Where's the orchestra?

Fandom: Final Fantasy 7 Compilation
Title: After the Sky Falls Down
Pairing: Multiple (both hetero and slash)
Characters: Multiple
Rating: R
Warnings: Spoilers for all games. Involves strong language and implications of sexual activities. Will deal a lot with PTSD in some characters.


Veld Dragoon was indeed ‘extra special pissy’. He didn’t like that he couldn’t find some closure and move on. Today was a day of very mixed emotions. On the one hand, he had utmost faith in Felicia. He was proud of his daughter, grateful for the years that they had to make up for lost time. Veld knew that she would be the perfect foil for the illustrious Rufus ShinRa. Not that he liked how close Rufus got to his daughter. There was something off about the boy.

That was just a little icing of cranky on the cake. Vincent returning to life was… a hard pressure against Veld’s skull. The two hadn’t spoken since before Vincent had ‘died’ and the words had not been pleasant. They were lased with hurt and loss.

“Veld.” Elmyra’s voice tore him from the stove. The kettle was steaming at him like an angry woman. She smiled in that knowing way. While he lived with her, they didn’t share a bed. Perhaps once or twice it had happened but there was just an understanding between the two of them. A shared loss of Aerith was keenly felt and neither of them could forget the day that Veld stole a dying woman and hid her body and her child with the lonely widow. She pursed her lips. “I bet he’s at the church, or headed there…”

“I don’t need to talk to him.” Veld said as though he were trying to convince her.

She took the kettle off the stove. “I don’t believe you.”

Fandom: Final Fantasy 7 Compilation
Title: After the Sky Falls Down
Pairing: Multiple (both hetero and slash)
Characters: Multiple
Rating: R
Warnings: Spoilers for all games. Involves strong language and implications of sexual activities. Will deal a lot with PTSD in some characters.


_+_

“Where are Spike and Spooky at?” Reno was one of those people who could make himself comfortable no matter the setting. It was odd, at first, to have him in Seventh Heaven. Unlike the others who always had a rather businesslike air, Reno could switch professionalism on and off in a way that was nearly like twin personalities.

At least he was predictable. Tifa shrugged at his question and looked over her shoulder. Vincent and Cloud were people that would drift in and out of the others lives. They carried an old, almost broken feel about their shoulders and a haunted look in the eyes. She had suggested, once or twice, that they talk to someone because it wasn’t depression that made them distant.

It would be remiss to not say that they had both been through hell.

“Vincent tried to leave the girl he found, Shelke, but she doesn’t seem to want to stay anywhere but with him.” Tifa shrugged at Reno and leaned over the bar.

“Chief’s in a pissy mood, fair warning.” Elena walked around to Tifa’s side of the bar and leaned in the same manner next to her. The three looked at each other in what was actually a comfortable silence.

Tifa leaned her shoulder against Elena’s and reached for the water tap. She filled her glass, took a drink and passed it to Elena who accepted. She watched Reno light a cigarette and exhale before asking. “Isn’t Veld always pissy?”

Reno and Elena considered. “This is extra special pissy. It’s… a bad day.” Reno responded.

Tifa quirked an eyebrow at Elena. “Is it the day that Elfe’s mom died?”

Elena snagged Reno’s cigarette pack from the table and shook her head. In the light of the bar one could see nearly white patches in her blonde hair. “It’s the day Valentine ‘died’.”

_+_

Fandom: Final Fantasy 7 Compilation
Title: After the Sky Falls Down
Pairing: Multiple (both hetero and slash)
Characters: Multiple
Rating: R
Warnings: Spoilers for all games. Involves strong language and implications of sexual activities. Will deal a lot with PTSD in some characters.


“In understanding the dangers that we as a Planet, whether we speak Common or Wutain, if we are Costian or Juno, face, I would like to introduce the new Vice President of ShinRa and the founder of AVALANCHE. Miss Felicia Dragoon.”

There was a roar when the name AVALANCHE was connected to ShinRa that went silent and left its energy behind as the woman took the stand. She had her mother’s hands and her father’s dark eyes, hair, and concentrated scowl. Felicia preferred to be called “Elfe” but Rufus had assured her it was best to be as formal as possible. The name still left a rough feeling along the back of her conscious.

Still, she smiled in the manner her father had when he was charming someone. “Well… you’ll all be happy to know that I do not, in fact, typically agree with President ShinRa on most things.” The laughter that followed was almost natural. The planet itself was collectively learning to live again. Zirconiade, then Nibelheim, then Genesis, followed by Sephiroth, Deep Ground came after, that was all followed by Kadaj… the planet had had nearly ended half a dozen times over in less than a dozen years. It was time for some action.

She gripped the podium and looked to her father who stood off stage- though Veld was the leader of the Turks at one point in time, he now considered himself retired and dressed as any professor in a quiet Literary University would. She cleared her throat and continued. “We have known for many years that the actions of a few can result in the safety of many. The actions of the ShinRa Turk force and AVALANCHE-” Barret and Marlene could be heard cheering on the opposite end of the stage “- have all been to the same end. However, we have not worked together and this has caused us all pain.”

She continued to outline a gameplan, something to give people hope. Felicia made sure to thank names like Tifa Lockheart, Elena DuFou, Rude Zikra, Reno Cappellirossi, Cloud Strife… the list was long and she wanted it that way. Lastly she thanked those who passed away.

When Rufus walked behind her, he placed a hand on the podium next to hers. The two did not touch, but instead, each with a hand on the wooden podium looked out into the endless crowd.

It was nearly ten minutes before they stopped cheering.

Cid was still dumped. It was a state of being in his mind. He didn't
really understand women and Vincent's insistence that Shera never
wanted a family grated on him. Had she really stayed for so long, been
loyal for SO DAMN LONG, out of obligation. Was he really that
demanding? But he'd focus on her, because deep introspection was
something Cid wasn't skilled at. It had been a mess these past few
years. Zanorcade, Sephiroth, Kadaj, the mess with Weiss and Deep
Ground... was the planet done being on red alert yet? He frowned
again. Coming to Wutai had been to just get away. Cid wasn't sure what
to make of Vincent's revelations and his relationships either and
despite how hard Cid tried to focus on that and not himself, it all
came back to Shera.

This is why he was pacing Yuffie's giant house alone. He didn't want
to be alone, but Shelke had talked Vincent and Veld into going
somewhere. A little hiccup sort of sound drew his attention. There had
been a time when small noises wouldn't make Cid immediately assess his
situation. That time was about before the first time he'd almost been
blown to hell. It was... Yuffie. Oddly enough, he hadn't figured her
for a crier.

"Ya... alright?"

The look she threw him was not sad. Her big eyes glared at him through
tears and if she wasn't sad, he didn't quite understand. Thankfully
her expression softened.

"I'm angry, Cid."

"Yer cryin."

She gave a little snort. "Sometimes women cry when they are angry...
it doesn't make sense, but we do."

That didn't make any sense, but Cid was hard wired to stop women from
crying. "Whatcha cryin for?"

"I tried to get Cloud to come by, and he's... he's just like Vincent.
I'm just... I'm so mad. I don't care how bad a person Vincent
was, I don't care where Cloud was. No one should... just... I
want to take that haunted sort of expression and make it go away, Cid.
And it won't. And it's wrong. I want to take it out on someone, but
those people are dead and gone, aren't they? There's no one to blame
and I don't know how to help them fix it. I just, I wish that I could
hug them and not have them go all stiff like they expect something bad
to happen cause someone touched them." She made a huffy sound and
threw down the rag she was using to obsessively clean a counter. She
held the end of the counter tightly and hung her head. "You must think
I'm naive and stupid sometimes."