Disclaimer: I do not own Yuffie and Godo Kisaragi, Vincent Valentine, AVALANCHE, all characters and concepts related to AVALANCHE, or, in fact, anything that is from Final Fantasy VII (that honour goes to the wonderful bunch at Square-Enix).
Claimer: I DO, however, own the concept of this story, the name Phe Tsen Shu, the rest of the Shu family, the concept of North Wutai and South Wutai being separate countries, the city of Le Phe Tan, the bastardization of the name Leviathan into Le Phe Tan, and other things not found in FF7. I also own the concept of Heavenly City Da Cha O, the bastardization of the name Da Chao into Da Cha O, and the concept of the Wild Ace's Deuce's Wild Casino. Feel free to use my ideas and original characters, but please give me credit. If you don't give me credit, Tsen Li will turn into a Gary Stu, ruin your story, and then eat your liver.
And When that Day Comes
Dig my head down deep so I can't hear the cars
Outside on the street, and the stars are laughing
They get a kick out of my misery.
I've tried everything short of Aristotle,
Dramamine, and the whiskey bottle,
I pray for the day when my ship comes in
And I can sleep the sleep of the just again
—Insomniac, Straight No Chaser
Chapter Four
One Week Later
Gold Saucer --- WILD ACE'S DEUCES WILD CASINO
Even after talking to the floor manager, Cloud still had a hell of a time finding Vincent. Then again, Vincent actually looked nondescript without the red bandana, the red cloak, and his hair all scraggly and hanging to the middle of his back. Not even the claw called attention to him.
Cloud found him eventually, though. Even if it took him a moment to recognize the man without the trademark red or the long hair, and wearing a casino uniform and nametag.
Vincent was dealing blackjack one-handed, carrying on conversation with the people at his table.
Cloud stared. He tried to think of a way to announce, Hi, it's Cloud. We kind of need you.
Instead, he managed to announce, Hi, it's Cloud. I'm still an idiot.
"Vincent… You cut your hair!"
Vincent only looked up for a minute. "If you would like to join the game, you will have to wait."
"Uh, yeah. Okay."
Vincent was working in Gold Saucer. This was hilarious! This was dumbfounding! This was amazing! This was whoah-worthy. This was more than just whoah-worthy!
This was…. He had no idea what this was. It was insane.
A little Wutaian lady won the round. She took her winnings graciously and left the game, clearing space for Cloud.
"Are you joining?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. Deal me in."
Cloud placed his bet. Vincent dealt the cards.
Cloud studied his hand. He hated playing in casinos. Not only did you lose money, but it just wasn't as fun as playing at home. Besides, he wouldn't feel right talking to Vincent until it was his turn.
And he had three turns to wait out.
The man who went before Cloud managed a five card Charlie. Cloud blinked when the man promptly hit.
Most dealers (well, maybe not casino dealers) would have warned the man not to hit, would have told him that he had a win.
Vincent didn't do either of these things. He just dealt the man the card that sent him over.
"Bust," the man said. He sounded disappointed.
"How can you possibly be surprised?" One of the other players chided. "You had a five hit win! And you hit again! You idiot…"
"Play nice, children." And that was all Vincent said before he turned to Cloud.
"Hit me," Cloud said.
Vincent gave him a card.
"I heard some interesting news."
"Hit or stay?"
"Listen to this, Vince."
"Hit or stay?"
"You need to hear this."
"Hit. Or. Stay."
"I'm still in the game?"
Vincent gave him a death glare.
"Okay, fine." Cloud looked at the cards. "But not until you hear this."
"Fine. Tell me."
"Yuffie's getting married."
Cloud hated fifteen. He never knew whether he wanted to hit or stay on fifteen. Nobody else had gotten a six, but nobody else had gotten a ten, either.
"Hit me."
"Yuffie's getting married," Vincent said. "Is this some sort of joke?"
"If it were a joke, she'd be telling you herself, and then saying 'Ha-ha! Made you blink!'"
"She's only what? Sixteen?"
"Seventeen. Arranged marriage, with her father's full approval. I hear that's legal in Wutai."
"It is. Barely."
"How much you want to bet she's getting rid of whatever law makes it possible, when she… whatevers the Pagoda?"
"Nothing. Not even she would dare."
"Dare?"
"It was the law that created the Pagoda in Da Cha O... The first ruler of Da Cha O was a woman. It was an arranged marriage."
"Da Cha O?"
"The City of Wutai."
"Er, the Lord of Wutai doesn't control just Wutai?"
"He controls the northern half of Wutai. The southern half of the island is a separate Kingdom, and has been for some eighty years."
Huh. This was better than he'd thought. If Vincent knew this much about Wutai's history, it was a safe bet he knew the language.
And they might just wind up not all getting kicked out of an inn onto their asses by a little old lady.
"You speak Wutaian, don't you?"
"Yes, of course. I was born there."
"…"
Vincent was Wutaian? That explained why he and Yuffie hadn't gotten along, then. Yuffie was everything that Wutaian women weren't supposed to be. Loud. Brash. Wilful.
"Tifa wants to go 'talk' with her. You should come with us."
"I don't think that would be wise."
"Vince, Yuffie's throwing her life away at the age of seventeen. Tifa doesn't speak Wutaian, and my Wutaian gets me into insane trouble."
"I still doubt the wisdom of this idea."
"I think it's a great idea. Can you really let her throw her life away without trying to talk her out of it?"
Vincent glared.