Final Fantasy VII: 25 - Necktie
Random AU that occurred to me in its entirety at five a.m. Like any sensible person, I went back to sleep.
Title: Victorian
Author/Artist: purplekitte
Pairing: Sephiroth/Zack/Aeris, mention of Jenova, implied Lucrecia/Hojo and Lucrecia/Vincent (for Cloud/Zack/Sephiroth/Aeris claim)
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Theme: Jamie's list, 25 Necktie
Ratings/Warnings: PG, uh... nuns? Just in case anyone's afraid of nuns.
Sephiroth was free. No Jenova standing over his shoulder nagging him, forcing him to do things he didn’t want to. No Hojo peering at him through thick glasses.
The city was as smoggy at night as it looked through his window during the day, but the air seemed fresher than any he’d smelled before. He unknotted his tight necktie to breathe deeper and tossed the strip of silk over his shoulder.
It was caught by a boy about his age with messy black hair and tanned dirty skin. “You dropped this.” The boy offered it back with a smile.
“I don’t want it,” he sniffed. He was never going back to where his governess would make him wear that thing.
“What are you doin’ out here, this time of night?”
“I am a street orphan.” He was never going home, so he was homeless. He had been an orphan since his mother had died when he was young, leaving him with only his stepfather.
“A street orphan, eh?” The boy gave him a look that was more amused than incredulous. “Then perhaps you’d like to get a hot meal at the Church of the Ancient Spirit. Since you’re new to the area and all, though you’d like to know the best spot ‘round here.”
Sephiroth’s stomach rumbled since he’d been sent to bed without supper. “That would be acceptable. I am… new to the area.”
The boy grinned blindingly. “Great! I’m Zack Fair, by the way.”
“I’m very pleased to-I mean, I’m Sephiroth… uh… Valentine.”
Zack darted away, leaving Sephiroth to run to keep up with him. Any hopes he’d had of keeping track of where he was vanished many dark alleys and turns later. Seeing the other boy lagging and almost being run over by a cart horse, Zack eased back to grab his hand and lead him along by it.
They arrived at a modest-sized church with a singly smoky lamp burning above its door.
“Zack Fair,” a portly elderly nun snapped, though with an affectionate tenor Sephiroth had never heard before, “trying to wheedle another meal out of us? What would your poor mother say?”
“My ma would say we’re poor and she’s got seven littles asides me. Besides, I did ‘specially well on my letters today and recited an entire book of the good book, ask anyone.”
“It was Obadiah, boy; I did hear. Run along back with ya. Sister Aeris is still in the kitchen.”
“Thank ya kindly.” Taking Sephiroth’s hand again, he jogged around to a small side door which proved unlocked.
Inside was a young woman with such bright, sparkling eyes she made her drab habit look lively.
“Zack,” she exclaimed as he came over and pecked her on the cheek. Sephiroth gasp, scandalized. It would be improper for a suitor to kiss a lady anywhere but the hand. He couldn’t even comprehend how the added complications would fit, that she was a nun.
“Aeris, this is Sephiroth. He’s an orphan who I’m afraid is a bit new to these parts.”
“Is he now? I’m glad you brought him here.” She smiled sweetly at the boy. “I have some soup still on the fire. Shall I get you a bowl?”
“Yes please, ma’am.”
“No ‘ma’am’. I’m just Aeris.”
Sephiroth was hardly aware of being shuffled to a table and eating. Zack kept them occupied with fantastical tales of things he’d seen during the day or the actions of various siblings at Aeris’s occasional question or comment.
“I’d offer you board, but my bed will be full with Zack in it--”
He wagged his eyebrows. “We could all share.”
“--as he cannot go home until his sister recovers from the flu. But perhaps you know of a nice, soft bed, somewhere you could sneak into for the night, since it’s so late and you must be so tired…”
Sephiroth struggled to quiet his yawns to say, “I might… know a place… to sneak into.”
“That’s good. Perhaps Zack could show you back to where you were when you met and you can come back here next time you need a good meal.” She kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, m--Aeris.”
He’d climbed out of his window once. He could always run away again tomorrow.
Title: Victorian
Author/Artist: purplekitte
Pairing: Sephiroth/Zack/Aeris, mention of Jenova, implied Lucrecia/Hojo and Lucrecia/Vincent (for Cloud/Zack/Sephiroth/Aeris claim)
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Theme: Jamie's list, 25 Necktie
Ratings/Warnings: PG, uh... nuns? Just in case anyone's afraid of nuns.
Sephiroth was free. No Jenova standing over his shoulder nagging him, forcing him to do things he didn’t want to. No Hojo peering at him through thick glasses.
The city was as smoggy at night as it looked through his window during the day, but the air seemed fresher than any he’d smelled before. He unknotted his tight necktie to breathe deeper and tossed the strip of silk over his shoulder.
It was caught by a boy about his age with messy black hair and tanned dirty skin. “You dropped this.” The boy offered it back with a smile.
“I don’t want it,” he sniffed. He was never going back to where his governess would make him wear that thing.
“What are you doin’ out here, this time of night?”
“I am a street orphan.” He was never going home, so he was homeless. He had been an orphan since his mother had died when he was young, leaving him with only his stepfather.
“A street orphan, eh?” The boy gave him a look that was more amused than incredulous. “Then perhaps you’d like to get a hot meal at the Church of the Ancient Spirit. Since you’re new to the area and all, though you’d like to know the best spot ‘round here.”
Sephiroth’s stomach rumbled since he’d been sent to bed without supper. “That would be acceptable. I am… new to the area.”
The boy grinned blindingly. “Great! I’m Zack Fair, by the way.”
“I’m very pleased to-I mean, I’m Sephiroth… uh… Valentine.”
Zack darted away, leaving Sephiroth to run to keep up with him. Any hopes he’d had of keeping track of where he was vanished many dark alleys and turns later. Seeing the other boy lagging and almost being run over by a cart horse, Zack eased back to grab his hand and lead him along by it.
They arrived at a modest-sized church with a singly smoky lamp burning above its door.
“Zack Fair,” a portly elderly nun snapped, though with an affectionate tenor Sephiroth had never heard before, “trying to wheedle another meal out of us? What would your poor mother say?”
“My ma would say we’re poor and she’s got seven littles asides me. Besides, I did ‘specially well on my letters today and recited an entire book of the good book, ask anyone.”
“It was Obadiah, boy; I did hear. Run along back with ya. Sister Aeris is still in the kitchen.”
“Thank ya kindly.” Taking Sephiroth’s hand again, he jogged around to a small side door which proved unlocked.
Inside was a young woman with such bright, sparkling eyes she made her drab habit look lively.
“Zack,” she exclaimed as he came over and pecked her on the cheek. Sephiroth gasp, scandalized. It would be improper for a suitor to kiss a lady anywhere but the hand. He couldn’t even comprehend how the added complications would fit, that she was a nun.
“Aeris, this is Sephiroth. He’s an orphan who I’m afraid is a bit new to these parts.”
“Is he now? I’m glad you brought him here.” She smiled sweetly at the boy. “I have some soup still on the fire. Shall I get you a bowl?”
“Yes please, ma’am.”
“No ‘ma’am’. I’m just Aeris.”
Sephiroth was hardly aware of being shuffled to a table and eating. Zack kept them occupied with fantastical tales of things he’d seen during the day or the actions of various siblings at Aeris’s occasional question or comment.
“I’d offer you board, but my bed will be full with Zack in it--”
He wagged his eyebrows. “We could all share.”
“--as he cannot go home until his sister recovers from the flu. But perhaps you know of a nice, soft bed, somewhere you could sneak into for the night, since it’s so late and you must be so tired…”
Sephiroth struggled to quiet his yawns to say, “I might… know a place… to sneak into.”
“That’s good. Perhaps Zack could show you back to where you were when you met and you can come back here next time you need a good meal.” She kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, m--Aeris.”
He’d climbed out of his window once. He could always run away again tomorrow.