[FFVII] Solace
Title: Solace Fandom: Final Fantasy VII Character/s: Yuffie, Nanaki Words: 399 Notes: Good lord, it's been a year since I last posted fic. That is truly atrocious. But it's fitting that the first thing I post is for leviathanmirror. Merry Christmas, darling, and Happy Birthday. I have further presents on the way, but I'm afraid I need to level up somewhat before I give them to you. ♥
Nanaki paused in his tale, regarding Yuffie with the steady golden gaze of a cat. "Do you need to relieve yourself?"
"Huh?" Yuffie cocked her head to one side. Nanaki heaved a sigh.
"Do you need to use the bathroom?"
"What? Noooo, why would you--"
"You're fidgeting. You don't like our stories?"
Yuffie held up both hands defensively. "Hey, hey, I have not sat still since the last time I was a) throwing up or b) unconscious. I am very interested in your story."
Nanaki eyed her, skeptical as only a cat could be. His tail twitched. "What is the knight's name?"
Yuffie didn't even blink. "Does it matter? He's a knight. They have a, an intertextual quality, right, so you can pretty much replace one with another and they can all be said to be one heroic knight."
Nanaki did not snort, but the widening of his nostrils made it clear he was laughing at her. He sprawled further and rested his chin on her knee. "You're restless. Why?"
"I'm always restless," she protested. "I am restless like a restless thing with a Hyper IV."
"Yuffie."
She dithered, rocking her head from side to side. He wasn't sure if she was ignoring the question, or wondering how to answer it. He lifted his head to butt her knee with it, and she scratched his ears absent-mindedly. Good. He waited, listening to the crackling of the Candle, and the murmurs of laughter and merriment from the rest of the village, camped out to pass the longest night with their loved ones.
"I'm just used to a lot more activity, this time of year. Back home, we'd be cleaning - all of us. Cleaning for our ancestors, so they know we aren't turning into total slobs without them."
"How have you managed to keep them convinced for so long?"
Yuffie headbutted him in the shoulder, and he rolled onto his back, wriggling in the dust beside the Candle. She launched herself at him, scratched and tickled until he groaned for her to stop, that the spot below his third rib was cheating.
"Anyway," she said, when she was satisfied that he was beaten. "If they like what they see, the ancestors bestow luck on the house for the new year."
"What if you haven't cleaned enough?"
Yuffie shrugged. "I never chance it. Mama was a good shot with a teacup."