the living area.
They sat down upon the sofa together, several feet apart.
Tifa munched on her sandwich, and rested her feet upon the coffee table. As she stared at her toes, she noticed that the turkey was a little dry.
"Tifa?"
She turned her head. Cloud hadn't touched his sandwich, and he was staring at her.
"I'm in love with you." He said. He spoke as if he was simply saying something perfectly, totally, common. He may as well be saying, "I like feeding ducks."
"What?" Tifa forgot to swallow her sandwich. She just stared at him.
Her mouth felt very, very dry.
"I think that I'm in love with you." He repeated.
She swallowed her sandwich.
"No. No. Your. Not." She felt dry all over. She felt numb. He wasn't saying this. He was lying. This was just TOO fast.
He put his sandwich down, and moved closer to her.
"Sorry for laying it on you. But, that's just how I feel. I- I thought that you... may have felt the same. I don't know. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you know?"
"Cloud." She began. She felt herself coming back. She placed her sandwich down onto the coffee table. "You can't just- uhm- spring this all on me like that. Frankly, I don't know what I feel. But, yes, I care for you. And that's what I came here to tell you in the first place. But, I don't know, there is a lot of things going on between Barret and I."
"Oh." Cloud's face fell. He felt like someone had just socked him in the stomach and pumped all the air out from his lungs.
"It's not like THAT. It's just, he's there for me when you're not. And Marlene, she's such a sweetie. I don't know if anything will come of it. You have been my best friend for so long, for like, ever. You will never be replaced. I just don't know if I want a relationship with you yet. I don't know if ever. I just know that... uhm, I'm ready for love. I just don't know with who. I thought that it may have been a mother thing. That's why I went to work at the daycare. But... it's... not what I'm looking for. I've been there for nearly a half a year, and I've figured that out now. It's NOT a mother thing."
"Do you... love him?" Cloud asked softly.
"Him? Who? Barret? Yes. But not like that. I'm not IN love with him, Cloud. Of course I love him. He's a close friend. But frankly, I'm not physically attracted to him, so it could never work."
Cloud suddenly felt relived. The dagger in his chest was pulled out. Now, he was just bleeding.
"Could you... at least give us a try...?"
She looked at him. Her brown eyes were the color of a fawn's soft fur coat, her face as silky as their movement in the cool underbrush.
"I don't know, Cloud. I don't know. I'm... scared."
Cloud pushed himself closer to her on the sofa, and coiled his arms around her.
She smelt like shampoo and waving fear.
~
Vincent chased Cid outside.
"PLEASE, Cid. Come with me and help me stop them from tearing down the Shin-Ra mansion. It is PARAMOUNT that they do not-"
"Tell ya what, I'll fly ya to Niblehiem. But that'd where it ENDS. I've got too much to worry about myself. Sorry, Vincent. I really hate to turn ya down like this." Cid pulled his goggles down off from his head, and snapped them to his face. Then, he pulled out his white box of cigarettes from his jacket pocket.
Vincent growled quietly, but slowly turned the gargling hiss into a exasperated sigh.
"You've changed a lot, Vincent, since I last knew ya, if I wouldn't know any better, I'd say that you have found your heart and became somewhat human! You would have turned into a demon for less than this shit a couple of years ago."
Upon those words, Vincent came to a complete, and total halt. It was as if Lucrecia was standing before him once again, and said those words, 'I just don't see you like that, Vincent,' all over again.
"What... did you say, Cid?" Vincent's eyes darkened, and the air from his chest drained.
"I said, 'It's like you found your heart, again, Vincent,' what, did I offend you? You know that out of everyone, I have the most respec-" Cid stopped as Vincent clutched his chest with his good hand.
"Jesus!" Cid swore and dropped his cigarette. "What the %$#|@^ is wrong with you?" Cid approached Vincent.
Vincent's red eyes were dilated, and his canine teeth protruded out and tapped his bottom lips with their sharp tips.
"Don't... don't... come near me, get away... I SAID, GET AWAY from me, I can't control it!" Vincent shoved Cid away with his good hand.
"I am not-hu-" As Vincent spoke, his voice became more of a raspy, gargling roar. "HUMAN!" He hissed.
His red eyes narrowed, and a huge formation on his back was growing underneath his black shirt. It was as if something enormous was living upon his back side and was trying desperately to brake from the cocoon of his T-shirt.
"Holy %$#%%!!!!" Cid landed upon his bottom.
Then, Vincent's T-shirt broke, shattering the cotton all over the ground. Bright black wings, like that of a oversized bat, escaped free.
"I couldn't... I couldn't hold it anymore!" A voice that was reminiscent of Vincent's tried to speak- but it sounded like a animal's loud cry.
Vincent's face cocked upwards towards the sky; only now his face was less human and more of a dark demon that couldn't stand light nor loud noises.
He seemed irritated at the sun.
"Vincent!" Cid muttered. He blinked at him from under the dirty plastic of his flight goggles.
Vincent growled lowly at Cid and the sudden, rather loud yell of his voice. Then
without another beat, the demon raised it's mighty leather wings, and took off into the sky with a rattle of sand upon the dusty ground.
It looked like it was heading towards Niblehiem, but Cid wasn't entirely sure.
~
Meanwhile, in Niblehiem...
The man in the large cowboy hat stood looking upwards towards the mansion. It was a muggy, hot day. Flies as large as baseballs buzzed about noisily, looking for other people's business to mind.
A big, black, wrecking ball hung limply beside the Shin-Ra mansion. A knot of crewmen stood near the gates of the mansion, preparing themselves for work.
The man in the cowboy hat found a cigar. He stuffed it between his lips. "Are ya'll ready?" He grunted with a smile as he approached the construction crew.
"Wut, da fuck. Is that?" One of the construction men lifted his thick, dark, hairy face and looked up into the gray sky.
"The fuck?" Another added.
The man in the cowboy hat lifted his head as well, and squinted into the sky.
Something much larger than a bird, and much more alive than a plane was coming. And it was approaching fast.
The man in the cowboy hat looked displeased.
"Never mind dat. Just get on wit' it. Knock that sucker down, will ya?" He barked to the foreman of the large construction crew.
"Yessa." The foreman nodded. Then, he ordered a couple of men to be in charge of the wrecking ball.
The man in the cowboy hat kept his eyes to the sky, and watched as Vincent approached Niblehiem at a terrific speed.
From the author of, "An Autobiography of Vincent Valentine,"
And, "Phantom Wall Devils: An Interview with Sephiroth."
By: Da CrAzY F-e-N-i-C-k-S-d-O-w-N
"Earth angel, Earth angel, will you be mine? My darling dear, love you all the time, I am just a fool, a fool in love with you... Earth angel, Earth angel, the one I adore, love you forever, and ever more. I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you. I fell for you, and then I knew, the vision of love's loveliness, I hope and I prey, that someday I am the vision of your happiness." ('Earth Angel'
The Penguins)
"Why, that is positively horrible. Does he have any family? Uh huh."
Dante Julius tapped his pen upon his desk. "No, it's just strange. I swear I saw him, alive and healthy, at his desk this morning. Maybe I saw his look-alike. Uh huh. Do they have any suspects to the crime? Uh huh." Dante turned his chair, and looked out the window. His secretary continued on about the details of Reeve's apparent murder. "That's odd. No, I would think that it wouldn't take that much kindling to burn a body. Huh. Weird. Well, send his wife, and daughter, or whatever, a fruit basket. Uh huh. OK, Jenny, thanks, bye. Oh-OH- Jenny, wait, sweetie, how is that demolition going on in Niblehiem? Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. I see. Are you... free on Friday? Working? Well, your off. Your welcome. Why? Because, we are now having dinner together on Friday night. Yeah. All right, no, it's fine. Uh huh. See you at eight. Bye."
Dante smiled at his beautiful reflection in the window as he hung up the phone.
"You handsome devil, you. No, you are gorgeous!" He flecked a piece of spinach he found in his teeth away.
~
Cloud wandered past the bathroom. Steam was billowing out like a sauna as Tifa showered. He glanced into the bathroom, but saw nothing but gray steam.
He sighed, and went into the kitchen to fix a few sandwiches and milk.
He accidentally dropped the carton of milk onto the floor as he was pouring a glass for Tifa.
Milk chugged out quickly all over his kitchen floor.
He cursed, and picked up the red carton that had a picture of a lost child beside a picture of a smiling yellow cow.
He grabbed a towel, and dropped it onto the white puddle- letting it soak up.
"Don't cry over spilt milk, eh?" Tifa smiled as she walked in. Cloud glanced up. She was tying up her bathrobe and supporting a huge green towel upon her wet brown hair.
"Yeah, something like that. I made you a sandwich." Cloud uttered followed by a slight sigh as he picked up the damp towel and threw it into the kitchen sink.
"Oh, how sweet!" She forced a grin and took her plate. "What kind is it?"
"Turkey." Cloud answered as he followed her into the living area.
They sat down upon the sofa together, several feet apart.
Tifa munched on her sandwich, and rested her feet upon the coffee table. As she stared at her toes, she noticed that the turkey was a little dry.
"Tifa?"
She turned her head. Cloud hadn't touched his sandwich, and he was staring at her.
"I'm in love with you." He said. He spoke as if he was simply saying something perfectly, totally, common. He may as well be saying, "I like feeding ducks."
"What?" Tifa forgot to swallow her sandwich. She just stared at him.
Her mouth felt very, very dry.
"I think that I'm in love with you." He repeated.
She swallowed her sandwich.
"No. No. Your. Not." She felt dry all over. She felt numb. He wasn't saying this. He was lying. This was just TOO fast.
He put his sandwich down, and moved closer to her.
"Sorry for laying it on you. But, that's just how I feel. I- I thought that you... may have felt the same. I don't know. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you know?"
"Cloud." She began. She felt herself coming back. She placed her sandwich down onto the coffee table. "You can't just- uhm- spring this all on me like that. Frankly, I don't know what I feel. But, yes, I care for you. And that's what I came here to tell you in the first place. But, I don't know, there is a lot of things going on between Barret and I."
"Oh." Cloud's face fell. He felt like someone had just socked him in the stomach and pumped all the air out from his lungs.
"It's not like THAT. It's just, he's there for me when you're not. And Marlene, she's such a sweetie. I don't know if anything will come of it. You have been my best friend for so long, for like, ever. You will never be replaced. I just don't know if I want a relationship with you yet. I don't know if ever. I just know that... uhm, I'm ready for love. I just don't know with who. I thought that it may have been a mother thing. That's why I went to work at the daycare. But... it's... not what I'm looking for. I've been there for nearly a half a year, and I've figured that out now. It's NOT a mother thing."
"Do you... love him?" Cloud asked softly.
"Him? Who? Barret? Yes. But not like that. I'm not IN love with him, Cloud. Of course I love him. He's a close friend. But frankly, I'm not physically attracted to him, so it could never work."
Cloud suddenly felt relived. The dagger in his chest was pulled out. Now, he was just bleeding.
"Could you... at least give us a try...?"
She looked at him. Her brown eyes were the color of a fawn's soft fur coat, her face as silky as their movement in the cool underbrush.
"I don't know, Cloud. I don't know. I'm... scared."
Cloud pushed himself closer to her on the sofa, and coiled his arms around her.
She smelt like shampoo and waving fear.
~
Vincent chased Cid outside.
"PLEASE, Cid. Come with me and help me stop them from tearing down the Shin-Ra mansion. It is PARAMOUNT that they do not-"
"Tell ya what, I'll fly ya to Niblehiem. But that'd where it ENDS. I've got too much to worry about myself. Sorry, Vincent. I really hate to turn ya down like this." Cid pulled his goggles down off from his head, and snapped them to his face. Then, he pulled out his white box of cigarettes from his jacket pocket.
Vincent growled quietly, but slowly turned the gargling hiss into a exasperated sigh.
"You've changed a lot, Vincent, since I last knew ya, if I wouldn't know any better, I'd say that you have found your heart and became somewhat human! You would have turned into a demon for less than this shit a couple of years ago."
Upon those words, Vincent came to a complete, and total halt. It was as if Lucrecia was standing before him once again, and said those words, 'I just don't see you like that, Vincent,' all over again.
"What... did you say, Cid?" Vincent's eyes darkened, and the air from his chest drained.
"I said, 'It's like you found your heart, again, Vincent,' what, did I offend you? You know that out of everyone, I have the most respec-" Cid stopped as Vincent clutched his chest with his good hand.
"Jesus!" Cid swore and dropped his cigarette. "What the %$#|@^ is wrong with you?" Cid approached Vincent.
Vincent's red eyes were dilated, and his canine teeth protruded out and tapped his bottom lips with their sharp tips.
"Don't... don't... come near me, get away... I SAID, GET AWAY from me, I can't control it!" Vincent shoved Cid away with his good hand.
"I am not-hu-" As Vincent spoke, his voice became more of a raspy, gargling roar. "HUMAN!" He hissed.
His red eyes narrowed, and a huge formation on his back was growing underneath his black shirt. It was as if something enormous was living upon his back side and was trying desperately to brake from the cocoon of his T-shirt.
"Holy %$#%%!!!!" Cid landed upon his bottom.
Then, Vincent's T-shirt broke, shattering the cotton all over the ground. Bright black wings, like that of a oversized bat, escaped free.
"I couldn't... I couldn't hold it anymore!" A voice that was reminiscent of Vincent's tried to speak- but it sounded like a animal's loud cry.
Vincent's face cocked upwards towards the sky; only now his face was less human and more of a dark demon that couldn't stand light nor loud noises.
He seemed irritated at the sun.
"Vincent!" Cid muttered. He blinked at him from under the dirty plastic of his flight goggles.
Vincent growled lowly at Cid and the sudden, rather loud yell of his voice. Then
without another beat, the demon raised it's mighty leather wings, and took off into the sky with a rattle of sand upon the dusty ground.
It looked like it was heading towards Niblehiem, but Cid wasn't entirely sure.
~
Meanwhile, in Niblehiem...
The man in the large cowboy hat stood looking upwards towards the mansion. It was a muggy, hot day. Flies as large as baseballs buzzed about noisily, looking for other people's business to mind.
A big, black, wrecking ball hung limply beside the Shin-Ra mansion. A knot of crewmen stood near the gates of the mansion, preparing themselves for work.
The man in the cowboy hat found a cigar. He stuffed it between his lips. "Are ya'll ready?" He grunted with a smile as he approached the construction crew.
"Wut, da fuck. Is that?" One of the construction men lifted his thick, dark, hairy face and looked up into the gray sky.
"The fuck?" Another added.
The man in the cowboy hat lifted his head as well, and squinted into the sky.
Something much larger than a bird, and much more alive than a plane was coming. And it was approaching fast.
The man in the cowboy hat looked displeased.
"Never mind dat. Just get on wit' it. Knock that sucker down, will ya?" He barked to the foreman of the large construction crew.
"Yessa." The foreman nodded. Then, he ordered a couple of men to be in charge of the wrecking ball.
The man in the cowboy hat kept his eyes to the sky, and watched as Vincent approached Niblehiem at a terrific speed.