FFVII Auditions-The Crack Game

Abel lay curled up in the den they had found. It was a small building that had ivy and greenery growing over it, creating a very nice, very comfortable den once they had pulled in some pillows and blankets from another abandoned home.

Seph slithered into the den and curled up around Abel in a protective gesture. "Don't worry. He'll find us," soothed Seph, stroking a hand over Abel's hair. "We're his treasures."

"I miss him," whispered Abel, cuddling close. He said a silent prayer that their master would find them and soon.

"Alright, when I thought I was getting a job to the middle of nowhere, I didn't think it'd be quite like this." Cloud braced his legs on either side of Fenrir, staring up at the looming, utterly empty city with caution. This wasn't on any of his maps, and parts of it looked far too familiar to be out here in ass-end nowhere.

Reaching up, he pulled his sunglasses back up and then settled on Fenrir again, revving the engine before he headed into the city at an easy pace, navigations carefully through the streets as he kept an eye out for anyone else who he might be able to find in this place.

((ooc: As the mod, let's see if we can't get the game going once more))


Reaching out, Sephiroth traced the threads that tied him to others in the area. He had shifted worlds again, it seemed, and he wanted to see if any of the others around him. Especially his pet.

The town was quiet, and he could see that there were not much movement there. Just as well. He could establish his area as he wanted if he wasn't having to fight with others for it. He would win, of course, but it was an unnecessary distraction.

It had been odd, learning the new surroundings, but he was fairly sure he had the local area at least somewhat marked.

Now, to collect his pet and see what had been happening around him, and what he might have seen. Children were so often ignored, and that was always a useful source.

He especially wanted to check on him, just to make sure. Something had...disturbed him, and Sephiroth was going to find out what.

He'd tried to avoid another massacre, but it appeared that people were just nasty creatures - and naked children were like some prize for gangs. They were worthless people - and they had more of this... money on hand. Nero had taken it upon himself to take away what the men wouldn't need - then proceeded to dress himself in the least blood stained clothing there was - sure, he'd put it on backwards and was dripping over the awkward fabric as he stepped out, but he was still proud of this minor accomplishment.

A few people stopped to stare at the horned child as he meandered through the streets, eying foods hungrily as he moved along. His stomach growled - what good were these paper things if he couldn't eat them? Money and dollars and nickles and dimes - what were these things.

He pouted and padded to a muffin kiosk, reaching out for one and cringing as the angry shop keeper let out a barrage of complaints. That didn't last too long, as the poor woman was sent flying into the neighbouring pizzaria window. Deciding that the window of oppertunity had opened, the boy merely helped himself to what remained and carried on his way - ignoring the wake of terrified humans and the wail of a siren as he went on.

He'd been scouting the area watching in silence all of the happenings around him. There was a child version of Cloud that was apparently extremely devoted to Jenova, if that weren't bad enough there as also another version of Nero around that was capable of killing everything that got close to him. Neither of these boded well to Vincent at all.

The one good thing his travels had brought him to was a very familiar church with a very familiar person inside. Though that in itself posed all sorts of problems. Yuffie had taken it pretty hard when Aerith had died, she had been so young then. How would this older version react if he was to tell her that he had found a version of their friend still alive after all this time.

Should he even say anything at all? If he didn't and Yuffie found out, she would be impossible to live with for days, he knew. Still... telling her might upset her. This is why he tried to avoid getting involved with women... they were really just too damn confusing.

Sliding from behind the shadows of buildings he entered the pagoda via the window of his room, rather than use the front door, as to keep his whereabouts to the outside world hidden. Slipping inside he reclosed the window in an effort to make it look like he hadn't left the pagoda early that morning at all. If he was lucky Yuffie would think he'd been in his room brooding all day, and not have bothered coming in. If he was unlucky, then he'd get twenty questions in order to make him talk and tell her where he had been.

Abel was curled up under a tree. Ironically, it was the same tree that he and his husband had seen the other Tseng and Genesis curled up under together. His arms were wrapped around his legs ans he rested his cheek on his knees. What was it about this place that brought children killers here and practically paraded them before him?

First, there was the ten year old Pet and his strange family that included a Sephiroth, a Kadaj, and Jenova that sent chills down Abel's back. Now, there was a version of Nero that was apparently quite happy to slaughter his way through humanity and whom had told Miss Aeris that he had just recently turned three.

Abel glanced down at the ring that encircled his finger on his left hand, titanium with green jade, crimson carnelion, and a black diamond glittered in the sunlight. The ring that Tseng had given him on their wedding day. Would he loose his husband if he had to kill one of the children to protect those that couldn't protect themselves? Or would he simply become a monster in the eyes of those who were his family now?

Closing his eyes tight against the tears that threatened to spill out, he buried his face in his knees. "Oh Lord, please don't force me to choose between those I love and a child, no matter how misguided the child might be."

"Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam,
Et lingua eius loquetur indicium.."

A soft voice sung out admist a sudden barrage of screams. All about, people were being tossed mercilessly up into the air - rendered limb from limb by an invisible force. Heads were missing, torsos separated from legs, some had even been torn neatly in two and lain down with such care that one would almost think a compassionate survivor had done it.

But that wasn't the case.

"Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem,
Quonium cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae."

The murderer merely needed a path to walk through. Tiny, blood soaked feet glided over the slick surface, whatever invisible force around him that was destroying the people kept them all safely at bay - and lead him on despite the heavy helmet jammed over his face, obscuring his vision.

"Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison."


Another went spinning wildly out of control to his right. Strands of black-pink hair tumbled from the back of the horrid contraption, though an undoubtedly pleased aura surrounded him.

"... O quam sancta, quam serena,
quam benigna, quam amoena
O castitatis lilium."

He couldn't sense his brethern, but he was certain that didn't matter... The intiuation of a Diclonius was rarely wrong. And Nero wasn't about to allow his escape to end prematurely.

"My Prince... I never knew you had it in you to be that cruel to a child." Genesis said nonchalantly from his vantage point on the roof, Loveless open in front of him. He'd watched the entire thing play out, and kept silent.

"I realize your hatred for Jenova and what she did to our beloveds knows no bounds. But without her cells neither of us would have the powers we have today, so her existance was good for something."

He closed the book and slid off the roof, the wing fluttering as he landed with barely a sound on the ground before Tseng. Slipping the book back into the pocket in his crimson coat he reached out to stroke Tseng's cheek lovingly.

"Look at yourself Darling, all worked up... tsk tsk, you should save that energy for me instead of wasting it on the puppet."

------

Edit: NC-17 rating for boys being naughty in Aeris' flower bed. X3

For once he wasn't up on a conveniant roof, but in an open area on the ground, buildings a good distance from him on all sides. It would be very hard to sneak up on him, at least out here.

His eyes were closed as he ran through his weapons drills. He'd warmed up, gone for his usual run and practiced his unarmed routines, but now it was time for his favorite part of the morning routine - the sword dances.

"We've gotta hurry - you know how Verdot gets when we're late, Ren! I ain't cleaning the SOLDIER showers *again*!"

He really hated when they lost track of time. Fourty minutes before a meeting had rapidly dwindled to five the moment they'd step foot inside those showers, and now the younger of the two - the 'rookie' of five years - was having a hard time walking. He yanked the towel from the rack outside, leaning over to give the redhead a quick kiss before springing outside, towel wrapping around his waist. He shut his eyes, cringing at the soap still in them, and turned to the sinks to finish making himself appear the ever respectable Turk.

After blinking several times, effectively ridding him eyes of soap, dear Rod made two startling discoveries.

One, they were now well past the alloted time for the meeting.

and two, the Turk's private bathrooms had suddenly been switched to the ground floor... and the wall was missing.

Wait, what the HELL?!

"... R-reno...?"

Yuffie scrambled up a conveniently-placed light pole, perched at the top as she looked around the area that she and Vincent were in now. Food? Some sort of restaurant, or shop, or something? She couldn't see anything just yet, but she tried sniffing at the air to see if she could smell anything at all.

If she was really hungry, she'd have sent her ninjas out to look around as well. As it was, this was more about the adventure part of things at the moment, so she didn't mind taking her time.

He stood on the roof of a building and stretched his wings, enjoying the feel of the wind through his feathers. His robe lay on the roof next to him while his hair rose above his head, crackling with static.

Normally, he would be more cautious about someone seeing him like this, but he decided to take a chance and revel in being a superior predator for a bit before going to find Tseng again. He glanced absently at the phone lying on his robes.

Perhaps he would call his husband and see if Tseng wished to join him on the rooftop.

This was definitely not where he was five minutes ago. He'd been doing a routine clearing out mission for the WRO as he was so often called upon to do. As Reeve spent his time rebuilding the world, he spent his clearing away the monsters so that the other Ex-ShinRa employee could do so.

But this was not the field he had just been in, this was a street in the middle of what looked like a semi populated city... and if he wasn't mistaken there was a very familiar looking church... and a pagoda?

This called for some more investigation.

Silently, Tseng entered the ruined church, more out of habit than any desire to sneak up on anyone here.

"Excuse me, Miss Gainsborough, I'm not sure if you're here, but if you are, may I ask for a few minutes of your time?" he called, standing just inside the doorway and feeling like an intruder for some reason.

He only hoped that she could help them retrieve Sephiroth, Angeal and Zack to fill the holes left in their lives.

The sky was beautiful. Just as Weiss always said it was.

From the letters they'd received from their brother and father, he'd expected it to look as common and dead as the faux sky that lit their little antfarm of a home. They'd said it was black - though Genesis had made it sound more poetic - and so he'd  never imagined that there could be...

So many stars.

In the safety of the dimly lit night, the Sable sat in a small park-like area. His wounded arms were folded across his chest, a beaten chocobo plush cradled to his chest as he basked in the glorious light of the moon. It was easy to look at, it's light soft and gentle to his sensitive cat-like eyes. The darkness had faded, leaving him vulnerable and in a state of complete relaxation.

But the light reminded him of Weiss. And that, in turn, caused his eyes to fill with tears and his face to bury in the plush.

"I want to go home... This beauty is nothing without my brother..."

Stretched out under a tree with his back against the trunk, Tseng held his lover close. First Nero and then Yuffie. He didn't know how much more his lover could take before things became too much. Why were people so quick to accuse them of atrocities that they never commited? It was bad enough that they couldn't save Sephiroth before he went mad, but were others trying to drive Genesis to the same madness?

Sighing, Tseng rubbed his cheek against auburn hair and offered as much love and support as he could.

There was a rather elaborate pagoda where an empty lot used to be. Yuffie stood on the front steps of said pagoda, and looked around herself with utter confusion, and wished that she wasn't stuck wearing the formal robes and makeup required by her position, because she had no clue what the hell was going on right now.

Despite the fact that she wouldn't be able to move or fight particularly well just now, or the fact that almost everyone in said pagoda had apparently vanished, she wasn't too nervous.

She could tell that she still had her ninja bodyguards, after all. Not that they were, you know, visible.

 The sounds of a scuffle echoed down the empty street ways as a frightened child was suddenly dumped into their midst. Snowy white hands clawed viciously at the exposed face of his enemy, animalistic sounds of fear and anger parting pale blue lips as the man's hands went for his wrists. The man crushed the tiny wrists easily, a cruel smile dancing upon his lips, before it quickly turned to panic as he realized that he was no longer in the DeepGround training grounds.

"Where did you take us, Sable?!" He snarled, shaking the boy from his broken and bleeding wrists. "What has your black magic done to us now?!"

 The Sable did not even lift his head. It tossed weakly on a limp neck, tears streaming down pale cheeks as the pain was intensified, but not a sound escaped him. No answers could be found - he hadn't done this! He knew better than to leave DeepGround - this particular Restrictor had taken an unhealthy interest in him after finding out that he was Weiss' younger sibling.

 The man gave a digusted snort, dropping his grasp on Nero's wrists to grab that tiny waist. His grip was gentle at first, stroking the bleeding and bruised skin - a torture session for an escapee was never kind, and gently, the man attempted to ease the answers out of the boy... But as his patience ran out, the grip tightened - squeezing, crushing, breaking the frightened child like a twig. And, yes, in this Nero DID scream. He tossed his head back, hands limp at his sides as the Darkness suddenly reared up, clawing along his sides and devouring the man in an instant.

But that had an adverse affect. Nero's eyes quickly lost their light as the chip in the back of his brain kicked in, and like a ragdoll, he collapsed to the ground in a heap.

In a rather familiar pool of water, which was in a rather familiar run-down church in the Slums, a rather familiar pink-clad form came into existence with a swirl of green Lifestream, whereupon she dropped the last few inches from where she'd been hovering over the surface of the water, and was promptly submerged.

Aeris wasn't particularly thrilled by that turn of events, and splashed around enough until she could get her feet underneath her and stand up again. That hadn't quite been the entrance she'd planned on.