Whoo, boy's night out on the town. lol But as it says, Cid gets his first shot at Kagoshima. Note that I know squat about the actual city, so please bear with me. I've been researching that. So yeah. Anyway, enter fouth character! Oh my god! Run away! Nigate! lol I know I spelled that wrong. lol My Japanese skills leve must to be desired, screw Cid's. XD But anyway, same as before, lil' helpful thingymabobber down at the bottom filled with wonderful words. And there are some good ones in here. Nothing too bad, but good just the same. Oh my god, the contradictiveness! Hmm...being blind has made me crazy, apparently. Or maybe I've been hanging out with Zack...who knows? Oh well. On with zee chapter! Whoo! And on a minor note, Cid was a little OOC back in the first chapter, but no longer! Meet the real Cid! Oh. And there's a tad bit of shounen-ai in this one but I'll let you get there yourself. Like chapter one didn't set it up. XD You knew it was coming.
Chapter Two--Kagoshima
"Cloud, you jackass, gimme that back!" Zack reached over, snatching the sake bottle from the blonde's hand. "Look. Look!" He shook it slightly, the liquid sloshing inside. "You drank like…half of it! You're buying me a new bottle." He took a swig, laughing as some of the liquid spilled down his chin. "Shit! Stupid bottle's got a hole in it or something."
Cloud shook his head while smirking at his misfortunate friend. He shoved a napkin at Zack, still unable to contain his laughter. Grabbing the bottle back, he tipped the sake into his mouth. Setting the bottle down, he pointed at Zack accusingly. "Me buy you another one? I bought this one!" He swiped it away before Zack could grab it again. "Too slow grandpa," he snickered.
Cid rested his chin on his hand. Vaguely he wondered who took care of them when they both got drunk. Hope it's not gonna be me. He felt better than he did earlier, but right now he was just a little bored. Zack and Cloud had been guzzling sake for the past hour while he just sat there being the polite guest he was supposed to be. Though I would kill to be able to toss this polite crap. It's just not me. He glanced at the pair again. Funny how people can be completely different that you first think. Hell. I never would have seen Zack as the drinking type.
A bottle was suddenly shoved in his face, Cloud looking at him. "You want some? You've been sittin' there all mopey-like and shit."
The scent of alcohol sent a shiver down Cid's back. "Ah, no thanks. Really. I'm not…a drinker." Hanging his head a little, he watched as Cloud shrugged and tipped back another drink. He felt bad about lying, but still that was history. He'd been a hard-core drinker through most of college and he'd just recently gone dry. One quarter of having to retake every course from the one before had tipped him off that he needed to stop. He had managed to break himself from the alcohol completely, but that had been only four weeks before he'd heard he was coming here. Six weeks ago.
Sighing, he closed his eyes as Zack started carrying on about something Cloud was doing. He would have gone and walked through the nearby market if only those two weren't so drunk they'd forget him as soon as he left. Besides. His Japanese skills left much to be desired. He doubted he would even be able to find the restroom without trouble.
Zack looked over at Cid and reached out, ruffling the blonde's hair. "Hey, ya look kinda down. Sure ya don't want any?" When the blonde shook his head no, he continued thinking. "Hmm…guess it's pretty lame hanging around with us when ya don't drink. Listen. If ya wanna go look around, we'll still be here." He tilted his head toward the door. "Know it's gotta be killin' ya to watch us get drunk and shit. Sorry I didn't ask before."
Cid's eyes aimed forward at Zack's suggestion. "So you guys'll really be all right? I won't leave if I shouldn't." He was a little more worried about their physical well-being than his own boredom right now. If they were going to wander off and pass out in some ditch then he wouldn't.
"Nah. Shit man, we do this all the time on weekends. We'll be fine." He took another drink. "We'll still be here. Don't worry 'bout us or anything. Just go have some fun." He waved the bottle toward him before taking another drink, the liquid sloshing in the glass bottle.
The young blonde nodded and smiled as he stood up from his seat. When they had come in Zack and Cloud had automatically gravitated toward this booth, half-hidden in the back corner of the bar. He glanced toward the front of the bar and started forward, turning when he was halfway across the floor. He looked back to say goodbye but held his words as he saw Zack reach over and brush Cloud's bangs back, pulling his face close as he did.
Cid whirled around suddenly. Okay, those two are definitely more than just regular friends. Unless they just have a problem with kissing each other when they're drunk. Shaking his head, he pushed out into the night air.
It wasn't that he had a problem with the possibility that Zack was gay. He had friends back home who were. He just wished he'd known ahead of time before finding out for himself. He hated having things like that just sprung on him. Shaking his head again he caught sight of the neon sign glowing fiercely above the market.
As he stood in front of the store he rubbed his eyes. He didn't really want to go in there. Just for some reason he felt more like staying outside. It was a nice night after all. The breeze was warm as it softly brushed by him. He caught a faint scent of cooking okonomiyaki and he realized that he hadn't eaten anything since supper. He cursed and rolled his eyes as his stomach growled loudly. Maybe he'd just head in that direction instead.
Slowly he joined in the flow of the sidewalk, stunned at how many people there still were out. It had to be around two, maybe three in the morning. But maybe there were a lot of people with the same idea as Zack and Cloud. The drinking idea, anyway. A few people jostled him as he walked, the crowd slowly thinning as he walked on. It seemed a lot of people were just returning home.
He lifted his head, pushing his blonde bangs away as he stared at the sky. Not many stars. But he didn't really expect to see many. This was a city after all. He lowered his eyes back to the sidewalk, hardly seeing the man before he knocked into Cid's side. Luckily the crowd had thinned considerably while he hadn't been paying attention and there was room for him to stop and look back.
The black-haired man bowed deeply, his long bangs falling before his eyes. Rising quickly, he muttered a short apology in Japanese and turned, headed in the opposite direction rather fast. He almost seemed in a hurry.
Cid shrugged. At least he wasn't extremely new to the workings of a city. He had grown used to them whenever he visited Tampa. He started toward the scent again when he noticed a familiar weight missing. Stopping again, he patted his side. His wallet was gone. "Wh—that guy!" He whirled around, his eyes just barely picking out the back of the black-haired man. Twisting on one foot, he started forward, quickly coming up behind the man. "Hey. Hey!" He was shouting more to just let the guy know he'd been found out than to convey any real meaning. That he would do later when he got his wallet back. Reaching out, he grabbed the man's shoulder, whipping him around to face him.
The man reacted too fast for Cid and he knocked the blonde's hand loose, taking off at a run. Cid, his moment of stun gone, started after him. "Hey! You thief, give that back! Give me my damned wallet back!" A few people bumped into him and he slowed. But he still saw the man turn down an alley he'd passed before. "Shit!" Speeding up, he pushed in front of a few girls, their shrill yelling chasing him as he dashed into the alley. "Dammit man, I'm not kiddin'! Give me back my fuckin' wallet!"
Ahead of him the man tried to jump a pile of boxes, but slipped, the cardboard crumpling beneath him. With a startled shout the man disappeared into the pile back first. When Cid finally reached the pile he glanced around. Grasping a pipe lying to the side, he brandished it above his head, approaching the pile closer.
A low groan emitted for the boxes and he saw a hand reach out soon followed by the black-haired head. He raised the pipe higher in case the man should try anything. "I got ya. Now hand it over nice and slow and I'll—hey!"
The man had raised his right hand, covering his head while he shouted in his own language. Cid couldn't make anything out of it at the speed he was going. Then he saw a glint of metal and the idea of 'gun' instantly popped into his head. As the metal was raised higher he panicked. Taking a shaking breath, he swung hard, the pipe connecting with the man's head. With a sharp grunt the man collapsed, falling back into the boxes.
Cid slid to the ground as he dropped the pipe. He was panting furiously, still terrified. He had just been mugged and almost killed all on his first night here. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe I should have just stayed back with them. Then I wouldn't be in this mess. When the man didn't move, he reached out and pushed on a shoulder. He rolled over, the small keychain he kept attached to his wallet now visible as it hung out of the man's pocket. Yanking it free, he noticed that the mugger still hadn't moved.
In America, back in Tampa, this wouldn't have been a problem. He could have just pleaded self defense to the judge. Hell, that's what it was, wasn't it? But here? He had no idea what they did to people who killed their citizens. Even if they happened to be dirty thieves. He stood, gazing around nervously. He half-expected for some policeman to appear and arrest him for murder even though he knew it wouldn't happen. But still…it was enough to make him paranoid.
Leaning down, he placed a finger against the man's pale throat. A steady throbbing met it and he sighed. So he hadn't killed him, just knocked him out. He removed his hand and prepared to leave when a hand shot out, grasping his wrist. "Huh—hey! Let me go!" He threw the hand off, scrambling backward until his back hit the wall.
"Nnn…chi…chikusho." The man raised his hand to his head, groaning again as he raised it slowly. "Chikusho." He looked forward, eyes locking with Cid's. His eyes widened and Cid suddenly got the impression that the man had never been in this situation before. He wasn't sure what that might mean but he was sure it couldn't be good.
"Okay. Uh…I'm just gonna leave now. I got my wallet back so don't even try that again. At least not from me." H stood shakily and turned, starting out of the alley. He had gotten only about five steps from where he'd been when he heard the man shout out at him.
"I-jin! Kimpatsu! Nani-yo anta!" He stood slowly, his right hand pressed against his forehead.
Cid paused, the words running through him. Slowly he turned back toward the mugger. Nodding his head to himself, he felt everything building up. He had a problem with containing his emotions and occasionally they broke free in sheer anger when something set him off. Unfortunately for the man, his words did just that. Laughing harshly, he looked the man in the eye. "Alien? White-boy? You think those words bother me?" he asked in a low voice as he slowly moved toward the black-haired man. He wouldn't have usually done this, but then again, none of this was usual.
The mugger looked around, suddenly scared of the approaching blonde. He tried backing up but just tripped, falling once more into the boxes. "Iie. H—hottoite-kure-yo! Nani-yo?" Cid grasped the man's arm, pulling his up to eye level. "Y—yamete-yo! Sawannai-de!" He squirmed in the boy's grasp but Cid's hand remained clenched around his wrist.
Soon the man's yelling got to him and he shook his by his arm. "Shut up already! I'm not gonna hurt you if you fucking shut up! Damatte-yo!"
The man calmed considerably. He stopped thrashing and stared up at Cid, eyes wild. That's when he noticed them. He felt his anger drain away as he knelt down, staring into the man's eyes. Not, it hadn't been a trick of the light or his mind. The man had red eyes, crimson as blood. "Shit," he whispered.
The man tried to pull away, but Cid held him firm. "I just want to make sure you don't try that shit on me again, got that? Wakarimasu-ka?"
The man's face turned to the side, wincing. "I understand you fine."
"Wh—wh—what?" Cid stood up suddenly, his grip on the man faltering. "You speak English?" he asked surprised.
The man pulled his arm loose, cradling it against him. Already a faint bruise was forming on the pale skin. "Yes, I can speak it fine. Almost as fine as you, kimpatsu, considering you can't seem to speak without cursing."
"Wha—well, then why didn't you say something earlier! You just kept shouting in Japanese, why didn't you say something in English?" He crossed his arms, glaring at the man below him. "And I can too speak without cursing."
Black hair fell over crimson eyes as the man tilted his head. "Surprise, surprise. So he can. But maybe I didn't see you as worth speaking English to." He aimed fiery eyes up at the blonde. "I should be making you speak in Japanese, kimpatsu. This is my country after all, not yours." He fell silent. Waiting almost patiently for a response.
"Your country? Well, whatever. But would you stop calling me white-boy? It's getting on my fucking nerves." Cardboard shuffled as the man stood. A gasp rose from Cid as he looked up into the crimson eyes. Up was the key word. "What the hell? Why're you so tall?" He rose on his tiptoes, but still didn't match the pale man's height. "Dammit, you people are supposed to be short!"
"Says the chibi." He tilted his head. "Would you rather I call you that? Chibi rather than kimpatsu? Both work either way."
"You know what? Fuck you. But why the hell are you still here? I figured you would have hightailed it out of here by now." He uncrossed his arms, shoving his hands in his pockets. The man started and he pulled them back out quickly. "Hey, clam down! Damn. It's not like I have a damn knife or anything. Maybe I'm just making sure you don't steal my wallet anymore."
The raven-haired man regarded him with cold eyes. "Maybe I'm just not used to the people I steal from creating a conversation with me. Not that it's all that enlightening. I suppose I chose wrong with you." He folded his own arms, the moonlight glinting off of metal again.
Cid started, glaring at his left arm. It was entirely encased with metal as far as he could tell. He couldn't see beyond the longish sleeve of his black tee-shirt. "Hey, what's that?" he asked. It had obviously been the metal he had mistaken for being a gun.
The man glanced down then covered his left arm with the right. "It's nothing. But why are you still here? You have what you want, so why aren't you leaving?"
Cid shoved his hands back into the pockets of his baggy jeans. "Well…maybe I have nothing better to do." He lowered his voice, hoping the man wouldn't hear. But today just wasn't his day, now was it?
The mugger snorted. "What is with you Americans? You do the strangest things, you know. Have nothing better to do than talk to your own mugger. God, I just don't get you people."
The blonde huffed back. "Well, what's with you! Don't have anything better to do than go mug foreigners? That makes about as much sense as my answer." He wrapped one hand around his wallet, pointing at the man with the other.
"I never said I do it because I have nothing better to do. Besides, that has nothing to do with anything."
"The hell it does! We wouldn't fucking be here if you hadn't tried to snatch it in the first place! Stupid jackass!" He flung out his free hand, brushing it against the brick wall. Yelping, he rubbed the skinned knuckles against his leg.
"Kimpatsu." He shot Cid an annoyed look then sighed. "Look. Are we going to stand around here all night and just call each other names?" A can rattled behind him and he glanced nervously behind him. "I really shouldn't be here."
Cid huffed again. "And why's that? Out of your territory? Need to run home to mommy? But you started it with the name-calling." He crossed his arms again, assured his wallet was safe.
The crimson gaze landed on him again. "Do you realize that you look and sound like a child? But anyway, I just shouldn't be here. You shouldn't either unless you want more trouble." He stuffed his hand in the pocket of his black jeans, his left hanging at his side. "But what else was I to do? It's not like I could have called you by your real name."
The blonde tipped his chin forward. "Well, it's Cid Highwind. And don't you ever forget it, got that?" He turned, his back, looking over his shoulder. "Or even better, how about I never see you again? I definitely like that one better," he growled.
The mugger narrowed his crimson eyes. "Likewise," he responded in a harsh voice. He also turned away, stepping carefully over the boxes that had caused his capture in the first place. "Kimpatsu."
Cid whirled around, facing the alley again. "Dammit, I thought I said…" He broke off. He was talking to an empty alley. His blue eyes passed over every visible inch but there was no sign of the crimson-eyed man. "Whatever," he muttered as he stepped back into the lights of the city.
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lol I kinda like him being so sarcastic. It kinda fits him. lol Mister Thiefy. But if you don't know who that is, you have problems. Big ones. XD Not really, but it's pretty obvious. There aren't that many guys with black hair, red eyes and a metal arm, now are there? We're not going to take into consideration Barret with red contacts. That'd just be weird. lol So anyway, a little Zack/Cloud slashie going on there. Sooo...I wanna go find me a mugger now and see if he's Vin. XD I have problems. I know it. But who else but Cid would stand around arguing with his own mugger? lol Well, I might, but I'm not in this, am I? lol That's right, beware all you muggers! I'll talk yer ears off! XD Really have problems. But anyway, lil' translation section, coming up! Vinny has a bad mouth in this fic for some odd reason. O.o OOC, I know, but maybe it's a given figuring his home life. But that comes up later. This is AU after all.
Whoo for learning Japanese! Not the best words you could be learning, but they're fun anyway. lol
Chikusho--One of the many ways to say dammit. I can't think of any other right now.
I-jin--The rude way to say foreigner. Literally, alien. I think O.o
Kimpatsu--lol Vin's fovorite name for Cid apparently. Cid actually says the translation for this, white-boy, but he's taking the wrong meaning. Japanese is a high context language where the speaker doesn't have to neccessarily be clear but the listener has to figure it out. But Cid's not the best at that yet. So his interpretation is wrong. Vin's actually calling him 'blonde-haired' or 'dumb blonde'. And we all know that's one way to get Cid mad. Call him dumb. lol
Nani-yo anta--Lil' phrase meaning 'who do you think you are?' I'm guessing I'd be screaming that too if someone whacked me upside the head with a pipe.
Iie--Come on, you should know this one. But if not, it's 'no'.
Hottoite-kure-yo--'Leave me alone' aimed toward a male. Aimed toward a female is a little different.
Sawannai-de--'Don't touch me'. Simple as that. lol
Damatte-yo--'Shut up'. lol Bet Cid uses that one a lot.
Wakaremasu-ka?--'Do you understand?' Really important thing. lol
Chibi--Another you should already know, but if not, it means 'short' or 'shorty'. Bad Vin. That's cruel. lol
Well, there ya have it. Hopefully I didn't miss any but if I did just ask me about them. But so...chapter 2. How was it? Still wondering how I'm doing. Aw hell. I'll be doing that for as long as I live. So, with that, I'll ask for reviews now.
Arigatogozaimashita! For reading and reviewing, that is. It's just thank you, so don't freak out thinking I just cussed you out big time. lol